The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

In this Episode Returning guest Michael Olson, award-winning radio host, author of Metro Farm, and longtime advocate for local food systems, joins Greg Peterson to explore how small-scale urban and metropolitan farmers can grow food profitably without acquiring more land. Michael shares his Three Laws of the Food Chain, explains why local food gives consumers greater control, and reveals how farmers can compete with large agricultural operations through freshness, specialty crops, higher yields, and smart business strategies. He also reflects on his childhood growing up on a Montana farm, the power of reconnecting city dwellers with food production, and how storytelling can illuminate the conflicts shaping our food systems.

Our Guest: Michael is an award-winning radio host, author, educator, and passionate urban farmer who has spent decades helping people reconnect with their food. Through his broadcasting, writing, and advocacy, he inspires communities to grow food, embrace sustainable living, and build stronger, healthier, and more resilient local food systems.

• Michael Olson and Metro Farm
• Michael Olson's Three Laws of the Food Chain
• Urban farming and metropolitan agriculture
• Local food systems and food security
• Small-scale farming profitability
• Farm business strategy and market competition
• Intensive production on limited land
• Farmers of Forty Centuries by F. H. King
• Fresh, flavorful, and specialty crops
• Direct-to-consumer sales and farmers markets
• High-value flowers and specialty plant production
• Food production in cities and urban land use
• The Food Chain radio show and agricultural storytelling
• Childhood farm life and reconnecting people with food

What are Michael Olson's Three Laws of the Food Chain?

First, agriculture is the foundation of civilization. Second, the farther food travels from its source, the less control consumers have over it. Third, cheap food isn't necessarily cheap when its broader health and social costs are considered. Together, these principles explain why Michael believes reconnecting people with food production matters.

How can a small urban farm compete with large agricultural operations?

Small farms can avoid competing directly on commodity prices and instead focus on what large operations struggle to provide: exceptional freshness, unique varieties, flavor, specialty products, and direct relationships with customers. The goal is to serve a market niche that larger producers cannot easily satisfy.

Can someone earn a living farming on a small piece of land?

Yes. Michael describes small farms that generate substantial income by maximizing productivity and selecting crops for specific markets. His examples include a nursery producing hundreds of thousands of cuttings in a compact space and flower growers who built a wedding-flower business around unusual varieties.

What is the difference between gardening and farming?

Michael describes gardening as an activity that enriches food, personal well-being, and one's connection with living things. Farming is a business that requires market awareness, long hours, competitive strategy, and careful decisions about how to earn a living from the land.

Why is Farmers of Forty Centuries relevant to modern urban agriculture?

F. H. King's book examined intensive agricultural systems in Asia that supported many people on small parcels of land while producing crops for sale. Michael draws on this example to show that high productivity per acre is not new and that small farms can succeed without expanding their acreage.

What business strategies help small farms increase profitability?

Michael outlines ten strategies for improving farm productivity and income. Examples discussed include increasing yield, improving product selection, growing distinctive varieties, and finding market opportunities that large-scale competitors cannot serve as effectively.

Why are freshness and flavor advantages for local farmers?

Small farmers can harvest crops close to the time of sale and deliver them directly to consumers or nearby chefs. Unlike large operations that must harvest and ship at scale, local growers can prioritize flavor, variety, and products tailored to their customers.

How can cities preserve agriculture while continuing to develop?

Michael sees a conflict between development pressures and the need to preserve productive urban land. Small farms, educational farm visits, community connections, and direct food sales can help cities retain meaningful relationships with agriculture while serving urban populations.

How did Michael Olson develop his radio show, The Food Chain?

Michael took over a traditional Saturday morning agriculture program and transformed it into a storytelling show about people and conflicts surrounding food. He renamed it The Food Chain after realizing that food connects with far more listeners than farming alone.

What role does conflict play in effective food-system storytelling?

Michael looks for competing interests, opposing perspectives, and unresolved questions that capture attention. Stories about small farmers facing development pressures or questions about how food markets operate help audiences understand the larger forces shaping agriculture.

• Michael Olson explains why agriculture is the foundation of civilization and why distance from food production reduces consumer control.
• He shares how growing potatoes in twelve 15-gallon nursery tubs produced 60 pounds of potatoes.
• Michael explains why Metro Farm focuses on business strategy, helping small farmers earn a living rather than simply grow food.
• Greg Peterson recalls harvesting produce from an 80-by-40-foot property and selling out at market by noon, earning $300–$400.
• Michael describes how a small nursery, specialty flower growers, and other farmers discovered profitable niches by serving needs larger competitors overlooked.
• He explains how small farms can increase productivity and income without increasing acreage.
• Michael recalls growing up on his grandparents' 320-acre Montana farm and discusses bringing that connection with food and agriculture back into cities.
• He shares how conflict, compelling characters, and storytelling transformed his radio program into The Food Chain.

• Michael Olson's book, radio shows, and resources: MetroFarm.com
• Urban Farm Podcast episode show notes: UrbanFarm.org/MetroFarm
• Reference book: Farmers of Forty Centuries by F. H. King — a historical exploration of intensive agriculture and productivity on small parcels of land.

*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.

In this Episode Farmer Greg talks with Kristin Battafarano, a horticultural consultant and educator with more than three decades of experience helping people grow healthier gardens. Kristin shares how an unexpected journey from illustration and office work to organic farming transformed her life and connected her with the soil, plants, and people who share her passion for growing food. She takes listeners on a tour of her Arizona garden, exploring wood-chip mulch, rainwater absorption, cover crops, volunteer plants, beneficial insects, and creative ways to recycle nutrients. Kristin also explains why healthy soil and thoughtful plant care can reduce the need for chemical treatments. Her message is simple: stay curious, experiment in your garden, and create a place where both people and nature can thrive.

Our Guest: Kristin is a horticultural consultant and educator who has spent more than three decades helping people create healthier, more resilient landscapes. Her journey began on a small organic farm in Tempe, where she discovered a deep connection to soil, plants, and the natural world. Since then, she has taught horticulture and consulted on hundreds of landscapes, building bridges between science, practical application, and the people who care for our shared landscapes.

