The Urban Farm Podcast With Greg Peterson

Focusing on higher yield and better quality in harvests.Earning his degree in agronomy put Marty Campfield on a path that led him eventually to work for AZOMITE selling this unique nutrient dense fertilizer/soil amendment product. He helps explain about the importance of nutrients in the soil, and how different forms can easily break down for quick plant consumption or slowly break down for long term nutrient availability. Marty also shares tips on different methods of application for this mineral rich substance.Marty is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing with AZOMITE Soil Products, LLC, and has served in various positions in the agricultural, turfgrass, landscape, greenhouse, and fertilizer industry segments. He has traveled globally to over 15 countries working with everyone from the growers up to the product formulators. As a former certified professional agronomist (CPAg) and former certified crop advisor (CCA) his experience has included focusing on optimizing soil health and crop production in co

Stewarding future crops through considerate cultivation and harvesting of seeds.In This Podcast: In the pursuit of resetting his health, Luke Allen took a four-day fasting journey and ended up taking his life in a new direction.  Eventually he resettled, started growing food, and seeds! He helps break down some seed terminology for us and discusses the importance of true breeding in seeds.Luke was raised in a small town, then moved to Seattle where he worked doing computer graphics design. After many years there, he realized something was missing from the daily grind and went on a series of vision quests where realized that he needed to work with the land, the water, the animals and the food. Luke studied permaculture, received his permaculture design certificate and started growing food.Sundial Seed is a small, family run regional seed company located in Willits, California to produce hand-crafted market-ready varieties.  They work with seed growers to co-create delicious market-ready true-breeding

Bonus Episode 27: Seed Saving Class April 2019. In This Bonus Podcast: Once again we join a conversation with Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson to learn about growing from seed, growing for seed, and why our seeds are so important in these changing times. This is the replay of the April 2019 Seed Saving Class - In this class he covers grains, disease resistance, and packaging seeds safely, and of course a few more things as well.Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, in Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/21/bonus27/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Building up property value with beautiful food growing spaces.In This Podcast: Knowing that curb appeal is important, Matt Smith has applied this concept to his backyard to improve the value of his home. He shares how growing food and appreciating nature has become so important to him, and which historical figures influence his goals for his green space. Matt also explains why home improvement shows can diminish home values and what to focus on to prevent that from happening in your space. Matt was a part of MTV at its prime and starred on influential reality TV shows that helped reshape the entertainment industry. He lived a charmed life in his 20’s, but if you ask him about being a celebrity, he’d tell you that it was a waste of time.Today, Matt is the creative force behind Smith House Design, an influential marketing and design agency in Phoenix. He and his wife live in South Tempe with their five children and are focused on creating a vibrant food garden and learning space for their family. They

Grinding out award winning chocolateIn This Podcast: Early influences helped Kasey McCaslin develop a love for food and making things, and that eventually led her to try making small batch chocolate to sell at the farmers market.  From there she has gone on to develop recipes that have earned her several awards and she shares about the steps and care she takes to make her internationally inspired flavors. Kasey is one of the creators of Stone Grindz Chocolate, a small-batch company driven by quality and craft. She is a self-taught chocolate maker, with a background in nutrition. Her free time is spent playing in her garden, painting, and hanging out with her adorable pup, Finnley.Stone Grindz specializes in small batch, single origin craft chocolate and sources cacao from all over the world, giving customers a glimpse and taste from the different growing regions.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/14/446-kasey-mccaslin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great

Homesteading with a passion and a purpose.In This Podcast: For years, Julia Hubler couldn't find a garden planner that had it all. After running her family's homestead of chickens, goats, and gardens, she put together a comprehensive garden planning guide and journal. Here, she paints a picture of life on her homestead. Listen in to learn why she added native trees back into her orchard, what it's like raising chickens for meat, and how you can win a free copy of her e-book so you can start planning your best garden yet!Julia lives in Arizona on two and a half acres, with HOT summers, lots of cacti and amazing sunsets!  She is a homeschool graduate living with her family and every day you’ll find her raising guineas, making dinner, milking goats, and writing about it all.  You can find her at ReformStead.com.   Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/11/445-julia-hubler/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.This contest period has exp

Taking fruits and berries to make tasty results.In This Podcast: What do you do with the abundance of fruit from your yard? Making jams and jellies are an easy solution. Sara Wolters from Pomona's Universal Pectin shares how their fruit-based pectin allows you to create delicious preserves with little to no added sugar. She also shares about the pectin industry, the recipe and video resources they have available to the public, methods of making jams with young kids, and additional uses for pectin.Sara and her husband own and operate Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona Pectin has been around for 39 years, and they’ve owned the business for just over 2 years now. They have two sons and live right next to Yosemite National Park.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/07/444-sara-wolters/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.This contest period is expired.444: Sara Wolters on Healthy, Homemade Jams & Jellies.

