The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Building history with six generations on the same homestead.In This Podcast:She and her husband bought his parents’ home and she thought it was just going to be temporary until she could get a place out in the country. Now Lynn McMahon is able to share her gratitude to her grandchildren and with us for the special connection to family and history on this homestead. Even the plants and trees help connect multiple generations together in this EPIC story of multiple generations on the same homestead.Lynn lives with her husband Mike and their Walker Coonhound on their family's 128-year-old urban farm homestead bought by her husband’s great grandfather in 1890 on the outskirts of town. They are the 4th generation living in the house and growing food on a small city lot. They’ve raised 4 children there and now with 8 grandchildren visiting, the 6th generation is connected to the very same land.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/08/382-lynn-mcmahon/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Witnessing the power of growing food for a community.In This Podcast:It was both a desire to share the gardening experience his grandfather gave him, and the lack of space in his home for anything that could produce enough food for his family that prompted Elias Martinez to start dreaming of a way to provide fresh greens to those who did not have easy access to garden space. His natural inclination to innovate solutions has helped him create a plan for an EPIC style of community garden – indoors! He shares that and more with us.Elias grew up around urban farming & gardening in a rough part Miami called Opa-Lock-a. He is the son of immigrant parents who left Cuba & the Dominican Republic for political and opportunity reasons. As a child and teenager, he was introduced to urban farming and gardening by his grandfather, who fled Cuba during the Castro regime.Elias witnessed the power that growing food for the community can have after his mother presented neighbors with fresh fruits and vegetables grown in their garden. He started Kubed Root to create an ecosystem in which people can grow their own food and make money from it with little to no barriers to entry.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/04/381-elias-martinez/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Studying microbiology in soil and its relationship to plant life.In This Podcast:There was no one person who set Derex Zellars on a path towards being a microbiologist, but through observing his environment that he developed his enthusiasm. He shares why soil microbiology is so fascinating to him, and why the expectations we have about using fertilizers are leading us away from the truth. Derex holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He has over 13 years of combined experience in the fields of Environmental Microbiology, chemistry and bioremediation. He holds two patents related to these fields and one of his published a journal articles is on the studies of microalgae after herbicide treatments.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/09/01/380-derex-zellars/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Stirring up a custom batch of planting mix.In This Podcast: When asked what makes a healthy planting soil for trees and gardens in Arizona, Emily Rockey gets excited because this is truly a passion of hers.  As her nickname implies, she loves getting her hands in the dirt and making a medium that others can rely on. She explains how she and Farmer Greg developed their soil mix, why building a healthy planting mix is different for the southwest desert, and why local mixes make a difference. Emily is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for Tank’s Green Stuff in Tucson, which specializes in “green” landscape debris recycling, construction debris recycling, and more.  She brings her passion for both plants and recycling to the company’s composting operation where they convert landscape debris into organic compost which is then made available for gardens and green spaces. Tank’s offers an entire line of organic garden and landscape materials which are “Good for People, Plants, and Planet”; and are available under the name ‘Tank’s Green Stuff’.  Tank’s has also just begun offering a new planting mix called Farmer Greg’s Planting Mix, specially designed for planting in the southwest desert.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/28/379-emily-rockey/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Following rabbit holes to new adventures and new veggies.In This Podcast: Sometimes it takes a person to reach a really low point in their life before they make the choice to change the way they think. Lee Rhodey had that realization and decided it was time to be look at life differently in order to find her life’s purpose. On that journey she found Market on the Move and discovered that it brings adventure to her life with every new box. Her goal to be an example and share the mindset changing journey is documented in her I'm So Her project.Lee is not our typical guest, but her story is something that I can relate to.  Lee reached a place in her life where things were at a turning point.  She was unhappy and the grass looked greener in everyone else’s story. She realized she needed to change her outlook and she started the I’m so Her project to help her appreciate what she had.