The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Farming for yarn and more. In This Podcast: Not all farmers produce food. Some farm flowers, plants, or seeds. Others use their animal herd to produce fiber crops for yarn and textiles. Chris McLaughlin is a fiber farmer and educator who shares all about the fascinating world of raising goats, sheep, rabbits, and alpacas for their fibrous coats. Listen in to learn about angora, cashmere, and all t...

Controlling unwanted volunteers in our farms and gardens. In This Podcast: Could weeds be friends? In some cases, John Moody thinks they are! John shares some of the knowledge from his book and experience on his homestead to help you determine what are beneficial weeds in the right area of your garden. Listen in to learn about using weeds as an understory to benefit plants, designing your growing...

Growing most anything you want to in a Desert Garden. In This Podcast: Herbs are a wonderful way to begin gardening and get a lot of bang for your buck! Catherine Crowley, or "The Herb Lady" as many people know her, shares some of her favorite, unique plants to grow and how she uses them. This episode will help you plan your garden like an experienced gardener. Catherine highlights her experiences...

Building community and local food resilience through a Farmers Market. In This Podcast: Have you ever thought about selling at a Farmers Market, but the whole process seemed intimidating? We spoke with Amanda Fallis, assistant manager of the Vernon Farmers Market to understand what it takes to get started selling at a market. Learn about the certifications, insurance, how the vendors pay for their...

Growing food on top of a hospital. Lindsay is a farmer and educator, from Boston, Massachusetts. She has been farming for the past 10 years and managed farms in both rural and suburban locations around and outside the United States. She currently works with Higher Ground Farm as the Operations Director, and as the Farm Manager of the 7,000 square foot Rooftop Farm at Boston Medical Center. A stron...

Watching the world of yoga change from underground to mainstream. In This Podcast: Many of our listeners find inner peace in their gardens but after this interview with J. Brown, you may find yourself wanting to explore the therapeutic nature of yoga. Not all yoga involves the complicated pretzel twists that have become popular images in social media. In fact, simple movements can have a profound...

Addressing the significant conversations happening in the world. In This Podcast: The world is changing almost daily around us. With change comes new needs, focuses, and learning. Urban Farm's Proprietor Greg Peterson and General Manager Janis Norton, discuss how The Urban Farm is adapting their programs to better support their listeners and community. This means changes to the podcast, but also n...

529: Seed Saving Class February 2020. In This Podcast: You don't want to miss the February 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing how to start plants from seed with special guest Kari Spencer. Listen in for methods of starting seeds, things to consider, and the number one reason seeds don't sprout. Greg, Bill, and Kari share some of their tips and tricks as well as answer li...

Transforming the food systems of the world through good seeds and sustainable practices. In This Podcast: Did you know that seeds help communities rebuild after a crisis? Here, we speak with Jane Rabinowicz about her work with the Canadian organization SeedChange. Their support for grassroots projects, farmers across the world, and global seed policy impact everyone worldwide. Listen in for how th...

Starting an urban farm to keep young the later years. In This Podcast: Have you ever wished for more gardening space? So did Ray Speakman when he took early retirement. But instead of just wishing, he recruited neighbors for their land and made his farming dreams a reality! Listen in to learn how he went from 1 garden bed to a half-acre of productive land and started a neighborhood CSA and weekend...

Moving mountains by changing one mind and one attitude at a time. In This Podcast: Sustaining a community garden that is successful for over 10 years is not an easy endeavor. In this update from repeat podcast guest, Darren Chapman, we gain insight into the organizational growth of a community garden, how they stay relevant, and continue to serve the needs of the community. Listen in for some...

Seeking climate change solutions through sustainable farming investments. In This Podcast: Want a way to combat climate change and make a good financial investment? David Chan explains the social and financial benefits of agricultural real estate investing. The FarmTogether system brings farm families together with investors for a stronger countrywide self-sufficient food system. He also explains...

