The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

On today’s episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma talk with dancer, writer and quiltmaker Marlee Grace to consider the question, what are we practicing and showing up for in our day to day lives? Throughout the episode, Mary, Emma, and Marlee dig into the concept of “personal practice” as they reimagine art forms as a practice rather than a performance. Marlee shares why she stepped away from social media, questions the role it plays in our lives, and addresses the platform’s inherently performative nature. She also shares where she finds encouragement and inspiration, and reminds us to take our work seriously (but not ourselves). Marlee’s work focuses on the self, rituals of devotion, creativity, and art-making. Her practice is rooted in improvisation as a compositional form expressed through dance, writing, quilting, teaching, and hosting artists. Her dance project Personal Practice has been featured in the New York Times, Dance Magazine, Vanity Fair, and The Huffington Post. Marlee is the author of Getting to Center: Pathways to Finding Yourself. THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PLAINE PRODUCTS. USE CODE LADYFARMER FOR 20% OFF!1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about natural dyeing and quilting! 6:40 - Dancer, Writer, and Quiltmaker Marlee Grace Let’s get into the episode:8:30 - Marlee Grace introduces herself 15:50 - Personal practice 24:20 - Escaping the chaotic and addictive loop of social media37:00 - Improvisational quilting 39:30 - What inspires and encourages you?45:30 - Slow living and its challenges 53:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?  Things Mentioned: Natural Dye and Slow Fashion Pop Up  Line + Tow Marleegrace.space Getting to Center: Pathways to Finding Yourself Within the Great Unknown New York Times feature Vanity Fair feature Huffingtonpost feature Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now  Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler  The Freedom Quilting Bee  Acres of Ancestry Initiative Natural Dyeing Intensive Plaine Products: Use code LADYFARMER for 20% off!  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today’s episode, Mary and Emma sit down with Lani Estill, founder of Lani’s Lana ~ Fine Rambouillet Wool; a commercial wool business and small yarn line based in Northern California. Alongside her family, Lani also owns and operates a vertically integrated diversified livestock ranch producing cattle, sheep, alfalfa and grass hay in the Northern California/Northern Nevada region. With the help of partners like Fibershed and the Carbon Cycle Institute, Lani’s family ranch is now running under a climate-fighting Carbon Farm Plan!Throughout the episode, Mary and Emma dig into Lani’s life on the ranch and chat about the complexities of owning and operating a truly sustainable supply chain. They also speak to the power of the consumer and talk about the soul satisfying decision to invest in climate beneficial products. 1:20 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about upcoming events! Let’s get into the episode:9:30 - Lani’s Lana Wool!12:15 - Lani introduces herself 16:00 - Regeneration on the ranch20:00 - The early days at Fibershed 23:40 - Investing in carbon farming 30:00 - The team 32:30 - The sheep 35:10 - The fabrics 42:00 - The cost of climate beneficial products 49:00 - Dyers and natural dyes51:20 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you? Things Mentioned: Kefir Workshop with Mary  Lani's Lana   Water mountain weavers    Fibershed   TGD - Rebecca Burgess   TGD - Elizabeth Cline   Northface Backyard Project   Carbon Cycle Institute Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk fermentation around the farm! 8:20 - Introducing Kirsten Shockey of Ferment Works  Let’s get into the episode:10:30 - Kirsten introduces herself 16:50 - What is fermentation? 19:40 - Bioavailability22:40 - Fermentation vs Pickling 28:05 - The Wonderful World of Vinegar 34:50 - Fermentation School38:35 - Fermenting dairy 39:50 - Fermenting safety & policy...it’s safe y’all! 42:00 - Fermentation vs canning...fermentation for the win! 45:35 - Tips & tricks 47:55 - Kirsten’s favorite ferment 49:20 - Gateway ferment for getting started!  