The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

            Connecting with nature in gardens and farms to promote hope, joy and healing.In This Podcast:  It was after her cancer treatments and when she was feeling very low, that Jenny Peterson was encouraged to go into her outdoor space.  The hope and healing she found during her recovery was enough that she now guides and encourages others to find their wellness through gardening and connecting with the natural world.  Her experience has been a spring board to helping many others find their hope through the dark times.Jenny is an Austin, Texas-based garden designer with her own firm, J. Peterson Garden Design, as well as a writer, author and speaker. She specializes in designing, writing and speaking about gardens that enhance the quality of life, heal from the inside out, and help to create balance and wellness.She is a breast cancer survivor and the author of “The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion: Cultivating Hope, Healing & Joy in the Ground Beneath Your Feet” (St. Lynn’s Press 2016) and co-author of “Indoor Plant Décor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants” (St. Lynn’s Press 2013).Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/23/291-jenny-peterson/ for show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Telling the story that helps build business in a local market.In This Podcast: After spending some time in Major League Baseball, Chris Gruler recognized the benefit of a personal story and owning your own branding. He now works with companies big and small to help identify and promote their brands, a process that one of his projects is using to help promote the restaurants in his home town.  This essential of building a marketing strategy is valuable to local food businesses as well.Chris has been in the branding/internet game for close to 12 years, using his strengths in branding, storytelling, website development, and online strategy for growth. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and small businesses who are looking to expand or protect their brand online.He started ProtegeBranding.com in 2007 with the intent to assist companies and brands with their online presence. One such project dedicated to restaurants and local dining is ScottsdaleRestaurants.com where they create video reviews of local area restaurants to showcase the positive aspect of each restaurant!  A key piece that they highlight is how each restaurant uses locally grown produce.Chris is all about telling stories and assists his customers in telling the right one for their brand!!Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/21/290-chris-gruler/ for show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Appreciating America's forgotten fruit.In This Podcast: Amazed upon being introduced to a delicious tropical fruit that grew in temperate areas of the Americas, Andrew Moore delved into some heavy research to learn more about it. He found that this fruit has been growing on the continent for a very long time, has a rich history with both ancient fauna and early human civilizations. He tells us some of what he learned and why it has been forgotten.Andrew grew up in Lake Wales, Florida, just south of the pawpaw’s native range. He is a writer and gardener, and now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  His first book, Pawpaw, In Search of America's Forgotten Fruit was published through Chelsea Green in 2015 as a hardback and this year in paperback.  It was also nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/19/289-andrew-moore/ for show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.Andrew Moore on The Pawpaw Fruit

Bonus Episode 7: Seed Chat August 2017A 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 August 2017 episode with a Seed School Chat Class covering Seed School Teacher Training, a proposed Seed Saving Principles list, disaster planning, breeding program preparation, and so much more.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/2017/09/18/bonus-episode-7/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Connecting a community to its farmers and local food resources.In This Podcast: The community of farmers that she lived in was rich with interesting people and stories, so Elvira Di’Brigit took the time to get to know them. She shares her story of how she started farming as well as introducing a few interesting farms from her valley. Their cooperative methods of working and providing food for their community are great examples of thinking outside the box.About 17 years ago, Elvira moved her family to Capay Valley, where her passionate interest in sustainable living took hold. While teaching she explored curricula surrounding farming, environmental preservation and nutrition - all in support of sustainable living.She is the editor of CapayValleyGrown.net and the author of Why We Farm. She also serves on the organizing committee for the Hoes Down Harvest Festival, a fund-raiser for the Ecological Farming Association.Elvira holds a BA in international relations from UC Davis, a teaching credential and a Waldorf/Steiner Teaching Certificate. She lives in Rumsey, CA with her husband and 3 children.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/16/288-elvira-dibrigit/ for show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Educating and empowering the upcoming generation to be part of their food system.In This Podcast: After spending some time working at a farmers market, volunteering on an educational farm, and as a middle school science teacher, Dani Replogle has found her way to law school.  Now she studies environmental law and food law and has some insight on how millennials are taking part in not just local food, but also food activism.  Her passion comes through with her story and the other information she shares, which gives hope that the next generation is paying attention to where their food comes from and how the environment is being cared for.Dani is a second-year law student at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon. She fell in love with the sustainable food movement while working as an eighth-grade science teacher in Colorado and spending her Saturdays managing a stand at the Boulder Farmers Market.Dani spent the past summer working toward a sustainable food system model at Center for Food Safety, and will continue working for the public interest throughout the coming semester. When not reading textbooks, she spends her time climbing mountains, writing poetry, and playing ultimate frisbee. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/14/287-dani-replogle/ show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Breaking down the recipe for good, healthy soil.In This Podcast: The ingredients for healthy soil make up an essential recipe for gardeners and farmers, and is worth describing a few times until the perfect connection is made. Emily Rockey appreciates good soil so much that she earned the nickname "The Dirt Girl" and she loves helping others appreciate compost and soil. She has something important to say to those who think they have a ‘black thumb’!Emily received her degree in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona.  In the past, she worked at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, and the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  She is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for the tank's Green Stuff in Tucson, which specializes in "green" landscape debris recycling, construction debris recycling, and more. Emily brings her passion for both plants and recycling to the company’s composting operation. This is where they convert landscape debris into organic compost which is then returned to gardens and green spaces.  They offer an entire line of organic garden and landscape materials which are “Good for People, Plants, and Planet”; and are available under the name ‘Tank’s Green Stuff’. With her nickname ‘The Dirt Girl’, it is not hard to see that Emily loves talking about the importance of compost, microbes, and soil.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/12/286-emily-rockey/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.#UrbanFarmPodcast #goodsoil #TanksGreenStuff

