The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Experimenting with bacteria and beverages.In This Podcast:Having first come across this drink at a cousin’s house and thinking there was something wrong with the odd beverage, it was not until much later - and with an appreciation for fermented foods - that Alex Lewin gave kombucha a real chance.  Now he has a real understanding of the process and teaches others how to make their own. We learn some chemistry, some fun tricks for additional flavor, and even what his new favorite drink as we chat with him.Alex grew up on the East Coast of the US.  In his evolving journey on the earth, he’s discovered that one of his gifts is the ability to co-exist side-by-side with friendly bacteria.  While others struggle with bacteria, Alex embraces them.Alex is the author of "Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen" through Quarry Publishing, and the co-author of "Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond" through Fair Winds Publishing.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/23/362-alex-lewin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Digging up the story of a slow-food pioneer.In This Podcast: It must have been one well written obituary, because it stuck with Adam Federman and then after he found her book on his parents' shelves he wanted to know more about an almost forgotten culinary star. Ten years later and a treasure trove of writings uncovered, he released his biography of Patience Gray and brings her hidden history to light. Those who loved her book Honey From Weeds will love getting to know her better in his book Fasting and Feasting. He shares his story of finding hers, and leaves us hungry for more.Adam is a reporting fellow with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute covering energy and the environment. He has written for several publications including the Nation magazine, the Guardian, and Columbia Journalism Review. He is a former line cook, bread baker, and pastry chef.He has been a Russia Fulbright fellow, a Middlebury fellow in environmental journalism, and the recipient of a Polk grant for investigative reporting. Adam is the author of Fasting and Feasting: The Life of Visionary Food Writer Patience Gray, published through our friends at Chelsea Green.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/19/361-adam-federman/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Building local food systems through community markets.In This Podcast: She was not planning to be a Farmers Market Manager, but that where Sara Matlin ended up and she is passionate about her community. She tells about the Phoenix Public Market and how it has grown to over 100 vendors.  We also cover how growers can become vendors with their own booths and how they are supported by the market.  There are also opportunities for backyard growers to sell without having their own booth. www.urbanfarm.org/phxpublicmarketA native to the Phoenix Area, Sara is passionate about building community and supporting local businesses. Every Saturday you can find her running the downtown Phoenix Public Market managed through Community Food Connections, a nonprofit organization. This open-air market is open rain or shine, year-round. When she's not busy coordinating vendors or taking farm tours, she's hiking outdoors and exploring the small towns of the Southwest.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/16/360-sara-matlin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Composting with nature's own army.In This Podcast:It was a common tilapia being released into the wild that had a profound effect on Keiran Olivares Whitaker. He realization on how ecosystems were being devastated by man’s actions prompted him to try and make a difference.  He’s also highly aware of the cost of food miles so he’s been working on a solution that helps in many ways and a method to help build it close to where it is needed.  All it takes is an army of single focused soldiers… soldier flies, that is.Keiran is the founder and CEO of Entocycle. He has a Masters in Environmental Design and Conservation, and while working as a scuba diving instructor he was fortunate enough to travel and visit some of the most beautiful places on earth. He saw first-hand the environmental damage that human development and current lifestyles are causing to these paradises.Convinced that we are killing our own planet, and that animal farming is the single most destructive activity humans have ever invented, he started Entocycle as an insect farming company using Black Soldier Flies to provide an alternative.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/12/359-keiran-olivares-whitaker/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Trekking around the world to learn about organic farms.In This Podcast: Starting a new adventure with a minimalist lifestyle and travel to foreign countries is not something readily understood by most people. Yet when faced with life changes and an opportunity to start anew, that is exactly what Jake Mace is going to do. Having sold most of their possessions they are off on a world-wide WWOOFing trip visiting organic farms in various countries. He tells what motivated the change and how they are going to document their experiences.Jake started gardening in 2011 with a peach, fig, pomegranate and kumquat tree to save money on his food budget. He has joined us multiple times on this show about his urban farm, best gardening tips and tricks, and learning from failure. As wells as how he became inspired by his mission to live a life that’s compassionate with a a zero- to positive-sum impact on the earth, particularly through his commitment to a vegan lifestyle.These days Jake is traveling the world WWOOFing and looking for his next great vegan meal.