The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

249: Andrew Gunther on Humanely Raised Farm Animals Labeling for meats to show how the animal was cared for and prepped for consumption.In this podcast: We learn about how the way an animal is raised can make a difference, not only in the taste, but in how healthy the meat is for us as consumers.  Andrew Gunther explains why it is important to know this distinction and how to recognize it when making your buying selection at the store. Andrew is the Executive Director of A Greener World where he spearheaded the growth and development of the “Animal Welfare Approved”, or AWA, certification into what Consumer Reports calls the only “highly meaningful” food label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access, and sustainability.Andrew works to increase the availability of Certified AWA meat, dairy and eggs in traditional retail settings. He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation for the International Standardization Organization who is responsible for development of standards related to Animal Welfare.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/17/andrew-gunther/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests

248: Ellen Zachos on Wildcrafted Cocktails             Blending naturally wild flavors to delight the palate and stir up the conversations.In this podcast: The love of plants was a strong enough call to help Ellen Zachos leave the Broadway stage, and her love of food and flavors combined with plants led her naturally to wild foraging, and then to experiment with mixing cocktails.  Ellen has done a lot of research and testing to bring her foraging skills to the cocktail bar and here we learn a lot about mixing the right flavors to get a perfect drink.  You might just rethink your next hike to the mountain or the farmers market after this podcast. A former Broadway performer (she was once in the cast of Les Miz), Ellen is a Harvard graduate and has earned multiple certificates in horticulture and ethnobotany from the New York Botanic Garden. In her spare time Ellen is a garden writer, photographer, and lectures at flower shows & for garden clubs around the world.  She is the author of seven books including The Wildcrafted Cocktail and Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat both by Storey Publishing.Ellen was named a Great American Gardener by the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, has served two terms as a National Board Member for the Garden Writers Association and works with RemyUSA, teaching foraged mixology workshops across the US.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/15/ellen-zachos/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

247: Kim Lehman on Beekeeping for KidsHelping young beekeepers learn and grow comfortable with the hives. In this podcast: The next generation of beekeepers can be intrigued and inspired by fun activities dreamt up by Kim Lehman through her many years of honey bee education. She shares how she got started with bees and some of the interesting facts about bees and beekeeping.  There are some sweet points in the podcast!Kim has worked over 25 years as a honey bee educator, teacher, professional storyteller, musician, and author. She has presented hundreds of programs and workshops at schools, libraries, museums, nature centers, and festivals. Through her work, children have gained a greater understanding of the honey bee, nature’s tiny treasure.As part of her children’s column for Bee Culture Magazine, Kim began the Bee Buddies Club which now has members in every state. Years ago, she founded the American Beekeeping Federation Kids and Bees Program and directed this educational service about honey bees for the public at their annual conferences in 15 states. Her book Beekeeper’s Lab: 52 Family-Friendly Activities and Experiments Exploring the Life of the Hive was published this year.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/13/kim-lehman/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

246: Johannes Paul on Modern Urban Chicken Coops Engineering a new design for housing poultry and encouraging people to raise backyard chickens.In this podcast: When Johannes Paul and his engineering design classmates were challenged to come up with an idea for a class project, little did they know that design could be received so well.  A decade later they have a line of products for outdoor pets and small animals, and their design called out as one of the best British designs in the last 100 years.Johannes met his three friends James, Simon, and Will, at the Royal College of Art in London where they were studying Industrial Design.  In their final year, they designed a revolutionary new chicken house which made it simpler to keep chickens in gardens. It looked rather like an igloo and in a moment of punning genius, they named it the Egglu. They exhibited the first prototype at the graduation show and over 500 visitors expressed an interest to keep chickens in their gardens.  At that moment, they decided to move to Oxford and start a company to develop the Eglu. They created the company Omlet as a way for people to get closer to their food and improve their quality of life through sustainable intelligent design. Over the next 8 months they made over 20 prototypes which they tested with volunteers, each time improving the design.  They launched the first Eglu in time for Easter 2004.  Since then, the Eglu has been exhibited all over the world and was included in the Victorian & Albert Museum first major exhibition celebrating post war design to coincide with the 2012 Olympics alongside the Concorde and the E-Type Jaguar.  Omlet has grown from the original four founders to over 40 committed to encouraging people to discover the joy of collecting their own fresh eggs!Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/10/johannes-paul/ for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to find some of our other GREAT guests.

245: Willow Aldridge on Raising Quail Exploring the benefits of raising quail for meat and eggs In this podcast: After meeting this young woman at a local Urban Farm tour and finding out how, and why, she started her own quail meat and eggs business, we could not act fast enough to get Willow Aldridge’s interview scheduled.  She shares with us how she convinced her parents to let her start the business, and the challenges and the wonders of raising quail and selling the meat and eggs.Cricket is natural homesteader. Growing up in rural Idaho with a garden, a horse, and lots of home canned food, she brings those sensibilities to her suburban home in Phoenix. Add a little dose of cottage garden flavor and permaculture tendencies, and you’ll see why her blog, GardenVariety.Life is a reflection of everything she does. Cricket enjoys sharing skills that promote a meaningful and practical connection to our gardens and environment. Because so many residents of the metro Phoenix area are transplants like her, she finds that the area’s unique desert climate is often misunderstood and underestimated in terms of what is possible. That’s where the fun begins. Arizona is a burgeoning permaculture haven with homesteading written all over it, and there is nothing Cricket enjoys more than encouraging others to jump in and give it a try.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/08/willow-aldridge/ for show notes