An August 2017 Q&A session with two experts on Gardening and Fruit TreesJake Mace the Vegan Athlete and Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm are both gardening educators offering classes, podcasts, and videos on a large variety of gardening topics. Every month they get together for a monthly gardening chat to discuss what is going on in their gardens and answer your questions. This is the August 2017 Q&A episode with a variety of questions addressed from planning for planting, building healthy soil, and much more.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/11/bonus-episode-6/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Cyfrin Barefoot on Moving from Poverty to Paleo.In This Podcast: She had a feral childhood in the ghetto of Detroit and entered the foster care system at age 7. Later, as a young mother Cyfrin Barefoot wanted good food for her own children and became an organic farmer. Then, she fought for better food options for poor families on WIC and won. And, after a significant and heartbreaking business setback she rebounded to create a health-food business offering delicious foods that even fit paleo diet preferences. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/savortooth for more information   Cyfrin's childhood was rooted in deep poverty in the Detroit ghetto. As an adult, she raised six children and found an avocation of fighting for food justice. She made her living as an organic farmer for seven years, and later founded a non-profit that established and ran a 32-acre organic farm.Spurred by memories of childhood hunger and informed by years of farming, Cyfrin’s creative instincts came together in the creation of the Free Farms project. She obtained a business degree and then created Savor Tooth Paleo, a gluten-free and paleo bakery.  Company profits will be funneled into the acquisition and development of land in impoverished neighborhoods, as well as funding ongoing food production. The fresh organic food produced on these Free Farms will be available to area residents for free.  Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/09/285-cyfrin-barefoot/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Engineering a solution to a real threat affecting honey bees worldwide.In This Podcast: Having spent decades as a problem solver, Lynn Williams was not going to let a devastating influx of a tiny but effective killer mite threaten the existence of his beloved bees. He engineered a new tool for beekeepers is proving itself as a mite killer without damaging the hive, the honey or the bees.  All this and he still has another ace up his sleeve as the profits from this new product will be used to help under-privileged kids go to camp.After a long career on both the engineering and sales sides of industrial supply, Lynn started the hobby of beekeeping to increase the productivity of his family’s gardens.  A decade and a half later, and with many more hives he was frustrated to find the Varroa Destructor Mite had entered the local area. Unwilling to use pesticides, he elected to use his engineering background to find a solution.  2½ years later Lynn has an all-natural organic product that terminates the Varroa Mite without harming the bees.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/07/284-lynn-williams/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Understanding the living matrix that affects the quality of our food.In This Podcast: Having been drawn to the wonders of soil quality early on, Elizabeth Murphy has studied this living matrix in great detail.  She wants to make soil care an intuitive concept that all growers have. Today she shares some of the basics and with us including the make-up of soil, why cover crops are important and a few important DOs and DON’Ts of creating healthy soil. Elizabeth has a passion for growing food which led her to a master's degree in soil science from University of California, Davis, where she researched soil's organic matter storage and a farmer's ability to improve it. She was a faculty instructor for Oregon State University Extension's Small Farms Program, where she taught and consulted with gardeners and farmers about best management practices to build healthy soils.Since 2006, Elizabeth has owned a half-acre garden in southern Oregon, which she considers her laboratory for experimenting with sustainable soil management and gardening practices for landscapes and vegetables. She is the author of Building Soil: A Down to Earth Approach and currently, she lives in Tacoma, Washington. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/05/283-elizabeth-murphy/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

