Erin Luna of Black Rat Farms

In this episode, the team speaks with Erin Luna, a farmer, forager, and artist, who specializes in the fascinating field of natural dyeing, using her own harvest of plants, flowers, and herbs. Through her business, Black Rat Farms, Erin combines her agricultural knowledge and artistic skills to create naturally dyed textiles and accessories. She shares her agricultural journey, the complexities and challenges of natural dyeing, and the importance of sourcing high-quality materials. She also talks about her partnerships with Confluence Kombucha and Sandy Valley Brewing, where she supplies them with foraged and grounded herbs.

Most people only see the beautifully packaged, final food products at farmer’s markets and specialty grocery stores, but the Tangled Taproot podcast will showcase unique stories from small-scale midwestern farmers, entrepreneurs, and other thought leaders in regenerative agriculture. Guests will share their successes, challenges, and future goals for their own companies and for the sustainable farming industry. The podcast is brought to you by St. Louis-based sustainable food startup Mylk and Hummus, and hosted by M & H Founder John Cowan, Kitchen Manager and Recipe Developer Christin Jameson, and Jackson.

Founded in 2020 by John Cowan, Mylk and Hummus makes on-the-go, chickpea-based snacks that focus on flavorful hummus varieties and ready-to-drink plant-based lattes. Mylk and Hummus products nourish the physical and mental endurance needs of today while considering environmental goals for the future. At Mylk and Hummus, plant-based food is made with ingredients proudly sourced through sustainable and regenerative agriculture where farming principles and practices enrich soils, restore watersheds, and lead to healthy ecosystems. The company operates on these principles to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to the reversal of global trends in climate instability, habitat loss, and the vitality of the natural world.

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