The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Trekking around the world to learn about organic farms.In This Podcast: Starting a new adventure with a minimalist lifestyle and travel to foreign countries is not something readily understood by most people. Yet when faced with life changes and an opportunity to start anew, that is exactly what Jake Mace is going to do. Having sold most of their possessions they are off on a world-wide WWOOFing trip visiting organic farms in various countries. He tells what motivated the change and how they are going to document their experiences.Jake started gardening in 2011 with a peach, fig, pomegranate and kumquat tree to save money on his food budget. He has joined us multiple times on this show about his urban farm, best gardening tips and tricks, and learning from failure. As wells as how he became inspired by his mission to live a life that’s compassionate with a a zero- to positive-sum impact on the earth, particularly through his commitment to a vegan lifestyle.These days Jake is traveling the world WWOOFing and looking for his next great vegan meal.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/09/358-jake-mace/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Transforming food with healthy microbes.In This Podcast:Wanting to know more about healthy eating after his father got sick, Alex Lewin did lots of reading, studying, and research. He narrowed his focus to real foods and transforming food with healthy microbes.  Eventually he was quite skilled at fermentation and has enjoyed helping others get excited about this preservation process. He shares with us why this healthy option is worth learning about.Alex grew up on the East Coast where he discovered that one of his gifts is the ability to co-exist side-by-side with friendly bacteria. While others struggle with it, Alex embraces them. As a graduate of Harvard, the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, he seeks to create a healthier and tastier world by spreading the good news about fermentation and real food.Alex is the co-author of "Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond" and the author of "Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen".Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/05/357-alex-lewin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Making the most of discarded plots for farming and community gardens.In This Podcast: He did not finish college, but that has not stopped Jourdain Beltran from pursuing knowledge and growing healthy food. He found a great business partner and together they are improving access to healthy food in local food deserts. They are also tackling the problem of healthy eating by teaching the youth in these areas about where good food comes from and starting good habits early!Jourdain is an Arizona native who started gardening by growing jalapeño plants with his grandfather. He is the co-founder of Urban Farming Organics, who are looking to overcome the food desert crisis in Arizona.Their mission is a “fresh off the vine” concept to make nutrient dense produce easily accessible to Phoenix locals. Part of that is working with local youth helping this next generation learn good, healthy, eating habits.Early on they saw the potential of vacant land as space for small gardens, specifically to help local residents to get fresh food with higher nutritional value. UFO is working to find local vacant or unused land by contacting the owners to start repurposing the land for farming or community gardening.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/02/356-jourdain-beltran/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Becoming the next generation of urban farmers.In This Podcast: Raised by two farmers, Sowan Thai wanted to do anything else with his life. Yet pursuing a degree in science led him back to his roots and now he's proud to call himself a farmer. A post-college stint in a medical marijuana science lab, steered him into growing food with a new friend and partner. As new farmers, they participated in a couple ASU Venture Devils Pitch contests and won both times. Now they are building their urban farm and teaching young kids how to grow food.Sowan was born and raised in Phoenix, leaving just long enough to earn a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson. There he studied controlled environment agriculture, plant biochemistry, and genetics. He returned to Phoenix and did tissue culture research at a medical cannabis facility, where he would meet his future business partner Jourdain Beltran. After about a year, they decided to depart from the medical marijuana industry to start an urban farm together with their third partner.Beginning with only 2000 square feet, they were able to build a proof-of-concept urban farm and competed in ASU’s Venture Devils program, winning two rounds of substantial funding. Less than a year later, they have expanded their operation to an acre, supply several farmers markets, and share their knowledge and experience with the youth.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/29/355-sowan-thai/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Empowering a community's strength and resilience through gardening.In This Podcast: If you just can’t help yourself and tend to get involved in your community, then you might be just like James Ross.  He has a natural drive to help others and that often involves community gardens. James shares the story of the first garden he helped build which became quite long after everyone participated.  He also tells what he learned when negotiating leases for the land their gardens occupied.  