Biodynamic Gardening Report 63—August 29-September 11, 2015

Getting ready for our visit to Santa Rosa to experience the National Heirloom Exposition: road trip!

Biodynamic Gardening Report 62—August 15-28, 2015 

Instead of recording episode #62 as we intended by visiting one of biodynamic farmer Ralph Johnson's very busy restaurant clients, Chef Chris Kobayashi who is undertaking a new foodie venture this month, we decided to wait until his new breakfast/lunch Kitchenette opens in Templeton later in the month. Recorded at Ralph's farm south of San Luis Obispo, the latest report includes a discussion of working with nature via natural selection to influence desirable traits in plants as opposed to using a .22 shell to blast foreign genetic material from one organism into a genetically modified plant. No doubt about it: GMO$ are not developed in the same method as plants via natural selection. It's only one of the ways GMO$ are not "substantially equivalent" to heirloom foods: just ask Gregor Mendel.

San Luis Obispo County winemaker Mike Sinor met with our Biodynamic Gardening Report team for a 20+ minute interview about this Pinot Noir fanatic's take on biodynamic agriculture from the vineyard to the cellar. Involved with a number of wine projects including Ancient Peaks in Santa Margarita and his own Avila Beach label of Sinor-LaVallee, Mike is a super nice & interesting person. Thanks for the interview!

Biodynamic Gardening Report 61—August 1-14, 2015

"BD makes [the wine] taste better," says winemaker Mike Sinor of Sinor-LaVallee Wine Company in Avila Beach. Farmer Ralph Johnson and I visit their new tasting room to discuss biodynamics—a.k.a. BD—in the vineyard and in the glass. Interview highlights—including a description of Sinor-LaVallee's goal of a closed loop system in their vineyard and what Mike really thinks about sustainability—appear at the start of the latest episode of the Biodynamic Gardening Report. 

Read More, Full Interview + VIDEO

"BD makes [the wine] taste better," says winemaker Mike Sinor of Sinor-LaVallee Wine Company in Avila Beach. Farmer Ralph Johnson and I visit their new tasting room to discuss biodynamics—a.k.a. BD—in the vineyard and in the glass. Interview highlights—including a description of Sinor-LaVallee's goal of a closed loop system in their vineyard and what Mike really thinks about sustainability—appear at the start of the latest episode of the Biodynamic Gardening Report. 

Read More, Full Interview + VIDEO

Biodynamic Gardening Report 60—July 15-31, 2015 

In this episode, farmer Ralph Johnson warns against pampering tomato plants with too much watering: if you want fruit, you have to stress the plants to a point where they "understand" biologically that they might die and so must make seeds to reproduce. Continuing with our every-two-weeks biodynamic gardening report schedule, we traveled to a new foodie destination, the edible & ornamental gardens and various dining options—from outdoor casual to fancier table service dining—at the eclectic Centrally Grown, north of Cambria. Click Read More for the video of BGR #60

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Biodynamic Gardening Report #59—July 1-14, 2015 

This enhanced podcast episode introduces our every-2-weeks broadcast schedule to provide more time for gardeners to plan for busy summer garden tasks. Not quite a video but certainly a visual accompaniment to our audio report, this enhanced podcast is designed to help visual learners get a handle on how to triangulate for optimum days in the biodynamic garden. 

Click Read More for the video of BGR #59.

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Biodynamic Gardening Report 58—June 26-30, 2015 

This episode is the last of the weekly reports. We're switching to a 14-day forecast that starts and ends with the complete quarter phases of the moon. Two weeks of information forecasting the best days to garden will make it easier for gardeners to make a good plan to take best advantage of the optimum days. 

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Biodynamic Gardening Report 57—June 19-25, 2015

Inconsistent publication of the most recent Biodynamic Gardening Reports reflected a crisis of interest on the Central Coast Foodie side of the BGR equation. It was time to change things up. After consulting with Team Jrjohnson Biodynamic Farms, we've determined to adjust the schedule and format of our podcast's delivery. In the coming weeks, we'll begin publishing this forecast for gardening by the moon per the lunar calendar in 2-week sections. Video forthcoming! 

Thanks for your continued interest in our podcast: we think you'll like the changes and enhancements to our podcast which offers tools for gardening and living in a more biodynamic way, in tune. 

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Biodynamic Gardening Report 56—June 12-18, 2015 

We're all super-charged after our June visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for World Ocean's Day. Ralph gets right to the report outlining the best days for working in the garden across the week. We discuss the moment of the shifting between the constellations through which the moon moves as well as our favorite and least favorite edible plants in the garden and farm. 

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