Growing delicious produce - in the garden, an allotment, or in the greenhouse!In This Podcast: Jason Johns is the author of 18 books on gardening. Here, he shares everything anybody needs to know about growing tomatoes! From the ideal soil, varieties, conditions, and pruning you'll be ready to plant amazing tomatoes. We also discussed common pests and what to do about them, as well as his first failure with tomatoes and what he learned from the experience. Jason plants something new each year. As a bonus, he also shared some of his other growing experiences!Jason is the author of Growing Tomatoes: Your Guide to Growing Delicious Tomatoes at Home, as well as 17 other self-published gardening books on everything from greenhouse gardening to growing giant pumpkins.  Jason is passionate about gardening, having grown his own produce for over twenty years.  He started with a second-hand greenhouse, an 8’ by 6’ patch of his mother’s garden, and far too many tomato plants.  After turning the

Living the good life while selling from a small farm.In This Podcast: How does one become a farmer when you haven't gone to school for agriculture? Emily Heller did just that using local education programs and opportunities. Here, she discusses successful selling as a small space producer, parameters for success in gardening, and some of her best practices. She also speaks to the emotional journey of farming and how to handle the imperfections and challenges. Emily also shares how to educate customers at Farmers Markets and build repeat clients.Tempe, Arizona grower Emily is a student of Mother Nature’s. Since moving to Arizona in 1998, she’s been growing food and studying the low-desert seasons as a backyard gardener. A former journalist, she shifted gears in 2014 and became a master gardener — then completed beginning farmer programs in Maricopa and Pinal counties. She went on to sell her produce at farmers markets through the local growers’ co-op, Community Exchange. Now she leases farmland in Qu

Finding purpose in educating about indoor farming. In This Podcast: We had the pleasure of talking aquaponics with Jill Shea from Trifecta Ecosystems. Trifecta Ecosystems practices sustainable farming in their aquaponics farm and educates the community to grow their own food as part of the City that Feeds Itself initiative. In addition to the great community programs, we dove into how aquaponics works, is lower cost, uses less land and conserves water. The AgTech field is growing tremendously, with several great opportunities for new farmers. www.urbanfarm.org/jillsheaJill’s farming story started in Orlando, Florida in exchange for free herbalism classes.  Since 2006 she has been fortunate enough to both tend land and teach a variety of growing styles all over the US. She considers it a pleasure to now farm for Trifecta Ecosystems where they help cities feed themselves through aquaponic growing innovation. Trifecta Ecosystems is creating incentives for communities to grow their own food wh

Bonus Episode #26: Seed Saving Class March 2019. In This Bonus Podcast: There are new things to learn in every conversation with Bill McDorman. This is the March 2019 episode of a Seed Saving Class - we go back to the basics on why to save seeds, how to start, how to store seeds, cross-pollination, planting diversity, and so much more.Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail-order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/04/23/bonus26/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Having trees as partners in farming projects.In This Podcast: Akiva Silver spent years observing and learning from nature. He discusses how to partner with trees, talks about his new book, and shares some of his favorite trees. Listen in to learn about the different functions of trees, all the amazing ways we can use Hickory trees, and how to use some of the lesser know varieties in really cool ways. He also shares what it looks like to raise 20,000 trees in a year and when he prefers to grow from seed vs cuttings.Akiva owns and operates his 20-acre Twisted Tree Farm, a homestead, nut orchard, and nursery near the Finger Lakes Region of New York.  There he grows around 20,000 trees per year that are raised naturally without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Akiva is the author of Trees of Power, Ten Essential Arboreal Allies, released this month in paperback through our friends at Chelsea Green Publishing.  He is dedicated to growing healthy trees, food, and family. Go

Maximizing growing potential by gardening out of the box.In This Podcast: Garrett Hill loved gardening using grow bags so much, he made it into a business. Today we talk about starting a business, the benefits of grow bags, how they work, and some of the cool things Garrett is growing in them. We also dive into the wifi controlled watering system he recommends to all his clients that helps conserve water and integrate technology to improve his farm to table gardening.Garrett and his wife moved back to Gilbert, AZ from Huntington Beach, CA after honorably serving for 10 years of active duty in the United States Coast Guard. As native Arizonians, they both realized that their home state offered the perfect climate for gardening and they began their urban garden using strictly grow bags. Realizing grow bags allowed them to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, and more far beyond their maximum potential of a standard pot or raised pine box garden, they soon started their business Urban Hills Grow Bag Gardens

