Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired in June, 2023

Emma and Mary are back from Emma's wedding, and they are spreading the joy with The Good Dirt. This episode features Maureen "Mo" Moutoux of Moutoux Orchards in Purcellville, VA. Mo has a Masters Degree in Anthropology, and farms with her husband Rob Moutoux, a 3rd generation farmer at Moutoux Orchards. They currently live on the family farmland with their two children, continuing the over 50 year legacy of the Moutoux family. In 2011, they opened their first CSA program, growing vegetables for dozens of family members (including Mary's household), and it has continued to grow each year. Their mission is to feed wholesome and nutrient-dense farm food to their community, because good food comes from good dirt. Mo shares her journey to becoming a farmer and reclaiming food from field to kitchen. She also discusses what a CSA is, how it has evolved over the years to reduce waste while providing a living wage for her family and team members, and the benefits of eating locally for both nutritional value and the environment as a whole.

Topics Discussed

• Slow Living Consult

• Journey to Becoming a Farmer

• Anthropology & Farming

• Creating a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program

• Investing in Your Local Farmers

• Sustainable & Regenerative Growing Methods

• How Systems Favor Multinational Corporations over Local Growers

• Romanticization of Farm Life vs. Reality of Running an Farm

• Commodity Farming vs. Sustainable Farming

• Reclaiming Food from Field to Kitchen

• The Food Offered in a CSA

• The Exploitation Behind the Cost of Affordability at Supermarkets

• Removing Guilt Around “Perfect” Sustainable Practices

• Food and Livestock Throughout the Seasons

• Reducing Waste in a CSA Program

• Transparency of Cost 

• Pesticides, Choosing Not to Be USDA Organic Certified, and Outsourcing For Specific Products 

• Preservation of Soil Throughout Every Harvest

• The Economics of Running a Farm

• Knowing Your Food Comes From

• A Farmer's Good Dirt

• Social Justice & Farming

• Maintaining Optimism as a Farmer 

Episode Resources:

• Mo's Interview with "Grounded Women: Stories of Women who Farm"

• Moutoux Farm's Whole Diet CSA Membership

• Rob and Mo's Story & the History of Moutoux Farm

• Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

• Food, Inc. (2008)

• Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture

• The Rodale Institute

• Essex Farm

• CSA Directory

Connect with Maureen "Mo" Moutoux:

• Website: https://www.moutouxorchard.com/

• Instagram: @moutouxorchard

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 7/21/23.

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 detrimental impact on our ecology and have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems. Owen was born and raised off the grid in rural Maine, surrounded by the natural world, with nature being his greatest teacher. Influenced by his study of horticulture, permaculture, organic agriculture, and ecology, Lawns Into Meadows is a how-to guide on growing your own wildflowers and native grasses. Owen offers approachable, simple steps for anyone and everyone to create sustainable and regenerative landscapes, starting with even a few square feet of land. 

Topics Discussed

• Connection to the Natural World

• Building Low-Maintenance Ecologically Focused Landscapes

• How Lawns Are Damaging the Planet

• Growing Up in Rural Maine & Off the Grid

• Living a Simple Life in a World We've Made Difficult

• Convenience & Its Impact on Lifestyle

• What Counts Toward a Life Full of Satisfaction, Abundance, and Fulfillment?

• Applying Academic Knowledge to Real World Practice

• Why We Want to Turn Laws into Meadows

• What Makes a Meadow a Meadow

• Dealing with Home Owner Associations

• Humans are Traditionalist

• Lawns & Status

• Steps to Start & Maintain a Meadow

• What to Plant in a Meadow

• The Lifelong Learning Process of Healing the Earth

• How Stillness Sustains Us

• Plants as Our Birthright

Episode Resources:

•If You Stop Mowing This May, Will Your Lawn Become a Meadow?

•Owen Wormser Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

•Lawns Into Meadows: Growing a Regenerative Landscape by Owen Wormser

•Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape by Owen Wormser

•The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet's Memoir of Living Off the Grid by Baron Wormser

•The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Bobbie's Meadow Museum

•Listen to The Good Dirt "The Urgent Need for Restorative Gardening with Mary Reynolds"

•Listen to The Good Dirt "Seeking the Wisdom of the Earth with Maria Rodale, author of Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden"

Connect with Owen Wormser:

• Website: Abound Design https://abounddesign.com/

• Instagram: @lawns_into_meadows

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

•Our Website

•Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

•Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

•Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return in the spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 2/24/23.

Our guest today is someone who began her plastic-free journey in her kitchen, and has now become the renowned Zero Waste Chef, Anne-Marie Bonneau! Starting as a Zero Plastic Chef, she took the next step in her sustainability journey and became the Zero Waste Chef working towards producing zero waste in her own kitchen and inspiring others to do the same. She talks about how to shop differently, buy differently, and cook differently to reduce waste in the kitchen!

Topics Discussed:

Connect with Anne-Marie Bonneau

About Lady Farmer:

Original music by John Kingsley. Our technical partner for this series is CitizenRacecar, Post-Production by Alex Brouwer and José Miguel Baez, Coordinated by Gabriela Montequin and Mary Ball. The Good Dirt is a part of the Connectd Podcasts Network.

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well-being.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return in the spring. Please enjoy this episode that was last aired on 1/31/2023

Today's episode is about Brigid, saint and legend, known for her skills at the hearth, the loom, midwifery, healing, poetry and animal husbandry. Kathy Spaar, spiritual director, pilgrimage leader and nature educator shares many of the folklore and stories of this legendary figure from Celtic tradition. As a figure of feminine wisdom and power who presides over the land and the homestead, we consider Brigid the quintessential Lady Farmer, our guide, protector and inspiration for slow living through the seasons.

Intro:

Follow Kesslyn @gemwellnessofficial for more about her journey as a midwife and her exploration of St. Brigid.

Episode Reprise:

Mentions:

The Almanac Brigidine Sisters Children's Book “Brigid’s Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story” by Bruce Milligan. "Symbols of Plenty" by Ruth Bidgood "Rekindling the Flame " by Rita Minehan

About Lady Farmer:

Original music by John Kingsley. Our technical partner for this series is CitizenRacecar, Post-Production by Alex Brouwer and José Miguel Baez, Coordinated by Gabriela Montequin and Mary Ball. The Good Dirt is a part of the Connectd Podcasts Network.

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well-being.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 10/20/23.

How can we reconnect ourselves to nature, to the plants and animals around us, and the very Earth we walk upon? This is the topic of discussion with our guest Asia Suler, writer, teacher, mother, earth intuitive, ecological philosopher and author of Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World. Asia has taught her principles to over 20,000 students in 70+ countries, and constantly sees how going on a journey of self-healing and acceptance is the key to being able to heal both ourselves and our place in the ecosystem. In this interview, Asia brings us into the ecological history of the Appalachian mountains, the magic and healing potential of the natural world, and the interconnectedness of our personal healing with the healing of the whole world. She believes that when we embody the belief that we are enough as we are, we then we ourselves embody the healing of the Earth.

Topics Discussed

• What comes to mind with when we think of mirrors in the earth?

• Asia's Background and Experience Leading to the Writing of her Book.

• Joyful Engagement with the Living World

• Vulvodynia, Lyme Disease, and Chronic Pain

• Western Herbalism

• Finding Your Place in Nature

• Creating One Willow Apothecary

• Flower Essences & The Power of the Violet

• Psycho-emotional States and Inner Blockages

• Intellectual Rationalism

• Growing up In-between Philadelphia and New York

• Watering Plants throughout New York

• Re-connecting with Magic

• Cultivating a Love of Earth in Urban Spaces

• The 10 Year Process Behind "Mirrors in the Earth"

• Self-Realization & Self-Compasson

• The Influence of Indigenous Beliefs

• Earth as a Sentient Being

• Empaths & Sensitives

• Humanity's Place on Earth & The Proclivity towards Narcissism

• Gardens, Boundaries, and Social Media

• The Magic within the Appalachian Mountains

Episode Resources:

• Join Us in The ALMANAC 

• Mirrors in the Earth: Reflections on Self-Healing from the Living World by Asia Suler

Connect with Asia Suler:

• One Willow Apothecaries Website: https://onewillowapothecaries.com/

• YouTube @AsiaSuler : https://www.youtube.com/c/AsiaSuler

• Instagram @asiasuler : https://www.instagram.com/asiasuler/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiasuler/

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 11/10/2023.

Our guest for today is Jill Winger, creator of The Prairie Homestead who over the last 10 years has influenced thousands of people in rediscovering some of the simpler ways of life–helping people grow their own food, cook healthy meals, raise chickens, bake bread—and SO many other things. And yes, she confesses that an old fashioned life can include modern technology, especially in teaching others through online content creation. But Jill’s mission is more than about teaching skills, it’s about guiding others into slowing down and creating a healthier, more centered, balanced lifestyle that includes our modern realities.