            Understanding a gentle and helpful creature  essential to our food production.In This Podcast:  It was a simple and unexpected class that ignited Stephanie Elson Bruneau’s passion for beekeeping and many others are benefiting from this as well.  She takes the time to explain some of the key aspects of bees and beekeeping, as well as clear up some common misconceptions about a gentle and helpful creature of the natural world. Her story includes a couple of EPIC moments that hopefully will inspire you to seek out something for your own passion!Stephanie is a beekeeper, herbalist, and artist. She runs The Benevolent Bee, where she spends her time educating all of us about bees. At the Benevolent Bee "Teaching Apiary" Stephanie observes, learns, and teaches about bees and bee behavior to students of all ages.Stephanie also teaches classes about bees and their products at Northeastern University, The Cambridge Center for Adult and Community Education, The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, The Boston School of Herbal Studies, and Temple University.  She is also the author of an aptly named book titled The Benevolent Bee.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/02/282-stephanie-elson-bruneau/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Making gardening easier through a series of simple shortcuts, and changing your life through gardening.In This Podcast: Initially we thought this might be an episode that focused on gardening hacks, and Shawna Coronado has over 100 hacks to share, so we did get to hear some cool ideas. Yet there was so much more to the conversation as important mindsets to help make gardening and life in general less stressful and more enjoyable became a topic that stole the show.  Her infectious attitude is sure to help put you at ease and might help you focus on the things you love too!Shawna is an author, columnist, blogger, photographer, and spokesperson for organic gardening, green lifestyle living, and culinary preparation, as wells as and avid campaigner for social good. Her goal in authoring gardening and green lifestyle books is to promote a world initiative to encourage healthy and sustainable living. Shawna was featured as a Chicago Tribune "Remarkable Woman" and speaks internationally on building community, simple urban garden living, and green lifestyle tips for the everyday person.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/31/281-shawna-coronado/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Using native plants to creatively interact with wildlife and avoid landscaping conflicts.In This Podcast: If you are a person who really cares about all wildlife and creatures great and small then it probably bothers you a lot if an animal is killed through human carelessness.  This is the podcast for you.  Nancy Lawson writes about smart gardening choices that can reduce the problems of invasive animals and insects, thereby reducing the need to cull or harm bothersome animals.  Even if you are not particularly protective of animals, she has ideas that can help reduce problematic visits and save your garden plants and veggies.Nancy is a columnist for All Animals magazine, as well as the founder of Humane Gardener - an outreach initiative dedicated to cultivating compassion for all creatures great and small through animal-friendly, environmentally-sensitive landscaping methods.She speaks frequently to local & national audiences, and volunteers as both a master naturalist and master gardener in central Maryland.Nancy is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, published by Princeton Architectural Press in April 2017 and highlighted in Oprah magazine, the Washington Post, and Library JournalGo to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/29/280-nancy-lawson/  for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Helping one city understand the realities of food insecurity.In This Podcast: Finishing her master’s degree required a semester project and Cindy Tran’s had fallen through since the city food policy she was going to evaluate had not been passed yet. Realizing the city leaders either did not fully understand what food security was or how significant the issue of food insecurity was for their own citizens, she developed a new project to fix this.  Cindy spent her semester gathering all the evidence, including what city already commissioned, and helped frame it in a report that convinced them there was an issue and that it could be tackled. This helped the city take action and the resulting food system strategy is one worth emulating in many other cities.Cindy completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree at the University of Melbourne with a major in Pathology and matured her quantitative research skills at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute as a research student. She subsequently completed her Masters of Public Health at the University of Melbourne.  Cindy specialized in health policy & promotion, and developed a good understanding of the Australian Health Care System.  She has a strong interest in obesity and diabetes and how these are influenced by our cities and food system. Cindy produced a background report collating local evidence about the issue of food security within the City of Moreland.  This report contributed to the endorsement of the Moreland Food System Strategy in May 2017.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/26/279-cindy-tran/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Inspiring creativity in communities everywhere.In This Podcast: It was a lucky find that inspired Margret Aldrich to change her direction and motivated her to write a book about how the finding or creating that same thing has affected many others. The Little Free Library project is going worldwide and with each little one there is more community building, inspiration ignited, and enlightenment coming to pass. Learn how you can partake of this through the Little Free Library Movement!Margret is the author of The Little Free Library Book through Coffee House Press, and has published her work with The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Experience Life, and beyond.  From Little Free Libraries to tiny houses, integrative medicine to introverted kids, digital detoxing to co-op bookstores, her writing hunts for happiness, community, and what makes humans thrive.A former editor at Utne Reader, longtime book editor, and seasoned news producer, Margret is now the programming manager at the Little Free Library nonprofit organization and is a regular contributor to Book Riot. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband, two entertaining young boys, a little garden, and of course her own Little Free Library.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/24/278-margret-aldrich/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Building a business on the tiniest greens.In This Podcast: As a young adult with an unfocused passion, Joseph Martinez was looking for something that he could feel good doing.  His travels gave him little nudges in the right direction, but things did not really come clear until he decided to start a business with his brother and got some unexpected advice from a client. Just a few years later, they have a thriving business growing microgreens and he’s loving the difference he is making and the meaningfulness that exists in his life.Joseph is a co-founder of Arizona Microgreens, an urban farm in Phoenix which produces microgreens for restaurants, schools, and individuals throughout the state of Arizona. Using a DIY approach of starting small and growing incrementally, Joseph and his brother built their start-up from a 200-square-foot self-built greenhouse, to a social enterprise model operating out of a 13,000-square-foot greenhouse today.Initially focused on the fine-dining market, Arizona Microgreens is now producing microgreens for farm-to-school programs, naturopathic clinics, and a much broader range of diverse customers. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/22/277-joseph-martinez/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 5: Seed Chat July 2017A chat with experts on Seeds, Bill McDorman and Julia Coffey. In This BONUS Podcast:Bill McDorman brings a friend and fellow seed enthusiast Julia Coffey to the chat to help explain about running a seed business.  Together they talk to Greg about being a seed grower, germination testing, maintaining seed projects,  running a seed business and much more in this the July 2017 episode of Seed School Chat. Julia Coffey is the president of Seeds Trust: an incredible company dedicated to encouraging customers to save seeds and reverse the loss of biodiversity not only in our backyards but around the world. She is from Denver, Colorado and when not measuring out seeds, printing packets, growing tomatoes, hunting down the most resilient and special seed varieties, she likes to take full advantage of the magnificent swath of Rocky Mountains by hiking, backpacking, climbing, and breathing fresh air. She likes to sing and is a member of the Colorado choir, an 80s a cappella group, a hip hop a cappella group, and a rock and roll/blues band. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with degrees in Linguistics and French and lived in France teaching English and learning about local food market economies vs. the global industrialized food model.She met Bill McDorman while visiting a permaculture farm in Lyons, CO. He was giving a lecture on seeds and seed diversity and it genuinely changed her life. She immediately found him after the lecture and told him she wanted to be involved in whatever way she could. She ended up attending one of Bill and Belle's first Seed School workshops and continued to apprentice with him in Cornville, Arizona. Julia helped Bill and Belle run Seeds Trust until she bought the business from him in 2011. She then returned to Denver to provide high altitude adapted seed to mountain growers.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/21/bonus-episode-5/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

