What's being sprayed on the parks, greenbelts, and hillsides where your kids and pets play? When rare cancer cases in Ladera Ranch put this Orange County community in the national news, neighbors started asking hard questions about the pesticides used across their HOA-maintained landscapes. James sits down with John Gresko, founder of Protect Ladera, and Kim Konte, founder of Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, to talk about how parents are organizing, why even strong organic policies can quietly get undermined, and what it takes to move whole communities toward safer, soil-first land care. Along the way, James connects the dots to gut health: the soil around us helps shape the microbiome inside us. In this episode: - (00:41) How John and Kim got involved, from Irvine's 2016 organic parks policy to Ladera Ranch's wake-up call this summer - (13:42) James's story of seeing glyphosate hosed onto Ladera hillsides, and how a neighborhood Facebook group sparked the first push for change - (22:19) Pesticide "rewards" programs, and why policies need independent oversight to stick - (32:29) Healthy soil, healthy gut: why we're a mirror of our ecology - (41:50) Independent environmental testing, the push for county, state, and federal action, and how you can get involved About the guests: John Gresko is the founder, president, and CEO of Protect Ladera, a resident-led nonprofit advocating for a healthier Ladera Ranch. He's an architect specializing in sustainable, healthy building design, spent five years on the Ladera Ranch Civic Council, and is a dad of five. Website: https://protectladera.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectladera Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectladera Kim Konte is the founder of Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, which helps cities, school districts, and universities transition to organic and regenerative land management. Her work started as a parent in Irvine and has since reached communities across the country. Website: https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nontoxicneighborhoods/ Work with us: Ready to support your gut health from the ground up? Work one-on-one with the integrative dietitians at Married to Health. Create your client portal and book an appointment: https://marriedtohealth.md-hq.com/ Questions first? Reach us here: https://www.marriedtohealth.com/contact-usMentioned in this episode, the Good Gut SIBO & IBS Program: https://www.marriedtohealth.com/good-gut-sibo-ibs-program Follow Married to Health on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marriedtohealth/ If this episode got you thinking, follow or subscribe to Gut-Based Lifestyle and share it with a parent, neighbor, or HOA board member who needs to hear it. This episode is for educational purposes only and isn't medical advice.
