#sustainablefarming

9: Ehlers Estate – Sustainable Winemaking

With summer fast approaching, sipping a glass of wine, we wondered about the practices of vineyards – a highly competitive and commercialized industry. Around the same time we were pitched by Ehlers Estate for an interview with their General Manager and Winemaker. In our conversation with several of the mindful business leaders, we sought insights into the economics of running a sustainable and profitable business. The strategies that they use to achieve sustainability goals and still be profitable.

In this episode we talk with Laura Diaz Munoz, Winemaker and GM of Ehlers Estate about her journey from a food scientist to a winemaker and a sustainable one at that. Ehlers Estate is one of the oldest wineries in North America established in 1886 by a German immigrant Bernard Ehlers. On July 1, 2008, after three years of verifiable organic farming, Ehlers Estate was awarded organic certification from the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). But that was not enough – they went on to implement steps to include regenerative farming practices. Using nature to help solve nature’s problems with minimal or no intervention. Interventions whether it be in the yeast or sulphurs in their heritage wine, use of fungicide or pesticides. They employ innovative techniques to reduce water consumption during irrigation and reuse the water used in the wine making process. In addition, with the use of technology, such as sensors in the soil they can determine accurately how much to irrigate the vines, further conserving water, a scarce resource. In this enjoyable conversation with Laura Díaz Muñoz, her passion for saving the heritage vines and artistically creating wine blends that bring out the flavor and aroma of each fruit in the blend. But for me, the cherry on the top of this business is that this for – profit business is part of Leducq Charitable Trust – an international grant making organization to support research in cardiovascular disease and stroke. Learn more about this mindful business on this episode of Mindful Business.

#sustainablewines #sustainablefarming #wines #wineplague #delucqfoundation #delucq #mindfulbusinesses

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
9: Ehlers Estate - Sustainable Winemaking
Loading
/

5: eAgronom- Transforming Voluntary Carbon Offset Markets

Carbon cycle occurs naturally in nature during photosynthesis. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen and when animals consume the plants they release the carbon dioxide that is again absorbed by the plants. Human activities put out more carbon than nature can handle. We have to use every possible way to absorb this excess carbon from the atmosphere. Soil is an excellent source to capture and sequester carbon.

In this episode we talk with the son of a generational farmer, Robin Saluoks of eAgronom, who uses technology to provide solutions that encourage farmers to operate smarter and sustainably. eAgronom helps farmers monitor and verify sustainable practices, generate carbon credits, increase agricultural efficiency, and gain better access to financing in the future. They use data and technology to inform the farmers about the soil conditions and help them get financing to adopt sustainable farming practices. They then help the farmers sell their carbon credits in the carbon market thus helping them off set some of the costs of changing to sustainable farming. Learn more about this win-win solution from the Founder and CEO of Eagronom Robin Salouks.

https://www.eagronom.com/
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/

#carboncapture
#sustainablefarming
#Carboncredit
#humous
#carbonfarming
#Carbonsequestration
#mindfulbusinessespodcast
#eagronom

Read More
Cover
Mindful Businesses
5: eAgronom- Transforming Voluntary Carbon Offset Markets
Loading
/

124: Numi Organic Tea – Activating Purpose

As we sip our daily cup of tea, we may wonder how and where it was grown and its impact on our planet. Tea production impacts our planet and people on several layers. The farming practices employed, wages paid, living conditions of the workers and its overall impact on our planet. In 2006, Numi Organic Teas was one of the founding (amongst 30 businesses) to be certified as a B corp. They had been mindful of how and from whom they source their organic teas, procuring them from Fair Trade and Verified Labor farms, but they knew they had to do more.
The realization that there can be no tea without water – clean drinking water, made the brother and sister team, Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, co-founders of Numi Organic Tea introspect the purpose of their company.They launched “Together For H2OPE” – a nonprofit program bringing clean, safe drinking water to tea farming communities around the world.

The journey from farm to cup requires raw materials, packaging, transportation and water for steeping. They established a “Climate Action Plan” with a detailed, measurable process to reduce and offset the impact of Numi Organic Teas on the planet. Climate action can’t wait. Numi is committed to giving you the tools to fight climate change, starting with their Carbon Footprint Label. In this episode we have Reem Hassani, who shares the vision and mission of Numi Organic Teas. Listen and learn.

https://numitea.com/
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
#tea #tealover #floraltea #teas #fairtrade #sustainablefarming #mindfulnusinesses #numitea

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
124: Numi Organic Tea - Activating Purpose
Loading
/

70: Let’s Goat Buffalo – Changing the Landscape, One Bite At a Time

When we initially recorded this episode in June of 2021, our host Vidhya Iyer and Jennifer Zeitler – Founder and CEO of Let’s Goat Buffalo, really connected and promised to visit each other. But little did either one of them know that in a year their paths would cross again – when Vidhya and her family relocate to Buffalo, NY. The two met for the first time this summer, but bonded like old friends. In honor of our new home and friend we decided to re-air this episode – Let’s Goat Buffalo. This episode is a re-air from August 17, 2021

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Goat Buffalo employs rescued goats to eat unwanted vegetation growth! Whether it’s a residential yard that needs clearing, a commercial property that has become overgrown and high-risk, or a park or highway that has become less accessible to the public, their herds are prepared to help! We chat with the bubbly Jennifer Zeitler – Founder and CEO of Let’s Goat Buffalo, on how she transitioned from Human Resources to goatscaping. The term “goatscaping” means grazing goats to manage vegetation growth in an environmentally sound manner. Goatscaping greatly reduces the use of toxic herbicides, and because the goat digestive process effectively sterilizes seeds and reproductive plant matter, they are an ideal treatment for invasive plants. Let’s Goat Buffalo offers grazing services within suburban, urban and rural environments. By choosing natural treatment, Let’s Goat customers are choosing healthier soil, increased biodiversity, and a greener future. Jennifer Zeitler collaborated with a goat dairy farm Alpine Maid and rescued the goats to bring a sustainable solution to remove overgrown brush and weeds. She was also made a How I Built This, fellow, in 2021 by NPR. Come listen now to her journey.

Share this episode with ONE friend!

https://www.letsgoatbuffalo.com/

https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/

Read More
Cover
Mindful Businesses
70: Let’s Goat Buffalo - Changing the Landscape, One Bite At a Time
Loading
/

99: Ancient Nutrition – Transforming Health With Superfoods

Today we talk with Jordan Rubin, CEO and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, who encountered health challenges as a young boy turned towards food to solve his illness. He talks and educates us about what are superfoods and what would be a super plate. Super foods can be fruits, vegetables, plants, spices and even fungi. How is his company different? They practice regenerative farming and believe in the long run the nutritional values and the components in food that is grown using regenerative farming will be higher than even organic. They don’t sell the food that they grow, but convert them into potent supplements. Learn more in this episode of Mindful Businesses.

https://ancientnutrition.com/
https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
99: Ancient Nutrition - Transforming Health With Superfoods
Loading
/

98: Ecdysis/Blue Dasher Farms – Thousand Farms Initiative

Today we have on our show the passionate and even maybe maverick Jonathan Lundgren, director and founder of Blue Acre Farms and Ecdysis foundation. The word ecdysis means the process of shedding the old skin and that is what Blue Dasher farms wants to do by operating regenerative farm and scientific research hub designed to help foster a revolution in our food system. Blue Dasher Farm combines cutting edge science with hands on experience to remove barriers to the adoption of regenerative agriculture.
​They believe in a food system that promotes soil health, farm biodiversity, and nutrient dense food – all while benefiting the farmers who grow it. As a researcher who was honored by President Obama, in 2015 as one of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, Jonathan talks about his time at the USDA and how going against the grain is not easy. But he felt change was urgent and left his job at the USDA to start Ecdysis foundation and Blue Dasher Farms along with several of his research fellows. ​Blue Dasher Farm relies heavily on their ability to show that they can support. They want to take the wind out of the argument “that may work on a research farm, but it would not work on my place.” They are transparent and willing to compare their profitability to other more conventional operations. Although Blue Dasher is a for-profit enterprise, their mission is to help promote the regenerative agriculture movement and strive to be financially solvent while farming in a sustainable way.

https://www.bluedasher.farm/
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
Our sponsor:
https://www.silverspungoods.com/

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
98: Ecdysis/Blue Dasher Farms - Thousand Farms Initiative
Loading
/

70: Let’s Goat Buffalo – Changing the Landscape, One Bite At a Time

Let’s Goat Buffalo employs rescued goats to eat unwanted vegetation growth! Whether it’s a residential yard that needs clearing, a commercial property that has become overgrown and high-risk, or a park or highway that has become less accessible to the public, their herds are prepared to help! We chat with the bubbly Jennifer Zeitler – Founder and CEO of Let’s Goat Buffalo, on how she transitioned from Human Resources to goatscaping. The term “goatscaping” means grazing goats to manage vegetation growth in an environmentally sound manner. Goatscaping greatly reduces the use of toxic herbicides, and because the goat digestive process effectively sterilizes seeds and reproductive plant matter, they are an ideal treatment for invasive plants. Let’s Goat Buffalo offers grazing services within suburban, urban and rural environments. By choosing natural treatment, Let’s Goat customers are choosing healthier soil, increased biodiversity, and a greener future. Jennifer Zeitler collaborated with a goat dairy farm Alpine Maid and rescued the goats to bring a sustainable solution to remove overgrown brush and weeds. She was also made a How I Built This, fellow, in 2021 by NPR. Come listen now to her journey.

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
70: Let’s Goat Buffalo - Changing the Landscape, One Bite At a Time
Loading
/

37: Textile Exchange – Creating Material Change

Being a fifth generation cotton farmer gave LaRhea Pepper the knowledge, grit and passion to farm the way her granddaddy had taught her. She set out to to create the non-profit Textile Exchange to build a community that can collectively accomplish what no individual or company can do alone.

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
37: Textile Exchange - Creating Material Change
Loading
/