The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Growing food while overcoming droughts, record rains and floods, and catastrophic fires.Clara is a 31-year-old Amateur Mycologist, mushroom grower, Beekeeper, and Chicken lady who is passionate about animals and the environment.  She is Hungarian-Australian and currently living in Australia, where she is President of the local Permaculture Central Coast group.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/11/04/704-clara-roza/ for show notes and links

Earth Friendly Potting Soil.Educating about soil and planetary health with peat free planting mix.In This Podcast:Justin “Jules” Giuliano may be a relative newcomer to the garden, but his love of the outdoors and his willingness to make mistakes have grown into a lifelong passion for the soil.  Combining that passion with his roots in education, he is a natural advocate for keeping our soils healthy.  Jules inspires us to carefully consider what we put into the soil… and what we take out.  Even his language is infused with his love of gardening!Justin "Jules" Giuliano is an organic farmer and educator with a background in vermicompost and natural farming. He is the lead soil researcher at Rosy Soil, a potting soil company based in Georgia. Prior to joining Rosy, Jules managed an urban farm in Atlanta, studied regenerative agriculture at the Rodale Institute and won a Cannabis Cup for his organic cannabis cultivation. In addition to Rosy, Jules manages the Tik Tok @SmokeYrGreens with over 250k followers where he educates his community about plant, soil, and planetary health.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/10/28/703-jules-giuliano/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

A chat with Christy Wilhelmi. Now is the perfect time to get a 'kick in the pants' on starting back into our fall gardening. Christy Wilhelmi, frequent Urban Farm Podcast guest and author of Garden Variety, joins us for this month's Garden Chat to help dig into different aspects about one of the best times to garden.  She details her garden planning process and tells us what she likes to plant and how she decides when to plant it.  Christy also has plenty of tips for taking full advantage of this prime growing season no matter where you live.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Christy Wilhelmi is the founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes her newsletters, her popular blog, top-ranked podcasts, and YouTube videos. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes. Between 70-80 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet. She is author of Gardening for Geeks, 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success, Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden, and just released in February 2022 is her debut novel Garden Variety (William Morrow/Harper Collins).Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/10/21/702-garden-chat/ for show notes

701: Seed Starting Challenges.This is the September 2022 Seed Saving Class with Kari Spencer discussing seed starting.  There is nothing more satisfying than getting a jump on the gardening season by starting seeds in flats or in the ground.  What do we need to know to be successful?  Soil composition, temperature, moisture and light all determine whether we are jumping for joy from our efforts or crying out in despair.  How many times have we started seeds only to realize we created a wonderful sprouted bounty for our feathered friends?  Get a good start to starting seeds with some simple information and ideas for success.  A little attention will go a long way in making sure you lengthen your garden season and end up with healthy vibrant plants you started from seeds!  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/10/14/701-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Helping People Share Seeds In Their CommunityIn This Podcast: Rebecca Newburn’s vision was to start seed libraries, not just locally, but all over the world.  To accomplish this goal, she created an easy roadmap for others to follow and then made it easily available to everyone.  Learn how important seed libraries are, how you can find one, and how you can make a difference by starting one in your community.  Rebecca generously shares her advice and offers us free step by step resources.  Rebecca Newburn is the Co-Founder of Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library, a free seed exchange located in the Richmond Public Library in Richmond, California where she lives. The “create a library” template she designed has helped hundreds of seed libraries launch around the world. She is the webmaster for SeedLibraries.net and the editor of Cool Beans! Seed Libraries Newsletter, an international publication supporting local seed projects.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/10/07/700-rebecca-newburn/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our podcast library!

Raising Public Awareness About the Dangers of Gene EditingIn This Podcast: Jeffrey Smith returns to the Urban Farm Podcast to talk about what he calls “GMO 2.0”, an easily attainable technology with the power to permanently change the genetic makeup of every living thing on earth.  The foods we eat are already being changed and we are already being affected in ways we don’t yet understand, yet there are no controls in place to ensure the changes are safe.  Jeffrey illuminates the very real dangers we face and tells us how we can fight back.Jeffrey Smith is a bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker and celebrated public speaker. He has influenced the behavior and health of millions of people worldwide through his books like Seeds of Deception, and Genetic Roulette, and his podcast Live Healthy Be Well. Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which has started a global education campaign called Protect Nature Now with the documentary titled “Don’t Let the Gene Out of the Bottle”, which won a Telly Award.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/30/699-jeffrey-smith/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Protecting the Microbiome.

Creating a Hopeful Future Through How We Manage Our WaterIn This Podcast: Andrew Millison, an experienced and enthusiastic permaculture teacher, announces his upcoming online Permaculture Water Summit.  He spells out the serious problems facing the world today, then shares his passionate belief that quick action by individuals can turn things around faster than any government.  In some parts of the world, deserts are already being turned into lush forests!  Learn how to attend this free summit and become part of the exciting changes to come.Andrew is an innovative educator, storyteller and designer. He founded the Permaculture Design education program at Oregon State University (OSU) in 2009. Andrew serves as an Education Director and Senior Instructor who offers 25 years of experience and a playful approach to regenerative design. In October 2022 – just a couple weeks after the release of this podcast, Andrew hosted a three-day Permaculture Water Summit; a free global summit created to share viable solutions for the water crises found throughout the planet.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/27/698-andrew-millison/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!The Permaculture Water Summit.