Building your food system with backyard poultry.In This Podcast: Who knew when Christine Heinrichs told her daughter they could get chickens that it would shape her life into three popular books and a backyard full of heritage breeds? We sat down with Christine to discuss the re-release of her book, different chicken breeds, their characteristics, and what she learned along the way. We also discuss the mindset of raising meat hens and the importance of predator proofing your coop. We also have a special giveaway opportunity for 3 lucky listeners of the podcast, listen in for instructions on how to win a copy of her updated book!Christine lives on California’s Central Coast, in an unincorporated rural community. She has a small flock of about ten hens, some old friends and some newcomers. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Oregon and belongs to several professional journalism and poultry organizations. Christine started writing about chickens in the 1980’s when she lived in Sa

 Stewarding our seed futures with regional growers working together.In This Podcast: We dove into the world of urban seed saving and starting a seed co-op with Casey O'Leary. She has worn many hats: an environmental activist, farmer, CSA owner, and founder of the Snake River Seed Cooperative. She now supports her bioregion (and the world) with seeds specific to her area and educates on seed saving in her upcoming seed school. Her CSA challenges members to learn how to cook a variety of food, and they educate members on how to prepare and store new items.Casey is a seed freak and urban farmer in Boise, Idaho. On her farm which is called Earthly Delights, she grows oodles of seed crops as well as vegetables, herbs, and flowers for her CSA members. She also co-founded the Snake River Seed Cooperative, which now involves over 30 Intermountain West farmers stewarding nearly 400 varieties of regionally-adapting seeds, which they sell to area farmers and gardeners. Casey loves to talk with others about the

Helping others understand how to plan their environments to work with nature. In This Podcast: Peter Bane is a long time Permaculture advocate. He has served on the board of the Permaculture Institute of North America, ran the Permaculture Activist magazine, and taught permaculture design courses around the world. Today, Peter shares some of the basic principles, how anyone can enter the world of permaculture, and how permaculture is the answer to many social and environmental issues. Listen in for details on his new book and how 3 lucky listeners can win a free copy!Peter has served the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA) - as a Director, Board Secretary, President, Chair of the Diploma Program Committee, Application Reviewer, and Field Advisor. In October 2018, he stepped off the board to take a part-time staff position as Coordinator for the Board. He holds diplomas in Site Design from PINA, in Media and Communications and in Education from the Permaculture Institute (USA) and from the

Starting the spring farming season as much as 6 weeks early.In This Podcast: Joel Karsten revolutionized the gardening world when he introduced the world to Straw Bale Gardening. Now, this best-selling author is back to blow our minds with the 6 Bale Greenhouse. Joel describes for our listeners how we can make a greenhouse for under $100 that can fit 360 vegetable starts. Using this temporary greenhouse allows us to start our garden 6 weeks early and turns into a trellis system for our plants. Listen in for a chance to win his new book! Joel is a farm boy who grew up tending a soil garden, shook up the gardening world with his first book describing his breakthrough Straw Bale Gardening concept. The New York Times called Straw Bale Gardening “a revolutionary gardening method” and his ideas have been enthusiastically embraced globally, making his books best-sellers in many languages. Joel earned a BS in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota and spends his summers tending his vegetable garden,

Encouraging family bonding, healthy habits & creative confidence for young cooks.In This Podcast: Give Garden is a recipe delivery service that teaches kids STEM skills and healthy eating habits. Stephanie Lucas, the program's creator, used her 15 years as a corporate nutritionist to create this Give Garden to encourage family bonding and build confidence in young cooks. Inadvertently, she is helping community members by creating jobs and using local resources in a new, innovative way. Listen in to learn about the monthly box and how to get a discount on your first one! www.urbanfarm.org/givegarden Stephanie grew up as a competitive gymnast where she learned first-hand that the body required the proper fuel to feel good and perform at its peak potential. Luckily, she was blessed with parents that loved to cook and a grandmother who had a passion for gardening. It is no surprise that she dedicated her college years to studying human nutrition and her career of planting the seed of proper nut

Bonus Episode #25: Seed Saving Class February 2019. In This Bonus Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the February 2019 episode of a Seed Saving Class - with Special Guest Belle Starr. Listen and learn about highlights from the epic February 2019 Seed Summit, and so much more.Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail-order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/03/26/bonus25/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Improving geographic, economic, and informational access to healthy foods for residents in food deserts.In This Podcast: What is it like growing up without fresh, healthy food available? Rob Horton used his experience living in a food desert as motivation for creating Trap Garden. In this community garden in Nashville, he is teaching kids, community members, and college students not only how to grow their own fresh food, but how to cook healthy meals using their garden. His garden offers innovative solutions to the physical, financial, and educational shortcomings in food-insecure communities.Robert "Rob Veggies" Horton is the Founder and Executive Director of the trap Garden established in Nashville, Tennessee. Rob's motivation as an urban farmer and community health activist stems from his own experiences growing up in a St. Louis, Missouri neighborhood with few fresh, healthy food items. Then, moving to Nashville to attend Tennessee State University, Robert was frustrated with having to drive miles aw