In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Mariah Gannessa, the founder of Four Visions, a global leader, educator, and advocate for the study, benefits, and uses of plant medicine. Born and raised in Northern California, Mariah now lives in Colombia, working directly with the Indigenous tribes. She’s spent the last decade immersed in the healing cultures of the Amazon and has dedicated her life’s work to the plants and the peoples of the Amazon Rainforest. Four Visions supports these communities through direct commerce partnerships, donations, and sponsoring charitable initiatives.

Mariah also founded the nonprofit organization, MAGIC Fund, where she spearheads projects to preserve the Amazonian people, their culture, and their lands.

Mariah Shares:

• Her early life as an academic over-achiever and how her first plant medicine ceremony was a catalyst for her healing
• Her travels that led her to Columbia to embark on a 10-year apprenticeship learning about the art of healing, guided by her teacher, Tiata Juanito
• How her desire to find a way to support the ancestral practices and the indigenous tribes who guard them led to the creation of Four Visions
• Choosing her own path despite cultural and familial conditioning
• Keeping a connection to Nature whether immersed in the forest or in the city
• Insight into the Yahe culture of the Columbian Amazon rainforest and all the ways they utilize plant medicine
• Western attachment to the idea of credentials as necessary to being successful or experienced
• The various ways to experience plant medicine in our modern society
• A detailed look into an ayahuasca ceremony, as practiced by the Inga culture, and the experiences one can have
• Four Vision’s offerings and what those four visions of the future are

You can connect with Mariah through Four Visions:

Website: www.fourvisions.com

Instagram: @fourvisionstribe

Intro/outro music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Cory Hillis, a certified EMF specialist and the president of EMF Solutions Inc., a company creating products that are proven to normalize the effects of EMFs on human cells. EMFs, or electromagnetic frequencies, include both ionic radiation such as X-rays and non-ionic radiation such as cell phones, wi-fi, and even power lines. In many human cells, EMFs cause depolarization, free radical damage, nitric oxide issues, and DNA damage. This can lead to a variety of symptoms and health issues.

After healing his own devastating physical condition through dedicated, holistic-related work, Cory became a holistic practitioner to help others. Understanding the harmful effects that EMFs have on human health and unable to find any solutions that addressed them, Cory set out to discover the root cause of the problem. His studies and work produced the first real and complete solutions to help him, his family, and his clients.

In addition to being a Certified EMF Specialist & Trainer, Cory has a number of holistic practitioner-related trainings and certifications including Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA), Clinical Nutrition & Weight Management Consultant, and being an Advanced Trainer for QRA to doctors, chiropractors, & others.

Cory Shares:

• Discovering that EMFs were a factor in healing his patients and his journey to finding out how to resolve it
• A detailed look at what is happening at a cellular level when EMFs are present, based on Dr. Martin Paul’s research
• How EMFs affect individuals and common symptoms
• An explanation of the different kinds of EMF remediation and what they are actually doing
• How EMF Solutions’ products address the subatomic chaos created from EMFs rather than the EMFs themselves
• How 5G’s short wave affects the human body, despite barely penetrating the surface of the skin
• Grounding vs. EMF remediation
• Why some people are more sensitive to EMFs than others and how your location can have something to do with it
• How 5G satellites send signals to Earth and how that’s affecting us
• How our scientific understanding of EMFs need to become holistic rather than focused on a specific discipline
• The issues with EMF meters
• Mold and EMFs
• Insight into the detox process once you have remediated for EMFs

You can connect with Cory through EMF Solutions:

Website: www.emfsol.com

Instagram: @emfsol

Facebook: @emfsol

Email: info@emfsol.com

Intro/Outro Music by Ken Belcher

Sound Mixing by Andrew Pals

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Todd Ulizio, a farmer who co-owns both Two Bear Farm and The Farmers’ Stand in Whitefish, Montana. Todd grew up on a small vegetable farm in Connecticut and, since a young age, loved to be outdoors in nature. After feeling pressured to get a business degree and working for two years as an accountant, he found the courage to follow his own path and moved to Montana, where he went back to school to study Wildlife Biology at University of Montana. Todd worked for 10 years as a wildlife biologist, studying forest carnivores, before meeting his wife, Rebecca, and starting an organic vegetable farm called Two Bear Farm.

