Digging In The Dirt with Kevin Gallagher

This "Digging in the Dirt" starts off with Tom Anderson, who is Director of communications at CT Audubon Society and editor of the Connecticut state of the birds report. We talk about all the threats that our birds are facing.  Habitat loss, pesticides, windows and feral cats.

Then joining me is Megan Clendenan  author of The book Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault  A recent review said of her book,  "This tale has an unusual ecological theme that makes seed preservation not only an essential task, but a sacred one. A must...

My first guest is Kelpie Wilson  author of The Biochar  Handbook, Kelpie researches and teaches techniques for using biochar in compost and manure management and presents many biochar workshops each year to farmers, foresters, and landowners.

Then Michael Garman the Development Coordinator at the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters joins me. The CTLCV's is a nonpartisan, nonprofit environmental organization that works across the state of CT on a myriad of environmental issues. 

Then I talk to Allison Rugila Associate Soundkeeper for Save the Sound. Allison covers the western half of Long Island Sound (basically the Bri...

First up this episode is Emily Sanders the senior reporter for ExxonKnews, a project of the Center for Climate Integrity covering fossil fuel industry practices……disinformation, lobbying, and dark money spending -- as well as efforts to hold major oil and gas companies accountable.    ExxonKnews is a partner of the Covering Climate Now journalism collaborative, and Emily's climate accountability reporting has been co-published with other outlets including The Lever, Grist, DeSmog, and HEATED.  (Emily wants you to know that the actual fine levied against Greenpeace was $660 million dollars)

Second, Allison Rugila has joined Save the Sound as Associa...

My guests on my next  Digging the dirt start with Eric Sepenoski.   Eric is a fourth-generation farmer at Seps Farm in East Marion, NY, on Long Island's North Fork. He’s also is  an elementary school teacher and serves as an elected Trustee for the Town of Southold—where he focuses on stewarding wetlands and protecting coastal features.

Then regular contributor to DITD Gloria Frazee of Rewild Long Island joins me to talk  composting on  Long Island.

 Finally, Author Melissa Stewart joins me to talk about her new children's book about the mighty carbon ato...

Jeff Masters meteorologist of the Yale climate connections  talks about the heartbreaking tragedy of the recent Texas floods. It's A deeper look at how this happens and what is in store in the future . 

Then I rebroadcast an interview with Wilton, Connecticut fire chief and emergency management Director James Blanchfield on what to do if you encounter swift running floodwaters while in your car, amongst other useful advice for emergency situations.  

Rita Valley is an artist and gardener living in Southbury Connecticut. Her passion for gardening started at an early age, nurtured by her Polish grandmother who tended an impressive vegetable garden. Valley’s love of gardening has persisted and blossomed into a penchant for writing about her gardening exploits as well.
Rita seems to have the same arrangement that my wife and I have: her husband's the veggie guy and she's the flower lady.  She maintains that a good sense of humor is every bit as important as a nice shovel or a sharp pair of pruners. 

We...

First up Peter Linderoth, the director of healthy waters and lands for Save the Sound comes to “Digging in the Dirt” with the publication of Save The Sounds 2025 LONG ISLAND SOUND BEACH REPORT.  How does your local beach in CT. or Long Island rate?

Then Sandy Wilson joins me. Sandi is employed with the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. She is the Fairfield County Master Gardener Program Coordinator based out of the Extension office in Bethel.  She has been involved with the Master Gardener program for 25 years. 

Then a little bit about tomatoes.

Peter Linderoth, the  director of healthy waters and lands for Save the Sound Comes to “Digging in the Dirt” with the publication of Save The Sounds 2025 LONG ISLAND SOUND BEACH REPORT.  How does your local beach in CT. or Long Island rate?

My guest is Sandy Wilson. Sandi is employed with the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. She is the Fairfield County Master Gardener Program Coordinator based out of the Extension office in Bethel.  She has been involved with the Master Gardener program for 25 years. 

Vincent Dion is a life-long Artist, Gardener, Connecticut resident and Do-it Yourself enthusiast. He maintains a 1,500 square foot backyard garden in Newtown, CT.  I have it on good authority that Vincent is quite the gardener and we're here to talk about does his garden grow.

 My other guest  is Craig Floyd. Craig is a tenth generation Farmer who has been here on DITD several times before. I always like talking with Craig, because of his incredible knowledge of regenerative and organic growing and for his work ethic and empathy for those who have less than the res...

 We pay our respects to the passing of Pope Francis, who followed in the footsteps of his name sake St. Francis of Assisi, honoring the planet earth and all its creatures. In 2015 he wrote it in encyclical about this and the introduction was by none other than my guest Professor Naomi Oreskes.  Professor Naomi Oreskes is a Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.  Naomi who along with her colleague Erik Conway are bestselling authors of the book Merchants of Doubt…about the machinations of the fossil fuel industry and t...