Jill started out on a neglected farmstead 40 miles away from the nearest grocery store, and has grown with her passion for practicing this way of life and teaching others how to find it for themselves. She is the author of The Prairie Homestead Cookbook and her latest release: "Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life". Jill lets Mary and Emma in on her process of content creation for homesteading, running an online business, finding writing once again, and what challenges she's faced in trying to do it all. This episode is for anyone who wants to strike a healthier balance between old-fashioned living and life in the modern world.

Topics Discussed

• Being a Homesteader

• Getting Started without a Background in Farming or Ranching

• Finding an Alternative to the Suburban-White-Picket-Fence Dream

• Sparks of Inspiration & Knowing

• Balancing Old-Fashioned Living with Modern Demands

• How Jill's Support System Helps Her "Do It All"

• Jill's Team & Task Delegation

• How to Get People to Consume Your Content

• The Consumer-Creator Relationship

• Dealing with Technology Addiction as an Online Business

• Creator Sustainability

• Boundaries & Intentionality

• The Pros and Cons of Homesteading's Growing Popularity

• Writing Old-Fashioned on Purpose

• Community

• Raising Kids in a Homestead Lifestyle

• Owning a Restaurant

• Outsourcing Where You Can

• Herbicide Long-Term Damage and Aminopyralid Poisoning

Episode Resources:

• Join Us in The ALMANAC 

• The Prairie Homestead "how to use eggshells" Blog

• The Prairie Homestead "I Think I Poisoned My Garden" Blog

• "Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life" by Jill Winger

• "The Prairie Homestead Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Heritage Cooking in Any Kitchen" by Jill Winger

• Listen to The Good Dirt "Reclaiming Our Food from Field to Kitchen with CSA Farmer Mo Moutoux of Moutoux Orchard"

Connect with Jill Winger:

• Website: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/

• Follow Jill on IG @jill.winger https://www.instagram.com/jill.winger/

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/theprairiehomestead

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprairiehomestead

• Links: https://meet.theprairiehomestead.com/IGlinks

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 11/17/23.

Our guest today is Baron Wormser, award winning poet, professor and author of "The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet's Memoir of Living Off the Grid". In this episode, Baron shares stories from his experience living and raising a family off the grid in rural Maine for 23 years, as well as his insight into connecting poetry with how we live, the value of simple living, and how we connect more deeply with the earth. We hear about his journey from the beginning in the mid 1970s, the day-to-day logistics of an off-grid life, raising children in that setting, and the eventual reentry into the contemporary world. Baron has been an example of slow and sustainable living throughout his life and career, and brings his gift of storytelling and poetry to this inspiring conversation.

Topics Discussed

• "Convenience" by W.S. Merwin

• Membership Pledge Drive

• Why Choose to Live Off the Grid

• The Logistics of the Day-to-Day

• Historical Precedence of Living without Electric Power

• Living Through the Mid 70s

• Needs vs. Wants

• Defining Hardship

• Living Off the Grid Then vs. Living On the Grid Now

• Human Adaptability

• Do We Truly Need the Internet?

• Raising Children in an Off the Grid Lifestyle

• Neighbor Stories

• The Recognition of Hard Work

• Money & Rural Towns

• Deconstruction the Romanticization of an Off the Grid Lifestyle

• Finding Your Ordinary

• Reentry to the Grid

• Baron's View on Hope

• Falling in Love with the World

Episode Resources:

• Join Us in The ALMANAC 

• "Convenience" by W.S. Merwin

• Listen to The Good Dirt "151. 'Lawns into Meadows' with Author Owen Wormser on Regenerative Agriculture"

• "The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet's Memoir of Living Off the Grid" by Baron Wormser

Connect with Baron Wormser:

• Website: https://baronwormser.com/

• Books: https://baronwormser.com/books.html

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

Mary & Emma are on a brief hiatus and plan to return next spring. Please enjoy this episode that was originally aired on 12/8/2023.

We’re talking to Christina Schindler, who after spending 20 years in public education as a teacher and administrator, has embarked on a business venture with her family as the CEO of the Modern Stone Age Kitchen, a restaurant in Chestertown, MD that optimizes nutrition in modern foods through ancestral techniques–creating healthy food for the community. 

Christina also serves as President of the Eastern Shore Food Lab, a non-profit that is focused on creating a nourishing, ethical and sustainable food system through education, outreach and research. Most importantly, Christina is a mother of three busy teenagers and is married to Dr. Bill Schindler, author of Eat Like a Human.

In this conversation, we’ll be talking about the extraordinary adventures of this enterprising family, from living and traveling abroad to serving their community through this very unique restaurant, and their work with the non-profit. We’ll hear about their food journey as a family, practical tips for healthy eating in a busy modern world with kids, their years long quest for gaining knowledge about ancestral foods–and how you can live in a suburban neighborhood and still accomplish things that most people would think you need to live on 20 acres to do. 

This is a wonderful conversation for anyone interested in embracing ultimate health through ancestral food ways –and a great story of how this family has brought it into the context of modern family life and business. Prepare to be inspired by the end of the episode to start eating like a human.

Topics Discussed

· Living & Traveling Abroad

· Having a Family-Owned Community-Oriented Restaurant

· Being a Former Educator

· Cottage Food Operation 

· Commercial Food Production

· The Sourdough Process

· What It Means to Eat like a Human

· Employing a Team of 25

· Food Processing Then & Now

· Traveling Abroad with Family

· The Origin of Maize (aka Corn)

· Being a Former Vegetarian

· Hunting as a Food Source

· Food Education

· Old Bay Seasoning & Pumpkin Spice

· Raising 3 Teenagers: Fast Food, Snacks, and House Rules

· The Nutritional Pressure of Feeding a Family

· Living in Ireland

· Kefir

· Ancestral Nutrition Knowledge

Episode Resources:

• Join Us in The ALMANAC 

• Listen to the Discover Ag Podcast!

• Read the Eat Like A Human Book

• Learn More About Homemade Sourdough

• Seed Oil Scout: Healthy Dining App

• 12 Spoons - The Weston A. Price Foundation

Connect with Christina:

• Website: www.modernstoneagekitchen.com

• IG @modernstoneagekitchen: https://www.instagram.com/modernstoneagekitchen/

• Eat Like a Human Website: https://eatlikeahuman.com/start-here/

• Eastern Shore Food Lab @esfoodlab: https://www.instagram.com/esfoodlab/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernstoneagekitchen

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

• Wendy Gray

In this episode, Mary & Emma conclude their 'Intro to Slow Living' series by reflecting on the evolution of the slow living concept in their experience over the past eight years. They discuss the importance of intentionality, how slow living has transformed from a term to a mindset, and personal experiences with slow living in areas like fashion and daily choices. They announce a hiatus over the winter to rest and reassess their future direction, emphasizing the need for balance and space to let new ideas emerge organically. Mary and Emma encourage listeners to reflect on their own slow living journeys, and to share any feedback or suggestions while enjoying replays of past interviews.

00:00 Introduction and Series Recap

02:14 Reflections on Slow Living

03:43 Evolving Concepts of Slow Living

06:21 Sowing Seeds of Intention

10:49 Taking a Break and Future Plans

14:01 Personal Goals and Slow Living

24:07 Technology and Slow Living

28:40 Listener Engagement and Hiatus Details

33:15 Conclusion and New Year Wishes

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Lady Farmer

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

• Wendy Gray

In this special episode, we're bringing back two cherished holiday-themed recordings from our archives. Whether it’s the miracle of light, the birth of a Holy Child, or the warmth of family traditions, December celebrations connect us to a shared human experience rooted in vulnerability to nature’s rhythms.

First, in this excerpt from the December episode of Mary's Slow Living Through the Seasons series from 2023, Mary reflects on the winter solstice and its significance across cultures, exploring what we share with our ancestors during the darkest days of the year. Discover the deeper meaning behind festive traditions and how modern celebrations can sometimes pull us away from the natural cycle of the seasons.

Then, we revisit a delightful musical performance from the Lady Farmer Archives. Recorded in Seneca, Maryland, in November 2020, this casual fireside set by the Missing Sister Band warms the soul with soulful harmonies.

Topics Covered:

Music Setlist:

Performed by the Missing Sister Band:

Tune in for an episode that celebrates the beauty of gathering, the wonder of the solstice, and the joy of shared music. Happy Holidays! 🎶✨

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Our Website

• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

• Join The Lady Farmer ALMANAC

• Email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you!

Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Fast Forward Production.

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

• Wendy Gray