The Good Dirt: Sustainability Explained Lady Farmer

Leah Rampy, author, educator and retreat leader, discusses her work and recent book release“Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos”. She emphasizes how facing the reality of climate change and loss can help us open our hearts and "come to our senses" , allowing our grief to empower us in reconnecting to the living world. Leah integrates ecology, spirituality and personal practices in guiding others to deepen this relationship. In this conversation, we also discuss the epidemic of loneliness, the importance of community, the concept of indigeneity and the challenges of finding one's place in a changing world. We hear all about the co-housing community in West Virginia where Leah lives with her husband, and her involvement with the Church of the Wild-Two Rivers, a place to find hope through community and connection with nature.

Topics Discussed
· Leah discusses her book
· Working with Al Gore & Biodiversity for a Livable Climate
· Eco-Anxiety and Eco Grief
· Older vs. Younger Generation Perceptions of Climate Loss
· The Loss of Spring
· How Being Busy Distances Us from the Earth
· The Paradigm of Human Superiority
· Our Language towards Nature
· Distance or Disconnection
· The Beauty of Worms
· The Co-housing Movement
· The Epidemic of Loneliness
· A Community of Like-minded People or Like-hearted People
· Indigeneity and Connection to the Land
· Active Listening to the World Around Us
· How Science Helps Us Understand Our World
· The Tricky Thing about Hope
· Age Diversity
· Retreats and Pilgrimages

Episode Resources:
· Read “Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos” by Leah Rampy
· Biodiversity for a Livable Climate
· Shepherd Village
· The Church of the Wild
· Read the Lady Farmer Article "St Brigid The Lady Farmer”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “The History and Folklore of Bridgid: Saint, Legend and Lady Farmer with Kathy Spaar”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “185. Reimagining Our Place in the Landscape: Eco-Spirituality and Rewilding with Mary DeJong”
· Read "Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest" by Suzanne Simard

Connect with Leah Rampy
· Website: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahrampy/
· Join Leah’s Mailing List: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/subscribe.html
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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 Fast Forward Production.
🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:
· Wendy Gray

This bonus episode originally aired on June 19th, 2021

We have a special bonus episode for you this week in celebration of our newest national holiday-- Juneteenth! Mary and Emma reunite with author, historian and farmer Tony Cohen for an exploration into the history of Juneteenth and the holiday’s complex folklore and origins. Tony takes us back in time to examine how this monumental declaration of freedom spread in a variety of ways depending on the geographic, economic and social landscape of the time.
Mary, Emma and Tony pause to reflect upon what freedom means and looks like in the modern era and why society continues to resist a hard look at injustice. Tony points to how altering behavior can feel like giving up our own freedoms and comforts and reminds us that the fair trade movement has deeply historic roots. He also reflects upon the transition from enslavement to the tenant farming system and points to how that system affects us still today. The trio grapples with some hard truths about freedom itself and acknowledges the work still left to be done. 
Tony shares how he celebrates Juneteenth at Button Farm and rejoices in community as he reflects upon the precious ability to gather and take new found enthusiasm into the world. 
 
Let’s get into the episode:
1:30 - Emma introduces this week’s special episode
3:00 - Tony Cohen on the history of Juneteenth
15:00 - The transition into freedom
20:00 - The shift to “waged” labor and the evolution of slavery
28:00 - Fair trade
31:00 - Local emancipation
41:00 - Celebrating Juneteenth
42:30 - The happenings at Button Farm
48:00 - Creating Community
 
Things Mentioned: 

Button Farm

Oprah’s visit 

The Menare Foundation

HipCamp - Camp at Button Farm 

Anthony Cohen

The Good Dirt - Episode 31 

The AG Reserve - Montgomery County 

The Underground railroad in Montgomery County, Maryland: A history and driving guide

Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday 

Lift Every Voice and Sing

DC Emancipation Day 

Montgomery County Historical Society 

13th Amendment 

14th Amendment

15th Amendment


🌻 About Lady Farmer:
· Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & Community
· Visit Our Website
The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living
· 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 Fast Forward Production.
🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:
· Wendy Gray

This episode was initially published on April 21, 2023 under the title The Urgent Need for Restorative Gardening
Internationally acclaimed landscape designer, activist and bestselling author of The Garden Awakening and her newly released title We are the Ark, Mary Reynolds discusses her efforts to restore the earth through her global ARK campaign, (Acts of Restorative Kindness). She launched her career by achieving a gold medal for garden design at the Chelsea flower show in 2002, the story of which was made into a 2016 movie called “Dare to be Wild”. She later founded the global movement “We are the ARK”, an organization advocating for more wild spaces and to raise awareness of our current extinction event.
Topics Discussed

Mary's new book We Are the Ark: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness with illustrations by Ruth Evans

Mary's story of the pivotal moment that changed her career

How Mary reframes the concept of gardens

The ARK concept

How the idea of feeding the world is greenwashing, when we should support the world to feed itself.

