Land Language

Building to Last: Business Succession, Legacy, and the Future of the Trades with David Hori

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:30:00 -0700

$14 trillion in small business assets will change hands in the next decade. If you own a trades business, this conversation is for you.

David Hori has spent his career where people and business overlap. From HR to startup operations to building and exiting pro.com (acquired by Opendoor), he now coaches business owners on how to build, prepare, and thoughtfully pass on what they've created. Brit and Bethany talk with David about what it actually means to build a healthy business, whether you're planning to sell or not.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:34 Meet David

02:48 Why He Buys

06:02 Retention Playbook

11:12 Building To Sell

13:22 Red Flags Green Flags

14:29 First Buyer Call

16:32 What Makes Buyable

18:29 Sustainable Growth

22:29 Local Legacy Mission

24:08 Coaching Owners

26:13 Culture Needs Weeding

26:58 Loyalty Versus Fit

28:22 KPIs With Compassion

32:11 Incentives Beyond Pay

35:01 Stewardship Over Recklessness

38:04 Coaching That Drives Change

41:52 AI Agents For Leads

44:28 Using AI To Free Time

46:36 Closing Thoughts

Brit and Bethany help bring in the regenerative lens. A business with 90% of its revenue in one customer is like a landscape with 90% of one species. One bad season and it's gone. This conversation goes where most business podcasts don't: into what it means to care for what you've built, and leave it better than you found it.

Follow David:

Web: toplineops.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iamdavidhori

Instagram: @thedavidhori

Follow Land Language:

Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Designing Outdoor Spaces That People Actually Use: From Deck to Meadow to Family Garden

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:00 -0700

The landscape industry is still building its catalog of case studies for regenerative work. Every project that gets built is an example. Every conversation that shifts a client's understanding is a seed. We're all relearning methods of cultivation that were once just daily life, and we're doing it together.

In this episode:

Why the first question in any deck project isn't about materials, it's about purpose
Extruded aluminum framing + juniper decking as the most ecologically sound Pacific Northwest deck choice
The lifetime cost of cheap composite vs. the permanence of a well-built deck
How to bring a client from lawn loyalty to meadow conviction: root depth, carbon, wildlife, morning routines
A real 2025 Portland front yard: native garden, willow play structure, brass auto-shutoff faucet, reflecting bowl, wildlife habitat directory
Designing for children from toddlers to teenagers: splash zones, nooks, and getaways

This is the season wrap. Season 2 is coming soon.

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Creating Educational Outdoor Spaces: Nature-based Learning and Environmental Stewardship with Marc Boucher-Colbert

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:30:00 -0700

In this episode of Land Language, Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Marc Boucher-Colbert, longtime garden educator and urban farming advocate, about how outdoor spaces can nurture curiosity, resilience, and ecological literacy in children.

Marc shares his decades of experience developing school gardens and edible landscapes—from composting and crop rotations to integrated pest management (IPM) and soil health. Together, they explore how to turn kids from consumers into producers, how to adapt regenerative design principles for schools, and how simple gestures like container gardening can spark lifelong relationships with the living world.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:33 Meet Mark Boucher

02:10 From Compost to Farming

04:05 Urban Bounty Origins

04:34 School Garden Career

07:08 Montessori Outdoors

08:46 Cooking and Harvesting

10:50 Roaming and Curiosity

13:27 Science by Age Group

15:03 Experimenting with Soil

17:30 Loose Materials Play

19:23 Designing Kid Spaces

19:53 Tree Fort Favorites

23:13 Forts and Privacy

25:29 Lawns and Maintenance

28:30 Design for Your Child

31:10 Boulders and Water

32:27 Nature for Adults Too

35:54 Public School Challenges

38:15 School Reform Barriers

38:51 Healing Gardens Proof

40:00 Edible Schoolyard Model

40:59 Afterschool Garden Freedom

43:33 Food Equity Reality Check

44:57 Home vs School Cooking

47:38 Micro Community Leadership

49:46 Slow Down With Nature

52:12 Family Food Memories

54:17 IPM Basics Explained

01:05:47 Soil Health Over Inputs

01:07:47 Start Small Grow Something

01:10:27 Books Club And Resources

01:11:59 Design Your Eden Cards

01:17:51 Closing Thoughts

Follow Marc:

