The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Building an urban farm dream.In This Podcast: We are joined by Chad Chase, co-owner of Arrandale Farm and Urban Grounds Coffee Company. Chad has built his 2.5-acre farm from scratch, and now farms fruit trees, field crops, alpacas, and chickens. Listen in to hear how he's building his urban farm dream and how he hopes to impact his community in the future!Chad Chase is the co-owner of Urban Grounds Coffee Company, a full-service coffee shop on wheels sourcing ethical, natural, local and wholesome products and ingredients. He is also a co-owner operator of Arrandale Farms, a two-acre farm in NW Phoenix that focuses on various fruit trees, field crops and chicken eggs. They currently sell farm fresh eggs at the Phoenix Public Market and the Ahwatukee Farmers Market, and in the coming months will be adding fresh fruit and vegetables as well.Chad has a Certificate of Entrepreneurship from Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, an Advanced Diploma in Mortuary Science from Des Moines Community College, and a bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/03/05/428_chad_chase/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.428: Chad Chase on Urban Farming as a Business 

 Savoring the delicious tastes of thorny cacti.In This Podcast: Zachery Berry from the Homestead Cactus Sanctuary teaches us about the edible cacti that grow naturally in Arizona. Listen in to learn about growing cacti at home and when and how to harvest them. Zach also shares tips on pollinating cacti, edible varieties of cactus, and glochids! Zachary Berry is a graduate student at Arizona State University studying urban ecology, botany, and animal behavior. He serves on the board of Homestead Cactus Sanctuary, a local nonprofit that teaches people how to grow and use cacti as food.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/03/02/427_zachery_berry/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.427: Zach Berry on Edible Cacti

Living off grid on a remote section of a Pacific island.In This Podcast: Join us for our conversation with Camille James and learn how she went from working in the tech industry, to owning a juice bar, to living off the grid in Hawaii. Camille shared what it’s like living communally on an off-the-grid farm and all the different foods they grow. Tune in to hear what her day to day life looks like, why she loves it, and how her successes and failures brought her to Hawaii.Camille is a certified Clinical Nutritionist & public speaker living in Kauai, Hawaii.  She has sixteen years’ experience in web design, e-commerce development, and social media marketing. And prior to moving to the island, she was the owner of a juice bar and Volunteer Coordinator for a CSA in Bellevue, Nebraska.She currently lives off-grid on a 35-acre organic farm in Kauai, where her duties include design/planning, planting, harvesting, composting, grounds maintenance, landscaping, working in the nursery, and being a chicken whisperer.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/26/426-camille-james/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.426: Camille James on Organic Farming in Hawaii

Building a living green mulch.In This Podcast: After a long career in retail, Katie Fiore knew it was time for a change. Part of her future vision was a backyard full of fruits and vegetables. The other part was a flexible, fulfilling lifestyle educating others. Katie discusses changing her life direction at 37 years old, how and why she is growing sweet potatoes, how her travels inspire her garden, and her advice to other novice gardeners wanting to start their own.Don’t miss an episode! Click here to sign up for podcast updatesor visit www.urbanfarm.org/podcastKatie is an Arizona native who spent most of her life thinking she had a brown thumb. Five years ago, her first successful attempt at growing food was herbs grown in wine barrels. Since then she has become an Urban Farm junkie. In Spring 2018 she planted 15 fruit trees and bushes in the backyard and has started adding a few raised beds to her garden. A career change this past year has given her the time to pursue a healthier, lower stress life with her new husband Mark, follow her dreams of blogging about all her adventures, and nurturing her backyard food forest. After the Great American Seed Up, she is not only growing squash, herbs, and peas from seed, but she’s also harvesting seeds and building her personal seed library.Go to www.urbanfarm.org/sweetpotatoes for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.425: Katie Fiore on Sweet Potatoes and Fruit Trees

Empowering people globally to build food security while using very little land.In This Podcast: Today on the podcast, we continue our visit with John Jeavons. Part one of this two-part podcast discussed John’s journey into Biologically Intensive Gardening, crop planning strategies, and watering strategies. Today in Part Two we delve into his successes, failures, advice for future farmers, plant personalities, and some of the crops he believes everyone should grow for a nutritionally balanced diet.John has been the Director of the Ecology Action Mini-Farming Program since 1972 and is the author of How to Grow More Vegetables a book on BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming in use in over 150 countries in virtually all climates and soils. John advises on projects in countries such as Mexico, Kenya, Russia and India, as well as all corners of the United States.Ecology Action has been a non-profit since 1971 and currently has two research and demonstration sites in California. Their mission to teach people worldwide to better feed themselves while building and preserving the soil and conserving resources through the GROW BIOINTENSIVE closed-loop small scale agricultural system.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/19/424-john-jeavons/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.423: John Jeavons on Biologically Intensive Gardening & Farming (Part 2)

Empowering people globally to build food security while using very little land.In This Podcast: Biologically Intensive Gardening allows farmers to grow more food, with less water, in a sustainable way. In this podcast, we speak with John Jeavons who has been a Bio Intensive pioneer for over 50 years. An Arizona native, his books have made an impact on our own Greg Peterson. He enthusiastically shares his journey, discoveries, and tools to create your own Bio Intensive Garden.John has been the Director of the Ecology Action Mini-Farming Program since 1972 and is the author of How to Grow More Vegetables a book on BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming in use in over 150 countries in virtually all climates and soils. John advises on projects in countries such as Mexico, Kenya, Russia and India, as well as all corners of the United States.Ecology Action has been a non-profit since 1971 and currently has two research and demonstration sites in California. Their mission to teach people worldwide to better feed themselves while building and preserving the soil and conserving resources through the GROW BIOINTENSIVE closed-loop small scale agricultural system.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/16/423-john-jeavons/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.423: John Jeavons on Biologically Intensive Gardening & Farming (Part 1)