A chat with Suzanne Bontempo. In This Garden Chat: Bugs play a vital role in the health of an ecosystem, and with a little strategic planting, we can invite the "good" ones to join us in our own growing spaces. Join us as we talk with Suzanne Bontempo about planning ahead for bugs, how to recognize the difference between pests and beneficial insects, and how to encourage the ones we want for our garden ecosystems.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Suzanne Bontempo works as an environmental educator, teaching the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for sustainable, eco-friendly pest management around the home and garden. Suzanne, owner of Plant Harmony and program manager for Our Water Our World was recognized for excellence in her field winning the 2013 CA IPM Innovators Award. She has worked as a professional gardener for over 25 years. She loves teaching folks how to grow bountiful gardens that are also safe and healthy for you, your family, and the environment.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/23/697-garden-chat/ for the show notes and links.

696: Cool Season and Warm Season Crops.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the August 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing cool season and warm season crops.  Do we plant cool season crops in the fall and warm season in the spring? How is it that cool season varieties get sweeter as the weather gets colder? Can warm season crops last through blistering heat? Can we strengthen the genetics of any crop through selection and adaptation? Come play with us and find out the answers to these questions and more with Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson on Seed Chat.  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is the former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/16/696-seed-chat/for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Making Growing Fruit Trees Easy and Affordable for Beginners In This Podcast:Joshua Burman Thayer believes everyone can and should grow food, but with so much to learn, it is easy for a beginner to get overwhelmed.  Where do you start?  What do you really need?  Where should you spend your time and money to get the best harvest?  Joshua has used his experience with his clients to write the book he couldn’t find… a book especially for beginners.  He shares some tips from the book and gives us a preview of his next book.Joshua Burman Thayer has always had his hands in the earth as he has traveled extensively working with communities around plants and food. He started out as a W.W.O.O.F. volunteer on organic farms throughout Latin America, worked as a laborer on organic C.S.A. farms back home in California, apprenticed and worked in ecological landscape design, and did native plant field research with renowned mentors. With all that experience Joshua has become a lead designer and advocate for uniting ecology with aesthetic, creating beautiful, productive natural systems that work with nature to foster bounty.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/09/695-joshua-thayer/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Food Forests for First Timers.

Making a Connection Between Jazz and GardeningIn This Podcast: Like many people during the pandemic, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Shapiro suddenly found herself at home staring at an empty calendar.  To fill the time, she turned her attention to decorating the unattractive cement spaces outside her home.  One potted plant led to another and another, and they grew into a gardening obsession which, at first, seemed so different from her jazz roots.  But the deeper she dug into gardening, the more she discovered that nature held lessons that transposed beautifully into music.  Lizzy's garden changed not just the view outside her home, but also her view of the world.Elizabeth "Lizzy" Shapiro is a screenwriter, actress and musician. As a screenwriter, she has created TV shows alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Ben Stiller and Joey Soloway, as well as creating and starring in "The Crossroads of History" which received 2 Emmy nominations.As a musician, she trained as an opera singer and is currently the front woman of Lizzy & the Triggermen. Dubbed "10-piece jazz sensations" by LA Weekly, the band's debut album, "Good Songs for Bad Times," hit #3 on iTunes Jazz Charts (just behind Miles Davis).Their music simultaneously transports you to a prohibition speakeasy while feeling arrestingly modern, thanks to the powerhouse vocals and songwriting of Lizzy. Their eerily prophetic original song, "Dance Song (for the End of the World)" garnered international press for its music video which featured dancers all over the world at the beginning of lock down. The band has been forging exciting new paths for modern big band and swing music: headlining some of the top music venues in the country, opening for the UK rock band Squeeze, and being selected as Official Artists of SXSW.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/09/02/694-lizzy-shapiro/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Discovering Music in a Container Garden.

Worms Are People TooIn This Podcast: When his previous industry ground to a sudden halt, Paul Horner decided to farm worms, and this unusual decision turned his life in a completely unexpected direction. His enthusiastic appreciation for the humble worm has fueled a passion for educating others about the value of these tiny creatures, creatures that can magically turn food waste into one of the best plant foods on the planet.  Paul openly shares his story, encouraging us to have positive feelings not just about worms, but also about ourselves.Paul Horner is a worm farmer, published children’s book author, and Co-Founder of Our Silent Partners - a grass roots effort focusing on transforming waste diversion into chemical-free soil amendments. An organic gardener and avid composter for over 20 years, Paul has only recently been awakened to what he calls “the true magic that is vermicomposting”.  His first book, an illustrated children’s book titled “Worms Are People, Too”, was published in April 2022.  He is a member of the U.S. Composting Council, the North Carolina Composting Council, and the Carolina Farm Stewards Association.  Paul currently resides in Harrisburg, NC with his wife and three children.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/08/26/693-paul-horner/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Paul Horner on Vermicomposting.

