The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Bringing bulk seed sharing to every community.In This Podcast: The Great American Seed Up is a project designed to improve resilience through local seed saving and sharing. With the events of 2020, seed sharing cannot be done in large events so Greg, Janis, Bill & Belle chat about a new way for neighbors and groups to share seeds through the Seed Up In a Box Program. Listen in to learn about how this new bulk seed shopping works, how anyone can participate, how the savings is shared, and ideas on ways to promote seed sharing with friends and family.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/09/03/556-seed-up-in-a-box/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library! AND check out the article Eleven Ways to Share Seeds by Kari Spencer the fourth founder of Great American Seed Up.Greg, Janis, Bill and Belle on Seed Up in a Box.

Can there be too much organic matter in your garden?.Growing a healthy garden requires a good balance of healthy soil. Mykl Nelson had studied agriculture for several years and conducted soil analyses of multiple organic farms. What he discovered was a shocking truth about soil health. Listen in to learn about what is over-enrichment, acknowledging diverse soil conditions, and Mykl’s unbelievable solution that turns food waste back into high quality protein.Mykl grew up in a military family and has been stationed around the world. The longest he’s lived anywhere was six years in Colorado and six years in Oregon. His paternal grandparents were commodity farmers in Wyoming who ‘hoped their kids would be too smart to become farmers.’ Of their four children and nine grandchildren, Mykl is the only one in agriculture. Mykl is an instructor of urban agriculture at Oregon State University, and is pursuing research into controlled environment agriculture. He has clusters of houseplants from different biomes on his windows sills, worms in the garage, and he’s experimenting with insect protein production. It seems if there’s a living system to be emulated, Mykl is interested.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/09/01/555-mykl-nelson/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Mykl Nelson on Healthy Urban Soil.

An invitation to an online fruit tree education event.In This Podcast: It is that time of year for the upcoming annual Urban Farm fruit tree education launch. Greg Peterson and Janis Norton discuss the highlights of the Urban Farm fruit tree program and share an invitation to the first virtual kick-off event. Listen in to learn about when the live online event is hosted, where to sign up, special bundle deals, and and some quick tips on selecting the best fruit trees for your backyard.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/08/27/554-fruit-tree-program/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Greg Peterson and Janis Norton on The 2020 Fruit Tree Program.

Jamming in the garden with healthy, tasty, fruits and vegetables.In This Podcast: Berries and brassicas come from two different plant families, and like many plants, they have some unique environmental requirements. Jason Johns has experimented in the garden and written books that share his secrets on how to bring these health-bearing edible plants to the back yard. Listen in to learn about growing berries and brassicas, the surprising facts about soil management for growing berries, and how to avoid unexpected pests in the garden. Jason is the author of Growing Brassicas and Berry Gardening, as well as many other gardening books hoping to inspire people to take up gardening themselves and successfully grow their own delicious fresh fruit and vegetables. Jason is passionate about gardening, having grown his own produce for over twenty years.  He started with a secondhand greenhouse and an 8’ by 6’ patch of his mother’s garden, and since then has worked his way through various allotments and gardens, growing everything from radishes to carrots to giant pumpkins.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/08/25/553-jason-johns/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Jason Johns on Berries and Brassicas.

552: Seed Saving Class July 2020. In This Podcast: This is the July 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing the current status of world seeds, utility patents, community based seed systems, and so much more on building diversity and resilience back into the garden.There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. 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/2020/08/18/552-seedchat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Chloe Lieberman on farming corn and other small-scale staple crops.In This Podcast: When one thinks of staple crops, what usually comes to mind is corn, wheat, and soybeans, yet Chloe Lieberman has worked with community farms around the world and discovered that there is an abundance of underutilized, calorie-dense types of crops. Listen in to learn about the value of staple crops, the processes of growing corn and wheat, and even learn how to make tortillas as Chloe shares the varieties of ancient grain corn that make the best tortillas.Chloe homesteads near Asheville, NC. She also writes and teaches for Wild Abundance, a school of permaculture, natural building, and homesteading that’s just down the road from Chloe’s farm. She and her partner raise dairy goats, ducks, a milk cow, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs. One of Chloe’s great loves is growing staple crops: the kinds of plants that can be center stage during a meal. Along with growing food, Chloe is passionate about cooking and nutrition. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/08/11/551-chloe-lieberman/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Chloe Lieberman on Growing Calorie Crops.

