The Urban Farm Podcast With Greg Peterson

231: Trent Lindsey on Converting to Plant Based Nutrition  Chronicling the transition to a vegan lifestyle and helping educate others.In This Podcast:  We hear from Trent Lindsey about what it was like to convert to a plant based diet or lifestyle.  Choosing to go vegan can seem intimidating, however Trent is helping others understand by sharing this journey and opening up about the transition and what he has experienced as he and his family made the changeTrent is the founder of GoPlantBased.info: a website and blog on a mission to improve our world, one healthy person at a time. His blog educates his readers on the health benefits of a Plant Based Lifestyle. He is devoted to fighting against preventable dietary diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, to name a few.He and his family have enjoyed the benefits of a Plant Based Lifestyle since January, 2016. Since then, he has immersed himself in the teachings of the Mastering Raw Food Nutrition program led by D

230: Katie Hess on Blooming into Your Full Potential Connecting with nature to empower the natural self.In this Podcast: We are learning about a natural-medicine aspect of plant essences through this conversation with flower alchemist Katie Hess. This is a new way for us of connecting with nature, and leads us to understanding more about why we feel at home when we are in our gardens. Katie explains how flowers have such a significant effect on living beings and why working with nature’s gifts can improve our lives profoundly.Katie is a flower alchemist and the founder of LOTUSWEI, one of the world’s leading floral apothecaries. After 15 years of independent research of flower and plant-based healing, her flower-powered community is thriving in over 15 countries. Her transformative elixirs having been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times and The LA Times among others.A lifelong spiritual seeker, Katie has studied meditation and mindful-awareness techniques with several Tibetan Buddh

229: Barbara Pleasant on Gardening to fill your PantryTaking home-grown foods into food storage.In this podcast: We meet Barbara Pleasant who helps expand our ideas for food storage beyond the simple basics.  She also has tips for the new gardener and the ‘old hands’ that might give you some impetus to move a little dirt. Barbara is an Award-winning writer having been covering organic gardening and self-sufficient living for more than 30 years. As contributing editor to Mother Earth News, her work has garnered multiple awards from the Garden Writers Association and the American Nursery and Landscape Association.She has written books on topics ranging from compost to weeds, including Homegrown Pantry published by Storey Publishing, Starter Vegetable Gardens, The Complete Compost Gardening Guide, and The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual. Her columns and articles appear regularly in Mother Earth Living magazine, at GrowVeg.com and on other gardening websites. Barbara lives in Virginia, where sh

228: Sheri McLane on Soil and Plant Testing.Improving plant yields through expert analysis of growing mediums.In this podcast: Soil scientist Sheri explains how she found her calling in an agronomy and is driven to help farmers and gardeners with their soil questions.  There is a great deal of science in determining the chemical make-up of soil samples and figuring out what is needed for different crops, and she knows how to help explain it for the rest of us.  Sheri also helps by sharing a few tips for some basic soil remediation in this interview.Sheri was interested in science and how things worked from a young age. She was fascinated with paleontology in middle school and even participated in archeology digs with the local museum. In high school, she loved geology and marine biology which led her to the University of San Diego where she obtained a major in marine science with an emphasis in biology and a minor in environmental science. Upon graduation, she worked for environmental labs learning

227: Jan Dohner on Predators on the Urban FarmAdjusting to a new normal with predators near our farms.In This Podcast:  We learn quite a bit from Jan who has spent four decades researching livestock guardians and the predators they guard against.  She helps explain why there has been a resurgence in these wild predators and what steps can be taken to guard our precious farm resources for both urban and rural farms. Jan is a researcher and writer concerned with historic livestock breeds and husbandry, as well as issues surrounding predator control and the use of livestock guardians. She makes presentations on these topics at various conferences, including Mother Earth Fairs and The Common Fair in Maine. She has written several books and maintains a blog you can find on her website. She is also a longtime member of the American Livestock Conservancy.Jan lives on her family farm in Michigan and has more than 35 years of hands-on experience with the use of livestock guard dogs for predator control.