Gathering gurus to help gardens grow.In This Podcast: Growing up gardening side-by-side with her parents helped Stacey Murphy have a solid connection with food. She lost this connection when she went to college and began working as an engineer and architect. Whe she was living in a studio apartment in Brooklyn this disconnection was healed as she realized how little fresh food was in her diet and neighborhood so she started growing food in her tiny apartment and began working with a network of urban farmers. Fast forward to now as Stacey works online with gardeners in her Garden Freedom series and with people from 169 countries who all share the same concerns about their food.Stacey is a garden geek, growing food since 1979, and her superpower is packing, literally, tons of food into tight spaces. She has helped thousands of new gardeners from six continents grow vegetables and herbs in small spaces, enjoy fresh, affordable vegetables, and live a healthy, happy life.She does this by walking eager growers through her holistic garden system, showing what to grow, when and where Stacey offers an online education series with experts talking about different elements of growing food. This year she has organized the Garden Freedom Series with 13 days of jam-packed gardening know-how to help get herb and vegetable gardens started.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/12/422_stacey_murphy/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.422: Stacey Murphy on Setting Goals for Growing

Making good use of rain water in the community.In This Podcast: As Ricardo Aguirre was about to become a father, he took stock of his life. Would he continue to work as a civil engineer as he had for 15 years or would he do something that would have a positive effect on the earth? Which one would he be proud to tell his son about? The answer was to bring about more creative and natural approaches to improve conventional engineering. He tells us more about water management and holistic planned grazing to help avoid negative land management issues.Ricardo is the founding member of Holistic Engineering and Land Management, Inc. (HELM) and is focused on creating innovative approaches to improve conventional engineering. He works to integrate natural processes into large scale engineering projects with his primary professional focus to implement functional design strategies to achieve multiple synergistic objectives. Ricardo has a profound interest in reversing desertification through water harvesting and increasing soil organic matter. This can have a measurable benefit to reduce flooding, improve both storm-water and soil quality, conserve water, provide passive irrigation for vegetation, and reduce the heat island effect. Ricardo’s project experience includes infrastructure improvements for communities that have been adversely impacted by storm-water.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/09/421_ricardo_aguirre/ for show notes and links.Ricardo Aguirre on Water Harvesting & Land Management

Changing the way we eat one month at a time.In This Podcast: Food revolutionary and visionary Ocean Robbins shares a healthy eating program that can work for anyone in just 31 days.  Breaking down his plan into four sections, he helps simplify the process.  He also discusses some of the major factors that lead to unhealthy eating, and offers some ideas on how to get people you care about engaged in a healthy eating discussion.Ocean is the CEO, Co-founder and Co-host of the Food Revolution Network, and the co-host of the annual Food Revolution Summit.  He has facilitated more than 50 week-long gatherings and 100 day-long workshops for leaders worldwide on a variety of health related topics, Plus he is already prepping for the next Food Revolution Summit taking place in April 2019.Ocean is the co-author of Choices for Our Future and Voices of the Food Revolution, and the author of The Power of Partnership. His next book coming out this month is titled 31-Day Food Revolution: Heal Your Body, Feel Great, and Transform Your World.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/05/420-ocean-robbins/ for show notes and links.This contest period has expired.Ocean Robbins on The 31 Day Food Revolution

Bonus Episode 24: Seed Saving Class January, 2019. A chat with a seed expert on wild crop relatives, biodiversity and moreIn This Bonus Podcast:  There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the January 2019 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Listen and learn about the importance of wild crop relatives and biodiversity, the February 2019 Seed Summit, and so much more. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/02/02/bonus24/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Teaching how to garden with limited space.In This Podcast: Struggling with their children’s multiple food allergies convinced Nicky Schauder and her husband Dave to go organic. Dealing with the expense of all this organic food impelled them to start growing it themselves. Thus began their adventure with permaculture and gardening in small spaces. They’ve incorporated many techniques, which they call multipliers, to increase their yield, from 3-dimensional gardening to low tunnel gardening. Among the many bonuses of this lifestyle is the improved health of their children. Nicky and Dave now offer classes to help families just like theirs reap the same benefits. Nicky and her husband Dave are passionate about helping suburban families grow their own food.  Together, they run Permaculture Gardens a web portal to help you grow abundantly!In 2017, Permaculture Gardens won the grand prize at the Green Festivals in Washington DC for “Most Innovative Sustainable Brand.” Their work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Permaculture Research Institute - Australia and Green America.org.  They also volunteer at their local Title 1 school and started a permaculture garden after-school program for the elementary kids there.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/29/419_nicky-schauder/ for show notes and links.Nicky Schauder on Growing Food in Small Spaces

Promoting ecological diversity and preserving the health of our planet.In This Podcast: With a passion for growing in her genes, Kat Granger joined a horticulture group, became a Master Gardener, and went to seed school to learn all she could about her subject. Speaking to groups about her vegetables led to selling those vegetable seeds to her interested audience members. This eventually led to her seed business, Seeds of IMBOLC. Kat sees how a disconnection with the earth has led to so many problems with people’s health and well-being and works tirelessly to help reconnect people with nature with her authentically organic seeds. Kat is a Master Gardener and creator of Seeds of IMBOLC, in Fergus, Ontario, Canada where she grows heirloom organic seeds and plants and is a grower for a larger organic seed group. She has been featured on the TV show “Let’s Get Growing”, and in OMAFRA produce videos, spoken at Canada Blooms, the Pollination Guelph Symposium, and at Seedy Saturdays. She is an instructor with the Upper Grand District School District, hosts a monthly newsletter “Home on the Grange”, and enjoys sparking gardening addictions. Kat is a member of Seeds of Diversity, Seed Savers Exchange, and the Ontario Biodynamic Society – plus a graduate of Seed School Online.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/26/418-kat-granger/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Kat Granger on Starting a Small Seed Business.

 Farming with an eye on the future.In This Podcast:  As a child Michael Foley visited a Montana ranch and dreamed of being a gentleman farmer one day.  His path however, took him into academia. After being estranged from the land for several years he eventually found his way back to farming. Today Michael, along with his wife and daughter, farm on their micro-farm, often trading goods with neighbors. He believes that farmers need to think of more than profitability when analyzing the bottom line.  Providing for themselves and their neighbors and building networks among themselves in order to help one another should also be priorities. Michael is very proud of his work with the School of Adaptive Agriculture and delights in helping to populate the farm scene in his area with young people from this farm training program. After twenty years in academia, Michael became a farmer. He started in southern Maryland, then moved to Willits, California, where he, his wife, and oldest daughter operate Green Uprising Farm.  He is a co-founder, board member, and teacher at the School of Adaptive Agriculture (formerly known as the Grange Farm School), a farmer training and education program.  Michael has helped create and manage a community kitchen and small farmers group, manage the local farmers market, and has served as both vice president of the Mendocino County Farmers Market Association & president of Little Lake Grange.  And with all that, he found time to write Farming for the Long Haul Published by our friends at Chelsea Green.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/22/417-michael-foley/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.The contest period of this episode has expired. Michael Foley on Building a Viable Small Farm Economy

Bonus Episode 23: Seed Saving Class November 2018. A chat with an expert on Seeds. In This Bonus Podcast:  There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the November 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - learn about the seed paradigm and  seed history. Listen as the ethics of owning and naming seeds, and other interesting topics are discussed.Join the class! Register anytime for the next class.Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/19/bonus23/  for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Transforming waste into soil, jobs, and community.In This Podcast: Sarah Boltwala-Mesina, along with other parents, hoped to start a recycling program at their children’s school. This was the first step on her journey to creating Food2Soil, a business that collects food scraps from people and businesses in San Diego and turns those scraps into rich compost. Her company provides services helping homeowners become successful composting in their own backyard, provides hubs around the city for people to drop scraps off, and offers scrap pickup service to restaurants. There is even a wait-list of businesses and breweries hoping to participate.   Sarah is the executive director of  Inika Small Earth, a nonprofit that started Food2Soil where they train interns in good composting techniques. Food2Soil collects vegetative food scraps from local restaurants then composts the scraps at two urban farms in San Diego, selling the finished product to local gardeners looking for high-nutrient soil. Inika Small Earth is a charitable organization working to enhance the network of community composting hubs across San Diego.  Their aim is to build the collective capacity to transform food scraps into soil and jobs for the community.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/15/416-sarah-boltwala-mesina/ for more information and to find our other great guests.Sarah Boltwala-Mesina on Community Composting

From green lawns to green vegetables.In This Podcast: As his wife and youngest daughter began struggling with celiac disease, John Brubaker believed that the pesticides used on vegetables were perhaps weakening their immune systems. This was his entry into organic urban farming. He began small with 20 beds and has been expanding ever since. John is growing numerous crops in his small space, including artichokes and cantaloupe for home, and kale, spinach, beets, radishes and glass gem corn for the Farmers Market. He is finding great success with his natural farming. John has been working on golf courses for over 35 since the age of 16. He planted thousands of trees and just for fun, would typically have an organic vegetable garden on the golf course for the enjoyment of customers and staff.  Along the way he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University in Horticulture.   In 2013 his wife and daughters developed digestive issues. Because of this he started growing his own vegetables, built a compost pile, implemented no dig methods, planted for pollinators, introduced beneficial predator insects, and so on. Soon he was giving vegetables to his neighbors and he had become an urban farmer.  In 2018 he named his micro farm ‘Straw Hat’, rented a booth at a Farmers Market and started selling organic produce.  The success was beyond his expectations, incredibly rewarding and now he is planning on retiring from the golf course and going into urban farming full time.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/12/415-john-brubaker/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.John Brubaker on Micro Urban Farming.

Challenging the mono-CULTURE of farming. A passion for the soil, the earth and her community started when Leah Penniman began farming at the age of 16. Through the years she has continued to work towards ending racism and injustice in our food system, and also on land reparations for people of color. She and her family have built Soul Fire Farm where they raise culturally important food, delivering it to people in need. They give tours and help train future activists.  Leah channeled her passion into writing a book, Farming While Black. Leah is a Black Creole farmer who has been tending the soil for twenty years and organizing for an anti-racist food system for fifteen years. She currently serves as founding co-executive director of Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York—a people-of-color led project that works to dismantle racism in the food system.  Through Soul Fire Farm’s innovative programs such as the Black Latinx Farmers Immersion; a sliding-scale Farm Share CSA; and Youth Food Justice leadership trainings – she is part of a global network of farmers working to increase farmland stewardship by people of color, restore Afro-indigenous farming practices, and promote equity in food access.  Leah has been recognized by – the Soros Equality Fellowship; NYS Health Emerging Innovator Awards; and Fulbright Distinguished. IF that was not enough, she is the author of Farming While Black published by our friends at Chelsea Green Publishing. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/08/414-leah-penniman/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Leah Penniman on Liberating the Land.

Mixing up a health drink for soil organisms.In This Podcast:When Ben Klempner and his family moved from Jerusalem to the holy city of Tiberias, he researched how to make the soil healthy in order to grow his vegetables. Finding information that was beneficial wasn’t the only hurdle—he was so far away from the products he needed. He kept researching online and seemed to end up with the suggestion of Korean Natural Farming at the end of his searches.  He took it as a sign. As Ben began creating products that utilized the fermenting process he realized that perhaps creating these nutritious, sustainable soil amendments for others was what he should be doing instead of growing his own vegetables. Thus, the Galil Soil Farm was born. Ben lives in the Holy City of Tiberias with his wife and children where he owns and operates Galil Soil Farm. Believing that good soil grows good food, Ben is passionate about growing the best soil and helping others to do the same. When not at the farm he can be found spending time with his children in the woods, paddling a kayak on the Sea of Galilee, or immersed in Bible Studies. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/05/413-ben-klempner/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Ben Klempner on Fermented Soil Amendments

