The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Ping Honzay is currently Member Programs Associate for the American Horticultural Society (AHS), where she coordinates national garden programs including the annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium for educators and others who work to connect kids with plants and the natural world.  She has an M.S. in Natural Resources with a focus in environmental education, and has worked on a variety of organic farms and garden projects around the country.  When not in the office at AHS she enjoys keeping bees at River Farm, the AHS’s garden headquarters outside of Washington, DC. Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society (AHS) is one of the oldest national gardening organizations in the country.  AHS works towards its mission of “Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens” by providing educational resources such as its award-winning magazine The American Gardener, programming and events both nationally and locally at its River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, VA, recognizing outstanding gardening practices through its awards program, and more.IN THIS PODCAST: Ping and Greg discuss the importance of teaching youth to garden. They compare notes about their garden experiences with kids and the miracles the kids believe are happening.  She shares her story of how she got started in working with kids helping them get excited about gardening and then explains about the resources of the AHS' Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium. She also introduces the Great American Gardeners Awards  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/10/ping-honzay/ for show notes and links.

Ryan is a Golf Course Superintendent by profession, and a homesteader by passion.  He and his wife own the Live Simply, Live Richly Farm. His wife of four years works from home raising their two small children and supporting his farming addiction. They are pursuing a simpler, more natural, God-Centered lifestyle in west-central Ohio on their one-acre homestead.IN THIS PODCAST: Ryan tells Greg why he and his wife decide to start growing their own food and how that has developed into a virtually self-sustained homestead for his young family. Ryan explains about how he transformed his greenhouse, do their own canning and even raise their own meat birds so that they know exactly what they are eating. His story is one that is sure hit home for our listeners in one way or another.  Greg liked it so much that Ryan is one of our Featured Farmers!Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/06/ryan-leach/ for show notes and links. 

David grew up in the West in a small town working in the family toy factory and enjoying the rivers, mountains and sage covered hills. After earning his BA in Earth Sciences at UC San Diego in 1970, he headed to UC Davis to complete an MS in Ecology in the multidisciplinary Eco-Grad Program.  He started a company doing environmental impact analysis, then transitioned to a solar research and design firm, Living Systems, where he worked on community design, passive solar heating and cooling, building codes and solar rights.David’s research on passive solar heating and cooling led him to the California Energy Commission as a solar specialist, where he worked on the passive section of the state Solar Tax Credit program. He then established the Passive Solar Institute to continue research, education, and consulting on solar design and energy conservation. He worked in straw bale building systems and helped complete The Straw Bale House in 1994. He returned to academia and worked on desert restoration at UC Riverside and San Diego State University.  David’s current research involves micro-irrigation, cool pool design, and true cost accounting.IN THIS PODCAST: David shares his excitement with Greg about time tested techniques on gardening efficiently with less water. David explains some of what he learned over the past several decades researching traditional methods for collecting and using the precious resource in food production as well as in basic landscaping.  They discuss the olla method, and how he found it explained in a 2000+ year old textbook. There is something here for anyone who has a responsibility to water a plant.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/08/david-bainbridge/for show notes and links.

Missy Gable serves as director for the UC Master Gardener Program and co-director for the UC Master Food Preserver program, both statewide programs under University of California’s division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Missy earned a B.S. Biological Sciences and M.S. in Horticulture and Agronomy from UC Davis. She enjoys sharing her passion for home horticulture, sustainable landscaping and home food preservation with the 6,500+ UC Master Gardener and Food Preserver volunteers and program staff across California. She loves the direct impacts both programs make in local communities, from teaching communities about growing and preserving their own food, reducing food and water waste, improving pollinator habitats, beautifying landscapes, and so much more. IN THIS PODCAST: Missy introduces us to the Master Gardener Program and what the role and purpose of this program, as well as a new Master Food Preserver Program.  Then she educates Greg about two distinct climates zones maps and even teaches him a few things he did not know. We learn about weather, climate, microclimates, biomes, zone denial.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/03/missy-gable/ for show notes and links.

