The Urban Farm Podcast With Greg Peterson

251: Shane Jordan on Food Waste.Making recipes from those leftover ingredients that might have been tossed.In this podcast: Creating a delicious meal using cooking scraps that would have been tossed, or maybe even looked over when shopping, is something that Shane Jordan wants everyone to try. He explains this philosophy for us here and invites you to try things like his Banana Skin Curry.   Shane is a vegetarian chef and author based in Bristol, England.  He works as a part time chef at Arc Cafe while teaching cooking at Universities and Festivals. He has been described as a "pioneer" for this imaginative use of food waste in restaurants and has written a cookbook detailing his alternative approach, called Food Waste Philosophy.  In it he explains his concepts and shares many of his popular recipes.Shane has a passion for education, working in schools and spreading the green message – he is dedicated to showing that dealing with environmental issues can be a fun and interesting experience

Greg Peterson - 250th Episode Special Interviewing Farmer Greg himself - about his life mission and creating The Urban Farm.In this podcast: This is the 250th episode of The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson and the tables are turned as our guest host Jake Mace gets to take control of the interview.  Greg tells us his story, how writing a mission statement for a college assignment affected him, and why naming your farm is so important to him.  And, he shares more about the origin of The Urban Farm Nursery and of Urban Farm U.   Greg has lived at the Urban Farm for almost 30 years.  His 1/3-acre yard features an entirely edible landscape, including over 70 fruit trees, rainwater and grey-water harvesting, solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials.Greg is a longtime permaculture advocate, flunked out of university in 1981 because he was bored, then went back twenty years later to get a bachelor’s degree and a Masters in Urban and Environmenta

249: Andrew Gunther on Humanely Raised Farm Animals Labeling for meats to show how the animal was cared for and prepped for consumption.In this podcast: We learn about how the way an animal is raised can make a difference, not only in the taste, but in how healthy the meat is for us as consumers.  Andrew Gunther explains why it is important to know this distinction and how to recognize it when making your buying selection at the store. Andrew is the Executive Director of A Greener World where he spearheaded the growth and development of the “Animal Welfare Approved”, or AWA, certification into what Consumer Reports calls the only “highly meaningful” food label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access, and sustainability.Andrew works to increase the availability of Certified AWA meat, dairy and eggs in traditional retail settings. He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation for the International Standardization Organization who is responsible for development of standards related to Animal Wel

248: Ellen Zachos on Wildcrafted Cocktails             Blending naturally wild flavors to delight the palate and stir up the conversations.In this podcast: The love of plants was a strong enough call to help Ellen Zachos leave the Broadway stage, and her love of food and flavors combined with plants led her naturally to wild foraging, and then to experiment with mixing cocktails.  Ellen has done a lot of research and testing to bring her foraging skills to the cocktail bar and here we learn a lot about mixing the right flavors to get a perfect drink.  You might just rethink your next hike to the mountain or the farmers market after this podcast. A former Broadway performer (she was once in the cast of Les Miz), Ellen is a Harvard graduate and has earned multiple certificates in horticulture and ethnobotany from the New York Botanic Garden. In her spare time Ellen is a garden writer, photographer, and lectures at flower shows & for

247: Kim Lehman on Beekeeping for KidsHelping young beekeepers learn and grow comfortable with the hives. In this podcast: The next generation of beekeepers can be intrigued and inspired by fun activities dreamt up by Kim Lehman through her many years of honey bee education. She shares how she got started with bees and some of the interesting facts about bees and beekeeping.  There are some sweet points in the podcast!Kim has worked over 25 years as a honey bee educator, teacher, professional storyteller, musician, and author. She has presented hundreds of programs and workshops at schools, libraries, museums, nature centers, and festivals. Through her work, children have gained a greater understanding of the honey bee, nature’s tiny treasure.As part of her children’s column for Bee Culture Magazine, Kim began the Bee Buddies Club which now has members in every state. Years ago, she founded the American Beekeeping Federation Kids and Bees Program and directed this educational service about honey bee

