The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Balancing the larger world context with local, practical, and creative solutions.In This Podcast: In part 2 of 3 we hear from David Holmgren, the co-founder of permaculture, about his definition of permaculture, soil conservation and regenerative practices, creating civilization systems that can withstand the test of time, and creative reuse of resources instead of recycling or composting. Learn about David’s new book: Retrosuburbia and how to rebuild economies, habits, and biological landscapes on a household level. We are very excited to have the co-founder of permaculture on the show today. When I got David on the call I just let him talk and it turned into a 90-minute chat, so we decided to split it into three shows. This is part 2 and if you enjoy our content please consider supporting the podcast at UrbanFarmPodcast.org Since developing permaculture with Bill Mollison in the mid-1970s, David’s local and global influence has gone beyond permaculture networks. He is a public intellectual working outside of academia, government or corporate support. His depth of thinking, design practice and teaching has been continually informed by practical experience through a lifetime of household self-reliance, voluntary simplicity, and innovative action. He has received many awards including an honorary Ph.D. from Central Queensland University. He has written 8 books about permaculture & related topics, been a part of at least 5 other books, written multiple articles, given numerous presentations, has over 40 years of practical experience, he is an authority on the permaculture concept and how to make it work and basically – he is the guy who penned it!Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/02/06/517-david-holmgren/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!517: David Holmgren on Downshifting to a Resilient Future. Part 2

Balancing the larger world context with local, practical, and creative solutions.In This Podcast: In part 1 of 3 we hear from David Holmgren, the co-founder of permaculture, about the birth of permaculture over 40 years ago. Learn about what inspired the concept of permaculture, permanent agriculture, working with nature, sustainability, and how to take new industry concepts and have them become widely accepted. David also discusses what it's like when your theory takes on a life of its own and the balance of being both a fan and critic.We are very excited to have the co-founder of permaculture on the show today. When I got David on the call I just let him talk and it turned into a 90-minute chat, so we decided to split it into three shows. This is part 1 and if you enjoy our content please consider supporting the podcast at UrbanFarmPodcast.org  Since developing permaculture with Bill Mollison in the mid-1970s, David’s local and global influence has gone beyond permaculture networks. He is a public intellectual working outside of academia, government or corporate support. His depth of thinking, design practice and teaching has been continually informed by practical experience through a lifetime of household self-reliance, voluntary simplicity, and innovative action. He has received many awards including an honorary Ph.D. from Central Queensland University. He has written 8 books about permaculture & related topics, been a part of at least 5 other books, written multiple articles, given numerous presentations, has over 40 years of practical experience, he is an authority on the permaculture concept and how to make it work and basically – he is the guy who penned it!Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/02/04/516-david-holmgren/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!516: David Holmgren on Downshifting to a Resilient Future. Part 1

Mentoring cancer survivors through backyard vegetable gardens.In This Podcast: Anyone who gardens knows the benefits, but Kerry Smith is proving it with her Harvest for Health program for cancer survivors. This experiment partners the Alabama Master Gardeners with Auburn University to track improvements in physical activity, diet, and stress markers for people who beat cancer. In addition to teaching them gardening basics and healthy food habits, they spread the love for plants through volunteers who are motivated by heartwarming experiences. Kerry is the Home Grounds team Co-leader in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Working with team members she develops, supports and delivers programs that inspire smart yards for home landscapes. She is also the State Program Coordinator for the Alabama Master Gardener Program, a large volunteer group assisting the same mission of promoting sustainable, smart yard landscapes. Kerry has worked for the Education Department at Callaway Gardens, been a schoolteacher, an estate gardener, and many things in between. Her current priority for the Master Gardener program is Harvest for Health, a 5-year garden mentor project in partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through this project, Master Gardeners mentor cancer survivors learning to grow a backyard vegetable garden.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/02/01/515-kerry-smith/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!515: Kerry Smith on Harvest for Health.

Maximizing the benefit of rainwater for both personal and community use.In This Podcast: Have you ever considered capturing free water for your landscape? Brad Lancaster has pioneered rainwater harvesting in Tucson, AZ and around the world. He teaches how to reinvest rainwater into living systems that grow resources all for the cost of shoveling some dirt. Learn about rain gardens, zoning, benefits of rainwater, adjusting your mentality, developing your strategy, and integrating sun, shade, and gravity into your design. You'll never look at your yard the same way!Brad  runs a successful permaculture consulting, design, and education business in Tucson, Arizona. He is focused on integrated and sustainable approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. Growing up in a dryland environment, water harvesting has long been one of his specialties and a true passion. He is the author of the permaculture bible for water harvesting:  Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volumes I & II  and he has just released new full color revised and expanded editions of both.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/28/514-brad-lancaster/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!514: Brad Lancaster about Harvesting the Rain.