Overall, the harvests are much greater than just the fruits and vegetables – so maybe there are other gardens around the corner.James, a father of five and grandfather of eight, is co-founder of the Quesada “kwe-seda” Gardens Initiative, QGI, a private, non-profit organization focusing on better health and quality of life in Bayview.  He and co-founder Jeffrey Betcher have helped to fund and nurture many community-building efforts; working with other foundations within Bayview Hunters Point to form a support network for the community.QGI has started two major community gardens, one is a place for people to sit and relax, and the other is a learning garden where community children learn how to grow food from seed to harvest. The initiative also runs a free build-a-backyard garden program called BayBloom.  He now lives in Danville, KY where he has founded 3 community gardens.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/26/354-james-ross/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 17: Seed Saving Class April, 2018. A chat with an expert on Seeds.In This Bonus Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the April 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Bill calls in from Cornville, AZ to talk about wild seeds, native seeds, noxious weeds, and so much more based on listener questions.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, 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/2018/05/22/bonus17/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bringing a simple food source closer to the table.In This Podcast: After moving to a rural life, and googling crazy business ideas, Phil and Jenn Tompkins started a business helping people rent their chickens. This idea has taken off greatly and now as Homestead Phil and Jenn they help others start their own business with a supportive affiliate process.  They are eggscited to share their enthusiasm and some awesome stories!Homestead Phil & Jenn are the co-founders of Rent The Chicken. This rapidly growing chicken rental service started in 2013 as a part-time avenue of supplemental income and has grown to have more than 45 farmers and homesteaders renting chickens as an extension of their farms in the United States and Canada.Rent The Chicken is more than just a bunch of farmers and homesteaders building chicken coops and delivering chickens. Homestead Phil & Jenn are dedicated to being your chicken friends, helping to change local jurisdictions to allow backyard hens, and bringing one step of sustainable agriculture through fresh eggs closer to your table.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/19/353-phil-and-jenn-tompkins/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 16: Seed Saving Class March 2018.A chat with an expert on Seeds. In This Bonus Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the March 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Bill calls in from Cornville, Arizona to talk about seed sourcing, hybrids, sharing seeds, testing root crops, and so much more.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.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/17/bonus16/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Improving polyculture growing techniques.In This Podcast:When one of his farmer clients was seeking answers for their aging avocado farm, Scott Murray encouraged a solution that allowed for polyculture farming of coffee on the coastal side of some Southern California mountains.  The micro-climate conditions they were able to create is producing results, and the preventative techniques he employed against weather and furry pests can be replicated on most other farms.  There is a lot of information in this podcast, so be prepared to take notes!Scott has 44 years of organic agricultural production experience in the United States and Mexico. He has a multitude of experience with conservation, food production, and environmental leadership—including serving as an elected California Conservation official for the last 26 years. Scott also specializes in farmland preservation projects utilizing Smart Growth Principles. He now does farm creation and consulting as his primary work, including work on a farm growing coffee in Southern California.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/15/352-scott-murray/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Growing florals for a farming business.In This Podcast: She married her husband for all the right reasons of course and everything was going well.  Then later Lisa Ziegler realized also got the bonus of the land and equipment she needed for the dream career she did not know she wanted.  Now Lisa is a flower farmer on a small farm in the middle of a city and loves it so much she teaches the basics of this career path to others. She recommends this as a great side business for anyone who likes gardening.Lisa is a cut-flower farmer, author, and speaker on organic cut-flower gardening.  She has been farming since 1998 in Southeastern Virginia on the Ziegler family homestead.  In season, her urban three-acre farm produces thousands of stems of flowers and an abundance of vegetables, which she sells to florists, supermarkets, at farmer’s markets and for her members-only farm market. In recent years, she has started leading hands-on-training on the farm for flower farmers and everyday ‘flower junkies’!  Lisa is the author of four books including Vegetables Love Flowers, The Companion Planting Guide for Beauty and Bounty by our friends at Quarto Publishing.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/12/351-lisa-ziegler/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.