246: Johannes Paul on Modern Urban Chicken Coops Engineering a new design for housing poultry and encouraging people to raise backyard chickens.In this podcast: When Johannes Paul and his engineering design classmates were challenged to come up with an idea for a class project, little did they know that design could be received so well.  A decade later they have a line of products for outdoor pets and small animals, and their design called out as one of the best British designs in the last 100 years.Johannes met his three friends James, Simon, and Will, at the Royal College of Art in London where they were studying Industrial Design.  In their final year, they designed a revolutionary new chicken house which made it simpler to keep chickens in gardens. It looked rather like an igloo and in a moment of punning genius, they named it the Egglu. They exhibited the first prototype at the graduation show and over 500 visitors expressed an interest to keep chickens in their gardens.  At that mome

245: Willow Aldridge on Raising Quail Exploring the benefits of raising quail for meat and eggs In this podcast: After meeting this young woman at a local Urban Farm tour and finding out how, and why, she started her own quail meat and eggs business, we could not act fast enough to get Willow Aldridge’s interview scheduled.  She shares with us how she convinced her parents to let her start the business, and the challenges and the wonders of raising quail and selling the meat and eggs.Cricket is natural homesteader. Growing up in rural Idaho with a garden, a horse, and lots of home canned food, she brings those sensibilities to her suburban home in Phoenix. Add a little dose of cottage garden flavor and permaculture tendencies, and you’ll see why her blog, GardenVariety.Life is a reflection of everything she does. Cricket enjoys sharing skills that promote a meaningful and practical connection to our gardens and environment. Because so many residents of the metro Phoenix area are transplant

244: Raymond Jess on Wicking BedsWatering up in the garden, and using physics to maintain proper soil hydration.In This Podcast:  We hear from Ray Jess, a man who loves to learn, and is enthusiastically helping others get excited about wicking bed gardens.  When he first saw a wicking bed at a fellow Master Gardener’s yard, he was intrigued and that started his deep research. From there he tinkered with an idea about how he could build one in his own yard, with a little improvement, of course. Now he has written an article for the Urban Farm and we hear the benefits of capillary action in his own words.After retiring from two careers, the Air Force and teaching, he pursued his love of food by graduating from the Phoenix Art Institute with a certificate in Culinary Arts. The highlight of his culinary experience was working as a chef for the 2007 Super Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Natural extensions for this self-proclaimed foodie were the completion of his Master Gardner training a

243: John Rowden on Planting for BirdsDetermining which plants are best for specifically local ecosystems.In this podcast: We learn a little bit more about a national resource for nature lovers from John Rowden from the National Audubon Society as he talks about their new database for native plants. It makes a lot of sense that native plants would be appreciated by birds, and John shares how the interaction between plants and birds can be enhanced and appreciated by anyone willing to grow a plant in their area.John joined Audubon in 2009 when he was hired by the New York City chapter to direct citizen science and outreach throughout the city.   In 2013, he transitioned to the National Audubon Society, first working on the Toyota TogetherGreen program before becoming Audubon’s Director of Community Conservation in 2016.John’s work at Audubon has focused on engaging new audiences in the organization’s conservation efforts, personally and through Audubon’s extensive national network. He holds a PhD in

242: Laura Kelly on Healthy Bones through Whole Foods.Combating nutritional deficiencies and fighting off diseases through whole and natural foods.In this podcast:  Sometimes it is fighting for the health of a family member that prompts an understanding which in turn helps many other people.  In this conversation, Dr. Laura Kelly explains why she turned her attention to bone health, and what she found when looking for underlying causes to bone density loss.  Then as she was not content to just helping others understand bone health, she determined to help people take action to help themselves.Dr. Laura practices medicine based on principles of nature, using nutrients and natural medicines. This approach to primary care combines functional medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and tools of Western medicine to build a complete picture of the body – and a plan for how to guide and assist in its return to health.She consults with patients in multiple countries and is based in Topanga, Ca

