The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban FrontierMichael Ableman, the cofounder and director of Sole Food Street Farms, is one of the early visionaries of the urban agriculture movement. He has created high-profile urban farms in Watts, California; Goleta, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Michael has also worked on and advised dozens of similar projects throughout North America and the Caribbean, and he is the founder of the nonprofit Center for Urban Agriculture.His newest book is called Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier and is out now by Chelsea Green Publishing. Michael lives and farms at the 120-acre Foxglove Farm on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.IN THIS PODCAST: This is an interview that Greg has wanted to do since before he even started the podcasts. A epic urban farming project more than a decade ago inspired him greatly, and now Michael brings Greg up to date with his Street Farm project he’s been working on for the past several years and it is just as epic and inspiring. With a natural ease, he tells us the story of an urban farm that is situated in the heart of one of the worst parts of a large city and is farmed by a group of the lost and disenfranchised. This project takes the hopeless and the discarded, plants them on the unwanted and unworthy land with a box and some soil, and magic happens.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/25/michael-ableman/ for show notes and links.

Utilizing managed intensive grazing for maximum benefit for land and animalsShawn and Beth have been farming together since the 1980’s, for the last twenty years in eastern Ohio, where they manage 24 acres designated by the state as ‘not suitable for agriculture’.  Using intensive grazing as the primary source of food energy, they raise dairy and beef cows, sheep, farm-fed hogs, and a variety of poultry, producing most of the food, and feed, on the farm. Concerned that farming is so often dependent upon multiple off-farm resources, from feed, fuel and fertilizer to water and electricity, their ongoing project is to identify and test the means by which farming was done for centuries with a minimum of off-farm inputs. Their research has led them to identify grass conversion, especially the daily conversion of grass into milk by dairy ruminants, as a key to whole-farm sustainability, combined with the integrated nutrient feed-backs that are possible with a community of diverse animal and plant species, domestic and native. They are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, Chelsea Green Publishing 2016.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg is thoroughly impressed with the transformational successes of Shawn and Beth on their “really trashy” plot of land to the diverse, beautiful, and healthy pasture they now enjoy.  They tell their story of how they bought what they could afford were prompted to do research and replicate the methods of grazing that preceded the modern day mass production farms. They explain why managed grazing is important and so beneficial to both the animals and the land they occupy. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/22/shawn-and-beth-dougherty/ for show notes and links.

Robert is a scientist, author, and environmental entrepreneur who founded several leading market-based environmental concerns. Currently he serves as host of Green Sense Radio Show and Founding Farmer/CEO of Green Sense Farms.  Robert is recognized as a national expert and an authoritative source on brownfield redevelopment, sustainability and indoor vertical farming.He is the author of several books and numerous reports and articles on the subjects. He has appeared on national and local TV and radio programs, been quoted in national and local newspapers and has testified in congress in support of environmental legislation.  IN THIS PODCAST:  Greg gets to chat with Robert, an environmental entrepreneur who is transforming indoor farming and finding economic solutions in farming. Robert has been seeking out and creating solutions for environmental issues for many years and this has led him to the business he has now which is producing crops year-round. He also talks more about his radio show and introduces the Equity Crowd Funding project he is currently working on and how to find more about it.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/20/robert-colangelo/ for show notes and links.

Storm lives on the South Fork of the Cosumnes River in Northern California with her husband Allen and her youngest child Savannah. She is the founder of “Wings on the Wind Healing Arts Center and Sanctuary.” The center is located on her organic farm, where they raise food, herbs, alpacas, and chickens.She has a bachelor degree in Metaphysical Science, is an ordained minister, a natural health practitioner, artist, author, herbalist, and Reiki Master. She has certifications in Advanced Pastoral Psychology, Herbology, Reflexology, Acupressure, Crystal Healing, Vibrational Healing, Flower Essences, and Survival Skills. She authored the book “A Pocket Full of Angels” and self-published in 2014.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg meets another kindred spirit in Storm with her connection to gardening, making a difference in the community, trusting in nature, and making a choice to be happy every day. Storm shares her story of how she started gardening with no skills or experience and is now the founder of a very special place for healing and learning.  Storm worked to build a connection in her community so that even the front entrance evokes wonder and peace. Her organic gardens are central to her program teaching self-sustainability and her animals have many duties including helping guests heal. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/18/storm-kirk/ for show notes and links.

Marianne is the co-host/co-producer of the Sustainable Living Podcast, the co-organizer of the San Diego Permaculture Meet up group and the founder and organizer of the TOP Organic Edibles Garden Club. Top stands for Transition, Organic and Permaculture. She also is a wife, mother and grandmother who is very much involved in the life of her 3 grandchildren. Marianne teaches Yoga and other subjects and keeps working on developing her writerly self.IN THIS PODCAST: Marianne shares her story and motivations that have moved her to transform her 1/3 acre into a food forest. She shares her passion for permaculture with Greg and tells him how she has really put to use the water harvesting techniques she has learned. She explains how her upbringing in postwar Germany truly gave her a different perspective on nature and food, and now that she lives in an area that has a year round growing season as well as drought conditions she is really putting all her experience and learning to good use.  She tells of the many techniques she is using to harvest water, and how she is trying to make a difference in her community.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/15/marianne-west/ for show notes and links.

Cara is passionate about the tradition of supper and takes Civil War history very seriously; So it made sense for her to couple her food passion with membership in MidStates Living History Association. In the tradition of Dutch oven cooking during the civil war, “a supper was served at four o’clock in the afternoon, a good plain and substantial meal, with nothing fanciful” according to Goedy’s Magazine, dated 1863. As a living historian, and owner of U-Relish Farm, Cara enjoys guiding others on low cost ways to store your urban farm harvest and offers secrets from the “Apothecara”.N THIS PODCAST: We venture back in time with Cara to learn how the women homesteaders of the mid 1800’s cooked, gardened, nurtured, and survived during the trials of the Civil War.  She explains to Greg that as a history buff she was intrigued enough to try to replicate many of the processes in use during the time period of when the Civil War directly affected her community. She does not hold back as she taught herself how to do many of the period’s permaculture type processes and she shares some of those tips in this podcast.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/13/cara-dafforn/ for show notes and links.

Craig’s love of the landscape was a natural progression of his upbringing in central Minnesota where he grew up at a youth camp. When he attended college in Chicago, he maintained his connection with the outdoors which he soon realized his career path needed to encompass.  In a confluence of events, Craig was hired as the Operations Manager at Chicago Christian Industrial League managing the landscaping job training program. Most of the landscaping contracts were with the city of Chicago where they maintained many of the city’s green spaces, median strips and public schools. Eventually, Craig joined D. Foley Landscape as Construction Manager in Massachusetts where he continued to fine tune his plant knowledge, installation skills, and design esthetic. It was here that the vision of an urban landscaping business was formed and in early spring of 2003, he returned to Chicago to start Topiarius. Craig’s first landscaping job was completed out of the back of his Ford Focus wagon using 5 gallon buckets and a shovel. Originally, during the landscape season they hired local college students to help out with the labor; however, now they have gone from a 2½ employee operation to an 11-person operation with an office and landscaping yard on the west side of the Chicago.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg chats with Craig, a landscaping artist who bring his dedication for a job well done to ensure his customers get long lasting value. With Craig’s natural understanding of basic permaculture techniques, he shares how he has developed a process for his employees to observe and adjust based on those observations. And with years of experience Craig also has a lot to share about best practices for planting trees of all kinds. There are many important tips and techniques discussed that will help anyone who is getting ready to plant in their yards. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/11/craig-jenkins-sutton/ for show notes and links.

Sherrie Pelsma on Pollinator Parkways.Bolstering pollinators in urban spaces and expanding safe habitats.Sherrie grew up on the rural Oregon Coast before moving to Portland to finish her degree. She has spent the last 10 years in Community Education, and runs a program where participants learn learn Do-It-Yourself skills to make homes safer and more energy efficient. As an environmentalist who loves macro photography, she took a special interest in pollinators and other insects which blossomed into the love that drove the founding of Pollinator Parkways. IN THIS PODCAST: Sherrie shares her passion for the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other animals that serve such a vital purpose in the lifecycles of plants including the food we rely on every day.  Greg gets a chance to talk to her about how a simple interest grew into a passion and how she has turned that into a project that is truly making a difference in her community.  Sherrie is inspiring as she explains what she is doing to extend habitats and at the same time educating community members about pollinators.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/08/sherrie-pelsma/ for show notes and links.

