Earthworms

Historic Greenwood Cemetery, terrestrial resting place of over 50,000 Black human beings, embodies the paradox of dis- and respect that our species can so profoundly bring to pass. In a heartfelt complementarity, Greenwood also offers one of our region's best opportunities for environmental and cultural service.

Shelley and Rafael Morris, leaders of the Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association, first shared with KDHX Earthworms in January 2018 the significance of the oldest non-sectarian African American cemetery in the St. Louis region - and the moving story of efforts to reclaim the grounds from invasive plants and illegal dumping. Four years later, Greenwood's network of volunteers and supporters has certainly grown, yet the need persists for fiscal and work party support.

Good news is that multiple STL companies have adopted Greenwood as a reoccurring focus of service and monetary support. AmeriCorps St. Louis volunteers are regular workers. About half of Greenwood's T-shaped 31.85 acres have been freed from human and plant debris. From the Morris's deep commitment, discussions are beginning to observe the 150th anniversary of Greenwood Cemetery's founding, in 2024. With equity a priority for so many enterprises, what might be accomplished by then?

This year, NBC News featured Greenwood for a Black History Month story on the plight - and pluck - of those working to resurrect Black cemetery dignity and heritage. Good to get this degree of spotlight, plenty more work and outreach to come.

Related Earthworms Conversations: Meeting Greenwood Cemetery (Jan 2018)

St. Louis Environmental Racism Report (October 2019)

THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms Engineer, and to Andy Coco and Jon Valley of KDHX Production Team.

As climate change threatens native plant populations, freezers in a lab in Gray Summit, Missouri are helping to preserve seeds vital to potentially restoring communities of these plants.

Meg Englehardt, Seed Bank Manager for Missouri Botanical Garden, is guardian of these precious resources. What's involved with Seed Banking? Why is this (vitally!) important? And how does the Garden's work in this area contribute to biodiversity, overall? This Earthworms conversation digs into Seed Bank details.

Learn more!

THANKS to Earthworms Engineer, Andy Heaslet, and to KDHX Production wizards Jon Valley and Andy Coco.

Related Earthworms Conversations: A Cinematic Ode to Seed Savers (Nov 2016)

Meditation practice can lead a person to understand causes and outcomes, prompt awareness of impacts and impulses, ground the perception that change is an only constant - and foster a commitment to act with loving kindness. Valuable for our toddler human species, busy whacking at all around us. And a tall order, that's not out of reach.

What transpires when meditation practice focuses on our human relationship with Earth? Lisa Hoover is exploring this space.

Lisa peer-leads the weekly practice of White Oak Sangha, based in the Missouri Ozarks, grounded in the Western Insight meditation tradition. This winter, she is exploring relationships to Earth, through an intensive class hosted online by the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.

Earthworms host Jean Ponzi took advantage of Zoom access (vs. an hour from St. Louis drive) to join this group when 2020 pandemic adaptations moved meetings online. Sharing their love of Earth, Jean shares insights with Lisa Hoover.

THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms audio engineer, and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, the KDHX Production team.

Related Earthworms Conversations:

One Health for Animals - People - Earth with Dr. Sharon Deem, DVM (April 2020)

Facing the Climate Emergency with psychologist Margaret Klein Salamon (June 2020)

Nature's Best Hope? Ecologist Doug Tallamy say WE ARE (Feb 2020)

What if plants, regenerative technology, and spaces for people comprised the structure of our urban environs? Envision It!

Artist and community-grower Jayvn Solomon does, in his big body of work, Loutopia. On view through May, 2022 at TechArtista, 4th and Pine, in downtown St. Louis, this energizing array of 50 image panels puts nature-for-people in the foreground of urban life.

This Earthworms conversation hikes through sustainability, social justice, urban planning, arts-as-essential, resilience - and more. Join it, with Jean and Jayvn.

Thanks to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms audio engineer, and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, KDHX Production mavens.

Related Earthworms Conversations: Chalk Riot: Street Art, GRL-Powered Art Riot (May 2018)

VR Botany - Techno-Biologist Dr. Kyra Krakos brings nature waaaaaay in! (June 2020)

Urban Environments: STL Style with Randy and Jeff Vines (June 2018)

From plots of land in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis, farmed since the 1870s, partners Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack send forth bunches, bouquets and buckets of flowers that are "locally grown, not flown" to gladden many local hearts.

Especially poignant in this conversation with Earthworms host and flower fan Jean Ponzi is the story of Urban Buds covid pivot. Nature, Love and Beauty will not be stopped!

More than 70 varieties of blooming plants are sustainably grown using drip irrigation, compost, integrated pest management, minimal tillage and cover crops. This unique farm's one acre across seven city lots embodies knowledge and commitment that joyously hold Golden Beet Certification from Known & Grown St. Louis, the regional local food evaluation program of Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Thanks to Known & Grown!

Urban Buds supplies seasonal and high-tunnel grown flowers for weddings and events, direct sale at Farmers Markets, and wholesale customers. Farm tours (by appointment) welcome visitors of all ages to see how the blooms we all love grow, and learn why local growing is so valuable - especially for plants with intense production impacts as we "typically" source them. Pick details at www.urbanbudscitygrownflowers.com

THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms intrepid engineer, and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, KDHX production team.

Related Earthworms Conversations:

Custom Foodscaping with Matt Lebon (Dec 2018)

Kate Estwing Grows, Loves, Arranges . . . Slow Flowers (July 2018)

From Flint to Standing Rock - indeed, world-wide - communities keep resisting corporate and government actions that threaten water quality and access. One heroic story from El Salvador embodies the most resourceful courage and painful struggle of "ordinary people" who know water is more precious than gold.