• Kristin Battafarano — Horticultural consultant and educator with more than 30 years of experience.
• Organic farming — Kristin's introduction to hands-on growing and her connection to food and nature.
• Matt Sur — Organic farmer who mentored Kristin and contributed to the low-desert vegetable planting calendar.
• Soil health and microbial activity — How organic matter, mulch, and soil organisms contribute to healthier growing conditions.
• Wood-chip mulch — Using layers of woody material to improve soil, retain moisture, and recycle nutrients.
• Rainwater harvesting and swales — Designing garden spaces to absorb rainfall rather than allowing runoff.
• Cover crops — Using clover and other plants to protect soil, add nitrogen, and support soil structure.
• Volunteer plants and seed saving — Allowing plants such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, and trees to reseed naturally.
• Beneficial insects and pollinators — Recognizing the roles of native bees, flies, wasps, and other garden organisms.
• Desert gardening — Working with Arizona's heat, irrigation water, mineral salts, and challenging growing conditions.
• Integrated pest management — Identifying insects and assessing the severity of infestations before deciding whether treatment is necessary.
• Organic matter and nutrient cycling — Reusing rabbit litter, plant material, and other organic resources in the garden.
• Natural plant growth and pruning — Preserving blossoms, healthy foliage, and the movement and beauty of plants.
• Curiosity and experimentation — Treating garden challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.

How did Kristin discover her passion for gardening?

After finding office work and digital illustration unfulfilling, Kristin began exploring her love of nature and plants. Working on an organic farm with Matt Sur gave her a sense of purpose, connection, and joy that changed the direction of her life.

How can wood-chip mulch improve a garden?

Kristin describes using thick layers of wood chips to encourage microbial activity, build soil, and retain moisture. As the material breaks down, it contributes organic matter and nutrients to the soil ecosystem.

How can homeowners manage rainwater in desert gardens?

Kristin uses swales and soil-building techniques that allow rainfall to soak into her property. She contrasts this with neighboring yards where water collects and runs into the street.

Why are cover crops useful in a vegetable garden?

Cover crops such as clover protect the soil surface, help improve soil structure, and can contribute nitrogen. They also provide an alternative to maintaining conventional turf in some garden spaces.

Should gardeners eliminate every insect they find?

No. Kristin recommends identifying the insect and understanding what it does before deciding whether intervention is needed. Many insects contribute to pollination, pest control, and a healthy garden ecosystem.

What causes plants to struggle in Arizona's soils?

Kristin explains that mineral salts and sodium can accumulate through irrigation. These conditions can alter soil chemistry and cause nutrient lockout, preventing plant roots from absorbing nutrients even when those nutrients are present.

How can gardeners reuse household materials to support plant growth?

Kristin uses her pet rabbit's litter as a garden resource. The nitrogen-rich material, combined with organic matter, helped support a productive experimental garden with good moisture retention and fewer weeds.

Why does Kristin encourage less aggressive pruning?

Repeatedly shearing shrubs into geometric shapes removes foliage and blossoms, can increase water demands, and may expose plants to scorching. More natural growth preserves flowers, supports wildlife, and allows plants to move gracefully in the wind.

What did Kristin learn from struggling with soil-dwelling isopods?

Thick wood-chip mulch created favorable habitat for isopods, but their numbers became high enough to damage seedlings and crops. The experience taught her that even beneficial soil organisms can create challenges that require observation and adaptation.

What does Kristin consider her greatest professional accomplishment?

She is proud of bridging organic gardening and conventional horticultural practices. By understanding both approaches, she can identify useful practices from each and help introduce better growing methods to a broader audience.

• Kristin explains how grief, career dissatisfaction, and a desire to work with nature led her to organic farming.
• Her first day working with Matt Sur taught her the value of hands-on learning, trust, and connection with the natural world.
• Kristin describes transforming a former grass-covered yard into a productive garden using wood chips, swales, and volunteer trees.
• She shares how cover crops, sweet peppers, asparagus, sweet potatoes, citrus, and self-seeding cherry tomatoes contribute to her garden.
• A creative experiment with rabbit litter produced a thriving garden that retained moisture remarkably well despite having no irrigation connection.
• Kristin explains why gardeners should identify insects before treating them and why plant health is central to pest management.
• She discusses irrigation-related mineral salts, nutrient lockout, and soil treatments that can help address these challenges.
• Kristin reflects on curiosity, perseverance, and the importance of designing gardens that offer beauty, wildlife habitat, and a place to observe nature.

• Urban Farm Podcast show notes: urbanfarm.org/stonesoupgarden
• Kristin Battafarano - Email: [email protected]
• Harmony Horticultural Consulting: Search for Harmony Horticultural Consulting online to find Kristin's consulting services.
• Recommended book: Into the Wild- by Jon Krakauer. Kristin recommends it for its exploration of questioning conventional expectations and pursuing a different path.
• Books that influenced Kristin: Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow and Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.
• Cover crop resources: Grow Organic offers cover crop seeds and information for gardeners interested in experimenting with different varieties.

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

*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.

On this replay of the Rosie on the House radio show Host Rome and Farmer Greg welcome Rachel Opio, founder of Little Lighthouse Farm, a certified organic urban farm in central Phoenix, Arizona, to explore how growing food in small spaces can strengthen communities and reconnect people with the land. Inspired by her late mother, Lane Bales, Rachel transformed a family garden into a productive quarter-acre farm focused on soil health, biodiversity, fresh local food, and community education. She shares practical approaches to regenerative agriculture, companion planting, seed saving, and growing food in the Sonoran Desert. Rachel also explains how small urban farms can improve access to fresh produce, preserve growing knowledge, and contribute to a stronger local food system. Her advice for beginners is simple: start with one plant, grow something you love to eat, and let your garden grow from there.

• Rachel Opio — Founder and farmer at Little Lighthouse Farm in central Phoenix.
• Little Lighthouse Farm — Certified organic urban farm focused on nutrient-dense food, community access, and education.
• Farmer Greg Peterson — Urban farming educator, founder of UrbanFarm.org, and host of the Urban Farm Podcast.
• Urban agriculture — Growing food in residential yards, containers, and small urban spaces.
• Regenerative agriculture — Building soil health, increasing biodiversity, and supporting a living ecosystem.
• Certified organic farming — Annual inspections, detailed recordkeeping, traceability, and certification requirements.
• Local food systems — Connecting growers and consumers through direct sales, farm stands, restaurants, and local distributors.
• Soil health — Balancing nutrients, organic matter, airspace, water, and living organisms.
• Companion planting — Combining compatible plants, including tomatoes, basil, and marigolds, to support a diverse garden.
• No-till gardening — Protecting soil structure and using chickens to help cultivate garden areas.
• Seed saving and climate adaptation — Saving seeds suited to Phoenix's Sonoran Desert conditions.
• Food access and community inclusion — Accepting SNAP/EBT, WIC, and senior farmers market nutrition benefits.
• Pollinator stewardship — Maintaining bees, perennial flowering plants, and habitat for beneficial wildlife.
• Beginner gardening — Starting small with a container, herb, or favorite edible plant.

