Gardens of Earthly Delight

Andrew Valenti

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. The Hidden Cost of Growing Something Epic w/ Kevin Espiritu

    3D AGO

    The Hidden Cost of Growing Something Epic w/ Kevin Espiritu

    Kevin Espiritu is the founder of Epic Gardening, a media and product company that's become one of the largest gardening brands in the world. What started as a hobby blog about hydroponics in 2013 has grown into a business with millions of followers, major acquisitions including Botanical Interests Seeds and GrowVeg garden planner, and a team of dozens serving home gardeners globally. Kevin's journey started with online poker paying for college, a quarter-life crisis playing video games, and his mom asking him to pick a hobby with his brother. They chose gardening. He first started growing cucumbers and he hasn't stopped growing since. We talk about building an audience by responding to every single comment, the moment in 2020 when everything changed, acquiring a 30-year-old seed company to keep it from disappearing, why organic certification isn't always what people think, and moving from hydroponics to soil. But we also talk about what Kevin has mentioned briefly on his personal channels: the crash-out moment after years of running on pure will, the medication he never thought he'd need, the physical separation he had to create from the homestead that helped build the Epic empire, and why he turned to creating art - a new hobby with no tie to business. "Every creator I know who's had a blow-up moment has had a crash-out moment afterwards. You run on pure will for maybe a year, maybe more. And then it all comes down on you." Kevin built something massive and meaningful that continues to grow. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Why Kevin started posting gardening videos online 03:27 - From online poker to playing video games to gardening 05:04 - When gardening became therapeutic (7 years in) 07:00 - Seeing land transform over time 09:32 - 2020: When revenue exploded 6.5 times 10:30 - Meeting Jacques: The pumpkin avatar neighbor 12:54 - "Why do people keep calling me Eric?" 14:23 - Responding to every single comment until you can't 17:09 - Making millions from an online gardening blog 17:39 - Acquiring Botanical Interests Seeds 21:41 - How seed production actually works 22:50 - The reality of organic certification 26:47 - Why seed saving videos never do well 29:52 - Regenerative certified vs. organic 31:21 - Acquiring GrowVeg and Modern Farmer 35:52 - When Instagram blew up: The tripod problem 37:47 - The crash-out moment and needing medication 40:16 - Hiring help vs. staying lean 42:04 - Finding art as a pure hobby 44:23 - Leaving the homestead but staying close 47:03 - What's coming next for Epic 51:24 - Designing seed packets as an artist 52:08 - Favorite food memory: Rice with milk RESOURCES MENTIONED Epic Gardening: Main website: epicgardening.comShop: shop.epicgardening.com/GOED (5% off anything with code GOED)YouTube: Epic Gardening (3.95M+ subscribers)Instagram: @epicgardeningBotanical Interests Seeds: botanicalinterests.comGrowVeg Garden Planner: growveg.comModern Farmer Magazine: modernfarmer.comThe Greenhouse Membership program (5% off with code GOED)Jacques Lyakov - Epic team member - Instagram and Youtube Mental Health Support: If you or someone you know is struggling with burnout, depression, or having thoughts of self-harm, help is available: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US)Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (US)International resources: findahelpline.comCONNECT WITH KEVIN ESPIRITU Personal YouTube: Kevin Espiritu Instagram: @kevinespiritu_Art Instagram: @rampfade  FOLLOW GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com Instagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpod Podcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribe Music by Constant Smiles Logo design by Hunky Kitty ★ Support this podcast ★

    52 min
  2. Tasting Is Believing w/ Darina Allen

    FEB 13

    Tasting Is Believing w/ Darina Allen

    Darina Allen is a culinary pioneer, educator, and author who co-founded the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983 on a 100-acre organic farm in County Cork, Ireland. She has taught thousands of students from over 65 countries, written nearly 20 bestselling cookbooks, sparked Ireland's farmers' market movement, hosted the television series Simply Delicious, and leads the Slow Food community in East Cork. She was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Munster Technological University. Darina's journey began when a chance meeting with her future mother-in-law, Myrtle Allen - a pioneer of Irish farm-to-table cooking - changed the course of her life. A week-long cooking course in Italy with Marcella Hazan, paid for with the last pennies in the bank, gave Darina the revelation that the solution to everything was underneath her feet: the beautiful Irish ingredients surrounding her on the farm. We talk about Myrtle Allen's revolutionary approach to Irish cuisine, the moment in an Italian market when Darina realized local ingredients should be more valuable (not less), how the cooking school was born out of desperation, why people are craving to relearn forgotten skills, the overwhelming response to her new Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, and the life-changing experience of making your first loaf of bread. "Everything I did was out of desperation. The farm shop, the cooking school - all of it. But what joy to be doing something you love that brings so much joy to other people." Darina embodies what it means to pass on skills with generosity, patience, and the deep belief that cooking is one of the most important things you can learn. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. For extended show notes with deeper analysis, subscribe to my Substack at gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com. TIMESTAMPS 01:28 - Honorary doctorate and why cooking is an important skill   04:30 - Growing up wanting only to cook and garden   06:15 - Meeting Myrtle Allen: The woman who changed everything   10:38 - Myrtle's approach: No yelling, just teaching   13:18 - The energetics of food and cooking with joy   15:04 - The last pennies in the bank: Marcella Hazan in Italy   21:00 - The Nostrale revelation: When local became valuable   24:30 - Realizing Irish ingredients were as good as Italian   26:00 - "The solution is underneath our feet"   27:30 - Starting the cooking school out of desperation   31:23 - Why the farm makes Ballymaloe unique   36:00 - Students from 65+ countries learning on the farm   38:13 - The desperate need for skilled farm labor   39:04 - Which came first: farming or cooking?   39:30 - The homesteading phenomenon worldwide   41:05 - The CEO who made his first loaf of bread   42:00 - Launching the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School   44:39 - Teaching forgotten skills: From beekeeping to cheese-making   45:44 - Favorite food memory: Auntie Florence and raspberry buns RESOURCES MENTIONED - Ballymaloe Cookery School - Ballymaloe House  - Ballymaloe Organic Farm School Books: - Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck - Marcella Hazan's cookbooks - Darina Allen's cookbooks People Mentioned: - Myrtle Allen - Pioneer of Irish farm-to-table cuisine - Marcella Hazan - Italian cooking teacher and author - Matt Somerville - Wild bee expert - Dr. David Unwin and Dr. Jen Unwin - Type 2 diabetes specialists TV: - Simply Delicious - Darina's television series Organizations: - Slow Food East Cork  - The Greenhorns (Young Agrarian Movement in America) CONNECT WITH DARINA ALLEN Instagram: @darina_allen   FOLLOW GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com Instagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpod Podcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribe Music by Constant Smiles Logo design by Hunky Kitty ★ Support this podcast ★

    49 min
  3. The Hopi Farmer Who Grew an 800-Year-Old Seed w/ Michael Kotutwa Johnson

    JAN 30

    The Hopi Farmer Who Grew an 800-Year-Old Seed w/ Michael Kotutwa Johnson

    The Hopi Farmer Who Grew an 800-Year-Old Seed Michael Kotutwa Johnson Michael Kotutwa Johnson is a 250th generation Hopi dry farmer and University of Arizona professor. His people have farmed the same land in northeastern Arizona for thousands of years - a place that receives only six inches of rain annually, with no irrigation and no pesticides.  Michael once planted an 800-year-old corn seed discovered by an archaeologist in a cave near historical Hopi villages. It sprouted because seeds have memory. This corn remembered how to grow and knew that it was safe to grow in caring Hopi hands. We talk about what makes Hopi culture a collaboration of clans, planting with faith during extreme drought, the planting stick as both life and death, singing to your corn and giving plants high fives, treating seeds as children, reading biological indicators in the land, and the practice of holding seeds in your mouth before planting. Michael also shares how he roasts corn in seven-foot stone pits to preserve it for decades - real food security rooted in community, not individual accumulation. "They're children to me. When they fall down, you pick them back up." Michael embodies what it means to be in true relationship with plants, seeds, soil, and the living world. Knowledge passed down through 250 generations that offers us a different model for resilience, adaptation, and agricultural practice. This has been condensed from a longer conversation. For extended show notes with deeper analysis and reflections, subscribe to my Substack at gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - What makes Hopi Hopi: A collaboration of clans 04:10 - Hopi clan migrations and oral traditions 08:20 - Faith as the most important ingredient 11:57 - Lessons from grandfather: The planting stick as life and death 15:14 - Planting techniques: 6-18 inches deep without irrigation 17:30 - The intimacy of seed planting 20:53 - Reading biological indicators: How weeds predict the season 24:11 - The present moment in Hopi language and culture 26:24 - "Without corn, we are not Hopi" 29:17 - The role of women in Hopi agriculture 30:47 - Adapting to climate change the Hopi way 35:07 - The 800-year-old corn seed: Memory and adaptation 39:09 - The satisfaction of growing your own food 41:39 - Why regenerative agriculture matters 48:25 - Cultural significance of Hopi seeds 52:09 - The ethics of seed sharing 56:21 - Timing, acceptance, and nurturing 59:15 - Singing to plants and giving them high fives 1:00:55 - Food memory: Roasting corn in a seven-foot stone pit RESOURCES MENTIONED Books: Becoming Hopi - Hopi Culture Preservation Office Book of the Hopi by Frank WatersOrganizations & Programs: Native American Agriculture FundUniversity of Arizona Indigenous Resilience CenterHopi FoundationArticles & Features: "What 800-Year-Old Seeds Teach Us About Adaptation & Hope" - Good Food Finder"Michael Kotutwa Johnson: A Voice for Indigenous Agriculture" - Eos Magazine"Continuity of Hopi Agriculture" presentation (YouTube)CONNECT WITH MICHAEL KOTUTWA JOHNSONInstagram: @dr._hopi_farmerLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-kotutwa-johnson-phd-mpp-16542049University of Arizona: snre.arizona.edu/michael-kotutwa-johnson FOLLOW GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com Instagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpod Podcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribe Music by Constant Smiles Logo design by Hunky Kitty ★ Support this podcast ★

    1h 9m
  4. Bonus Episode: In Conversation with Slow Food

    JAN 23 · BONUS

    Bonus Episode: In Conversation with Slow Food

    Bonus episode! I was recently invited as a guest on the Slow Food podcast. Slow Food is a global movement dedicated to preserving food biodiversity, supporting small-scale farmers, and connecting people to their food traditions. Being asked to join their conversation was truly an honor. In this episode with Valentina, I share my journey through 20 years of working on farms and gardens around the world, the spiritual and physical connection we have with soil, and those transformative wow moments that happen when we open ourselves to nature. We also discuss ancient practices like holding seeds in your mouth before planting - something I dive deeper into with my next guest, Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a 250th generation Hopi farmer and University of Arizona professor. That episode comes out next week on January 30th - stay tuned! TIMESTAMPS 02:58 - First memory: pulling a carrot at age 4 04:30 - Light bulb moment in the pea field 06:20 - Building community through food 08:36 - Hare Krishna farm in Hawaii 10:30 - Spraying pesticides: the moment that changed everything 12:15 - Wow moments and spiritual connection to nature 20:05 - The chemical connection between body and soil 23:00 - Holding seeds in your mouth before planting 25:47 - Practical gardening tips for beginners 28:53 - Why I started Gardens of Earthly Delight 31:00 - How local farmers led to Italian citizenship RESOURCES MENTIONED WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms): Volunteering on organic farms around the world Slow Food Farms: Find farms near you dedicated to agroecological practices and biodiversityWonderful Escapes: The farm I am living on this winter (with the miniature donkeys!) FOLLOW & SUPPORT SLOW FOODSlow Food CommunitiesMake a Donation to Slow FoodFollow on Instagram FOLLOW & SUPPORT GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.comInstagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpodPodcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribeDonate: buymeacoffee.com/gardens Photo of Trevor credit: Alexander PomperMusic by Constant SmilesLogo design by Hunky Kitty ★ Support this podcast ★

    36 min
  5. Cheese Is Not A Human Invention w/ Trevor Warmedahl (Milk Trekker)

    JAN 16

    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

  6. 11/29/2025

    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

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Gardens of Earthly Delight
  • Show Website
    Gardens of Earthly Delight