Professor Naomi Oreskes is a Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.

Naomi who along with her colleague Erik Conway are bestselling authors of the book Merchants of Doubt…about the machinations of the fossil fuel industry and the book “The Big Myth about the myth" of the free market.  I invited her here today as we pay our respects to the passing of Pope Francis who followed in the footsteps of his name sake St. Francis of Assisi honoring the planet earth and all its creatures. In 20...

Barry Kresch has long been involved in environmental activism. He has been a club member and EV owner since 2012. His participation in the club includes doing analytics, including the Interactive EV Dashboard tracking EV adoption in CT.

Chuck Collins , co-founder of the Climate Accountability Research Project. He’s a researcher and campaigner based at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he coedits Inequality.org.  He is the author of the forthcoming book, Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and the Planet. He is also a major force behind climatecriminals.org

Then Julie Tighe  President of  the New York league of conservation voters joins me.  As President, she oversees the organizations’ policy, political, development, programmatic, and communications team.

 Professor Mann is a scientist and author.  He is a Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania. And Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. He is Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action. He has contributed our understanding of the science  behind our planets historic climate change.  We discuss recent current events that will have a deeply negative effect on the health of our planet.

Bruce Becker is President of Becker + Becker, an integrated sustainable architecture and development firm in Westport, Connecticut. Bruce designs buildings that...

Bruce Becker is President of Becker + Becker, an integrated sustainable architecture and development firm in Westport, Connecticut. Bruce designs buildings that have a transformative social and environmental value.  Bruce has transformed the Armstrong Rubber Company Building in New Haven into the  Marcel hotel, the country’s first fossil-fuel free hotel.

-Priya Parrotta is a Senior fellow at the Safina center in Long Island NY. Priya is a historian, author, songwriter, composer, singer, and multimedia artist dedicated to furthering environmental consciousness across borders.

-Bill Freese is the  Science Policy Analyst For the Center for food safety on the efforts by the pesticide industry to protect pesticide               manufacturers from lawsuits brought by those harmed by their products.

-DITD regular contributor Gloria Frazee joins me to go over what is happening on Long Island this spring with RewildlongIsland.org 

Digging in the Dirt guests this show are Ann Molloy Sales Director at Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizer Company which fully utilizes 100% of the fish they catch, by turning the gurry (everything that’s left after you fillet a fish) into an organic fertilizer.

Up next Jeff Masters of the Yale Climate Connections  talks with me about the effects the DOGE initiated cuts at The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Are having on tracking major weather events and climate change.

Then citizen scientist Victor DeMasi member of The Pollinator Pathway dro...

After several years of traveling around the country and world, ( more on that later ) she settled back there and has been helping run her family business. For over 30 years.  Ann has overseen the marketing and sales for the Neptune’s Harvest division of Ocean Crest Seafoods, which came about to fully utilize 100% of the fish they catch, by turning the gurry (everything that’s left after you fillet a fish) into an organic fertilizer. Ann  has a wide knowledge of organic fertilizers, and the fishing industry. 

I like to welcome for a second visit to digging in the dirt, Peter Linderoth, director of science and watersheds for Save the Sound's Healthy Waters Institute. Then Louise Washer joins us. Louise is President of the Norwalk River Watershed Association and serves on the Board of the Pollinator Pathway.  Louise is here again to continue the conversation about neonicotinoid pesticides in our local waters. Finally, Gloria Frazee of Rewild Long Island.org joins me now. Rewild Long Island is always busy doing something good for our local ecology.  She's here to tell us what's up on their calendar now...

My guest today on DITD is Michael E. Mann. Arguably the foremost living paleoclimatologist and geophysicist. He is the director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. Mann has contributed to the scientific understanding of historic climate change based on the temperature record of the past thousand years. His latest book is “Our Fragile Moment”. How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help us survive the Climate Crisis.

On this “Digging in the Dirt” my guest is environmentalist, entrepreneur and author Paul Hawken. Paul is a leading voice in the worlds environmental movement. His visionary ideas emphasize changing the relationship between business and the Earth, as humanity seeks to rise to the challenge of our time, Globalwarming. In his new book "Regeneration - Ending the climate crisis in one generation", Hawken provides a refreshingly positive and comprehensive approach to global warming solutions.

My guest on this DITD this episode is Km Stanley Robinson. Stan Robinson is a New York Times Best selling Author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards. He is author of more than 20 books including his much loved Mar's Trilogy and he will be here today to talk about his latest book "The Ministry for the Future". In 2008, he was named a "Hero of the Environment" by Time magazine, and he works with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. He lives in Davis, California.
"[A] gutsy, humane view of a near-future Earth...Robinson masterfully integrates the...

