In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Shawn Bruckman in Eagle, Colorado — a soil health specialist, worm farmer, and someone who has built a career around understanding what’s happening beneath our feet.

Shawn shares her journey from studying environmental policy to becoming a local expert in soil biology, composting, and regenerative practices. The conversation explores her work with The Ground Up and Wiggle Worm Gardens, along with her experience helping develop a composting facility in Eagle County.

We get into worms, compost, and the living biology inside soil — including how red wigglers produce nutrient-rich castings, what healthy soil actually looks like under a microscope, and how building soil can reduce the need for costly inputs.

The episode also touches on water challenges in the West, the importance of native plants, and the connection between soil health, food, and human health.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Audrey and Michelle from Lucky Ewe Farm on Lopez Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands.

They talk about how they got into sheep, what it’s like managing a small band on an island, and the role sheep play in their daily life.

The conversation also gets into lambing season, working with dogs, and how sheep behavior can shift depending on the landscape. Audrey and Michelle share some of the unique benefits and challenges of farming on a small island like Lopez and talk about why they’ve made the difficult decision to begin transitioning away from sheep ranching.

This was a reflective look at small-scale farming and life with a small band of sheep.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠

In this episode of Talkin’ Dirt, I sit down with Julie Hansmire of Campbell Hansmire Sheep, a Western sheep rancher running bands between eastern Utah and the mountains of central Colorado.

We get into what a full year looks like for her sheep, from lambing season to trailing them into high country. Julie shares what it takes to manage not just thousands of animals, but the herders and guardian dogs that keep them moving and protected.

We talk wool, meat, public grazing, stewardship, and the recent ballot initiative to reintroduce wolves back into the Colorado wilderness, all from the perspective of someone living it every day.

🌱 Connect with Talkin’ Dirt

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TalkinDirtPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Talkin.Dirt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TalkinDirt.farm⁠⁠