The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Bonus Episode 7: Seed Chat August 2017A 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 August 2017 episode with a Seed School Chat Class covering Seed School Teacher Training, a proposed Seed Saving Principles list, disaster planning, breeding program preparation, 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/2017/09/18/bonus-episode-7/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Connecting a community to its farmers and local food resources.In This Podcast: The community of farmers that she lived in was rich with interesting people and stories, so Elvira Di’Brigit took the time to get to know them. She shares her story of how she started farming as well as introducing a few interesting farms from her valley. Their cooperative methods of working and providing food for their community are great examples of thinking outside the box.About 17 years ago, Elvira moved her family to Capay Valley, where her passionate interest in sustainable living took hold. While teaching she explored curricula surrounding farming, environmental preservation and nutrition - all in support of sustainable living.She is the editor of CapayValleyGrown.net and the author of Why We Farm. She also serves on the organizing committee for the Hoes Down Harvest Festival, a fund-raiser for the Ecological Farming Association.Elvira holds a BA in international relations from UC Davis, a teaching credential and a Waldorf/Steiner Teaching Certificate. She lives in Rumsey, CA with her husband and 3 children.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/16/288-elvira-dibrigit/ for show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Educating and empowering the upcoming generation to be part of their food system.In This Podcast: After spending some time working at a farmers market, volunteering on an educational farm, and as a middle school science teacher, Dani Replogle has found her way to law school.  Now she studies environmental law and food law and has some insight on how millennials are taking part in not just local food, but also food activism.  Her passion comes through with her story and the other information she shares, which gives hope that the next generation is paying attention to where their food comes from and how the environment is being cared for.Dani is a second-year law student at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon. She fell in love with the sustainable food movement while working as an eighth-grade science teacher in Colorado and spending her Saturdays managing a stand at the Boulder Farmers Market.Dani spent the past summer working toward a sustainable food system model at Center for Food Safety, and will continue working for the public interest throughout the coming semester. When not reading textbooks, she spends her time climbing mountains, writing poetry, and playing ultimate frisbee. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/14/287-dani-replogle/ show notes and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Breaking down the recipe for good, healthy soil.In This Podcast: The ingredients for healthy soil make up an essential recipe for gardeners and farmers, and is worth describing a few times until the perfect connection is made. Emily Rockey appreciates good soil so much that she earned the nickname "The Dirt Girl" and she loves helping others appreciate compost and soil. She has something important to say to those who think they have a ‘black thumb’!Emily received her degree in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona.  In the past, she worked at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, and the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  She is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for the tank's Green Stuff in Tucson, which specializes in "green" landscape debris recycling, construction debris recycling, and more. Emily brings her passion for both plants and recycling to the company’s composting operation. This is where they convert landscape debris into organic compost which is then returned to gardens and green spaces.  They offer an entire line of organic garden and landscape materials which are “Good for People, Plants, and Planet”; and are available under the name ‘Tank’s Green Stuff’. With her nickname ‘The Dirt Girl’, it is not hard to see that Emily loves talking about the importance of compost, microbes, and soil.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/12/286-emily-rockey/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.#UrbanFarmPodcast #goodsoil #TanksGreenStuff

An August 2017 Q&A session with two experts on Gardening and Fruit TreesJake Mace the Vegan Athlete and Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm are both gardening educators offering classes, podcasts, and videos on a large variety of gardening topics. Every month they get together for a monthly gardening chat to discuss what is going on in their gardens and answer your questions. This is the August 2017 Q&A episode with a variety of questions addressed from planning for planting, building healthy soil, and much more.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/11/bonus-episode-6/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Cyfrin Barefoot on Moving from Poverty to Paleo.In This Podcast: She had a feral childhood in the ghetto of Detroit and entered the foster care system at age 7. Later, as a young mother Cyfrin Barefoot wanted good food for her own children and became an organic farmer. Then, she fought for better food options for poor families on WIC and won. And, after a significant and heartbreaking business setback she rebounded to create a health-food business offering delicious foods that even fit paleo diet preferences. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/savortooth for more information   Cyfrin's childhood was rooted in deep poverty in the Detroit ghetto. As an adult, she raised six children and found an avocation of fighting for food justice. She made her living as an organic farmer for seven years, and later founded a non-profit that established and ran a 32-acre organic farm.Spurred by memories of childhood hunger and informed by years of farming, Cyfrin’s creative instincts came together in the creation of the Free Farms project. She obtained a business degree and then created Savor Tooth Paleo, a gluten-free and paleo bakery.  Company profits will be funneled into the acquisition and development of land in impoverished neighborhoods, as well as funding ongoing food production. The fresh organic food produced on these Free Farms will be available to area residents for free.  Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/09/285-cyfrin-barefoot/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Engineering a solution to a real threat affecting honey bees worldwide.In This Podcast: Having spent decades as a problem solver, Lynn Williams was not going to let a devastating influx of a tiny but effective killer mite threaten the existence of his beloved bees. He engineered a new tool for beekeepers is proving itself as a mite killer without damaging the hive, the honey or the bees.  All this and he still has another ace up his sleeve as the profits from this new product will be used to help under-privileged kids go to camp.After a long career on both the engineering and sales sides of industrial supply, Lynn started the hobby of beekeeping to increase the productivity of his family’s gardens.  A decade and a half later, and with many more hives he was frustrated to find the Varroa Destructor Mite had entered the local area. Unwilling to use pesticides, he elected to use his engineering background to find a solution.  2½ years later Lynn has an all-natural organic product that terminates the Varroa Mite without harming the bees.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/07/284-lynn-williams/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Understanding the living matrix that affects the quality of our food.In This Podcast: Having been drawn to the wonders of soil quality early on, Elizabeth Murphy has studied this living matrix in great detail.  She wants to make soil care an intuitive concept that all growers have. Today she shares some of the basics and with us including the make-up of soil, why cover crops are important and a few important DOs and DON’Ts of creating healthy soil. Elizabeth has a passion for growing food which led her to a master's degree in soil science from University of California, Davis, where she researched soil's organic matter storage and a farmer's ability to improve it. She was a faculty instructor for Oregon State University Extension's Small Farms Program, where she taught and consulted with gardeners and farmers about best management practices to build healthy soils.Since 2006, Elizabeth has owned a half-acre garden in southern Oregon, which she considers her laboratory for experimenting with sustainable soil management and gardening practices for landscapes and vegetables. She is the author of Building Soil: A Down to Earth Approach and currently, she lives in Tacoma, Washington. Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/05/283-elizabeth-murphy/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

            Understanding a gentle and helpful creature  essential to our food production.In This Podcast:  It was a simple and unexpected class that ignited Stephanie Elson Bruneau’s passion for beekeeping and many others are benefiting from this as well.  She takes the time to explain some of the key aspects of bees and beekeeping, as well as clear up some common misconceptions about a gentle and helpful creature of the natural world. Her story includes a couple of EPIC moments that hopefully will inspire you to seek out something for your own passion!Stephanie is a beekeeper, herbalist, and artist. She runs The Benevolent Bee, where she spends her time educating all of us about bees. At the Benevolent Bee "Teaching Apiary" Stephanie observes, learns, and teaches about bees and bee behavior to students of all ages.Stephanie also teaches classes about bees and their products at Northeastern University, The Cambridge Center for Adult and Community Education, The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, The Boston School of Herbal Studies, and Temple University.  She is also the author of an aptly named book titled The Benevolent Bee.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/09/02/282-stephanie-elson-bruneau/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Making gardening easier through a series of simple shortcuts, and changing your life through gardening.In This Podcast: Initially we thought this might be an episode that focused on gardening hacks, and Shawna Coronado has over 100 hacks to share, so we did get to hear some cool ideas. Yet there was so much more to the conversation as important mindsets to help make gardening and life in general less stressful and more enjoyable became a topic that stole the show.  Her infectious attitude is sure to help put you at ease and might help you focus on the things you love too!Shawna is an author, columnist, blogger, photographer, and spokesperson for organic gardening, green lifestyle living, and culinary preparation, as wells as and avid campaigner for social good. Her goal in authoring gardening and green lifestyle books is to promote a world initiative to encourage healthy and sustainable living. Shawna was featured as a Chicago Tribune "Remarkable Woman" and speaks internationally on building community, simple urban garden living, and green lifestyle tips for the everyday person.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/08/31/281-shawna-coronado/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.