Chuck Collins of climatecriminals.org is my guest on this "Digging in the Dirt". Chuck is here to talk about why he believes It’s time to name the names of the individuals delaying climate action and financing the climate crisis, so they can be held accountable.
Chuck Collins is an American author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. His latest book is a novel, “Altar to an Erupting Sun,” an eco-fiction exploration of the causes of climate disruption.

My guest on Digging in is Peter Byck director, producer and writer of a 4 part documentary series called Roots so deep, you can see the devil down there.  He’s also currently producing an on-going series of short films called Carbon Cowboys. The film documents a $10 million research project comparing Adaptive Multi-Paddock  (AMP) grazing with conventional grazing; collaborating with 20 scientists and 10 farm families, focused on soil health & soil carbon storage, microbial/bug/bird biodiversity, water cycling and much more. Its all about the inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, heart and soil...

My guest on this “Digging in the Dirt” is the Climate Columnist for the New York Magazine and a best selling author of the book The Uninhabitable Earth. David gives us an assessment of what is happening on the planet Earth largely do to the industrial revolution and the massive carbon emissions it has unleashed. David then attempts to provide us with some possible futures for the climate of the planet and mankind's ability to continue living in an environment that we are radically and possibly fatally remaking.

Im very pleased to welcome to Digging in the Dirt Isabella Rossellini. In addition to a very successful modeling career, Isabella has starred in some extraordinary films, Like “Blue Velvet”. I Invited her here today not to talk about films but to talk to me about her wonderful organic farm in Brookhaven Long Island, called Mama Farm …..where Ms. Rossellini has a popular CSA and raises endangered breeds of farm animals.

My guest today is Author David Pogue. David talks to me about his new book "How to prepare for climate change." A practical guide to surviving the chaos.  It is a practical and comprehensive guide to surviving what could be the greatest disaster of our time. David is a New York Times bestselling self-help author and CBS Sunday Morning science and technology correspondent .

My guest is Bill Weir. Bill is a CNN anchor and Chief Climate Correspondent and he is host and executive producer of the acclaimed CNN Original Series "The Wonder List with Bill Weir." Now Bill is the author of a wonderful new Book entitled "Life as We Know It (Can Be) Stories of People, Climate, and Hope in a Changing World."

Dr. Sawin is an expert on multisolving, actions that address equity, climate change health, well-being, and economic vitality as integrated issues. She developed the concept after studying bright spots around the world where people created systems change by building connections across silos. In 2021, Beth founded Multisolving Institute to share this research and to develop tools tailored for multisolving. 

Doug Tallamy is a professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and a NY Times best selling author.
He Has written Three books..... the critically acclaimed Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden and his latest Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. I find this book to be A great optimistic look at the issues facing our environment and a positive way to get ourselves as a species back on track...

My guests this show are Lindley Dixon of the Real Organic Project. Linley serves as a Farmer representative and Co-Director of the Real Organic Project. Then Louise Washer a founder of the Pollinator Pathway joins me to tell us the latest news on the neonicotinoid pesticides problem Finally Gloria Frazee of Rewild Long Island makes her monthly visit to talk about….Rewilds fall programs and how long Islanders can get involved in community composting and planting pollinator friendly native plants.

This week on Digging in the Dirt, it's all about heavy weather. The first of Kevin Gallaghers three guests will be Yale Climate Connection meteorologist, and hurricane expert, Jeff Masters who will review how hurricane Helene became so devastating. Next up is farmer Kaitlyn Kimball Director of agriculture for Cityseed in New Haven. She weighs in on the recent heavy flooding affecting Connecticut small farmers. Then Wilton, Connecticut fire chief and emergency management Director James Blanchfield gives us some tips on what you should do if you and your car get stuck in swift running floodwaters.

My guest today joins me for a 2nd time here on “DITD”. He is filmmaker John Feldman. I first met John when I discovered his film Symbiotic Earth about the renowned , unknown to the public, scientist Lynn Margulis. A wonderful film. Now he is out with his latest film. “Regenerating Life”. A three part documentary that highlights the importance of biodiversity and natural ecosystems in regulating the climate. The poem that follows, "Mama Nature," is written and performed by Naima Penniman

My guest on this show is Rana Foroohar an American author, associate editor at the Financial Times and CNN's global economic analyst. We will be discussing her newest book Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World and her short film of the same title. Ms. Foroohar contends that unregulated globalization has produced serious negative consequences for society. That While globalization has made the planet wealthier as a whole, that wealth has been concentrated largely at the very top, among financial and managerial elites who own the most assets.