Recognizing herbs for their many essential benefits.In This Podcast: Herbs can be the easiest plants to grow, at the same time, they can be the most expensive item in the produce section of the store. Josephine DeFalco became inspired to educate others on how to grow herbs and the many benefits that arise from herbs aside from enhancing culinary flare. Listen in to learn about the importance of herbs in the garden, the best ways to process herbs, and how they can be a great alternative to salt with a focus on the value of herbs that improve overall health and well-being.Retired nurse and living by the Hippocratic belief that food is our best medicine, Josephine’s present mission as a registered dietitian is to encourage everyone to grow their own organic, chemical-free food, and develop skills for food preservation. In this way she shares how we can all be responsible for our own families, our own health, and our own well-being.She is the author of two books on gardening and food preservation: The Best Little Herb Book and The Best Little Bread Book with Flint Hills Publishing. Josephine has had her own garden from the time she was five years old and has not stopped playing in the dirt since then. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/08/04/550-josephine-defalco/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Josephine DeFalco on Growing Herbs for Health and Happiness.

549: Seed Saving Class June 2020.This is the June 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing difficult seeds to save, avoiding cross pollination, and so much more on creating a self-reinforcing breeding system for seed families.There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/07/28/549-seedchat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Blending nutty flavors for healthy spread options.In This Podcast: When it comes to healthy food options, a common perception is that healthy doesn’t always taste good. After spending time in South America, Jeff Malkoon found inspiration to enter an untapped market and a mission to create all-natural spreads to cater to the health conscious while satisfying a sweet tooth. Listen in and learn about the origin of peanut butter and how it came to America. Then dive deeper into what inspired Jeff to form his own business blending some of the richest flavors without the guilt. It was obvious that Jeff had created an outstanding product when he completely sold out after attending his first farmers market.Jeff is the owner and developer of Peanut Butter Americano. The idea for this family owned business came about as Jeff was volunteering in Uruguay. He recognized that while peanuts grew abundantly in the area, people still preferred to consume sugary spreads such as dulce de leche. Inspired to find healthier alternatives, and after much trial and error back home in his mother's kitchen, 6 flavors of all-natural, low sugar, tasty spreads made their way to Arizona farmers markets. Today, alongside his sister Denise, PB Americano's mission is to provide delicious, nutritious and socially beneficial spreads.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/07/21/548-jeff-malkoon/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!Jeff Malkoon on the Origins of Peanut Butter.

Supporting 4th generation farmers while making healthier chocolates.In This Podcast: We've all heard some of the benefits of chocolate, but Shari Flam is harnessing the medicinal benefits of cacao beans by using the fermented beans in her tasty treats. Listen in to learn about ethically sourcing cacao beans, the health benefits of eating raw cacao, the different processing methods, and some of the treats she makes using the unprocessed cacao beans. She also discusses the mineral and chemical components of chocolate and how it interacts with the nervous system.Shari began her endeavors in chocolate 15 years ago as a home-based business for family and friends. A dream finally blossomed 3 years ago with the start of communal Uprising chocolate driven by a passion to help the planet and spread awareness through the heart-opening benefits of the cacao. The treats are all free of white sugar, completely ethically and environmentally sound using no plastic and purchased through a South American Co-op. Communal Uprising chocolate works for them, they do not work for us, says Shari. We educate about the benefits of raw cacao and create a connection in our minds to positivity.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/07/14/547-shari-flam/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!547: Shari Flam on Raw Cacao from Belize and Ecuador.