A chat with Scott Murray. In This Garden Chat: Watering your gardens is a step that we all need to do. Fertilizing is just as important, although sometimes not as easy to remember. Both of these chores can be done in a variety of ways and too many choices might prevent us from starting. Join us as we chat with our friend and mentor Scott Murray about combining those two processes into one easy step to minimize our energy output and boost our harvest and garden health. Fertlizing with your irrigation is the solution to many gardening and orcharding questions.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience.To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Scott Murray has 48 years of organic agriculture production experience in the United States & Mexico.  He has served in a wide variety of roles within conservation, food production, and environmental leadership, including as an elected California conservation official for the last 27 years.  Scott also specializes in farmland preservation projects utilizing smart growth principles.  These days his primary work is on farm creation and consulting, including his work on a farm growing coffee in southern CA which had its first harvest and sold out in one day...at an unbelievable $796 a pound.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/08/19/692-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

691: Seed Harvesting. A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the July 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing seed harvesting.  Before you know it, all your crops will be going to seed. Rather than deadhead and “clean everything up,” learn how to be your own best seed detective. What are the characteristics of the plants from which you should be saving seed? How do you decide when and how to harvest your seeds? What are some simple strategies that can be applied to most plants when saving for seed? What are the benefits from saving your own, locally cultivated and adapted seed? Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/08/12/691-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Setting an urban farming goal and then making it a reality.In This Podcast:When Dr. Jolene Kuty and her husband were ready to start planting on their bare new property, they spent a lot of time planning what they wanted to do in the space and how they wanted it to look in 10 years.  They wisely took even more time to plan the space accordingly.  Now, 10 years later, hear how they are enjoying the fruits of their labor, both literally and figuratively, and proving that the best time to plant a tree really is 10 years ago!Chiropractic physician and health educator, Dr. Jolene Kuty, built an idyllic sustainable urban farm as a role model for her patients and her family. Her home and on-site chiropractic office is surrounded by 800 square feet of raised organic vegetable gardens and over 20 trees from the Urban Farm fruit tree program. They live, work, and play on a half-acre in the city where their five children swing beside seedlings and are surrounded by fresh growing fruit. They eat farm-to-table, sharing recipes and inspiration with all who visit.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/08/05/690-jolene-kuty/ for show notes and links.Creating a 10-Year Vision.

An Ask a Farmer Session with One of Greg's Mentors.In This Podcast:Scott Murray shares his four-step plan for starting a farm.  If you have gardened, you have likely learned how to grow a thing or two, and maybe you are considering stepping it up and becoming a farmer.  Do you know how to start a farm?  What does it take to go from gardener to farmer?  What questions should you ask before you start and where do you find the answers?  Start right here with the answers and inspiration you’ll find in this session!Gardening advice and inspiration from a mentor.Even those of us who have been farming for decades can gain insight and inspiration when we have a more experienced farmer as a mentor.  For Greg, one of those people is his good friend, Scott Murray.  One of the best things about Scott is that he is so willing to help others learn how to grow food successfully.  Every now and then we'll have a live Ask a Farmer webinar where the audience can submit questions for Scott to answer.This podcast episode is a recording of one of those sessions with information so good, we couldn't help but share!Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/07/29/689-scott-murray/ for show notes and links.Scott Murray on Being a Farmer.

A chat with Don Titmus.  In This Garden Chat: The biggest and most basic concern when maintaining a garden is water.  In these uncertain times of drought and rising costs, how can you ensure your garden will not wilt just when you need it most?  Don Titmus shares his secrets for finding free water right where you are, no matter where you live.  Using his expert tips, your garden will be stay green and healthy, and you will be a better steward of our most precious resource.  Best of all, watering your garden will be easier than ever!The Water Harvesting Summit mentioned in this episode was amazing!  Click HERE for the replays...and a lot more! On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Don Titmus grew up in London and at age 16 spent 4 years being trained in horticulture through an apprenticeship and a college course. From there he continued landscaping in his hometown until he moved to Arizona in 1981, where he worked in landscaping and then started his own business in garden maintenance.  In 2003 he attended a Permaculture Design Course, which was life-changing for Don. He knew right away that this was the path he’d been waiting for, and later attended two Permaculture Teacher Trainings.  He co-founded the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, started a Permaculture design company, redesigned his home site into a permaculture design destination, and helped develop a thriving permaculture community in the Phoenix, Arizona area. He has presented in 5 cities, worked in several states, attended classes in 5 states, and pretty much lives and breathes permaculture.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/07/22/688-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

687: Squashes, Summer & Winter.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the June 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing squashes.  Help! How can we tell the difference between summer and winter squashes and why is it important? What are the challenges with cross-pollination and why don’t the three different species of squash cross? And what are they? What are the pitfalls of planting and planning for harvest? So many questions and so many answers can be found on Seed Chat with Greg and Bill. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman was Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/07/15/687-seed-chat/for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Spending a year eating only what they could catch, grow, harvest, or raise.In This Podcast:Have you ever wondered what would it be like to eat for an entire year without stepping foot in a grocery store? Sure, our ancestors did it, but can we? Chris Hall and Stef Lowi decided to take advantage of the sudden changes in their lives and find out. They had almost no experience, simply learning how as they went along, but they progressed from surviving to thriving. By the end of the year, Chris and Stef found that their relationships with food, themselves and each other had changed in some unexpected ways.When the pandemic first hit, Chris Hall and Stef Lowi found themselves without jobs, living on a small island, while grocery stores were running out of items, and supply chains were breaking down. They asked themselves “What would happen if things got worse? Could we survive without grocery stores?” They decided to take a 365 Day Challenge and find out. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/07/08/686-chris-hall/ for show notes and links.Lovin Off the Land.

