The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Making more than just juice from a popular fruit.In This Podcast: Our apple expert Kanin Routson joins us again to help us understand the process of making delicious apple cider using white wine making techniques. He explains the difference between juice, cider, and hard cider, and how the new modern ciders vary from the heritage ciders. We are introduced to Stoic Cider and we learn more about his dedication to apple tree diversity with the RAD project. Kanin has devoted his life, including two graduate degrees, to exploring and promoting apple tree diversity. His latest work has been co-founding Stoic Cider, a local hard cider company based out of Prescott, Arizona. Through the RAD Project (Restoring Apple Diversity), Stoic Cider works to find, propagate, and promote unique apple varieties and to celebrate this diversity through hard apple cider.Stoic Cider is growing and preserving local heritage apples, wild apples, and European and American cider varieties in several orchards on the family farm. They utilize white wine making techniques to create premium, dry, fruit-forward ciders.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/06/08/452-kanin-routson/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.452: Kanin Rouston on Apple Cider

Having good clean fun on an urban farm.In This Podcast: Awakening to the desire to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and meat, Brittney Schiff and her husband Stephen started with a few garden beds and chickens. Gradually this increased and they moved to a property that allowed them to do more.  Now they raise, chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats and their kids are learning homesteading skills too. She shares what she appreciates most about this journey.Brittney and her husband Stephen moved to a one-acre urban homestead in 2015 with a desire to rely less on the grocery store and our messed-up food system. Taking homesteading from a hobby to a lifestyle, she bakes bread, cans food, makes butter and cheese, line-dries clothes, and even has a small soap-making company. They have 28 fruit bearing trees, several raised gardens and plans to add an in-ground 2500 sq. ft. row garden in the next year.  They had no previous livestock experience, but now raise 90% of their family’s meat, egg, & dairy needs with chickens and ducks for meat and eggs as well as goats for milk.  All this and she loves every bit of it!Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/06/04/451-brittney-schiff/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.451: Brittney Schiff on Growing Food and Raising Animals

Farming with an eye on the future.In This Podcast: The home purchase was going to be a stretch, but she could not escape the pull.  After several visits, Katie Critchley took the leap and this farming community is much more than she expected.  The appeal was so strong that her extended family joined her as well. She found herself becoming more and more involved and eventually became the Farm Director at a truly integrated farming community.   A one sentence description is impossible – you must hear this podcast to understand, and you’ll be wanting to visit Agritopia very soon!Katie is the Farm Director of The Farm at Agritopia and a long time resident of the nationally recognized and award winning  “agrihood” at Agritopia.  She is a founding board member of The Johnston Family Foundation for Urban Agriculture, which is committed to promoting and preserving Urban Agriculture throughout the State of Arizona.She has also been a part of the development team at Johnston Properties maintaining and expanding their commercial holdings.  Her last role at Johnston Properties was co-project manager for the award winning craftsman community, Barnone located in Agritopia.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/06/01/450-katie-crichtley/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.450: Katie Critchley on Building a Farm Community

Focusing on higher yield and better quality in harvests.Earning his degree in agronomy put Marty Campfield on a path that led him eventually to work for AZOMITE selling this unique nutrient dense fertilizer/soil amendment product. He helps explain about the importance of nutrients in the soil, and how different forms can easily break down for quick plant consumption or slowly break down for long term nutrient availability. Marty also shares tips on different methods of application for this mineral rich substance.Marty is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing with AZOMITE Soil Products, LLC, and has served in various positions in the agricultural, turfgrass, landscape, greenhouse, and fertilizer industry segments. He has traveled globally to over 15 countries working with everyone from the growers up to the product formulators. As a former certified professional agronomist (CPAg) and former certified crop advisor (CCA) his experience has included focusing on optimizing soil health and crop production in conventional and organic farming systems. His overarching goal has been to help companies and producers optimize yield, quality, and return on investment in their crops.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/28/449-marty-campfield/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.449: Marty Campfield on AZOMITE on the Farm