Tom has been involved in the nursery business since 1973. At that time, he was a freshman in high school and rode his skateboard to work. Since then he has worked for several different nurseries including Nogales Nursery where he learned landscape design, installation, irrigation and construction. Armstrong Nurseries where he worked with hybridizers, growers and retail on the weekends. La Verne Nursery which specializes in Avocado, Citrus, Sub-Tropical fruit trees and grafted ornamentals, where he was general manager for 20 years. And currently southwestern sales manager for Dave Wilson Nursery.Dave Wilson Nursery is the largest grower of fruit, nut and shade trees in the USA. They grow 10,500,000 plus trees per year and ships wholesale worldwide. Over the past 20 years Tom has also done television, video, radio, written, conducted workshops and lectured on the concepts of Backyard Orchard Culture and fruit growing in general. Tom's dedication and passion for quality fruit growing has taken him to dozens of states in the USA as well as several countries around the globe to consult and lecture on fruit trees and fruit growing concepts. IN THIS PODCAST: Greg and Tom share their passion for fruit trees and talk about some of the resources that home orchard growers have through Dave Willson Nursery and online. Tom talks about some of the learning experiences he has had over the years and a couple of pet projects at the Nursery including an online video library for backyard growers as well as a small orchard experiment with its real world challenges.  He also explains about hybridization and how that is different from genetic modification.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/01/tom-spellman-2/ for show notes and links.

Tom has been involved in the nursery business since 1973. At that time, he was a freshman in high school and rode his skateboard to work. Since then he has worked for several different nurseries including Nogales Nursery where he learned landscape design, installation, irrigation and construction. Armstrong Nurseries where he worked with hybridizers, growers and retail on the weekends. La Verne Nursery which specializes in Avocado, Citrus, Sub-Tropical fruit trees and grafted ornamentals, where he was general manager for 20 years. And currently southwestern sales manager for Dave Wilson Nursery.Dave Wilson Nursery is the largest grower of fruit, nut and shade trees in the USA. They grow 10,500,000 plus trees per year and ships wholesale worldwide. Over the past 20 years Tom has also done television, video, radio, written, conducted workshops and lectured on the concepts of Backyard Orchard Culture and fruit growing in general. Tom's dedication and passion for quality fruit growing has taken him to dozens of states in the USA as well as several countries around the globe to consult and lecture on fruit trees and fruit growing concepts. IN THIS PODCAST: Greg and Tom share their passion for fruit trees and discuss some tips and suggestions for the backyard, or small orchard, grower.  With decades of experience they talk about some important lessons learned about growing fruit trees for personal harvest. They explain the three concepts of backyard orchards and talk about how to help newly planted fruit trees survive the crucial first couple years after planting.  Tom also shares some great stories including one about an epic grafting on a sad little lemon tree.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/30/tom-spellman-1/ for show notes and links.

Shelley has distinguished herself by meeting the personal and professional challenges of living and working with progressively disabling multiple sclerosis. An award-winning writer, author of 7 books, and professional motivational speaker, Schwarz uses her experiences to inspire and empower audiences to rise above challenges and teaches them how to bloom where they’re planted.Her focus is finding solutions to common everyday problems that people diagnosed with chronic illnesses face.  From getting yourself dressed and making meals to tending gardens and continuing recreational activities you enjoy, her philosophy is that a problem is only a situation waiting for a solution. IN THIS PODCAST: Shelley shares an account of life with Greg who recognizes her as having an “epic” story. She has refused to allow her life enjoyment to end with her diagnosis of MS and now works to help others keep living their lives as well. She shares some tips, hacks and encouragement for how to keep doing what you love despite the physical challenges of illness or age.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/27/shelley-peterman-schwarz/ for show notes and links.

Loretta lives with her husband and two children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of north central Texas.  Having been gardening most of her adult life, she became intrigued with the urban homestead movement and is now on a mission to transform her little piece of the busy city into a thriving homestead.  Her passion was fueled even more when she discovered aquaponics and learned that she could combine her love of gardening with one of her other favorite things, fish!  Raising delicious tilapia in her aquaponics system only fed the fire and now their little homestead includes a small flock of laying hens with plans to add meat rabbits this fall.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg and Loretta have a great time sharing their love and appreciation of truly home prepared meals.  Loretta tells Greg all about how she has established her own aquaponics system on her homestead and now enjoys the health benefits of the love and care she has put into her organically based homestead.  Together they share some tips and advice on how to have success with aquaponics.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/25/loretta-messinger/ for show notes and links.