With 17 years of farming experience, Todd strives to promote the importance of local economies, community food systems, and nutritious food. In 2020 he and Rebecca partnered with Wicked Good Produce to open a local food market in Whitefish called The Farmers' Stand.

Todd Shares

• His introduction to farming as a child and his grandfather’s legacy
• His father’s dual life as a farmer and banker
• The evolution of organic farming and how it used to be the way everyone farmed
• How Aldo Leopold’s Teachings influenced him
• The book he read in college that helped him realize he did not want to walk the mainstream path he was on, Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken
• His breaking point working as an accountant that prompted him to changed his career trajectory to wildlife biology.
• The observation that how humans live on the landscape affects the ability of certain wildlife species to thrive
• Learning the nuances of farming in Montana and starting his first farm with his wife, Rebecca in Eureka, MT
• The benefits of having a business background as a farmer
• The truth behind conventional farming’s story of “feeding the world”
• How human disconnection from Nature is at the core of the environmental and agricultural issues we face today
• The difference between organic and regenerative farming
• How corporate influence affects our agricultural system
• How our values and priorities can play a role in restoring our systems to support both human and planetary health
• The fallacy of choice when it comes to the food available for purchase at the grocery store
• The need for more people to return to the land and farm for their local communities
• Insight into The Farmers’ Stand’s origins and operation
• How we can make choices that align with the kind of future we want for ourselves and our children

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You can connect with Todd through Two Bear Farm:

website: www.twobearfarm.com

instagram: @twobearfarm

instagram @farmersstand

Intro/Outro Music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Brooke-Lynn Seemann, the owner of Vibrant Roots, a mushroom focused company based in the mountains of Whitefish, Montana that specialize in mushroom tea, elixirs, jun tea (the sister elixir to kombucha), mushroom chocolates, & more. As a health and conscious living enthusiast, Brooke is also a beekeeper, mycologist, mixologist, herbalist, and certified Birthing Doula. Through her own healing journey she discovered and created all of the products that Vibrant Roots offers today.

Vibrant Roots’ mission is to connect people back to their roots, beginning with the ancestral wisdom within us all and still held by many cultures around the world whose health and wellness traditions revolve around bees, mushrooms, and herbs. Every product is touched with love, music, and medicine by a beautiful team of humans, bees, and a kingdom all its own: Mushrooms! Through these natural healing powers, their products provide convenient and refreshing products to nourish & energize our bodies, starting with the gut.

Brooke Shares:

• Where she got her vision for Vibrant Roots and how she began to take tangible steps to starting it once she moved to Whitefish, Montana
• How she was able to save money to slowly build the company little by little by working up to seven jobs at a time
• The cancer diagnosis that motivated her to find ways to heal herself naturally and switch from Kombucha to Jun, which has a honey base instead of sugar
• Starting up her first commercial kitchen and milkman-style delivery service
• How “bad” things can guide us to the path we’re meant to be on
• The pros and cons of having a distributor versus direct-to-consumer sales
• The environmentally conscious decision to take their glass bottles back for reuse despite the fact that it costs more than just getting new bottles
• Her experience working for Kauai Juice Co and how that influenced Vibrant Roots’ practices
• The importance of nurturing the growth of everyone working for the company
• The dietary changes she made in order to heal and how those principles led to the products Vibrant Roots now carries
• All about mushrooms
• The story and significance behind the Vibrant Roots logo
• Her local honey supplier, Great Northern Honey
• Why most honey will never be certified organic
• The difference between kombucha and jun
• Insight into the brewing process
• How getting back to our roots can help us live more consciously

You can connect with Brooke through Vibrant Roots:

Website: www.vibrantroots.com

Email: info@vibrantroots.com

Instagram @vibrantrootsorganic

Facebook: @vibrantrootsorganic

Intro/outro music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Alissa LaChance, the owner and operator of Dirt Rich. Born and raised in Whitefish, Montana, she is passionate about spreading knowledge about the concepts and science of regenerative agriculture and providing a local product that helps gardeners and farmers maintain a holistic agricultural system to grow more nutrient dense food.

Alissa holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in sustainable agriculture. Her goal is to connect humans back to the cycles of nature through food scrap composting and education in the regenerative agriculture sphere. Dirt Rich is a tool for her to do just that. She has continued her education with well known soil ecologists such as Elaine Ingham and Nicole Masters and is part of of the Integrity Soils Fellowship, coaching farmers and ranchers on agroecological systems management and composting systems for their businesses.

Alissa Shares

• How a walk in the woods gave her clarity on her career trajectory
• Her outlook on formal education and what she ultimately studied
• How her venture into composting started when her friend’s hobby composting service was approached by Glacier National Parks’ concessioner
• The Dr. Elaine Ingham talk she attended on soil ecology that elevated her mission from just waste diversion to including soil remediation
• The interplay between our intuitive connection to Nature and the science behind soil health
• The Nicole Master’s Create course through the Integrity Soils Fellowship
• Why she likes vermicomposting (worm composting) and the basics
• The importance of being “carnivore responsible” when composting outside in a region like the Flathead Valley
• What is happening during the Bokashi composting process and why it’s not her recommended method
• Making composting affordable and accessible to as many people as possible
• The ideal ratios of carbon to nitrogen for composting
• How to compost pet poop
• How to source compostable bags that are safe for the soil
• Dirt Rich’s recommended third party certifiers are TUV, compost manufacturing alliance, and BPI certified
• The difference between electric composters and the natural composting process
• An inside look into Dirt Rich’s operation
• The implications and possibilities of implementing compost within the agricultural sphere

You can connect with Alissa through Dirt Rich:

Website: www.dirtrichcompost.com

Instagram: @dirtrichcompost

Facebook: @dirtrichcompost

Email: dirtrichcompost@gmail.com

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews singer songwriter Monica Aben about how her healing journey impacted her creative journey.

Hailing from California, Monica's musical journey began at a young age, mastering the piano and guitar while growing up in a music-loving and rhythm-filled home. Her music exudes passion, authenticity, and a profound love for life's adventures. Monica defines success as being wholly authentic and creating music and art that resonates with her audience, regardless of societal expectations. She has performed at notable events like the Future Echoes Festival in Sweden and Camden Club in London.

Her latest EP reflects her passion for regenerative farming and holistic health. Inspired by the brand of the same name after attending their “What Good Shall I Do?” conference, her single, Force of Nature, shares a message of honoring and reconnecting to nature.

Monica Shares

• Her musical upbringing learning piano by ear rather than by learning to read sheet music
• The health obstacle that changed the course of her life as a teenager
• The teachers who helped to nurture her creativity rather than forcing her to fit high school’s mold
• How she rejected the stereotype that artists must suffer to be good or successful and chose to create wholesome music
• How her music career started immediately after high school in Nashville
• Her first songwriting collaboration experience with Adam Shoenfeld, Tim McGraw’s guitarist, and how that led to finishing her first record album
• How establishing deeper relationships with collaborative partners can lend to the songwriting experience
• How to keep your own voice in tact when collaborating with others
• Following your intuitive creative process to avoid overproducing
• Thew functional medicine doctor who catalyzed her healing when her symptoms came back and how that led her to realize how our environment contributes to human health
• How she found Force of Nature meats when her healing required eating a carnivore diet
• Why she attended the “What Good Shall I Do?” conference and how that inspired her recent album
• Being receptive to inspiration and ideas from unexpected places
• How human design has helped her understand herself and her creative process
• How true healing in our toxic world can be expensive and inaccessible to most, but also how we can use our gifts and creativity to empower and educate people on health

You Can Connect with Monica through her music:

Website: www.monicaaben.com

Instagram: @monicaaben

Spotify: Monica Aben

Intro/Outro Music by Ken Belcher

In this episode of Return to Nature, Melissa interviews Amanda Shine, a shepherd, teacher, and researcher passionate about soil health and regenerative agriculture. She and her husband Seth established Roving Ram Ranch in 2019 and provide affordable meat, wool products, and adaptive grazing services for local landowners who need their land regenerated.

