What happens when a listener writes in with the very questions your community is wrestling with? You invite her on the show.

Emily Hillman has spent 14 years in the fashion industry — from the artisan workrooms of Midtown Manhattan to the fast fashion corporate world. After purchasing a 19th-century farmhouse in rural New Jersey and becoming a mother, she found that her priorities had quietly shifted. Finding herself at a crossroads, Emily reached out to Mary and Emma, not looking for all the answers so much as a grounded, honest conversation. .

This is The Good Dirt's first interview back after a hiatus. Here we’re talking about the real tension so many of us feel: I want to live more simply, more slowly, more intentionally — but how do I actually do that in the life I'm already living?

If you've ever felt the push and pull between the values you hold and the demands of the world you live in, this episode will speak to you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Emily's journey from Vermont roots to New York City fashion workrooms — and what she learned firsthand about the difference between artisan craftsmanship and fast fashion production
• The "painful catch-22" of slow living: wanting a simpler life that costs money, while earning less because you're stepping back from the corporate grind
• Why removing moral judgment from your daily purchasing decisions can actually free you to make more sustainable choices
• Practical, accessible approaches to buying secondhand clothing for kids (and why our audience is already well ahead of the curve)
• The economics of slow food: buying in bulk, finding local sources, joining a CSA, and why embracing constraints actually sparks creativity
• Composting as one of the most powerful individual acts for the planet — and tips for making it work even in bear country
• How small, cumulative changes add up — and why you're probably further along than you think
• Book recommendations: Redefining Rich by Shannon Hayes, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and Jen Sincero's You Are a Badass series
• The concept of "blue sky thinking" — letting yourself imagine the life you want before the budget anxiety kicks in
• Reconnecting with nature and the seasons as a compass for finding your authentic calling

Books & Resources Mentioned:

• Redefining Rich by Shannon Hayes — [listen to our interview with Shannon here]
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
• You Are a Badass and You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
• Fibershed — a network for regional fiber systems and slow fashion
• Local Harvest (for finding CSAs near you): localharvest.org

Want to chat with us? If Emily's story resonates with you — if you're somewhere in the middle of this same journey — we'd love to hear from you. Email us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 443-459-1950.

And if you're interested in joining our free, casual Slow Living Through the Seasons cohort, reach out to mary@ladyfarmer.com for the signup link.

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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

Mary and Emma return to the podcast after over a six-month hiatus, reflecting on the evolution of Lady Farmer as a brand and their own experiences within it. They discuss how the cultural context around sustainability has shifted, how they don't want to present themselves as experts or frame sustainability in moral terms, and how systemic forces limit individual impact even as daily habits still matter. They aim to focus more on finding meaning, creativity, and defining “the good life". They share personal updates (babies! work! gardening!) and discuss plans for how they want to continue to unfold into The Good Dirt and the Lady Farmer project.

00:00 Welcome Back Check In

01:11 Meet Mary And Emma

02:12 Lady Farmer Origin Story

04:16 Slow Living Then And Now

08:17 Beyond Individual Responsibility

10:37 Morality Free Sustainability

13:24 Decluttering And Landfill Guilt

15:34 Meaning Emotions And The Good Life

17:16 Creativity Work And Money

19:52 Grandma Life And Restorative Gardening

21:13 Reopening The Marketplace

25:52 Listener Requests And Wrap Up

In this episode of The Good Dirt Podcast, Emma and Mary welcome back Janna Hockenjos, founder of We Are Earth Friends, an environmental education organization designed for children ages 3-8. Jana discusses the program’s impact on young learners' understanding of the interconnectedness of all of life on our planet and provides an update on the progress and expansion of the program. She also offers insights from the suburban food forest project. that she and her husband have been cultivating over the last few years.

In addition, Emma and Mary make the announcement that the podcast will take a sabbatical until next year to allow time for rest and the development of new ideas. In the meantime, they will be continuing with articles, ideas and inspiration in The ALMANAC, the online newsletter and community of Lady Farmer. See the Substack link below!

00:00 Reflecting on Slow Living Amidst Chaos

00:30 Embracing the Present Moment

01:35 Nature's Simple Joys

02:27 Recording Together and Taking a Sabbatical

04:10 Podcast Evolution and Future Plans

08:13 Introducing Jana and Earth Friends

12:25 Jana's Journey and Environmental Education

15:19 Earth Friends Curriculum and Impact

32:14 Making Environmental Education Accessible

36:33 Challenges in Implementing Earth Friends in Schools

37:04 Making Earth Friends Accessible to All

38:57 Homeschool Groups and Marketing Strategies

41:22 The Importance of Patience and Letting Go

42:00 Personal Reflections and Yoga Insights

51:23 Suburban Food Forest Project

54:09 The Healing Power of Growing Your Own Food

01:06:03 The Significance of Good Soil

01:10:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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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