You may be thinking "what makes Kurt Avery have a heart of gold?" You'll have to listen to this conversation, because it's hard to put into words how quietly wonderful Kurt is. And if you're not wondering that, then let's get to the quiet part-

Kurt is the CEO of Sawyer Products, and if you do any outdoor activities, you're familiar with the brand; they make water filters for your water bottles, sunscreen and first aid products for hiking and camping. They are THE name for the most effective products. But did you know that Kurt and Sawyer Products has provided water filters for the military stationed abroad? And that they are donating THOUSANDS of water filters to countries that have had high illness rates due to lack of clean water, and to places that have experienced natural disasters? 

Kurt also wrote a book called Sawyer Think; How A Small Company Disrupts Markets and Changes the World, and I haven't read it yet, but I feel pretty confident that it will only confirm what I've heard from him about his charity work.

I've never really been a camper or hiker, but I'll definitely be sure to support Kurt and Sawyer Products any way I can. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

You can find Kurt's company Sawyer Products here: https://www.sawyer.com/

Their Instagram page is here: https://www.instagram.com/sawyerproducts/

They're on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sawyer-Products/61563796295518/

The company Linkedin page is here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sawyer-products/posts/?feedView=all

Sawyer's YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SawyerProducts/featured

And on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sawyerproducts

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Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
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You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

I was thrilled to get to talk to Jeremiah Jancik, because I've ALWAYS got questions about energy. Maybe too many? 

Jeremiah is an Energy Consultant, and we're talking about installing solar panels, heat pumps, insulation and doing energy audits - all things home efficiency - which he has decades of experience in. In his 12 year career he's performed over 4000 energy assessments! Now he's focusing on training new people and consulting, and doing virtual solar inspections. He wants to help you learn how to save energy in your home while staying comfortable, and lowering your carbon footprint at the same time. 

Jeremiah also talks a little bit about the book he wrote during the pandemic titled After Oil 2047. I didn't know 2047 is an actual deadline in the industry!

You can find all things Jeremiah Jancik on his website here: https://www.jeremiahjancik.com/

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Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

Have you ever felt confused or conflicted about organic food labels? I know I've said something like if I have to choose between organic from far away and in plastic, or local, I'd choose local; and I'm sure I've had dirty looks. It's just gotten confusing. And it costs almost half as much as regular foods, so I've wondered if its really better... So this week I'm talking to Linley Dixon of The Real Organic Project, to help us (me) better understand what it all means.

Linley works for The Real Organic Project, and also is the Co-Host of The Real Organic Project podcast AND is a small organic farmer, so I feel like we're in capable hands. The Real Organic Project is an extra certification that is free, once the USDA Organic certification is attained. And Linley explains that for us so well!

I love Linley's stories of working into her current farm - as I'm in a similar search, I was glued to her words. The Real Organic Project website has a database of growers they work with that you can look up your area to see who's participating - that's very helpful.

Her message she hopes you'll take away: "how to find good food and grow good food for yourself."

Check out https://realorganicproject.org/ and the podcast with the same name to learn ALL about organic food!

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

I'm sneaking in an extra episode because it's summer, and this is about sunscreen, so hopefully it's not publishing too late for you--

Arielle Moody is the CEO/Founder of Mama Sol Sunscreen, and she said within 2 weeks of the launch, she was featured on Access Hollywood, which catapulted Mama Sol's sales. She has several awards and honors for best product! She says a tagline is "if sunscreen and a spa day had a baby, it would be Mama Sol." I love so much that she says her sunscreen has a light lavender scent, and Arielle tells us the reason for that. 

Arielle talks about the differences between sunscreen types and the strengths, ingredients we should definitely be careful about, and what makes hers stand out. She also talks about how often we should be using sunscreen (hint: it's every day of the year!) and why. She also talks about the packaging, she uses, and why, even though they're not plastic, she doesn't put the recycle symbol on all of her packaging - and gives an important recycling tip for ALL of us.

Mama Sol's website: https://www.shopmamasol.com/  Arielle has very generously offered a 15% discount to Grounded in Maine listeners - use code Groundedmama15

You can find Mama Sol on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/shopmamasol/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

Lauren Connolly is a person I relate to so much. She had me as a guest on her podcast Wildly Unplug, because we found out that we both recharge by being outside. Lauren has a very personal story about burnout, and how turning to nature brought her the fulfillment she was needing. She is an artist; she paints and is a photographer, a podcaster, and now she's added Author to the list of accomplishments! Her book is called Wildly Unplug, just like the podcast. 

She says about her book: "Wildly Unplug — A Creative Guide to Reconnecting with Nature, which offers inspiration, journaling prompts, and simple ways to unplug from the digital world and reconnect with what truly matters. It's a journey of overcoming burnout by reconnecting with nature through art, nature journaling, and conservation work. How slowing down to observe and create deepens our connection to the natural world and becomes a powerful tool for healing."

Lauren's message she hopes you'll take away: "You don’t have to move off-grid or grow all your own food to reconnect with the natural world. Small, intentional acts—like picking up a paintbrush, journaling your observations, or simply sitting quietly outside—can ground you, reconnect you to the land, and remind you that you’re part of nature, not separate from it."

