Return to Nature The Sisters Bloom

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Todd Ulizio, a farmer who co-owns both Two Bear Farm and The Farmers’ Stand in Whitefish, Montana. Todd grew up on a small vegetable farm in Connecticut and, since a young age, loved to be outdoors in nature. After feeling pressured to get a business degree and working for two years as an accountant, he found the courage to follow his own path and moved to Montana, where he went back to school to study Wildlife Biology at University of Montana. Todd worked for 10 years as a wildlife biologist, studying forest carnivores, before meeting his wife, Rebecca, and starting an organic vegetable farm called Two Bear Farm. 



With 17 years of farming experience, Todd strives to promote the importance of local economies, community food systems, and nutritious food. In 2020 he and Rebecca partnered with Wicked Good Produce to open a local food market in Whitefish called The Farmers' Stand.



Todd Shares


His introduction to farming as a child and his grandfather’s legacy
His father’s dual life as a farmer and banker
The evolution of organic farming and how it used to be the way everyone farmed
How Aldo Leopold’s Teachings influenced him
The book he read in college that helped him realize he did not want to walk the mainstream path he was on, Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken
His breaking point working as an accountant that prompted him to changed his career trajectory to wildlife biology.
The observation that how humans live on the landscape affects the ability of certain wildlife species to thrive
Learning the nuances of farming in Montana and starting his first farm with his wife, Rebecca in Eureka, MT
The benefits of having a business background as a farmer
The truth behind conventional farming’s story of “feeding the world”
How human disconnection from Nature is at the core of the environmental and agricultural issues we face today
The difference between organic and regenerative farming 
How corporate influence affects our agricultural system
How our values and priorities can play a role in restoring our systems to support both human and planetary health
The fallacy of choice when it comes to the food available for purchase at the grocery store
The need for more people to return to the land and farm for their local communities 
Insight into The Farmers’ Stand’s origins and operation
How we can make choices that align with the kind of future we want for ourselves and our children



You can connect with Todd through Two Bear Farm:

website: www.twobearfarm.com

instagram: @twobearfarm

instagram @farmersstand



Intro/Outro Music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Brooke-Lynn Seemann, the owner of Vibrant Roots, a mushroom focused company based in the mountains of Whitefish, Montana that specialize in mushroom tea, elixirs, jun tea (the sister elixir to kombucha), mushroom chocolates, & more. As a health and conscious living enthusiast, Brooke is also a beekeeper, mycologist, mixologist, herbalist, and certified Birthing Doula. Through her own healing journey she discovered and created all of the products that Vibrant Roots offers today.



Vibrant Roots’ mission is to connect people back to their roots, beginning with the ancestral wisdom within us all and still held by many cultures around the world whose health and wellness traditions revolve around bees, mushrooms, and herbs. Every product is touched with love, music, and medicine by a beautiful team of humans, bees, and a kingdom all its own: Mushrooms! Through these natural healing powers, their products provide convenient and refreshing products to nourish & energize our bodies, starting with the gut.



Brooke Shares:


Where she got her vision for Vibrant Roots and how she began to take tangible steps to starting it once she moved to Whitefish, Montana
How she was able to save money to slowly build the company little by little by working up to seven jobs at a time
The cancer diagnosis that motivated her to find ways to heal herself naturally and switch from Kombucha to Jun, which has a honey base instead of sugar
Starting up her first commercial kitchen and milkman-style delivery service
How “bad” things can guide us to the path we’re meant to be on
The pros and cons of having a distributor versus direct-to-consumer sales
The environmentally conscious decision to take their glass bottles back for reuse despite the fact that it costs more than just getting new bottles
Her experience working for Kauai Juice Co and how that influenced Vibrant Roots’ practices
The importance of nurturing the growth of everyone working for the company 
The dietary changes she made in order to heal and how those principles led to the products Vibrant Roots now carries
All about mushrooms
The story and significance behind the Vibrant Roots logo
Her local honey supplier, Great Northern Honey
Why most honey will never be certified organic
The difference between kombucha and jun
Insight into the brewing process
How getting back to our roots can help us live more consciously 



You can connect with Brooke through Vibrant Roots:

Website: www.vibrantroots.com

Email: info@vibrantroots.com

Instagram @vibrantrootsorganic

Facebook: @vibrantrootsorganic



Intro/outro music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Alissa LaChance, the owner and operator of Dirt Rich. Born and raised in Whitefish, Montana, she is passionate about spreading knowledge about the concepts and science of regenerative agriculture and providing a local product that helps gardeners and farmers maintain a holistic agricultural system to grow more nutrient dense food.