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/25/378-lee-rhodey/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 19: Seed Saving Class June 2018. A chat with a seed expert about where our seeds come fromIn This Bonus Podcast: Seeds are grown all over the world and we don't always know where our seeds come from when we buy. This is the June 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Bill McDorman discusses seed origination, land race seeds, finding unique seed varieties, and so much more.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.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/21/bonus19/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bringing gardening knowledge to your fingertips.In This Podcast:It was a need to become more mindful and eat the healthier foods he needed that led Dale Spoonemore to the garden.  It did not take long for him to get hooked on the flavors of homegrown vegetables.  But a conversation in line waiting to vote alerted him for a need to make it easier to garden. This inspired him to teach himself coding to write an app that is going to bring success to many more new gardeners.  His passion and drive continue to build this mobile tool, and his family are big parts of the whole project. Dale and his family converted their urban Oklahoma backyard into a food farm to feed their family and built the “From Seed to Spoon” mobile app that makes it easy for others to do the same. The app will guide you through planting, growing, harvesting, and cooking over 70 different foods with information customized for your location. Dale and his family live in OKC with their four children.  You can learn more about them on their From Seed to Spoon social media pages and on their website at seedtospoon.netGo to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/18/377-dale-spoonemore/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Preparing school meals with gut health in mind.In This Podcast:After growing up believing the only healthy way to eat was “fat-free”, Hilary Boynton was not prepared for the fertility and health issues that plagued her family. Seeking the best for her children, she educated herself on “real-food”, the GAPS diet, and eventually wrote a cookbook with gut health in mind. This path led her to becoming a school lunch lady cooking and educating for gut health to the students.Hilary is a certified holistic health counselor, with a BA in psychology from the University of Virginia and trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Inspired by her experience of "food as medicine," she dedicated herself to helping others on their path to wellness as a cook, coach, and professional educator.Seeing our chronic global health problems opened her eyes. The lessons she learned along the way helped to fuel her project LIVE YUM YUM and inspired her to co-author the bestselling The Heal your Gut Cookbook, released in September 2014.Hilary’s passion and determination to empower people to take control of their own health and prevent disease is tireless.  Plus, along the way she has earned the title of The Lunch LadyGo to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/14/376-hilary-boynton/ for more information and links on this podcast, her blog articles, and to find our other great guests.

Finding nature is an ally for waste disposal.In This Podcast: He is always on the lookout to find ways to have a better relationship with nature, so when Eddy Garcia noticed that some beetle larvae were eating the polystyrene cup he put them in, he jumped into experiments to learn more.  Using a surfboard in a science experiment, his achieved some exciting and astonishing results. All of this tied into his work to educate others about regenerative systems, and even aspiring surfers in Iowa are learning about earth systems through his projectsEddy, has an E.B.N. or as he likes to call it Educated By Nature degree. With over 30 years of living off-grid on a remote Hawaiian island he has developed a deep connection to Nature. It has taught him fundamental truths that are woven into Living Earth Systems: Observation, Consistency & Patience. Eddy is the lead designer for Living Earth Systems which designs and builds holistic agriculture systems for the future. He is also one of the founders of  R.E.C. (Regenerative Education Centers) which demonstrates alternative technologies and approaches to solve some of our planet’s current problems. Eddy educates and inspires to promote regenerative lifestyles.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/11/375-eddy-garcia/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Digging into the vast world of invisible life in our soils.In This Podcast:It takes a real love of science and soil ecosystems to be as comfortable with microbes as Anthony Dominguez is such that he rattles off names of bacteria species like he is sharing the guest list for a party.  This passion translates into a true dedication to making life supporting products for the soil microbiome. We should all enjoy our jobs as much as he does; and knowing how much he cares can inspire you to build a better soil for your plants. Anthony is an Arizona native from the town of Gila Bend, with a degree in Microbiology from the University of Arizona. He is a co-founder and C.O.O. of HiKreations, a company dedicated to bringing beneficial microbes to the world and farmers everywhere.  With an organic philosophy and a science core, they have developed a line of soil amendments for both indoor and outdoor cultivation.  He has a long interest in microbes, especially in their beneficial properties.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/08/07/374-anthony-dominguez/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.