Growing an herbal antibiotic.In This Podcast:Bill Bruneau suffered from what eventually was diagnosed as a leaky gut caused by using pharmaceutical antibiotics. Knowing that plants had medicinal powers he searched out which ones were natural antibiotics and came upon limited but intriguing information on the genus Sida. He waited for someone to write a book about this super-weed and when no one did, Bill knew he had to do it. Listen as Bill lists just a few of the many illnesses he uses Sida to treat or prevent.  In 1982, Bill and his wife started Bountiful Gardens Seeds, which is part of the small non-profit Ecology Action of the Mid-peninsula. Ecology Action is an organization that has been diligently working to save the world’s soil for the last 45 years, refining and promoting a bio-intensive farming method that actually creates soil while being very productive.  While Bill is an herbal hobbyist, medicinal herbs and preventative medicine have been at the core of his family’s health for at least 50 years and when he discovers one that is as good as Sida appeared to be, he wanted to know everything about it. A scientist at heart, he did intensive research into the known benefits of Sida for over a year, seeking out peer-reviewed research on Sida, and in particular studies on Sida acuta. The results have exceeded his wildest expectations.  Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/01/01/412-william-bruneau/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.William Bruneau on the Genus Sida

Embarking on extreme tasks to bring attention to important issues.In This Podcast:Rob Greenfield lived a fairly normal American life until 2011 when he began reading and watching documentaries that helped him realize he was contributing to the destruction of our planet. That was enough to set him on a course of performing extreme actions in order to motivate others to change as well. Having already taken three separate bicycle rides across America doing good deeds and showing ways to make less of an impact on the planet, he’s embarking on his biggest adventure yet—going an entire year eating only what he produces or forages himself.Rob Greenfield is an adventurer, environmental activist, humanitarian, and dude making a difference. He is dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world.Rob has visited 6 continents and 40 countries, lived off-grid in a tiny house, wore a trash-suit for a month, dove in more than two thousand dumpsters, cycled across the U.S. twice on a bamboo bicycle, traveled over 7000 miles from Brazil to Panama relying on the goodness of humanity, participated in a cross-country good deeds bike trek, and shared all this to inspire change in others.His next project is going an entire year without eating food from grocery stores, restaurants, or even eating or drinking at a party.  He will be growing and foraging 100% of his food for an entire year.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/29/411-rob-greenfield/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Rob Greenfield on Food Freedom Project.

Building up a better buzz on bees.In This Podcast:Walking by Lloyds of London with his wife Ashley, Lloyd Hardrick was intrigued by the beehives in the windows of the famous bank that shared his name. Curiosity led to research and research led to the career path that Lloyd and Ashley ventured on—raising bees. Making an impact on their community is the primary goal for Lloyd as he works to educate people on bees and their importance in our lives. As Lloyd says, “We all depend on bees. It’s everybody’s business to want to save the bees.”  Lloyd served in the U.S. Army for 10 years. After the army, he became a certified beekeeper and in 2015 he and his wife Ashley founded their beekeeping company. Honey Bee Goode Apiaries, is not just about bees and honey, they specialize in developing relationships with urban farmers and teaching in the local communities about the relationship between bees, flowers, and food.Honey Bee Goode Apiaries was one of the Farmer Veteran Coalition’s 2018 Fellowship Fund Grant recipients. Honey Bee Good plants their hives on urban farms throughout their community.Lloyd was the recipient of a $1000 Tractor Supply donation, through the Veteran Coalition’s program that offers assistance to veterans in the early stages of their farming operations.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/25/410-lloyd-hardrick/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Lloyd Hardrick on Keeping Urban Bees

Creating healthy, nutritious snacks.In This Podcast:Tanya Batche loved to bake but didn’t necessarily think of it as a career. Looking at the frightening trend of obesity and diabetes, she knew there must be a way to still enjoy, and allow others to enjoy her delicious endeavors. Tanya turned her love of baking into her life’s work, teaching us how to enjoy our treats but making them much healthier.  Now you can enjoy her Hunger Bomb cookies too. As well as making these healthy treats Tanya also helps private clients learn to become healthier too. Tanya is a Dietitian, certified in Adult Weight Management with over 25 years of experience helping patients and clients stay healthy.  She has traveled most of the country as a Corporate Dietitian overseeing senior living and wellness programs in healthcare.  She started baking as a little girl in Ohio, where she used to surprise her dad with treats (she hid) after he came from work.She decided to follow her passion by combining her love of baking and her knowledge of healthy nutritious foods and started her own company! She created Hunger-Bomb Cookies, healthy treats that are delicious and filling while satisfying your sweet tooth, without spiking your blood sugar!  In addition to baking and selling her treats at farmers’ markets and online, Tanya also provides nutrition consultation to clients who want to live delicious and healthy lives.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/22/409-tanya-batche/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Tanya Batche on Delicious Low Sugar Treats

Preferring the taste of fresh pressed over store bought.In This Podcast:Curiosity on what to do with the fruit from the three large olive trees in his new yard led Ron Mantini on a quest to make his own olive oil. Over the course of several years, with trial and error and the power of the internet, Ron has discovered how to make an delicious olive oil. He has learned how to turn the olives on his and neighboring trees into a bright green, fresh and addictive pressed oil, a nice pairing for his homemade bread and pasta.Ron was born and raised in Lorain Ohio, 30 miles west of Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie.  He moved to Chandler, Arizona in 2000 after graduating from the Ohio State University to work for Intel Corporation, which he still does until this day.  He is married with 4 children between the ages of 8-13.  With several olive trees at his home, Ron taught himself how to make olive oil from scratch.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/18/408-ron-mantini/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Ron Mantini on Homemade Olive Oil