Mary was raised on a Holstein dairy farm in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York.  In 2008 she founded SEEAG, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture, which teaches children about the farm origins of their food and connects them to the farmland in their own backyard.  After years of teaching thousands of local school children, Mary realized their parents also knew little about local agriculture.  So she founded Ventura County Farm Day, a county-wide agricultural education event, which includes over 20 local farms, tours and activities.  In This Podcast: Greg chats with Mary and learns how she recognized the need for agriculture education for both kids and adults in her community and how she started an organization to do something about it. Mary also teaches Greg something he did not realize about agriculture and education. Together they share an appreciation of the Do-er’s in the world. And she explains about the annual event she organized to help farmers in her county connect with the residents through a day-long open house at farms around the county.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/23/mary-maranville/ for show notes and links

Morag loves living a permaculture life. She is a passionate permaculture teacher, an experienced designer, a permaculture blogger and film maker, a regular feature writer for the the Australian Permaculture Magazine and Correspondent for the new ABC Simple Living and Permaculture radio show.She lives at Crystal Waters a permaculture village in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast with her husband and young family, who she homeschools.  They designed and built their eco-home without going into debt, collect all their own water, deal with their own wastewater and produce their own power.  Morag loves teaching from her gardens - in this educational space she leads her Nature Kids programs, Young Ethos Scholar programs, Earth School camps for high school students and the Permaculture Life education series for adults.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg and Morag cross time to chat about the beauty of living a simple life in conjunction with nature. She tells an inspiring story of how she has implemented her permaculture learnings into her life and how she is now reciprocating by sharing that knowledge in a variety of permaculture education.  Listen to learn and be inspired, and perhaps bring a little bit of Crystal Waters into your own worldVisit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/20/morag-gamble/ for show notes and links.

Author of the recent award-winning book, “Harvest the Rain,” published in 2010 by Sunstone Press, Nate brings an extensive background to his current work and practice as a designer, “landscape-changer,” and forward-looking writer. For over a decade, Nate has spoken, taught, and penned numerous columns, guides, and publications extending permaculture practices in vitally important ways. At home, in our backyards, in the workplace, regionally, nationally, and internationally, Nate’s work addresses what he calls “changescapes,” “permapatterns,” and “permaDesign” — providing practical and visionary ways to be productive and add value to our lives, homes, communities, and environment.Nate’s PermaDesign firm believes decisions that “green” our daily lives should add beauty, comfort, and value to our most-important investments. While impacting our world at home, we can all positively affect the environment upon which we depend. Each of us can make a difference by the way we see and the way we act.IN THIS PODCAST:  Nate shares his story with Greg and they talk about how a Permaculture Design Course with Bill Mollison changed his life path. Together they consider "permaculture magic" and how that happens a lot in the world of permaculture. And Nate shares a lot of information about water harvesting methods and how they can be of use in a variety of climates. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/18/nate-downey/ for show notes and links.

Laura is a master teacher in numerous fields of the ancient science of life that arises from the Vedas and brings us Yoga, Ayurveda and Jyotish…time-tested and evidence-based pathways to healing, wholeness and higher self-actualization.  Working for years in the fields of health and human potential for decades, Laura is a Vedic Healer, Ayurvedic Consultant, Yoga Teacher, Jyotish Master, Life Coach, and well-followed blogger on Ayurvedic Nutrition. She has studied the world over with some of the greatest luminaries of our time, practicing and sharing what she has learned from ancient, proven wisdom for modern, exciting times.Offering classes and consultations in Ayurveda, Jyotish, Yoga Therapy, Whole Food Cooking and Nutrition, and life coaching, a session with Laura can address health issues, chronic pain, emotional balance, stress reduction, yogic living, spiritual growth, self-realization.  Her blog food-alovestory.com is an inspirational resource for sacred, sumptuous living.IN THIS PODCAST:  Laura and Greg share some mutual respect and appreciation as they discuss how important our place is in the world.  Laura shares her appreciation for the food and medicines that we can grow in our own gardens, and helps make the connection of nature and our bodies.  We also get an easy to understand explanation of Ayurveda. She closes with food suggestions for different Doshas and how we can plan for our health with the foods that we eat.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/16/laura-plumb/ for show notes and links.

