808: How to Help Pollinators A Garden Chat with Charlotte Wiggins.
In This Garden Chat:

Ever wonder about pollinators and their impact on our environment?  Why are they important and how do they impact the environment around us?  Join us as we chat with Charlotte Wiggins and explore all things pollinator!.

Our Special Guest:

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is an award-winning author, lecturer, master beekeeper and master gardener. After careers in journalism, US Forest Service and US Navy, she’s now chairing an 8-state Midwest partnership to grow beekeeping instructors teaching scientifically-based best management practices. 

Her 42-year old, one-acre garden, where her neighbors said nothing would grow, is a Monarch Way Station, Certified Wildlife Habitat and apiary. She featured how she developed Bluebird Gardens in her April 2019TEDx talk “Why Bugs Matter.”

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

807: Seeds, Are They Dead or Alive?A chat with an expert on seeds.In This Seed Chat:

This is the March 2024 Seed Chat - Don’t throw away seeds collected for years. Do a germ test. Germination testing is a vital step to ensure seed viability before planting. We will talk about the process and show you how to determine the ratio of successful germination. Then you can plant the germinated seeds right into the ground. Learning how to germ test empowers growers with crucial insights into seed quality, helping you make informed decisions on seed selection and planting strategies.

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/seeds24mar for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

What is the Seed Chat?

At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former 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. 

Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes.  Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system.

Register anytime for the next event.

Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&A

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

806: The Rogue Food Conference with Joel Salatin and John Moody

Showcasing those who are making a difference in our food systems.

In This Podcast: The Rogue Food Conference" is an annual gathering of innovative thinkers and passionate advocates who are challenging the status quo of the food industry. Hosted by Joel Salatin and John Moody, this conference showcases individuals and organizations that have found creative solutions to navigate the regulatory hurdles and bring nutrient-dense, local, and authentic food to their communities.

Joel Salatin and his family owned Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Featured in the iconic foodie book, Omnivore's Dilemma, An award winning film, Food Inc., the farm's moniker is Healing the Land One Bite at a Time. Joel is a prolific author and speaker. He promotes local food systems, freedom of food choice, and farming systems that build the commons. Joel was a guest on our podcast and appeared in episode 310.

John Moody lives in his homestead in the rolling hills of Kentucky. He founded the whole life buying club, one of the largest alternative food distribution approaches in the country. He is the author of five books and a well known speaker at conferences across the country on health, food, farming, and freedom. John is a returning podcast guest and appeared on episode 116 and 535.

NOTE: the tickets are available at the Rogue Food Conference website, which is RogueFoodConference. com

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/806Rogue for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

805: Jennifer Jewell on the Personal, Ecological and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Empowering conversations about the power and politics of seeds.

In This Podcast: We chat with Jennifer Jewell on her journey discovering the significance of seeds. She shared "that my tiny life will end and I will have spent a lot of hot air talking to gardeners, but the seeds are gonna survive. Like we've messed up a lot, but the seeds are still there. And the incredible number of seed keeping humans on the ground everywhere, they are doing great work."

Our Guest: Jennifer is the host of the national award-winning weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. She is an author and her third book is called What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Jennifer’s greatest passion is elevating the way we think and talk about gardening, the empowerment of gardeners, and the possibility inherent in the intersection between places, environments, cultures, individuals, and the gardens that bring them together beautifully – for the better of all the lives on this generous planet.

She lives and cultivates her place in interior Northern California with her partner, plantsman John Whittlesey.

Jennifer's Book: What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Book Recommendation: Braiding Sweeetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/WhatWeSow for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

804: Janis and Ray on Journaling a New Habit

A Rosie On The House Radio Show Replay

In This Podcast: Janis Norton and Ray Jess join us for our monthly Rosie on the House Radio hour talking about journaling for gardens and orchards.

Our Guests: Janis Norton is the General Manager at The Urban Farm, where she manages several major projects including their Fruit Tree Education Program, The Urban Farm Podcast,  and the Permaculture Design Course, as well as their online educational classes, chats, and summits.  She earned her degree in Sustainability from Arizona State University, became a Master Gardener, and took her PDC training in Phoenix. While Greg is the visionary at The Urban Farm, Janis is the Implementer – using her superpowers as a project manager to keep things organized and growing our community.

Ray Jess is the Manager of the General Store at The Urban Farm Nursery,  (worked with Greg to update the Urban Farm Planting Calendar, making adjustments for recent changes in our climate and weather ) Ray was a Master Gardener for six years starting in 2016,  completed a Permaculture Design course in 2018 and currently works as a sales associate for a local nursery.

Special Note: For part one of Janis's story she wrote from her journaled experience starting her orchard go to The Fruit Tree Mud Bath Salon

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/804-Rosie for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

803: Joe Villines on Reviving a 123-Year Old Farm

Living a Dream.

In This Podcast: We speak with Joe Villines about his history as a journalist in the Army and how it has impacted the process of rebuilding the 123-year old farm he and his family purchased.

Our Guest: Joe is a father, husband, US Army veteran and co-owner of ‘HalfAcre Farms at Armadillo Acres’ with his partner Lydia in Indianola, Iowa. He attended college for commercial horticulture to further a lifelong interest in growing food.

Joe was a photojournalist and broadcaster in the Army Reserve where he served tours in Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait and other assignments all over the world. Exposure to world strife and world agriculture informed his resolve to raise animals and crops using holistic methods for sale locally.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/HalfAcreFarm for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

802: All About Chickens, Goats, and SheepA Garden Chat with Judith Horvath.In This Garden Chat:

Judith joins our Garden Chat and she shares the ins and outs of getting into raising small backyard animals. This includes goats, sheep, and chickens. In this Chat we explore the pitfalls associated with having small animals and how to avoid them.

Our Special Guest:

Judith Horvath has journeyed from a white-collar business executive to hair sheep and dairy goat farmer. When COVID and global events laid bare the fragility of our food supply chain, Judith found a way to leave corporate life to concentrate solely on farming.  Today she’s helping launch a new generation of small farmers with the goal of establishing a resilient local food supply chain based on regenerative agriculture methods, rotationally grazed grass fed meats, and nutrient dense produce.  She’s on a mission to help people get started farming and be immediately successful. 

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

801: Flower Parts for Dummies. A chat with an expert on seeds.In This Seed Chat:

This is the February 2024 Seed Chat - Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson simplify the intricate world of flower anatomy into digestible insights for any level of gardener. Emphasizing the relevance of understanding flower parts, the duo investigates flowers, and fruits, highlighting their functions and significance in plant life. Bill and Greg’s informative and fun approach makes plant science accessible and relevant for all..

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/801seeds for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

What is the Seed Chat?

At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former 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. 

Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes.  Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system.

Register anytime for the next event.

Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&A

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

800: Robbie Shaw on American Chestnut Blight and Rescue.

Saving an iconic resource almost lost to history.

In This Podcast: What if you discovered a long lost tree, one that there used to be billions of two centuries ago, but are now functionally extinct? Today's guest found one and rather than do nothing, she wrote a book about their story. Join Robbie Shaw as she shares the epic adventure of the American Chestnut.

Our Guest: Robbie is a naturalist with a deep passion for storytelling that dates back to her childhood. When she stumbled across the New York Times article about an incurable blight that brought about the functional extinction of the American chestnut Forrest, she was moved and shocked. She wondered why generations of her family living in these forests never spoke about this incredible loss and why she had never learned about it in school.

It has taken a century, but today’s science and technology exist to address this tragedy and turn back the hands of time.  Restoring a functionally extinct species is no small task.  The goal of her debut novel, the tree that called us home is to share a story based on true events and disseminate, that story far and wide, so that every American for generations can come to know the beauty of sitting under a spreading chestnut tree and roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

Robin holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Syracuse University and for years taught traditional breeding methods as a high school educator.   She also had a career as a financial planner, worked as a ski instructor, is a long-time organic farmer, and was elected to serve as a state representative to the Arizona legislature. 

Robbie's Book: The Tree That Called Us Home

Book Recommendation: The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/AmericanChestnut for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

799: Prepping Soil for New Gardens

A Rosie On The House Radio Show Replay

In This Podcast: Soil the most important thing you can be investing in for your garden. Made up of 5 components and if all you have is the dirt component your chances of success are low. Invest the time to learn then invest in soil. Join us for our monthly Rosie on the House segment with Shota Austin from Tanks green Stuff

Our Guest: Our Guest: Shota Austin has worked in the agricultural industry since 2005 working with livestock (goats, sheep, cattle, chickens), cotton, alfalfa, nursery crops, orchards, and vegetable production. As a former U of A Compost Cat Shota has been working with compost since 2013, and works for Tanks Green Stuff. As the Director of Tanks Green Stuff, he oversees all aspects of the business including production, quality control, product development, sales, marketing, social media, customer service.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/799Rosie for the show notes and links on this episode!

Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!

Become an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.