Home Podcasts The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained
The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

Lady Farmer 311 Episodes Jun 19, 2026

The Good Dirt podcast explores all aspects of a sustainable lifestyle, using healthy soil as a touchpoint and metaphor for healing our relationship with the planet. Hosted by mother-daughter team Mary and Emma, the show features weekly interviews with farmers, artists, authors, and leaders in the regenerative and sustainable living space. Listeners learn practical tips for living more sustainably and connecting with nature.

Episodes

Encore: A History and Reflection on Emancipation with Tony Cohen Jun 19, 2026 2817 This episode initially 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 freed
238. Food As Our Deepest Connection to Nature with Jill Demers of ReWild Ranch Jun 6, 2026 4319 Jill Demers is the founder of ReWild Ranch in Montana, a one-of-a-kind regenerative farm, wellness destination, and educational space, rooted in the one question she's been asking for over two decades: Why are Americans so disconnected from their food — and at what cost? As a regenerative farmer and certified nutrition therapy practitioner, Jill has built ReWild as an answer to that question —
237. Composting as a Cultural Shift with Ben Parry of Compost Crew May 8, 2026 3311 This week, in honor of International Compost Awareness Week, we're joined by Ben Parry, CEO of Compost Crew — a small but mighty business in the DC metropolitan area helping thousands of households and businesses turn their food waste into something good for the soil. Ben's story is a quiet revolution in itself: a journey from renewable energy to regenerative soil, from powering the grid t
236. From Mary: Earth First Gardening with Melanie Cotillo of Lazy Dirt Wildflower Farm Apr 24, 2026 4469 Spring has a way of pulling us back to the soil — and this season, Mary sat down with someone who has made the health of the soil and the well being of the pollinators and wildlife in her local ecosystem her first priority. Melanie Cutillo is the self-described Plant Wrangler in Chief at Lazy Dirt Wildflower Farm in Mexico, New York, a backyard nursery nestled just east of Lake Ontario, where she
235. The Cost of Slow Living: How to Align Your Values Without Burning Out Apr 3, 2026 3620 What happens when a listener writes in with the very questions your community is wrestling with? You invite her on the show.Emily Hillman has spent 14 years in the fashion industry — from the artisan workrooms of Midtown Manhattan to the fast fashion corporate world. After purchasing a 19th-century farmhouse in rural New Jersey and becoming a mother, she found that her priorities had quietly shi
Mary & Emma: Rethinking Slow Living Mar 20, 2026 1708 Mary and Emma return to the podcast after over a six-month hiatus, reflecting on the evolution of Lady Farmer as a brand and their own experiences within it. They discuss how the cultural context around sustainability has shifted, how they don't want to present themselves as experts or frame sustainability in moral terms, and how systemic forces limit individual impact even as daily habits sti
234. A Conversation with Janna Hockenjos of Earth Friends —and an Announcement! Aug 22, 2025 4427 In this episode of The Good Dirt Podcast, Emma and Mary welcome back Janna Hockenjos, founder of We Are Earth Friends, an environmental education organization designed for children ages 3-8. Jana discusses the program’s impact on young learners' understanding of the interconnectedness of all of life on our planet and provides an update on the progress and expansion of the program. She also off
Encore: Creating a Backyard Microfarm with Leah Webb, Author of "The 7 Step Homestead" Aug 15, 2025 3853 This episode was originally published on August 18th, 2023In this episode we're talking to Leah Webb, author of The Seven Step Homestead about how to turn any yard into a primary food source with vegetables, fruits, chickens, pollinator plants and medicinal herbs. A mother of two children with unique medical needs, Leah utilizes food grown in her own backyard garden as an important part of her
233. Embracing Our Medicine: A Conversation with Two Spirit Sister Madison Murphy Barney Aug 8, 2025 3282 In this episode, Madison Murphy Barney, a two-Spirit Hoopa and Shoshone sister, author, doula, and public health storyteller, discusses the significance of the two-Spirit identity, historical roles, and the importance of maintaining cultural traditions. Madison delves into personal experiences growing up in North Dakota, the impact of indigenous boarding schools, and the generational transmission
Our Fermented Lives: Bridging the Gap Between Modern People and Historic Food with Julia Skinner of Root Kitchens Aug 1, 2025 3503 This is an ENCORE EPISODE, originally published on August 5, 2022In this episode, Mary and Emma are talking to Julia Skinner of Root: Historic Food for the Modern World. Root was born from Julia's deep love for community and a belief in the power of food to tell stories, connect us to place and to each other, and to build a bridge to the past.Julia's work is all about food, history, food s
232. The Year of the Dress: Growing and Crafting Linen from Scratch with Eve Schaub Jul 25, 2025 3105 In this episode, Mary is talking with Eve Schaub, an internationally published author and humorist. Known for her year-long experiments, such as 'Year of No Sugar' and 'Year of No Clutter,' Eve’s latest endeavor is 'The Year of the Dress,' where she attempts to grow, harvest, spin, and weave flax into a wearable linen dress in her backyard. The conversation covers the chall
Seeking Real Solutions to Plastic Pollution with Smruti Aravind of The Story of Stuff Jul 18, 2025 3833 This is an ENCORE EPISODE, originally published on July 7, 2023In this episode, Emma and Mary sit down to talk to Smruti Aravind, who oversees fundraising, donor communications, and grants at the Story of Stuff Project. Smruti brings over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, with an emphasis on digital storytelling and network-building to drive systemic change. Prior to joining the Stor

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