The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Frances Parsons on Farming, Fitness, and Finance. Helping a community find a healthy balance. In This Podcast: Food choices, fitness routines, and spending habits can be difficult to manage. However, Frances Parsons has discovered the importance of balancing these key areas and is on a mission to help others embrace those everyday challenges that will better support a healthy life. Listen in to le...

Ben Kilbride on The Garden Guide and More. Time-tested and trusted planting resources from the Old Farmer’s Almanac. In This Podcast: The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been used as a guide mainly by farmers to aid in predicting weather patterns. Ben Kilbride, who is the editorial assistant for the Old Farmer’s Almanac discusses the variety of publications and guides available to all types gar...

559: Seed Saving Class August 2020. In This Podcast: At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman. This is the August 2020 class discussing various seed exchange resources, finding heirloom seeds, supporting organizations, and so much more on how to connect people to local seed sources. Bill McDorman is past Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance , Ketc...

Jason Johns on Saving Our Bees. Creating a relationship with tiny garden workers. In This Podcast: Bees are an essential worker in our agricultural ecosystems, yet their habitats are threatened everyday. Jason Johns is the author of several books, including his new book Save Our Bees, which shares valuable insights on how home gardeners can enhance bee populations. Listen in to learn abo...

Kim Eierman on Pollinator Victory Gardens. Calling bees, butterflies, and more to your landscape. There is a lot of focus on the importance of pollinators, yet there is still a concerning decline in populations. Kim Eierman, author of The Pollinator Victory Garden , specializes in environmental horticulture, and is encouraging gardeners to enhance pollinator pathways. Listen in to learn about...

Bringing bulk seed sharing to every community. In This Podcast: The Great American Seed Up is a project designed to improve resilience through local seed saving and sharing. With the events of 2020, seed sharing cannot be done in large events so Greg, Janis, Bill & Belle chat about a new way for neighbors and groups to share seeds through the Seed Up In a Box Program. Listen in to learn about...

Can there be too much organic matter in your garden?. Growing a healthy garden requires a good balance of healthy soil. Mykl Nelson had studied agriculture for several years and conducted soil analyses of multiple organic farms. What he discovered was a shocking truth about soil health. Listen in to learn about what is over-enrichment, acknowledging diverse soil conditions, and Mykl’s unbelievable...

An invitation to an online fruit tree education event. In This Podcast: It is that time of year for the upcoming annual Urban Farm fruit tree education launch. Greg Peterson and Janis Norton discuss the highlights of the Urban Farm fruit tree program and share an invitation to the first virtual kick-off event. Listen in to learn about when the live online event is hosted, where to sign up, special...

Jamming in the garden with healthy, tasty, fruits and vegetables. In This Podcast: Berries and brassicas come from two different plant families, and like many plants, they have some unique environmental requirements. Jason Johns has experimented in the garden and written books that share his secrets on how to bring these health-bearing edible plants to the back yard. Listen in to learn about growi...

552: Seed Saving Class July 2020.  In This Podcast: This is the July 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing the current status of world seeds, utility patents, community based seed systems, and so much more on building diversity and resilience back into the garden. There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman.  Bill McDorman is Execut...

Chloe Lieberman on farming corn and other small-scale staple crops. In This Podcast: When one thinks of staple crops, what usually comes to mind is corn, wheat, and soybeans, yet Chloe Lieberman has worked with community farms around the world and discovered that there is an abundance of underutilized, calorie-dense types of crops. Listen in to learn about the value of staple crops, the processes...

Recognizing herbs for their many essential benefits. In This Podcast: Herbs can be the easiest plants to grow, at the same time, they can be the most expensive item in the produce section of the store. Josephine DeFalco became inspired to educate others on how to grow herbs and the many benefits that arise from herbs aside from enhancing culinary flare. Listen in to learn about the importance of h...

549: Seed Saving Class June 2020. This is the June 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing difficult seeds to save, avoiding cross pollination, and so much more on creating a self-reinforcing breeding system for seed families. There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2020/07/28/549-seedchat/ for the show note...

Blending nutty flavors for healthy spread options. In This Podcast: When it comes to healthy food options, a common perception is that healthy doesn’t always taste good. After spending time in South America, Jeff Malkoon found inspiration to enter an untapped market and a mission to create all-natural spreads to cater to the health conscious while satisfying a sweet tooth. Listen in and learn abou...

Supporting 4th generation farmers while making healthier chocolates. In This Podcast: We've all heard some of the benefits of chocolate, but Shari Flam is harnessing the medicinal benefits of cacao beans by using the fermented beans in her tasty treats. Listen in to learn about ethically sourcing cacao beans, the health benefits of eating raw cacao, the different processing methods, and some of th...

Playing with seeds and making history. In This Podcast: When you treat your space like a nature sanctuary, sometimes you get botanical surprises! Neal Bringe teaches us about a new variety of Christmas Squash and the conditions he created to cross two varieties of squash to create this beautiful new vegetable that is pleasing to the eye and mouth. Also learn more about growing in Colorado, working...

Growing food and sharing it with a campus community. In This Podcast: College isn't always the time people choose healthy eating, but Matt Provost, the student farm manager for the University of Wisconsin Madison is bringing free fresh produce to the students on campus. Listen in to learn how they set up and fund the farm, support other campus programs, and educate others about farming. Matt also...

544: Seed Saving Class May 2020. A chat with an expert on Seeds. In This Podcast: This is the May 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing seed hoarding, providing seeds to a community in times of need, and so much more about growing and creating seed resilience. There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. Bill McDorman is Executive D...

Learning how to use food and herbs as medicine. In This Podcast: From her clean food restaurant to her urban farm, Audrey Barron is helping people feel better. Listen in to learn about her journey as a holistic health chef, her philosophy on eating trends, various diets, and how to heal through food. On top of running her restaurant, she also farms her own urban farm using permaculture practices,...

Bringing awareness to the value of local food systems. In This Podcast: Picture buying salad greens at the grocery store that were just picked the day before. Paul Lightfoot from BrightFarms is making this happen in the stores around their farm. Passionate about getting fresh food to more people, Paul discusses the benefits of local vs organic food, how shortening the supply chain provides fresher...

Bridging the gap between farmers and consumers. In This Podcast: Want more info on what it takes to be a farmer? Trevor Williams of the Farm Traveler Podcast interviews farmers about their day to day life and processes. Listen in to learn about becoming educated on where your food comes from, some of Trevor's epic guests, and some of the innovative things people are doing in the farming industry....

Teaching about the personal and community benefits of harvesting rainwater. In This Podcast: Returning guest, Brad Lancaster, recently taught us about Harvesting the Rain and is back to teach about Planting the Rain. If you've ever considered capturing rainwater directly in your landscape, this episode will teach you about rainwater planting methods and strategies, how captured water impacts therm...

Bringing green waste to your driveway. In This Podcast: Organic matter builds soil, and Bryan Kappa has a free service that allows nationwide users to quickly build the quality of their soil. Learn about ChipDrop, the program that connects gardeners with tree companies and benefits everyone. Not all mulch is created equal, and you'll learn the difference in mulch options, how to properly wood chip...

Supporting a teaching farm in Africa. In This Podcast: Some people know their mission from a young age. Others, like Erin Douglas, find their direction as they go. With a desire to travel as her guide, Erin left her corporate job and traveled through Africa. An epic moment in Ghana inspired this novice farmer to create a non-profit farm that feeds residents, provides jobs, funds education, and sup...

Clearing up illusions about the substances we use to grow our food. In This Podcast: We've all bought plant-specific fertilizer or used leaves to diagnose what additives we need for our plants. But according to Robert Pavlis, building great soil needs a different approach. After all, how can you know what to add if you don't know what's already there? Listen in for common soil and fertilizer myths...