The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

646: Loving Those Legumes.A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.In This Podcast: This is the October 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing legumes.  Beans and peas are great to eat and also great for your soil. Incorporating them into your garden rotation is smart and delicious. Pollinators also love legumes so it's a win-win all around. Plant them along a wall or fence for a beautiful display of cascading leaves and fruit for easy picking. There is so much to love about legumes! 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 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/2021/11/19/646-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

A Farmer Friday Interview with Alyssa Brodsky.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Composting for Your Neighbors:Have you tried composting food scraps, only to give up because you did not generate enough waste to be successful?  Alyssa Brodsky shares details about a composting program that solves this problem.  Residential participants learn how to collect local neighborhood waste and turn it into plenty of rich compost that they can share with their neighbors.  Some participants even earn an income, making this a great way to enrich soil and enrich lives at the same time!Gardening tips, tricks, and advice, in short, bite-size episodes.Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning? Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits.  This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack…Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/11/12/645-farmer-friday/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Composting for Your Neighbors.

A chat with Christy Wilhelmi. You’ll enjoy Christy Wilhelmi’s contagious enthusiasm for the cooler planting seasons as she explains how to increase your chance of success by planting the right crop in the right season.  Christy covers it all, from the basics of what “in season” actually means, to the specifics of which crops do well in cooler temperatures.  Hear why fall is her favorite season and learn some clever tips and tricks for getting the most out of this under appreciated time of the year.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 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.orgOur Special Guest:Christy Wilhelmi is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, top-ranked podcasts, and YouTube videos. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes.  She is author of Gardening for Geeks (Fox Chapel Publishing), 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success (Amazon Digital), Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden published by our friends at Cool Springs Press, and her upcoming novel Garden Variety (William Morrow/Harper Collins) will be sprouting in April 2022. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/11/05/644-garden-chat/ for show notes and links

643: Nifty Nightshades.This is the September 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman discussing nightshades.  We are so glad the deadly nightshades aren’t!  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillos.  Easy to save the seeds and so many reasons to.  And the good news is that these plants are self-pollinating so no worries about your plants “getting crossed up.”  Everyone’s favorite vegetable, tomato, could become your favorite seed saving variety.  Plant, pick, save seeds.  Oh and eat the fruit.  Really!  At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. 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.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/10/29/643-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Motivating People Into Action to Protect Our Ecosystems.In This Podcast:Jeffrey Smith sounds the alarm about the devastating harm that can be caused by genetic engineering.  He explains how GMO’s have the potential to destroy entire microbiomes, and he describes the serious negative effects on people, pets and the environment.  Discover the first step Jeffrey recommends we all take to start healing our bodies of dozens of diseases, then learn how easy it is to take that a step further.  Take action and become an advocate for all of nature!  Jeffrey is a bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker and celebrated public speaker. He has influenced the behavior and health of millions of people worldwide through his books like Seeds of Deception, and Genetic Roulette, and his podcast Live Healthy Be Well. Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which has started a global education campaign called Protect Nature Now with the documentary titled “Don’t Let the Gene Out of the Bottle”, which just won a Telly Award. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/10/22/642-jeffrey-smith/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!The Impact of GMO's On Our Environment and Health.

A Farmer Friday Interview with Christy Wilhelmi.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Garden Soil Prep for Success:Christy Wilhelmi returns to the Urban Farm, this time to talk about keeping life healthy below the ground as well as above it.  Healthy soil is all about healthy microbes, and Christy shares her special recipes for feeding them.  Hear why worm castings are a gardener’s secret weapon against certain pests and learn how to make a compost tea your soil will love.  You’ll also discover how to use a broadfork and find out why you might want to trade in your tiller.Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning? Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits.  This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack… Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/10/15/641-farmer-friday/ under the Farmer Fridays section for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Garden Soil Prep for Success.

Focusing on Leveraging Micro Landscapes into Ecosystem Changes.In This Podcast:Zach Loeks encourages each of us to transform our human habitat by focusing on one small section of landscape at a time.  He believes that changes are most successful when they are manageable, and he reminds us that positive change will naturally grow and spread.  Zach paints a beautiful picture of “edible biodiversity” and then shares some manageable, specific changes that will move us toward that goal. Zach is an educator, designer and grower who specializes in Edible Eco-system Design through landscaping and education. He manages an award-winning farm with diversified food forest products, heirloom garlic, and a hardy tree nursery.  He is also the director of the Ecosystem Solution Institute, which is dedicated to the education, propagation and inspiration of ecosystem solutions for land use transition. The Institute oversees pathbreaking education sites, including an Edible Biodiversity Conservation Area near Ottawa, Ontario and a suburban food forest in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  And he is the author of several books including The Permaculture Market Garden, and The Edible Ecosystem Solution. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/10/08/640-zach-loeks/ for shownotes and links.Edible Ecosystems In a Nutshell.

A Farmer Friday Interview with Nicole Gennetta.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Keeping Bees:Nicole Gennetta, a Master Beekeeper, sets us on the path to successful beekeeping by sharing the 5 steps she recommends beginners take before getting any bees.  She tells how to determine if bees are legal on your property, and she recommends beginners learn all they can about beekeeping before making any purchases.  Nicole gives tips on finding the information you need, purchasing equipment, and acquiring the bees for your new hive.  Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning? Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits.  This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack… Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/10/01/639-farmer-friday/ for shownotes and links.Keeping Bees.

A chat with Kari Spencer.  In This Garden Chat: Great gardeners seem to know all the rules - but the very best gardener is the one who wrote the rules. She is Mother Nature and has no equal. Her systems and regenerative cycles CAN be replicated in our own gardens and food forests to help them be amazingly resilient. Permaculture is the best way to start and it can make your gardening much easier! Author Kari Spencer is going to help us find the best ways to adopt permaculture practices for increased resilience in our gardens.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 to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience.Our Special Guest:Kari Spencer is a popular local gardening & homesteading speaker. As a Master Gardener and a Master Farmer, she enjoys sharing her passion for growing and raising food with others. In addition to teaching classes all over the city of Phoenix, she is the creator of Urban Farm U’s Growing Food the Basics & Backyard Livestock courses. She and her family operate The Micro Farm Project, a small farm in North Phoenix, where gardens and livestock animals provide her family with fun and food. Her book is City Farming: How-To Guide to Growing Crops & Raising Livestock in Urban Spaces.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/09/28/638-garden-chat/ for shownotes and links.Permaculture in the Garden.

A Farmer Friday Interview with Christy Wilhemi.In This Farmer Friday Podcast on Growing Great Berries:Christy Wilhelmi helps us appreciate the potential of berries in our gardens and urban farms. She breaks down the different varieties of berries and why to choose different types for your own climate and harvest goals.  We learn a bit about why some berries are better in containers, and some are fabulous in the ground, and why climate and chill hours can make or break your harvest.  And she shares some highlights on blueberries and acidic soil as well as some fertilizing tips.Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning? Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits.  This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack… Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2021/09/24/637-farmer-friday/ for shownotes and links.Growing Great Berries.