Amanda started her livestock career working on Wisconsin dairies and attending the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has degrees in Biology (B.A.), Agriculture (B.S.), and Agronomy (M.S.), with coursework for the latter degrees focused on rangeland ecology and management. She also raised Savannah and Boer meat goats for many years, using them for grazing projects in both Oklahoma and Nebraska.

After six years operating Roving Ram Ranch in Montana’s Flathead Valley, Amanda and Seth are moving operation to Texas, where they will continue Roving Ram Ranch while Amanda has an assistantship at Texas A&M involving grazing research.

Amanda Shares:

• How she began pursuing sustainable agriculture in her early life
• How she integrated her academic career with her practical hands-on experience
• Why she and her husband Seth chose to raise sheep when they moved to Montana
• The revenue streams possible from raising sheep
• How regenerative contract grazing works
• Sheep’s ability to detoxifying toxic plants and how they discern what to eat and leave
• Fred Provenza’s research on how animals forage and mix plants for maximum benefits
• All about livestock guardian dogs
• The logistics of rotational grazing
• The lambing process and giving back to the community by providing affordable clean meat to those who otherwise could not afford it
• Her experience teaching soil and water health management
• The importance of educating and empowering farmers to steward the land and use regenerative practices to heal the Earth
• What sheep are really like
• The sheep breeds they raise and why
• The process of shearing
• How rotational grazing aids the health of the sheep as well as the land
• The experiential research process of rotational grazing to meet specific goals for a landowner
• The regenerative strategy of feeding on pasture during winter to load the soil with organic matter
• Understanding Ag as an educational resource for regenerative farming
• Her assistantship at Texas A&M involving grazing research

You can connect with Amanda through Roving Ram Ranch:

Website: www.rovingramranch.com

Instagram: @rovingramranch

Email: rovingramranch@gmail.com

Intro/outro music by Ken Belcher

In the first episode recorded in the studio’s new sound room, join Melissa for her second solocast where she talks about the Earthing project and all that went into it. Animated during the studio’s renovation, there is much more to this video than meets the eye. Get the behind the scenes scoop on the start of the new studio space and the growth that has been happening in the background of the renovation.

Melissa is the founder of The Sisters Bloom, an eco-conscious stop-motion animation studio.

Melissa Shares

• How strange it is that the New Year is in the middle of Winter
• How a downshooter works and all about the studio’s new downshooter
• The Intellytech lights she used for the original downshooter, which are still being utilized on the new one differently
• Working with the downshooter’s designer and builder, Lee Peffer, of Nodal Engineering
• Why she uses Museum glass as opposed to other types of glass
• The intricacies of lighting a downshooter
• The unique nature of the stop-motion industry that means talent goes where the jobs are and work for many studios rather than only one
• The importance of having a breadth of skill sets and knowledge of all roles rather than specializing in just one
• Melissa’s experience with internships and her decision to start an apprenticeship program at the studio in order to nurture local talent and foster long-term working relationships
• How her interview with Clint Ober led to the creation of the Earthing video
• The conceptual possibilities of aligning projects with the studio’s mission
• The process of foraging for leaves and rocks
• How to preserve leaves
• Her method of foraging to honor the life of the trees and Earth
• Working with paper leather to make mini moccasins and sneakers
• Organic Cotton Plus as a resource for paper leather and natural fabrics
• Natural Earth Paint’s plant-based acrylik medium as a heat activated glue
• The talent that helped to create the Earthing video

You can connect with Melissa through The Sisters Bloom:

Website: www.thesistersbloom.com

Instagram: @sistersbloomstudios

Pinterest: @thesistersbloom

Email: growwithus@thesistersbloom.com

Intro/Outro music by Ken Belcher