Digging In The Dirt with Kevin Gallagher

My 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.

Today'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.

First 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.

It’s my distinct pleasure to have as my guest now Reverend Sara D. Smith, President/CEO and Founder Of nOURish BRIDGEPORT, a volunteer-powered, food-centered, and community-anchored not-for-profit, she founded in 2010, providing direct service programs to the people of Bridgeport. These programs include a SUPER FOOD PANTRY serving 3,000 individuals each week, a BABY CENTER providing diapers and formula to 400 babies each month, a HOT MEAL Program feeding 300 hot healthy meals each week, English as a Second Language classes for 100 immigrants weekly, and the first non-profit INDOOR HYDROPONIC FARM in the state of Ct. with the exclusive purpose of distributing fresh healthy produce to the food insecure. In its first three years of production, nOURish has distributed 17 tons of fresh produce from its Farm all over the City of BPT. In addition Reverend Sara is also Senior Minister of the United Congregational Church of Bridgeport A 330 Year Old Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ and is the Protestant Chaplain Of Sacred Heart University Office of Mission Integration, Ministry, & Community Engagement.

Dr. Michael E. Mann Returns to "Digging in the Dirt ", for his 5th visit, to talk about his new book called, "Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World": it is cowritten with Dr. Pete Hotez the Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and professor of virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. Much of this book points fingers very explicitly at some of the bad actors shaping the narratives around Climate Change and Vaccinations. The authors call them the different P's, plutocrats, petro-states, propagandists, pro’s and the press. Secondly, I’m pleased to welcome to "Digging in the Dirt" the Co-director of the film "The little things that run the world ", Doug Hawes-DavisThe film delves into the story of how insects face unprecedented decline, their fate becomes a stark warning: that without them, neither we, nor the planet can endure. Even still, there is hope! The film is a survey of what E.O. Wilson, the man behind the half earth concept called, “THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD”, Insects.

My first guest is Kelpie Wilson author of The Biochar Handbook, Kelpie researches and teaches techniques for using biochar in compost and manure management and presents many biochar workshops each year to farmers, foresters, and landowners.Then Michael Garman the Development Coordinator at the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters joins me. The CTLCV's is a nonpartisan, nonprofit environmental organization that works across the state of CT on a myriad of environmental issues. Then I talk to Allison Rugila Associate Soundkeeper for Save the Sound. Allison covers the western half of Long Island Sound (basically the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson line west into the western narrows of the city). Allison has been deeply involved with shellfish restoration.

My guests on my next Digging the dirt start with Eric Sepenoski. Eric is a fourth-generation farmer at Seps Farm in East Marion, NY, on Long Island's North Fork. He’s also is an elementary school teacher and serves as an elected Trustee for the Town of Southold—where he focuses on stewarding wetlands and protecting coastal features.Then regular contributor to DITD Gloria Frazee of Rewild Long Island joins me to talk composting on Long Island. Finally, Author Melissa Stewart joins me to talk about her new children's book about the mighty carbon atom. It's called From BAM! to BURP! .

Rita Valley is an artist and gardener living in Southbury Connecticut. Her passion for gardening started at an early age, nurtured by her Polish grandmother who tended an impressive vegetable garden. Valley’s love of gardening has persisted and blossomed into a penchant for writing about her gardening exploits as well.Rita seems to have the same arrangement that my wife and I have: her husband's the veggie guy and she's the flower lady. She maintains that a good sense of humor is every bit as important as a nice shovel or a sharp pair of pruners. Welcome to DITD Greg Lowenthal, Greg is President of The Long Island Native plant initiative and has served on the Initiatives board for over 4 years. The Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) is an all-volunteer cooperative effort of over 30 non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, nursery professionals, and citizens. The native plant initiative strives to preserve Long Island's biodiversity by cultivating ethically sourced ecotypic plants to ensure commercial availability of native plants for nurseries, communities, and habitat restorations.

Peter Linderoth, the director of healthy waters and lands for Save the Sound Comes to “Digging in the Dirt” with the publication of Save The Sounds 2025 LONG ISLAND SOUND BEACH REPORT. How does your local beach in CT. or Long Island rate?

Vincent Dion is a life-long Artist, Gardener, Connecticut resident and Do-it Yourself enthusiast. He maintains a 1,500 square foot backyard garden in Newtown, CT. I have it on good authority that Vincent is quite the gardener and we're here to talk about does his garden grow. My other guest is Craig Floyd. Craig is a tenth generation Farmer who has been here on DITD several times before. I always like talking with Craig, because of his incredible knowledge of regenerative and organic growing and for his work ethic and empathy for those who have less than the rest of us. Craig is retired from running the Giving Garden in Stonington CT. after a Farm accident severely damaged his left eye. The Coogan farm renamed itself after Craig to honor his legacy. He's now embarking on becoming a public speaker full-time as he teaches us about regenerative growing.

Professor Naomi Oreskes is a Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.Naomi who along with her colleague Erik Conway are bestselling authors of the book Merchants of Doubt…about the machinations of the fossil fuel industry and the book “The Big Myth about the myth" of the free market. I invited her here today as we pay our respects to the passing of Pope Francis who followed in the footsteps of his name sake St. Francis of Assisi honoring the planet earth and all its creatures. In 2015 he wrote it in encyclical about this and one introduction was written by none other than my guest professor Naomi Oreskes.

Chuck Collins , co-founder of the Climate Accountability Research Project. He’s a researcher and campaigner based at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he coedits Inequality.org. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and the Planet. He is also a major force behind climatecriminals.orgThen Julie Tighe President of the New York league of conservation voters joins me. As President, she oversees the organizations’ policy, political, development, programmatic, and communications team.