Jack Wolfson D.O., F.A.C.C., is a board certified cardiologist who uses nutrition and supplements to prevent and treat disease. After ten years performing angiograms, pacemakers, and other cardiac procedures, Dr. Wolfson started Wolfson Integrative Cardiology in 2012 to offer patients the ultimate in holistic heart care.Raised in Chicago, he attended Midwestern University for his D.O. degree and completed a 3 year Internal Medicine residency and 3 year cardiology fellowship. He was selected as the chief fellow of his class. Together with his wife, Dr. Heather Wolfson DC, they are The Drs. Wolfson. Their website TheDrsWolfson.com is an excellent resource for holistic health and lifestyle information. The Drs. Wolfson have two beautiful boys who were born at home, nursed for over 3 years, and they are still co-sleeping.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg chats with Dr. Jack about the paleo diet and how it affects heart health. Dr. Jack shares why he changed the way he practices cardiology and what he has learned about eating natural foods.  He explains more about how important it is to remove pollutants, improve nutrition, and even how eliminating gluten can make a difference in 24 hours. Greg asks many of the questions that come up when you are learning about the paleo diet and Dr. Jack helps make it a lot easier to understand why it works.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/06/jack-wolfson/ for show notes and links.

Whitney is a teacher, trainer, and author with tremendous commitment to, and expertise in, inquiry- and place-based education; strategies for engaging diverse learners; school gardens; and the intersection between environmental education and public schools. She is the Education Director of Life Lab and a lecturer at UC Santa Cruz.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg is excited and a bit envious of the kids who have participated in the natural world learning experiences explained by the Whitney in this podcast. She paints a beautiful picture of the resources of Life Lab’s gardens and how the programs offer many unique and awesome natural world laboratories for kids to learn. Their discussion ventures into the world of school funding and how garden based education can fill multiple needs of the schools, yet seems to on budget cutting blocks often. Life Lab has developed a potential resource for school interested in keeping a natural world option in their curriculums and Whitney explains how they hope to share this program nationally. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/04/whitney-cohen/ for show notes and links.

Today's specials include healthy foods, great meals, dignity, education and community.A childhood spent on a farm in northeast Ohio shaped Lyn’s views on community and how neighbors can help and support one another through sharing food and resources. He believes this is a forgotten way of living in America.Thirty-plus years spent as a chef in world-class restaurants taught Lyn the importance of creating beautiful food for people to enjoy and gather together to share. In recent years, he spent time helping others open community kitchens and supporting local sustainability. This led him to open Seeds Community Café in September 2013.As a nonprofit that is based on a “pay it forward” model, Seeds’ patrons can partake of healthy, nutritious, locally-sourced and creatively crafted meals, regardless of their ability to pay. Lyn is a huge supporter of Community Cafes, Kitchens and local gardens as a Social Enterprise and way of life.  He believes this concept of sharing local great food around a community table can change the world we live in by impacting food insecurity and building community in our own neighborhoods! It also enhances our local economies.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg takes the time to get to know Lyn and is moved by his persistence and dedication to making a difference in his community. Lyn tells how he has always been doing something with food, and how he has worked with some well-known chefs over the years until he was finally able to open his own very special restaurant. With an idea in his head about a café where people pay what they think the meal is worth, and those who can’t pay have a chance to work off the meal through service, Lyn worked until he got enough support to open the doors to this very epic, community centric, aptly named, Seeds Community Café. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/01/lyn-harwell/ for show notes and links.

Heather co-created Stetson University’s garden and farmers market and served as the founding Community Director of Orlando's East End Market. After interning with the USDA, researching food systems in Central Florida and abroad, Heather returned to her hometown to help rebuild Orlando’s local food system in 2011, where she helped bring Fleet Farming to life. She now works on sustainable agriculture and rural development projects abroad while consulting new branches of Fleet Farming around the world.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg gets a chance to meet Heather who is leading a transformative new community farming program called Fleet Farming. You might have heard about the new idea of community gardening through donated front lawns and volunteers traveling on bikes to farm the plots. Heather explains how the program was created and how far it has expanded at this point. It all started with a brainstorming event looking to help localize the food system, and it now is to be replicated in cities across the United States and around the world.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/29/heather-grove/ for show notes and links.