Extracting Great Resources from Our SeedsIn This Podcast:You plant seeds, save seeds, share seeds, and even eat seeds, but still there is more you can do with those seeds!  In this podcast, Bevin Cohen explains how to press seeds and nuts to make your own oils.  Are you considering the next step on your journey towards self-sufficiency or looking for healthy oils to use in your kitchen?  Maybe you just need a new way to use some of those seeds you have saved?  Bevin provides the information and inspiration you need to get started.  It’s easier than you think!Bevin Cohen is an author, herbalist, seed saver and owner of Small House Farm in Michigan. He offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. Bevin is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including Mother Earth News, Hobby Farms Magazine, and The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company catalog. He is the author of four books, including Saving Our Seeds, The Artisan Herbalist and his highly anticipated new book, The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/07/01/685-bevin-cohen/ for show notes and links.Bevin Cohen on Seed & Nut Oils.

683: Pollinators & Wildflowers. A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the May 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing planting wildflowers.  A diverse and integrated garden requires many different elements. Top on that list are pollinators and wildflowers. If you have a robust flower component to your cultivated gardens, so much of the extra workload is handled by these workhorses as they attract beneficial bugs and increase harvests. Learn how to plant wildflowers and how they impact the beauty and functionality of your garden or farm and create healthy eco-systems that are balanced and regenerative. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/06/17/683-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Doing the hard work of setting up a strong communityIn This Podcast:Turn your vision for a successful community garden into a reality using the ten-step plan laid out by Christine Lance in this episode.  It is no surprise that gardening skills are a plus, but what about planning, land, and funding?  How do you develop collaborations, build relationships, and get the support that will be required to keep the project going and growing?  Listen as Christine provides the answers to set any community garden on the path to success.Christine Lance started gardening in her 20’s and her knowledge went deeper after completing the Master Gardener class at Colorado State University (CSU). To help complete volunteer time required at CSU, she helped to build the first community garden in Ridgway, CO and then expand it from 7 members to the 137 that are served today. 2022 will be Christine’s 13th year with the Ridgway Community Garden (RCG).    Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/06/10/682-christine-lance/ for show notes and links.Planning, Building, and Maintaining a Community Garden.

Home gardens are more efficient and effective than the industrial food systemIn This Podcast:David Fisher talks about what he has learned during the recent lockdowns about the productivity of home gardens versus the industrial food system. He studied in depth about the differences between two distinct sources of our food, as well as some of the external costs of the industrial food system.  David is primarily a botanist. He received a B.S. in Biology from North Carolina State University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin.  He then served as a research scientist at the USDA Forest Experiment Station in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and was a Humboldt fellow at the University of Gurtingen, Germany. Prior to joining the faculty of Maharishi International University (MIU), he was a professor and researcher at the University of Hawaii.  Since leaving MIU, he now devotes his time to sustainability research and writing.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/06/03/681-david-fisher/ for show notes and links.David Fisher on Growing it Yourself.

Greg interviews Megan Baxter about her new book. Join us as we meet this delightful guest and learn about her journey to write a memoir about growing up on a farm.Megan has won numerous national awards, including a Pushcart Prize. Her work has been listed in The Best American Essays of 2019. She serves as a mentor to young writers and loves developing cross-genre and innovative creative writing pedagogy for her workshops and classes. She lives in New Hampshire where she loves walking her dogs, running and cooking with local foods from her permaculture homestead. She teaches writing at Colby-Sawyer College and Southern New Hampshire University, and is starting her own small farm where she will put to use more than 20 years of organic farming experience. Megan is the author of Farm Girl: A Memoir published by Green Writers PressVisit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/05/27/680-megan-baxter/ for show notes and links.Finding Where You Belong.

A chat with Michael Moore.  In This Garden Chat: Instead of starting a new crop in your gardens with tired old soil, consider boosting the potential yield and health of the crops by rejuvenating the soil each season. In this Garden Chat we talk with permaculture gardener and practitioner Michael Victoria Moore about how to boost the health of the ecosystem housing the roots of your plant babies. Michael, Greg and co-host Janis Norton also answer some soil questions sent in during the live chat.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Michael Victoria Moore is a Permaculture Consultant and Practitioner living in Alberta. After watching Geoff Lawton videos on YouTube, she attended workshops, lectures, and films, read all that she could on the internet, and started picking up books on anything permaculture.  The more she read, the more she realized that this was her course in life. Michael signed up to take her Permaculture Design Certification Course and what a game changer that was! Since then, the momentum has never stopped.  She attended the International Permaculture Conference and Convergence in Amman Jordan, with over two hundred delegates from around the world, including the co-founder of Permaculture himself, Bill Mollison. Then she studied with Doug Weatherby, the Soil Doctor with the renowned organization, The Soil Foodweb. Michael’s company, Genesis Permaculture, Regenerative Landscape and Design has been in practice for the past 11 years. As a Practitioner and Designer of regenerative systems, Michael and her company help people grow their own food and create self-sustaining landscapes that are vibrant and full of life.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/05/20/679-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

