This summer for Plastic-free July and World Oceans Day, I wanted to connect our community to learn more about locals (to South Florida) who are making a big impact, many without much exposure yet. I was working on my own little homestead, catching or growing as much as I could for food, so I looked around for some resources and boy did I find them...

Week 1: Incredible Edible Landscapes with Connor and Iris Murphy

My favorite Connor quote was “it’s not just about subtracting problems, but adding solutions.” Taking plastic out of your life is much easier when you’re picking things out of your yard for dinner...

increibleediblelandscapes.com

Week 2: Let it Rot founder, the Wormy Queen herself- Melissa Corichi

In this week’s #sustainablesummer interview, we talk about the dirtier side of being green, how the community empowered her to begin this squirmy journey, and how she’s returning the favor to the community.

Melissa doesn’t drive, instead rides her bike (she rode a long way to do our interview in fact). She’s dedicated to a low-impact, zero waste lifestyle, and uses what she learns about which products are not breaking down with her worms to inform herself and businesses about swaps they can make in packaging. “Even sugar packets are lined with plastic on the inside.” The kinds of things we wouldn’t know unless we had the months of experience watching it break down.

Businesses we know and love like One World Zero Waste and The Garden Shoppe are places to sign up or pick up your own worm compost bin, and Modern Juice Co. just began diverting all their expired food waste from the landfill with Melissa too! I’m so happy we have someone like this with the knowledge and vision to contribute so much to our community! I hope more of you individuals and/or your businesses consider being part of her pick up route, because those 80k+ worms need to be fed! You can go straight to Letitrot.org to learn more and sign up.

Week 3: Urban Chicken Farm founder, Cameron Irish

Cameron Irish is sweet, funny, and bursting with information about chickens! Whatever research you do on your own is great, but she’s already done it and then some! Such an amazing resource for a first time chicken mom like me.

I love that her mission is to help everyone have chickens because “if at least every 3-5 houses had 5-10 chickens, we’d have enough eggs for everyone and wouldn’t need factory raised chickens.” Think about that... I need like 4 more people on my street to jump on board and we’d all be set!? All while knowing what kind of ground they pecked, what kind of food they ate, and how much they were loved and cared for...

Cameron’s wisdom, sincerity, and love of life is sure to inspire and entertain you! Check out her website at urbanchickenfarm.square.site/ for consults, eggs, chicks and hens!

Week 4: Nugen International Founder, Kyle Shelton

Kyle is breeding the perfect seeds for our South Florida Climate and beyond... His farm is not just completely organic, it’s better than organic. This farm habitat allows nature to fight nature; the strong survive and their offspring go back into the field for another round, and another... 🌱

His process is to breed the best seeds through generations by cross-pollinating and paying attention to how well they do in this tough environment. It’s a natural and slow process, but worth it when you compare lab created GMOs.

“We have to be stewards not just of our land, but also of the diversity of species and varieties of plants and seeds.” To save a seed, you can’t just sit on it, it has to be put back in the ground to grow the next generation. 🤯

I don’t know about you, but this fall I’ll be growing some Nugen seeds- the cream of the crop! Nugeninternational.com

Huge thanks to all of my interviewees this summer. Let me know how this series inspired you, and please go follow all of these awesome people for more inspiration!