Today's specials include healthy foods, great meals, dignity, education and community.

A childhood spent on a farm in northeast Ohio shaped Lyn’s views on community and how neighbors can help and support one another through sharing food and resources. He believes this is a forgotten way of living in America.

Thirty-plus years spent as a chef in world-class restaurants taught Lyn the importance of creating beautiful food for people to enjoy and gather together to share. In recent years, he spent time helping others open community kitchens and supporting local sustainability. This led him to open Seeds Community Café in September 2013.

As a nonprofit that is based on a “pay it forward” model, Seeds’ patrons can partake of healthy, nutritious, locally-sourced and creatively crafted meals, regardless of their ability to pay. Lyn is a huge supporter of Community Cafes, Kitchens and local gardens as a Social Enterprise and way of life.  He believes this concept of sharing local great food around a community table can change the world we live in by impacting food insecurity and building community in our own neighborhoods! It also enhances our local economies.

IN THIS PODCAST: Greg takes the time to get to know Lyn and is moved by his persistence and dedication to making a difference in his community. Lyn tells how he has always been doing something with food, and how he has worked with some well-known chefs over the years until he was finally able to open his own very special restaurant. With an idea in his head about a café where people pay what they think the meal is worth, and those who can’t pay have a chance to work off the meal through service, Lyn worked until he got enough support to open the doors to this very epic, community centric, aptly named, Seeds Community Café. 

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/10/01/lyn-harwell/ for show notes and links.

Heather co-created Stetson University’s garden and farmers market and served as the founding Community Director of Orlando's East End Market. After interning with the USDA, researching food systems in Central Florida and abroad, Heather returned to her hometown to help rebuild Orlando’s local food system in 2011, where she helped bring Fleet Farming to life. She now works on sustainable agriculture and rural development projects abroad while consulting new branches of Fleet Farming around the world.

IN THIS PODCAST: Greg gets a chance to meet Heather who is leading a transformative new community farming program called Fleet Farming. You might have heard about the new idea of community gardening through donated front lawns and volunteers traveling on bikes to farm the plots. Heather explains how the program was created and how far it has expanded at this point. It all started with a brainstorming event looking to help localize the food system, and it now is to be replicated in cities across the United States and around the world.  

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/29/heather-grove/ for show notes and links.

Tim grew up in West Texas, the younger son of a local church pastor and his Christian educator wife.  After graduating from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX with a BFA in speech communications, he went on to seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree. After graduating, he served churches in Texas communities in Houston, Athens and Lufkin; and then he moved to a historic urban congregation adjacent to Drake University in Iowa. 

During the course of that 19-year ministry, Tim became captivated by questions about food, our global food system, and the need for a strengthened circle of memory around how to grow food on simpler terms.  So, at 55 years of age, he quit his job and with his wife moved to a 10-acre farmstead they’ve named “Taproot Garden” located south of Des Moines where they cultivate a large garden and raise laying hens – an enterprise he refers to as a writing project with an outdoor classroom. 

IN THIS PODCAST: Greg interviews Tim and finds out what motivated Tim and his wife to move to the country and start focusing on growing food through simple techniques some of which are those which were used a couple generations back. Through experimentation, they have increased their harvests dramatically, and even Greg is blown away by how many tomatoes they got this year.  And there is a great story about a kindergartner's comment after visiting his farm which is awesomely rewarding to any farmer.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/27/tim-diebel/ for show notes and links. 

Ruwan leads product design at Replantable. While earning his Mechanical Engineering degree at Georgia Tech, he machined microfluidic devices and instructed students in the campus machine shop. He has used this fabrication knowledge to bring a hands-on design approach to startups like Intuitive Pickups as well as larger companies like Verizon Telematics.

Costas is the director of the Center of Innovation for Energy Technology, where his mission is to help Georgia’s companies accelerate the development of new products, ideas and business models in the Energy ecosystem and maintain the State of Georgia’s leadership position in the fields of energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage and consumption.

IN THIS PODCAST: Greg does a double interview with Ruwan, one of the inventors of a new appliance that grows food indoors, and Costas, the director of the Center that that helped bring the idea to the fruition. Ruwan shares the genesis story of the Nanofarm from Replantable and tells how they considered the purpose and function of soil as a growing medium. Costas explains the role of his agency and even how they were able to beta test the machines with the help of some high school classes in Georgia.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/24/ruwan-and-costas/ for show notes and links.

Cecilia is a Master Gardner, permaculturist, seed saver, a dowser and an herbalist.   Gardening has been a passion all her life.  She is the founder and owner of “Cecilia’s Garden” and has transformed her residence into an urban farm utilizing the front & back yards.  Her garden is a highly producing, self-sufficient sanctuary specializing in vegetables, fruit and eggs.  All of her produce is grown beyond organics – meaning she doesn’t use any of the approved 244 organic chemicals one can use and still be called organic.

Cecilia’s produce is sold at local farmer’s markets and she also supplies produce for a local restaurant that supports locally grown veggies.

The sense of community is strong in her neighborhood with neighbors dropping in to pick-up eggs, veggies, or fruit, or just for the opportunity to visit and enjoy the serenity of “Cecilia’s Garden.”

IN THIS PODCAST: Cecilia opens up with Greg and shares her passion about…growing food as naturally as possible. Her garden is a local marvel with layers upon layers of permaculture techniques in use.  Even though they have known each other for years there is still many new things that Greg learns about Cecilia, including her epic number of compost bins.  Her thirst for knowledge is apparent and her willingness to put into action the nature based education she has gained over the years through various courses and sources is helping her produce dynamic results. Go to our Podcast page at https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/22/cecilia-nedelko/ to find photos, links, and more information on this podcast.