678: Seed Saving Myths.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the April 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing seed saving myths.  A myth is an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Seed saving myths are plentiful and often are motivated by large corporations to increase seed sales and profits. You can’t save seeds to hybrids. You need lots of chemical inputs to grow successful seed crops. Seed saving is hard and should not be attempted by amateurs. You need a lot of space to save seeds. In this Seed Chat, Bill and guest host Janis Norton debunk these myths and others. They will help you understand the origins of these stories and how they have become part of our general narrative.  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/05/13/678-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Knowing a Thing or Two Dozen About Raising Hens and Collecting EggsIn This Podcast:Eggs are an important and readily available food source, and they are so very versatile.  Rediscover the humble egg with returning guest, Lisa Steele as she talks about her newest book, The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook.  She also tells us a bit about the process of writing the book, as well as what she feels has contributed to her success as a blogger, and her expansion into television.  Even if you don’t have chickens, you will love the tips Lisa shares in this episode!Lisa Steele is a fifth-generation chicken keeper and founder of the popular blog, Fresh Eggs Daily. Referred to as Queen of the Coop, Lisa traded in her life on Wall Street for life on a farm in rural Maine, where she has kept chickens for more than a dozen years. Having written a number of books on raising and caring for chickens, Lisa is a trusted source for all things chicken and egg. Her latest book is “The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways” published by Harper Horizon and just released in February 2022.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/05/06/677-lisa-steele/ for show notes and links.Lisa Steele on Cooking with Eggs.

A chat with Kari Spencer.  In This Garden Chat: Did you know that keeping a garden journal can help you to grow bigger and better vegetables? Kari Spencer, author of City Farming and Vegetable Gardening Journal & Logbook, will discuss the kinds of records that are important to keep, how to plan, and what to log anecdotally in a garden journal. She will share her personal record-keeping style, as well as tips about various journaling methods and technologies. Discover how planning and journaling can make you a better gardener with less stress over time.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Kari Spencer is a popular local gardening & homesteading speaker. As a Master Gardener and a Master Farmer, she enjoys sharing her passion for growing and raising food with others. In addition to teaching classes all over the city of Phoenix, she is the creator of Urban Farm U’s Growing Food the Basics & Backyard Livestock courses. She and her family operate The Micro Farm Project, a small farm in North Phoenix, where gardens and livestock animals provide her family with fun and food. Kari is the author of Vegetable Gardening Journal: A weekly tracker and logbook.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/29/676-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

675: Seed Dehybridizing.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the March 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing seed dehybridizing.  We love hybrid vigor and what hybridized seed can offer. The only downside to using hybridized seed is you can’t save it. Wait a minute. What if you found out that isn’t true? That you could capture the best traits hybrid seed offers and develop seed that would reproduce like its parents, in other words, true to type? Learn the tricks of the trade to dehybridize your favorite hybrid plants and have lasting seed stock you can save! At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/22/675-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Bringing a 365-Days-a-Year Local Food Solution to Everyone.In This Podcast:In the last of five special daily episodes, we hear from Liz and Lem Tingley, whose passion for health and sustainability led them to Growing Spaces.  They fill us in on how they came to be the new owners of the business, the amazing impact their geodesic Growing Domes are having on the communities where they are installed, and the sense of personal fulfillment they have experienced in running the business.  Their excitement is contagious as they also describe their hopes and plans for the future of the Growing Domes and Growing Spaces.Lem Tingley graduated from Colorado University Boulder in Mechanical Engineering and has been working for Colorado based manufacturing companies for the last 25 years focusing on his core values which revolve around efficiency, superior quality, exemplary customer experience, and conscious business practices. Liz Tingley graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and worked in the healthcare industry for over 27 years.  She joined the Growing Spaces team full time in January of 2021 taking on Marketing, Sales, and Human Resources responsibilities. In April 2018 they acquired Growing Spaces, a Colorado-based manufacturing company making innovative and environmentally friendly products. They were excited to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyles through the manufacturing and installation of the Growing Dome greenhouses which can thrive in any part of the world so that anyone can grow their own local food 365 days a year.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/15/674-liz-and-lem/ for show notes and links.Geodesic Greenhouses of Growing Spaces.

A Couple of Friends Who Are Transforming Their Disadvantaged Community.In This Podcast:In the fourth of five special daily episodes, we hear from Wallace Kirby and Boe Luther who have made it their mission to transform life and land.  Their non-profit community garden in Washington D.C. was awarded a Growing Spaces growing dome which they plan to use as both an educational classroom and a way to increase the amount of food they can give back to the community.  You will be inspired by their transformational stories, especially their own.Don’t miss an episode! visit UrbanFarm.Org/blog/podcast  Wallace Kirby is a product of public housing in Washington DC and claims to be a survivor, thriver and transformer of disadvantaged communities.  He is the senior co-founder of the Hustlaz 2 Harvesters Applied Research Garden.Boe Luther is the other co-founder of the Hustlaz 2 Harvesters. He was born and raised in Washington DC and is a returning citizen who is focusing on transforming lands and lives for the disadvantaged.Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/Podcast-by-episode-titles for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Wallace Kirby and Boe Luther on Hustlaz 2 Harvesters.

Sharing the Passion of Gardening into the Community Starting at Home.In This Podcast:In the third of five special daily episodes, we hear from Andrew Trujillo whose seeds of inspiration were planted in him as a child.  When those seeds began to sprout as an adult, he watered and nourished them by connecting with and learning from lots of other gardeners.  Andrew now uses his Growing Spaces growing dome to pass those seeds of gardening inspiration on to others in his community by building more gardens and providing fresh vegetables to neighbors in need.Andrew Trujillo is a husband, daddy, veteran, friend, and neighbor with  a deep-rooted desire to grow, who thrives when working in the soil.  He has helped build gardens at all the schools in Bayfield, Colorado as well as the local food bank and his local church. Andrew uses a lot of permaculture techniques as well as hugelkultur in his garden designs.  His own personal garden has an 18-foot Growing Dome, where he shares about the benefits of this earth-friendly greenhouse.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/13/672-andrew-trujillo/ for show notes and links.Andrew Trujillo on Hobby Gardening in a Greenhouse.