How did Rachel Opio become an urban farmer?

Rachel originally worked in technology, although farming was something she had always wanted to do. After her mother passed away, Rachel returned to the family garden to clear the weeds and found that the space could feed her household and eventually her neighbors. That realization inspired her to turn her quarter-acre property into Little Lighthouse Farm.

Why did Rachel name her farm Little Lighthouse Farm?

Her mother loved lighthouses and spent decades helping children learn to read. Rachel saw her mother as a guiding light in the community, making the name a tribute to her mother's life and a reflection of the farm's mission: guiding people back to the land.

Why does Rachel prioritize locally grown organic food?

Rachel emphasizes freshness, nutrient density, and accessibility. Food harvested close to the time it is eaten spends less time in transportation and storage, while local production helps consumers connect with the people growing their food.

What does regenerative agriculture look like on a small urban farm?

Rachel focuses on soil health, regular soil testing, companion planting, biodiversity, and avoiding tillage. Her chickens help cultivate designated garden areas, while bees and perennial flowering plants support pollination and habitat.

How does Little Lighthouse Farm make fresh food more accessible?

Rachel sells directly to customers through online orders and a farm stand, and supplies restaurants, hospital systems, and grocery stores through a local distributor. She also accepts SNAP/EBT, WIC, and senior farmers market nutrition benefits.

Why is seed saving especially important in the Sonoran Desert?

Seeds suited to other climates may struggle in Phoenix's heat and growing conditions. Saving seeds from successful plants helps Rachel maintain varieties adapted to her local environment and reduces dependence on purchasing new seeds.

What should a first-time gardener grow?

Rachel recommends starting with one plant in a manageable space, such as a container or cup. Choose something you enjoy eating. Herbs are particularly useful because they are relatively easy to grow and can be expensive to purchase.

How can small urban farms strengthen local food systems?

They bring food production closer to consumers, respond to neighborhood needs, provide educational opportunities, preserve seed and growing knowledge, and create habitat. They complement larger food systems rather than attempting to replace them.

How can a gardener recognize healthy soil?

Rachel describes healthy soil as dark, earthy-smelling, light, and fluffy. She also suggests simple hands-on observations, including moistening soil and checking whether it can be shaped into a snake. Greg highlights five components of healthy soil: dirt, airspace, water, organic matter, and living organisms.

What does Rachel hope to see in the future?

She hopes to increase biodiversity, improve the farm's cooling microclimate, see more neighbors growing food, and inspire community garden clubs and informal neighborhood learning networks.

• Rachel's journey from a career in technology to founding a certified organic urban farm, inspired by grief and her mother's legacy.
• How a quarter-acre Phoenix property can grow food for a family, neighbors, and paying customers.
• Why local food, fresh harvesting, and organic growing practices matter to Rachel.
• A tour of Little Lighthouse Farm, including desert-adapted plants, raised beds, chickens, fruit trees, containers, and a beehive.
• How Rachel uses companion planting, no-till practices, biodiversity, and soil testing to support a healthy garden.
• The importance of saving seeds adapted to the local climate and growing conditions.
• How a farm stand customer discovering freshly harvested beets sparked a spontaneous exchange of recipes and gardening knowledge.
• Why beginners should start with one plant and how thousands of small growers could strengthen their communities.

• Little Lighthouse Farm — littlelighthousefarm.com
• Little Lighthouse Farm on Instagram — @littlelighthousefarm
• Great American Seed Up — greatamericanseedup.org — Explore open-pollinated, non-GMO heirloom seeds and bulk seed buying.
• Urban Farm — UrbanFarm.org — Learn about urban food production and growing your own food.
• Garden consulting — Contact Rachel through her website to explore help with garden layout, companion planting, and growing food at home.

Take action: Plant one seed, start one herb, or grow one vegetable you love to eat. Share what you grow with a neighbor, save seeds when you can, and help bring food production back into your community.

Our Guest:

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/1012 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

*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.

With Seed Expert Bill McDorman

Join us for our monthly live Seed Chat at SeedChat.org

What makes a seed viable, and how do you know when it's ready to grow? In this episode of Seed Chat, Greg Peterson of the Urban Farm Podcast joins seed expert Bill McDorman to explore the art and science of harvesting mature, viable seeds from vegetables, fruits, and wild plants. They share practical techniques for saving seeds from cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, lettuce, and more, explaining when to harvest, how to dry and process seeds, and why nature's built-in diversity matters. The conversation also explores the importance of seed saving, locally adapted varieties, and community seed networks in building a more resilient food system. Their message is simple: when in doubt, save the seeds and see what happens.

• Seed viability and germination testing
• Seed maturity and harvesting techniques
• Saving cucumber and winter squash seeds
• Harvesting seeds from grocery-store produce
• Seed saving from tomatoes, peppers, melons, and apples
• Wet seed processing and fermentation
• Harvesting and storing beans, peas, and cowpeas
• Lettuce flowering, seed collection, and winnowing
• Natural reseeding and letting plants self-propagate
• Genetic diversity and locally adapted seeds
• Native Seeds/SEARCH and traditional seed varieties
• Masanobu Fukuoka and The One-Straw Revolution
• Going to Seed and its seed-sharing program
• Community seed libraries and regional seed networks

What makes a seed viable?

A viable seed is mature enough to germinate and grow into a plant, and it has remained healthy enough to survive conditions such as extreme heat, excessive moisture, and seed-borne pathogens. Seeds don't all become viable at the same moment; there is natural variation within a plant's seed production.

How do you know when cucumbers are ready for seed saving?

Choose a healthy, desirable cucumber and mark it on the vine. Leave it to mature well beyond the eating stage until it becomes large and often turns orange. The seeds should fill out rather than remain flat and immature.

Should winter squash be cured before saving its seeds?

Yes. Leaving winter squash in the field for several days after harvest maturity, particularly during warm weather, allows the seeds to finish maturing before the squash is opened. Summer squash should also be left on the plant well beyond the usual eating stage.

Can you save viable seeds from grocery-store produce?

Often, yes. Tomatoes are frequently suitable for seed saving, and bell pepper seeds may be more mature if the fruit is allowed to turn red before processing. Melons and squash may also provide useful seeds. However, seeds from hybrid or seedless varieties can produce unpredictable results.