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/09/358-jake-mace/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Transforming food with healthy microbes.In This Podcast:Wanting to know more about healthy eating after his father got sick, Alex Lewin did lots of reading, studying, and research. He narrowed his focus to real foods and transforming food with healthy microbes.  Eventually he was quite skilled at fermentation and has enjoyed helping others get excited about this preservation process. He shares with us why this healthy option is worth learning about.Alex grew up on the East Coast where he discovered that one of his gifts is the ability to co-exist side-by-side with friendly bacteria. While others struggle with it, Alex embraces them. As a graduate of Harvard, the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, he seeks to create a healthier and tastier world by spreading the good news about fermentation and real food.Alex is the co-author of "Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond" and the author of "Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen".Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/05/357-alex-lewin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Making the most of discarded plots for farming and community gardens.In This Podcast: He did not finish college, but that has not stopped Jourdain Beltran from pursuing knowledge and growing healthy food. He found a great business partner and together they are improving access to healthy food in local food deserts. They are also tackling the problem of healthy eating by teaching the youth in these areas about where good food comes from and starting good habits early!Jourdain is an Arizona native who started gardening by growing jalapeño plants with his grandfather. He is the co-founder of Urban Farming Organics, who are looking to overcome the food desert crisis in Arizona.Their mission is a “fresh off the vine” concept to make nutrient dense produce easily accessible to Phoenix locals. Part of that is working with local youth helping this next generation learn good, healthy, eating habits.Early on they saw the potential of vacant land as space for small gardens, specifically to help local residents to get fresh food with higher nutritional value. UFO is working to find local vacant or unused land by contacting the owners to start repurposing the land for farming or community gardening.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/02/356-jourdain-beltran/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Becoming the next generation of urban farmers.In This Podcast: Raised by two farmers, Sowan Thai wanted to do anything else with his life. Yet pursuing a degree in science led him back to his roots and now he's proud to call himself a farmer. A post-college stint in a medical marijuana science lab, steered him into growing food with a new friend and partner. As new farmers, they participated in a couple ASU Venture Devils Pitch contests and won both times. Now they are building their urban farm and teaching young kids how to grow food.Sowan was born and raised in Phoenix, leaving just long enough to earn a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson. There he studied controlled environment agriculture, plant biochemistry, and genetics. He returned to Phoenix and did tissue culture research at a medical cannabis facility, where he would meet his future business partner Jourdain Beltran. After about a year, they decided to depart from the medical marijuana industry to start an urban farm together with their third partner.Beginning with only 2000 square feet, they were able to build a proof-of-concept urban farm and competed in ASU’s Venture Devils program, winning two rounds of substantial funding. Less than a year later, they have expanded their operation to an acre, supply several farmers markets, and share their knowledge and experience with the youth.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/29/355-sowan-thai/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Empowering a community's strength and resilience through gardening.In This Podcast: If you just can’t help yourself and tend to get involved in your community, then you might be just like James Ross.  He has a natural drive to help others and that often involves community gardens. James shares the story of the first garden he helped build which became quite long after everyone participated.  He also tells what he learned when negotiating leases for the land their gardens occupied.  Overall, the harvests are much greater than just the fruits and vegetables – so maybe there are other gardens around the corner.James, a father of five and grandfather of eight, is co-founder of the Quesada “kwe-seda” Gardens Initiative, QGI, a private, non-profit organization focusing on better health and quality of life in Bayview.  He and co-founder Jeffrey Betcher have helped to fund and nurture many community-building efforts; working with other foundations within Bayview Hunters Point to form a support network for the community.QGI has started two major community gardens, one is a place for people to sit and relax, and the other is a learning garden where community children learn how to grow food from seed to harvest. The initiative also runs a free build-a-backyard garden program called BayBloom.  He now lives in Danville, KY where he has founded 3 community gardens.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/05/26/354-james-ross/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Bonus Episode 17: Seed Saving Class April, 2018. A chat with an expert on Seeds.In This Bonus Podcast: There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. This is the April 2018 episode of a Seed Saving Class - Bill calls in from Cornville, AZ to talk about wild seeds, native seeds, noxious weeds, and so much more based on listener questions.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, 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/2018/05/22/bonus17/ for show notes and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.