Getting fruit and vegetables into and through a network of community support services.In This Podcast: We know our food system is broken, however, the food bank system is surprisingly effective! April Bradham from the Arizona Food Bank Network explains how local, state and national food banks distribute huge amounts of fresh produce and food within days. Listen in to learn where the surplus food and food waste comes from, how they work to spread healthy food to people in need, and the new Arizona initiative that is helping both small and mid-size farms as well as the food banks. April is Vice President for Programs, of the Arizona Food Bank Network and oversees the Member Services and Innovation programs. April holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The Sage Colleges in New York, and an M.B.A. from Arizona State University. She has worked in operations and supply chain for over 17 years in a variety of industries.  April and her team offer food banks - logistics and transportation support, plus they coordinate the “Southwest Produce Cooperative,” which was started to help with the sharing of produce between food banks in AZ, NM, and TX.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/25/513-april-bradham/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!513: April Bradham about Moving Produce through Food Banks.

A chat with an expert on Seeds. In This Podcast: This is the December 2019 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing seed catalog season, the best seed catalogs, what the terminology in the catalogs mean, and so much more.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/2020/01/21/seedchat19dec/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!512: Seed Saving Class December 2019.

Sharing good gardening information with others.In This Podcast: Gardening in a new climate can pose challenges; however, Angela Judd did not let it stop her from becoming an inspirational gardener who regularly contributes to area publications. She reviews the classes and resources she used to take her from novice to knowledgable, and some of the things that make her hot climate garden successful in providing food for her family and friends. Planting times, soil, involving your kids, and trial and error are all part of her success story. Angela is an avid vegetable, flower, and fruit tree gardener. As a mother of five, she enjoys growing and preparing food from the garden for her family. She shares inspiration and tips on her blog GrowingInTheGarden.com and other social channels to help home gardeners successfully grow their own garden.As a certified Master Gardener, Angela has been featured in Phoenix Home & Garden, San Diego Home/Garden, Edible Phoenix, Family Fun, Burpee.com, and is a regular contributor to Master Gardener publications. Her articles and videos are can be found in several well-known online publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Gardeners.com, and GardeningKnowHow.com.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/18/512-angela-judd/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!511: Angela Judd on Inspiring Gardeners to Grow.

Promoting the local food scene and building the local food community in an accessible, affordable, and original way.In This Podcast: Food brings people together, and David Tyda specializes in creating events and festivals that build relationships between local restaurants and the community. If you've ever wondered how food festivals become a reality or considered starting your own, listen in to learn how he creates affordable events for 10,000 people! David shares things he considers, ways to maximize the event space and infrastructure, and how he makes fun, original events that people attend year after year!David is always busy, which is why he requires so many calories to pull off all the projects he has going on. 10 years ago, he co-created the Arizona Taco Festival - which was the first taco festival in the world. Now there are over 200 of them!Over the years he’s created many food festivals, including the Annual Phoenix Pizza Festival and Downtown Donut Festival. If you are in Phoenix this spring, catch his 2nd FRIED, A French Fry & Music Festival. David prides himself on two things: making sure every event is original - he despises copycats; and making sure the events are inclusive - he’s not a fan of high-ticket price events. Having moved on from the Taco Festival, he is opening an agave bar in Downtown Phoenix to help keep him connected to the “taco lifestyle” he so identifies with.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/14/510-david-tyda/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!510: David Tyda about Food Festivals.

Giving nature a helping hand by restoring vegetation.In This Podcast: How can we revitalize arid areas in a logistically feasible way? Dr. Elise Gornish walks us through the process of working with land and stakeholders to restore their land using seed balls. Learn about seed balls: making them, how they work, and strategies for small or large scale production. She also gives tips on creating invasion resilience and deterring invasive weeds while encouraging native plants. Full of great info for teachers, parents, and environmental enthusiasts! Elise is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration at the University of Arizona. Her research and outreach program largely focuses on identifying strategies for successful restoration in arid land systems and integration of restoration approaches into weed management. Originally from New York, she received her MS and PhD from Florida State University in 2013. She then completed two years of a post doc at the University of California, Davis before becoming a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration at UC Davis. Then in 2017 she moved to Tucson AZ! Seed ball super hero Elise is an early career leader in the fields of arid land restoration and weed management, and has published over 40 papers and has presented over 150 times at various venues.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/11/509-elise-gornish/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!509: Dr. Elise Gornish on Seed Balls.

Committing to sustainable resourcing and zero waste, while supporting local agriculture.In This Podcast: How do you go from teaching yoga with no culinary experience to a culinary leader implementing sustainable change within our food system? When Danielle Leoni jumped into fine cuisine, her journey was shaped by her patrons inquiring where the food was sourced. She soon discovered the true cost of inexpensive food and is now actively engaged in the good food fight and influencing traceable sourcing. This episode will inspire everyone to follow their dreams and live their values!Chef Danielle is the Executive Chef & Owner of The Breadfruit & Rum Bar in Phoenix, Arizona. Hailed as a champion of sustainability and green restaurant innovation, Chef Danielle has distinguished herself with an avant-garde approach to blending the best of the southwest with the tropical traditions of Jamaica. She has explored the islands of the Caribbean and immersed herself in seaside food cultures with a keen eye on responsible fishing practices. Under her stewardship, The Breadfruit and Rum Bar has introduced an entirely new cuisine to Arizona while redefining perceptions of tropical and green dining.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/01/07/508-danielle-leoni/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!508: Danielle Leoni on Serving up Good Food.