Floral designer Amber Tamm @ambertamm



Doug Tallamy, founder of Home Grown National Park - a grassroots organization regenerating local biodiversity

Native species vs non-native plants and how they affect local eco-systems

The 100th monkey syndrome

Shifting Baseline Syndrome/ Daniel Pauly 

How has Mary's mission evolved from The Garden Awakening to We Are the Ark


Mary's project in Westport, County Mayo


The difference between a garden and an ark is intention

How can people become less afraid of the wildness?

Where does Mary find hope that we will be able to save the planet and ourselves? 

Spreading the message of The ARK all over the world


From What is to What If written by Rob Hopkins

The book Silent Spring  written by Rachel Carson


Connect with Mary:

Website: We Are the Ark


Instagram: wildmarymary



🌻 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 Fast Forward Production.
🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:
· Wendy Gray

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 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.

CEO of Broken Ground Kareen Erbe has dedicated herself to helping people in cold climates grow their own food so they can eat healthier, live more sustainably and be more self-reliant. She delves into permaculture and how it applies not only to growing food and helping the earth , but also creating community. Kareen helps her clients by designing integrated edible landscapes and encourages them in cultivating community alongside the cultivation of their gardens. She goes into her permaculture design principles for families, those in cold climates, and those who live in urban environments. You will also hear about integrating gardens into lawns, creating beneficial relationships between plants and people, and the benefits of including your neighbors to help with gardening tasks. This episode is about gardening, sustainability, building stronger, more self-sufficient communities and the wider ranging significance of permaculture principles.

Topics Discussed
· Low Waste Gardening
· Growing Food in Cold Climates
· Kareen’s Grandmother’s Diaries
· Permaculture Hot Takes
· Pollinator Gardens
· Taking Before/After Photos
· Kareen’s Most Impactful Books
· Weeds & Welcoming Wildness
· Raising Kids in Nature
· Herbal Lawns
· Quackgrass
· Growing Zones
· Montana Growing Seasons
· Cultivating Lawns & Community
· Permaculture in Urban Spaces
· Embracing Diversity in Gardens
· Hope and Regeneration in Agriculture
· Adapting to Climate Challenges
· Resources and Programs for Permaculture Enthusiasts

Episode Resources:
· Listen to The Good Dirt “151. "Lawns into Meadows" with Author Owen Wormser on Regenerative Agriculture”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “138. The Urgent Need for Restorative Gardening with Mary Reynolds”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “163. Sailors for Sustainability Searching for Solutions: A Journey Around the World”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “110. An Ecological Civilization for All with Andrew Schwartz”
· Listen to The Good Dirt “156. Pathways Toward an Ecological Civilization with Phillip Clayton of EcoCiv”
· Read Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey
· Read Jane Goodall’s Books
· Read "Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture" by Toby Hemenway
· Read "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
· Read “Earth User's Guide to Teaching Permaculture” by Rosemary Morrow
· Read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver
· Read "Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard" by Douglas W Tallamy”
· Read "We Are the Ark: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness" by Mary Reynolds

Connect with Kareen Erbe:
· Website: https://brokengroundpermaculture.com/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokengroundmt/
· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/brokenground

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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 Fast Forward Production.
🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:
· Wendy Gray

Tune in to celebrate the many joys of June--the beautiful weather, carefree childhood memories, the miracle of fireflies and all the berries! Also, hear Mary's reflection on the summer solstice and all the tips for planting by the signs of the moon for the month.

Read more about Slow Living Through the Seasons HERE
https://ladyfarmer.substack.com/t/seasonal-living

PINE TREE GARDEN SEEDS
Order their seeds today from superseeds.com and use our promo code: GOODDIRT2024 for 20% off your entire order!

NEPTUNE'S HARVEST ORGANIC FERTILIZERS 
Use code GOODDIRT at checkout for 5% off your order for products from the ocean to set your plants in motion 🌊



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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 Fast Forward Production.
🌿 The Good Dirt Producers:
• Wendy Gray

On the other side of the interview this week, we're sharing the episode we did with Bailey Van Tassel of Garden Culture Podcast! We'll be back next week with another interview from The Good Dirt!
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Emma and Mary Kingsley are the mother-daughter duo behind Lady Farmer, a brand that began with a sustainable clothing line and now is a successful podcast (The Good Dirt) around slow and conscious living. Emma and Mary talk about each of their childhoods and how it informed their current path together. They chat about what moved them to do a Kickstarter campaign which led to where they are now, on a sustainable path and how they live within that ethos. This chat is a great peek into how it takes nothing other than a passion and interest to move into a life that you're inspired by and proud of. They share about plastic in our clothing, where they shop, and what we all can think about to start getting more intentional.

Emma and Mary's Fave Books:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
We are the Ark by Mary Reynolds
Love, Nature, Magic by Maria Rodale

For more info on Bailey Van Tassel go to www.baileyvantassel.com and join her monthly gardening membership here: www.thekitchengardensociety.com