Engineering a Growing Community.In This Podcast:In the second of five daily special episodes, we hear from Eric Andrews, who is using a forty-two-foot Growing Spaces growing dome to educate and inspire the members of his Detroit community.  Eric’s excitement is contagious as he shares the incredible story behind the nonprofit he cofounded and tells us how the dome will contribute to its mission in a new way.  He describes the buzz created in the community as the dome was being built and talks about the challenges encountered along the way, both frustrating and amusing.Eric Andrews was born and raised in Detroit, MI. He is the current Executive Director and co-founder of Peace Tree Parks a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization. Eric is a Ferris State University Alumnus that majored in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He is currently employed as a Sr. Product Engineer at American Axle Manufacturing, and he is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.Peace Tree Parks was founded in 2015 with the mission to increase the access that Metro Detroit residents have to fresh organic produce by converting vacant land into community gardens.  They reach their community through a residential and community garden program. These programs work together and are designed to reach those in need regardless of race, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/12/671-eric-andrews/ for show notes and links.Eric Andrews on Peace Tree Parks and Community.

Creating a sustainable greenhouse business in the 90’s.In This Podcast:In the first of five special daily episodes, we hear from Puja and Udgar Parsons, the founders of Growing Spaces.  They give us a peek inside their geodesic dome greenhouse kits, detailing how they work and describing the features that improve upon a traditional greenhouse.  Udgar explains how the dome’s shape is an extension of his permaculture principles and love of nature, and Puja inspires us with stories of their determination to share the joy of healthy, garden-fresh vegetables year-round with as many people as possible, despite the growing pains they experienced as entrepreneurs.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/11/670-puja-and-udgar/ for show notes and links.Growing a Green Business.

There’s More to Gardening Than Merely Keeping Pests at Bay.In This Podcast:Christy Wilhelmi returns to tell us about her latest book, Garden Variety, a novel set in a community garden.  She explains why she wrote the book and shares a little bit about the process, then she introduces us to the characters and even narrates a page or two.  As expected, Christy weaves some amazing gardening tips into her novel and our podcast.  Don’t miss her announcement about a new gardening course and her plans for future novels!Christy Wilhelmi is the founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes her newsletters, her popular blog, top-ranked podcasts, and YouTube videos. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes. Between 70-80 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet. She is author of Gardening for Geeks, 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success, Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden, and just released in February 2022 is her debut novel Garden Variety (William Morrow/Harper Collins).Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/08/669-christy-wilhelmi/ for show notes and links.Christy Wilhelmi on Garden Variety – a Novel.

Understanding the Importance of Keeping Grounded While Trying to Make a DifferenceIn This Podcast:We talk a lot about agricultural practices, climate change, and the global food supply, and the news is not always great.  Rebecca Ruda reflects on the anxiety this can cause and reminds us that just as the problems of the world deserve our attention, so does our mental health.  She provides tips for recognizing anxiety symptoms and openly shares her own experience.  Then Rebecca offers simple but useful strategies for continuing the work of advocating for nature without doing harm to ourselves.Rebecca Ruda is a wife, mother, mental health therapist and urban farmer. When not endlessly pulling bindweed from her strawberry patch, she enjoys hiking in the nearby mountains with her family. She is currently at work on her first novel.  As an Urban Farm podcast listener, we have invited her to share her story.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/04/01/668-rebecca-ruda/ for show notes and links.Mental Health and Urban Farming.

Highlighting Entrepreneurs with Strong Moral Standings and an Understanding of Regenerative Practices.In This Podcast:When we think of permaculture, we immediately think of farms, gardens and homesteads, but Joshua Prieto broadens our perspective.  These principles are so universal, they can (and should!) be applied to more than just our gardens.  Joshua explains his unique programs that teach entrepreneurs how to grow regenerative businesses from the ground up, rather than creating businesses that simply apply regenerative practices.Joshua Prieto is the Co-Founder and Director of the Seeds of Tao learning platform for regenerative entrepreneurs. He has over 10 years of experience creating, building, and operating startup solutions alongside entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. That experience has shown him that entrepreneurs have the biggest role to play in the Anthropocene as we either create the solutions for, or become the root problem of, our people, planet, and future. Josh now co-creates educational programs that disrupt the current way our entrepreneurs learn. His holistically designed educational programs empower entrepreneurs to stop chasing “silver-bullet” solutions and start designing solutions that use regenerative systems.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/25/666-joshua-prieto/ for show notes and links.Empowering Regenerative Businesses.