Meeting the first 'Poultry Personality' of Backyard Poultry.In This Podcast: His hobby of raising chickens developed into helping others succeed in raising their own. This led Andy Schneider into becoming the first well known "poultry personality" in the world of backyard poultry and eventually running a business that he loves.  He uses this notoriety to help correct misinformation through science and fact.Better known as The Chicken Whisperer, Andy has become the go-to guy for anything chicken related. He has helped countless people start their own backyard flocks and has assisted in changing more laws around the country to allow backyard chickens than anyone else.  He is a well-known radio personality as the host of the Backyard Poultry with The Chicken Whisperer radio show, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Chicken Whisperer Magazine, the National Spokesperson for the USDA-APHIS Biosecurity for Birds Program, and author of The Chicken Whisperer’s Guide to Keeping Chickens.  Andy travels around the U.S. educating people through science-based, fact-based, and study-based information about the many benefits of keeping backyard chickens and how to ensure they stay healthy and free from disease. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/19/276-andy-schneider/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Covering some basic questions about making cheese at homeIn This Podcast: Having a small dairy farm is very helpful if you are going to make cheese at home, and Gianaclis Caldwell shares some of the truths she collected as she learned to make her own cheeses.  She helps explain some of the differences between common cheeses as well as how slight changes in the process can change the resulting cheese.  Gianaclis is the main cheese-maker, milker and owner of Pholia Farm, a licensed dairy located on 24 acres in southern Oregon.  Her farm is well known for its artisan, aged raw milk cheeses; as well as classes on small-dairy, goat husbandry, and cheese-making at all levels.Her book, Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking by Chelsea Green Publishing, has received praise and awards from all levels of the cheese world for her writing and photography. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/17/275-gianaclis-caldwell/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Working together with other small farms to provide farm goods to a local economy.In This Podcast: Not having enough eggs to keep her farm stand stocked, Deb Kolaras reached out to a couple neighboring small farms to add their products to hers. What has developed is a successful honor based farm stand that neighbors shop to find their fresh produce, eggs and cheeses. Using her marketing background she is focusing a local economy to support small farmers.  Trading her digital marketing agency in Boulder, Colorado, for a small farm in rural Virginia, Deb and her husband set out to expand their backyard hobby farming into a slightly larger and more sustainable homestead.  While restoring a 1907 farmhouse, they’re raising chickens & goats, and selling the food products at their roadside honor farm-stand.Other local micro farms also sell produce and goods in Deb’s farm stand as she is working to help improve her local microeconomy by networking and supporting small farmers and producers in her county.Her background is in business, but she’s always had a passion for making, building, re-purposing, and then harvesting the goods from those labors.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/15/274-deb-kolaras/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Buzzing through some basics on bees, hives and honey.In This Podcast:  Starting from a bucket list item on her boyfriend's wall, Hilary Kearney jumped into the world of beekeeping and found her passion.  She teaches us some basics about bees, beekeeping, and the honey that they produce.  She also shares some tips for new beekeepers including some highlights of introducing new queens to a hive.  If you've had an interest in beekeeping, this might just help you jump in too!Hilary owns and operates Girl Next Door Honey, and is a full-time beekeeper in her home town of San Diego, California where she provides educational opportunities for hundreds of new beekeepers each year. She is the author of the blog Beekeeping Like A Girl and maintains a popular Instagram account with over 42,000 followers around the world who are inspired by her beekeeping exploits and unique business model.  When she’s not rescuing bee hives, teaching classes, photographing bees or managing one of her sixty colonies… she’s sleeping and dreaming of bees.  Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/12/273-hilary-kearney/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Motivating the necessary people to create and maintain a lasting grade school garden program.In This Podcast:  A class project for her community college biology students to create a school garden at an elementary school challenged Lori Rose to move from the theoretical world to the epic one she has created for the local grade schools in her community. The tricky part was that she did not know how to garden at the time. She did not let that stop her, and it built into an amazing and EPIC new program at her college. Her lessons learned on how to make a school garden project that lasts are valuable indeed. Lori is a college instructor for biology, nutrition, herbal and wellness classes, as well as a board-certified nutrition professional & holistic nutrition consultant, registered herbalist, and holistic health coach.  She also created, developed, and instructs in, the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway program in Cleburne, Texas. Lori is a wife & mother, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She loves spreading love & light, and helping others feel great on the inside & out so they can live their dreams! When not doing all that, she is an organic gardener of vegetables, fruits, & medicinal herbs, at home and at the Hill College school garden.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/10/272-lori-rose/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Learning the identity and uses for common plants growing wild in North America.In This Podcast: Sharing her knowledge about wild herbs and plants is exactly what Brigitte Mars wants to do and she used modern technology to reach this goal. After an inspiring walk with a couple of Navy Seals, she focused on making a new mobile app specifically to help identify wild plants and educate on their uses and dangers if any.  She shares with us some common plant and what they are useful for along with a few suggestions on how to protect plants in your areas. Brigitte is an herbalist and nutritional consultant of Natural Health with almost fifty years of experience.  She is also the author of more than a dozen books and DVDs. However, today we are most interested in her mobile app for wild plant reference called iPlant.She teaches Herbal Medicine at Naropa University, and The School of Health Mastery in Iceland and has taught at Esalen, Kripalu, the Arise Festival and Mayo Clinic.Brigitte is the author of more than a dozen books and DVDs, including - The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing, The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, and her most recent book through Storey Publishing called Natural First Aid.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/08/271-brigitte-mars/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 4: Ask Jake and Greg. A July 2017 Q&A session with two experts on Gardening and Fruit Trees.In This BONUS Podcast: Jake Mace the Vegan Athlete and Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm are both gardening educators offering classes, podcasts, and videos on a large variety of gardening topics. Every month they get together for a monthly gardening chat to discuss what is going on in their gardens and answer your questions.  This is the JULY 2017 Q&A episode with a variety of questions addressed from planning for planting, building healthy soil, and much more. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/07/bonus-episode-4-ask-jake-and-greg/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Improving results in your garden through planning and record keeping.In This Podcast: Putting a brand new edible landscape together for homeowners and even apartment communities in the Seattle area is just another work day for Colin McCrate, and he loves it.  So, after several years and many gardens built & maintained, he has learned a thing or two about how to improve the production of vegetables.  He helps explain some of that here and shares a few of his tips and techniques. Colin has been growing food organically for the past 15 years.  He worked on a variety of small farms in the Midwest before moving to the west coast in 2003 to teach garden-based environmental education.  He quickly realized that Washington is the most beautiful state in the Union, and has been farming, teaching and designing landscapes there ever since.  He founded the Seattle Urban Farm Company in January of 2007 and still looks forward to planting potatoes every spring.  Colin is the author of two books High-Yield Vegetable Gardening published by Storey Publishing and Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/05/270-colin-mccrate/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Spreading Education and support about an oft dismissed, yet devastating disease.In This Podcast: There is a disease spreading across the United States and other countries, unchecked and in many cases dismissed or ignored, at great physical, emotional and financial cost.  Sarah Schlichte Sanchez was infected in a state that supposedly did not have Lyme disease, so getting answers and help was almost impossible.  Now she spends much of her time helping others who need support and information about this ruthless illness. She shares her story here.Sarah contracted Lyme Disease as a teenager, however it took 17 years of pain and suffering before she received an accurate diagnosis.  Since starting treatment at the age of 37, she has devoted her time to help others cope with the daily struggles of living with a chronic illness.  She is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and together with her husband Aaron, produces a regular podcast called LymeVoice. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/03/269-sarah-sanchez/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Assisting urban and rural farmers negotiate the maze of promotion and marketing.In This Podcast: When agriculture is a serious passion, then one way or another your path will probably lead you to a place like a state farm bureau.  Julie Murphree cares so much about helping farmers find ways to succeed that she wrote a book and tries to personally deliver them when she visits farms in her state. Her years of experience and her network of agriculture resources help her bring a bounty of ideas to new or struggling farmers, as well as to those who are ready to move up to the next level.Julie previously ran her own public relations & marketing firm supporting clients in the agriculture and technology industries before joining the Arizona Farm Bureau as the Outreach Director. She works with farmers and ranchers throughout the state to advance the importance of agriculture as a food security issue for our state and the nation.Julie is a native of Arizona, grew up on a cotton and alfalfa farm in Pinal County where she was in production agriculture with her parents until 2005. She is the author of two books, Fresh Air and A Farmer's Guide to Marketing the Direct-Market Farm published by the AZ Farm Bureau.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/01/268-julie-murphree/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Addressing the impact water scarcity will have on food resources on a national level.In This Podcast: Filmmaker and environmental planner Jim Thebaut has been working hard to educate others about serious issues involving the water-food nexus which can have a major impact on national security.  Although his upcoming film is regionally based, the consequences can have tremendous reach.  His message can be applied to any area and needs to be considered by all policy makers as they are faced with decisions that have lasting impacts.Jim is a former Regional Environmental Planner and was responsible for numerous Environmental Impact Statements, and Planning Studies in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. He is currently president and CEO of The Chronicles Group, a not-for-profit corporation focusing on educating the public through media about profound issues that affect both human and ecological systemsHe has written, produced and directed an array of prominent, socially significant productions, including “The Iceman Tapes,” A&E’s “Bad Cops,” and “Execution at Midnight.”His environmentally focused pieces include “Running Dry” a documentary regarding the worsening global humanitarian water crisis, along with its follow up “The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?”, and “Beyond the Brink” a film on how food shortages like the one in California's San Joaquin Valley will lead to a National Security Threat (to be released Fall 2017).  Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/29/267-jim-thebaut/ for more information on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