Eric is the award-winning author of Paradise Lot and Perennial Vegetables, and the co-author of Edible Forest Gardens. He is an appointed lecturer at Yale University, a Senior Biosequestration Fellow with Project Drawdown, and an international trainer. Eric presents in English, Spanish, and botanical Latin throughout the Americas and beyond. He has studied useful perennial plants and their roles in agroforestry systems for over two decades. Eric has owned a seed company, managed an urban farm that leased parcels to Hispanic and refugee growers, and provided planning and business trainings to farmers. He is the author of The Carbon Farming Solution: A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agricultural Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food Security.Greg and Eric have a great conversation talking about carbon, climate change, permaculture and there are a few tidbits in here that even caught Greg by surprise.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/13/eric-toensmeier/ for show notes and links.

John is a husband, father to four, small farmer, author, and speaker. After serving on the board of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, he was asked to serve as interim Executive Director and now full Executive Director. John has participated in the small farming and food freedom movement in many ways over the years, serving as administrator for one of the largest local food buying clubs in the nation (Whole Life Buying Club).He acted by standing up with the members of that buying club to unjust enforcement actions that denied them access to real food, protesting the FDAs harassment of farmers and consumers seeking real food. John regularly speaks across the nation on matters related to food, health, and farming.  He and his family steward the 35 acres that they like to call Some Small Farm.John and Greg have an eye-opening chat about the rights of farmers and growers in America. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/11/john-moody/ for show notes and links.

Hayley joined International Network for Urban Agriculture (INUAg) as the Director of Programming and Operations in March of this year. She develops and leads international and regional programming for the organization.  Hayley graduated with a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Colgate University, and is thrilled to be working with INUAg to help urban farmers cultivate sustainable food systems.The INUAg advocates for, educates, and provides funding to urban farmers world-wide. They help urban growers connect to each other to share best practices and provide promotional support to their projects. They’ve facilitated exchanges between farmers in the U.S. and farmers in Europe, Canada, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and the Philippines. They are currently collecting submissions for their Annual International Leaders in Urban Agriculture AwardsVisit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/09/hayley-fager/ for show notes and links.

Kelly Houle is a botanical and wildlife artist, calligrapher, and founder of Books of Kell’s Press, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit that works to create handmade books and original art to raise awareness about science and nature, and to raise money for humanitarian causes. Kelly is also creating a handwritten illuminated manuscript based on the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin in addition to a handful of other illustration projects. Kelly’s original paintings, handmade books, and prints are in numerous public and private collections around the world. She is currently developing a pilot art and science program to help create Monarch butterfly habitats as teaching gardens in schools.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/06/kelly-houle/ for show notes and links.

Penny is internationally recognized as a prominent permaculture teacher, designer, and speaker. She holds a MS in Eco-Social Regeneration and a Diploma in Permaculture Design. Penny has been studying the Hermetic Tradition of alchemy and herbal medicine making in Europe and the United States for 4 years.Penny has been teaching internationally and working professionally in the land management, regenerative design, and permaculture development field for 25 years and has extensive experience in all phases of ecologically sound design and construction as well as the use of natural non-toxic building materials.She specializes in site planning and the design of resource-rich landscapes integrating - rainwater collection, edible and medicinal planting, spring development, pond and water systems, habitat development and watershed restoration for homes, co-housing communities, businesses, and diverse yield perennial farms. Listen in to hear about:Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/04/penny-livingston/ for show notes and links.

Becca lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and seven children. She loves to garden, preserve her own food, spend time with her family and she’s an aspiring homesteader. She hopes to own a slew of chickens and maybe even a goat. Becca has started her own homestead and created a blog of her experiences called “Simply Quaint Homestead” to help others who hope to make the journey as well. Her specialty is gardening and home-canning and believes they go hand in hand. She says “If you can grow enough of your own food, you are able to home-can enough to make it through the winter.”Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/08/02/becca-moore/ for show notes and links.

An Urban Hydroponic project of PureHarvest FoodsTim is an urban agrarian from a farm and agriculture education training and background. He has dedicated his life to building farmer based systems and programs to improve agriculture, humane care of animals and now local Urban Agriculture. His current endeavor is PureHarvests Foods and the Project Arizona Urban Organic Veggie, rejuvenating vacant land in the city with scaled vegetable production and training a local workforce to meet all of the community’s fresh vegetable needs.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/30/tim-amlaw/ for show notes and links.

