This episode delves into the evolving art of ecological gardening and landscaping with Edwina von Gal, founder of the Perfect Earth Project. Edwina shares her journey from traditional landscape design to championing nature-based solutions, recounting her 'aha' moment with chemical-free gardening. The conversation broadens to discuss the cultural shifts in gardening aesthetics and the move towards living lands. Key topics include challenges and strategies for managing meadows and various invasive plants without chemicals, and the importance of community and professional education in ecological landscaping. Edwina also highlights upcoming events and resources offered by the Perfect Earth Project to support ecological land care.

00:00 Introduction to Gardening Philosophy

01:36 Exciting Symposium on Invasive Plants at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

02:36 Understanding Restorative Landscaping

06:14 Meet Edwina von Gal: Landscape Designer

09:07 The Evolution of Gardening Practices

13:05 Challenges and Realizations in Eco-Friendly Gardening

16:39 Rewilding and Partnering with Nature

29:25 Closing the Loop: Sustainable Gardening Practices

34:48 Sustainable Seaweed Harvesting

35:15 The Importance of Natural Leaf Decomposition

36:23 Understanding Land Succession

37:11 Maintaining Open Spaces

39:10 Managing Invasive Species

39:42 Effective Mugwort Control Techniques

42:39 Event Announcement: Managing Meadows Symposium

46:17 Perfect Earth Project Initiatives

50:58 The Therapeutic Value of Gardening

53:07 Embracing Slow Gardening

55:28 Cultural Expectations and Natural Gardens

59:01 The Future of Sustainable Landscaping

The Perfect Earth Project

Doug Tallamy

Nature’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy

Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees by Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy

Wilding: Returning Nature to our Farm by Isabella Tree

We Are the Ark by Mary Reynolds

Bad Naturalist by Paula Whyman

Carbon: The Book of LIfe by Paul Hawken

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community
• Visit Our Website
• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram
• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com 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 Lady Farmer.

The Good Dirt podcast is proudly part of the Connectd Podcasts network.

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

• Wendy Gray

This episode was originally aired on May 13th, 2022. Visit A Fiber Life for shop and updates!

Fiber farmer Lisa Mitchell encourages listeners to embrace a beginner’s mindset and connect to the earth through handwork and making as she tells us the story of her major life shift, from striving for success as an art therapist in the suburbs, to slow living on a guanaco farm in the Pacific Northwest. Guanacos, the undomesticated ancestors of the alpaca, produce a unique and high-quality wool, but are often challenging to work with, and are not commonly farmed in the United States. In the absence of mentors and educational resources, Lisa and her husband set about spending significant time learning how to care for these special animals through experience, trial, and error, resulting in a fiber farm producing the highest quality wool on the market. Lisa seeks to “live with her hands” as she creates, and to practice making as an act of love - for the animals she lives alongside, for other people, and for the earth.

Topics Covered:

• Seeking a different life
• Guanacos and Guanaco Wool
• Learning to Work with Natural Fibers
• Working with Natural Dye
• Embracing Beginner’s Mind
• Creating as an Act of Love
• Connecting with Reality Through Hand Work
• 
  

Guest Info:

Lisa Mitchell's Website and Online Store/ A Fiber Life

Instagram: @afiberlife

Podcast

Follow Us:

Our Website: ladyfarmer.com

@weareladyfarmer on Instagram

The Lady Farmer ALMANAC on Substack

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

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.

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In this episode of The Good Dirt Podcast, Mary & Emma discuss Fashion Revolution Week and its significance, referencing the Rana Plaza disaster as a catalyst for the movement.

The episode features Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, who discusses the impact of fast fashion on the environment, her advocacy for slow fashion, and the creation of the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus. Chellie delves into her personal journey from local government to Congress, highlighting her efforts in sustainable and organic farming. The conversation explores bipartisan efforts to address environmental issues, the importance of soil health, and Pingree’s ongoing initiatives to promote sustainable practices in fashion and agriculture.

00:00 Introduction to Fashion Waste

01:30 Welcome to the Good Dirt Podcast

01:35 Fashion Revolution Week

02:33 Lady Farmer's Journey

03:49 Introducing Shelly Pingree

06:40 Shelly Pingree’s Background

15:08 The Slow Fashion Movement

22:03 The Role of Congressional Caucuses

28:30 Bipartisanship in Sustainable Policies

34:05 Shelly Pingree’s Farm and Regenerative Practices

37:46 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Foxfire

The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing

DC Climate Week-April 28th-May 2nd, 2025

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🌻 About Lady Farmer:

• Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community
• Visit Our Website
• Follow @weareladyfarmer on Instagram
• Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com 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 Mary & Emma Kingsley

The Good Dirt podcast is proudly part of the Connectd Podcasts network.

🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:

• Wendy Gray