The Urban Farm Podcast With Greg Peterson

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 cour

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 http

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

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

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 webin

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

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

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://ww

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

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 questio

Working to increase awareness about healthy food and personal health.In This Podcast:Shannon Owen shares the joys and struggles of starting a new farm business with her husband, Chris.  They saw a need in their community and decided to help by growing microgreens in their basement.  Shannon reveals the magic that happens when they take their greens out into the community, and she describes the encouraging conversations that educate and bring people together, as well as the love of community that inspires them to grow and sell healthy, nutritious food.Shannon Owen and her husband, Chris, are the Co-Owners at Cheshire Curiosities MicroFarm & Homestead located in Evansville, Indiana. In 2020, they converted their basement to a commercial grow room with a heart for developing nutrient-dense food in their area by growing microgreens! With this newfound focus, they began a mission to feed their community by bringing healthy options to their local region. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/12/31

A chat with Raymond Jess.  In This Garden Chat: Farmer Greg talks with Raymond Jess and Janis Norton, from the Urban Farm, about a multitude of variations on the traditional garden box.  They share their own experiences and discuss the unique advantages of each type of bed, covering topics such as how they work, how to set them up, and how to care for them.  Raymond gives us a peek inside his garden, telling us what he is currently growing and how he is growing it, and Janis tells how to nourish your plants so they thrive.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: Raymond Jess is the Urban Farm General Store leader, master gardener, and all around fun

Working Toward Bee Conservation and Biodiversity in Urban Areas.In This Podcast:Jennifer Foltz-Sweat opens our eyes to the wide world of bees.  By now many of us have heard that bees are a crucial element of the environment, but what should we do with that knowledge?  Jennifer explains easy things we can do to attract bees to our garden and warns us what not to do.  She gives uplifting examples of how important education is to conservation, tells us about the move toward citizen science, and encourages all of us to get involved. Jennifer Foltz-Sweat began researching wild bee ecology in 2002, while a graduate student in California. Her studies focused on determining how wild bee communities differed between grassland habitats and urban areas. She moved back to Arizona, where she grew up, in 2009 and began teaching at Arizona State University West campus and the Maricopa County Community College District. Jennifer continues to conduct research on urban bee communities with her undergraduate

Growing Compact and Bountiful Gardens in the Smallest of SpacesIn This Podcast:Jennifer McGuinness’ contagious enthusiasm for gardening will have you pining to grow something.  No space? No problem!  Jen has found creative ways to grow food in small spaces.  She gives us a taste of the small space gardening projects we’ll find in her new book and she shares the joy she found in writing and taking the photos for it.  Jen tells about her website, describes all the things she loves about gardening, and revels in her current role in the gardening community.Jennifer McGuinness began regularly writing as Frau Zinnie in 2011 on her garden blog, FrauZinnie.com. The website features Jen’s writing, photography, personal experiences in her garden located in Connecticut, and interviews with garden experts. She is a proponent of organic methods and pollinator-friendly gardens, and excited about her first published book “Micro Food Gardening: Project plans and plants for growing fruits and veggies in ti

Returning to Living As We Were Designed.In This Podcast:Listen as Tony Horn shows us where to look and what to do to rediscover peace in our lives.  Tony shares his key definition of peace and his vision of a beautiful world where humans are once again living as nature intended.   He explains that the biggest human struggles we face today have surfaced recently and are of our own making, but he believes we do have the power to eliminate these problems.  First, though, we must wake up, gather together, and be willing to change.Tony is an educator and author. He has taught both junior high and college students, and has many years of corporate experience as an Instructional Designer.  He is an author of several books including:  The Three R’s: Government for the Way People Live and his most recent book Change or Perish.  He’s also the founder of Community Groove, Inc., a non-profit company dedicated to rebuilding strong communities globally.  He lives in Sun Lakes, AZ wher

Exploring Solutions to Current Water Challenges for Farming.In This Podcast:Seth Siegel is passionate about tackling the world’s water problems before they get to crisis level.   He explains the practical steps necessary to put into practice the solutions he has gathered from around the world.  Agriculture is one of the largest consumers of water, but most crops are watered using wasteful methods that are centuries old.  Seth presents a new technological solution that is both effective and cost effective, making it more appealing to commercial farms.  Seth is a serial entrepreneur, water activist, New York Times bestselling author, and the Chief Sustainability Officer for N-Drip. His critically acclaimed award-winning book Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World has been published in 20 languages and is on sale in more than 50 countries. His other books are Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink, and Other People’s Words all produced by St Martin’s Pre

646: Loving Those Legumes.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the October 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing legumes.  Beans and peas are great to eat and also great for your soil. Incorporating them into your garden rotation is smart and delicious. Pollinators also love legumes so it's a win-win all around. Plant them along a wall or fence for a beautiful display of cascading leaves and fruit for easy picking. There is so much to love about legumes! 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.ur

A Farmer Friday Interview with Alyssa Brodsky.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Composting for Your Neighbors:Have you tried composting food scraps, only to give up because you did not generate enough waste to be successful?  Alyssa Brodsky shares details about a composting program that solves this problem.  Residential participants learn how to collect local neighborhood waste and turn it into plenty of rich compost that they can share with their neighbors.  Some participants even earn an income, making this a great way to enrich soil and enrich lives at the same time!Gardening tips, tricks, and advice, in short, bite-size episodes.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 i

A chat with Christy Wilhelmi. You’ll enjoy Christy Wilhelmi’s contagious enthusiasm for the cooler planting seasons as she explains how to increase your chance of success by planting the right crop in the right season.  Christy covers it all, from the basics of what “in season” actually means, to the specifics of which crops do well in cooler temperatures.  Hear why fall is her favorite season and learn some clever tips and tricks for getting the most out of this under appreciated time of the year.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.orgOur Special Guest:Christy Wilhelmi is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, top-ranked podcasts, and YouTube videos. She also specia

643: Nifty Nightshades.This is the September 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing nightshades.  We are so glad the deadly nightshades aren’t!  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillos.  Easy to save the seeds and so many reasons to.  And the good news is that these plants are self-pollinating so no worries about your plants “getting crossed up.”  Everyone’s favorite vegetable, tomato, could become your favorite seed saving variety.  Plant, pick, save seeds.  Oh and eat the fruit.  Really!  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/2021/10/29/643-seed-chat/ for the show note