Potcast 192: Slow Dirt and Organic Gardening
My life chapter in the Oakland studio is coming to a close and I’m feeling nostalgic. I’m slowing down to visually notice and appreciate my life in this beautiful, warm, creative incubator where I’ve figured out how to build two businesses on the job. I’m moving slowly in hopes to soak it all in. And since my life seeps into this show, we’re taking things slow again this week and digging into something near and dear to my heart, soil health.
As a graduate in horticulture, nursery production, and permaculture, Jeff has over 30 years of experience in the gardening, medicinal and organic food production industries, along with extensive studies in soil sciences. And he’s a certified arborist at Washington State University. Diane is a registered nurse, with over 27 years in the field of nursing with a focus on pediatrics and cannabis. She has been witness to what poor nutrition and the ramifications of ingesting toxic foods and poisonous exposure can do to the human body.
We talk about the benefits of building organic soil. And the big picture truth about synthetic soluble fertilizers. And the science behind slow dirt.
I’m happy to be your cannabis lifestyle guide and share what I know and learn with you. So if you feel inspired, please take a beat to rate and review Casually Baked on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. That simple action helps other canna-curious folks find this highly responsible cannabis content.
Kumbaya and cannabis, -Jo 💚
This Potcast Is Covered By MJ Relief
MJ Relief is the muscle rub for what aches and pains you. As a writer and content creator, I spend hours every day pounding away on a keyboard and maneuvering the mouse. On a bad day, I’ll get what my motocross friends call arm pump. My forearms tighten to the point where I can’t control my fingers. My arms feel heavy and tingly and while the pain is manageable it’s an extremely uncomfortable feeling. The technical name for arm pump is Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome. It is an ‘exercise-induced muscle and nerve condition that causes pain, swelling and sometimes disability in the affected muscles of the legs or arms.’
When this happens to me, my right arm is typically worse because of the keyboard and mouse combination. So I use my left hand to massage in some MJ Relief. And then I just lay it down for about 15 minutes and give my body a break and let the muscle rub have time to do its thing. When I get some movement back in my right hand, I massage MJ Relief into my left arm and vow to only get on my phone or computer in case of emergency for the rest of that day. MJ Relief is such a gift in my life, but so is listening to my body. If you want a CBD-infused, herbaceous, Ph.D. formulated topical that really works for muscle and joint relief, MJ Relief has got you covered. And when you pair that with work/life balance, it’s relief on an eleven.
If you’re feelin’ my arm pump and want some muscle and joint relief of your own, head over to MJ Skin Relief dot com.
‘After the Show’ Notes
Save 20% on your Slow Dirt order through the end of July 2021 using promo code: 05420
And if you’re listening to this after July 2021 - tell Jeff and Diane you heard them on Casually Baked, the potcast when you make the shift to Slow Dirt. 😎
Socialize with Slow Dirt: @slowdirt IG | @slowdirtorganics FB
Jeff is a lifetime organic gardener with a degree in Horticulture and Soil Sciences. Diane is a Registered Nurse of twenty-seven years. In 2020, they founded Slow Dirt, a small organic soil business creating amendments to feed the soil life and create potent natural pest defense and crop vigor.
SLOW DIRT is a select proprietary blend of raw and scientifically-based ingredients that when consumed by soil microbes and beneficial fungi, create potent Chitinolytic enzymes that are absorbed into all plant tissues; creating a powerful Systemic, Organic line of defense against soft-bodied insect pests, harmful soil pathogens and disease-forming fungi when used as directed. Resulting evidence through replicated blind research trials shows a substantial impact on the control of Aphid, Spider Mites, Whitefly, Mealybug, Caterpillar, and Thrip.
The Sustainability Roll-up is presented by OCB Rolling Papers. In perfect harmony with natural, sustainable practices, it’s always been the OCB signature to provide the highest quality, responsibly sourced, and sustainably crafted rolling papers.
In order to understand the importance of eating organic food from the perspective of toxic pesticide contamination, we need to look at the whole picture—from the farmworkers who do the valuable work of growing food, to the water sources we drink from, the air we breathe, and the food we eat.
We basically microdose pesticides while consuming their residues in food. And that’s how chem ag wants us to measure pesticide exposure. But the population groups most affected by pesticide use are farmworkers and their families. Many farmworkers spend years in the field exposed to those toxic chemicals, and some studies have reported increased risks of certain types of cancers among farmworkers. The emerging science on endocrine disrupting pesticides reveals another chronic health effect of pesticide exposure. During our chat, Diane shares what she’s seen and learned first-hand as a pediatric nurse. Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of pesticide exposure because they have developing organ systems that are more vulnerable and less able to detoxify toxic chemicals.
Research has shown that simply switching children to an organic diet drastically reduces their exposure to organophosphates, a class of common and toxic pesticides on food.
I read that a national reporting system did not exist for farmworker pesticide poisonings. A few clicks later and I was on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website reading a blog posted back on March 25th, 2019, marking the beginning of National Farmworker Awareness Week. It was a note of appreciation for the two million+ agricultural workers in the U.S. feeding families around the world. It talked about how terrible it is when workers get sick from pesticides and the strain on their families from increased medical costs. And instead of demanding alternatives to the chemicals that are slowly killing you, the EPA outlines their risk management protocol.
“When we identify a risk concern for farmworkers, we require risk management measures — such as requiring personal protective equipment or requiring people to wait longer before re-entering treated fields."
EPA encourages the use of modifications such as special packaging designed to reduce exposure to workers who mix and load pesticide products.”
The risk management-speak continues with “Restricted Use Pesticides,” only being applied by trained and certified applicators or someone under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. Y’ALL. We all know the same farmworkers are still doing the toxic heavy lifting while getting a less than satisfying reach around by the EPA with these blog posts.
One risk management idea worth pondering - EPA - is that Organic food can feed us and keep us healthy without producing the toxic effects of chemical agriculture. A shift to organic agriculture is the only way to eliminate toxic pesticide exposure for everyone.
That said, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Slow Dirt and the slow burn of OCB rolling papers. All OCB papers are “plant to puff” made with sustainable fibers. So No matter which OCB paper you choose, you can be assured that all OCB papers are vegan, GMO-free, chlorine-free, and dye-free. And OCB only uses natural acacia gum for an always sticks experience. Of course, you must be 21 and older to buy OCB rolling papers and to follow the natural wonders of OCB on social @ocb_usa.
Roll With Me, a new video series launched on the Casually Baked YouTube channel in April 2021, is a collaboration with OCB Rolling Papers. Get lessons and insights on the craft of rolling while chatting about all things hemp and cannabis culture.
Complete This Form to Roll With Me On An Upcoming Episode
We all know practice makes perfectly smokeable joints so I’m engaging my cannabis industry friends to coach me. And if you’ve got some rolling tricks up your sleeve, perhaps you, too, can school me on an episode of Roll With Me.
If you too are a joint rolling novice and want to learn the craft alongside me, go ahead and get your supplies ready. Visit ocbusa.com/BAKED to get 4 booklets of OCB and a rolling tray for only $4.99! This bundle is worth 20 bucks and is around for a limited time. But the rolling skills and street cred we’re going to earn together, my friend, makes this bundle priceless as far as I’m concerned. As for you OG’s who can roll a joint one-handed, I challenge you to sample the entire line of OCB products and let me know your favorite.
Get 4 booklets of OCB and a rolling tray for only $4.99! This bundle is worth 20 bucks and is around for a limited time. But the rolling skills and street cred we’re going to earn together, my friend, makes this bundle priceless as far as I’m concerned. ✌️💚