Breaking the mold on traditional canine snacks. In This Podcast: As gardeners, we think of our health and the food we put in our bodies but have you thought much about what you feed your pets? Treats should benefit your dog's health as well as taste good. We talked canine healthy treats with Neil Werde and got the inside scoop on the best ingredients and processing method for a quality dog treat....

Maximizing farm production with a little help from some four-legged friends. In This Podcast: Even if you live in a city, this podcast with DaNelle Wolford will have you checking your zoning regulations on backyard goats and pigs! Listen in to learn why she loves raising Nigerian Dwarf goats, all about their milk, and why it digests better than cow's milk. She shares all about animal care, breedin...

Agriculturally inspired fiction with the power of a plant’s fragrance is steeped in mystery and danger. In This Podcast: Plants inspire most of our listeners, but Karen Hugg used her horticultural inspiration to create mystery novels that capture the magic and possibilities of new plant varieties. Exciting storylines entwine with Karen's passion for plants as she talks about getting published and...

521: Seed Saving Class January 2020.  This is the January 2020 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing seed catalogs, sourcing local seeds, building community, seed diversity, and so much more. There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance , Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start...

Encouraging youth to bloom through off-grid farming on vacant lots. In This Podcast: We usually speak with food farmers, however, Quilen Blackwell is doing something so amazing with flower farming we needed to get him on the show! Learn why he chose to farm flowers over food, got community buy-in, and how he eliminated much of the overhead cost of a farm by working with nature (even in the mi...

Growing enough food to provide for a family of four all year. In This Podcast: If you had to exist just from the food in your yard, what would you be eating? Melissa Norris would have very few lifestyle changes. She is a professional homesteader who grows and preserves enough fruits, vegetables, and meat on her property to feed her family all year long. Here, she discusses what's growing in her ga...

Balancing the larger world context with local, practical, and creative solutions. In This Podcast: In the final part of our interview with David Holmgren, the co-founder of permaculture talks soil, owning your mistakes, and balancing food production in limited spaces. He also shares what it’s like to live a voluntarily simplistic life, and how children absorb knowledge just by being around parents...

Balancing the larger world context with local, practical, and creative solutions. In This Podcast: In part 2 of 3 we hear from David Holmgren, the co-founder of permaculture, about his definition of permaculture, soil conservation and regenerative practices, creating civilization systems that can withstand the test of time, and creative reuse of resources instead of recycling or composting. Learn...

Balancing the larger world context with local, practical, and creative solutions. In This Podcast: In part 1 of 3 we hear from David Holmgren, the co-founder of permaculture, about the birth of permaculture over 40 years ago. Learn about what inspired the concept of permaculture, permanent agriculture, working with nature, sustainability, and how to take new industry concepts and have them become...

Mentoring cancer survivors through backyard vegetable gardens. In This Podcast: Anyone who gardens knows the benefits, but Kerry Smith is proving it with her Harvest for Health program for cancer survivors. This experiment partners the Alabama Master Gardeners with Auburn University to track improvements in physical activity, diet, and stress markers for people who beat cancer. In addition to teac...

Maximizing the benefit of rainwater for both personal and community use. In This Podcast: Have you ever considered capturing free water for your landscape? Brad Lancaster has pioneered rainwater harvesting in Tucson, AZ and around the world. He teaches how to reinvest rainwater into living systems that grow resources all for the cost of shoveling some dirt. Learn about rain gardens, zoning, benefi...

Getting fruit and vegetables into and through a network of community support services. In This Podcast: We know our food system is broken, however, the food bank system is surprisingly effective! April Bradham from the Arizona Food Bank Network explains how local, state and national food banks distribute huge amounts of fresh produce and food within days. Listen in to learn where the surplus food...

A chat with an expert on Seeds.  In This Podcast: This is the December 2019 episode of a live Seed Saving Class discussing seed catalog season, the best seed catalogs, what the terminology in the catalogs mean, and so much more. There is always a bounty of information available in conversations with Bill McDorman. Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketch...