The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Brittany Felton is a writer, editor, producer, baker, crafter, restauranteur, and host of the “Yeah, I’d Hang Out with Her” Podcast. Her mother and Mary have been friends since the 90's and participated in an early Artist’s Way group together. Brittany’s connection with Lady Farmer led her to invite Mary and Emma onto the podcast, and today we're sharing that interview here with all of you. You’ll hear all about Mary and Emma’s deep-seated connection to the land, their journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle and the inspiration for Lady Farmer. Mary shares her long quest to find the land she now calls home and some glimpses into the writing of “The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living”. Meanwhile, Emma recounts her experience in creative freelancing and how it ultimately led to the Lady Farmer initiative. This episode encapsulates the essence of Lady Farmer, highlighting its evolution from a clothing line to a broader community advocating for slower, more intentional living.Topics Discussed· Introduction to the Podcast· Meet the Hosts: Mary and Emma· Brittany's Backstory and Connection· Mary's Origin Story· Emma's Journey to Lady Farmer· The Birth of Lady Farmer· The Magic of the Farm· Understanding Slow Living· Consumer Habits and Sustainability· The Pandemic's Impact on Slow Living· The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living· Sustainable Fashion and Climate Change· The Good Dirt Podcast· Community and Support Systems· Personal Slow Living Journeys· Daily Routines and Reflections· Mary & Emma’s Creative PursuitsEpisode Resources:· “Yeah, I’d Hang Out with Her” Podcast· Read “The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition” by Julia Cameron· Read “The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living” by Mary E. KingsleyConnect with Brittnay Felton:· Website: https://www.brittanyfelton.com/myfilms· Instagram @brittfelt: https://www.instagram.com/brittfelt/?img_index=1· Substack: https://brittanyfelton.substack.com/· Links: https://linktr.ee/brittanyfelton━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray

Natalie Leon is a British Japanologist with a Master’s Degree in Japanese Studies who has dedicated her life and career to sharing Japanese culture with the world and with the United Kingdom. Her passion lies in seasonality, and celebrating every day. She recently published “The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally” which is her love letter to seasonal living in Japan. Natalie shares her deep passion for Japanese culture, a journey that began with a childhood fascination with a kimono. The conversation explores various aspects of seasonality in Japan, such as the concept of 'shun' (eating what's in season), 'kisetsukan' (awareness of the seasons), and 'kasane' (color layering). Natalie also delves into the folklore and spirituality of Japan, illustrating how these traditions are interwoven with everyday life. If you enjoy this episode, Natalie's new book, “The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally: An Invitation to Celebrate Every Day” is out now and serves as a loving invitation to incorporate these enriching practices into our daily lives.Topics Discussed· Japanology· Seasonality· The unique· Kimonos, Tea Ceremony, Matsuri, and other Annual Ritual Festivals· Japanese Textiles & Symbolism· The Idea of Vintage· Art & The Connection and Elevation of Nature· John Ruskin the Art Critic· The Mingei Art Movement· William Morris Designs· Kisetsukan (季節感)· Shun (旬)· Takanoko / Bamboo Shoots· Western Culture’s Impact on Japan· Kasane no Irome (襲の色目)· The Significance of Cherry Blossoms· Dealing with Rituals, Spirituality, and the Supernatural· Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism· The 4 Japanese Seasonal Goddesses· The Climate & Ecosystem of Japan· Forest Bathing in Yakashima· Marie Kondo & Minimalist, Zero-Waste Culture· Furoshiki (風呂敷)· Kamikatsu - Japan’s Zero Waste TownEpisode Resources:· Read “The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally: An Invitation to Celebrate Every Day” by Natalie LeonConnect with Natalie Leon:· Website: https://www.natalie-leon.co.uk/· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_natalie_leon/· Newsletter: https://natalieleon.substack.com· Links: https://linktr.ee/sakura_sister_━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray

This episode originally aired on November 4th, 2022.Today's guest is Claire Dunn, here with us to dive deeply into the mysteries of nature and psyche through the pathways of deep nature connection. Speaking to us from Melbourne, Australia, Claire is a writer, speaker, barefoot explorer, rewilding facilitator, and founder of Nature’s Apprentice, a platform for education and guidance in rewilding our souls and the planet. For the last 15 years, Claire has been facilitating individuals in ancestral earth skills, deep ecology, ecopsychology, soul-centric nature-based practice, village building, dance, ceremony, and contemporary wilderness rites-of-passage. Claire is the author of the memoir, My Year Without Matches, which tells the story of her year living wild – and the recently released memoir Rewilding the Urban Soul exploring how we might embody wild consciousness even while living in the setting of a city.Topics Covered: Rewilding as a new human movement Cultivation of a "Wild Mind" Claire's childhood and background in the environmental movement  How Claire's introduction to primitive earth skills led her more deeply into the human nature relationship  Richard Lou The Last Child in the Woods Vitamin N (Nature)  Tom Brown's Tracker School in New Jersey Australia's first Independent Wilderness Studies Program Claire's one-year self-initiated deep nature immersion The sacred order of survival Bill Plotkin Claire's emergence from her immersion, and sharing the immersion experience with the world Nature's Apprentice Rewilding the Urban Soul - Claire Dunn My Year Without Matches Jon Young's Core Routines of Nature Common threads of people who come to Claire for instruction What is a vision quest?  The urgency of climate change Bringing back the species of the wild human Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone Connect with Claire: Her website, naturesapprentice.com.au/ Claire's Books: Rewilding the Urban Soul My Year Without Matches Follow her on Instagram @_natures_apprentice_ Claire's Facebook 🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you! Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray

Angela Ferraro Fanning built and runs the Axe and Root Homestead in New Jersey. After suffering from postpartum depression, Angela wanted to remove herself from modern day hustle culture and return to nature, growing as much of her own food as possible. She grew from her own private garden to a fully functioning farm, and shares the empowerment that comes along with homesteading with our audience today. Sitting down with Emma and Mary in this follow-up to her original episode “Homesteading is What You Make It”, we catch up with Angela’s progress in running her farm a few years later after she was certified as a permaculturist by Cornell University. Angela shares insights about the evolution of her farm, managing a variety of plants and animals, and implementing permaculture principles into her lifestyle. She talks about publishing her books “The Sustainable Homestead” and the “Little Homesteader” series , growing protein-rich crops as a vegetarian, and raising a family on a farm. She leaves us all with why she believes it is vitally important to remember the legacy we leave for the people who take over the land after we’re gone.Topics Discussed· Eco-friendly Permaculture Homesteading· Maintaining Geese, Ducks, Apiary, Sheep, Orchard, and Garden· Being a Vegetarian Homesteader· Leaving Graphic Design and Web Design for Nature· Food Allergies & Pesticide Pain· Pros and Cons of Eating According to the Season· Compromises for Family· Finding a Flexible Sustainability Sustain that Works For YOUR Lifestyle· Mary’s Raspberry Story· Preserving Your Food· A Mugwort Invasion· Growing Strawberries· Working with Horses· Raising Kids on a Farm· Spending Time Outdoors· Compromises, Saltwater Pools, and Honeybees· Cultural Shifts Post-Pandemic· Writing “The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land" by Angela Ferraro-Fanning· The Little Homesteader Books· Seitan· Growing Beans, Garbanzos, and Quinoa· Impact of COVID on HomesteadingEpisode Resources:· Listen to The Good Dirt “Homesteading is What You Make It with Angela Ferraro Fanning of Axe & Root Homestead”· Listen to The Good Dirt “Homesteading is a Mindset with Angela Ferraro Fanning”· Read Angela’s Books including “The Sustainable Homestead”, “The Harvest Table”, “Design for Change”, and the “Little Homesteader” series· Listen to Vox Media’s “Today Explained: Honey, We Saved the Bees”Connect with Angela :· Axe & Root Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axeandroothomestead/· Website: https://www.axeandroothomestead.com· Angela’s Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angferrarofanning_photography/· The HOMESTEADucation Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homesteaducation/id1593301801━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray

In this special episode, Emma and Mary are catching up with their first guest ever featured on the podcast, Amy DuFault. A writer on sustainable textiles for 15 years, Amy has dedicated her next chapter to reconnecting with the roots of her home on Cape Cod. Amy brings us along from her career in various aspects of sustainability in fashion and textiles to her current focus on water quality. She has dedicated her next chapter to reconnecting with the roots of her home on Cape Cod and is now working as communications director at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center.  You will hear about Amy's work with growing natural dye plants in wastewater and innovative solutions for water sustainability. Finding her “why” was key to Amy’s journey as her drive to heal the earth is directly tied to her late father's environmental awareness, and a deep longing for the return of the environment she remembers as a child. Topics Discussed· Fibershed· The “Why” Behind Your Sustainability· Your Personal Toolkit & How to Use it to Change· Sustainable Fabrics and Clothing Practices· Determining Your Value System· Working with the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Tech Center· The Fear Around Eco-conscious Businesses· The Umbrella of Sustainability· Where Our Clothing’s Color Comes From· Natural Dye Farmers· The Priceless Value of Waters· Sanitation Practices· Experiments for Optimal Flower Growing· NOFA: Northeast Organic Farming Association· Septic Tank Issues· Saltwater Intrusion· Exploring Wastewater Fertilization· Revitalizing Septic Systems and Destroyed Bodies of Water· The Cape Cod AquiFund· Pasteurized Urine· Restoring Your Home· Eco-grief for the Way the Environment Was· Government Support and Funding· Water Quality· Preserving Our Ground WaterEpisode Resources:· Listen to The Good Dirt’s 1st Episode with Amy DuFault· PROJECT: Wastewater’s Impacts On Natural Dye Plant Growth & Color· Botanical Colors· Feedback Friday Videos· Read “The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future” by Peter Gleick· The Rich Earth Institute· Read "Everybody Poops!" by Justine Avery· Read "Everybody Pees!" by Justine AveryConnect with Amy DuFault:· Website: amydufault.com· Instagram: @amytropolis· Links: https://linktr.ee/amytropolis· Southeastern New England Fibershed━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray

Tune in to the July episode of Slow Living Through the Seasons, in which Mary highlights the nostalgic soundtrack of July flies, the societal and physical impact of air conditioning, gardening by the signs in midsummer, and a simple recipe for fermented cucumbers. With the 12th episode in this series, we've now completed a full journey around the sun with seasonal reflections, memories, gardening guidance, tips, and a whole year of planting and gardening by the signs of the moon. After taking a pause from this monthly program, Mary will be picking up this discussion again but in a different format moving forward, bringing it more directly into the community for sharing and conversation and adding more personal interaction into the experience. Read more what's in store for Slow Living Through the Seasons HEREhttps://ladyfarmer.substack.com/t/seasonal-livingPINE TREE GARDEN SEEDS Order their seeds today from superseeds.com and use our promo code: GOODDIRT2024 for 20% off your entire order!NEPTUNE'S HARVEST ORGANIC FERTILIZERS Use code GOODDIRT at checkout for 5% off your order for products from the ocean to set your plants in motion 🌊━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you! Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray

In this thought-provoking episode, Emma and Mary delve into the concept of eco-spirituality, discussing its origins, significance, and their personal experiences with it. They reflect on various interviews they've conducted with guests who have touched on this topic, exploring the integration of spirituality with a love for the earth and nature. The episode is a deep dive into how eco-spirituality informs their work with Lady Farmer and The Good Dirt podcast, and how it serves as a path to healing both personally and globally.Key Points: Introduction to Eco-Spirituality: Eco-spirituality combines the study of ecology and spirituality. Historically, spirituality and nature were never separate until modern times. The separation between humans and nature is perceived, not real. Personal Journeys: Mary shares her spiritual journey and how it led to her interest in eco-spirituality. Emma discusses her observations of environmental changes growing up and her connection with nature. Influential Conversations: Recap of impactful interviews with guests like Ian C. Williams, Paul Hawken, and Asia Suler. Insights on how eco-spirituality involves healing oneself to heal the earth. Themes and Reflections: The importance of language in discussing eco-spirituality. The challenge of integrating spirituality and ecology without perpetuating the idea of separateness. How personal healing practices can contribute to environmental regeneration. Practical Applications: Encouragement to connect with nature daily as a form of grounding and healing. Discussion on how eco-spirituality can be a response to climate change and environmental degradation. Exploring ways to live with eco-spiritual principles in modern society. The role of sacredness and reverence in how we treat the natural world. Resources Mentioned: Ian C. Williams' book, Soil and Spirit, Seeds of Purpose, Nature's Insight and the Deep Work of Transformational Change Asia Suler's book, Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self Healing from the Living World Osprey Orielle Lake's work on climate justice and rights of nature Claire Dunn's experience of living in nature for a year The Good Dirt Episodes Mentioned: Mary DeJong Ian C Williams Asia Suler Leah Rampy Osprey Orielle Lake Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 Claire Dunn 🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community Visit Our Website Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you! Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:• Wendy Gray

*This episode is a replay of Episode 64, initially published on October 22, 2021 under the title Homesteading is What You Make ItOn today’s episode of The Good Dirt, we’re chatting with Angela Ferraro Fanning of Axe and Root Homestead, a six-acre farm in central New Jersey. Angela shares the story of how she went from being a graphic designer to a homesteader in 2012, when she told her husband she'd like to trade her job income for time outside growing food they would no longer have to buy. Now she finds herself balancing a life raising two boys with managing a working farm, as well as authoring a cookbook, a children's book series and hosting a homesteading podcast.In this conversation, we discuss not only the benefits of growing your own food, but the many options available to the modern homesteader. Though the concept of homesteading appeals to a lot of people, the reality of shifting to such a lifestyle is often intimidating and seemingly full of obstacles. Angela explains that homesteading doesn't look the same for everyone, and doesn't have to be defined by what you see when you look out your window. She encourages her followers to begin with the smallest task, such as growing one plant, and taking that longing for connection to food and nature just one step at a time. It doesn't have to involve raising and harvesting your own animals, or all of your food, baking artisan bread or keeping bees. There are likely others in your area that can do all of that. Instead, she says to focus on what interests you, and rely on your community for the rest. The homesteading mindset is about hands-on, local, seasonal living.Join us on today’s episode to hear more about the first steps that Angela took in growing her own food, how she got comfortable with the constant trial and error of homesteading, and how she’s slowly expanding her business through writing and online media.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Simplecast, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.Topics Covered: A day in the life of Angela  The joys and challenges of farm life Getting back to basics and not relying on machinery  Homesteading on a plant-based diet  Sharing her story and expertise through writing, podcasting, and online courses  Guest Info Website Instagram The Definitely Not Simple Life Podcast The Harvest Table: A Collection of Seasonal Plant- Based Recipes Inspired by the Home Garden Little Country Cottage: An Autumn Treasury of Recipes, Crafts and Wisdom Follow Us: Our Website Instagram

Leah Rampy, author, educator and retreat leader, discusses her work and recent book release“Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos”. She emphasizes how facing the reality of climate change and loss can help us open our hearts and "come to our senses" , allowing our grief to empower us in reconnecting to the living world. Leah integrates ecology, spirituality and personal practices in guiding others to deepen this relationship. In this conversation, we also discuss the epidemic of loneliness, the importance of community, the concept of indigeneity and the challenges of finding one's place in a changing world. We hear all about the co-housing community in West Virginia where Leah lives with her husband, and her involvement with the Church of the Wild-Two Rivers, a place to find hope through community and connection with nature.Topics Discussed· Leah discusses her book· Working with Al Gore & Biodiversity for a Livable Climate· Eco-Anxiety and Eco Grief· Older vs. Younger Generation Perceptions of Climate Loss· The Loss of Spring· How Being Busy Distances Us from the Earth· The Paradigm of Human Superiority· Our Language towards Nature· Distance or Disconnection· The Beauty of Worms· The Co-housing Movement· The Epidemic of Loneliness· A Community of Like-minded People or Like-hearted People· Indigeneity and Connection to the Land· Active Listening to the World Around Us· How Science Helps Us Understand Our World· The Tricky Thing about Hope· Age Diversity· Retreats and PilgrimagesEpisode Resources:· Read “Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos” by Leah Rampy· Biodiversity for a Livable Climate· Shepherd Village· The Church of the Wild· Read the Lady Farmer Article "St Brigid The Lady Farmer”· Listen to The Good Dirt “The History and Folklore of Bridgid: Saint, Legend and Lady Farmer with Kathy Spaar”· Listen to The Good Dirt “185. Reimagining Our Place in the Landscape: Eco-Spirituality and Rewilding with Mary DeJong”· Read "Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest" by Suzanne SimardConnect with Leah Rampy· Website: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahrampy/· Join Leah’s Mailing List: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/subscribe.html━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our Website· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray

This bonus episode originally aired on June 19th, 2021We 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 🌻 About Lady Farmer:· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community· Visit Our WebsiteThe Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living· Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram· Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail!Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:· Wendy Gray