Podcast
Digging In The Dirt with Kevin Gallagher
Hosted by Kevin Gallagher · EN
“Digging in the Dirt” is a podcast and radio show featured on WPKN (wpkn.org) with climate change experts and activists, promoting organic and regenerative farming techniques, showing the way to grow healthier food in a way that respects the planet’s health. In addition to nationally known movers and shakers in this niche, Kevin loves to feature food authors, local farmers and gardeners pushing the envelope by encouraging us to take personal responsibility, as consumers and gardeners, toward the environment on our properties and urban lots. These guests give us methods, ideas and recipes for creating a better environment for people, our children, animals, insects and the plant life of our planet’s ecology — one backyard at a time.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Rob Hopkins - Author Advocate - How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveler's Guide to Changing the World
5d ago00:32:14Tap to summarizeOn this episode of DITD my guest is Rob Hopkins. Rob Hopkins is a British writer and permaculture advocate best known as the co-founder of Transition Network and the author of The Transition Handbook. He has helped inspire community-led sustainability efforts around the world through his work on resilience, local economies, and practical climate solutions. His latest book is How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveler's Guide to Changing the World . It’s presented as the follow-up to his book From What Is… to What If and focuses on imagination as a tool for building better futures.
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Real Food CT’s Founder - Sean Fitzpatrick
5d ago00:23:32Tap to summarizeThen Real Food CT’s Founder, Sean Fitzpatrick joins me. Sean has 20 years of experience as a nutrition, health, and fitness coach. His career has been based on his passionate belief that access to nutrient-dense food is an absolute necessity for the health of this and future generations. Sean’s business experience, along with his observation that growing numbers of people are experiencing food insecurity, combined to make Real Food his life work.
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Rob Hopkins -Author Advocate - Transition Network & Sean Fitzgerald - Real Food CT’s Founder
6d ago00:55:11Tap to summarizeFirst up on DITD is Rob Hopkins. Rob Hopkins is a British writer and permaculture advocate best known as the co-founder of Transition Network and the author of The Transition Handbook. He has helped inspire community-led sustainability efforts around the world through his work on resilience, local economies, and practical climate solutions. His latest book is How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller’s Guide to Changing the World, . It’s presented as the follow-up to his book From What Is… to What If and focuses on imagination as a tool for building better futures.Then Real Food CT’s Founder, Sean Fitzpatrick joins me. Sean has 20 years of experience as a nutrition, health, and fitness coach. His career has been based on his passionate belief that access to nutrient-dense food is an absolute necessity for the health of this and future generations. Sean’s business experience, along with his observation that growing numbers of people are experiencing food insecurity, combined to make Real Food his life work.
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Dr. Amelia Magistrali the Soil Health Extension Educator at UConn and Joe Magazzi Founder of Green Earth Ag and Turf
3w ago00:55:07Tap to summarizeThis episode of “Digging in the Dirt. is all about the soil. My first guest, Dr. Amelia Magistrali, is the Soil Health Extension Educator at UConn who is developing new programming through her role as the connector between the UConn Soil Lab and farmers and growers in the state. She conducts many on-farm consultations, while supporting people to collect and interpret soil sampling results. Next up. My guest is a huge supporter of WPKN. He has provided prizes for contests that we've had here at the station and donated products for us to use as premiums during fundraisers. He is Joe Magazzi President and founder of Green Earth Ag And Turf and the website Growitnaturally.com. We talk organic amendments for your soil.
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Digging in the Dirt Earth Day special
Apr 2300:54:44Tap to summarizeEvery day is Earth Day. Digging in the Dirt celebrates the little blue ball we live on with a collage of voices from expert guests from past Digging in the dirt shows. Listeners, friends & family and major environmental groups speak to what Earth day means to them. Plus a mix of great music to inspire action .