Simon grew up on a small farm in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania before pursuing a degree in Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University. Soon after college, Simon helped a long-time western Colorado fruit farmer expand his operation to include vegetable production and a CSA program. The project grew to serve five area farmers markets and a 130-member CSA.

During his tenure at the farm, Simon took advantage of his education in information technology to develop a highly interactive website for the CSA. In retrospect, this website was a prototype for what Small Farm Central would eventually become. After leaving the farm in the Fall of 2006, Simon started Small Farm Central with a core group of 10 farmers from across the country. In four years, Small Farm Central has grown to serve more than 1000 farmers (as of October 2015) across the U.S. and Canada.

Outside of Small Farm Central, Simon is kept active by his two sons, Eliot (age 4) and Theo (age 1). He enjoys food experimentation projects like beer making, fermenting various vegetables, and whatever other challenges come up. The 70 acre family farm is still in the family, so there is a chance of returning to growing food some day!

IN THIS PODCAST: Simon shares his story with Greg about how he went from avoiding the farm as a kid, to now using his technology skills to help farmers promote their farms online.  Farmers who are just starting out with a small farm, are the people that Simon is focusing on helping and he shares what some of the techniques and tools he has developed specifically for this unique market. With this they also discuss the differences between social media and email marketing.  

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/20/simon-huntley/ for show notes and links.

Denise is a grandmother of eight who was forced into retirement from a management position at the age of 57.  She and her husband rented a community garden plot of 1000 square feet to save money by supplementing their food and decided they could try to live on a lot less money since life was nicer without her working a 50-60 hour work week. 

Eventually they bought an old farmhouse on 1.7 acres 1-hour north of the city in southern Ontario, Canada and have developed raised beds, grow a good amount of their own produce and are starting with chickens this year.  They have found this has been a wonderful retirement solution for them.

It has been a way to reduce expenses and yet create a lifestyle that is healthy, happy, and a wonderful example for their grandchildren who are learning all about where food comes from.

IN THIS PODCAST: Denise tells Greg how one day she was unexpectedly retired and needed to start saving money.  After getting inspiration from a walk near a farmers’ market, she and her husband started with a small plot in a community garden and gained the confidence in what she could grow herself. A short time later they left that garden and moved to a larger property. Greg is moved by her story of her grandkids getting food from the garden. Then they share tips and suggestions on raising chickens. Denise has moved to the point of getting 60% of her food from her garden with a little from the farmers market.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/17/denise-stalder/ for show notes

Kami, author of The Herbal Kitchen, has spent the past 25 years helping people grow and use herbs so they can be more self-reliant in their health care needs. She is the creator of Herbal Kitchen Remedy Solutions, an online course that demystifies the world of herbal medicine and empowers people to use their garden for herbal self-care in the home to prevent illness and take care of common ailments.

Kami has developed and taught herbal curriculum for the Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Department at University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing and the Integrative Health Master’s Degree Program at California Institute of Integral Studies. She has helped thousands of families to use herbs and natural remedies for their self-care to avoid the damaging effects of medications when not needed. She is dedicated to inspiring the Home Wellness Revolution where the use of home herbal remedies is a normal part of our cultural heritage

IN THIS PODCAST: Kami joins Greg for an informative discussion on the value of herbs in our kitchens and our diets. She talks about how the garden and the spice rack are of central importance to the economy and health of a household. And she gives some great suggestions on how to use some common key herbs for improving and maintaining health. In addition, we have links to a free workbook with recipe instructions on how to use sage for health and wellness.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/15/kami-mcbride/ for show notes and links.

Catherine, The Herb Lady, Crowley is a self-taught, hands in the dirt, Urban Farmer who experiments and researches constantly for new and interesting edibles and old favorites.

Catherine was given the nickname "The Herb Lady" when vendors and then customers at farmers markets would say "go ask the herb lady" for questions on herbs.  It stuck.

Catherine has taught classes at various locations both private and public. She currently blogs and writes an irregular internet newsletter on greening, gardening and cooking in the Valley of the Sun and also participates in the Mesa Farmers Market.

IN THIS PODCAST: Catherine shares with Greg some of her tricks that she has figured out for growing herbs in her garden in Phoenix. She explains how she learned about new herbs by asking her farmers market customers about their heritage, and how she experimented to expand her knowledge and skills. She talks about some of her favorites including nasturtium, stevia and Syrian oregano. She teaches Greg how to pick herbs for the best enjoyment and how to make a personal blend.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/13/catherine-crowley/ for show notes and links.

Ping Honzay is currently Member Programs Associate for the American Horticultural Society (AHS), where she coordinates national garden programs including the annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium for educators and others who work to connect kids with plants and the natural world.  She has an M.S. in Natural Resources with a focus in environmental education, and has worked on a variety of organic farms and garden projects around the country.  When not in the office at AHS she enjoys keeping bees at River Farm, the AHS’s garden headquarters outside of Washington, DC. Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society (AHS) is one of the oldest national gardening organizations in the country.  AHS works towards its mission of “Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens” by providing educational resources such as its award-winning magazine The American Gardener, programming and events both nationally and locally at its River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, VA, recognizing outstanding gardening practices through its awards program, and more.

IN THIS PODCAST: Ping and Greg discuss the importance of teaching youth to garden. They compare notes about their garden experiences with kids and the miracles the kids believe are happening.  She shares her story of how she got started in working with kids helping them get excited about gardening and then explains about the resources of the AHS' Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium. She also introduces the Great American Gardeners Awards  

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/09/10/ping-honzay/ for show notes and links.