244: Raymond Jess on Wicking BedsWatering up in the garden, and using physics to maintain proper soil hydration.In This Podcast:  We hear from Ray Jess, a man who loves to learn, and is enthusiastically helping others get excited about wicking bed gardens.  When he first saw a wicking bed at a fellow Master Gardener’s yard, he was intrigued and that started his deep research. From there he tinkered with an idea about how he could build one in his own yard, with a little improvement, of course. Now he has written an article for the Urban Farm and we hear the benefits of capillary action in his own words.After retiring from two careers, the Air Force and teaching, he pursued his love of food by graduating from the Phoenix Art Institute with a certificate in Culinary Arts. The highlight of his culinary experience was working as a chef for the 2007 Super Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Natural extensions for this self-proclaimed foodie were the completion of his Master Gardner training and his Certificate in Permaculture Design.A love of fresh foods and herbs kept him gardening for the last two decades.  During a volunteer component of his Master Gardner training, Ray discovered wicking garden beds. A man of curiosity and a seeker of ways to do things more efficiently, he embarked on a research project leading him to the Father of Wicking Beds, Collin Austin. As a result of Ray’s research, his backyard garden has evolved from rows of crops in a plot of ground and raised beds, to grow-buckets and wicking beds. He is currently keeping his eyes open for the next great idea to perfect his garden, so he can keep giving his family, friends, and neighbors fresh produce.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/05/raymond-jess/ for more information on this podcast and to find our other great guests.

243: John Rowden on Planting for BirdsDetermining which plants are best for specifically local ecosystems.In this podcast: We learn a little bit more about a national resource for nature lovers from John Rowden from the National Audubon Society as he talks about their new database for native plants. It makes a lot of sense that native plants would be appreciated by birds, and John shares how the interaction between plants and birds can be enhanced and appreciated by anyone willing to grow a plant in their area.John joined Audubon in 2009 when he was hired by the New York City chapter to direct citizen science and outreach throughout the city.   In 2013, he transitioned to the National Audubon Society, first working on the Toyota TogetherGreen program before becoming Audubon’s Director of Community Conservation in 2016.John’s work at Audubon has focused on engaging new audiences in the organization’s conservation efforts, personally and through Audubon’s extensive national network. He holds a PhD in Zoology from Duke University.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/03/john-rowden/ for more information and links on this podcast.

242: Laura Kelly on Healthy Bones through Whole Foods.Combating nutritional deficiencies and fighting off diseases through whole and natural foods.In this podcast:  Sometimes it is fighting for the health of a family member that prompts an understanding which in turn helps many other people.  In this conversation, Dr. Laura Kelly explains why she turned her attention to bone health, and what she found when looking for underlying causes to bone density loss.  Then as she was not content to just helping others understand bone health, she determined to help people take action to help themselves.Dr. Laura practices medicine based on principles of nature, using nutrients and natural medicines. This approach to primary care combines functional medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and tools of Western medicine to build a complete picture of the body – and a plan for how to guide and assist in its return to health.She consults with patients in multiple countries and is based in Topanga, California.  Her first book is The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan and Cookbook, Published by Chelsea Green which she co-wrote with her mother Helen Bryman Kelly.Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/06/01/laura-kelly/ for show notes

241: Jared Gulliford on Millennial FarmersStarting a farm from scratch as an urban-raised millennial.IN THIS PODCAST: Being young and not having any land or farming experience did not stop Jared Gulliford from developing a plan and a dream to have his own farm.  He shares his story about how he came to the decision to pursue a living as a farmer, where he got his training and experience, and how he transformed his family’s properties into a farm.  Then once he got there he had to change the soil and he did this using elbow grease and old-fashioned techniques so that he would not have to use chemicals because he cares about what he sells. At the age of 25, Jared moved back to the land he grew up on to start a farm.  Gardening since he was a teen, he became interested in agriculture while at University. Now, he is striving to produce food to share with, and nourish, his community while teaching others along the way.Taking advantage of an opportunity when his sister and her family bought the land next to their parents, he’s attempting the multi-generational farm dream in the middle of suburbia. On degraded soil and with ten thousand dollars, he started from the ground up. Although Jared is the only farmer at this point, he hopes friends and family will join as the project becomes further established.Despite start-up expenses, infrastructure needs, vehicle repairs, and everything else; he survived, and the inaugural year of Earth First Farm was a success. He has a ½ acre market garden, and homestead quantities of livestock then he plans for the farm to evolve from a working venture to a place for education and reconnecting with nature. Jared is also the curator at Dr. Jim Duke's Green Farmacy Garden in Fulton, Maryland; a sanctuary with over 300 species of native and non-native medicinal herbs.Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/05/30/jared-gulliford/ for more information and links on this podcast and to find our other great guests. 

240: Eve Sibley on Recording the Farm's ActivitiesCreating a history of the garden or farm to document what works best.Eve is a creative who studied painting in school, but it was her passion for activism which led her into gardening and farming. In 2006, when she turned 30, she left New York City and moved to a farm to clarify where she wanted to focus her activism energy. She became interested in gardening as a solution to many of the world’s ails and immediately learned square foot gardening.Eve has spent years setting up innovative gardens, mostly vertical, for different organizations in her travels through the USA, Costa Rica, and India. She came to believe internet technology could be utilized to help more people with their growing projects, and during her travels used her computer skills on attempts to find ways to connect and help gardeners around the world.Through her gardening work, and by volunteering on various farms, Eve recently found a need for improved garden record-keeping and she set out to build an app for that. The FarmFollow app is available in app stores and this is the first real season it is in use.In this podcast: We meet Eve Sibley who melded her determination to make a difference with a love of gardening to make an app that helps gardeners and farmers keep better records of their growing efforts.  Eve explains how she got the idea to make an app for growers, and how to make use of the free online tool to keep track of the daily tasks that can make a difference in each year’s crop results.  Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/05/27/eve-sibley/ for show notes