My next guest has been here many times before. He is Dan Kittredge. Dan is a Farmer, founder and Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food . Dan is here to talk about what's going with on with the BFA's "Real Food Campaign" and the their upcoming annual Soil and Nutrition conference in November.

My next guest on Digging in the Dirt has been here before. Bryan is a master vegetable Farmer. Bryan and I cross paths at various conferences now and then and I have gotten to know what high regard Bryans knowledge of growing is held in. .
Bryan O’Hara has been growing vegetables on his Connecticut farm, Tobacco Road for over 25 years. He speaks throughout the Northeast on vegetable production techniques and is known for providing “mountains of details in a concise, practical, and cohesive manner.” His farm produces high quality, nutrient-dense food using no pesticides and working with nature as much as possible in a close relationship. With an intensive focus on building the health of the soil, he employs no-till natural farming methods and now he's written it all down for you in his new book/manual entitled. No-till intensive vegetable Culture... Pesticide-Free methods for restoring soil and growing Nutrient-Rich High yielding Crops. His book is an exhaustively comprehensive manual on how to grow vegetables.

Kevin is joined by Jon Betz of Collective Mind Films, to talk about his gorgeous, maddening new film Seed: The Untold Story. Here is what the directors, Taggert Siegel and Jon have to say about their new effort.
"For years, we have passionately made films that reveal our deep connection to nature and our food. The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005), tells the story of a maverick farmer who saves his family farm against all odds. Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? (2010) investigates the mysterious colony collapse disorder ravaging honeybees around the world. Our latest film, SEED: The Untold Story began with an article in National Geographic reported that up to 96% of the vegetable seeds available in 1903 have disappeared. Within moments we knew that was our next film. The speed and scope of this loss is staggering, and its implications for our future are stark.... As we filmed seed savers, farmers, scientists and indigenous communities for SEED, we were struck by how little their voices are heard. SEED presents audiences with a hidden fabric of our food, the people that painstakingly and meticulously curate the diversity of our food. The film charts a David and Goliath battle as these marginalized people fight the large corporate power of chemical companies that now control the majority of our food.

I was very pleased to have Craig LeHoullier as my guest here on "Digging in the Dirt". Craig is one of the best tomato growers and seed savers in the country, having gone so far as to give the heirloom tomato, Cherokee Purple it's name and write a couple of books, one of which is the fabulous “Epic Tomatoes” It's a great resource book for any level grower. Join two tomato fanatics as we talk about summers culinary delight, HOME GROWN, Tomatoes.

Diggng in the Dirt" Monday Feb 10th at 5 pm, My In studio guest on Digging in the Dirt will be Dan Martens Vice President of Novamont North America. He is a Board Member on the Council of Canadian Composters, Board Member Biodegradable Products institute, Advisory Board Member 5-year USDA SCRI Compostable Product in Soil Study, Winner Innovation of Bioplastics Award 2019 and something he is most proud of, he holds a UConn Master Composter Certificate. Novamont is a maker of bulk compostable Bio Plastics among other products. These materials are turned into all kinds of eco-friendly products such as compostable produce bags for your veggies.

Aubree Keurajian Aubree is an ecologist from central Connecticut, and the founder of Ungardening Native Plants, a small scale nursery and yard consultation service working to make the tools and ideas of ecological restoration accessible to all. She has a bachelor's degree in Systems Ecology from Cornell University, and worked in the public, private, and academic sectors doing ecological research and environmental restoration before founding "Ungardening".

My guest on this DITD is author Robin l. Avant a local lady who lives here in Bridgeport and is Academic Dean at Housatonic Community College. Robin is an enthusiastic gardener. So much so, she has written a lovely, personal book called “The spirit of Gardening” Gardening for new Bees, the life revealed through gardening.

My guest on this segment of Digging in the Dirt is Kami McBride. Kami is a clinical herbalist and the author of The Herbal Kitchen detailing uses for 50 Easy-To-Find Common Herbs and with over 250 Recipes. For at least 25 years she has been teaching people to grow and use herbs in their daily lives for every day common ailments.

My guest today is Harry Hansen. Mr. Hansen is Director of Winemaking for Gloria Ferrer Winery. He has worked 30 plus years in the California wine industry, making many fine sparkling and still wines. Gloria Ferrer was the first Sparkling Winery in Carneros, Sonoma. We talk about organic and regenerative wine making practices amongst other subjects.

My guest today is Louise Washer returning to Digging in the Dirt because she is doing great work for us here in the state of CT. and for our planet. Louise Washer serves on the board of the Pollinator Pathway, a grassroots movement she helped create in 2017, in Wilton, CT and which has since spread to over 325 communities across 11 states. The PP helps give pollinators of all kinds habitats to thrive in. She also serves as president of the Norwalk River Watershed Association, as a member of the Norwalk Mayor’s Water Quality Committee, and on the steering committee of the Hudson-to-Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership known as (H2H).