You can find Lauren's work on her website: https://wilddevelopmentsstudio.com/

She's also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilddevelopmentsstudio/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

Be Your Own Shaman is the title of Jane Barlow Christensen's book she co-authored with her son, teaching people how to identify, harvest and use the medicinal plants found all around us. It is beautiful, hard cover book, full of pictures to make identifying as easy as possible.

Jane talks about how her own father taught her and her siblings to recognize and appreciate the plants that are often already available in our yards to help support the human body. She tells a story about riding in the car with the family, and her dad pulling the car over and getting everyone out of the vehicle to show them a plant on the side of the road - I have the best vision of this in my head!

I'm so interested in all herbalist work, and it's exciting to learn about the medicinal plants in our own yard growing wild, and the ones that are considered "weeds" by many. Jane's book talks about the best time to harvest and best ways to use the plants, which is super interesting! I encourage anyone who is even remotely interested in medicinal/helpful plants, to check out this book and episode - Jane has studied plants her entire life, and has so much wisdom to share.

You can find Jane's website here; there's also an online catalog of herbal supports and supplements: https://barlowherbal.com/

She's on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/barlowherbal/

She's also on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/barlowherbal/

On Thursdays Jane does a special segment on Youtube, but has a TON of helpful stuff here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtq9uAZnU8ay7y2e8Xl2mGQ

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

Friend of the podcast and host of A Tiny Homestead podcast Mary Lewis is back! Mary approached me as things started to feel out of hand for a lot of people, and  wanted to offer some tips to make things stretch farther and feel less scary that she's learned since starting her homestead journey. 

We're talking about some easy stuff, but if we focus on it, will make life feel more smooth, and gives (us at least)  a feeling of accomplishment. 

Mary is a podcasting machine - she puts out several episodes weekly, and has over 310 episodes of A Tiny Homestead since 2023!

Mary grew up in Maine as well, but she's lived in Minnesota for many years now  - it's how we connected-

You can find Mary on Instagram here: 

https://www.instagram.com/a.tiny.homestead/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

I told Josh Dorfman when we started talking that I felt a little intimidated talking with him, because he is so accomplished in the sustainability field, but he has THE best stories from his life, getting him to where he is today - you're going to love this, I'm sure of it!

Josh's story goes back to working for a bike company in China several years ago, but I'm not going to tell you his story, because he does it so much better- just listen, it's exciting! 

His mission is to show that we should be encouraged about what's happening in the world through sharing the incredible progress already underway, and I'm here for it!

Today, Josh is the Podcast Host of SuperCool, shining a light on businesses that are making an impact in the sustainability area - so many wonderful folks in tech, building, government, and more. We talked about the first couple episodes I listened to, and the one that really affected me as a live music listener was R World Reuse (linked), who has partnered with U2 and Billie Eilish and more, supplying arenas and huge concert venues with reusable serve ware to save tons of waste from live events - incredible! 

Josh is also the Co-Founder of Plantd, a carbon negative building materials company. He's teamed up with SpaceX engineers and they are NOT using trees to build, creating a stronger product, impacting less land. The website is absolutely beautiful, and what they're doing is groundbreaking - and also an inspiring story! Check it out at:  https://www.plantdmaterials.com/

Josh said when asked what sustainability means to him "to live as well as you possibly can, while enabling future generations to do the same." 

You can find Josh here https://getsuper.cool/ please check out the podcast - there's so much happening that we aren't aware of yet!

He's most active on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorfmanjosh/

He's on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/getsupercool

His YouTube channel is here: https://www.y

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

"Sustainable living is a celebration of creativity, kindness, and the natural world in every day life" 

A quote from Lisa Allen of The Good Spark Shop in California, and (since we recorded this) is now rebranded as EverFar, focusing on sustainable travel essentials. She is just so inspiring when she talks about all things eco-friendly! First The Good Spark Shop, where she curated the best products around; checking ingredients and labels for you, so there's no questioning quality and origin. And now with travel essentials as EverFar; this is actually a line that she created - and making it a legit brand (launching in just a couple weeks)! 

Lisa is also organizing a group of like-minded folks to meet up and talk about what we can do to help the climate situation we're in. If you're interested in the group, you can find info about it and join on the website easily.

"Intentional, Eco-conscious choices create a ripple effect of goodness." 

"It's too easy to get overwhelmed - too much information, too many "shiny object" vying for our attention (and our dollars). Change starts with small. Change starts with where you are NOW, move slowly and at your own pace to where you want to be."

These are both her quotes. Lisa was so easy to talk to, and just oozes service to the earth. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Lisa Allen!

You can find Lisa at her website https://www.goodsparkshop.com/ which will redirect to the EverFar line once launched

Lisa's Instagram is here https://www.instagram.com/goeverfar/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/

Elizabeth has a gift for Grounded in Maine listeners - she's offering a free habit tracker here: http://createwellnessproject.com/gift/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Please follow Grounded In Maine podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel link is here
You can DM me there or email me at [email protected]
Website for Amy's Garden Jam is https://amysgardenjam.com/ (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter: https://amy-fagan.kit.com/499688fe6a

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - listen to more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow here on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgreview.net/