Will seeds from an apple grow into the same kind of apple?

Usually not. Apple flowers can receive pollen from different trees, creating new genetic combinations. Growing an apple tree from seed can take three to ten years to evaluate, and the resulting fruit may be better, worse, or simply different from the original.

Is fermenting seeds necessary when saving tomatoes and cucumbers?

No. Seeds can germinate successfully without fermentation. However, wet processing and fermentation can help reduce certain seed-borne disease problems and may improve storage and handling, particularly when processing larger quantities.

How should you harvest and store bean and pea seeds?

Allow the pods to dry on the vine until they begin to open. If weather conditions make that impractical, pull the vines and hang them indoors until the pods dry completely. This helps the seeds mature and prepares them for storage.

What is the best way to harvest lettuce seeds?

Let lettuce flower and develop its characteristic fluffy seed heads. Watch for a large number of mature seed heads, then cut the stalks, turn them upside down, and shake them into a paper bag. Winnow away the fluff and chaff before storing the seeds.

Why should gardeners allow some plants to reseed naturally?

Plants can respond to their local conditions and emerge when the timing is right. By allowing crops such as basil, cilantro, lettuce, and kale to reseed, gardeners can encourage plants that are already growing successfully in their gardens.

What should you do when you're unsure whether a seed is viable?

Save it and try growing it. Bill emphasizes that seed maturity varies among species and even among individual seeds. Experimentation can reveal surprising germination potential and teach gardeners more about the resilience of plants.

How does seed diversity strengthen local food systems?

Growing many varieties helps gardeners discover which plants perform best in their particular conditions. Sharing seeds and observations through community networks helps preserve genetic diversity and makes locally adapted crops more accessible.

How does the Going to Seed program help gardeners?

Going to Seed collects seeds contributed by growers, mixes diverse varieties into regional seed-sharing collections, and distributes them with educational materials. The goal is to help gardeners discover varieties suited to their local environments while rebuilding genetic diversity.

• Viability starts with maturity. Seeds need sufficient time to develop, and harvesting too early can leave them flat, immature, or unable to germinate.
• Let vegetables mature beyond the dinner table. Cucumbers, summer squash, and winter squash need extra time on the plant or additional curing before their seeds are ready.
• Experiment with grocery-store produce. Tomatoes, peppers, melons, and other fruits can be useful seed sources, although the resulting plants may vary depending on the variety and its genetics.
• Fermentation has a purpose beyond germination. Wet processing can help address seed-borne diseases, though it isn't always necessary for home gardeners.
• Let nature do some of the work. Allowing selected plants to reseed naturally can encourage crops that are well suited to the garden's conditions.
• Save seeds even when you're uncertain. Different plants mature at different rates, and some seeds can continue developing after flowers or seed-bearing material are harvested.
• Diversity is a practical investment. Bill recommends growing as many varieties as possible to discover which ones thrive locally.
• Community seed sharing multiplies the benefits. Going to Seed and local seed libraries connect gardeners, preserve varieties, and help identify crops suited to different regions.

• Seed Chat SeedChat.org: Join live conversations about seeds, seed saving, and resilient gardening.
• Going to Seed GoingToSeed.org: Explore diverse seed collections, regional seed-sharing programs, and opportunities to contribute seeds.
• Native Seeds/SEARCH Learn about traditional crop varieties and the preservation of regional seed diversity.
• Urban Farm Podcast UrbanFarm.org: Listen to conversations about growing food, saving seeds, and strengthening local food systems.
• Seed Library Network SeedLibraryNetwork.org Explore seed libraries and community resources; the episode mentions a recent Urban Farm Podcast conversation with Rebecca Newburn, approximately episode 1006.

*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.

In this Episode - What if small farmers could build trust with their customers without taking on the cost and paperwork of USDA Organic certification? That’s the idea behind Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), a grassroots organization helping farmers show customers how they grow their food. In this episode, Greg Peterson sits down with Jennifer Miller and Erin Torgerson from CNG to talk about how peer inspections, transparency, and a strong farming community help make that possible. Along the way, they explore the importance of local food, saving seeds, sharing knowledge, and making good food more accessible to everyone.

Our Guests: Jennifer is the interim executive director of Certified Naturally Grown. From working on farms around the world to running her own farm and directing two food hubs, Jennifer's hands-on experience proves one thing, food is her love language.

Erin is the communications and certification coordinator of Certified Naturally Grown. While filming a student documentary about a local farm-to-table restaurant, Erin caught her first glimpse of a biodiverse small-scale farm and hasn't looked back.

Certified Naturally Grown is an organization that offers peer review certification to farmers and beekeepers producing food, flowers, and fiber for their local communities by working in harmony with nature without relying on synthetic chemicals or GMOs.

• Certified Naturally Grown (CNG): A farmer-led certification program built around trust, transparency, and community.
• CNG and USDA Organic: How CNG offers an alternative for farmers who find USDA Organic certification too expensive or complicated.
• Peer inspections: Farmers visit and review one another’s operations, creating opportunities to learn as well as verify growing practices.
• Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS): A community-based approach to building confidence in how food is produced.
• Making farming work financially: The challenges small-scale farmers face when balancing good growing practices with the realities of running a business.
• Five CNG certification programs: Produce and flowers, livestock, apiaries, mushrooms, and aquaponics.
• Transparency for consumers: How customers can learn more about participating farms and review inspection information.
• Local food systems: Why connecting farmers, consumers, and communities matters.
• Food hubs and distribution: The challenges of getting locally grown food to the people who want it.
• Natural beekeeping: Approaches to raising bees with attention to their health and well-being.
• Aquaponics: Growing food through a system that combines fish and plants.
• Seed saving: Preserving seed varieties and helping farmers maintain greater control over their growing systems.
• Farmer education and mentorship: How sharing experience can help new and established growers succeed.
• Understanding the food system: Why building a better food future involves more than just how we grow food.

Why was Certified Naturally Grown created?

CNG was developed to help smaller farmers demonstrate their growing practices and build customer confidence without the expense and administrative burden that can come with USDA Organic certification.

How is CNG different from USDA Organic?

CNG uses standards based on the USDA National Organic Program, but it operates as a separate, community-based certification program. It is not the same as USDA Organic certification.

How does the certification process work?

Farmers apply to the program and participate in peer inspections. These visits help verify growing practices while giving farmers a chance to exchange ideas and learn from one another.

Is CNG affordable for small farmers?

The organization uses a sliding-scale dues structure, with options intended to make participation more accessible to farms of different sizes and circumstances.

How can consumers learn more about a CNG farm?

Consumers can visit the CNG website to find participating farms and review available application and inspection information.

What do farmers gain beyond certification?

They become part of a community where growers can share knowledge, build relationships, and learn from people facing many of the same challenges.

Why does seed saving matter?

Saving seeds helps preserve varieties and gives growers a more active role in maintaining the plants they depend on.

What makes building a local food system challenging?

Growing food is only one part of the picture. Farmers also need ways to distribute their harvest, reach customers, and make their businesses financially viable.

What advice emerges for farmers who want to grow differently?

Look for ways to build trust with customers, connect with other growers, and learn from a community of people working toward similar goals.

• Jennifer Miller and Erin Torgerson explain how Certified Naturally Grown helps farmers demonstrate their growing practices and earn customer trust.
• Learn why some small farms look for an alternative to the cost and paperwork associated with USDA Organic certification.
• Discover how peer inspections turn certification into an opportunity for farmers to learn from one another.
• Explore CNG’s five certification areas, from produce and flowers to livestock, beekeeping, mushrooms, and aquaponics.
• Find out how transparency helps consumers learn more about the farms producing their food.
• Hear why local food distribution, food hubs, and the economics of small-scale farming matter.
• Explore the role of seed saving in protecting agricultural diversity and helping growers become more self-reliant.
• Learn how community, mentorship, and sharing practical knowledge can help build a stronger food system.

• Certified Naturally Grown: https://www.naturallygrown.org/
• Learn about the program, explore the farm directory, and find out how certification works.
• Contact Jennifer Miller: [email protected]
• Contact Erin Torgerson: [email protected]
• CNG Farm School: Explore educational resources for farmers.
• CNG Field Notes: Listen to the organization’s podcast.
• Book recommendation — The Seed Farmer by Dan Brisebois: A resource for anyone interested in seed production and seed saving.
• Book recommendation — The Grapes of Wrath: Jennifer’s recommended read.
• Seed Chat: https://seedchat.org/ — Continue exploring conversations about seeds and their role in our food system.
• Visit https://urbanfarm.org/certifiednaturallygrown for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

*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.

In this Episode Farmer Greg welcomes returning guests Shawn and Beth Dougherty, homesteaders with 40 years of experience growing food and building a farm ecosystem with minimal outside inputs. They discuss their philosophy of homesteading, living soil, biological wealth, and the patterns that allow a farm to generate its own fertility and abundance. Their new book, One Cow Revolution, is an in-depth instruction manual for the family dairy cow, drawing on decades of experience with cows, goats, grazing, milk, and farm systems.

Shawn and Beth have been homesteading for the last 40 years. They speak all over the country on sustainable farming, teaching whoever will listen how to grow food without inputs. They grow 95% of what they eat and what their animals eat, and the heart of their sustainable homestead is their grass-fed dairy cow. They joined us for the first time on episode 147 all the way back in October 2016.

Key Topics

• Homesteading as producing food for your family while improving the soil
• How to grow food without relying on outside inputs
• Creating living soil is biological wealth
• How to build self-fertile farm ecosystems
• The relationship between plants, animals, soil, and sunlight
• Rotational grazing and working with natural patterns
• Learning through failure, mistakes, and setbacks
• The role of dairy cows in a homestead
• One Cow Revolution
• The Independent Farmstead
• Micrograzing and small-scale grazing
• Grass-fed dairy, milk, cheese, butter, whey, and buttermilk
• Chickens and pigs as part of the farm nutrient cycle
• Family, food, farming, and passing knowledge between generations

Key Questions Answered

What is homesteading?

Shawn and Beth define homesteading as producing food for your own consumption while improving the soil through the same activities. They see it as more than food production: it is a way of reconnecting people with natural systems and creating an environment where families can thrive.

How can a farm become less dependent on outside inputs?

The key is learning the natural patterns that generate food, animal feed, and soil fertility. Instead of continually importing fertility, a farm can cycle organic matter, manure, animals, plants, and other resources so that the ecosystem becomes increasingly self-fertile.

Why is living soil so important?

Living soil supports mineral-rich plants, which feed animals and people. Returning organic matter and nutrients to the soil allows biological wealth to increase from one generation to the next rather than being depleted.

What role does a dairy cow play on a homestead?

A dairy cow converts grass and hay into milk while also producing manure, a calf, and byproducts such as whey and buttermilk. Those resources can feed people, pigs, chickens, and the soil, creating connections throughout the farm ecosystem.

How can a dairy cow work on a small property?

The Doughertys explain that cows can fit on relatively small acreage when their food is brought to them. They describe the family dairy cow as a powerful way to convert abundant grass into nutrient-dense food and other resources for the farm.

What does failure teach us about farming?

Mistakes and setbacks force farmers to observe, experiment, and discover what actually works. Shawn and Beth describe their own years of “homesteading badly” as an important part of learning the patterns that eventually made their farm productive.

How should farmers respond to drought and other natural events?

Rather than automatically fighting every environmental change, farmers can look for the opportunities within it. Their experience with drought showed how changing conditions can strengthen warm-season grasses and renew the seed base for future conditions.

Why did Shawn and Beth write One Cow Revolution?

They wanted to capture the small, intuitive details of managing a cow that are traditionally learned by watching experienced farmers. The book is intended to provide the practical knowledge and reassurance of an experienced farmer or grandparent who can help someone understand what is happening and respond appropriately.

Episode Highlights

• Homesteading is about producing food while improving the soil through the same activities.
• A healthy farm can generate much of its own fertility, food, and abundance when its natural patterns are understood.
• Biological wealth begins with living soil and grows when nutrients and organic matter are returned to the ecosystem.
• Failure and setbacks can provide some of the most valuable education a farmer receives.
• Shawn and Beth describe the dairy cow as a central connector between grass, milk, pigs, chickens, manure, and soil.
• Grass captures sunlight and provides abundant biomass, while ruminants transform cellulose into proteins, fats, and sugars that people and other animals can use.
• The Dougherty’s see farming as a process of stewardship and responding to nature rather than forcing an ecosystem into a fixed state.
• Their goal with their books is to pass along the practical, often intuitive knowledge that comes from decades of farming experience.

Resources

Their Website One Cow Revolution - https://one-cow-revolution.com

The Independent Farmstead - Shawn and Beth Dougherty’s first book

One Cow Revolution - Instruction manual for managing a family dairy cow -

Shawn & Beth Dougherty - [email protected]

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

*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.

In this Episode - What if the key to growing healthier, more productive gardens isn’t more fertilizer, but healthier living soil? Ben Lederer, co-founder of Regenerative Soil Company in North Phoenix, joins Greg to explore how compost, worm castings, mulch, and beneficial biology can transform the soil beneath your garden. You’ll learn simple ways to start composting, use kitchen scraps and chickens to build a regenerative cycle, and improve your soil while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. Ben and Greg also share practical ideas for taking one small step toward a healthier garden and a more resilient community.

Our Guest: Ben is the co-founder of Regenerative Soil Company, a small batch amendment company based in North Phoenix. A longtime gardener, chicken keeper, and compost enthusiast, Ben is passionate about helping people grow healthier plants naturally through worm castings, regenerative gardening practices, and living soil biology. He also works in turf grass management and enjoys teaching practical, approachable ways to build healthy soil at home

Key Topics

• Ben Lederer
• Regenerative Soil Company
• Worm castings
• Living soil biology
• Regenerative gardening
• Composting
• Green mulch and cowpeas
• Chickens and backyard food systems
• Local soil amendments
• Turf grass and soil management
• Permaculture and closed-loop gardening
• Arizona Worm Farm
• Community gardening
• The Worm Farmer’s Handbook

Key Questions Answered

How did Ben Lederer get into regenerative gardening and soil health?

Ben grew up watching his parents garden and became fascinated by how plants grow. His experience in landscaping and turf grass management eventually led him to question conventional practices and look for ways to build healthier soil naturally. 

What are worm castings, and why are they useful in the garden?

Worm castings are worm-processed organic material that contains microbes and nutrients. Ben describes them as a gentle organic fertilizer that can help plants grow stronger and handle environmental stress, while Greg shares his experience using them to reduce heat and transplant stress. 

What are some natural ways to improve garden soil?

Ben recommends compost, worm castings, mulch, and green mulch. These practices can add organic matter, support soil biology, retain moisture, moderate soil temperature, and improve conditions for future plantings. 

How can cowpeas function as green mulch?

Cowpeas help cover the soil, keep it cooler, and contribute nitrogen through their relationship with soil biology. At the end of the season, Ben recommends cutting the plants down and leaving the roots in the soil so they decompose in place. 

How can a beginner start composting at home?

Ben says the simplest approach is to establish a compost pile in an appropriate area of the yard. A basic compost system needs a balance of nitrogen-rich “greens” and carbon-rich “browns,” along with moisture and occasional turning. 

How can gardeners get enough green material for compost?

Ben suggests building relationships with neighbors and offering to collect their kitchen scraps. Providing neighbors with a five-gallon bucket gives them an easy way to contribute food waste while helping the gardener build compost. 

How do chickens, compost, and gardening form a regenerative cycle?

Chickens can eat kitchen scraps, produce manure for the compost pile, and help turn and work through compost. The resulting compost feeds the garden, which produces more food and food scraps, creating a useful cycle between animals, compost, soil, and plants. 

Why does Ben emphasize buying soil amendments locally?

Ben says local compost and soil products are more likely to retain active microbial life because they have not spent long periods sitting on a store shelf. He encourages gardeners to seek out local compost and soil producers. 

What does Ben see as the role of competition among local worm farms?

Ben views other worm farms as potential complements rather than competitors. He believes there is ample demand for locally produced worm castings and that collaboration can help more gardeners succeed. 

What did Ben learn from personal setbacks?

Ben describes rebuilding his life after struggling with drugs and alcohol as a teenager and young adult. He says the experience taught him resilience, responsibility, and accountability, and that those lessons now influence how he approaches agriculture and business. 

What book does Ben recommend for people interested in vermicomposting?

He recommends The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Rhonda Sherman, particularly for its detailed treatment of vermicomposting and producing worm castings at a larger scale. 

Key Takeaways

• Worm castings provide organic matter, nutrients, and microbial life for the garden.
• Composting kitchen scraps can reduce waste while building healthier soil.
• Mulch helps protect soil from heat and moisture loss.
• Cowpeas can provide living ground cover and leave valuable roots in the soil after the growing season.
• Chickens can become part of a closed-loop backyard food system.
• Building relationships with neighbors can solve the challenge of sourcing compost ingredients.
• Local soil amendments can help gardeners access fresher, biologically active materials.
• Gardening success comes from learning, experimenting, and accepting that some plants will fail.
• Ben sees collaboration among local producers as a way to strengthen gardening communities.
• Small actions, such as starting a compost pile, can contribute to stronger communities.

Episode Highlights

• Ben describes growing up fascinated by backyard gardening and eventually bringing together his experiences in gardening, landscaping, and turf grass management. 
• Worm castings are introduced as a low-risk organic fertilizer rich in microbial life. 
• Compost, worm castings, and mulch form the foundation of Ben’s approach to improving soil naturally. 
• Cowpeas can cover large areas, cool the soil, contribute nitrogen, and leave decomposing roots behind when cut down. 
• Ben explains how chickens, compost, gardens, food scraps, and eggs can work together as a backyard regenerative cycle. 
• Ben shares how his personal recovery taught him resilience and accountability and shaped his approach to building a regenerative business. 
• Ben discusses why he sees Arizona Worm Farm as a complement rather than a competitor and why local worm-casting production matters. 
• Ben’s final advice: pursue your dreams, start small, get your hands dirty, and recognize that individual actions can make a difference. 

Calls to Action & Resources

• Regenerative Soil Company — https://regenerativesoilco.com
• Instagram — https://instagram.com/regenerativesoilco
• Email — [email protected]
• Urban Farm Podcast Show Notes — https://urbanfarm.org/regenerativesoilco
• Book — The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Rhonda Sherman

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

*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.

In this Episode Wendi Bergin and Greg Peterson explore preparedness as a practical, positive part of everyday life rather than fear-driven survivalism. They discuss building a working pantry, storing and rotating food, developing skills, maintaining backups, and preparing for the specific challenges of where you live. Greg and Wendi also share lessons from Hurricane Helene and other emergencies, emphasizing that preparedness creates peace and makes it easier to care for family, neighbors, and community. 

Key Topics

• Preparedness as a way of life
• Working pantry and food storage
• Freeze-dried and survival foods
• Food-system vulnerability
• Three-day grocery supply and “three-hour supply”
• Meal planning for food storage
• Pressure canning and food preservation
• “Two is one, one is none”
• Backup power and generators
• Water storage and filtration
• Emergency cooking and lighting
• Skills versus possessions
• Hurricane Helene preparedness lessons
• Neighborhood food infrastructure

Key Questions Answered

What does preparedness look like without becoming hoarding?

Wendi and Greg describe preparedness as having useful supplies that are part of everyday life. Food should be familiar, used, and rotated rather than purchased and forgotten. 

How can someone build a food supply without buying large amounts of survival food?

Start with meals the household already eats. Wendi recommends identifying 10 familiar meals and gradually stocking enough ingredients to make each meal multiple times. 

Why should preparedness be for everyone?

Emergencies aren't limited to natural disasters. Job loss, health crises, family needs, power outages, and other unexpected circumstances can all create situations where having food, water, skills, and supplies makes life easier. 

Why are skills more valuable than stuff?

Skills travel with you. Greg explains that gardening, food preservation, cooking, and other practical abilities remain useful even if you move somewhere else or lose access to your existing equipment and supplies. 

What does “two is one, one is none” mean in practical preparedness?

It means having backups because equipment can fail when you need it most. Both Greg and Wendi share experiences where generators or other equipment failed or had to be given to someone else. 

How should people prepare for their particular location?

Preparedness depends on local conditions. The conversation covers hurricanes in Florida, ice storms in New Jersey, extreme heat in the low desert, and the different needs of other climates and households. 

How can preparedness strengthen a neighborhood?

Prepared people can share resources and skills instead of simply relying on others. Greg describes neighbors sharing food during Hurricane Helene and his idea for a neighborhood potato-planting party to build food production into the community. 

How can someone get started today?

Start by taking inventory of what you already have: food, water, filters, flashlights, batteries, cooking equipment, generators, and other supplies. Then identify the gaps that matter most for your household and location. 

Episode Highlights

• Preparedness doesn't have to be heavy or fear-based; it can simply become part of everyday life. 
• Build a pantry around food you actually eat, and rotate what you store. 
• A stocked pantry became especially valuable when Greg and Heidi experienced a week without water and electricity during Hurricane Helene. 
• Test generators and backup equipment regularly instead of assuming they will work when needed. 
• Water, food, shelter, cooking, and light are fundamental preparedness priorities. 
• Skills can be carried anywhere, while possessions can be lost, left behind, or fail. 
• Start small: inventory what you already have, then fill the gaps based on your circumstances. 
• Preparedness can move beyond the household into neighborhood food infrastructure and community care. 

Calls to Action & Resources

Homesteading Made Simple — Podcast and YouTube channel featuring homesteading skills, mindset, gardens, animals, and homestead properties. 

Food storage inventory — Start by documenting the food, water, equipment, and other preparedness resources already in your home. 

10 Times Food Prep Document HERE

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/1007 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

*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.

A Seed Chat w/ Rebecca Newburn

Rebecca Newburn, co-founder of Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library and a leader of the Seed Library Network, joins Greg Peterson for a conversation about the power of community seed libraries. They explore how seed libraries differ from seed banks, why local seed matters, and how seed saving can increase biodiversity, food resilience, and community connection. Rebecca also shares new resources for seed saving, education, children, librarians, and communities that want to create their own seed-saving cohorts. The conversation ultimately comes back to a simple idea: seeds are life embodied, and they sprout hope.

Key Topics & Entities

• Seed Library Network
• Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library
• Seed libraries vs. seed banks
• Community seed saving and sharing
• Local and regionally adapted seed
• Seed diversity and biodiversity
• Permaculture and traditional wisdom
• Seed-saving education
• Seed-saving cohorts and teacher training
• Seed-saving guidelines and charts
• Seed libraries in public libraries and schools
• Food resilience and cultural preservation

Key Questions Answered

What is a seed library?

A seed library is a free community resource where people can get seeds without paying for them or being required to return seeds. When gardeners learn to save and return seeds, the library can become increasingly self-sustaining.

How is a seed library different from a seed bank?

Seed libraries generally serve home gardeners and don't require seeds to be returned. Seed banks are more commonly associated with farmers and often require a return of seed in greater quantity than was borrowed.

Where did the modern seed library movement come from?

Rebecca was inspired by BASIL, the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library at the Berkeley Ecology Center. While taking a permaculture design course, she connected with one of its founders and decided to develop a replicable model for creating seed libraries.

Why is local seed so important?

Rebecca believes communities need to re-localize their seed. Much commercial seed is produced in different climates and sometimes different countries. Locally saved seed has the opportunity to adapt to local conditions while communities preserve greater genetic and cultural diversity.

What does localizing seed look like?

It means more people learning to save and share seeds, increasing the diversity of seed stocks, and paying attention to which plants actually thrive in their own communities.

What should home gardeners save seed from?

Save seed from what you like. Greg and Rebecca emphasize selecting plants that perform well in your particular environment and produce food you actually enjoy eating.

What makes a seed library successful?

Success depends on the community. It might mean getting people to garden for the first time, meeting the community's demand for seed, or gradually increasing the percentage of locally donated seed.

Why is genetic diversity valuable in a home garden?

Greater diversity can mean different plants mature at different times, while variation may provide more resilience when pests, frost, or other challenges affect the garden.

What does a gardener need to know about saving viable seed?

Seed saving isn't simply about collecting seeds. Some crops need cross-pollination and a sufficient number of plants to maintain viable genetics. Rebecca's forthcoming seed-saving chart addresses ease of saving, potential cross-pollination, viable seed production, and recommended population sizes.

When are cucumber seeds ready to save?

Unlike cucumbers harvested for eating, cucumbers intended for seed saving should remain on the vine until they become fully mature, orange, and even begin to soften. This allows the seeds to develop properly.

How can communities create seed-saving teachers?

The Seed Library Network is developing replicable seed-saving cohorts that combine online instruction from experienced seed savers with local hands-on learning. The goal is to help communities develop people who can teach seed saving to others.

How can seed libraries connect with children and educators?

Rebecca is developing coloring books, seed-saving activities, story-time resources, songs, bookmarks, downloadable materials, and "Program In A Box" concepts that libraries, educators, and homeschoolers can use to teach children about seeds.

Episode Highlights

• Seed libraries are free community resources where people can access seeds without the obligation to return them, while seed banks typically involve more formal seed-return requirements. 
• Rebecca's experience creating Richmond Grows became a replicable template that has helped thousands of seed libraries get started around the world. 
• The Seed Library Network map has about 1,500 self-reported seed libraries, while Rebecca notes that the actual number worldwide is much larger. 
• Rebecca wants to see more local seed, arguing that centralization of seed has contributed to lost biodiversity and that locally adapted seed becomes increasingly important amid extreme weather. 
• Greg shares his own experience discovering crops worth saving after moving from Phoenix to Asheville, including a self-seeding basil, a favorite round cucumber, and productive broccolini. 
• Rebecca is developing a seed-saving chart covering plant families, ease of saving, cross-pollination, viable seed production, and recommended population sizes for home gardeners. 
• The Seed Library Network is developing a 2027 cohort model to train more community seed-saving teachers and make high-quality seed education available to communities around the country. 
• Rebecca describes seeds as grounding, life embodied, and something that "sprout hope," connecting seed saving with resilience and community. 

Calls to Action & Resources

• Seed Library Network — seedlibrarynetwork.org
• Seed Library Map — Explore or add a community seed library through the Seed Library Network website.
• Create a Library Resources — Free step-by-step resources for starting a seed library.
• Richmond Grows Seed Library — https://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/
• Seed Library Network Newsletter — https://seedlibrarynetwork.substack.com/

Sign up for our monthly Seed Chat at SeedChat.org

Visit UrbanFarm.org/1006 for the show notes and links on this episode!

*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.

In this Episode Tom Spellman shares more than five decades of experience growing, propagating, and managing fruit trees, with a focus on what he calls urban fruit tree culture. He explains why backyard growers should prioritize varieties they enjoy, choose trees and rootstocks suited to their climate, manage tree size, and use successive ripening to extend harvests. Tom also discusses protecting fruit trees from heat, sunburn, wind, and sudden weather events through whitewashing, shade, pre-irrigation, and mulching. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes a simple goal for backyard growers: get a little bit of fruit all the time rather than an overwhelming amount all at once.

Our Guest: Tom Spellman has been involved in the nursery business since 1973. At that time, he was a freshman in high school and rode his skateboard to work. Since then he has worked for several different nurseries including La Verne Nursery where he was general manager for 20 years. And Dave Wilson Nursery where he was the southwestern sales Manager for over 20 years. Since retiring he is an Urban Fruit Tree and orchard consultant. Most of all he is the person that knows more about fruit trees than anyone else I know!

• Urban fruit tree culture
• Fruit tree variety selection
• Rootstocks and climate adaptability
• Tree size management
• Successive ripening
• Bare root fruit trees
• Desert fruit tree growing
• Sunburn and sunscald protection
• Wind stress and windbreaks
• Pre-irrigation before extreme heat
• Mulching and soil temperature
• Companion planting
• Citrus in desert climates
• Container-grown citrus

What is urban fruit tree culture?

Urban fruit tree culture is growing fruit trees under limited backyard conditions, where space is restricted and the goal is to make the most productive use of that space. Tom recommends growing varieties you actually like and will use while considering climate, geography, and soil type.

Why is tree size management so important for backyard growers?

Backyard growers generally don't need hundreds of pounds of one type of fruit at once. Keeping trees compact makes pruning, thinning, harvesting, and other maintenance easier while allowing multiple varieties to be grown in the same space.

How can successive ripening extend a backyard harvest?

By planting varieties that ripen at different times, gardeners can harvest the same type of fruit over a much longer period. Instead of getting one large crop for two weeks, several varieties can provide fruit for a month and a half or longer.

How should gardeners choose a fruit tree rootstock?

The rootstock needs to be adapted to the gardener's climate and soil as well as the variety itself. Tom explains that desert growers need rootstocks capable of handling heat, sandy soil, low-desert conditions, and alkalinity.

Why are bare root trees pruned before planting?

When bare root trees are dug, their roots are pruned. The top should be pruned back to balance the reduced root system so the tree can establish new growth successfully. Tom's experiments show that heavily pruned bare root trees can develop significantly more vigor and new scaffold growth than unpruned trees.

How can fruit trees be protected from extreme desert heat?

Tom recommends protecting exposed bark from sunburn with a breathable whitewash, using limited temporary shade during a tree's first summer, and thoroughly pre-irrigating before a predicted extreme heat event.

How does mulch help fruit trees in hot climates?

A four- to six-inch layer of mulch can keep soil temperatures significantly cooler, improve water retention, increase biological activity, and reduce weed seed germination. Tom also recommends maintaining a broad mulched basin around fruit trees.

What is the advantage of companion planting around young fruit trees?

The space around young trees is already being irrigated and maintained, so annual or temporary companion crops can make productive use of that space while the trees are becoming established. Crops such as cowpeas and sweet potatoes can also help reduce ground temperatures.

Why is citrus especially valuable for desert gardeners?

Citrus offers a wide range of varieties with different harvest periods. By selecting varieties with different seasons, gardeners can potentially harvest citrus for many months of the year.

Can people grow citrus in climates where it cannot survive outdoors year-round?

Yes. Tom describes container culture as an option for people with sunrooms or greenhouses. Trees can be moved outdoors after the danger of frost and brought back inside when cold weather returns.

Why is container culture difficult in the desert?

Extreme heat and sun can create severe stress for container-grown trees. Tom explains that some desert wholesale growers use a "pot in pot" system, placing containers into the ground to keep the root zone cooler.

What is the main difference between commercial and backyard fruit growing?

Commercial growers generally want a large quantity of one variety to ripen at the same time for efficient harvest and marketing. Backyard growers usually benefit more from the opposite approach: multiple varieties that provide a smaller amount of fruit over a longer period.

• Tom began working in a nursery at age 13, riding his skateboard about a mile and a half to work.
• He spent 20 years working with mentor Dieter Lotter at La Verne Nursery and describes that experience as an education that couldn't be bought in school.
• Urban fruit tree culture starts with growing what you like, what you will use, and what is adaptable to your climate and soil.
• Keeping fruit trees compact allows backyard growers to manage, harvest, and prune them from the ground while making better use of limited space.
• Successive ripening allows multiple varieties to share the footprint of one large tree while extending the harvest season.
• Pre-irrigating before an extreme heat event can make the difference between severe tree damage and a healthy orchard.
• A good layer of mulch can cool the soil, conserve water, improve biological activity, and reduce weeds.
• Tom's central philosophy for backyard growers is simple: "a little bit of fruit all the time."

For more information on Greg's Urban Farm Fruit Tree program in Phoenix visit FruitTrees.org

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/1005 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

*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.