In Part 2 of this special 3 part series, Greg Peterson reflects on the upcoming move from the Urban Farm in Arizona, to a new, yet to be named farm in North Carolina.  He talks about the factors leading up to the move and the criteria for choosing the new location."Well, the news is out and there are big changes in my life. Heidi and I are moving, and this is not a little move. We are transporting ourselves 1900 miles to our dream home in Asheville, North Carolina. Lots more to come about our landing place in the ‘future’ part of my writing. I want to assure you, however, with our team in place (Janis, Tayler, Theresa, Ray, Renee, Bill, Belle and Kari) all of our programs will continue into the future just like they have for over 20 years. And for those of you that expect to see me on the ground in Phoenix – you still will for the Fruit Tree Program events and the Seed Up. To begin my journey I thought I would review the Past of the Urban Farm, visit the Present and the biggest question I get…why are you moving?, and speculate on the Future of our new space.  Here is a little teaser, we are moving mid-April 2022 to a quaint little town 10 miles from downtown Asheville, North Carolina.  We found our ‘dream farm to be’ on 4 acres that is exploding with possibilities, way too many for me to choose right now."For more information visit www.UrbanFarm.org/patronVisit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/22/urbanfarmpresent/ for show notes and links.

A chat with Lisa Ziegler.  In This Garden Chat: Every vegetable garden can benefit from having beautiful flowers in and around the area. Beautiful blooms can boost the aesthetics and add a wide pallet of colors. Some flowers can repel unwanted pests, and some flowers can bring in healthy pollinators. Some flowers are even edible. Let's get in the know with Lisa Ziegler of "Vegetables Love Flowers".On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Lisa Ziegler is a cut-flower farmer, author, and online teacher on organic cut-flower gardening. She has been farming since 1998 in Southeastern Virginia on the Ziegler family homestead. In season this urban three-acre farm produces thousands of stems of flowers and an abundance of vegetables weekly. Lisa has sold her flowers to florists and supermarkets, and at farmer’s markets and her members-only farm market. She loves sharing the experiences she gathers from day-to-day life on the farm. In recent years Lisa’s business, TheGardenersWorkshop.com has grown into an online garden shop and Learning Center that includes resources and online courses for gardeners and farmers.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/18/664-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

In Part 1 of this special 3 part series about the Past, Present and Future of the Urban Farm, Greg Peterson reviews the history of the Urban Farm and gives a sneak peek into the future."Well, the news is out and there are big changes in my life. Heidi and I are moving, and this is not a little move. We are transporting ourselves 1900 miles to our dream home in Asheville, North Carolina. Lots more to come about our landing place in the ‘future’ part of my writing. I want to assure you, however, with our team in place (Janis, Tayler, Theresa, Ray, Renee, Bill, Belle and Kari) all of our programs will continue into the future just like they have for over 20 years. And for those of you that expect to see me on the ground in Phoenix – you still will for the Fruit Tree Program events and the Seed Up.To begin my journey I thought I would review the Past of the Urban Farm, visit the Present and the biggest question I get…why are you moving?, and speculate on the Future of our new space. Here is a little teaser, we are moving mid-April 2022 to a quaint little town 10 miles from downtown Asheville, North Carolina. We found our ‘dream farm to be’ on 4 acres that is exploding with possibilities, way too many for me to choose right now."Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/15/urbanfarmpast/ for show notes and links.

662: Starting Your Seeds Indoors in Trays.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the February 2022 Seed Saving Class with special guest Kari Spencer discussing starting your seeds indoors. Kari shares insights on how to get a head start on your spring gardens by starting your seeds indoors in trays. We will talk about germination temps, timing, and nutrition as well as how to avoid common problems.  Then we discuss how to transplant your seed starts into your garden successfully.  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&AKari Spencer is the founder of the Microfarm Project in Phoenix, Arizona and the author of two books, Vegetable Gardening Journal; A Weekly Tracker and Logbook, and City Farming. In addition to teaching classes all over the city of Phoenix, she is the creator of Urban Farm U’s Growing Food the Basics & Backyard Livestock courses.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/11/662-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Reducing Agricultural Nitrogen Runoff into Rivers and OceansIn This Podcast:Abby Schaefer didn’t know what she wanted to do when she started college, but she went with the flow and turned her love of chemistry into a career studying water as a bio-systems engineer.  Abby studies woodchip bioreactors, a relatively new technology which harnesses the power of microbes to remove excess nitrogen from agricultural waste water.  She explains what they are and how they work to prevent dangerous dead zones downstream.Abby Schaefer is a research scientist and engineer in Michelle Soupir’s Water Quality Research Lab in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department at Iowa State University. Abby solves water quantity and quality problems, and loves microbes, data analysis, and programming.  She is the 2020 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Pre-Professional Engineer of the Year, and her research was recently published in Agrosystems, Geosciences, & Environment.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/04/661-abby-shaefer/ for show notes and links.Woodchip Bioreactors.

A chat with Bill McDorman.  In This Garden Chat: Your tastiest vegetables can be grown again and again from your own garden! Future harvests are just a few steps away from what you are growing now and Bill McDorman can help you see the path to the future you want.  Explore the benefits of seed saving, learn how to take those first steps, and keep your journey on course with a free class recommendation.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Bill McDorman got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.  He authored the book Basic Seed Saving in 1994, and in 2010 he and his wife, Belle Starr, created Seed School, a nationally recognized week long training.  Bill is a passionate and knowledgeable presenter who inspires his audience to learn to save their own seeds and so much more!Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/25/660-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

Companion Planting.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast:This is the December 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman  and special guest Kari Spencer discussing companion planting. Why work so hard in your garden? Gardening should be fun, relaxing and stress free. Unfortunately many of us don’t subscribe to that philosophy. We worry, we fret and we fear we aren’t doing it right. Companion planting is a way to capture nature’s brilliance to help you “get it right.” There are plants that naturally love being partnered with each other in the garden. They provide many benefits such as shade for a heat sensitive specimen or maybe are themselves a kind of bug repellent for another plant. Often food from plants that taste good together have a symbiotic relationship in the garden.  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/18/659-seed-chat/ for show notes and links.

Growing Fruit Trees WhileAdapting to Changing Climates.In This Podcast:Mike Biltonen explains how he applies pre-industrial farming principles to help food farmers plan for the unpredictable weather that affects their crops.  He remains a positive voice in the often negative conversation surrounding climate change, and advocates for quality of nutrition over quantity of production, focusing on the soil to accomplish that goal.  Don’t miss Mike’s tip for an easy soil test you can do right now!Mike Biltonen has spent nearly 40 years in agriculture –working mostly with orchards, vineyards, and specialty veg and fruit crops. An early passion for sustainable agriculture evolved into a profound dedication to the principles and practices of ecologically focused, biodynamically-driven farming. For the last fifteen years Mike has worked as a consultant to novice and seasoned farmers and orchardists on all aspects of managing regenerative and integrated farmscapes. Mike conducts workshops, seminars, and webinars, and has a free newsletter for the truly dedicated. He co-owns Know Your Roots, a novel and innovative family-owned company, with his wife Debbie, where they are synchronously using farming and herbalism practices to heal the Earth.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/11/658-mike-biltonen/ for show notes and links.Regenerative Orcharding with Climate Change.

Renewing Our Relationships with Bugs.In This Podcast:Wait…Don’t step on that bug!  Vicki Hird introduces us to the fascinating world of bugs, showing us a whole new way to think about our insect and invertebrate friends.  She invites us to look a little closer so we can begin to appreciate bugs not only for the many essential services they perform, but also for the amazing diversity they represent.  Vicki describes the many dangers they face, then talks about what we can do to protect them from harm and even encourage them to thrive and flourish.Vicki Hird is the Head of the Sustainable Farming Campaign for Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming (over 100 non-profit organizations), and she runs an independent consultancy.  She has a Masters in Pest Management and is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (FRES).  As an experienced and award-winning environmental campaigner, researcher, writer, and strategist working mainly in the food, farming and environmental policy arena, Vicki has worked on government policy for many years.  Vicki is the author of Perfectly Safe to Eat? The facts on food, and her latest book is titled Rebugging the Planet (published by Chelsea Green). Her passion is insects and other invertebrates.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/04/657-vicki-hird/ for show notes and links.Rebugging the Planet.

A chat with Jenny Beasley.  In This Garden Chat: Jenny Beasley talks about her 12 years working with Heart for the City Community Garden in Arizona.  Grown from nothing more than a plot of dirt and a desire to help others, the garden is now a safe space where people exchange food and knowledge with neighbors from other cultures.  Jenny recalls the work it took to get the garden off the ground, describes the tending that was required to grow a strong sense of community, and expresses appreciation for the many people who keep it growing.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Jenny Beasley received her certification as a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City along with her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. She is currently the Director of Heart for the City Community Garden located in Glendale, AZ.  She became involved with Heart for the City twelve years ago, a non-profit that helps change lives of inner city at risk youth by walking life with them. She was asked to spearhead a 1/2-acre community revitalization project…. a community garden in which they educate Title 1 school children and their families on gardening and provide families ways of growing their own healthy foods.  Jenny decided to become a health coach to fulfill her passion of working with individuals to enhance their own well-being, and she is currently becoming a Master Gardener.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/01/28/656-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

655: Culinary & Aromatic Herbs.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the October 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing herbs. A garden without herbs is like ice cream without hot fudge. Herbs enhance any meal, and drinking teas made from herbs is healing and medicinal.  They can be perennial and annual allowing for many different planting opportunities, and they are usually easy to divide and reproduce. Bill and Greg explore this magical garden component. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/01/21/655-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Building a Network of Neighborhood Compost Hubs.Do good and earn a profit? Sign us up!  Alyssa Brodsky explains Food2Soil, a program in San Diego that creates soil farmers, people who get paid for turning food scraps from homes and restaurants into rich compost.  She passionately describes how the program works, how she got involved, and the many ways the program has positively impacted both the environment and the participants.  Alyssa also provides some tips for anyone considering a similar program in their own community.Alyssa is a Soil Farmer at Food2Soil, as well as their "Web Builder", meaning she is working to expand the Food2Soil web of decentralized community composting hubs throughout the city of San Diego, including policy work and participant outreach. She served in the Peace Corps working in agriculture for 3 years in Madagascar and with her partner is starting her own market garden farm. Alyssa is fueled by outrage that food scraps are considered "waste", and by awe in the beauty of the composting process.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/01/14/654-alyssa-brodsky/ for show notes and links.Composting for Profit.

A Farmer Friday Reflection by Greg Peterson.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Starting Fresh in 2022:Greg takes a few minutes at the beginning of this new year to acknowledge the challenges of the last couple of years and to highlight the importance of growing our own food.  He expresses gratitude for you, the Urban Farm community, and talks about ways we can support each other.  Then he walks us through the comforting rhythms of his year round-garden, describing in detail the tasks of each season and the bountiful harvests he enjoys as a result of his efforts.Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning? Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits.  This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack… Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/01/07/653-farmer-friday/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Starting Fresh in 2022.