In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Taya Brown to unpack the hidden world behind one of the most familiar drinks on the planet - coffee. While Taya isn’t a coffee farmer herself, she has spent years working closely with smallholder coffee farmers in Central America, listening to their experiences and studying how global systems shape their livelihoods.

We talk about coffee as a plant, an agricultural product, and a complex global system — from seasonality and growing practices to pricing, certification, and distribution. Along the way, we explore why coffee costs what it does, how it moves from farm to cup, and what it really means to be a conscientious coffee drinker. This conversation makes it clear that the cup of coffee you’re holding is just the tip of the iceberg.

To learn more about Taya’s work and the Del Fuego Project, visit delfuegoproject.org.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with my longtime friend Richie Stephenson, who’s been growing a home garden for his family for the past several years. Richie isn’t a farmer by trade, but we talk about what first got him into gardening, what his early years looked like, and how long it took before things really started to click. He shares what he’s learned through trial and error, why he’s considering raised beds, and how growing food at home has changed the way his family thinks about what they eat.

We talk about how Richie got into canning his food and preserving harvests for later in the year. Along the way, we talk about how gardening fits into family life with his wife and son, and how even a small backyard garden can shape habits, values, and perspective around food. This conversation offers a grounded look at what it’s really like to grow a little food at home—and why you don’t need a farm to get started.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠

In this episode I’m joined by Lake Cowart Jr. of Cowart Seafood Corporation, one of the largest oyster operations on the East Coast. We talk about how oysters are grown today, the role hatcheries and triploid oysters play in modern aquaculture, and how factors like salinity, weather, disease, and predators shape production in the Chesapeake Bay. Lake also shares his perspective on regulation, why Virginia’s leasing system works, and how water quality and industry collaboration are improving conditions on the water.

This is my second recent conversation with an oyster farmer, and together the episodes highlight just how diverse and complex this industry really is.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