226: Kevin Van Eekeren on Store Bought vs Home Raised Eggs Recognizing eggs from lovingly raised hens and factory raised, regardless of labeling.In this podcast: We get to know the personal motivations behind Kevin Van Eekeren, a tactical advisor and egg farmer with a focus on clear visioning 10 years into the future.  He tells us how his experience developing tactical training has helped him with his farm. He also explains about some of the labeling misperceptions of eggs, and why there is such a marked difference in eggs depending on how the hens are raised.Kevin is not your typical farmer.  He was a SWAT team logistics officer; started Fulcrum Tactical- a charity that specialized in training SWAT teams nationwide; and couple years ago he started Fulcrum Investing- a venture capital fund investing in startups.  He most recently started hosting a podcast called State of Logic which has a planned release date of mid 2017 with a duel focus on both the startup world and topics that affect ou

225: Edward Griffin on Indoor Smart Gardens Solving some space and time issues around growing fresh food.In This Podcast:  We meet Edward, a millennial concerned about sustainability and food equity issues, who also wanted to have an active lifestyle and still grow his own food.  Not having a backyard did not stop Edward as he took agricultural and sustainability concepts he learned in college and created his own solution.Edward graduated from Arizona State University in 2013 double majoring in Sustainability and Political Science. During this time, he studied some of the hardest questions relating to sustainability at a social, economic, and environmental level. The area of global sustainability that always spoke to him was the complex issue of agriculture, specifically food deserts because it was something he dealt with his entire life.Faced with environmental and time constraints he began experimenting and developing new ways to integrate technology and grow food inside his apartment. T

224: Lisa Steele on Gardening with Chickens Incorporating chickens into the gardening process as willing workers. In This Podcast:  We connect again with Lisa Steele to get some great suggestions on how to bring the chickens out of the coop and into the garden.  She explains how these feathered friends can do even more to earn their keep and become true gardening partners.Lisa is a 5th-generation chicken keeper, nationally recognized author and the creative mind behind the Better Homes & Gardens award-winning blog - Fresh Eggs Daily.  Lisa inspires both the newcomer as well as the seasoned chicken keeper and engages almost a million fans worldwide on her Facebook page of the same name with her easy, fun, and accessible approach to raising backyard flocks naturally.The author of three top-selling books, Lisa’s writing can also been found in such publications as Chickens, Backyard Poultry, the Farmers Almanac, and Hobby Farm as well as at HGTVGardens.com. She’s been featured in Amer

223: Paten Hughes on Heirloom: Tomatoes and a Web Series. Growing tomatoes when life gives you lemonsIn This Podcast:  We get the inside scoop from actress Paten Hughes on the inspiration for her new web-series which is based on her transition of actor-to-tomato-farmer. She did not just plant a few, she planted more tomato plants than most people can even conceive and now she has several restaurants that order from her. Paten is the star and co-creator of the hit digital series HEIRLOOM on Vimeo, written by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC's This Is Us) and co-starring Margaret Colin, Tom Wopat, Pascale Armand, Ryan Cooper, and John Lavelle.  This semi-autobiographical web series follows the character Emily who gives up her struggling acting career in New York to move to California and farm heirloom tomatoes on a property she inherits.  Paten, who really moved to Northern California and become a first-time farmer, sells her juicy organic tomatoes to several local restaurants in Sonoma.  Sh

222: Heather Szymura on Hydroponic Container Farming. Growing limited-season crops year-round regardless of climate extremes.In This Podcast:  We meet Heather who decided to change directions away from a professional one towards one more in tune with nature and healing and to her surprise ended up becoming a farmer! She is selling lettuce and kale she is growing year-round in the suburbs near Phoenix and tells Greg how she is doing that in a shipping container in her backyard.After 15 years in the corporate business world and a degree in Global Business Marketing, Heather decided it was time for a shift. She resigned from her position at UPS, went back to school to pursue a degree in Naturopathic Medicine and at the same time delved more into her hobby of urban farming. It was in here that she found her life’s passion unearthing the amazing benefits growing herbs and veggies.Her business, Twisted Infusions, became a reality in 2016 when the container farm arrived on their doorstep! They sell non-GMO