241: Jared Gulliford on Millennial FarmersStarting a farm from scratch as an urban-raised millennial.IN THIS PODCAST: Being young and not having any land or farming experience did not stop Jared Gulliford from developing a plan and a dream to have his own farm.  He shares his story about how he came to the decision to pursue a living as a farmer, where he got his training and experience, and how he transformed his family’s properties into a farm.  Then once he got there he had to change the soil and he did this using elbow grease and old-fashioned techniques so that he would not have to use chemicals because he cares about what he sells. At the age of 25, Jared moved back to the land he grew up on to start a farm.  Gardening since he was a teen, he became interested in agriculture while at University. Now, he is striving to produce food to share with, and nourish, his community while teaching others along the way.Taking advantage of an opportunity when his sister and her family bought the

240: Eve Sibley on Recording the Farm's ActivitiesCreating a history of the garden or farm to document what works best.Eve is a creative who studied painting in school, but it was her passion for activism which led her into gardening and farming. In 2006, when she turned 30, she left New York City and moved to a farm to clarify where she wanted to focus her activism energy. She became interested in gardening as a solution to many of the world’s ails and immediately learned square foot gardening.Eve has spent years setting up innovative gardens, mostly vertical, for different organizations in her travels through the USA, Costa Rica, and India. She came to believe internet technology could be utilized to help more people with their growing projects, and during her travels used her computer skills on attempts to find ways to connect and help gardeners around the world.Through her gardening work, and by volunteering on various farms, Eve recently found a need for improved garden record-keeping and she set ou

239: Pam Freeman on Chicken Raising RealitiesDiscussing the next level of raising your own chicks In this podcast: Chicken expert and poultry advice columnist Pam Freeman shares some great tips on getting started with raising your own chicks.  Her own adventure started with a little gift from the Easter Bunny, and now she helps others get comfortable with hens starting with the egg and raising chicks.Pam is the editor of both the Backyard Poultry and Countryside magazines. After she received four Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks from the Easter Bunny, her flock quickly grew and Pam launched PamsBackyardChickens.com.  In the years that followed, she hand-raised chicks, nursed chicks and chickens back to health, and experienced the entire lifecycle many times over.  Pam is also the resident "Ask the Expert" columnist for Backyard Poultry magazine and continues to write regular posts about chicken keeping and homesteading.  In her spare time, Pam loves to hunt for antiques, bolster her

238: Mimi Arnold on Farm-to-Table, Resort Hotel Style Building food and garden resources for an ocean-front, secluded ranch hotel.In this podcast: We hear from Mimi Arnold, the gardener who is helping initiate a farm-to-table program at one of California’s beautiful coastal hotels. She explains how she has been working with the owners and the chef to help design and provide the resource gardens on the property. She is dedicated to preserving the environment and loves helping the Inn and its guests connect with nature as much as she can!Mimi is a visual artist and garden designer. After receiving her bachelors in Fine Art at UCLA's School of Art and Architecture, her ongoing interest in botanicals and green spaces fully surfaced; thus, she merged her artistic background with her love in all that is green and headed into the garden design industry. For over two years, Mimi worked for two specialty gardening companies in San Francisco, and contributed to projects for Google and Restoration Hardwar

237: Scottie Jones on Farm StaysExperiencing farm life at the source, a few days at a timeIn this podcast:  Moving to a farm gave Scottie Jones and her husband a new chapter in her life. Yet that story changed completely when she decided to open her farm to guests and realized there was no association or group available to help organize farms as a vacation resource. She tells us about how she decided to fix this and how she made FarmStayUS happen. Scottie is a woman of many talents.  She has an MA in Medieval Archaeology Plus an MBA.  She worked at Arizona State University for 11 years, was the Arizona franchisee for The Body Shop, and later Director of Retail and Host Services at The Phoenix Zoo.  Currently she is a sheep farmer at Leaping Lamb Farm in Oregon, a farm stay host, and the founder of FarmStay U.S. - a national travel site for farm and ranch vacations.  Building on the success of her own farm stay, she has made it her mission, via FarmStayUS.com,