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Master Gardener Caty Poole of Valley Community Gardens and 2 Gardeners Vincent Dion and Kevin Gallagher swapping best practices
Apr 2200:55:33Tap to summarizeMy first guest is someone who's been here before, His name is Vincent Dion. Vincent is a well known Connecticut artist and a serious gardener and Bee keeper. When he drops by it's because he and I are going to talk gardening. I'm met Vincent through my colleague and fellow Gardener Joseph Celli. We have never met in person, but have become fast friends remotely because we are kindred spirits. We're talk spring prep in the garden. What I'm doing and what he's doing in our respective gardens. Listening to our chat may help you with a few ideas and maybe better ways to garden. .My next guest is Caty Poole of Valley Community Gardens who after more than two decades in the life sciences industry, Caty followed her passion for equitable food access to Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge Ct. where she spent 11 years leading and growing food and farming programs. Now a Master Beekeeper, she has a Master’s level certificate from The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition. She focuses her energy on teaching cooking and nutrition courses at Valley Community Gardens, a collective of public gardens serving the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut, focusing on sustainable, local food production.
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Professor Judith Enck - The Problem with "Plastic How to Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late”
Mar 2600:29:01Tap to summarizeWelcome Judith Enck who is a Professor at Bennington College in Vermont. She is the President of Beyond Plastics and former EPA Regional Administrator, appointed by President Obama. Professor Enck is author of the new book "The Problem with Plastic: How to Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late”
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Mary Ellen Lemay - Conservation Director for the Aspetuck Land Trust
Mar 1400:24:36Tap to summarizeToday's guest is Mary Ellen Lemay. She is the "Conservation Director for the Aspetuck Land Trust", providing outreach, education and engagement to encourage people to improve biodiversity on their land by adding native plants and avoiding pesticides. Lemay's recent work includes designing and installing nature-based, climate smart projects in the City of Bridgeport, including the planting of 8 Miyawaki Forests at public schools and Seaside Park, as well as waterside buffers along rivers and coastal properties in the city.Her 25 years of conservation work was recognized as Winner of the Aquarion Connecticut Environmental Champion Award in 2022.
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Elliot Coleman- The Self-Fed Farm, Barbara Damrosch- A life in the garden & Gloria Frazee of Rewild LI.
Mar 1300:54:31Tap to summarizeMy guest today is Eliot Coleman. Eliot is an American farmer, author, agricultural researcher, educator, and proponent of organic farming. In 1989 he wrote the highly influential "The New Organic Grower". A master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener.His latest book is "The Self-Fed Farm and Garden", A Return to the Roots of the Organic Method, on Chelsea Green Press. Then I speak with Eliot's wife Barbara Damrosch about her recent book,"A life in the garden". Barbara is a professional in the field of horticulture and a writer. Her book The Garden Primer is a classic manual of horticulture. For 14 years she wrote a weekly column for The Washington Post called A Cook’s Garden.Finally Long Islanders, my regular contributor to DITD Gloria Frazee of RewildLongIsland.org drops in to fill us in on many of the amazing events Rewild has going on this spring.
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Dana Jackson of CTNOFA, Sarah Layton Ct. Compost Conference & Tim O’Connor Park City Compost Initiative
Mar 200:54:53Tap to summarizeFirst up on Digging in the Dirt is Dana Jackson, who is the Director of Communications and Development for CT Northeast Organic Farming Association. Prior to joining CT NOFA, he published Edible Nutmeg, a regional magazine focused on western Connecticut’s food community, including farmers, chefs, and locally produced food of all kinds. He also worked for more than a decade as a certified organic farmer in Connecticut, an experience that led him to believe that local food production is the key to building stronger, more resilient communities in our state. Dana is coming here today to tell you about this weeks CT NOFA 44th annual Winter Conference. My 2nd guest is Sarah Layton Agricultural Programs Coordinator At the Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development AreaShe is a Certified Compost Operator, steering committee member of the CT Compost Alliance and the New CT Farmers Alliance, she is also a member of the Deep River Garden Club, and owner of a micro flower farm, Wild Hill Farm, in Deep River CT.She is here today to talk about the 2026 CT Compost Conference March 19, at Wesleyan University sponsored by the CT COMPOST alliance. Finally continuing with the subject of composting From the aforementioned Park city compost initiative, (PCCI), I have with me Tim O’Connor Executive Director of Park City Compost Initiative. Since then Tim has secured certification for Solid Waste Facility operations from CT DEEP, the Master Composter certification from UCONN and the Compost Operations Course by US Compost Council.As Executive Director of Park City Compost Initiative, Tim is all about PCCI's mission to Educate and Activate around aerobic composting.Tim has served for the past two years on the organizing committee of the CT Compost Alliance who have planned and arranged the March 19th 2026 Ct Compost Conference at Wesleyan University.
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