266: Jonathan Pereira on What is Beyond Sustainable. Creating a circular economy system with cooperating businesses for shared benefits.In This Podcast: Cooperating business that work together to succeed as they reduce the waste stream at the same time. While this might sound unrealistic, this concept is succeeding through a project in Chicago, and Jonathan Pereira tells us more about how it came about.  Plant Chicago is working to help bring the concept of circular economy into practice anywhere they can through education and inspiration. Jonathan holds a BS in Geology and a Masters in Science Education, and has worked as an informal science educator for over 15 years before joining the non-profit organization Plant Chicago.  He has developed numerous innovative programs including Greencorps Youth Program in Chicago, and Greentrack at Manhattan Comprehensive Night-and-Day High School in New York.  In 2012, he was nominated with his students from Global High School for the Zayed Future Energy Prize.As Executive Director, Jonathan is working to bring the circular economy to life inside Plant Chicago and outward to the neighborhood. He sees a future where businesses work together to ensure both the economy and the environment are thriving.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/27/266-jonathan-pereira/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Shifting a food-growing landscape into a more natural systemIn This Podcast: Learning about many different methods to garden, Kateen Fitzgerald kept going and learning until she found the program that put everything into place for her.  Now she teaches others about permaculture, dynamic designing, and working with nature to cultivate a landscape to a beautiful and productive result.  She talks about what can be gained from the many concepts of landscape design that has become her passion.  Kateen is a tree of many branches; she’s a design consultant, mentor, teacher, farmer, gardener, and mom. After 20 years of teaching and mentoring, she decided to create something more. In 2007, she purchased 40 acres of land near Port Townsend, WA and built Compass Rose Farms, a bio-intensive family farm and homestead.Two years later she began an internship program to teach modern homesteading, holistic animal wifery, and regenerative food systems. Effectively, converting the farm into a permaculture demonstration site, she then founded The Dirt Rich School, a nonprofit education program dedicated to “Empowering people to live in abundance and thrive in a changing world.”Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/25/265-kateen-fitzgerald/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 3: Brendan Gaughran on Liver Health.Chat with an expert on Gut Health. In This BONUS Podcast: Brendan Gaughran was a podcast guest not too long before this interview which took place one evening as Greg invited him back to discuss gut health further and specifically focus on liver health. This is a variety of health and nutrition issues brought into an easy to understand perspective.Brendan holds a degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Connecticut and his MBA from Bentley University. He has spent 15 years in the Healthcare field and was an executive for a major nutraceutical manufacturer before starting multiple companies of his own, the latest being Liver Medic. He conducts health lectures to both physicians and the public. His research focuses primarily on gut health, liver health, endocrine system, adrenal fatigue and optimum diets.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/24/bonus-3-brendan-gaughran/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