236: Roza Ferdowsmakan on Sourcing Food in the Digital Age.Helping foodies find chefs, and chefs find local farms, all through their phones.In this podcast:  We are excited to share this conversation with Roza Ferdowsmakan, someone who cares about building up the local food economy as much as we do.  Roza decided she could make a difference in her community by connecting foodies, culinary talents, and local farms through a specially design app.  It is with her new app that she hopes to give people culinary awakenings like the one she had as a young teenager.Roza wants to change the way people connect with food, with their communities, and with the earth. As a tech company founder, she has created a community-driven, farm-to-table mobile app called bites., set to be released in beta to the metro-Phoenix community in July.bites. is a marketplace app for foodies of all socio-economic levels to connect with and reserve personal chef services offered by homemaker cooks, culinary students, and profes

235: Colin Walker on Keys to Growing Nutrient-rich Food Connecting important ecology-centered concepts for producing nutrient dense food.IN THIS PODCAST: Previous guest Colin Walker goes further into ecology-centered concepts and describes the key points he has developed to focus on growing better foods.  He has taken years of experience, research, and study and compiled it into six key focal points that will help any gardener or farmer produce healthier, more nutrient rich foods.Colin grew up in a rural community near Auckland, New Zealand, and learned the basics of growing by helping his grandfather maintain a small flower market garden.  Initially, he went to college to study economics, however after some course changes, he turned to interests a little closer to his roots.  He got involved in and has had leadership roles in several areas of natural agriculture including establishing the Permaculture Institute of New Zealand, taking on advisory and advocacy roles for seed preservati

234: Ruth & Grace Pepler on AgritourismExperiencing life on the farm as a vacation destination IN THIS PODCAST: We meet two very special ladies in the mother-daughter team with Ruth and Grace Pepler who are helping us understand the concepts of Agritourism and Guest Farms. Ruth is inspiring with her story of transforming their small homestead into a very active community building resource and agriculture education resource in the guise of something akin to a bed and breakfast vacation spot.  Her daughter Grace is a delight as she shares her knowledge and passion of teaching kids of all backgrounds the joys of farm lifeRuth has been a registered nurse, private chef, and caterer, and has taught cooking classes, managed a farm, and homeschooled her daughter. She and her husband Thomas started their homestead near the Buffalo National River in Arkansas ten years ago.  Shortly after moving there, they bought the adjoining property and opened Dogwood Hills Bed & Breakfast; Which they cal

233: Colin Walker on Gardening with Ecology at its HeartFocusing on a larger picture to understand how to effectively grow a good garden. In this podcast: Part one of two with Colin Walker, a long-time gardener and educator from New Zealand, who helps explain a gardening concept that brings the world into focus while looking at the garden bed. The decades of experience and know-how are evident in this conversation about how an ecology-centered viewpoint is so important to successful gardening.Colin grew up in a rural community near Auckland, New Zealand, learning the basics of growing by helping his grandfather maintain a small flower market garden.  Much later, he helped to establish the Permaculture Institute of New Zealand. In the 1980s and 90s, he spent time in the US, Australia, Ireland, and England. Returning home, he learned about the principles of ecology-centered design from Dennis Scott, an innovative designer, landscape architect, and resource management consultantColin’s focus then turne

232: John Vespasian on Rational, Self-Reliant Living.Learning lessons of resilience from history.IN THIS PODCAST: We chat with John Vespasian about learning from the mistakes found in some of history’s interesting stories.  Not satisfied with what he could find in most books at the time, John decided he could do a better job and set out to write a book that he would like to read.  From there he has focused on researching history, learning new languages, and figuring out how certain cultures succeeded and how cultures failed to determine what should be done today to get the best results.John is a personal development author of eight books about history and psychology, including his latest book "Thriving in difficult times: Twelve lessons from Ancient Greece to improve your life today." As a lover of history, he is continuously studying and making notes about what he learns and has found many examples in the past that he feels can help people today.John has given many interviews around his resear