221: Ocean Robbins on the Food Revolution Summit.Finding a path of health, hope, and possibility through better food choices.In This Podcast: This is a special podcast interview with food activist Ocean Robbins about his Food Revolution Summit happening April 29 to May 7.At 15, Ocean was a co-founder of the Creating Our Future environmental speaking tour, on which he and three other participants spoke in person to more than 30,000 students, presented for 2,000 people at the United Nations, and opened for the Jerry Garcia band in San Francisco.In 1990 at age 16, Ocean founded YES!, an organization he directed for the next 20 years with the goal of connecting, inspiring and mobilizing visionary young leaders worldwide.  He has since spoken to hundreds of thousands of people, led hundreds of retreats, workshops and Jams for leaders in over 65 nations, written books, mentored (and learned from) changemakers, and been a creative partner and lead editor for several bestsellers.In 2012 Ocean founded the Food Re

220: Ben Raskin on Practical Advice for Community GardensIn This Podcast: For those envisioning a perfect community garden, Ben Raskin has put together a fabulous resource to guide, inspire, and empower the designers and leaders of future neighborhood plots. He tells Greg about the purpose he had for writing his latest book and some of the lessons he’s learned during his years of farming.Organizing a community garden from scratch with smart planning and long-term goals. Ben has been working in horticulture for more than 20 years and has been with the Soil Association in the United Kingdom, since 2006. His own experience includes; running a walled garden in Sussex which supplied a Michelin starred restaurant, and working for Garden Organic at their gardens in Kent. He also set up and ran the 10-acre horticultural production at Daylesford Organic Farm before moving to the Welsh College of Horticulture as commercial manager.Ben also works on a range of other projects and over the years these have inclu

219: Jennifer Osuch on Fundamentals of Self Reliance. Teaching back to basics food preparation and preserving skills.In this podcast: Jennifer tells about the importance of self-reliance skills and why they are becoming needed once again. She explains what led her to this place in her life where she teaches some of these old traditions that traditional homesteaders relied on daily.Jennifer is the author of the Preparedness Planner series, lead teacher at the online Self Reliant School (which is dedicated to teaching preparedness and self-reliance skills), host of the weekly live Self Reliant Living Show (which I was a guest on in Nov 2016), and a homeschooling mom. She is dedicated to teaching back-to-basics food preparation and preserving skills that help people eat healthy, save money, live greener and be prepared for anything.Jennifer and her husband turned to the old-school basics when they found themselves in mountains of debt, two of their three boys suffering from asthma and allergies, and she, hersel

218: Nafsika Antypas on Living a Plant-Based Life.Understanding the reasons and options for choosing a vegan lifestyle. Nafsika is the Host and Creator of the world’s first plant based lifestyle TV series that focuses on a plant-based diet living.  She has studied about olive oil and the Mediterranean diet in Greece through her father’s business, Pilaros Inc, a Mediterranean food importer, where she has been involved for over twenty years.  She created the TV show, Plant-Based by Nafsika which aired nationally in 2016, to change the world through food. This has not only sparked the interest of viewers around the globe but has planted some seeds helping veganism become more “mainstream,”In 2015, she founded, The Struggling Vegan, which helps people transition to a plant-based/vegan lifestyle while strengthening the community in a public forum called, Veg Room. The organization offers daily menu plans, recipes, health tips and direct messaging to plant-based doctors and coaches.Nafsika spends her spar