264: Anne Biklé on Microbial Roots of Life and HealthMapping the nutritional highway that connects healthy soil to healthy plantsIn This Podcast: The microscopic world of fungi and other soil organisms is crucial to the health of soil, plants and any being that lives off those plants. Biologist Anne Biklé understands the relationship between the lifeforms which create the microbiome that starts the food chains, and helps explain the basics in this conversation. Anne is a biologist and avid gardener whose wide-ranging interests have led her into watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health.  She uses her broad background and endless fascination with the natural world to investigate and write about people and their environments. Anne is also a rampant plant whisperer, coaxing plants into rambunctious growth or nursing them back from the edge of death.  She uses her garden, a nearby traffic circle and sidewalk planting strip as places to watch plants, people, and their interactions.She co-wrote The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health with her husband David Montgomery who was our guest on episode 259.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/22/264-anne-bikle/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

263: Deanna Cook on Kids and Farmers MarketsCreating an early love of healthy foods and cooking through fun activities.In This Podcast: Encouraging kids to enjoy healthy cooking and eating is an investment in their future, and Deanna Cook has some activities to help make that a little easier and a lot more fun.  Working with kids, learning how they enjoy cooking, and helping them have fun in the kitchen has been a focus of hers since just after high school. She has used this experience to create several fun books to help parents teach healthy lifestyles early.Deanna graduated from college and received a Watson Fellowship to travel around the world and collect recipes from kids. This led her to write her first book The Kids' Multicultural Cookbook.Keeping her focus on kids and cooking, she has been the creative development director at FamilyFun, an editor at both Scholastic and Disney, and is currently the content director at Kidstir.com, and kids’ book and cookbook acquisitions editor at Storey Publishing.Deanna, has written dozens of award-winning books for kids including Baking Class, the best-selling Cooking Class, and Farmers Market Create-and-Play Activity Book.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/20/263-deanna-cook/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

262: Bill Sadler on Nutrition to the Soil and PlantsDeveloping solutions for our growing mediumsIn This Podcast: Soil nutrition is not just a simple matter to Dr. Bill Sadler; it is so significant that feeding the life in the soil is central to the whole life cycle.  He explains the importance of healthy nutrition for the multiple families of organisms in the soil, as well as why different groups need different foods.  He also shares why noticing which weeds are growing can help you understand what is happening in your soil.Bill began farming at the age of eight, when under the watchful eye of his father, he both successfully managed his own tomato & vegetable stand selling his own harvests, and helped raise Nubian dairy goats on the family farm.When his family purchased a large farm in rural Missouri, he and his father developed a cattle operation and planted their own vineyard. His father’s pioneering influence and background in agriculture and sustainable farming led Bill to appreciate these methods long before they were considered “cool.”Bill earned his PhD in Biochemistry, and with skills as a proven problem solver, focuses on developing green and sustainable solutions for a wide range of products and services.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/18/262-bill-sadler/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

261: Brigitte Mars on Natural First Aid Preparing a resource for quick response to emergency incidents with simple and natural ingredients.In This Podcast: She knew that she wanted to avoid needing doctors ever since she was very young. So, Brigitte Mars has spent her entire life learning about and using natural herbs, plants, and oils for health and the prevention and treatment of minor ails. She shares with us the essentials of a good first aid kit and several examples of first aid remedies.Brigitte is an herbalist and nutritional consultant of Natural Health with almost fifty years of experience. She teaches Herbal Medicine at Naropa University, and The School of Health Mastery in Iceland and has taught at Esalen, Kripalu, the Arise Festival and Mayo Clinic.Brigitte is the author of more than a dozen books and DVDs, including - The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing, The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, and her most recent book through Storey Publishing called Natural First Aid. She also created a wild plant reference app called iPlantGo to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/15/261-brigitte-mars/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

260: Amanda Jordan-Starks on Vacant Land into Urban GardensNourishing a community and its youth through transformative garden programs on vacant properties.In This Podcast: Vacant lands can become whatever you see in them, and for Amanda Jordan Starks she sees potential. Potential for her community, and especially the youth that can grow and blossom by working the land and growing the food that nourishes the people that make up the community.  She tells us more about the programs that are working to make this happen in her area.Amanda is third generation Californian, raised in a small coastal town near the Oregon border. She went to the University of California, San Diego to pursue a degree in International Studies-Political Science, and obtained her Master's degree in Social Justice.  Amanda currently works with UrbanLife Ministries, and directs its youth outreach and community development activities.  Her love for growing food and serving youth came together when she began directing the UrbanLife Farms program which uses vacant land to grow local, healthy produce and provide job skills training to teenagers. Her favorite veggies are radishes and artichokes!Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/13/260-amanda-jordan-starks/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