Becoming a steward of the soil.In This Podcast: As a contour farmer facing the problem of so much soil washing away in the rain, Steve Szudera found his solution when he borrowed a no-till drill in 1981. He never looked back as he learned how completing warm and cool crop cycles and protecting the soil from damage were keys to healthy, productive crops. Steve shares with us ways to rejuvenate our soil, and even shares how he reuses old potting soil, making it healthier than before. Steve is a third-generation farmer from western North Dakota with over 35 years of no-till farming experience building and maintaining soil health. After realizing that the standard farming practices done before he took over were the cause of the wind and water erosion, and that the soil was depleted of moisture and nutrients, he converted to no-till farming.  He learned very quickly that just one simple practice of not disturbing the soil would allow it to rebuild and recover.He now teaches others how to rebuild and protect the natural commodity of their own soil so that they too can become stewards.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/15/407-steve-szudera/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.407: Steve Szudera on Nutrient Rich Soil

Managing an urban farm for families in poverty or homeless.In This Podcast: Being a single mother trying to provide nutritious options for her children in a food desert gave St. Vincent de Paul’s Urban Farm manager Nika Forte a great understanding and compassion for the people she serves. She shares with her belief that food should nourish the body, mind and spirit with her clientele as she encourages them to reconnect with where their food comes from as they are being helped by the many services of St. Vincent de Paul. Nika is the Urban Farm Manager for St. Vincent de Paul where she creates programming and community engagement events. Her job also includes managing community members who volunteer time at the Urban Farm, growing, processing and distributing freshly grown vegetables to the homeless community and needy families that they provide service for. Her role in the program is to improve food access and food security in under served communities.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/11/406-nika-forte/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.406: Nika Forte on Farming for the Under-Served

Organically recycling through vermicomposting.In This Podcast: Rhonda Sherman, an extension specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University, shares how throwing away our food waste is a major problem in landfills, releasing methane gas which is a contributor to climate change and causing heavy metals to be released into water sources. She spends 90 percent of her work time educating people in what to do with their food waste instead, namely by composting or vermicomposting. Rhonda shares access to many of the publications she’s written which can be found on her website.Rhonda is an extension specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, providing leadership for university outreach programs on solid waste management issues through the Cooperative Extension Service. She holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Urban/Regional Planning, and Environmental Resources Analysis with an emphasis in solid waste management.Rhonda’s areas of expertise are vermicomposting, composting, recycling, and waste reduction. She gives about 40 presentations annually and has authored over 65 publications on these topics. Her new book is The Worm Farmer’s Handbook: Mid- to Large-Scale Vermicomposting for Farms, Businesses, Municipalities, Schools, and Institutions published by our friends at Chelsea Green.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/08/405-rhonda-sherman/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.405: Rhonda Sherman on Worm Farming

Bringing farm products to the local market.In This Podcast: Lyndsay Ludden and her husband Eric wanted to grow real food. They talked about it all the time.  This led them to take the bold step to sell their home in Phoenix and find their perfect property in Cornville, Arizona. On just over two acres of land Lyndsay and Eric built their farm from scratch, beginning with chickens and goats. Having more eggs than they could use led them to the farmer’s market. They’ve been working and adding new animals and gardens to the Hoppy Goat Farm for two years now and feel they’ve made the right choice.Lyndsay and her husband Eric started a farm several years ago to raise and grow their own food.  Originally their intent was health related however, as “super foodies” they began realizing how much better everything tastes when they grow and harvest it themselves.  They now have two large gardens, as well as goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, and bees.  They offer many different items from their farm including fresh eggs, cheeses, mud scrubs, soap and a special seasoning blend.  Plus you can find her at the Sedona Farmers Market on Sundays.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/04/404-lyndsay-ludden/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.404: Lyndsay Ludden as a Farmer at the Market

Training future farmers to shape the future of our food system.In This Podcast: Wondering where the bananas came from while eating them in his native United Kingdom was just the first step for Tobias Peggs, as he sought to figure out how to grow the food in his own city that previously would have spent weeks being shipped in from different climates. He was sure he could mimic the plants’ normal environments. Peggs has not only built a working modular farm in Brooklyn, New York, but runs a Next-Gen Farmer training program to help ensure that others are working toward his mission of bringing real food to all the cities of the world.Tobias is cofounder and CEO of Square Roots – an urban farming company headquartered in Brooklyn, NYC. He has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Cardiff University in his native United Kingdom. He is a Techstars mentor, competitive triathlete, snowboarder, and ramen hunter.Square Roots grows and sells tasty, nutritious food year-round from their Brooklyn campus of indoor, controlled-climate, modular farms. Their mission is to bring local, real food to people in cities, by empowering next-gen leaders in urban farming—because “the more of us working to shape the future of food, the better”.Founded in 2016 by Tobias and Kimbal Musk, Square Roots is also host to a “Next-Gen Farmer Training Program”—a year-long, hands-on training program that puts participants at the forefront of the indoor urban farming industry.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/12/01/403-tobias-peggs/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.403: Tobias Peggs on Empowering Next-Gen Leaders

Bonus Episode 22: Seed Saving Class October 2018.A chat with an expert on Seeds.In This Bonus Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the October 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - learn about Glass Gem Corn, how to be a seed steward, and why corn diversity is so important.Join the class! Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&A Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/27/bonus-22/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Creating a line of homemade nutritious and delicious snacks.In This Podcast: As a young mother of two, and having just left corporate America, Ciara Bennett wanted something that was going to be helpful and healthful for her young children.  An inspiration to start making high-quality snacking granola also moved her build a business around this product while allowing her to keep her own identity.  Now she makes Vintage Oats, a line of premium granola with unique & tasty flavors her kids love and so do her customers.Ciara is the founder of VintageOats, a Phoenix based, premium granola company.  Originally from Joliet Illinois she has been a resident of Arizona for over 20 years. As a proud mother of a 2 and 7-year-old she was looking for better choices to feed them and her journey was the inspiration to launch her company.She is the creative mind behind all her premium flavors of granola, which focus on healthy, non-GMO ingredients and no artificial flavors, preservatives or colors.  Primarily selling at farmers markets and other local events, she is expanding to offer her homemade premium granola products online.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/24/402-ciara-bennett/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.402: Ciara Bennett on Premium Homemade Granola

