Gardens of Earthly Delight

Andrew Valenti
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

An exploration of our connection to earth through conversations with experts and celebrities who have formed their own profound relationships to the natural world.

Episodes

  1. Cheese Is Not A Human Invention w/ Trevor Warmedahl (Milk Trekker)

    4D AGO

    Cheese Is Not A Human Invention w/ Trevor Warmedahl (Milk Trekker)

    Cheese Is Not A Human Invention Trevor Warmedahl (Milk Trekker) Trevor Warmedahl, also known as Milk Trekker, is a nomadic cheesemaker, teacher, and author who travels the world documenting endangered cheese-making practices from rural pastoral communities. He won the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award in 2022 and teaches through his Sour Milk School. His book, Cheese Trekking: How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures Shape Terroir, comes out February 17th, 2026 with Chelsea Green Publishing. Recorded in Bra, Italy during the Slow Food cheese festival, Trevor and I explore why cheese is milk's natural destiny, not a human invention. We dive into the ethical realities of dairy, the influence of David Asher's book, how industrial starter cultures are like buying seeds from Monsanto, the profound practice of transhumance, raw milk safety debates, microbial diversity, terroir, and what the future holds for American cheesemakers. "Cheese is really milk fulfilling its destiny." Trevor challenges the industrial model and shows us there's another way—one rooted in traditional wisdom, seasonal rhythms, and the infinite potential hidden in a pail of raw milk. This has been condensed from a two-hour conversation. For the full unedited version with more stories from Trevor's travels, subscribe to my Substack at gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction 02:21 - Cheese is not a human invention 11:58 - The role of microbes in cheese making 13:38 - Fears and safety of natural cheese 22:02 - Cheese and microbes 29:05 - Cheese terroir and its complexity 36:36 - Aha moments in cheese making 44:38 - Tradition vs. innovation 48:18 - Transhumance: the art of seasonal migration 57:24 - The essential role of salt 1:02:25 - Favorite food memory 1:05:33 - Final thoughts CONNECT WITH TREVOR Substack: milktrekker.substack.com Instagram: @milktrekker Book: Pre-order Cheese Trekking (out February 17, 2026) with Chelsea Green Publishing FOLLOW GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.comInstagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpodPodcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribe Photo of Trevor credit: Alexander PomperMusic by Constant SmilesLogo design by Hunky Kitty ★ Support this podcast ★

    1h 8m

  2. EPISODE 1

    Gardens of Earthly Delight Trailer

    Welcome to Garden of Earthly Delights. Here, we will be exploring our connection to earth through conversations with experts and celebrities who all have their own profound relationships with the natural world.If you feel like you've lost your connection to the earth, if you're looking to form a new connection, or if you're simply curious to hear some amazing stories, this podcast aims to inspire you to get outside and discover or rekindle your own unique connection with our living planet. ★ Support this podcast ★

    2 min

Trailer

About

An exploration of our connection to earth through conversations with experts and celebrities who have formed their own profound relationships to the natural world.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Valenti
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Gardens of Earthly Delight
  • Show Website
    Gardens of Earthly Delight