Land Language

About Land Language

Join hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark as they share bold ideas, practical strategies, and inspiring conversations with designers, scientists, vendors, and visionaries who are rethinking the way we design & build our outdoor spaces.

Publisher

Land Language

Category

business · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Feb 2026

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Longevity Design and Building for Future Generations with Emma Kraft Saldivar

   In this episode of Land Language, we sit down with Emma Kraft Saldivar, President of Kraft Custom Construction, the Salem, Oregon design-build remodeling company her father, Robert Kraft, started in 1982. Emma came to construction from psychology and case management, and she brings that background into every project and client conversation. Emma describes “longevity planning” as designing homes around how clients live now and in the future, focusing on purpose, feelings, routines, community, and wellness. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Start 00:33 Meet Emma Kraft Saldivar 01:56 Designing for Future You 04:19 From Psychology to Construction 08:03 Project Types and Service Area 09:10 Discovery Call and Fit 10:57 Curiosity Builds Trust 13:43 Homes for Community 17:37 Wellness and Hobby Spaces 19:51 Budgeting for Longevity 23:36 Where to Spend vs Save 27:30 Invest in Infrastructure 31:23 Stormwater and Regenerative Design 33:44 Leading Change on Teams 34:25 Collaborating Early Pays Off 38:20 Building the Right Expert Team 43:02 Emma’s Next 20 Years 44:03 Closing Thoughts Follow Emma: https://www.kraftcustomconstruction.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kraftcustomconstructioninc/ 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: 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. About Emma: Emma Kraft Saldivar is the second-generation owner and president of Kraft Custom Construction, a design-build remodeling company serving Oregon’s Willamette Valley since 1982. She leads the company with a focus on thoughtful design, lasting craftsmanship, and creating homes that support the way people live today while standing the test of time. With a background in social work, Emma brings a people-centered approach to the remodeling process, grounded in listening, understanding her clients’ needs, and helping them make informed decisions about their homes.

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Stewardship Over Ownership with Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark

   Hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark close out Season 2, and share what changed how they run their own teams, what's happening underground that most landscapers never measure, and why the same values keep showing up whether you're in the Pacific Northwest or rural Australia. They also discuss the challenge and value of hosting controversial episodes and inviting honest dialogue. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Start 00:33 Season Two Reflections 01:20 Handling Controversy 03:03 Community Dialogue Matters 05:19 Season Three Vision 07:25 Favorite Season Two Guests 08:06 Global Lessons and Values 09:56 Stories That Inspire Change 13:18 Scaling Regenerative Business 15:25 Stewardship Mindset Shift 16:57 Backyard Aliveness 20:40 Time Perspective and Care 22:13 Woo Woo and GeoTuning 23:45 Industry Builders and Events 25:45 Generational Wealth of Land 27:11 Legacy for Our Kids 29:16 Purpose and Response 30:58 Celebrate and Stay Connected 32:11 Closing Thoughts Follow Brit and Bethany: Brit: https://be.land/ @theblueprintearth Bethany: https://www.bethanyrydmark.com/ @brydmarklandscapes 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: 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.

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Plantable Retaining Walls and Regenerative Design with Mark Woolbright

   In this episode of Land Language, host Brit Sastrawidjaya sits down with Mark Woolbright, founder of Verdtech (verdtech.com), maker of Varden, a lightweight, plantable retaining wall and vertical garden block system. Mark invented one of the first plantable concrete retaining wall systems in the US after seeing vertical gardens built into small Swiss retaining walls on a backpacking trip, spent decades engineering drainage, soil, and structural systems for that original system before industry consolidation moved him to sell, and has now rebuilt the idea from the ground up as Varden. CHAPTERS 00:00 Start 00:33 Meet Mark Woolbright 02:38 Europe Inspiration 04:06 Concrete Wall Business 07:55 Engineering and Drainage 11:57 Soils Compost Carbon 14:50 Industry Consolidation Exit 19:20 Why Plastic Blocks 22:28 Testing Policy Barriers 28:33 Design Focus and Planting 40:09 Marketing Webinars Education 50:03 Habitat Toad Condos 54:42 Closing Thoughts -- Follow Mark: Website: https://www.verdtech.com/ Verdtech on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Greenwallmojo 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 MARK WOOLBRIGHT: Mark Woolbright is an inventor and innovator of living walls with over 30 years in design, manufacture, marketing, and installation of plantable, living wall systems. Mark graduated from Eastern Illinois University and is currently Managing Member of Greenwall Ventures, LLC, and most recently, CEO/Founder of Verdtech, Inc. Throughout his career, he has been awarded twenty patents, with more applications pending. Mark has served on the Board of the St. Louis USGBC, as a member of the Green Wall Committee of GRHC which develops course curriculum for its Green Walls 101 course and has been a certified Biophilic Design trainer through GPGB. He is passionate about educating the building community on the environmental benefits of Living Walls and best practices for their use. 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.

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

7 ratings

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Books guests

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