Website: https://www.designyoureden.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designyoureden

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Marc:

Marc Boucher-Colbert is a garden educator, urban farmer, and sustainability advocate with over two decades of experience teaching children to connect with the land. He helped establish Zenger Farm in Portland, founded the rooftop garden at Noble Rot, and currently serves as the gardening specialist at the Franciscan Montessori Earth School, where he integrates science, ecology, and food systems into daily learning. His work blends hands-on experimentation with a deep belief in regenerative, community-driven landscapes.

About Land Language:

How to Build Healthy Soil: Compost, Mycorrhizae & Carbon Sequestration with Nick Tomasini

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:15:00 -0700

Soil health is the backbone of regenerative landscape design. In this episode, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Nick Tomasini, soil consultant, microbiology specialist, and founder of Humankind Oregon, about the real science behind soil structure, compaction, microbial activity, and soil amendments that actually work.

Nick explains soil chemistry vs. biology, how to choose the right soil test, what mineral balancing actually means, and why compost extract often outperforms compost tea. He also shares cautionary insight on biochar, how to properly inoculate with mycorrhizae, and why fungal networks are essential for long-term plant health.

Listen if you:

• Work with compacted soils or post-construction landscapes

• Want a clear approach to soil testing & diagnostics

• Are trying to reduce herbicide use

• Want practical, regenerative solutions backed by soil science

Chapters:

00:00 Start

01:26 Nick’s Origin Story

02:58 Two Decades of Change

07:00 Clients and Soil Awareness

11:41 Compaction and No Till

13:46 Soil Chemistry Testing

17:18 Carbon and Haney Test

19:38 Microbiology Test Options

24:06 Disturbance and Diversity

26:18 Raised Bed Soil Blends

29:33 Testing Compost Inputs

30:32 Remediation and Biochar

33:28 Charging Biochar Basics

34:39 Surface Area Hype Check

35:42 Micronized Biochar Cautionary Tale

36:20 Trials and Less Is More

37:02 Wood Chips for Remediation

38:44 Heavy Metals Remobilization Risk

42:05 Residential Soil Health Priorities

44:56 Mycorrhizae Endo vs Ecto

46:28 Compost Tea Reality Check

48:53 Compost Extract How To

54:36 Root Dips and Contractor Buy In

58:04 Weed Control Without Herbicides

01:02:05 Pelletized Wool Wild Card

01:04:00 Phytoremediation Rabbit Hole

01:04:45 Closing Thoughts

Follow Nick:

Website: https://www.humankindoregon.com/

Humankind Oregon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humankindoregon/

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Regenerative Beekeeping, Pollinator Habitat, and Bees as Teachers with Onyx Baird

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Sustainable landscaping and regenerative landscape design aren’t just about plants and products, they’re about how we relate to the creatures that hold our food systems together. In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Onyx Baird, documentary filmmaker, regenerative beekeeper, and wildlife scientist, about rethinking bees, beekeeping, and pollinator habitat from the ground up.

Onyx traces the story of Apis mellifera from ancient honey hunting and goddess traditions to today’s industrial beekeeping model, where thin-walled hives, chemical mite treatments, and factory-scale queen breeding are driving unprecedented losses. She explains why 2024 marked the deadliest year on record for U.S. commercial honeybee colonies, and why wild bees, given the chance, are still evolving to meet new threats.

Most importantly, this conversation focuses on solutions at the scale of your projects and neighborhoods: bee-centric hive designs that mimic tree cavities, planting strategies that feed both honeybees and native bees, and practical ways to talk with clients and neighbors about pesticides, swarms, and “messy” gardens.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