Brad Lancaster is the author of the award-winning Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond and co-founder of DesertHarvesters.org.  Since 1993 Brad has run a successful permaculture education, design, and consultation business focused on integrated regenerative approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. In the Sonoran Desert, with just 11 inches of annual rainfall, he and his brother harvest about 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year on an eighth-acre urban lot and adjoining right-of-way. This harvested water is then turned into living air conditioners of food-bearing shade trees, abundant gardens, and a thriving landscape incorporating wildlife habitat, beauty, medicinal plants, and more.The goal of his book series and overall work is to empower his clients and community to make positive change in their own lives and neighborhoods—by harvesting and enhancing free on-site resources such as water, sun, wind, shade, community, and more. It’s catching on, as evidenced by tens of thousands of practitioners and demand for Brad’s work around the world.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/28/brad-lancaster/ for show notes and links.

Michelle’s love for gardening most likely was imprinted during her childhood in Switzerland where she grew up surrounded by green and lush vegetation. She spent most of her childhood in her parents’ garden, connecting on a deep level with nature.  In her mid-twenties, she moved to Phoenix for a 6-month adventure. And now, after 19 years, she calls Phoenix her home.  Michelle is a trained graphic designer who received her Masters exploring biomimetic and sustainable graphic design. She is full-time faculty at the Design School at ASU. These days, her garden provides her with much needed time for restorative energy while she is working on her second Master’s through the newly established Biomimicry Program at ASU as well as on the Biomimicry Professional certification through Biomimicry 3.8. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/26/michelle-fehler/ for show notes and links.

Darren is a community pro-activist who has committed his life to helping people.  He is Founder and CEO of TigerMountain Foundation (a.k.a. TMF), which has implemented Empowerment Initiatives to uplift communities and eliminate blight. Tiger Mountain’s initiatives are community garden / landscaping development, audio, visual and performance art, community service and volunteerism. The gardens promote healthy living by growing lush-gardens and feeding the community. TigerMountain Foundation’s Asset Based Community Development model was developed with the thought of urban renewal and restoration of communities. Participants who stay engaged are motivated to keep positive and will develop their individual very important assets. Darren’s motto is to change one mind and attitude at a time, encouraging all who have been touched to pay it forward, which will undoubtedly make the immediate community and the world a better place to live. Darren currently resides and works in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/23/darren-chapman/ for show notes and links.

Kerry is the founder and visionary of Zendoway and hopes to share with you from all her life experiences. Kerry serves as the Director of Human Resources and Operations for Actualize Consulting in which she spearheaded and runs a successful wellness program. In addition to wellness and leadership articles, Kerry has authored “Audrey’s Journey” a children’s book series focused on living with compassion and joy.  She also wrote the "Pile of Smile Activity Book" to give away free to children undergoing cancer treatments and If It Does Not Grow Say No” to teach kids about having fun with nutrition.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/21/kerry-wekelo/ for show notes and links.

Jessica is a home canning expert and has worked for Jarden Home Brands for over 11.5 years. She currently is an Analytics Specialist (or Home Canning Expert) in Consumer Affairs and a certified process engineer through the USDA.  Being a life-long resident in Muncie, Indiana, Jessica has a strong affinity toward the Ball brand & its heritage in her community.Now in its 6th year, Can-It-Forward Day has a “Facebook Live! Event” taking place on Friday, July 22nd from 10AM – 3:30PM ET.  Jarden Home Brands, will host a series of live, unique recipe demos taking place in kitchens across the country.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/19/jessica-piper/ for show notes and links.

Stacey has taught hundreds of teens and adults how to grow, harvest and prepare fresh foods. She is a recovering engineer and architect turned garden geek and farm nerd. Stacey founded BK Farmyards, a cooperative of urban farmers in Brooklyn dedicated to social justice through urban agriculture, and helped create over an acre of new farmyards in Brooklyn. She's been featured on Martha Stewart Radio, PBS online and once appeared on the David Letterman show with a giant radish. She envisions a world where everyone is nourished by the magic of fresh, affordable and culturally exciting food…extra points if it’s homegrown.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/16/stacey-murphy/ for show notes and links.

Jerome Osentowski has spent the last 30 years developing indoor and outdoor forest farming technology at his location in Basalt, Colorado. He is the founder and director of the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute dedicated to education, research, and demonstration.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/14/jerome-osentowski/ for show notes and links.

Gardening has been DeBorah Prince’s passion and therapy for over 20 years. She grows a huge range of fruits and veggies from asparagus to zucchini, makes her own compost and vermicompost, and her latest project is building a chicken coop. She lives in New Jersey and has been married for 23 years with a big family of 8 children and 15 grandchildren.Come listen to the delightfully upbeat gardener tell us how she decided to just start gardening and learned how from the internet and books.  She explains how the food available today is not real food, and why that matters to her family.  You can't help but laugh with her as she tells us why she named her urban farm and why everyone should name theirs.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/12/deborah-prince/ for show notes and links.

After learning about the devastating effects of plastic pollution on the environment and human health, Oakland accountant Beth began an experiment to see if she could live without buying any new plastic. Since then, she has reduced her plastic waste to less than 2% of the national average. That experiment turned into the popular blog MyPlasticFreeLife.com and new book Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too. Her work and life have been profiled in the award-winning film Bag It, as well as Susan Freinkel’s book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story and Captain Charles Moore’s Plastic Ocean.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/09/beth-terry/ for show notes and links.

Paris Masek is the Managing Director for Green on Purpose and the Director of Agriculture Programs for Quincea Social Enterprises. He is also a PhD candidate at ASU in English Literature working with Indigenous American Literature and Cultures. He is an active member of the Maricopa County Food System Coalition as well as an urban gardener who uses raised beds, edible landscaping, and a flock of chickens in his downtown residence to keep fresh produce and eggs on his family’s dinner table. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/07/paris-masek/ for show notes and links.

Toby is the author of a new book on urban and suburban permaculture, The Permaculture City, as well as Gaia’s Garden, the best-selling permaculture book in the world, which won the 2011 Nautilus award and was named one of the ten best gardening books of 2010 by The Washington Post. He has been an adjunct professor at Portland State University and Scholar-in-Residence at Pacific University. Toby is a well-known permaculture teacher and has taught over 70 Permaculture Design Courses. He and his wife, Key el, live in Sebastopol, California.Listen in to our 100th episode and hear Greg and Toby chat about one of their favorite topics: Permaculture. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/05/toby-hemenway/ for show notes and links

Dr. George Brooks Jr. is the Founder and President of the NxT Horizon Group. Dr. Brooks holds an earned Ph.D., in Wildlife and Fisheries from the School of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Arizona and is an established social, environmental, economic and political leader and business consultant. With the motto of “AgTech for the Real World” NxT Horizon focuses on bioenergy development in Africa, and the development and application of new urban farming technologies (aquaponics) to solve real world social, environmental and economic problems.Come listen to Dr. Brooks as he helps us understand more about aquaponics and our opportunities with it. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/07/02/george-brooks/ for show notes and links.

Michael Judd has worked with agro-ecological and whole system designs throughout the Americas for the last 20 years focusing on applying permaculture and ecological design to increase local food security and community health in both tropical and temperate growing regions. The founder of both Ecologia, LLC, Edible & Ecological Landscape Design and Project Bona Fide, an international non-profit supporting agro-ecology research.Come listen and learn about Michael's adventure in rural latin america and what he learned from some Mayan tribes.  He tells us how he learned they managed to meet all of their needs without help from the outside.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/30/michael-judd/ for show notes and links.

Growing vegetables worthy of entering competitions.Jodi is an award-winning vegetable gardener, craftsy gardening instructor, and the founder and editor-in-chief of WesternGardeners.com. In addition to the two books she authored, her garden writing also appears in digital and print media. Since 2010 she’s organized the annual Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign in Denver, Colorado. Jodi has a lot of great advice on how and why to start growing vegetables for competition purposes.  Listen in to our "biggest" podcast ever and find out why we say that. Visit http://www.urbanfarm.org/blog/2016/06/28/jodi-torpey/ for show notes and links.

Molly comes from a long line of farmers in Washington state. She grew up on a farm with chickens, cows, pigs and the occasional turkey. She has two boys and her own acre in Spokane where they raise chickens, honey bees and of course, fruits and veggies.  She’s just getting started and hope to transform her property into a working, thriving, educational farm where she can teach her family and others how to grow their own food.Molly did not want to be a farmer when she went to college so she pursued other interests.  Eventually she bought a house with an acre of land and a bee hive. Listen to her story of how she is returning to farming to give her children better food options, and using her education background to help teach others about beekeeping and basic farming.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/25/molly-cole/ for show notes and links.

Larry has been a teacher and practitioner of Permaculture Design for the last 28 years. After a career in law enforcement, Santoyo went onto land use planning and was mentored by Permaculture’s founding father, Bill Mollison. Santoyo went on to teach Permaculture with Mollison around the US and Australia. He has taught environmental design at colleges and universities nationwide, including UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, Evergreen College, CSU Northridge, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  He is also the Senior Designer at Earthflow Designs of Los Angeles, one of the largest Permaculture companies in the world. The firm specializes in planning and design that integrates economic development strategies with ecological systems management in residential, commercial and municipal projects. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/23/larry-santoyo/ for show notes and links.

Tristram Stuart, founder of the charity Feedback, is an international award-winning author (The Bloodless Revolution and Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal), speaker, campaigner and expert on the environmental and social impacts of food production. The environmental campaigning organization he founded, Feedback, has spread its work into dozens of countries worldwide, working with governments, international institutions, businesses, non-governmental organizations, grassroots organizations and the public to change society’s attitude toward wasting food. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/21/tristram-stuart/ for show notes and links.

Diana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living on a working organic farm outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She is the author of The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook: Over 100 Gluten Free, Seasonal Recipes and a Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Healthy Food. Diana speaks internationally about nutrition and sustainability issues in our food system, runs the popular podcast, Sustainable Dish, and works with people one on one to help them recover their health through real food.Come join us as we hear Diana tells us how she and her husband created the sustainable farm and education center they now run. Her passion to help others is obvious as it weaves through her story. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/18/diana-rodgers/ for show notes and links.

Casey is a director and producer of independent documentary films, highlighting untold stories. She premiered “The Organic Life” to sold-out crowds at the 36th Mill Valley Film Festival in 2013. The film won Best Documentary Feature at the Santa Cruz Film Festival, and national online and broadcast distribution was rolled out in 2014, including on iTunes, FoodMattersTV, and PivotTV among others. Casey is currently directing a feature documentary “This Just In” as well a digital short documentary series telling immigration stories through food, called “Table." Austin has been farming for seven years. He got his start through the apprentice program at Soil Born Farms in Sacramento, California in 2009. Soon after, he co-founded Lunita Farm in Sonoma Valley, a hand-scale mixed vegetable operation. In 2010, Austin began to work full time at Paul's Produce, a mainstay in the Sonoma farming community for nearly 30 years. At home, he raises chickens and is launching a hot sauce label. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/16/casey-beck-austin-blair/ for show notes and links.

Kamea is the content curator of Kamea World and the author of Thrive, an evidence-based guide to healthy living. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, and she is currently the Marketing Manager of Ethical Writers Co. Through her multi-disciplinary studies and her multicultural background, Kamea developed a particular interest in the relationship between human health and world sustainability—an interest that eventually led her to write her debut nonfiction book Thrive. By proposing a broadened perspective on health—one that encompasses the health of the mind, body, and our collective environment—Kamea hopes to empower her readers to cultivate meaning and create sustainability in all areas of life.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/14/kamea-chayne/ for show notes and links.

Diana is a horticulturist, garden columnist and author of 3 books: Water-Smart Gardening; Rocky Mountain Fruit & Vegetable Gardening; and Southwest Gardener’s Guide,  published by Cool Springs Press. She lives and gardens in southern Utah with her husband, Steve. Combining her professional background in education with the continuous learning experiences her gardens provide, she strives to encourage, to teach and inspire others to garden sustainably. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/11/diana-maranhao/ for show notes and links.

Candy is self-taught chef, instructor, writer and speaker, who has been inducted into Arizona's Culinary Hall of Fame and hosted and produced Food & Life Television for 3 years. She is now shifting her direction to helping others as a Culinary Wellness Coach; assisting those who have been diagnosed with health issues to transition into a healthier culinary lifestyle and make those changes both enjoyable and sustainable. She believes that growing (and cooking) their own food can be a big part of every "healthier lifestyle" success! For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/09/candy-lesher/

Michael was morbidly obese, had severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and advanced gum disease. Not only did he lose 105 pounds, but he also reversed all of his lifestyle-related health conditions. This enabled him to transform the dysfunctional relationship he had with food, his lifestyle, and his true self. Michael’s health journey was intensified when he lost five family members in eighteen months. Because of the impact these losses had on his life, Michael was forced to have major breakthroughs with the things that were the most difficult to deal with. After experiencing all of these life transformations, he was highly inspired to become a certified health coach and also wrote an empowering book about healthy and balanced living. For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/07/michael-tamez/

Katie Poirier is the project director of PHX Renews. PHX Renews finds temporary uses for vacant lots, an initiative envisioned by Phoenix Mayor Stanton in 2012 and managed by the non-profit, Keep Phoenix Beautiful. PHX Renews currently operates on a 15 acre parcel located in downtown Phoenix with 16 other non-profit partners and an emphasis on community agriculture. Katie graduated with a B.A. from the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/04/katie-poirier/

Brandi is the Founding Partner of Farm from a Box, an off-grid, modularly designed farm system that provides communities with the tools they need to grow their own food locally and earn an income. Previously, Brandi was the Managing Partner of Human.kind Philanthropic Advisory Company, a consulting firm that created custom giving strategies to foster a greater level of donor engagement, all built around collaboration, transparency, and impact. There she worked to develop cross-sector partnerships with nonprofits, private sector, governments, and philanthropic organizations to help elevate the effectiveness and impact of projects. A collaborator at heart, she specializes in strategic planning, design strategy, and business development.For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/06/02/brandi-decarli/

Ben is a husband and father of two boys and two girls living in the Jerusalem Foothills. He attended the University of Montana where he received a BA in American Literature and a Minor in Wilderness Studies. He received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Barry University in Miami, Florida. Ben learned how to farm by reading lots of books, watching and listening to lots of videos and podcasts, speaking to farmers, and then jumped in headfirst to start a one thousand container EarthBox farm. Now, he manages a small urban farm at a community center that uses raised beds, containers, and no-till gardening techniques using thick layers of straw mulch and a broadfork. Ben advocates for himself and encourages and consults other small-scale farmers, gardeners, and would-be farmers to carve out niches for themselves as municipal and educational farmers within their municipalities and education school boards.For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/31/ben-klempner/

DaNelle is a former health care provider, mother of 2 children, and creator of the blog Weed 'em & Reap. DaNelle started to take an interest in a healthier lifestyle after suffering from two debilitating chronic diseases. On a mission to create a farm of her own, DaNelle forced, or rather 'lovingly persuaded' her husband to purchase a ranch home on an acre of land and transform it into their very own urban farm. DaNelle blogs at Weed 'em & Reap where she writes about sustainable backyard farming, traditional food, & natural remedies.For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/28/danelle-wolford/

This is part 2 of a two-part series with singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. Jason Mraz is a two-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter and urban farming enthusiast. He has been backyard homesteading for the past 5 years and currently owns and operates a 10 acre subtropical fruit orchard where he grows avocado, coffee and 25 other fruit varieties. He believes a connection to farmers and/or the origin of food itself can empower a person to live a happier, healthier, more eco-friendly and more economical life. He also loves driving a tractor. Greg and Jason share a great conversation about what it is like to farm, what motivates him, and how Jason is managing his passions.  The conversation was so great that we had to divide it in two parts!For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/26/jason-mraz-2/

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. In this episode, Jason Mraz shares his urban farming adventures with Urban Farm U. Jason is a two-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter and urban farming enthusiast. He has been backyard homesteading for the past 5 years and currently owns and operates a 10-acre subtropical fruit orchard where he grows avocado, coffee and 25 other fruit varieties. He believes a connection to farmers and/or the origin of food itself can empower a person to live a happier, healthier, eco-friendlier and more economical life. For show notes and links visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/24/jason-mraz-1/Greg and Jason share a great conversation about what it is like to farm, what motivates him, and how Jason is managing his passions.  The conversation was so great that we had to divide it in two parts!

Dr. Jay is a doctor focusing on a natural functional medicine approach. He is also a popular speaker, #1 international bestselling author, husband, father, church elder and former radio talk show host. Dr. Jay was the host of the Chronic Lyme Disease Summit with 31 experts that happened April of this year. Dr. Jay is admired for his ability to bridge the gap between the scientific health community and the layperson. For show notes and links visit - https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/21/jay-davidson/

Albert is a long time Pacific Northwest activist. He's worked on urban farming, forestry, quality of life issues and more since moving to the region in 1994. Albert is a huge proponent of helping people find their way to the garden. You can learn more about him at AlbertIdeation.com and FarmMyYard.org.For show notes and links visit -https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/05/19/albert-kaufman/