Alissa holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in sustainable agriculture. Her goal is to connect humans back to the cycles of nature through food scrap composting and education in the regenerative agriculture sphere. Dirt Rich is a tool for her to do just that. She has continued her education with well known soil ecologists such as Elaine Ingham and Nicole Masters and is part of of the Integrity Soils Fellowship, coaching farmers and ranchers on agroecological systems management and composting systems for their businesses.



Alissa Shares


How a walk in the woods gave her clarity on her career trajectory 
Her outlook on formal education and what she ultimately studied 
How her venture into composting started when her friend’s hobby composting service was approached by Glacier National Parks’ concessioner
The Dr. Elaine Ingham talk she attended on soil ecology that elevated her mission from just waste diversion to including soil remediation
The interplay between our intuitive connection to Nature and the science behind soil health
The Nicole Master’s Create course through the Integrity Soils Fellowship
Why she likes vermicomposting (worm composting) and the basics 
The importance of being “carnivore responsible” when composting outside in a region like the Flathead Valley
What is happening during the Bokashi composting process and why it’s not her recommended method
Making composting affordable and accessible to as many people as possible 
The ideal ratios of carbon to nitrogen for composting 
How to compost pet poop
How to source compostable bags that are safe for the soil
Dirt Rich’s recommended third party certifiers are TUV, compost manufacturing alliance, and BPI certified
The difference between electric composters and the natural composting process
An inside look into Dirt Rich’s operation
The implications and possibilities of implementing compost within the agricultural sphere



You can connect with Alissa through Dirt Rich:

Website: www.dirtrichcompost.com

Instagram: @dirtrichcompost

Facebook: @dirtrichcompost

Email: dirtrichcompost@gmail.com

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews singer songwriter Monica Aben about how her healing journey impacted her creative journey.

Hailing from California, Monica's musical journey began at a young age, mastering the piano and guitar while growing up in a music-loving and rhythm-filled home. Her music exudes passion, authenticity, and a profound love for life's adventures. Monica defines success as being wholly authentic and creating music and art that resonates with her audience, regardless of societal expectations. She has performed at notable events like the Future Echoes Festival in Sweden and Camden Club in London.

Her latest EP reflects her passion for regenerative farming and holistic health. Inspired by the brand of the same name after attending their “What Good Shall I Do?” conference, her single, Force of Nature, shares a message of honoring and reconnecting to nature. 

Monica Shares


Her musical upbringing learning piano by ear rather than by learning to read sheet music 
The health obstacle that changed the course of her life as a teenager
The teachers who helped to nurture her creativity rather than forcing her to fit high school’s mold 
How she rejected the stereotype that artists must suffer to be good or successful and chose to create wholesome music
How her music career started immediately after high school in Nashville
Her first songwriting collaboration experience with Adam Shoenfeld, Tim McGraw’s guitarist, and how that led to finishing her first record album 
How establishing deeper relationships with collaborative partners can lend to the songwriting experience 
How to keep your own voice in tact when collaborating with others
Following your intuitive creative process to avoid overproducing
Thew functional medicine doctor who catalyzed her healing when her symptoms came back and how that led her to realize how our environment contributes to human health
How she found Force of Nature meats when her healing required eating a carnivore diet
Why she attended the “What Good Shall I Do?” conference and how that inspired her recent album
Being receptive to inspiration and ideas from unexpected places
How human design has helped her understand herself and her creative process
How true healing in our toxic world can be expensive and inaccessible to most, but also how we can use our gifts and creativity to empower and educate people on health

You Can Connect with Monica through her music:

Website: www.monicaaben.com

Instagram: @monicaaben

Spotify: Monica Aben



Intro/Outro Music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Amanda Shine, a shepherd, teacher, and researcher passionate about soil health and regenerative agriculture. She and her husband Seth established Roving Ram Ranch in 2019 and provide affordable meat, wool products, and adaptive grazing services for local landowners who need their land regenerated. 

Amanda started her livestock career working on Wisconsin dairies and attending the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has degrees in Biology (B.A.), Agriculture (B.S.), and Agronomy (M.S.), with coursework for the latter degrees focused on rangeland ecology and management. She also raised Savannah and Boer meat goats for many years, using them for grazing projects in both Oklahoma and Nebraska. 

After six years operating Roving Ram Ranch in Montana’s Flathead Valley, Amanda and Seth are moving operation to Texas, where they will continue Roving Ram Ranch while Amanda has an assistantship at Texas A&M involving grazing research.



Amanda Shares:


How she began pursuing sustainable agriculture in her early life
How she integrated her academic career with her practical hands-on experience
Why she and her husband Seth chose to raise sheep when they moved to Montana 
The revenue streams possible from raising sheep
How regenerative contract grazing works
Sheep’s ability to detoxifying  toxic plants and how they discern what to eat and leave
Fred Provenza’s research on how animals forage and mix plants for maximum benefits
All about livestock guardian dogs  
The logistics of rotational grazing 
The lambing process and giving back to the community by providing affordable clean meat to those who otherwise could not afford it
Her experience teaching soil and water health management 
The importance of educating and empowering farmers to steward the land and use regenerative practices to heal the Earth
What sheep are really like
The sheep breeds they raise and why
The process of shearing 
How rotational grazing aids the health of the sheep as well as the land
The experiential research process of rotational grazing to meet specific goals for a landowner
The regenerative strategy of feeding on pasture during winter to load the soil with organic matter
Understanding Ag as an educational resource for regenerative farming 
Her assistantship at Texas A&M involving grazing research



You can connect with Amanda through Roving Ram Ranch:

Website: www.rovingramranch.com

Instagram: @rovingramranch

Email: rovingramranch@gmail.com



Intro/outro music by Ken Belcher

In the first episode recorded in the studio’s new sound room, join Melissa for her second solocast where she talks about the Earthing project and all that went into it. Animated during the studio’s renovation, there is much more to this video than meets the eye. Get the behind the scenes scoop on the start of the new studio space and the growth that has been happening in the background of the renovation.



Melissa is the founder of The Sisters Bloom, an eco-conscious stop-motion animation studio.



Melissa Shares




How strange it is that the New Year is in the middle of Winter 
How a downshooter works and all about the studio’s new downshooter
The Intellytech lights she used for the original downshooter, which are still being utilized on the new one differently
Working with the downshooter’s designer and builder, Lee Peffer, of Nodal Engineering
Why she uses Museum glass as opposed to other types of glass
The intricacies of lighting a downshooter 
The unique nature of the stop-motion industry that means talent goes where the jobs are and work for many studios rather than only one
The importance of having a breadth of skill sets and knowledge of all roles rather than specializing in just one
Melissa’s experience with internships and her decision to start an apprenticeship program at the studio in order to nurture local talent and foster long-term working relationships
How her interview with Clint Ober led to the creation of the Earthing video
The conceptual possibilities of aligning projects with the studio’s mission
The process of foraging for leaves and rocks
How to preserve leaves 
Her method of foraging to honor the life of the trees and Earth
Working with paper leather to make mini moccasins and sneakers
Organic Cotton Plus as a resource for paper leather and natural fabrics
Natural Earth Paint’s plant-based acrylik medium as a heat activated glue
The talent that helped to create the Earthing video



You can connect with Melissa through The Sisters Bloom:

Website: www.thesistersbloom.com

Instagram: @sistersbloomstudios

Pinterest: @thesistersbloom

Email: growwithus@thesistersbloom.com

Intro/Outro music by Ken Belcher