The Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes - Grounded In Maine with Amy Bolduc

This conversation with Derek Haynes AKA The Chocolate Botanist was so fun! I "met" Derek as a participant of a workshop offered through the New England Botanical Gardens - they had him come talk about the Vanilla Orchid, and it was FASCINATING! Derek adds in some history we weren't (at least I wasn't) told, that opens up a whole different story... Derek has a Plant Biology degree and background, as well as experience working on plant-based vaccines and therapeutics, so he knows what he's saying. He enjoys de-bunking plant rumors on social media. He also is one of the Co-Hosts of The Dirt on Gardening podcast. I love that Derek isn't so serious, though he totally had me sucked in a couple of times... I loved this section of his Bio so much: "Plants offer so much more than home decor, and Derek wants to show you how. He understands that the ancient and the modern don’t need to compete, but rather can work together in harmony, offering viable solutions to pressing questions like food insecurity and mind-body-spirit holistic wellness." We talked about making chocolate, and when I settle somewhere, I'll definitely be inviting Derek to do a chocolate making workshop - just definitely not in the winter... I'm already looking forward to that day! Derek's website: https://thechocolatebotanist.com/ He's on Instagram here:   / thechocolatebotanist   And Facebook here:   / thechocolatebotanist   His YouTube channel is here:    / thechocolatebotanist   New England Botanical Garden website (in case you want to become a member and attend in person or virtual workshops): https://nebg.org/ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 Join Amy Bolduc on Grounded in Maine as she explores the importance of being mindful of our actions and how they impact the world around us. In this open conversation, we delve into topics related to sustainability, such as gardening and preserving, recycling and composting, and even household DIY. This podcast is all about our commitment to ecological responsibility and finding different ways to be part of the solution. Tune in to learn more about green living and making a positive impact on the environment. Subscribe now for new episodes every week! 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗯 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: https://www.groundedinmaine.com/ 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺:   / groundedinmainepodcast