My guest is Denise Baden, a Professor of Sustainable Business within Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton in Britain. Denise set up the Green Stories Project which includes free writing competitions that encourage storytellers to embed climate solutions into stories aimed at mainstream readers across a variety of formats. She believes that solution-focused stories were more likely to inspire pro-environmental behavior. Prof. Baden is also on the Forbes list of Climate Leaders. There are links below.

I welcome back to DITD Jeff Masters of the Yale Climate Connection. Jeff, worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990. He has a Ph.D. in air pollution meteorology from the University of Michigan. In 1995, he co-founded the Weather Underground weather channel. On Monday Jan 22nd , a relatively weak atmospheric river, along with favorable winds in the mid-to-upper atmosphere, combined to deliver a deluge to San Diego, with the city seeing 2.73 inches of rainfall in a very short amount of time causing major flooding and destruction of property. Now California is being slammed up...

I welcome back to DITD Jeff Masters of the Yale Climate Connection.
Jeff Masters, worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990. He has a Ph.D. in air pollution meteorology from the University of Michigan.
In 1995, he co-founded the Weather Underground weather channel. He also was creator of the Category 6 blog, one of the Internet's most popular and widely quoted sources of extreme weather and climate change. What with all this worrisome heat and rain and extreme weather we’ve been experiencing, I thought it would be a good time to check in...

My guest today is someone special to me. It's my youngest sister Clare. In light of what's going on in Los Angeles with the horrific destruction by the wind driven fires and what a monumental task of rebuilding will be. I thought what she has to say about her recent experience in Ft. Myers Florida would be interesting to you.  What she experienced during her vacation was not what she had expected.

My guest now is Craig Floyd. Craig has been here on DITD several times before. I always like talking with Craig, because of his incredible knowledge of regenerative and organic growing, his work ethic and empathy for those who have less than the rest of us. Craig is retiring from running the Giving Garden in Stonington CT., which grows tons of wholesome food and gives it away.

Lori Cochran-Dougall Director of the Westport Farmers Market and Kaitlyn Kimbal Agriculture Director Cityseed, New Haven CT. join me to  about farmers markets in the area, specifically the Westport Farmers market. Then Samantha Jo, Project Manager of Rewild Long Island,  joins me to tell you about their upcoming Sustainable Garden Design online work shop. 

Returning for the third time to “Digging in the Dirt” is my guest Dr. Carl Safina the endowed chair for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University and a MacArthur “genius fellowship" award winning ecologist and founder of the Safina Center and now author of a wonderful new book called "Alfie and me" - What owls know, what humans believe.

I'd like to welcome back Dr. Carl Safina from the Safina Center to Digging in the dirt. Carl has taken the story of his previous book "Alfie and Me" to another level and created a picture book for children called "Owls in our yard" !
Carl is a good friend of Digging in the Dirt and WPKN radio. Dr. Safina is the endowed chair for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University. A MacArthur “genius fellowship" winning ecologist and founder of the Safina Center.

My next guest here on Digging in the Dirt is making his 2nd visit to talk to us about an upcoming event he is participating in on August 27th in Sag harbor. A Lifelong Conversation with the Living World in Words and Birds and Music where the urgency of life on Earth will be
Expressed through various art forms. With a very intriguing group of guest speakers I believe the program is led by The performance artist Laurie Anderson, Grammy-winner Paul Winter a friend of ours here at WPKN will be there, noted nature writer and poet J...

Ryland is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kiss the Ground. Kiss the Ground has become a premier online educational hub for regenerative agriculture, Now, a new feature Documentary called Kiss the Earth has premiered on Netflix. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, the film parallels The Kiss the ground Organizations mission to awaken people to the possibilities of regenerating our planets environment by taking care of the soil. Ryland is here to talk about it.

My guest this afternoon on “Digging in the Dirt Is the Executive Director of Sustainable CT Lynn Stoddard. Sustainable CT is a free, dynamic voluntary certification program that inspires, supports, and accelerates actions to help Connecticut communities thrive.
Lynn has more than 20 years of experience in developing and implementing sustainability programs. Her Expertise is in climate change and energy, energy efficiency, environmental land use planning, recycling, waste management, sustainable farming and local food systems, and environmental policy. I invited Lynn here today because I saw that Sustainable CT. has announced the Sustainable CT 2023 Awards and Celebration.
 

My guest on this Digging in the Dirt is Paul Greenberg. Paul writes at the intersection of the environment and technology, seeking to help his readers escape screens and find emotional and ecological balance with their planet. He is the author of the James Beard Award-winning bestseller Four Fish and the books American Catch and The Climate Diet: 50 Simple Ways to Trim Your Carbon Footprint. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times and currently hosts the podcast Fish Talk.