Homesteading in the Suburbs.In This Podcast: They planted their first fruit tree on a 1/10th-acre urban home. Prompted to look for something healthier, Duane Hebert moved to property just outside of Phoenix, or as he calls it – The Edge of Nowhere. On a semi-urban farm, they focused on growing healthy food and sharing with family, friends and a few customers. With a holistic mindset focused on healthy growing in all areas of the farm, even the chickens get the healthiest diet.  And he shares what he has learned.Born and raised in Gardena, CA in the heart of South-Central Los Angeles, Duane grew up a typical urban kid. However, at 19 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease and underwent 6 months of chemotherapy to save his life. Now a 25-year cancer survivor, he strives to live a life grounded in the reality that what we eat and what we keep OUT of our body is critical to healthy living.In 2004 he and his wife Lori planted their first lemon tree on their typical 1/10th of an acre suburban lot in Northern Phoenix, and 5 years later they had more fruit than they could use or even give away. Then in 2010, a gift of locally-grown apples sparked an interest in seeing just what could be grown in this harsh desert environment. Fast forward 8 more years and the Heberts now run Edge of Nowhere Farm which is home to over 100 fruit trees, as well as laying hens, broiler chickens and pigs.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/20/401-duane-hebert/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.401: Duane Hebert on Growing a Healthy Diet

Being a resource for organic growers for over three decades.In This Podcast: In 1988, Eliot Coleman literally wrote the book on being an organic grower and has been an invaluable resource for organic gardeners and farmers for three decades. He only started growing food because it sounded like an adventure; and he learned how through books and making friends with farmers around the world. We learn who inspired and taught him, how he uses livestock on his farm, how he virtually moved his farm 500 miles to the south for the winter, and more.Eliot has over fifty years’ experience in all aspects of organic farming, including field vegetables, greenhouse vegetables, rotational grazing of cattle and sheep, and range poultry. He is the author of The New Organic Grower, Four-Season Harvest,The Winter Harvest Handbook and an instructional workshop DVD called Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman - all published through our friends at Chelsea Green.Eliot and his wife, Barbara Damrosch, operate a commercial year-round market garden, and run horticultural research projects, at their farm called Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/17/400-eliot-coleman/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.400: Eliot Coleman on 30th Anniversary of 'The New Organic Grower'

Changing the role of chemicals in our homes.In This Podcast: It was not your typical birthday gift but a small collection of home cleaning products, and they changed Diann Peart’s direction in life.  She found a path that filled her passion and allowed her to truly make a difference. When she realized the products were chemical free, her passion for the environment and her desire to help others took over and she knew these products needed to be brought to market.  She has a special offer for listeners today.Diann has a PhD in Botany-Ecology from Arizona State University.  She lives with her husband, 4 dogs and 8 chickens at their urban farm is nestled in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tempe, AZ, 4 blocks west of ASU. She is also Principal and Visionary at Truce LLC, a Tempe-based company that manufactures and distributes non-toxic household cleaning, pet, and personal products.Truce’s entire product line uses only 14 simple, safe and effective ingredients.  Truce products offer the ability to clean homes, bodies, and pets while avoiding nasty chemicals.In her spare time, Diann co-founded the community garden across the street from her home where most of the produce harvested is donated to local food banks.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/13/399-diann-peart/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.399: Diann Peart on Living in a Chemically Saturated World

Cooking with 8 ingredients or less.In This Podcast: After several years of contradictory and confusing medical advice, Brandi Doming was worn out trying to help her husband escape the pain of gout. As a new mom and a concerned wife, she sought out the next possible answer and found information on a plant-based vegan diet. This was the first one to give her husband some relief.  She started blogging recipes and recently authored a cookbook designed to make vegan meals easy and delicious! Brandi is the creator of the popular blog The Vegan 8. She is also a mom, wife, and designer. Her blog was voted a Top 21 Vegan Blog of 2016 by the hugely popular vegan magazine, VegNews. She’s appeared regularly in Forks Over Knives magazine and was featured in the documentary Eating You Alive. She lives with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas. Her new cookbook is The Vegan 8: 100 Simple, Delicious Recipes Made with 8 Ingredients or Less.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/10/398-brandi-doming/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.This contest period has expired.398: Brandi Doming on Delicious Vegan Meals

Being bit by the urban farming bug and loving it.In This Podcast: He was starting off on a vacant property with lots of Johnson Grass, almost no money, and no way to cut it down and remove it, yet this was not going to stop Michael Bell from building his urban farm. He got creative and found a resource to not only help remove the grass but turn it into an asset and deep rich soil in one season. Relying on his creativity, he now has a half-acre farm and more customers than produce. All this and he only farms part-time!  Michael is a Physical Education teacher and father of four who in April of 2016, bought a half-acre of nonresidential zoned land a mere 6 miles from downtown Dallas.  He started clearing small 1000-foot sections using a weed eater and billboard signs.  That Fall he planted his first 30-inch bed with Sala nova and a few cherry tomatoes and became hooked.He now has 67 twenty-five-foot beds focusing on greens, carrots, beets and a couple of other veggies.  He hopes to transition from full time teacher to full time farmer in a couple of years.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/06/397-michael-bell/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.397: Michael Bell on Part Time Urban Farming

Incorporating wild ingredients into every day and special occasion fare.In This Podcast:  Her curiosity, her love of gardening, and her creativity in the kitchen, come together beautifully and for our benefit when Marie Viljoen compiled recipes for her new cookbook.  She shares how she moved from gardening in 66 square feet to foraging all over New York City.  If you are ever in her city, you will want to take a foraging walk with her!Marie is a celebrated New York City forager, gardener, cook and author who has loved edible plants since her childhood in South Africa.  She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and leads acclaimed seasonal wild plant walks through NYC.In Marie’s new book Forage, Harvest, Feast, there is a groundbreaking collection of nearly 500 wild food recipes and features hundreds of color photographs as well as cultivation tips for plants easily grown at home. This cookbook is destined to become a standard reference for any cook wanting to transform wildcrafted and homegrown ingredients into exceptional dishes, spices, and drinks.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/11/03/396-marie-viljoen/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.396: Marie Viljoen on Wild Inspired Cuisine

