Join us as Kirsten interviews Angie Miller (Rural Conservationist for our local Soil and Water Conservation District) about pollinators and how you can make a huge environmental impact by planting and enjoying native plants. We are starting to see some pollinator species collapse and be listed as endangered.  Angie explains why native plants are the missing link in supporting pollinators.  75% of crops depend on pollinators and 1 out of every 3 bites you take is thanks to pollinators. 

NOW is the time to act.  The SWCD is taking orders for their native plant sale right now.  Orders are due April 5th.  Angie also tells us what services are available through the SWCD office.

Angie highly recommends the book Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy if you want to know more about supporting wildlife with native plants.   

Amie and Kirsten talk household cleaners.  What you clean with really matters.  We tell you what to look for and how to evaluate products.  We also talk maple syrup festivals and the Purdue Small Farm Conference.  

EWG Healthy Cleaning Guide

Branch Basics

Grove Collaborative

Green Indy Blog

Kirsten interviews Margy Deverall and Harry Smith from Grow Local Lafayette.  Grow Local is a network of over 20 urban gardens in Lafayette, Indiana.  We discuss how and why the network works, how it started and is still growing, and the amazing impacts on the community.  Even if you aren't local, there is a lot to learn here about making community gardens work.  If you are local, Harry and Margy share how you can get involved.  My favorite part of the interview is when Margy and Harry share their personal stories of how Grow Local makes a difference.  

Kirsten and special guest Melissa Polk discuss the 2nd book in the Food Literacy Book Club series--The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  We talk about the stars of the book---corn, Joel Salatin, pasture, livestock, and food literacy.  Melissa talks about creating a food culture for her family on her own since most of us in the US no longer have a traditional food culture to hand down.  

The next book in the series is Tracie McMillan's The American Way Of Eating.  Join us in person on Saturday, March 23rd at 10:30 am at Main Street Books.  Buy your copy from Main Street and get 20% off.  You can always "join" the discussion on Food Smarts.  

Kirsten and Amie talk about personalized health habits to maximize health--otherwise known as biohacking.  What are the rules if the road when you evaluate new health habits?  Find out how to implement biohacks and what you need to do first.  Kirsten talks about 3 biohacks that are helpful to her---red light/near-infrared therapy (photobiomodulation,) an Oura Ring, and HeartMath.  Amie and Kirsten also talk dogs (no surprise,) MCT oil, maple season, and citrus fruit. 

Here are the companies Kirsten refers to: 

Joovv

Sauna Space

Oura Ring

HeartMath

Kirsten interviews Amie about the Women's Health Symposium.  We talk about resilience, total load, taking small steps, old dogs, licking doorknobs, icey sports and more. 

This isn't your TYPICAL resolutions show!  Kirsten and Amie talk about what the usual health resolutions are and what you can resolve instead.  We also talk about magic, unicorns, dark chocolate, and building ourselves up!

Kirsten and Amie discuss the first selection of the Food Literacy Book Club--Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. The in-person discussion was fantastic and we carry those themes into the podcast. This is the book that turned Kirsten into a farmer and, ultimately, a Nutrition Consultant and Food Literacy Educator. Drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know what you thought about the book. We also talk fire cider and the phenomenon that is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

The February pick is The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

This is a big one!  Reality is to eat better we need to be eating at home A LOT more.  That can be a real challenge and is often just inconvenient.  Amie and Kirsten talk about why it's so important and then give you real-world strategies for making it happen.  If you are struggling to get healthy meals on the table, this show is for you.  We also chat about Marie Kondo, dog food, and tracking down the perfect planner.  

In this episode, Kirsten and Amie talk about the AMAZING diversity of food available beyond the grocery store. Kirsten shares her favorite seed companies and some of what she will be growing this year. Even if you are not a gardener or farmer, this episode is for you. Kirsten talks about how seeds have been bred to work for grocery stores, not for nutrition and flavor. We also give you ways, even very small ones, to take part in the production of your food.

Here's the link to the Mother Earth News article about seed companies.  

Sorry for the ambient noise folks!