This week I'm also doing something a little different.
My scheduled guest had to cancel, and rather than skip a week I'm sharing a conversation I had with my longtime friend Lisa Schermerhorn — someone who has known my work for a decade. Sometimes the most honest conversations happen when nobody's preparing talking points. This is one of those.
What would you do if you found out that some of the choices you've already made in your kitchen — the ones you felt good about — might not be doing what you think?
After 30 years of research, teaching, and growing organic food on our Vermont farm, I've learned that most people aren't missing willpower or desire when it comes to nontoxic living.
They're missing a framework for making decisions that actually hold up over time.In this conversation you'll discover:
• The single word that appears on nearly every product in your home — and what it may legally be concealing
• Why that "safer" swap sitting on your shelf right now might not be the upgrade you think it is
• What your dishwasher may be doing that nobody is talking about
• The label claims that sound reassuring but have no independent verification behind them
• Why the most important question isn't "is this toxic" but something else entirely
• How to stop relying on apps, influencers, and swaps — and start trusting your own judgment
This conversation will shift the way you think about your kitchen, your labels, and your choices — not by overwhelming you with more information, but by giving you a different lens entirely.
Amy Hartshorn is a green living educator, certified organic farmer, and host of the Green Living Now podcast. She has been researching and teaching nontoxic living for over 30 years from Hartshorn Organic Farm in Vermont's Mad River Valley.
IS YOUR KITCHEN WORKING FOR YOUR HEALTH OR AGAINST IT? Take the free kitchen assessment and find out: [https://tally.so/r/GxrKYe]
YOUR NONTOXIC KITCHEN, REIMAGINED The five-day online course that gives you the framework, not just the swaps: [https://www.greenlivingnow.com/start-...]
WOMEN'S WELLNESS RETREAT — VERMONT An immersive restorative experience at Hartshorn Organic Farm. Limited spots available — pricing announced soon: [https://www.greenlivingnow.com/vermon...]00:00
Welcome — A Personal Note About Charlie
01:01 Why Swaps Alone Aren't Keeping Your Family Safe
02:18 Win the Nontoxic Kitchen Course — Free Giveaway
02:51 Meet Amy Todisco Hartshorn on the Grassroots Warrior Network
03:42 Growing Up in NYC With Real Food From Scratch
05:21 The Pregnancy Book That Changed Everything
06:59 From Letters to the Editor to Earth Day Activism
08:21 Decoding Labels — What "Natural" and "Wild Caught" Really Mean
10:07 Plastic, Your Dishwasher, and the Microplastics Nobody Talks About
12:32 Why Apps Aren't Enough — Building Your Own Decision Framework
14:47 Moving to Vermont and the Work That Found Her
15:58 Organic Farm Tours, Farm to Table Lunch, and Women's Retreats
18:00 The Healing Power of Horses — What Is Join Up?
20:10 The Round Pen Breakthrough — When Everything Shifts 20:50 How Horses Read Your Energy Before You Do
21:00 The Freedom Story — Changing Your Energy Changes Everything
22:21 What a Green Living Retreat Actually Looks Like
23:47 When the Body Holds What the Mind Has Buried
25:38 How to Process Emotions Before They Become Physical 26:50 Moving Beyond Pills — Treating Root Causes Not Symptoms 28:34 Rest, Nature Walks, and Permission to Slow Down
29:14 Your Nontoxic Kitchen Reimagined — The Course
31:13 Enter the Free Course Giveaway — $197 Value
32:18 Farm Tours, Organic Gardening Courses, and Dave's Tips 33:09 Organic Fertilizers, Healthy Soil, and Growing Your Own Food
35:36 Thank You and What's Coming Next on Green Living Now
This podcast is for educational purposes. Always consult a qualified health professional for personal medical decisions.
