The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained

When it comes to reducing waste in our daily lives, there are several steps we can take, like curbing our consumerism, composting our food waste, and recycling. But what about our cleaning products? Have you ever thought about the impact of your laundry detergent or hand wash and what actually goes down the drain? If you're curious about cleaning up your own cleaning routine and learning about the...

The foundation of all life on the planet is the soil beneath our feet. But that soil isn't indestructible and if scientists are right, we may only have a few dozen harvests left before the good dirt is depleted. So what can we do? We're glad you asked. In this episode, Mary and Emma discuss how everyone can contribute to soil regeneration, even without access to a farm or garden. They explore vari...

We often have this misconception about homesteading; that we need 40+ acres in order to start growing our own food. But that's not the case. There's so much we can do with where we are. Master Gardener Michelle Bruhn and Master Preserver Stephanie Thurow sought to change this mindset by co-authoring "Small-Scale Homesteading: A Sustainable Guide to Gardening, Keeping Chickens, Maple Sugaring, Pres...

Our guest today is Andi Eaton Alleman, Founder of Oui, We Studio, a platform dedicated to new school approaches to radiant living. She also hosts the top-ranked wellness podcast Your Woo Woo Best Friend , which features practical conversations for attainable transformation. Andi is known for her no nonsense approach to spiritual wellness and practical advice for living a high-vibe life. Her latest...

Liv Olsen, owner of the secondhand fabric shop A Thrifty Notion in Ogden, Kansas, has a passion for textiles and ecology. She is on a mission to prevent deadstock and destashed fabrics from ending up in landfills, while promoting sustainability in the textile industry. In this episode, Emma, Mary, and Liv discuss the challenges of sourcing quality secondhand textiles, ways to promote mindful consu...

Welcome to September and Slow Living Through the Seasons! This is the month that we transition into fall. We'll talk how to embrace the last beautiful days of summer despite the marketing pressure for the upcoming autumn and winter season. Our Planting By the Signs segment will help you plan your fall garden activities, and as always we'll be sharing a couple of special recipes from our seasonal k...

In this interview, the mother-daughter team Krista and Fia Arias join Emma and Mary to discuss the mission of Tierra Soul Farm in Magdalena, New Mexico, helping people and communities find well being, connection and belonging in an often confusing and complicated world. Tierra Soul Farm is an earth sanctuary, honey spa, artist hive, ministry for healing, liberation, and cultural repair. Krista Ari...

Do you feel like your time slips away from you? Do you feel overwhelmed by the tasks you have to complete during your day, like they're an insurmountable mountain you can't climb? You're not alone. We all feel this way at times. At The Good Dirt, we aim to educate and empower you, the consumer, to create the life you want and embrace slow living. In today's discussion, Mary and Emma will explore t...

As the climate crisis continues to escalate, viable solutions might seem more and more unattainable. Our guest is Philip Clayton, Co-Founder and President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization, talking about the great hope in on-the-ground solutions showing up all over the world that reflect the values of living in harmony with the earth. Philip describes EcoCiv as a place where "big ideas...

In 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 children's integrative care. She sees herself as a solutions-...

This episode originally aired on August 23, 2022. What aspects of the back-to-school season are tapping into core memory making, and how much is just consumer hype? Listen in as Mary & Emma peel away the marketing from the emotion, and discuss ideas for reframing this season in a more sustainable way for kids AND parents. Things Mentioned: Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food - An Eate...

TRIGGER WARNING: Princess Manuel briefly mentions her history with suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Many of us have lost our connection to the Earth through decades of colonization and the pressures of a capitalistic system, and consequently we have lost connection to our community as well. How can we rediscov...

In a world where rampant consumerism leads to the exploitation of the Earth's resources, what solutions can we look to for a more sustainable economy? Today's guest, Emily Prieto, co-founder of Seeds of Tao with her husband Joshua Paul Prieto, proposes an alternate path: Regenerative Business. Rather than solely focusing on the bottom line, regenerative business aims to form a circular economy, wh...

Welcome to the debut of Mary’s solo podcast, Slow Living Through the Seasons . In this first episode, Mary talks about the seasonal shifts that take place in August and encourages us to slow down enough to notice the changes taking place in our environment. She also gives us an introduction to the Appalachian tradition of Gardening by the Signs of the Moon and some first steps in getting started w...

What is our work as individuals in creating a more sustainable and regenerative future? Today's guest is Ian C Williams, author of   Soil & Spirit: Seeds of Purpose, Nature’s Insight & the Deep Work of Transformational Change .  In his book, Ian draws the link between the work of self-actualization and the solution to the present day crisis we face both for our planet and for the human rac...

Mary and Emma have returned from Emma's wedding!  After months planning the weekend-long event, doing all they could to reduce waste and be as sustainable as possible, they can now sit down to reflect on the celebration. They share tips on practical ways to cut down on waste, how to communicate your goals with your vendors, the challenges of  trying to do things differently and some surprising exa...

Did you know that in this country, we have an area totaling the size of Washington State that is mowed lawns? Our guest is Owen Wormser, author of Lawns Into Meadows , who helps to weave people and the natural world back together through his work building regenerative landscapes. In this conversation, we discuss how meadows offer a compelling solution in a world where lawns have an enormous detrim...

Welcome to Slow Living Through the Seasons! This is a new monthly podcast hosted by Mary Kingsley of The Good Dirt. Come join us for a monthly overview of how to embrace a slower, more sustainable lifestyle, tuning in to our connection with nature as we navigate our way through the year. Each month we'll be talking about gardening by the moon phases, what's up in the seasonal kitchen as it pertain...

Jamila Edwards, a long-time listener and fan of The Good Dirt podcast, joins Mary and Emma to talk about how slow living has transformed her life. After sending an email about convenience and sustainable living to the show, Jamila was invited onto the podcast to share her 15-year journey from working in the coffee industry to creating her own family-owned business, the Life's Flowers Coffeehouse &...

In 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 Story of Stuff, she led communications at Faith in Action East Bay,...

To celebrate Plastic Free July , Mary and Emma are bringing back one of their favorite episodes on sustainable living: episode 86 with Danielle Alvarado which first aired on April 8th, 2022.    Learn to make space for what truly makes you happy using the power of refusal and conscious choice, with Danielle Alvarado of Sustainably Kind Living. Danielle’s educational online collective for the consci...

Meet Maria Rodale, an author and advocate for organic regenerative farming. An explorer in search of the mysteries of the universe, Maria is the author of "Love Nature Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden" , "Organic Manifesto", "Scratch", and is the author of a children's book series called written by the under the pen name "Mrs. Peanuckle". Her book "Love Nature Magic" was featur...

Bailey Van Tassel is an entrepreneur and mother of three, who created both the  Kitchen Garden Society  and the  Garden Culture Podcast . She grew up on a hobby farm in Sebastopol, California, but didn't fully appreciate her cowboy parents until she moved away and missed the huge garden, chickens, and pigs that she grew up around. Settling into the suburbs of Southern California meant she couldn't...

As Mary and Emma prepare for Emma's wedding, they are looking back at some of their favorite episodes on The Good Dirt. Today, it is a replay of episode 40, which first aired on April 30th, 2021.   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 cre...

As Mary and Emma prepare for Emma's wedding, they are looking back at some of their favorite episodes on The Good Dirt. Today, it is a replay of episode 37, which first aired on April 9th, 2021. 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 hus...