John Cavanagh and activist/author partner and wife Robin Broad lived support for this saga. Their new book The Water Defenders (Beacon Press, March 2021) draws on over a decade of research and their own roles as international allies of the Salvadoran champions who took on Big Gold and the World Bank - and saved their country's water from corporate greed.

Thanks to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms friend and engineer - and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco of KDHX Production.

Related Earthworms Conversations: Photographer Neeta Sataam, Documenting Himalayan Climate Change (March 2018)

Rule of Five: The Supreme Court and CO2 (July 2020)

The land of second generation Missouri farmer Matt Arthur flowers thanks to his investment in growing soil. He says:

"We are stewards of our land, committed to a no-till practice of regenerative agriculture. No chemicals, lots of cover crops, a preference for native species. Growing in permanent raised beds: once formed, we never disturb them."

Flowers and herbs, native and medicinal plants, grow on three BLH Farm acres of this Fulton MO hillside. Honeybees and other pollinators forage on 140 forested acres. Subscription compost collection from nearby St. Louis communities nourishes the BLH Farms' soil. Cut-flower customers can buy through the BLH CSA or online store and at Hy-Vee in Columbia MO. BLH Farms proudly holds membership and certification through Known & Grown St. Louis.

THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms audio engineer, and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, the KDHX Production team.

Related Earthworms Conversations:

Dr. Elaine Ingham: Soil Science Rocks Plant Health (Oct 2017)

The Work of Ecological Restoration (July 2020)

For Sam and Bill Wiseman, Sunflower Savannah Farm embodies the continuity of life. Everything serves a purpose and contributes to the wellbeing of the farm.

Sheep eat the grass, conserving tractor fuel, and produce compost to grow cut flowers and specialty veg. Garden produce supports the Market, the animals and the farm family. Dogs guard the animals and the house and cats hunt critters that would ruin the grain eat garden seeds. Chickens, ducks, and geese feast on the bugs that eat the plants that feed everyone, and provide eggs to eat and compost to feed the garden soil. garden. This is the cycle for Sam and Bill, farming 22 acres in Beaufort, MO.

Thanks to Known & Grown STL, our regional local food brand and farm certification, for connecting KDHX Earthworms to Sunflower Savannah - and to all the Earthworms On The Farm conversations. Earthworms engineer is Andy Heaslet - THANKS! also to Jon Valley and Andy Coco of the KDHX Production Team.

Related Earthworms Conversations:

Kate Estwing Grows - Loves - Arranges SLOW FLOWERS (July 2018)

Slow Money's Woody Tasch on Culture, Poetry, Imagination, Soil (July 2018)

Kirsten Lie-Nielsen on Keeping Geese (Nov 2017)

Where in an urban space do goats, bees, flexible muscles, resilient spirits, elderflowers, generous hearts, and veg all flourish?

Thanks to farmer and healer human being Janett Lewis, in Spanish Lake, a community in unincorporated North St. Louis County, MO.

Janett's work through Rustic Roots Sanctuary grew its strong fibers from her Georgia childhood on a family plantation, through work at a Waldorf School "where everything revolves around nature," to hands-on learning of bodywork skills in global cultures. A real estate business decision brought her to Spanish Lake. She stayed to address community needs and "because it's so beautiful and the people are amazing."

Rustic Roots 6.64 acres add urban farming land-wealth to the GROW Spanish Lake community garden, both co-creators with Spanish Lake CDC - with Janett's strong hand in each.

In each of her key roles in Spanish Lake, Janett Lewis draws from her lifetime of experience and commitment to help people feel better. Rustic Roots Sanctuary is a proud member of Known & Grown STL, our regional local food brand and certification program from Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

Thanks to Jenn DeRose and Known & Grown STL for facilitating this edition of Earthworms On The Farm!

Thanks to Earthworms truly verdant engineer, Andy Heaslet - and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, KDHX Production guys.

Related Earthworms Conversations: One Health for People - Animals - Earth with Dr. Sharon Deem (April 2020)

Tend & Flourish School of Botanicals (Feb 2020)

Building Futures: Kids, Wood, Tools, Design, Future Benefits Now (June 2019)

On Legacy Circle Farms, Tyler and Erin Bernsen start their growing underground: nourishing "challenging Ozark soil" with compost, mulch and intensive grazing. Vibrantly visible are their crops of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, nuts, high value herbs like turmeric and ginger, and heirloom varieties of garlic.

Recent addition of high tunnels boosted productivity from the quarter-acre the Bernsens farm. Their big-picture stewardship of Legacy Circle's 71 acres in Lonedell, MO embodies a unique exchange: a rent-free relationship with their landlord from which Tyler and Erin are seeking like-minded "landless" farmers to share their place for a farming start.

Legacy Circle Farms proudly holds Golden Beet Certification from Known & Grown St. Louis, our regional local food brand, a program of Missouri Coalition for the Environment. With advance reservations, tours are welcome. Goods are available through a local farms online collaborative, at the Wildwood, Washington and Point Labbadie Farmers Markets. Listening to this interview before May 22? Legacy Circle Farms is hosting Open House on 5/22/21 - consider a visit! THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms engineer, and for KDHX production support from Jon Valley and Andy Coco. THANKS to Jenn DeRose of Known & Grown STL for coordinating this special series, Earthworms On The Farm. Related Earthworms Conversations:

Fungus Farming for Food & Fun: McCully Heritage Project (Feb 2018) Project Garlic: Crop-Sourcing the Super Bulb with Brian DeSmet (Oct 2015)