Weathering the challenges of growing food in South Florida.In This Podcast: Growing up and becoming a ward of the state, then becoming emancipated at 17 left a lifelong mark on Karin Fields, so when she started learning how to grow food in one of the most challenging and unique areas of the country, she wanted to help other young girls like her gain those skills too. For twenty years she has been the Edible Gardening Gal and a valuable resource for education about growing food in South Florida.Karin has over 20 years of vegetable gardening experience in South Florida where she installs backyard edible gardens, gives informative talks on vegetable gardening, and educates people on how to grow their own food. Locally known as the Edible Gardening Gal, she loves giving her gardening talks at libraries all over South Florida.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/30/395-karin-fields/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.395: Karin Fields on Growing Food in the Tropics

Harvesting native foods in the Sonoran Desert.In This Podcast: The desert is full of amazing native plants that provide a rich, delicious bounty of food, IF you know what to look for and how to harvest it, and Brad Lancaster wants you know these secrets.  He is excited about a new cookbook that shares delicious and tested recipes for native trees and plants. And these plants are suited to thrive in the hot and dry climates, so they tolerate drought conditions better, while giving other great benefits to all desert residents.Brad runs a successful permaculture consulting, design, and education business. He is focused on integrated and sustainable approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. Growing up in a dryland environment, water harvesting has long been one of his specialties and a true passion.He is the author of a permaculture bible for water harvesting:  Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volumes I & II and is a contributor to Desert Harvesters’ Eat Mesquite and More cookbook.  This new release centers on the abundant harvest of mesquite and other Sonoran Desert food plants we can plant, steward, and enjoy where we live, work, and play.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/23/393-brad-lancaster/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.393: Brad Lancaster on Wild Food Forestry

Knowing the secret to building healthy soil.In This Podcast:Joining farming through his wife’s family, Gabe Brown learned the standard, commercialized, industrialized way of farming. Then when disaster struck four times in a row, he reached out to the past for some inspiration. He learned the value of a healthy soil ecosystem, how it affects many of the issues we are facing today, and the best ways to rebuild the soil. Now he shares what he learned in 5 principles that work anywhere in the world.Gabe is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement which focuses on the regeneration of our resources.  Along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, he owns and operates a diversified 5,000-acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, ND.  Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature’s image.The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a wide variety of cash crops, multi-species cover crops along with all-natural grass finished beef and lamb.  They also raise pastured laying hens, broilers and swine.  This diversity and integration have regenerated the natural resources on the ranch without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides.  Gabe is the author of Dirt to Soil published by our friends at Chelsea Green.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/20/392-gabe-brown/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.392: Gabe Brown on Beneficial Soil Ecosystems

Propelling organic produce from fringe to mainstream.In This Podcast: The story of how organic produce and food became mainstream in our grocery stores is shared by Tonya Antle who was actively driving this change before most of us even knew we needed it.  She found her passion in the early stages of the organic movement and helped propel it across the nation.  Now there is a new focus with the Organic Grower Summit happening in December, and she shares some very useful tips as a highlight of what will be available then.Tonya grew up on her family’s table grape and citrus farm in Delano, California. From being a vice president of organic sales to consulting about organic ag investments, she has been a driving force in organic farming for more than 30 years, and has received several awards recognizing her work in the ag industry.Currently, she is an adjunct professor of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Marketing at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a guest lecturer at both Hartnell Junior College and California State University Monterey Bay, and she is the Co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Organic Produce Network (OPN), which launched in January 2017. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/27/394-tonya-antle/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode #21: Seed Saving Class September 2018.A chat with an expert on Seeds. In This Bonus Podcast: We are harvesting even more seed information in this chat with Bill McDorman. This is the September 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - seed names, medicinal plants, plant knowledge, landrace, and so much more.Join the class! Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/16/bonus21/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Building urban food resiliency with more that just vegetables.In This Podcast:A fascination with jungles and forests began at an early age for Catherine Bukowski, and she has studied these ecosystems throughout her education.  Then narrowing her focus just on the food forest aspect, she found similar regenerative patterns that work. She brought this to her new book and shares some of what she discovered with us.Catherine is a researcher, author, educator and consultant. She’s worked internationally and domestically in sustainable land use and natural resource management, agroforestry, permaculture, and project planning to strengthen communities. She pursued her passion for tropical ecosystems by earning a Master of Science in Natural Resource Management. Then she returned to school and earned a PhD in the Human Dimensions of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech.At Tech she was introduced to the topic of community food forests, which ultimately became her dissertation research and focus of her new book The Community Food Forest Handbook: How to Plan, Organize and Nurture Edible Gathering Places published by our friends at Chelsea Green. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/13/391-catherine-bukowski/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.391: Catherine Bukowski on Community Food Forests

Bringing together nature and theology.In This Podcast:Her background is in studying the connections of religion to many aspects of daily life and Professor Lena Roos is now focused on how religion and gardening are interwoven in our past and what that looks like in our present. She discusses several key religions of the world, the garden connections, and even how some myths built upon gardening and creation themes.  She is asking for input on her current research and wants to know of active faith-based community gardens.Lena is a Full Professor, teaching History of Religions in Stockholm Sweden. She is also an avid allotment grower of vegetables who last year harvested (literally) a ton of vegetables from her 120 square meters in two allotments in urban Uppsala.Originally a medievalist, she specializes in inter-religious relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims during the Middle Ages. Her other research includes topics like religion and volunteering, religion and sexuality, religion and food, and more recently religion and gardening.Lena is about to embark upon a new research project on faith-based community gardens and would like to get in touch with people currently involved in such.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/09/390-lena-roos/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.390: Lena Roos on Religion and Gardening