217: Sine Lindholm on an Urban Farming 'Growroom'Creating and sharing an open-sourced growing sphere to create poetic spaces. Sine is from Denmark and has a degree in architecture from Aarhus School of Architecture along with an emphasis on psychology. This shows in her projects where she is combining the two, with her main focus on the theoretical and abstract part of architecture.She grew up on an organic farm with milking cows, however she had never worked with agriculture or urban farming before, until she won an architecture competition together with architect and carpenter Mads-Ulrik Husum. They had designed an Urban Farming pavilion, which received great attention that led to the further development of the project. They teamed up with SPACE10, a future living-lab, where they developed and released an open source design of their pavilion.  Together they started the company Husum & Lindholm, where for the moment they primarily focus on further development of combining architecture with

216: Emiley Kight on Loving Natural Foods.Making little changes towards more real foods and feeling better.Emiley has always loved food, and wanting to share this passion she dove into a Culinology® degree to explore a role as an R&D chef at SW Minnesota State University. That was until her mom became sick and she put her career on hold to act as her mom’s caretaker throughout her treatment for multiple myeloma cancer.To her surprise, the doctors provided little information on what to eat as a cancer patient, and so Emiley started doing her own research on the effects that food have on chronic disease. Through trial and error in the kitchen, she discovered how whole plants can be used to combat side effects of medication, create pleasure by surprising and challenging your taste buds, and help your body work as efficiently as possible. Completely changing her mother's eating habits (as well as her own) helped her develop a brand-new love affair with foods in their natural state. Now, she is devoted to shar

215: Suzanne Bontempo on Gardening without Pesticides Contemplating the best options for: If, when, and what type of insect control to use in the garden.Suzanne has worked in the horticultural industry for over 20 years in a variety of capacities; as a landscape contractor, a fine gardener leading garden maintenance teams, and in retail nursery management.  Currently she is an environmental educator and IPM Advocate, where she mentors & educates people. She does this by providing IPM trainings at hardware stores & garden centers, providing educational programs for garden clubs, businesses & organizations, and presenting lectures for the public through government agencies.Her message is focused around less-toxic pest problem-solving in the home & garden, pesticide reduction, and how to garden sustainably. She helps people see their home or garden as its own ecosystem, and that the real solution to their problem usually doesn’t require a pesticide at all. She enjoys raising the awareness of

214: Michael Miller on Poverty in the World. Examining the problems of poverty and solutions we need to reconsider.Michael is a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and the Director and Producer of Poverty, Inc. Previously, Michael was the Director of Media and Director of Programs International at the Acton Institute and has appeared in various videos including Doing the Right Thing. Before coming to Acton, he taught philosophy and political science at Ave Maria College in Nicaragua and was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. Michael holds graduate degrees in philosophy, international development, and international business.He has lived and traveled in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and speaks extensively on themes of international development, entrepreneurship, political economy, and moral philosophy. He has been featured on FOX Business, CNBC, numerous radio shows, and published in The New York Post, The Washington Times, The LA Daily News, The Detroit News, and Real Clear

213: Nikki Golly on Nutrition and Wellness. Recognizing the highly important nutrients that might be missing from our foods.In this Podcast: We get to meet Nikki Golly who’s focus on micro nutrients gives her a detailed perspective on the essentials of good nutrition.  Her chat with Greg is a chance to break down the descriptions of some important food terms in today’s vocabulary and bring to light some very key details on the tiniest, but very powerful ingredients.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/03/25/nikki-golly/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to hear from our other great guests.Nikki is a micronutrient coach on a mission to help people experience the healthiest and happiest version of themselves. She graduated with highest honors with a degree in nutrition from Arizona State University. She worked for 8 years in a vitamin store in Phoenix where she gained her vast knowledge of supplements.Fuel Your Body is a coaching program, as well as, a series of products

212: Jenny Beasley on Community GardeningBuilding a community revitalization garden project from scratch.Jenny 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 seven 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.She decided to become a health coach to fulfill her passion of working with individuals to enhance their own well-being.In this podcast: Starting a community garden from scratch is no easy feat, and Greg talks with Jenny Beasley to