My guest today on Digging in the Dirt is Naomi Oreskes a Professor of the History of Science, at Harvard and the author of many books, most notably Merchants of doubt and Why trust science?
Professor Oreskes is one of the leading critics of Exxon and the oil and gas industry in general as they conduct what she says is their decades old campaign to finance Climate change denialism and thwart any attempts to address the climate crisis the world now faces. The professor recently appeared before the US Congress twice testifying on the practices of the Oil...

My guest today on DITD is Professor Naomi Oreskes who along with her colleague Erik Conway are bestselling authors of the book Merchants of Doubt…about the machinations of the fossil fuel industry, and now they have a new tome called the “The Big Myth” which is a startling history of one of America's most tenacious--and destructive--false ideas: the myth of the "free market."

Leah Penniman, author of Farming While Black and co-founder of Soul Fire Farm. She is a Black Kreyol farmer, author, mother, and food justice activist who has been tending the soil and organizing for an anti-racist food system for 25 years.
Leah returns to DITD to talk to me about her new book that is called  Black Earth Wisdom - soulful conversations with black environmentalists. It’s been said that Leah weaves together the lessons from today’s most respected Black environmentalists, those who have cultivated the skill of listening to the lessons that Earth has whispered to them.

...

My guest on this segment of DITD today is Edwina Von Gal.  In 2013 she founded the Perfect Earth Project. Promoting toxic-free lawns and landscapes for the health of people, their pets, and the planet. Edwina is here today to talk to me about her latest project. “ 2/3s for the birds.” Its an initiative launched by this environmental activist her nonprofit to help us move toward Healthy Landscapes, Healthy Birds, Healthy Us.

Chuck Collins of climatecriminals.org is my guest on this "Digging in the Dirt". Chuck is here to talk about why he believes It’s time to name the names of the individuals delaying climate action and financing the climate crisis, so they can be held accountable.
Chuck Collins is an American author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. His latest book is a novel, “Altar to an Erupting Sun,” an eco-fiction exploration of the causes of climate disruption.

Clim...

My guests on this segment are Anne Biklé and David R. Montgomery Authors of a new book entitled "What Your Food ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health. Far too many of us remain poorly nourished despite eating more than enough food.
It's your premise that the soil health is so poor that the food is not nutritious. Something that modern nutritional analysis overlooks are things like phytochemicals, micro minerals and other nutrients. My guests explain why and what we should do to address the problem.

I'm here with the winner of the 5th annual Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth Award, Michael Nadeau. Michael is one of the leading authorities in the field of sustainable organic and ethical land care strategies in the United States. He is sought after for creating attractive sustainable and restorative environments using organic practices that respect the ecology of the property and reflect the philosophy of the client. Michael’s organic and sustainable holistic land care approach carefully maximizes wildlife habitat with specific plantings and techniques, improving the overall health of land, water, and wildlife. He is a co...

My guests on this episode of Digging in the Dirt are The authors Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass who have written a new book entitled Half - Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. We discuss what the issues are that face the planet and humanity and how we are going to deal with the very real crises that are coming our way.
Troy Vettese is an environmental historian who specializes in environmental economics, animal studies, and energy history. Troy writes on a wide array of environmental topics for a popular...

Today I have a little something different for DITD. Most who follow me know me as a hardcore environmentalist, but something you may not know is I’m also a big Sci-fi reader. That is why I have author Ray Nayler here today . He has written the critically acclaimed novel THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA, that covers a lot bases with me. Winner of the LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA was A FINALIST FOR THE LA TIMES BOOK AWARDS', THE RAY BRADBURY PRIZE AND THE NEBULA AWARD.

My guests today are all doing great things for the Long Island sound. Dr. Sarah Crosby, who is a marine ecologist trained in
conservation science with extensive experience in coastal and marine ecosystems. Kat Cuzco of the Lobster trap team has worked as a marine science educator at Project Oceanology since 2019. At Project O. She also works on the Lobster Trap Recovery and Assessment Partnership (L-TRAP). Also Bill Lucey, a sound keeper for Save The Sound. We are here to discuss the problem of 10’s of thousands of Abandoned lobster traps in Long Island Sound.

lobster tr...

Today's guest on "Digging in the Dirt" is Susan Vogel. Susan is a board member of the Norwalk River Watershed Association working to restore and expand native habitats along the waterways in her area known as "riparian buffers". She has lived in Connecticut for almost 30 years and currently calls Norwalk home.

Lisa Shanahan is the President of the Norwalk Land Trust, an organization that provides an important education function to Norwalk along with preserving open spaces. She is Chair of the Ordinance Committee of the Norwalk Common Council. She is here to Tell us, among other developments, about the new Gas Leaf Blower ordinance in Norwalk.

My guest this episode on DITD will be Ellen Montgomery the Director of the Public Lands Campaign for Environment America. Environment America is Working together with many organizations on a myriad of environmental issues . We be talking about EA's efforts to preserve the U.S ‘s old growth forests from logging because they are one of our best defenses against the warming of the planet.

I'd like to welcome to Digging in the Dirt, Kaitlyn Kimball Director of agriculture for CitySeed up in New Haven. CitySeed has a mission to create a healthy, sustainable, and just food system for all.” We will be talking about CitySeed's fabulous Farmers Markets.
Kaitlyn is also Owner of Sunset Organic farm in Naugatuck Ct. with Lawrence Passeck . Sunset is a USDA Certified
Organic vegetable and flower farm focused on sustainability and community.

Director of Agriculture at CitySeed in New Haven which we talked about on a previous segment which you can hear in our podcasts section if you missed it. Kaitlyn is Owner of Sunset Organic farm in Naugatuck Ct. she is back to talk to me now about some of the issues farmers are facing due to some of this extraordinary weather many of us are experiencing.

Organic farmer Kaitlyn Kimball is my guest on this show.
Kaitlyn is Owner of Sunset Organic farm in Naugatuck Ct. with her husband Lawrence Passeck.  Sunset is a USDA Certified Organic vegetable and flower farm  focused on sustainability and community.  Kaitlyn is also Director of Agriculture at CitySeed in New Haven.   CitySeed has a mission to "create a healthy, sustainable, and just food system for all.”

My guest is E. Hardy Kern lll, The Director of Government relations pesticides and Birds Campaign for the American Bird Conservancy. Hardy will address “Neonics” Neonicotinoids, the New DDT pesticide and it’s threat to birds.   The American Bird Conservancy is a non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Its focus is on threats to birds in the Western Hemisphere – threats which include overuse of pesticides, urban sprawl, habitat destruction, and invasive species.

I'd like you to welcome to Digging in the Dirt Brad Kurtz Vineyard Director of Gloria Ferrer vineyards. Brad has led his winery into becoming a leader in sustainable and regenerative practices within the California sparkling market.
 Brad focuses on sustainable agricultural programs and technology to advance wine quality across a broad range of varietals and vineyard sites. Brad is here to talk about all that….. as well the fact that Gloria Ferrer recently was named winner of the California Green medal.

My guest on this edition of "Digging in the Dirt" is  Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State Michael E. Mann who has come back for his 3rd visit to DITD to talk with me about his new book The New Climate war the Fight to take back our planet. It’s a timely analysis of where we are at in the debate over climate warming and recent current events in our society that are changing the playing field in favor of the planets ecosystem.

If your in your 20's or 30's and you're already thinking about owning a home in a coastal community, you need to listen to my interview with Jeff Goodell, because by the time your ready to retire, living near the water could be radically different than today. Jeff's new book, The "Water will Come, Rising Seas, Sinking cities, and the remaking of the Civilized World," has been described as "A frightening, scientifically grounded, and starkly relevant look at how climate change will affect Coastal cities." The book is full of tales of people dealing with sea rise right now...

My guest on this edition of "Digging in the Dirt" is world known Innovative farmer and Consultant Mark Fulford. Mark has traveled the world to learn more about age old practices of farming that he brings back to his farm in Maine and shares with anyone who wants to listen. Check out the wisdom of Mark Fulford on "Digging in the Dirt"

My guest today on Digging in the Dirt is Dina Brewster. Dina was the Executive Director of The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA), she owns The Hickories a one acre vegetable garden and has overseen the development of new products and new acreage as the family business has grown. Committed to connecting people with working land, Dina chose to return to her family's farm in Ridgefield and start the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, one that still exists as the backbone of the farm's business plan.

My next guest on DITD is Nicholas Money. NIK is is a gentleman of letters, mycologist, and professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He most recently authored the book “The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction. The selfish Ape explores human genetics, reproduction, brain function, and aging,... viewing man as a brilliantly inventive, yet a very self-destructive animal. This is a book about human biology, the intertwined characteristics of human greatness and failure and the way that we have plundered the biosphere.

World-renowned leader in soil microbiology, Dr. Elaine Ingham joins Kevin to discuss the Soil Foodweb. . Dr Ingham is founder, president, and director of research for Soil Foodweb. Elaine has dedicated her career to exploring the organisms which make up the soil food web, with the goal of translating this knowledge into practical actions that ensure a healthy ecosystem that promotes plant growth and reduces reliance on inorganic chemicals.

My guest on this episode of Digging in the Dirt is Director Rob Herring who along with Ryan Wirick Directed wrote and produced the film “The Need to Grow” which lays out the many issues of modern industrial farming and what it will take to change over to a more sustainable, regenerative system of growing our food.

My guest on this segment of DITD is Organic Certification Inspector, ethnobotanist and educator, Mark Cohen....... Mark, lives in Southern Ohio at Far Valley Farm a 30 year old intentional community he helped co-found....... he grows a wide range of crops, seeds,honey, mushrooms and medicinals. Mark also founded the agroforestry Research in Belize where he lived for 25 winters, practicing and teaching tropical permaculture. Mark not only is an expert in these areas he lives it.

Research shows that meteorologists are trusted messengers on climate change. The majority of weather people understand that climate change is real and that the science of climate change needs to be communicated to the public. To my mind, there seems to be a dearth of reporting on our climate crisis on the drive time news and Climate Central is one organization out to change that. My guest Sean Sublette is an award-winning meteorologist working at Climate Central on their Climate Matters program, bringing 19 years of experience as a broadcast meteorologist. Climate Central is an independent organization of leading scientists...

Dave Chapman runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont and is a Co-Director of the Real Organic Project. He is a founding member of the Vermont Organic Farmers. He has been active in the movement to Keep The Soil In Organic. He is proud to be a current member of the Policy Committee of the Organic Farmers Association. He served on the USDA Hydroponic Task Force.

My guest today is Mary Swander is an Author, Dramatist, Performer, Speaker, Teacher. An emerita Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Swander taught creative writing for thirty years at Iowa State University and She is the Executive Director of AgArts, a nonprofit designed to imagine and promote healthy food systems through the arts. She is here to talk to me about the many projects that keep her busy.

My guest on this ‘Digging in the dirt’ is Leah Penniman a Farmer and Co -Director and Program Manager of Soul Fire farm in upstate New York is author of the new book “Farming while Black”. A comprehensive “how to” guide that is specifically aimed at African-heritage growers seeking healthy food independence and reclaiming their place in American Agriculture.
Karen Washington founder of the Garden of Happiness in the Bronx and the national organization of Black Urban Growers, says
'Farming while Black' encourages us to reach for greatest and settle for nothing less. Know your history. Share and tell our...

My guest on Digging in the Dirt is Filmmaker and passionate naturalist John Feldman. John has a wonderful documentary entitled Symbiotic Earth, "How Lynn Margulis rocked the boat and started a scientific revolution." Symbiotic Earth is about the maverick scientist Lynn Margulis, where John combines his lifelong passions for film making and the natural sciences. This is a deep film, touching on a lot of subjects that our species and planet is dealing with today. Lot's of food for thought.

My guest on this segment of DITD is Victor DeMasi. Victor is a self described citizen scientist. Victor was a wetland conservation officer in his hometown of Redding CT for 20 years and is presently a curatorial affiliate at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven. He busies himself with preserving open space in town and preserving butterflies in the museum. His field work with butterflies contributed almost a thousand citations to the recently published Connecticut Butterfly Atlas. He has contributed articles to scientific publications and his mark-recapture studies with Swallowtail butterflies was recently cited in the...

My guest on this epiisode of "Digging in the Dirt" is Michael Astera, author of “The Ideal Soil: and small businessman in the business of providing Agricola 4-8-4, a top quality Mineralized organic fertilizer with an array of minerals, minerals and more minerals. Listen in to really tweak the quality of your soil and grow quality vegetables. www.soilminerals.com/

Kevin's guest this episode is Ray Archuleta, a retired Soil Health Specialist and Conservation Agronomist with the USDA. He has recently co-founded "The Soil Academy" to teach Biomimicry strategies and Agroecology principles for improving soil function on a national scale.

My guest on this program is Dr. Sande Beddoe A leading authority on Dr. Carey A. Reams' Biological Theory of Ionization and how it applies to soil, plant, animal and human nutrition. Whether you grow veggies for fun or are a corporate agricultural operation covering thousands of acres, you can have a part in changing the health of the world, if you understand how to grow the highest quality (brix content) food possible. And whether you are a mother feeding a family or a health professional analyzing the lifestyle and wellness of thousands of clients or patients, the Reams...

My next guest has been here many times before. He is Dan Kittredge. Dan is a Farmer, founder and Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food . Dan is here to talk about what's going with on with the BFA's "Real Food Campaign" and the their upcoming annual Soil and Nutrition conference in November.

My next guest on Digging in the Dirt has been here before. Bryan is a master vegetable Farmer. Bryan and I cross paths at various conferences now and then and I have gotten to know what high regard Bryans knowledge of growing is held in. .
Bryan O’Hara has been growing vegetables on his Connecticut farm, Tobacco Road for over 25 years. He speaks throughout the Northeast on vegetable production techniques and is known for providing “mountains of details in a concise, practical, and cohesive manner.” His farm produces high quality, nutrient-dense food using no pesticides and working with nature...

Kevin is joined by Jon Betz of Collective Mind Films, to talk about his gorgeous, maddening new film Seed: The Untold Story. Here is what the directors, Taggert Siegel and Jon have to say about their new effort.
"For years, we have passionately made films that reveal our deep connection to nature and our food. The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005), tells the story of a maverick farmer who saves his family farm against all odds. Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? (2010) investigates the mysterious colony collapse disorder ravaging honeybees around the world. Our...

I was very pleased to have Craig LeHoullier as my guest here on "Digging in the Dirt". Craig is one of the best tomato growers and seed savers in the country, having gone so far as to give the heirloom tomato, Cherokee Purple it's name and write a couple of books, one of which is the fabulous “Epic Tomatoes” It's a great resource book for any level grower. Join two tomato fanatics as we talk about summers culinary delight, HOME GROWN, Tomatoes.

Diggng in the Dirt" Monday Feb 10th at 5 pm, My In studio guest on Digging in the Dirt will be Dan Martens Vice President of Novamont North America. He is a Board Member on the Council of Canadian Composters, Board Member Biodegradable Products institute, Advisory Board Member 5-year USDA SCRI Compostable Product in Soil Study, Winner Innovation of Bioplastics Award 2019 and something he is most proud of, he holds a UConn Master Composter Certificate. Novamont is a maker of bulk compostable Bio Plastics among other products. These materials are turned into all kinds of eco-friendly products such as compostable...

Aubree Keurajian Aubree is an ecologist from central Connecticut, and the founder of Ungardening Native Plants, a small scale nursery and yard consultation service working to make the tools and ideas of ecological restoration accessible to all. She has a bachelor's degree in Systems Ecology from Cornell University, and worked in the public, private, and academic sectors doing ecological research and environmental restoration before founding "Ungardening".

My guest on this DITD is author Robin l. Avant a local lady who lives here in Bridgeport and is Academic Dean at Housatonic Community College. Robin is an enthusiastic gardener. So much so, she has written a lovely, personal book called “The spirit of Gardening” Gardening for new Bees, the life revealed through gardening.

My guest on this segment of Digging in the Dirt is Kami McBride. Kami is a clinical herbalist and the author of The Herbal Kitchen detailing uses for 50 Easy-To-Find Common Herbs and with over 250 Recipes. For at least 25 years she has been teaching people to grow and use herbs in their daily lives for every day common ailments.

My guest today is Harry Hansen. Mr. Hansen is Director of Winemaking for Gloria Ferrer Winery. He has worked 30 plus years in the California wine industry, making many fine sparkling and still wines. Gloria Ferrer was the first Sparkling Winery in Carneros, Sonoma. We talk about organic and regenerative wine making practices amongst other subjects.

My guest today is Louise Washer returning to Digging in the Dirt because she is doing great work for us here in the state of CT. and for our planet. Louise Washer serves on the board of the Pollinator Pathway, a grassroots movement she helped create in 2017, in Wilton, CT and which has since spread to over 325 communities across 11 states. The PP helps give pollinators of all kinds habitats to thrive in. She also serves as president of the Norwalk River Watershed Association, as a member of the Norwalk Mayor’s Water Quality Committee, and on the steering committee of...

My guests this show are two local Bridgeport residents doing good things on their Urban farm called Park City Harvest. Richard Myers & Shawn Joseph just self published a new book entitled "Grow to Eat" - A vegetable Growing Guide and Cookbook.

This episode of "Digging in the Dirt". my guests will be Mark Haubner  the President of the North Fork Environmental Council on Long Island who is working closely now with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. Mark talks to me about several projects and events coming up on the North Fork of Long Island. Then, I speak with Kris Liem, master gardener who works with the Eastern Long Island Surfriders, Ocean Friendly Gardens Committee. We will discuss Bio swales. Then my monthly contributor from Rewild Long Island Gloria Frazee joins me to talk composting your pumpkins after Halloween and finally  E...

My guest Woody Tasch makes his 2nd visit . I recommend going to the WPKN archives to hear our 1st conversation to get a more detailed look at what Woody is up to. Today he is here to talk about The Slow money Institute and Beetcoin's upcoming Zoom roundtable about their project .. Entitled “Call to farms” . Woody will be joined by a group of leading farmers and financiers for a roundtable discussion celebrating the print release of a Call To Farms: sub titled Some Thoughts on Food, Money and Nonviolence in Honor of Wendell Berry, in tandem with the launch of t...

My guest today on DITD is the author of the new book entitled
The Home-Scale Forest Garden - How to Plan, Plant, and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape
"Working with the natural world in our gardens has never been more important with the challenges we now face through climate change. Forest gardening offers hope, inspiration, and solutions for the future, and Dani Baker shows gardeners how to embrace this important method on a smaller scale to build resilience and create a low maintenance edible haven with this accessible guide." That was written by Kim Stoddart, editor of...