Stewarding future crops through considerate cultivation and harvesting of seeds.In This Podcast: In the pursuit of resetting his health, Luke Allen took a four-day fasting journey and ended up taking his life in a new direction.  Eventually he resettled, started growing food, and seeds! He helps break down some seed terminology for us and discusses the importance of true breeding in seeds.Luke was raised in a small town, then moved to Seattle where he worked doing computer graphics design. After many years there, he realized something was missing from the daily grind and went on a series of vision quests where realized that he needed to work with the land, the water, the animals and the food. Luke studied permaculture, received his permaculture design certificate and started growing food.Sundial Seed is a small, family run regional seed company located in Willits, California to produce hand-crafted market-ready varieties.  They work with seed growers to co-create delicious market-ready true-breeding varieties.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/25/448-luke-allen/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.448: Luke Allen on True Breeding Seeds

Bonus Episode 27: Seed Saving Class April 2019. In This Bonus Podcast: Once again we join a conversation with Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson to learn about growing from seed, growing for seed, and why our seeds are so important in these changing times. This is the replay of the April 2019 Seed Saving Class - In this class he covers grains, disease resistance, and packaging seeds safely, and of course a few more things as well.Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, in 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/2019/05/21/bonus27/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Building up property value with beautiful food growing spaces.In This Podcast: Knowing that curb appeal is important, Matt Smith has applied this concept to his backyard to improve the value of his home. He shares how growing food and appreciating nature has become so important to him, and which historical figures influence his goals for his green space. Matt also explains why home improvement shows can diminish home values and what to focus on to prevent that from happening in your space. Matt was a part of MTV at its prime and starred on influential reality TV shows that helped reshape the entertainment industry. He lived a charmed life in his 20’s, but if you ask him about being a celebrity, he’d tell you that it was a waste of time.Today, Matt is the creative force behind Smith House Design, an influential marketing and design agency in Phoenix. He and his wife live in South Tempe with their five children and are focused on creating a vibrant food garden and learning space for their family. They are in year three of a massive backyard upgrade that is inspiring self-motivated creativity and exploration of the natural world by their entire clan. The Smiths are building an ideal urban farm space while adding value to their home.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/18/447-matt-smith/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.447: Matt Smith on Urban Farming and Home Values.

Grinding out award winning chocolateIn This Podcast: Early influences helped Kasey McCaslin develop a love for food and making things, and that eventually led her to try making small batch chocolate to sell at the farmers market.  From there she has gone on to develop recipes that have earned her several awards and she shares about the steps and care she takes to make her internationally inspired flavors. Kasey is one of the creators of Stone Grindz Chocolate, a small-batch company driven by quality and craft. She is a self-taught chocolate maker, with a background in nutrition. Her free time is spent playing in her garden, painting, and hanging out with her adorable pup, Finnley.Stone Grindz specializes in small batch, single origin craft chocolate and sources cacao from all over the world, giving customers a glimpse and taste from the different growing regions.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/14/446-kasey-mccaslin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.446: Kasey McCaslin on Making Craft Chocolate

Homesteading with a passion and a purpose.In This Podcast: For years, Julia Hubler couldn't find a garden planner that had it all. After running her family's homestead of chickens, goats, and gardens, she put together a comprehensive garden planning guide and journal. Here, she paints a picture of life on her homestead. Listen in to learn why she added native trees back into her orchard, what it's like raising chickens for meat, and how you can win a free copy of her e-book so you can start planning your best garden yet!Julia lives in Arizona on two and a half acres, with HOT summers, lots of cacti and amazing sunsets!  She is a homeschool graduate living with her family and every day you’ll find her raising guineas, making dinner, milking goats, and writing about it all.  You can find her at ReformStead.com.   Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/11/445-julia-hubler/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.This contest period has expired.445: Julia Huber on Gardening with a Plan

Taking fruits and berries to make tasty results.In This Podcast: What do you do with the abundance of fruit from your yard? Making jams and jellies are an easy solution. Sara Wolters from Pomona's Universal Pectin shares how their fruit-based pectin allows you to create delicious preserves with little to no added sugar. She also shares about the pectin industry, the recipe and video resources they have available to the public, methods of making jams with young kids, and additional uses for pectin.Sara and her husband own and operate Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona Pectin has been around for 39 years, and they’ve owned the business for just over 2 years now. They have two sons and live right next to Yosemite National Park.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/05/07/444-sara-wolters/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.This contest period is expired.444: Sara Wolters on Healthy, Homemade Jams & Jellies.