Healing forgotten children through gardening opportunities.In This Podcast: The forgotten children who grow up in the foster care system often become young adults on the street with no help, no resources, and forced to make desperate choices to survive. Dawn Folsom was caught stealing food when she was hungry; now she is a major force behind several urban farming projects that teach, empower, and build up the community of aged-out foster kids that have gotten dumped into the world.  She is offering models of village farms and supportive housing projects to help communities do better with their forgotten children.Dawn is a former foster kid who chose to be a catalyst of change for young people aging out of the foster care system. She became an advocate and mentor 13 years ago and has a passion to help people heal through village farming. having studied horticulture for 19 years she has become an advocate for local food access.She is cofounder of Heartvines Educational Farm - an extension of the non-profit The Village, Easing Childhood Poverty. They are a group of people dedicated to creating positive change for young people through village farming. Heartvines promotes that the garden is the best place to talk about life, through intensive agriculture techniques, collaborative partnerships, and adding inspiration to our spaces. They are creating an opportunity for young people to learn about food access, civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and life skills.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/06/389-dawn-folsom/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.389: Dawn Folsom on Village Farming

Reinforcing local food and ag in the heartland of America. IN THIS PODCAST: There can be no doubt that Jess Mazour is dedicated to building a better food system – and she is doing it for those that grow food, those that eat it, and to protect the communities and environment that surround farms.  Her passion is strong and is a resource for families and farmers in Iowa as she helps educate and empower the “little guys” to work together to benefit the whole community.  388: Jess Mazour on Building a Resilient Food SystemJess is a Farm & Environment Organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a 5,000-member non-profit. She organizes with local communities to develops statewide strategies to stop corporate factory farms from building.  In 2013-2015 Jess worked with a 10-state coalition of farm and ranch groups to develop a new narrative around Food and Ag Justice. Jess also built a citizen lobby team at the Iowa Statehouse to lobby for policies that build a food and ag system that works for farmers, eaters, workers, and the environment.At home Jess is a beginning urban farmer in Des Moines selling heirloom plants, local produce, and other homemade/homegrown goods at a local farmers market.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/10/02/388-jess-mazour/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Empowering the community by growing food together.In This Podcast: It was his father’s inspiration and legacy that prompted Daniel Oladokun-Dybowski to start a community garden from scratch in a suburb of Phoenix.  The work on the soil has already started after several huge donated loads of wood chips. And with the help of others in the community, he’s going to build a food forest that truly will benefit all that participate.  It is not a simple task, but he’s up to the task of building a solution. Daniel is an urban gardener with big hopes of solving major world problems by focusing on his local community. He is an anthropologist and social worker aiming to lift marginalized people up and establish a source of free, healthy food alternatives through the community garden being built in Casa Grande, Arizona.Daniel seeks to effectively empower disenfranchised and marginalized people in the community, by teaching those who come to the garden to grow their own food and use the resources around them. He wants to help a target population of children from broken homes, homeless, those suffering from serious mental illness, post-traumatic stress, and the public.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/29/387-daniel-oladokun-dybowski/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests. 387: Daniel Oladokun-Dybowski on A Community Garden in Casa Grande

Appreciating the histories of flowers.In This Podcast: A delightful interview with a Chris McLaughlin as she helps us understand more about flowers and what they offer to us as gardeners and more.  She even shares some tips on some of her favorites to grow.Chris is a Northern California writer and author who has had her hands in the soil for nearly 40 years. She's the author of seven books including, Growing Heirloom Flowers from our friends at Cool Springs Press,  A Garden to Dye For and Vertical Vegetable Gardening.Chris' work can also be found in several magazines including Urban Farm Magazine, and The Heirloom Gardener Magazine. Online, she's written for a variety of gardening sites including Vegetable Gardener.com, Fine Gardening.com, and About.com. Chris and her family live on a flower and fiber farm in the Northern California foothills, where they grow flowers, fruit, vegetables and Angora goats.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/22/385-chris-mclaughlin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 20: Seed Saving Class August 2018. A chat with a seed expert about Sourcing SeedsIn This Bonus Podcast: Finding good sources for seeds can be challenging especially if you are particular about their story or their genetics. This is the August 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Bill McDorman discusses the process of sourcing seeds and selecting seeds that can help you feel confident in your selections, and so much more.Join the class! Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/18/bonus20/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Assisting our food-growing veterans who feed their communities.In This Podcast:Rachel Petitt is part of a group that has the mission to help veterans who want to be farmers. This has translated into several grant and resource projects that are empowering veterans to build their farms. She tells about how she started and what the organization is offering veterans all across the country. Rachel worked on small-scale farms for six years after earning a degree from UC Santa Cruz in community studies with a focus on food systems. During her time in the field, she learned the intricacies of harvesting okra without getting itchy, collecting 600 eggs without cracking any, and bunching kale with one hand. Rachel currently manages the Fellowship Program at the Farmer Veteran Coalition.The Fellowship Program enables veterans to invest in the infrastructure and tools they need to feed their community. Here, Rachel administers grants that support veteran farmers in their new careers.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/15/384-rachel-petitt/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Reducing food waste and feeding plants at the same time.In This Podcast: He grew up on a farm, and as a teenager he thought he needed to do something more than just take care of the cows. Josh Krenz went to college, found his way into marketing, and was learning the business end of farming and multi-national distribution. Eventually he decided to refocus his priorities a little closer to home that also made a difference. He tells us about creating an organic fertilizer using grocery store waste and optimized with a specialized metrics system.Josh is the CEO and founder of Vivid Life Sciences, a plant physiology company offering LIFEFORCE as one of their brand products.  He knows the business of farming from both sides — from large-scale sophistication and multi-national distribution with companies like Land O’ Lakes, to boot-strapping startups.Farmer Josh follows his heart when tending to his Highland cattle, organizing trips to the farm for local schools and charity events, or helping with his wife’s veterinary clinic. At the same time, he calculates his path forward with a head for business and a vision to bring more sustainability and performance to plant nutrition. He has worked in the fertilizer business a long time and is focusing on trying to reduce food waste by re-purposing it into fertilizer.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/11/383-josh-krenz/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.