259: David Montgomery on Bringing Our Soil Back to Life.Using a geology background to understand regenerative soil processes.In This Podcast: Studying the surface formation of the earth usually means looking at geological processes taking place over long periods of time.  Geologist David Montgomery, however, became interested in studying more than just rocks and focused on something a bit more connected to life on earth and in the soil. As a non-farmer, his outsider’s perspective might help others understand the crucial processes taking place in regenerating this very necessary material for food production.David is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies.An author of award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered.David has written two books on soil: Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, and The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health which he co-wrote with his wife Anne Biklé.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/11/259-david-montgomery/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 2: Seed Chat June 2017A chat with an expert on Seeds, Bill McDorman In This BONUS Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the June 2017 episode with a Seed School Chat Class covering Seed School Online, de-hybridization, seed patents, and so much more.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.He authored the book, Basic Seed Saving, in 1994. In 2010, he and his wife Belle Starr created Seed School, a nationally recognized week-long training. He served as Executive Director of Native Seeds/SEARCH from 2011 to 2014. Bill is a passionate and knowledgeable presenter who inspires his audiences to learn to save their own seeds.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/10/bonus-episode-2-bill-mcdorman/ for show notes

258: Deb Burns on How to Get a Farming Book Published.Writing and publishing books for urban farmers, homesteaders and nature lovers.In This Podcast. Helping authors get published is what Deb Burns has done for more than two decades.  She explains a lot about the process and helps break it down and make it easier to understand for aspiring authors. If you have considered writing a book, this might help you get past some of those hurdles you’ve built.Storey Publishing is a prolific publisher of farming and gardening books.  Having roots going back to the 1970’s, their in-house editors and designers embrace the challenge of complementing each author’s work with book design, editing, and original illustration or photography to enhance the book’s distinctiveness and make it accessible as well as practical. We have had many Storey authors on our show and thought it might be great to get useful information on how to get your book published.Deb has been an Acquiring Editor at Storey Publishing for 23 years, where she oversees books on farming, animals, and nature.  She attended Bard College and UC Berkeley and currently lives in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts. She loves making music and traveling the world and has authored books on history and travel. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/08/258-deb-burns/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

257: Laura Allen on Greywater Exploring low-tech, sustainable water solutions for urban homes and landscapes. In this Podcast: A determination to save money and help the environment was the beginning of a career in water conservation and education for Laura Allen.  She tells us why water solutions became so important to her, as well as gives us an understanding of what a greywater system is and why anyone can set up an easy one for themselves. There are many different options to customize a functioning system and she helps explain the differences.Laura has spent the past 15 years exploring low-tech, urban, sustainable water solutions, while earning a BA in environmental science, a teaching credential, and a master’s degree in education.  Plus, she participated in the CA and WA state greywater code development committee.   She puts this to use by presenting at conferences, leading classes and workshops on rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and composting toilets.Laura is the author of Greywater, Green Landscape, and The Water-Wise Home: How to Capture, Conserve, and Reuse Water in Your Home and Landscape. Both published by Storey Publishing.   She is also the co-founder of GreywaterAction.org, an education based organization that teaches people how to design and install greywater systems and was the 2014 recipient of the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award of Water Champion.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/06/257-laura-allen/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

256: Tammi Hartung on the Versatility of Plants. Discovering amazing uses for herbs, weeds and other common North American plants.In This Podcast: Curiosity about the uses and benefits of plants led Tammi Hartung to do some pretty interesting research.  She has a significant knowledge base to pull from since she loves plants and has over 1200 varieties on her farm, yet she wanted to know more and shares a little of what she found.  There are some amazing surprises that blew our mind, let us know if you think so too.Tammi is an ethnobotanical herbalist, organic farmer, author and international speaker. She has been working with plants for more than 37 years.She and her husband, Chris, own Desert Canyon Farm, a certified organic farm in southern Colorado where they grow more than 1200 different varieties of plants.Tammi is the author of several books including the national bestseller Homegrown Herbs, The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener, and her newest book Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine, Published by Storey Publishing.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/04/256-tammi-hartung/ for more information & links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

255: Gianaclis Caldwell on Holistic Goat Care   Considering the whole picture of raising goats and their benefits.In this podcast: Raising goats in a holistic and nurturing manner is second nature to Gianaclis Caldwell.  She shares with us some uplifting and useful advice on caring for these unique farm animals, including the three most important things to know about them. She also tells how she and her husband started their dairy farm from scratch and off-the-grid, raised their family, and now they host guests who get to know the intricacies of goat farming. This is a great resource for anyone considering raising goats.In addition to actively managing their dairy goats, Gianaclis is the main cheesemaker, milker and owner of Pholia Farm, a licensed dairy located on 24 acres she grew up on in southern Oregon. Her farm is well known for its artisan, aged raw milk cheeses; classes on small-dairy, goat husbandry, and cheesemaking at all levels; and its off-grid, sustainable life-style focus.She is the author of many books including Holistic Goat Care, Mastering Basic Cheesemaking, The Small-Scale Cheese Business, and often writes and photographs for Culture – The Word on Cheese magazine. Gianaclis and her husband Vern own and run Pholia, where they are raising their daughters Phoebe and Amelia.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/07/01/255-gianaclis-caldwell/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

254: Stephanie Tourles on Natural Ways to Repel InsectFocusing on natural options to create your own bug repellents.Due to the increasing concern about tick and mosquito populations spreading, as well as the diseases they carry, we pushed this interview to the top of our calendar.  Please share this interview with your friends in those areas that are high tick infestation areas, or those who just love the outdoors.In This Podcast: Years of studying skin care and natural ingredients has led Stephanie Tourles to put together several recipes for natural insect repellents. She shares some important information about using natural product recipes, as well as a recipe for a great smelling tick and mosquito repellent.   Stephanie has practiced and taught healthy living for more than 25 years.  She is a licensed holistic esthetician with a strong background in Western and Ayurvedic herbalism, has extensive training in the nutritional sciences, and is an avid organic gardener.Stephanie is also a certified aromatherapist, a nationally certified foot & hand reflexologist, and a professional member of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists.Currently residing in Orland, Maine, she is the author of twelve books the including Organic Body Care Recipes, Hands-On Healing Remedies, and Naturally Bug-Free all available through Storey Publishing. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/29/254-stephanie-tourles/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