02:05 Bees Through Deep Time

04:18 Industrial Beekeeping Shift

05:47 Varroa Mites and Colony Losses

08:33 Reimagining Regenerative Beekeeping

09:51 Native Bees vs Honeybees

12:49 Insulated Hives and Forage

14:21 Medicinal Plants for Bees

17:15 Native Bee Nesting Habitat

19:06 Messy Gardens and Spring Cleanup

22:38 Neonicotinoids Hidden in Plants

24:10 Onyx’s Path Into Beekeeping

27:03 From Fear to Reverence

28:59 Low to High Commitment Hives

33:35 Monthly Hive Checkins

35:03 Just Start Beekeeping

36:08 Wild Genetics Over Industry

38:07 No Future For Monoculture

39:34 Local Gardens Hope

42:00 Banana Scent Alarm

43:14 Stings And Calm Energy

45:25 Bee Baths And Healing

47:16 Drones And Mating Flights

49:33 Swarms As Education Portal

51:53 Talking To Neighbors

56:33 Organic Lawn Alternatives

57:41 Women Beekeepers Documentary

58:53 Portugal Hawaii Yucatan

01:04:01 Funding And Release Plan

01:07:12 End

Follow Onyx:

Amrita documentary: https://www.amritadocumentary.com

Feral Honey: https://www.feralhoney.org

Instagram: @thebeeoracle

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Sustainable Wood Practices That Restore Ecosystems with Lynn Morgan

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Local, sustainable wood is more than a material choice. It’s a connection to land, community, and story.

In this episode, Land Language hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark sit down with Lynn Morgan, Director of Community Engagement at Sustainable Northwest Wood, to explore how regenerative forestry, ethical material sourcing, and cultural stewardship can transform the landscaping and building industries.

We dive into the mission that sets Sustainable Northwest Wood apart: a business founded in 2008 to sell only responsibly harvested, regionally sourced wood—no offsets, no greenwashing, no hidden supply chains. Lynn shares their journey of thoughtful expansion, including a new Seattle distribution center, and why transparency and community trust define every step.

The conversation moves from forest ecology to personal lineage: Appalachian resourcefulness, the emotional weight of forest loss, and the joy of choosing materials with story and meaning. From pests like the emerald ash borer to blue pine salvage, selective harvesting, and the cultural loss of “enough,” Lynn offers a grounded vision for how the landscape and construction industries can shift toward regenerative practice.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why local wood matters for climate, culture, and accountability

• How Sustainable Northwest Wood built a fully regenerative supply model

• The ecological and emotional impact of pests like the ash borer and pine beetle

• Selective harvesting and what a truly healthy working forest looks like

• How to choose materials that nourish ecosystem integrity

• The cultural grief and opportunity inside today’s forest management conversations

• Why “enoughness” is a critical value for regenerative design

• How story-rich materials change the client experience

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:33 Meet Lynn Morgan (Sustainable Northwest Wood)

01:05 Lynn’s Journey: From Interior Design to Sustainable Lumber

03:37 A Lifelong Relationship with Forests (Not Just a Resource)

05:41 Juniper Origin Story: Restoration Wood & Watershed Comeback

08:52 Juniper Durability, Beauty, and Best Uses

11:53 Designing With Juniper: Length Limits, Character, and Install Tips

14:27 Cutting Through Greenwashing: FSC, Chain of Custody, and Vetting

16:36 What Sustainable Harvesting Looks Like on the Ground (vs Clearcuts)

23:00 PDX Airport Remodel: 800,000 Board Feet + Local Forest Collaboration

27:52 Why Traceable Materials Matter

29:39 PDX’s Responsibly Sourced Wood & Restored Watersheds

30:44 Climate Change, Drier Summers & Cedar Decline

31:30 New Species, Long-Term Planning & Zena Forest

33:21 Price, Values & the Power of Wood’s Story

35:40 Tribal Sourcing, Rebates Back to Forests & Buying Local

37:45 Slow Down, Ask Questions, Build Better

39:16 Why This Lumberyard Is Unique & What’s Next

41:09 Appalachia Roots, Stewardship & Caring for the Land

44:18 Sustainability Isn’t Luxury: Limits, Gratitude & A More Rooted Life

46:31 Forest Tour + Broader Forestry Questions: NZ, FSC & Using Beetle-Kill/Ash

52:04 Close

Follow Lynn:

Sustainable Northwest Wood: https://www.snwwood.com/Lynn-Morgan

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram @thelandlanguage or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and landscape architect Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Why Your Garden Should Feed You: Kitchen Garden Design & Mindful Growing with Willi Galloway

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:30:00 -0700

Growing food isn't about producing bushels of vegetables or becoming self-sufficient—it's about cultivating connection, wonder, and daily rituals that nourish both body and soul. In this episode, Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with garden writer and cookbook author Willi Galloway about integrating edibles into landscapes, discovering overlooked plant parts, and building a breakfast routine centered around garden-fresh vegetables.

Willi shares her unconventional journey from college English major to test garden manager at Organic Gardening Magazine to two-time cookbook author. Along the way, she challenges yield-obsessed gardening culture, celebrates the magic of nasturtium leaves on avocado toast, and explains why growing a single bean plant that reaches eight feet tall in a few months is a profoundly life-affirming act.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:39 Meet Willie Galloway: From Organic Gardening to Cookbook Author

01:54 Willie's Early Gardening Influences

03:19 Journey to Organic Gardening Magazine

05:21 Discovering the Joy of Growing Food

10:17 Incorporating Edibles into Your Garden

19:13 Companion Planting and Garden Maintenance Tips

22:42 The Psychological Benefits of Gardening

23:27 Mindfulness in the Garden

25:11 The Joy of Growing Your Own Food

26:01 Designing Gardens for Wellness

28:24 Incorporating Food into Ornamental Gardens

29:15 Veggies for Breakfast: A New Perspective

33:08 Creating Rituals with Garden Herbs

37:11 Exploring the Northwest Floral Garden Festival

40:14 Connecting People Through Gardening Stories

44:23 Conclusion

Follow Willi:

Website

Willi Galloway on Instagram

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website

Follow on Instagram

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

How to Work Creatively with Clients and the Land with Xanthe White

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:30:00 -0700

Regenerative landscape design isn’t just about plants — it’s about teaching people to be in right relationship with land. In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya (CEO, Blueprint Earth; stormwater expert) and Bethany Rydmark sit down with New Zealand landscape designer and author Xanthe White to talk about process-driven design, soil and water as living systems, and why restraint is one of the most sustainable design tools we have.

Xanthe has spent decades crafting gardens in Aotearoa/New Zealand, writing about “good dirt,” and leading a studio that treats makers, gardeners, and designers as a single ecology of practice. This conversation is a masterclass in how to practice landscape design that is regenerative, human, and site-honoring.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

04:25 Xanthe's Journey into Landscape Architecture

07:43 The Philosophy of Landscape Design

11:58 Challenges and Innovations in the Field

23:33 Water Management and Design Stories

38:51 Material Choices and Sustainable Practices

46:03 Future Projects and Inspirations

47:13 Closing

Follow Xanthe

Xanthe White Design

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website

Follow on Instagram

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

The Future of Sustainable Landscape Construction with Jenny Jones

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:30:00 -0700

Sustainable landscape construction isn't just about swapping one product for another, it's about questioning the entire system. In this episode, Land Language hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Jenny Jones, founder of Terremoto, a Los Angeles-based design studio challenging conventional construction practices through material reuse, labor visibility, and conservation-minded design.

Together they explore practical strategies for sourcing recycled materials, the hidden carbon costs of concrete, regional differences in client expectations, and why the most meaningful projects are often the smallest ones where designers maintain ongoing relationships rather than one-and-done builds.

Jenny shares candid insights on working with urbanite, the challenges of being labeled "unprofessional" when questioning industry standards, how tech culture influences landscape aesthetics, and why having a material storage yard transforms sustainable design-build practice.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:36 Introduction: Jenny Jones from Terremoto

01:45 Jenny's Journey into Landscape Architecture

03:36 The Influence of Education and Early Career

05:18 Challenges and Insights in Landscape Architecture

09:13 The Joys of Small Projects and Ecological Restoration

11:52 Materiality and Construction in Landscape Design

20:00 The Role of Technology in Modern Landscape Architecture

26:25 Material Reuse and Sustainable Practices

32:07 Challenges of Small Studio Operations

33:13 Inspiration from France's Reuse Legislation

34:37 Sustainable Practices in the Northwest

35:42 Innovative Materials and Techniques

38:55 The Importance of Repair and Care

42:47 Practical Approaches to Landscape Restoration

47:02 Recycling Green Waste

48:51 Celebrating Material Reuse

51:54 Final Thoughts

Follow Jenny:

