The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Staying Open to PossibilitiesIn This Podcast:In this special episode, Greg Peterson shares an update from his new home in North Carolina.  There are lots of exciting possibilities created by starting from scratch in a completely new and different place and Greg is taking the time to explore them all.  He also confirms that the Urban Farm programs are not going anywhere, and he replays the very first episode of the Urban Farm Podcast.Don’t miss an episode!visit UrbanFarm.Org/blog/podcast Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/Podcast-by-episode-titles for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!The Future of the Urban Farm and 000 Relaunch.

715: What is Happening in the World of Seeds.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast:This is the December 2022 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing what is happening in the world of seeds.  Bill recently returned from the 9th Session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in New Delhi. He shares what he learned about how the world is protecting the genetic resources of smallholder farmers in the global south who contribute so much to the diversity and genetic pool of our precious seeds. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event.Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is the co-founder of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Seedsave.org, Seed School and the Great American Seed Up.  Bill has been teaching seed saving for decades and is dedicated to educating communities about the value of seed saving and local seeds as a foundation for a local food system.  Visit www.urbanfarm.org/seeds22dec for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Doreen Pollack on How Permaculture Changed Her Life.Integrating the "P" Word Into Everyday LifeDoreen Pollack took a permaculture course nearly 20 years ago and she has never looked back.  In this episode she explains how those concepts learned so long ago still influence every part of her life today.  She points out the positive impacts, not only on her garden, but on her thoughts, her actions, and especially on her daily interactions with the earth and the community of people around her.  Always eager to expand that community, Doreen shares her nuggets of wisdom and gently encourages everyone she meets to experience permaculture for themselves.Doreen Pollack has been a Master Gardener for over 18 years and has turned her urban lot in downtown Phoenix into a living example of what she teaches.  Her front yard now houses an edible garden where a bermuda grass lawn used to be.  Rainwater harvesting systems channel and store rainwater, compost piles supply needed amendments to harsh clay soil and creative plant locations maximize use of her urban lot. A Laundry to Landscape system uses washing machine output to water a 35-year-old grapefruit tree.  Doreen has taught hundreds of people about gardening through Master Gardeners, Mesa Community College, City of Tempe, and Rio Salado College, and has appeared on local news talking about gardening.  She loves to help people become better gardeners and stewards of the land.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2023/01/06/714-doreen-pollack/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Kathy Jentz on National Seed Swap Day.Promoting Biodiversity in Our Gardens and Farms.Kathy Jentz started National Seed Swap Day to officially celebrate and encourage something farmers and gardeners have been doing for hundreds of years – trading seeds.  She chats with Greg about the origins of the event, what happens at a modern swap, and what the many benefits are for both new and experienced gardeners.  (HINT: It’s not just about the seeds!)  Kathy provides valuable information for anyone thinking of attending or organizing a seed swap.Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of the award-winning Washington Gardener Magazine, based in Washington, DC.  She is also the editor of three plant society journals: the Water Garden Journal, The Azalean, and Fanfare, and she hosts the popular GardenDC Podcast, which was recently named Best DC Podcast.  Kathy is co-author of The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City and has a new book, Groundcover Revolution coming out soon, which is available for pre-order now on Amazon.   Her mission is to turn black thumbs green. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable. Her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2023/01/03/713-kathy-jentz/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Kathy Mortensen on Not Just Any Farmers Market.Managing a family-based, full-participation farmers market. We meet Kathy Mortensen who manages a community market from an entirely different state. The health focused market in Naperville, Illinois is growing with big events, strategic booth placement, and fun vendor-involved themes. We find out what she is doing to make it a successful event for the local community.Kathy grew up with nine siblings and had family meals every night.  Her mom was very sustainable and on an extremely tight budget, yet only purchased meat from the local butcher; and fresh fruits and vegetables were the norm.  Kathy’s husband started running the Naperville Farmers Market when the founder passed it on to him. Kathy took it over when he left his position at work, never expecting it to develop into what it is today.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/12/30/712-kathleen-mortensen/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

710: Grain Culture.In This Podcast: This is the November 2022 class discussing Grain Culture! Heritage and ancient grains are taking center stage in all kinds of gardening programs and on tables across the country. Find out why these grains are easier on bellies, easy to grow and a lot easier to process than you may think. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Chat.Some links from this class:The Grain Bundle at GASUBreadlab.wsu.eduHeritageGrains.orgDrip Tape Class - replaySeedSchoolOnline.comJoin the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&ABill McDorman is the former 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.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/12/16/711-garden-chat/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

A chat with Greg, Janis, and Doreen.  The holidays are just around the corner, and we all love to share gifts from our heart with our friends and family. Join us as we share our ideas for some cool gardening gifts both from and for the garden. This is sure to be an inspiration filled class. Our team members Janis Norton and Doreen Pollack joined Greg in this fabulous brainstorming session.On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest (or two) to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&AOur Special Guest: Doreen Pollack is a member of the Urban Farm Team. She has been a Master Gardener for over 16 years. She has also turned her own urban plot in a downtown Phoenix Historic District into a living example of what she teaches.  Her front yard now houses an edible garden where a lush Bermuda grass lawn used to be.  Rainwater harvesting systems channel and store rain, compost piles supply needed amendments to harsh clay soil and creative plant location maximize use of this neighborhood lot. A Laundry-to-Landscape system uses washing machine output to water a 35 year old grapefruit tree. Editor's Notes: Check out our articles on Wicking Beds as this was a question in the chat tonight. www.urbanfarm.org/wickingbeds Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/12/16/711-garden-chat/ for show notes and links

709: Kathryn Wilking on Feng Shui in Our Spaces.Balancing the energies around us to create sanctuaries that we love.Greg chats with Kathryn Wilking to discover how feng shui concepts can be used in our home and gardens to enhance and beautify our spaces. She introduces three core concepts of this practice that she uses to help people and discusses the five earth elements giving us examples on how to bring the energies in for positive results. Finding balance in our spaces is key to boosting our productivity.Since 2012, Kathryn has been working exclusively as a Feng Shui Coach helping homeowners and businesses take charge of their space and learn to thrive, not just survive! Author of Practical Feng Shui For the Office, and host of the podcast “Feng Shui Your Day!” she teaches that Feng Shui is easy and practical while helping us create function & flow, boost productivity, and find the work-life balance.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/12/09/709-kathryn-wilking/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

 Dr. Joel Fuhrman on Eating for Life.Using Nutrition To Prevent And Reverse DiseaseIn This Podcast: Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and nutritional researcher who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. At his Eat to Live Retreat in San Diego, CA, and through his books, television specials, and virtual speaking engagements, Dr. Fuhrman shares his life-saving nutritional protocols with hundreds of thousands of people around the world seeking to recover from obesity, food addictions, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disease, cancer, and other serious health concerns.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/12/02/708-joel-fuhrman/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Worm CompostingSimplifying Vermicomposting And Making It Easy For Anyone To StartA chance encounter at a farmers market led Greg to meet Steve Churchill, the creator of the worm bag he had recently bought. In this interview, Steve explains the reason he designed a new worm composting bag and explains many of the ins and outs of vermicoposting. Steve Churchill is the owner of the Urban Worm Company, a vermicomposting-related blog, online store, and manufacturer of the Urban Worm Bag. Through the Urban Worm blog, social media, and e-mail interactions with his readers, Steve is a joyful promoter of vermicomposting as a means to turn household and commercial waste into a highly valuable soil amendment. Steve is also a retired military veteran and a pilot for Southwest Airlines.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/11/25/707-steve-churchill/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!