253: Tony Kasowski on Farm TrippinTraveling across several states and profiling examples of amazing farms.In This Podcast: Chatting with friends on his social media about their farming activities and garden projects got to the point where Tony Kasowski decided he needed to just go see some of those farms and gardens for himself.  We hear his plans for this summer, when he is going on a road trip to see farms, where he will learn new things and share some knowledge & skills along the way.  The cool part is that he is going to share the adventure with the rest of his social media friends. Tony is Co-Founder and Principal Farmer at St Vincent de Paul Urban Farms in Phoenix, Arizona. The agricultural division to the charity provides food production, education, and revenue generation, and has produced over one hundred thousand pounds of fresh food to feed the working needy and homeless through five dining rooms in Arizona. The farm is also responsible for mitigating over one million pounds of food and landscape material through its composting initiatives.Tony is also the founder of GrowKale.com where he consults, educates, designs and builds ecological and chemical free edible spaces. His current project, Farm trippin is a cross country road trip showcasing ways to grow food mindfully, while featuring the individuals and their stories behind the farms. He will be sharing the journey through his website Farmtrippin.com and his informative Instagram @Tonygrowsfood.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/27/253-tony-kasowski/ for more information and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 1: Ask Jake and Greg. A Q&A session with two experts on Gardening and Fruit Trees.In This BONUS Podcast: Jake Mace the Vegan Athlete and Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm are both gardening educators offering classes, podcasts, and videos on a large variety of gardening topics. Every month they get together for a monthly gardening chat to discuss what is going on in their gardens and answer your questions.. This is the June 2017 Q&A episode with a variety of questions addressed from shade trees, mulching, fertilizing, soil amendments, watering, and much more. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/26/bonus-episode-1-jake-and-greg/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.Episode 252.5

252: Ed Vaccaro on Hydration for Outdoor Pets and Small AnimalsCreating a product for animals that also helps plants and then getting it to market.In this podcast:  We learn about the motivation to create an ingenious watering device for animals which directs discarded water into useful watering for plants. Ed Vaccaro shares more than just how his unique product works, he shares how he was able to get it onto store shelves and make a new business from a great idea. Ed grew up in northern California during the 70’s. His parents were in the flower business and his uncle was in the plant business. His relationship with his family and their businesses influenced the direction he took in life. A keen animal lover from early childhood, he joined the famed animal husbandry organization 4-H.After working in the solar industry for a while in the 80’s, he eventually went back to his roots and launched his own plant business.  He quickly won accounts with two large grocery store chains and opened a store in the San Francisco Flower Market.These days Ed is the proprietor of HydroPet an automatic outdoor water bowl for pets – that periodically automatically refreshes itself while repurposing old water to nearby trees, shrubs and plants.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/24/ed-vaccaro/ for more information and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

251: Shane Jordan on Food Waste.Making recipes from those leftover ingredients that might have been tossed.In this podcast: Creating a delicious meal using cooking scraps that would have been tossed, or maybe even looked over when shopping, is something that Shane Jordan wants everyone to try. He explains this philosophy for us here and invites you to try things like his Banana Skin Curry.   Shane is a vegetarian chef and author based in Bristol, England.  He works as a part time chef at Arc Cafe while teaching cooking at Universities and Festivals. He has been described as a "pioneer" for this imaginative use of food waste in restaurants and has written a cookbook detailing his alternative approach, called Food Waste Philosophy.  In it he explains his concepts and shares many of his popular recipes.Shane has a passion for education, working in schools and spreading the green message – he is dedicated to showing that dealing with environmental issues can be a fun and interesting experience.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/22/shane-jordan/ for more information and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

Greg Peterson - 250th Episode Special Interviewing Farmer Greg himself - about his life mission and creating The Urban Farm.In this podcast: This is the 250th episode of The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson and the tables are turned as our guest host Jake Mace gets to take control of the interview.  Greg tells us his story, how writing a mission statement for a college assignment affected him, and why naming your farm is so important to him.  And, he shares more about the origin of The Urban Farm Nursery and of Urban Farm U.   Greg has lived at the Urban Farm for almost 30 years.  His 1/3-acre yard features an entirely edible landscape, including over 70 fruit trees, rainwater and grey-water harvesting, solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials.Greg is a longtime permaculture advocate, flunked out of university in 1981 because he was bored, then went back twenty years later to get a bachelor’s degree and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning in 2006 and is a lifelong continual learner.On his days off he hangs out in his garden with his sweetheart Heidi and their chickens, creating new projects and catching some rays.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/20/greg-peterson-250th-podcast/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests. 

249: Andrew Gunther on Humanely Raised Farm Animals Labeling for meats to show how the animal was cared for and prepped for consumption.In this podcast: We learn about how the way an animal is raised can make a difference, not only in the taste, but in how healthy the meat is for us as consumers.  Andrew Gunther explains why it is important to know this distinction and how to recognize it when making your buying selection at the store. Andrew is the Executive Director of A Greener World where he spearheaded the growth and development of the “Animal Welfare Approved”, or AWA, certification into what Consumer Reports calls the only “highly meaningful” food label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access, and sustainability.Andrew works to increase the availability of Certified AWA meat, dairy and eggs in traditional retail settings. He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation for the International Standardization Organization who is responsible for development of standards related to Animal Welfare.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/17/andrew-gunther/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests