Harvesting Wisdom Podcast with Mike McMahon

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Kevin Fretz, founder of Green Earthology and Patriot Green, to explore how waste can become the solution to pollution. Kevin shares his powerful personal story—from being poisoned on a farm in Canada to pioneering higher compost standards across North America and working alongside leaders like Dr. Elaine Ingham...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, we speak with Dr. Zamba — former Minister of Environment, climate envoy, and scientist — about Mongolia’s unique climate realities and the policy choices shaping its future. Dr. Zamba reflects on Mongolia’s transition years, his diplomatic work as ambassador to Japan, and why Mongolia experiences climate impacts intensely despite contributing...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, we journey into the vast Mongolian steppe to explore how nomadic herders are navigating climate change, economic transformation, and shifting cultural traditions. Geographer and researcher Batbunyan Batchal of the Center for Nomadic Pastoralism Studies shares decades of insight into Mongolia’s pastoral systems — from collective farming to mark...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this two-part series, we continue our powerful conversation with Dr. Tungalag Ulambayar of the Zoological Society of Mongolia. This episode explores how Mongolia transitioned from being a representative office of the Zoological Society of London into a fully independent national NGO — and what that means for wildlife conservation on the ground. We dive deep into: -Ill...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful Youth Spotlight episode, filmmaker Jina Song joins Harvesting Wisdom to discuss her six-minute documentary Altyn-Kazyk: The Golden State — officially selected in the Youth (18 & Under) Category for the Skyfire Environmental Film Festival, happening March 27–29 in Phoenix, Arizona. Home to over 16,000 people, the community of Altyn-Kazyk in Kyrgyzstan lives bes...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with the founders of Adaptive Plant Health to explore what it truly takes to keep trees, landscapes, and communities thriving in the Arizona desert. With backgrounds spanning economics, finance, religion, landscaping, and plant science, the Adaptive team shares how their shared values and decades-long friendships le...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Lauren Kuby, Arizona State Senator and longtime environmental advocate, to explore what sustainability really means beyond buzzwords. Lauren Kuby shares her background in environmental activism, city leadership, and academia, offering insight into how sustainability connects soil health, waste reduction, equity...

Send us Fan Mail n this powerful installment of our Mongolia series, host Mike McMahon and co-host Diana Kruzman sit down with Dr. Tungalag Ulambayar (Tunga), Director of ZSL Mongolia and one of the country’s leading conservation voices. Raised by her grandparents in the Gobi Desert, Tunga’s childhood as a herder shaped her lifelong commitment to protecting Mongolia’s fragile ecosystems. From draw...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Brenna Follett, Director of Professional Development at the Arizona Science Center, inside their iconic giant-screen theater to explore how science education, sustainability, and storytelling come together. Brenna shares her journey from classroom teaching to leading professional learning initiatives that suppo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Jessica Mefford-Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Valley Metro, to talk about sustainable transportation, regional growth, and how public transit supports community connection in the Phoenix metro area. Jessica shares her background in transportation and geography—and how her work has always lived at the inter...

Send us Fan Mail In this engaging episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Dr. Roselle, Chief Operating Officer of Urban Farming Education, steps in for host Mike McMahon to welcome a remarkable leader—Mayor Corey Woods of Tempe, Arizona. Together, they dive into the dynamic intersection of sustainability, public transportation, affordable housing, and community engagement. Mayor Woods shares his journey fro...

Send us Fan Mail In this illuminating episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Dr. Roselle sits down with Karen Apple, the Electric Vehicle Program Manager for the City of Phoenix's Office of Sustainability. Karen breaks down the city’s bold mission to become the most sustainable desert city on the planet by transforming transportation, equity, and workforce development through electric vehicle infrastr...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Stephanie Vasquez, founder of Fair Trade Cafe and Empowering Latina Leaders in Arizona (ELLA). Stephanie shares her journey from middle school science teacher to pioneering entrepreneur and sustainability advocate. A transformative trip to Costa Rica opened her eyes to the hidden environmental and soc...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode of Harvesting Wisdom, guest host Dr. Russell sits down with Councilwoman Hodge Washington to explore the City of Phoenix’s innovative sustainability efforts. From efficient waste management systems and green organics programs to the transformative South Central light rail project, this conversation highlights how intentional urban planning and community e...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down in Hamburg with Aileen Puhlmann, a dynamic leader at the LemonAid & ChariTea Foundation. Together they unpack how a beverage company channels its success into a social enterprise model that funds grassroots organizations around the world. Aileen shares her journey from Ghana and Germany to South Africa,...

Send us Fan Mail In this enlightening episode of Harvesting Wisdom , host Mike McMahon continues his journey at the Arizona Worm Farm with Daniel Domenech. Daniel, front-end manager and sustainability educator, shares how the farm transforms waste into vital resources through innovative practices like composting, vermiculture, and black soldier fly larvae cultivation. Together, they explore how th...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring first part of a two-part series on Harvesting Wisdom , host Mike McMahon sits down with Zach Brooks of Arizona Worm Farm to explore how one man transitioned from a high-powered career in management consulting to building a regenerative farm in the heart of Phoenix. Zach shares his journey of semi-retirement turned full-time mission to create a self-sustaining oas...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary In this inspiring episode of Harvesting Wisdom , host Mike McMahon welcomes leaders and changemakers from Grand Canyon University (GCU) — Dr. Dina, Assistant Dean of Science, and student leader Matt — along with co-host Joe Rozelle. Together they explore how students and faculty are partnering with Urban Farming Education (UFE) to create meaningful sustainability i...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this energizing episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Dr. Roselle steps in for Mike McMahon to interview Ashley Weisman, CEO of Green Light Solutions. Discover how a student-led initiative transformed into a sustainability powerhouse, executing nearly 100 community-based projects and fostering cross-cultural collaborations. Ashley discusses their dynamic boot camps, la...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this transformative episode of Harvesting Wisdom , Dr. Joe Roselle, COO of Urban Farming Education, steps in for host Mike McMahon to interview Ashlee, a passionate advocate for holistic nutrition and regenerative gardening. Ashlee shares her journey from studying nutrition and dietetics to leading impactful gardening initiatives at Grand Canyon University. She...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this energizing episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with acclaimed indie film producer Gil Holland, whose work spans from Sundance-winning features to green urban redevelopment in Louisville’s NuLu district. Holland unpacks how storytelling intersects with sustainability—revealing how documentary filmmaking, music, and architecture can ser...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this transformative episode of Harvesting Wisdom , host Mike McMahon speaks with Oscar Rodriguez, a pioneer in food waste diversion and sustainability solutions. Oscar shares his 15-year journey from commodity trading to launching innovative programs that turn food waste into animal feed and compost, reshaping Arizona’s waste management systems. The conversatio...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this compelling episode of Harvesting Wisdom , Dr. Roselle steps in for host Mike McMahon and takes us on a journey to Venice, Italy—a city facing the dual pressures of climate change and mass tourism. Through an enlightening conversation with the Director of the Venice Sustainability Foundation, we explore how Venice is being reimagined as a living laboratory...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: In this transformative episode of "Harvesting Wisdom," host Mike McMahon speaks with Chris Macy, founder of the Phoenix Food Forest Initiative, a grassroots movement transforming underutilized urban spaces into vibrant food-producing ecosystems. Starting from a barren backyard during the pandemic, Chris shares his journey of building parkway food forests...

Send us Fan Mail Show Notes: In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom , titled “Beyond the Bin: Denali’s Role in Reimagining Waste” , host Mike McMahon welcomes Margaret Wilson , General Manager of Denali Arizona, to explore the critical role of large-scale composting in building a circular, climate-smart future . With decades of experience in engineering and military logistics , Margaret brings a uni...