Terremoto

Terremoto on Instagram

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website

Follow on Instagram

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Native Solutions and Ecological Gardening with Paul Bonine

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:15:00 -0700

In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark sit down with nursery owner, author, and plant ecologist Paul Bonine (co-owner of Xera Plants, paleoclimatology background, and longtime horticultural educator). Together, they go deep into the future of regenerative landscaping through native annuals, cover cropping, soil biology, and plant-driven weed management.

Paul brings decades of experience observing Pacific Northwest ecosystems up close—from clay soils that turn to concrete in summer, to the evolutionary role of native annuals, to the quiet intelligence of succession plants like ceanothus, clover, meadowfoam, and clinopodium. This episode reframes how designers and contractors think about weeds, soil, irrigation, and the plants we choose as tools — not just ornament.

This is a foundational conversation for any practitioner seeking to reduce carbon-heavy construction habits, increase biodiversity, and work with the land’s ecological timing instead of fighting it.

Chapters

00:00 Start

01:41 Using Plants as Green Mulch and Weed Management

03:07 Meadowfoam: A Natural Solution for Turf Grass

05:01 Cover Crops and Soil Health

09:47 Prairies vs. Micro Forests for Carbon Sequestration

12:51 Paul Bonine's Background and Early Influences

14:01 Soil Management and Mulching Practices

16:25 Cover Crops for Construction Sites

18:54 The Role of Ceanothus in Soil Health

21:01 Succession Planting and Soil Building

24:14 Challenges in the Nursery Industry

27:22 Native Vines for Shady Areas

29:05 The Dilemma of Using Roundup

30:08 Alternatives to Pulling Weeds

30:35 The Importance of Soil Health

33:20 Mulching and Leaf Management

38:19 Native vs. Non-Native Plants

39:23 Adapting Gardening Practices to Climate

42:48 Client Preferences and Garden Aesthetics

45:21 Climate Change and Gardening

51:14 Integrated Pest Management

52:06 End

Follow Paul:

Website: https://xeraplants.com/

Xera Plants on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xeraplants

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Breaking Ground: Conversations in Regenerative Landscapes

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:45:00 -0700

What if the future of landscaping starts with a conversation?

Welcome to Land Language,the podcast where landscape contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and landscape architect Bethany Rydmark bring you the real, unfiltered conversations about building regenerative landscapes. No fluff. No greenwashing. Just practical tools, expert insights, and honest talk about transforming the industry from the ground up.

In this introductory episode, Brit and Bethany share their origin story: how they went from mutual Instagram fangirling to launching a podcast with a mission. They saw the same frustrating cycle everywhere: clients wanting sustainability, contractors building what they were taught, vendors producing what sells, and no one taking the first step toward change.

We cover:

The blame cycle: why clients, contractors, and vendors all point fingers
Collective power: how groups like WISE and Oregon Regenerative Alliance shift supply chains
Soil as foundation: what we're losing when we ignore soil health
Climate reality: why old methods don't work anymore (and what to do instead)
Education gaps: most contractors were handed a shovel, not a degree in soil science
The investment question: does regenerative practice have to cost more?
Building courage through community: how incremental steps create industry-wide change

Listen if you:

Want to build healthier, more resilient landscapes
Feel stuck between what you know is right and what's available/affordable
Wonder if anyone else is asking the same questions you are
Need practical steps, not just ideals
Care about the planet and want to align your work with your values

This isn't a prescriptive "do it this way" show. Brit and Bethany are learning alongside you, bringing in scientists, vendors, and practitioners to share what's working, what's not, and what's next.

Every episode ends with clear action steps. Because if we don't help you implement what you've learned, this is just information that sits in the back of your brain. We're here to help you make change happen.

New episodes drop every other Thursday. Subscribe now and join the community building better landscapes, one project at a time.

Find the show notes on our website: landlanguage.org