Tim grew up in West Texas, the younger son of a local church pastor and his Christian educator wife.  After graduating from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX with a BFA in speech communications, he went on to seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree. After graduating, he served churches in Texas communities in Houston, Athens and Lufkin; and then he moved to a historic urban congregation adjacent to Drake University in Iowa. During the course of that 19-year ministry, Tim became captivated by questions about food, our global food system, and the need for a strengthened circle of memory around how to grow food on simpler terms.  So, at 55 years of age, he quit his job and with his wife moved to a 10-acre farmstead they’ve named “Taproot Garden” located south of Des Moines where they cultivate a large garden and raise laying hens – an enterprise he refers to as a writing project with an outdoor classroom. IN THIS PODCAST: Greg interviews Tim and finds out what motivated Tim and his wife to move to the country and start focusing on growing food through simple techniques some of which are those which were used a couple generations back. Through experimentation, they have increased their harvests dramatically, and even Greg is blown away by how many tomatoes they got this year.  And there is a great story about a kindergartner's comment after visiting his farm which is awesomely rewarding to any farmer.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/27/tim-diebel/ for show notes and links. 

Ruwan leads product design at Replantable. While earning his Mechanical Engineering degree at Georgia Tech, he machined microfluidic devices and instructed students in the campus machine shop. He has used this fabrication knowledge to bring a hands-on design approach to startups like Intuitive Pickups as well as larger companies like Verizon Telematics.Costas is the director of the Center of Innovation for Energy Technology, where his mission is to help Georgia’s companies accelerate the development of new products, ideas and business models in the Energy ecosystem and maintain the State of Georgia’s leadership position in the fields of energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage and consumption.IN THIS PODCAST: Greg does a double interview with Ruwan, one of the inventors of a new appliance that grows food indoors, and Costas, the director of the Center that that helped bring the idea to the fruition. Ruwan shares the genesis story of the Nanofarm from Replantable and tells how they considered the purpose and function of soil as a growing medium. Costas explains the role of his agency and even how they were able to beta test the machines with the help of some high school classes in Georgia.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/24/ruwan-and-costas/ for show notes and links.

Cecilia is a Master Gardner, permaculturist, seed saver, a dowser and an herbalist.   Gardening has been a passion all her life.  She is the founder and owner of “Cecilia’s Garden” and has transformed her residence into an urban farm utilizing the front & back yards.  Her garden is a highly producing, self-sufficient sanctuary specializing in vegetables, fruit and eggs.  All of her produce is grown beyond organics – meaning she doesn’t use any of the approved 244 organic chemicals one can use and still be called organic.Cecilia’s produce is sold at local farmer’s markets and she also supplies produce for a local restaurant that supports locally grown veggies.The sense of community is strong in her neighborhood with neighbors dropping in to pick-up eggs, veggies, or fruit, or just for the opportunity to visit and enjoy the serenity of “Cecilia’s Garden.”IN THIS PODCAST: Cecilia opens up with Greg and shares her passion about…growing food as naturally as possible. Her garden is a local marvel with layers upon layers of permaculture techniques in use.  Even though they have known each other for years there is still many new things that Greg learns about Cecilia, including her epic number of compost bins.  Her thirst for knowledge is apparent and her willingness to put into action the nature based education she has gained over the years through various courses and sources is helping her produce dynamic results. Go to our Podcast page at https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/22/cecilia-nedelko/ to find photos, links, and more information on this podcast.

Simon grew up on a small farm in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania before pursuing a degree in Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University. Soon after college, Simon helped a long-time western Colorado fruit farmer expand his operation to include vegetable production and a CSA program. The project grew to serve five area farmers markets and a 130-member CSA.During his tenure at the farm, Simon took advantage of his education in information technology to develop a highly interactive website for the CSA. In retrospect, this website was a prototype for what Small Farm Central would eventually become. After leaving the farm in the Fall of 2006, Simon started Small Farm Central with a core group of 10 farmers from across the country. In four years, Small Farm Central has grown to serve more than 1000 farmers (as of October 2015) across the U.S. and Canada.Outside of Small Farm Central, Simon is kept active by his two sons, Eliot (age 4) and Theo (age 1). He enjoys food experimentation projects like beer making, fermenting various vegetables, and whatever other challenges come up. The 70 acre family farm is still in the family, so there is a chance of returning to growing food some day!IN THIS PODCAST: Simon shares his story with Greg about how he went from avoiding the farm as a kid, to now using his technology skills to help farmers promote their farms online.  Farmers who are just starting out with a small farm, are the people that Simon is focusing on helping and he shares what some of the techniques and tools he has developed specifically for this unique market. With this they also discuss the differences between social media and email marketing.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/20/simon-huntley/ for show notes and links.

Denise is a grandmother of eight who was forced into retirement from a management position at the age of 57.  She and her husband rented a community garden plot of 1000 square feet to save money by supplementing their food and decided they could try to live on a lot less money since life was nicer without her working a 50-60 hour work week. Eventually they bought an old farmhouse on 1.7 acres 1-hour north of the city in southern Ontario, Canada and have developed raised beds, grow a good amount of their own produce and are starting with chickens this year.  They have found this has been a wonderful retirement solution for them.It has been a way to reduce expenses and yet create a lifestyle that is healthy, happy, and a wonderful example for their grandchildren who are learning all about where food comes from.IN THIS PODCAST: Denise tells Greg how one day she was unexpectedly retired and needed to start saving money.  After getting inspiration from a walk near a farmers’ market, she and her husband started with a small plot in a community garden and gained the confidence in what she could grow herself. A short time later they left that garden and moved to a larger property. Greg is moved by her story of her grandkids getting food from the garden. Then they share tips and suggestions on raising chickens. Denise has moved to the point of getting 60% of her food from her garden with a little from the farmers market.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/17/denise-stalder/ for show notes

Kami, author of The Herbal Kitchen, has spent the past 25 years helping people grow and use herbs so they can be more self-reliant in their health care needs. She is the creator of Herbal Kitchen Remedy Solutions, an online course that demystifies the world of herbal medicine and empowers people to use their garden for herbal self-care in the home to prevent illness and take care of common ailments.Kami has developed and taught herbal curriculum for the Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Department at University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing and the Integrative Health Master’s Degree Program at California Institute of Integral Studies. She has helped thousands of families to use herbs and natural remedies for their self-care to avoid the damaging effects of medications when not needed. She is dedicated to inspiring the Home Wellness Revolution where the use of home herbal remedies is a normal part of our cultural heritageIN THIS PODCAST: Kami joins Greg for an informative discussion on the value of herbs in our kitchens and our diets. She talks about how the garden and the spice rack are of central importance to the economy and health of a household. And she gives some great suggestions on how to use some common key herbs for improving and maintaining health. In addition, we have links to a free workbook with recipe instructions on how to use sage for health and wellness.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/15/kami-mcbride/ for show notes and links.

Catherine, The Herb Lady, Crowley is a self-taught, hands in the dirt, Urban Farmer who experiments and researches constantly for new and interesting edibles and old favorites.Catherine was given the nickname "The Herb Lady" when vendors and then customers at farmers markets would say "go ask the herb lady" for questions on herbs.  It stuck.Catherine has taught classes at various locations both private and public. She currently blogs and writes an irregular internet newsletter on greening, gardening and cooking in the Valley of the Sun and also participates in the Mesa Farmers Market.IN THIS PODCAST: Catherine shares with Greg some of her tricks that she has figured out for growing herbs in her garden in Phoenix. She explains how she learned about new herbs by asking her farmers market customers about their heritage, and how she experimented to expand her knowledge and skills. She talks about some of her favorites including nasturtium, stevia and Syrian oregano. She teaches Greg how to pick herbs for the best enjoyment and how to make a personal blend.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/13/catherine-crowley/ for show notes and links.

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.