51:50 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you? 52:55 - Don’t be afraid and you've got thisKirsten's Books: The Big Book of Cidermaking; (award winning) Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments Fiery Ferments Homebrewed Vinegar  Fermented Vegetables Things Mentioned: Upcoming Kefir Workshop Ferment Works Plaine Products 20% OFF with CODE: ladyfarmer fermentationschool.com THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR PLAINE PRODUCTS: USE CODE "LADYFARMER" FOR 20% OFF YOUR PURCHASE Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Liz Kimball (MFA, CPC) is a creativity catalyst, writer, coach, speaker, and founder of The Collective, a network of women creators and thought leaders dedicated to fostering cultural change through creativity. Her work has been featured at TEDx, Oprah.com, the NBA, The Guggenheim, NYU, and at universities and institutions throughout the country. In today's episode, we talk about the creative process from many angles, how pursuing our dreams might not be the straight path we imagine, how to foster our creative selves in a world that demands much from us, and how some of these things might be shifting from the pandemic year. Liz talks about the importance of detaching yourself from labels that you’ve placed on yourself since adolescence. Your work in the world is much more important than a title. We discuss how the ideas of slow living and "good dirt" are essential to cultivating the creative life, and building a future we can’t wait to wake up to!Let's get into the episode: 1:30 - Mary & Emma catch up and chat about plants!7:00 - Liz introduces herself20:00 - Rewriting the rules 23:00 - The Collective27:00 - Discussion around time35:00 - The creative process50:00 - Mary recalls her own journey with her creative process Things Mentioned:  Liz's Website - The Collective Liz's TED Talk Howard Thurman - The Sound of The Genuine Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert The ALMANAC - Sharon Bailey's Workshop (available to members only)  Lynn Felton - @bonzart     Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1:30 - It’s Fashion Revolution week!10:00 - Elizabeth introduces herself11:00 - Has there been much change in the last two decades in the fashion industry?20:00 - Why are corporations not paying their factories?28:00 - The problems in your own closet38:00 - The PayUp Campaign 42:00 - What does The Good Dirt mean to you?50:00 - How Farmers in West Texas inspired ElizabethThings Mentioned: Fashion Revolution  Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth Cline Lady Farmer Essential Collection Line and Tow Line at Lady Farmer Grace Brian The Twilight of the Ethical Consumer article PayUp Fashion SB 62 - The Garment Worker Protection Act Elizabeth Cline Instagram PayUp Fashion Instagram Greenwashing article for Patagonia Another Tomorrow The ALMANAC Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this special live episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma talk with Rebecca Burgess, the founder of Fibershed, a non profit organization that develops regional fiber systems that build soil and protect the health of our biosphere. Fibershed envisions the emergence of regional textile communities that facilitate soil-to-soil textile processes, and create opportunities for localized clothing production and supply. Rebecca speaks about the origins of the organization and its efforts in connecting wearers in numerous regions with local fields where the clothes are grown, working to build viable systems that can be sustained for generations to come.1:40 - Next week is Fashion Revolution WeekLet’s get into the interview!6:13 - Rebecca shares her biggest influences11:35 - The moment that started Fibershed16:35 - What is Fibershed?22:50 - Hemp in the fashion industry30:00 - What’s to come of Fibershed?40:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?41:00 - Seniors and the working community44:00 - What makes for a healthy fibershed?Things mentioned: Fashion Revolution Lady Farmer Marketplace Lady Farmer Instagram Fibershed Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess Chesapeake Fibershed The ALMANAC Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Mary and Emma have a wonderful conversation with Eliza Blue, a singer/songwriter who lives and works on a regeneratively-managed ranch raising grass-fed cattle and fiber sheep with her husband and two children. She talks about going from the life of a touring musician to a teaching job in South Dakota, and the pivotal moment when she walked into a friend’s lambing barn at lambing season and knew she had found her calling. Eliza's connection to the land is evident in her stories of life on the ranch and her daily involvement with the animals and the natural environment. She has written a book called "Accidental Rancher," which came out this past spring, and she writes and produces audio "postcards" about ranch life for the North Dakota and South Dakota NPR affiliates. In addition, she has just finished filming for a new series that celebrates rural life through stories and songs called Wish You Were Here.1:23 - It’s been a year since The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living has been released!Let’s get into the interview!8:35 - Eliza introduces herself13:20 - Eliza’s creative endeavor 18:00 - Eliza’s shares a story from the ranch30:00 - How the pandemic has affected Eliza’s life33:00 - What inspires Eliza’s music and songwriting?44:00 - Regenerative Agriculture in the grasslands50:00 - What does The Good Dirt mean to Eliza?Things Mentioned: The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living Book Accidental Rancher by Eliza Blue Postcards from the Prairie Wish You Were Here Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan The History and Folklore of Brigid: Saint, Legend and Lady Farmer with Kathy Spaar Eliza's Spotify   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today's guest is Sharon Bailey of The Glow Emporium, a woman’s wellness education and empowerment community. As a homesteader, mother, entrepreneur, and educator living in a small mountain town, Sharon espouses a life lived in sync with nature, and helps other women connect with their own feminine rhythms for a happier and healthier lifestyle. Emphasizing the counter- cultural art of slowing down as a fundamental necessity for coping with the many demands of women today, Sharon offers empowering information and advice for dealing with exhaustion and burnout. In this conversation, Sharon shares her own story of early challenges that led to destructive habits in early adulthood, and how through the experience of giving birth and early motherhood, she came to an understanding of the necessity for taking care of herself and her body. Her passion for supporting other women on the path to claiming full health and well being for themselves is the inspiration for the work she does today.1:30 - Mary and Emma talk about planning by the moonLet’s get into the interview!6:53 - Sharon introduces herself9:00 - How did Sharon get into health and wellness?16:15 - The current mission of The Glow Emporium25:00 - Planning around your hormonal cycle32:00 - What are we trading our time for?40:00 - Making sustainability more accessible48:00 - What does Sharon want us to most take away from this conversation?Things Mentioned: The ALMANAC The Glow Emporium The Glow Apothecary Unrefined SHE Podcast The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cynthia Main @sunhousecraft is an artisan maker in Berea, Kentucky who has built a thriving business hand making home goods. Inspired by the timeless traditions of Appalachian crafts, her wooden wares are hand made, often hewn with axe and knife. Brooms are hand woven, with a non-electric process, with utmost attention given to the details of each piece. The materials are sourced and harvested from local, sustainable materials. In this conversation, Cynthia discusses her lifelong passion for learning traditional agrarian skills and the arts of self sufficiency, from farming to building, wood working, furniture making and crafting the basic tools of everyday life. With many of these skills largely forgotten by our consumer culture, Cynthia shares the story of how she has made her way, rediscovering these skills for herself, teaching others, and demonstrating an alternative path through a life of making.1:20 - Catch up with Mary and EmmaLet’s get into the interview!12:00 - Cynthia introduces herself17:50 - The importance of mindful supply chains20:40 - Broommaking and Appalachia31:00 - Crafts, accessibility and price39:00 - Claiming your own power45:00 - Cynthia’s work in relation to The Good Dirt48:30 - How 2020 has affected Sunhouse CraftThings Mentioned: Sunhouse Craft Emma's quilting course - A Quilt is Something Human State the Label East Fork Pottery Raleigh Denim Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance by Robin Wall Kimmer The Way Home - Tales From a Life Without Technology by Mark Boyle Let’s Talk About Your Skin! Herbal Skincare with Militza Maury Sunhouse Craft on Youtube Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alyson Morgan (@alysonsimplygrows) is an environmentalist, gardener, artist and photographer, as well as a slow living advocate and mother. Through this conversation, Alyson gives us a glimpse of conscious living through her lens, the realities of juggling a creative business and motherhood, the desire for activism alongside the need for slowing down and being present, and the power of plants in everyday life. Through her beautiful photography and her writing, along with the flower essences she creates for Earth Star Herbals, Alyson offers her gifts of healing to her audience and the world. 1:20 - Mary and Emma talk about the seasonal transitionLet’s get into the interview!5:34 - Alyson introduces herself8:40 - How did Alyson get into herbalism18:00 - Plant allies and personal growth22:00 - What is a flower essence?29:00 - Rest and Productivity33:40 - Living by the moon40:40 - Balancing slow living and motherhood with COVID45:00 - What does Good Dirt mean to you?Things Mentioned: The ALMANAC Wintering by Katherine May Lady Farmer Playlists on Spotify Numero Group Earth Star Herbals Alyson’s Instagram Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy