The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Linen is a woven and durable fabric that gets pulled out of the closet when summer rolls around or spread across one’s bed as a soft blanket or duvet cover. But the big question remains: how sustainable is linen? We speak to Heidi Barr about how she has worked with reclaimed fabrics to reduce textile waste in the industry. She noticed the need for more sustainable solutions when she saw the urgency for making these changes in order to build a healthy, vibrant future with kitchen products that you will want to use every day.Heidi Barr is the founder of The Kitchen Garden Textiles, a line of kitchen textiles made with natural and reclaimed materials sold to support urban agriculture. Her business began by making napkins out of the backs of second-hand men’s shirts and selling them to support her local urban CSA farm. Now, her company has gained significant traction in the textile industry and is used by some of Philly’s top chefs including Ari Miller, co-owner and chef at Musi BYOB, and by Judy Wicks, environmental activist, author, and founder of the White Dog Cafe.As a former dancer turned costume designer, her business combines her love for the environment, fabric, and sewing. Heidi uses this passion to continue to inspire other individuals to live a more environmentally conscious and plastic-free lifestyle. Join us on this week’s episode as we dive into the topics of ethically sourced products, environmental stewardship, and Heidi’s personal journey as an entrepreneur.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Simplecast, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: Replacing single-use plastics with sustainable solutions Environmental stewardship Ethical business practices Affordability and sustainable products Greenwashing in the textile industry Resources Mentioned: The Kitchen Garden Textiles Weavers Way Farms Henry Got Crops The Flax Project  Guest InfoConnect with the guest on Heidi’s website or by email at hello@kitchengardentextiles.comFollow Us: Our Website Instagram Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this week’s episode, Mary and Emma talk with Amanda Cather from The Million Acre Challenge, a nonprofit organization that helps Maryland farmers build soil health, increase farm profitability, and improve water quality – while making farms resilient and active in the face of climate change. Their farmer-focused collaborative uses soil health science, economics, education, and incentives to achieve their mission. Amanda's early training in pre-med led her from an interest in equitable food access to a career path in urban agriculture, and ultimately to running her own farm raising grass-fed livestock. Now, alongside the team at Million Acre, the goal is to achieve one million agricultural acres in Maryland using healthy soil techniques by 2030, while sharing best practices and making healthy soil connections throughout the Chesapeake watershed. Throughout the episode, Amanda shares her knowledge surrounding the effort. She educates us on the industrial versus ecological models, and introduces us to the multiple factors that affect the way farmers must approach soil improvement. She stresses the importance of listening to farmer’s voices and supporting their journey, as well as, fighting for systems that reward good stewardship and value biodiversity. She explains there are multi-pathways to healthy soil and no one way to achieve the goal. The key to progress in this effort is maintaining curiosity and communication along the way, and remembering that healthy soil (good dirt!) is the foundation of everything.   1:30 - Mary and Emma check in to see how Plastic Free July is going! 4:00 - Amanda Cather of Million Acre Challenge Let’s get into the episode:5:45 - Amanda introduces herself 11:00 - What is the Million Acre Challenge? 20:30 - Connecting to the issues 23:30 - Incentivising soil health and funding the transition 27:00 - Nutritional quality of crops 34:00 - Equity 43:00 - Lobbying to change 48:00 - Engaging with farmers 50:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you? Things Mentioned:  Million Acre Challenge  IG: @soilchallenge The Land Institute  Plow and Stars Farm Guidelight / Patagonia Report  Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Soil Health BenchMark Study UMD Organic Grains Transition Project  American Farmland Trust Soil Health Institute   Maryland Department of Agriculture USDA FFAR The Farm’s Project  Regen1 The Real Food Project  The Agriculture Resilience Act Fair Farms Pledge Lady Farmer  The ALMANAC Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this week’s episode, Mary and Emma dive deep into the world of plastic consumption and waste management with Lauren Olson, a Zero Waste Manager at World Centric, exploring the world of compostables and the use of plastic in our daily lives. The discussion covers several aspects of the topic, including the difficulties of “zero-waste," how plastic sneaks into our homes even when we are consciously trying to avoid it, and all the ways in which existing systems make it difficult to create true sustainability in our homes. Lauren explains the science behind bioplastics, as well as the difference between industrial vs home compostables. She also shares how to determine genuinely compostable products and helps us imagine a cradle to cradle world where waste equals food for the earth, and not the other way around! Mary and Emma ask the vital questions, what can we do to work through this monumentally large plastic problem, and is it really possible to achieve the ultimate goal of a zero-waste economy? Lauren gives practical tips for individual action, while encouraging all of us to use our voices as paying consumers to demand change from the top down.1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about plastic problem solving! 10:30 - World Centric Let’s get into the episode:11:30 - Introducing Lauren & the world of World Centric 16:30 - Is zero waste really achievable?  22:00 - Bioplastics 30:00 - Landfills as coffins for waste 35:00 - What can we do? 36:00 - Greenwashing 43:00 - Facing this massive issue 50:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you? USE CODE: "thegooddirt" for 10% off online at World Centric. Valid for 30 days. Things Mentioned: World Centric  The Ecology Center  Nature Works Polystyrene BPI  Compost Manufacturers Alliance (CAM)   ASTM 6400 or 6868 Findacomposter.com World Centric’s Giving Program Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mary and Emma have an enlightening conversation this week with grower and legal educator Eva Moss, discussing an aspect of the homestead dream that is too often overlooked. Knowing farm law and preparing for unexpected issues through healthy communication before they come up creates legal protection for all parties involved. Eva shares with us the story of how a life transition left her and her farm legally vulnerable. With help, she found her way through that experience all the wiser, and now uses her voice and legal knowledge to educate the farming community through her work at Farm Commons. Throughout the episode, Eva speaks to the power of finding healthy pathways forward in our relationships within the business, with each other and with the land. She reminds us that we have the power to create our own solutions and that we have significant creative power to (legally) cultivate the lady farmer life we’re dreaming of if we take the time to talk about our needs and goals. Mary, Emma and Eva also discuss how to cultivate a slow life as a hardworking homesteader and the important distinction between self-sufficiency and community resiliency.1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about Plastic Free July! 7:30 - Introducing Eva MossLet’s get into the episode: 9:25 - Eva introduces herself 18:30 - Creating a foundation...grounded in the law 21:30 - Eva’s homestead story 26:30 - Finding pathways  32:00 - A great place to start 39:30 - Looking ahead 47:00 - Setting boundaries 50:00 - Grappling with “homesteading” 57:00 - Carving out community 59:30 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?  Shop our Plastic Free July zero waste products in the marketplace! Use Code: plasticfreejuly for 15% OFF Things Mentioned: Plastic Free July  Lady Farmer Marketplace Heart Strong Farm Farm Commons North Carolina Farm Link Land Link Montgomery  Thistle Farms Cooperative Extension Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week, Mary and Emma have a wonderful conversation with photographer, chef, cookbook author, educator and entrepreneur turned homesteader, Eva Kosmas Flores. Eva shares her journey to the slow living lifestyle, led by an ancestral pull and deep familial ties that have guided her back to a connection with home, the garden, food, family and community. Always leading with curiosity, Eva talks about her new adventures as a homesteader and what she’s learning from the land. Throughout the episode, Mary, Emma and Eva talk about the pursuit of the creative life and how to make it work, native species, permaculture gardening and the complexity of our forest ecosystems. They also discuss their sustainable home projects, creating beautiful and enduring interiors, and the complicated decisions involved in the process. Eva reminds us that real life is an intersection of all the things we love, and we have permission to pursue all the parts of ourselves. 1:25 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk berries! 5:00 - Eva Kosmas Flores Let’s get into the episode:  6:20 - Eva introduces herself 15:50 - Finding and creating a homestead 21:00 - Forestry and restoring the soil 22:30 - The importance of native species 29:00 - Breaking ground 33:00 - A sustainable home  39:30 - Timeless, natural interiors  52:00 - Loving lots of things57:30 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?   Things Mentioned: Eva Kosmas Flores  Adventures In Cooking First We Eat  https://www.firstweeat.co Adventures in Chicken The Hidden Life of Trees  The National Scenic Area  Simplicity by Nancy Braithwaite  The Nature of Home by Jeffery Dungan  Braiding Sweetgrass   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We have a special bonus episode for you this week in celebration of our newest national holiday-- Juneteenth! Mary and Emma reunite with author, historian and farmer Tony Cohen for an exploration into the history of Juneteenth and the holiday’s complex folklore and origins. Tony takes us back in time to examine how this monumental declaration of freedom spread in a variety of ways depending on the geographic, economic and social landscape of the time.Mary, Emma and Tony pause to reflect upon what freedom means and looks like in the modern era and why society continues to resist a hard look at injustice. Tony points to how altering behavior can feel like giving up our own freedoms and comforts and reminds us that the fair trade movement has deeply historic roots. He also reflects upon the transition from enslavement to the tenant farming system and points to how that system affects us still today. The trio grapples with some hard truths about freedom itself and acknowledges the work still left to be done. Tony shares how he celebrates Juneteenth at Button Farm and rejoices in community as he reflects upon the precious ability to gather and take new found enthusiasm into the world.  Let’s get into the episode:1:30 - Emma introduces this week’s special episode3:00 - Tony Cohen on the history of Juneteenth15:00 - The transition into freedom20:00 - The shift to “waged” labor and the evolution of slavery28:00 - Fair trade31:00 - Local emancipation41:00 - Celebrating Juneteenth42:30 - The happenings at Button Farm48:00 - Creating Community Things Mentioned:  Button Farm Oprah’s visit  The Menare Foundation HipCamp - Camp at Button Farm  Anthony Cohen The Good Dirt - Episode 31  The AG Reserve - Montgomery County  The Underground railroad in Montgomery County, Maryland: A history and driving guide Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday  Lift Every Voice and Sing DC Emancipation Day  Montgomery County Historical Society  13th Amendment  14th Amendment 15th Amendment Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma have a conversation with artist, teacher and “sorceress of the stitch” Christi Johnson. Christi’s art reflects communion and connection with plants, revealing the hypnotic beauty of botanicals. Her work includes alchemy, herbalism, and images which are stitched slowly and methodically into fabric. Christi is dedicated to rejoining the art of embroidery with its complex and meaningful origins.Throughout the episode, Christi discusses her own history within the fashion industry. Mary, Emma and Christi remind us that “cheap is never a bargain” and discuss how many of the problems with manufacturing in the fashion industry are hidden from the consumer. Christi also dives into the concept of images as language, and talks about allowing the creative process to be a conversation between you and the work that is ever-changing and not predetermined. Christi discusses her dedication to experimentation, exploration and evolution in her work, shares her dream of bringing art and meaning back into traditional craft and how giving our art power in turn allows us to empower ourselves. Christi’s new book is entitled “Mystical Stitches: Embroidery for Personal Empowerment and Magical Embellishment”. THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PLAINE PRODUCTS. USE CODE LADYFARMER FOR 20% OFF. Let’s get into the episode:1:30.  Mary tells the story of her plant rescue mission9:00 - Christi Johnson, sorceress of the stitch 11:20 - Christi introduces herself 15:30 - Understanding composition 30:30 - The intersection between herbs and art 34:00 - A “good” price 37:30 - Images as language 52:00 - Working with the seasons  1:00 - Mystical Stitches 1:01 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?Things Mentioned: Mixed Color  Mystical Stitches  Magic Threads  Stitch Wish Shop Plaine Products  Textile Arts Center Doug Johnston Emily Fisher: Haptic Lab  Braiding Sweetgrass  The ALMANAC Summer Enrollment  A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we talk with Lady Farmer and chef Michelle Aronson, creator of Farmbelly, an educational platform dedicated to sharing the love of growing, cooking, and eating wonderful food.  Although Michelle wasn't particularly interested in cooking while growing up in the suburbs of the Midwest, once she moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia for college, she I discovered her love for food and farming. After several summers apprenticing on different small-scale farms, and after managing  an educational farm in Charlottesville, complete with laying hens, bee hives, and lots of eager student volunteers, she recognized that she needed to level up her cooking skills  in order to enjoy the hard-earned fruits and veggies she was learning to grow.In the spring of 2013 Michelle attended culinary training at the Ballymaloe Cooking School, located on a 100-acre organic farm on the coast of Ireland, where almost all of the dairy, meat, vegetables, and herbs come straight from the fields into the teaching kitchens. Inspired by the incredible teachers, fresh ingredients, and straightforward culinary ethos at Ballymaloe, Michelle returned home to work in many sectors of the food/farming world, and ultimately to where she now lives on a beautiful 10-acre farm near Saxapahaw, North Carolina, cultivating a diverse market garden + farmstand, and teaching  gardening + cooking classes. Michelle shares about  her journey and her mission to make farm-fresh food accessible and less intimidating for folks...and to help everyone get a “farm belly." What's that? Listen in to find out! Timestamps, Links & ResourcesIntroduction: Slow Living Intensive The ALMANAC open enrollment 6:36: Introducing Michelle8:35: Michelle describes her journey10:27: Ballymaloe Culinary School in Ireland11:28: Starting Farmbelly12:33: A day in the life at Ballymaloe Culinary School16:17: What is a  "farm belly" ? 18:45: Food culture now20:00 The value of sitting down together for a meal22:22 Focus on the farm24:00 The farmstand, how it works27:00 Cooking with the produce31:30: Planting season33:00 Lady Farmers34:00. Michelle's Inspiration38:30  Sustainability and  good dirtFollow Michelle on Instagram @farmbelly or via her website!   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma sit down with artist, writer and teacher Katrina Rodabaugh to discuss her slow fashion journey, sustainability as a process, embracing imperfection and mending as healing. Katrina dives into her own outlook on embracing a more sustainable lifestyle, a process that takes place over time and many small steps. The three discuss the importance of accessibility in the movement, and how remembering the values of the past doesn't have to mean giving up the progress we have made as a society. They also talk about how slow fashion practices such as thrifting, mending and making are important as a disruption of the industry and a positive step towards change. A poet and fiber artist at heart, Katrina has published three books, Make Thrift Mend (2021); Mending Matters (2018); and The Paper Playhouse (2015). Her writing and artwork has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Mother Earth Living, Sewing Magazine, Sunset magazine, Sweet Paul Magazine, Taproot magazine, and more. Katrina currently lives with her artist husband and their young sons on a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse in Hudson Valley, New York where they grow dye plants, flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables while caring for chickens and honeybees. Let’s get into the episode:1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk “cultivation” and upcoming events 4:00 - Katrina Rodabaugh: Artist, Writer, Teacher 5:20 - Katrina introduces herself 13:30 - Make Thrift Mend 20:00 - Accessible sustainability 34:00 - Remembering slow fashion  41:50 - Mending as healing 47:40 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?Things Mentioned: Slow Living Intensive  ALMANAC summer open enrollment  Make Thrift Mend Mending Matters  Katrina Rodabaugh Studios  2013 Garment Factory Collapse Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode, Mary and Emma sit down to talk about what’s currently captivating their interest and the latest happenings on the farm. Mary shares her experience and knowledge gardening by the moon and encourages the use of the lunar cycle as a framework for the things we want to cultivate in our lives. The mother and daughter duo discuss the mesmerizing emergence of the seventeen-year cicada and embrace the celebratory nature of the phenomenon. drawing the parallel of a cultural emergence that's unfolding a year after a worldwide lockdown. Let’s get into the episode:1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about gardening by the moon 11:30 - The 17 year cicada 19:00 - The insect sounds of summer 23:00 - Fireflies at the farm 23:50 - Upcoming events and announcements  Things Mentioned: Slow Living Intensive The Farmer’s Almanac  The 17 year cicada The Almanac lady-farmer.com Raising With the Moon: The Complete Guide to Gardening and Living By the Signs of the Moon by Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese You and the Man and the Moon: The Complete Guide to Using the Almanac by Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy