Vegetable Gardening

In this week's episode Mike speaks with Stacey Chillemi, best selling author of the book The Complete Herbal Guide: Heal Your Body and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Stacey will fill you on how her battle with epilepsy lead her to a healthier lifestyle that included fruits, vegetables and herbs that she grows right at home. From there, Stacey and Mike talk about what it means to detoxify, what are herbal remedies and why gardening plays an important role in maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover: Healing your body naturally using alternative methods Maintaining optimal health Using fruits, vegetables and herbs grown at home for better health The fruits, vegetables and herbs you should be growing Foods that heal the body naturally Natural body healing remedies using herbs from your garden Items mentioned in this episode include: All about Stacey Chillemi The Complete Herbal Guide: Heal Your Body and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables The Complete Herbal Guide Website The Epilepsy Blog Stacey's appearance on Dr. Oz Show Sponsors: Seeds of the Month Club Seeds of the Month Club Affiliate Program AmpleHarvest.org About This Week's Guest : Stacey Chillemi graduated from Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey, majoring in marketing and advertisement. In the mid-nineties while in college, she began her first book, Epilepsy: You’re Not Alone. It was published six years later. Before and after graduation in 1996, she worked in New York City for NBC. Since the birth of her children, she has been a freelance journalist. She has written features for journals and newspapers. Her articles have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines in North America and abroad. She won an award from the Epilepsy Foundation of America in 2002 for her help and dedication to people with epilepsy. Stacey Chillemi is author of the new book, Natural Remedies for Common Conditions: How to Prevent, Heal and Maintain Optimum Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins and Food. Chillemi's passion is helping others discover the surprising secrets to healing the body and maintaining excellent health for life. Stacey has dedicated her life to the field of health, alternative medicine and herbal medicine. Stacey educates others and shares with them the natural remedies to stay healthy, restore health, and look and feel younger. If you have been on a roller-coaster ride of medical conditions, you will finally be able to heal your body, and maintain excellent health for life." Previous Podcast Episodes #209: Harvest to Table Gardening with Author Steve Albert #208: Chicken Keeping & Raising Ducks with Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode, Mike chats with Steve Albert, author of the book, The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide: A Practical Vegetable and Herb Garden Encyclopedia, about various tips, tricks and techniques that you can use, regardless of space, to grow your best garden ever. Steve, a Master Gardener, will show you how to grow in anything from a few raised beds, to patio gardens, to large scale gardens and more.  He'll give you his list of his favorite heirloom varieties that he likes to grow, as well as which ones grow great in small spaces. From there Steve will give us insight into growing zones, and a lot more details on making your best soil ever with some composting techniques.  This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode, here's what we'll cover Gardening in raised beds Gardening in small spaces Composting for great soil Heirloom varieties that you must try Easy solutions to common gardening problems What harvest to table really means Knowing what you can grow in your zone Items mentioned in this podcast The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide: A Practical Vegetable and Herb Garden Encyclopedia Harvest to Table Harvest to Table on Facebook Steve on Twitter About this week's Guest Steve Albert I live in the Sonoma Valley of California just a mile or two from the bustling village of Kenwood—post office, grocery and feed store, gas station, and two churches—a village surrounded by crop land, pastures, orchards, and vineyards. My vegetable garden and kitchen are in USDA growing zone 8b; that means we get some frost and freezing every year but almost never any snow. I write Harvest to Table in my utility room with one door leading into the kitchen and the other out into my vegetable and flower garden. (The coat and boot rack sit right behind my chair and my two cats Sister and George are either sleeping on the utility counter next to me or are in the kitchen demanding to be fed). Everything you’ll find at Harvest to Table I either learned in my garden or kitchen—with a little help from my gardening and cooking neighbors, friends, and family. Everything you’ll find here I’ve grown in my garden and cooked in my kitchen. Just so you know up front, I’m a big fan of compost and butter. Harvest to Table is for the beginner and veteran gardener alike. The goal is to find easy solutions to common garden problems. I’ve found that no matter where I have lived to get great results in the garden what’s been important are the fundamentals. No matter where you live you have the same growing sequence as I do. To bring great food from your garden to your table, stick to the fundamentals. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. You can also read gardening articles from Mike on his blog at AveragePersonGardening.com/blog Be sure to Visit th

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode, Mike sits down with a good fried to the show, Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily, to talk about raising chickens and ducks.  Lisa will tell you all about how to properly plan for and take care of both chickens and ducks and what are absolute musts if you plan on jumping in for the first time. From there, Lisa will let us know of which feed she uses for her own flock and why, as well as mixing in herbs for healthier birds.  She'll give us her tips on coop cleaning, along with her thoughts on roosters and whether or not owning one is right for you. This and so much more, on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this Episode, Here's What We'll Cover Raising Ducks Raising Chickens Roosters Herbs in your feed Cleaning the coop Predators Dust baths Items Mentioned in this Podcast Fresh Eggs Daily (website/blog) Fresh Eggs Daily (book) Ducks Eggs Daily (book) Chick Days at Tractor Supply Mother Earth News Fair Country Living Fair About this Week's Guest, Lisa Steele With an impressive audience that spans the globe, I am well-recognized as the creative force behind Fresh Eggs Daily®, the most popular destination for natural chicken and duck keeping advice. A fifth-generation chicken keeper who has been around chickens most of my life, I have been raising my own backyard flock since 2009 and sharing my farming adventures on my wildly popular blog and Facebook pages, charming readers and drawing them to Fresh Eggs Daily® in record numbers to help them learn how to keep their flocks safe from predators, how to build strong immune systems, and how to keep them healthy and happy without using antibiotics or other commercial medications. An aspiring herbalist dedicated to raising my own animals as naturally as possible, I offer practical, down-to-earth and time-tested advice for raising chickens using herbs and other holistic preventives and remedies - and show my readers how to have some fun while doing it. In addition to chicken keeping tips, I also share DIY projects for the coop and run using repurposed materials, natural household and personal products, gardening ideas, and recipes using fresh eggs, vegetables and herbs. A sought-after contributor for such publications as Backyard Poultry, Molly Green, Hobby Farm, Urban Farm and Chickens Magazines, as well as Better Homes and Gardens, Grit.com and HGTVGardens.com, I have taken the backyard chicken keeping arena by storm to become the most trusted voice in natural chicken keeping, often interviewed for or quoted in articles. I have appeared on local television as well as P. Allen Smith's radio and television programs and the reality show Coop Dreams on Discovery's Destination America.    My husband and I share our small farm in Maine with a menagerie of chickens, ducks, a German Shepherd, a Corgi and a Tuxedo cat. When I'm not tending to my flock or writing, I love to garden, knit, sew, and dabble in canning and bread making. I wrote a book titled Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens...Naturally (St. Lynn's Press, 2013) which not only offers basic advice to those just starting out on their backyard chicken journey, but also compiles the best from my blog in the areas of the coop, run, nesting boxes, dust bath area, and more, to guide readers on a more natural path to chicken keeping. I am working hard to bring back methods that had been used for generations, but most

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode Mike chats with gardening expert Peter Burke.  Peter shares with you some of his tips on how you can grow your very own salad indoors, all year round.  Along with authoring two books, Year Round Indoor Salad Gardening and Indoor Gardening, Peter is a certified instructor on the topic where hundreds of people turn out for his lectures.  Along with teaching you how to grow indoors, he'll share his list of the best choices of veggies to grow and why.  Peter will tell you all about the common plant disease late blight, what it is, how to get ahead of it and of course how to make sure your plants get cured from it. From there Peter will share with us his expertise on square foot gardening, the various techniques to implement to ensure success and whey planting a garden in a grid is much more productive than traditional rows.  He'll even share with you a great list of green manures that you can grow in your garden, and how to get those green manures to work best for you. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode, here's what we'll cover SEGMENT IUsing green manure in your garden Tackling late blight with fungicide SEGMENT IIGrowing Your Own Salad indoors Learn the 5 basic plants to grow for your indoor salad Growing sprouts SEGMENT IIISquare foot gardening techniques Why planting in a grid is more efficient than rows Items Mentioned in this Podcast Year Round Indoor Salad Gardening Indoor Gardening The Daily Gardener About this week's guest, Peter Burke An avid gardener himself author Peter Burke has been teaching garden classes since 2006 when he started presenting workshops on Indoor Gardening, Square Foot Gardening, Extending the Garden Season, Food Dehydrator and others. He also started thedailygardener.com website to supply organic seeds for Indoor Gardening. In 2010 he became a Certified Sqaure Fooot Gardening Teacher. Peter lives and gardens in Calais, Vermont with his family. The new book Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening, published by the sustainability leader Chelsea Green Publisher, is an expanded version of the first book. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode you will absolutely fall in love with our special guest.  She is filled with spirit, spunk and is loaded with a great deal of garden planning knowledge.  Mike chats with Joy Kieffer, a #1 best selling author for garden planning, to talk about the hows, whens, whys and whats of garden planning. Joy will also fill us in on her life mission to help those in need through her non-profit called Lifewerks.  You will hear how Joy and her husband feed nearly 600 families in need each month, restocked a public library with thousands of books through donations, and so much more. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In This Episode, Here's What We'll Cover All about Joy Garden planning What you should be recording The amount of time it takes to become a master garden planner Lifewerks How Joy and her husband feed 600 families Joy's journey to restock a public library that was running out of books Items Mentioned in this Podcast Joy Kieffer The Garden Journal, Planner and Log Book GardenKitch.com Lifewerks AmpleHarvest.org About This Week's Guest Joy Kieffer I began as a landscape artist and my experience grew to include surface design, sculpture, mold making, illustration and portraiture. My art work has been applied to ceramic tile, dinnerware, lighting, and gift ware. For a few years I painted portraits of professional athletes and met many while attending shows, spending hours sitting next to them while my husband chatted with their wives! At one point I produced a line of ceramic and cold cast designs. My Christmas angel ornaments were used by the White House as special gifts in 1994. I’m currently adding to a series of paintings meant to be displayed in churches. I was the co-founder and Senior Editor for the student publication J.A.M. Magazine (under Lifewerks, Inc.) from 1997-2000. With a background in the print industry, and my art and writing interests as well as knowledge in the field of horticulture/gardening, I realized that it was time to combine all these into a garden journal. The Garden Journal, Planner & Log Book is the result and is featured on the Books and Writing Page. There will be several log books in the Garden Journal series, including log books for wildlife sightings. I am also working on a mystery series for young adults. I’m a church-planting pastor’s wife and mother of two young adult daughters, and co-founder of Lifewerks, Inc., a non-profit. In my role as MSC Missionary I use art to teach and reach people for Christ, teaming up with groups such as mission teams to do outreach events and do real ministry. Our family lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I grew up in rural Indiana, and is to this day am a farm girl at heart, losing the battle for control in my urban garden as often as I do with art, writing, parenting or pastor’s wifing. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of t

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode, Mike chats with Christina Kamp of Little Sprouts Learning to discuss how she incorporates teaching kids gardening with daily lesson plans to give each child a well rounded future. From there Christina will fill us in with some of her favorite stories and experiences with the kids she teaches and shares her tips, tricks and techniques so you can make teaching gardening to your own kids, even easier. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In This Episode, Here's What We'll Cover Christina's Background The important role gardening plays in children Teaching kids gardening Gardening tips and techniques when working with kids Patience in the garden with kids and why it is important Items Mentioned in this Podcast Christina Kamp Little Sprouts Learning Christina on Twitter About This Week's Guest, Christina Kamp Hi, my name is Christina! I am a Family Child Care provider in Oklahoma. I have taught kids in my home for 20 years. I believe I have the most important job in the world! I love Jesus with all my heart. I believe kids need structure and limits. I believe kids need to be hands on in order to learn. I believe kids need to get messy and dirty. I believe that everyone makes mistakes and we should all be allowed to learn from them. I believe kids are the future and I want to change the world through them! At Little Sprouts, our focus is the whole child, mind, body and spirit. Our childcare is a fun, educational, loving environment where kids can try new things without fear. We provide many different experiences that include science, math, pre reading, sensory learning, fine and gross motor skill building, all in a fun and interesting way. We don’t use flashcards or drills, we use real life experiences to teach. I use many different teaching methods in an eclectic and unique way to make my own type of teaching. Preschool rocks! I am so excited to have you visit our blog! I hope you will find it informative and inspirational. I want to help you fall in love or stay in love with teaching your kids too! Take a few minutes to look around the blog and check out the different activities, ideas, and advice we have to offer. I want you to get inspired to do something new with your daycare or with the kids in your life. Come along and learn with us! About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. You can also read gardening articles from Mike on his blog at AveragePersonGardening.com/blog Be sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode Mike interviews Michael Tamez of Transformative Nutrition about how eating the foods from your garden will lead to a healthier lifestyle.  Michael will tell you all about his background and how dealing with sleep apnea changed his life for the better.  He began eating natural, home grown foods, disciplined himself and in the process lost nearly 100 pounds.  Michael, will tell you how he did it, and how you can too. From there, Michael will also give you some great recipes where you can make your own natural, homemade products, many of which can be made from items grown in your own backyard. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In This Episode, Here's What We Will Cover Sleep Apnea Foods that may be irritating to you Incorporating home grown herbs into healthy meals Listening to what your body is telling you You can grow healthy foods just about anywhere Recipes to make your own products Items Mentioned in This Podcast Transformative Nutrition Website Transformative Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide to Healthy and Balanced Living Michael on Twitter Michael on Facebook Recipes About this Week's Guest Michael Tamez Michael Tamez is a holistic health coach, certified by the world-renowned institute for Integrative Nutrition.  He is also listed on the national board for the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Through researching nutrition and inquiring within, Michael was led on a 13 year transformational health journey.  He was obese, had severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, advanced gum disease, and a whole lot of resentment for himself. Not only did he reverse these conditions, but he also transformed the dysfunctional relationship he had to food, his lifestyle, and his true self.  This experience was intensified tremendously when he lost five relatives in 18 months. Because of the impact these losses had on his life, Michael was forced to have unforeseen breakthroughs with the things that were the hardest to deal with.  Those experiences were necessary in order for him to truly appreciate and understand where he is at in his life right now.  After experiencing all of these devastating and life transforming deaths, he was highly inspired to write a transformative book about life! During his journey, Michael discovered his life's purpose ... to educate people who want to fully experience living a healthy and balanced life by reaching all of their wellness goals. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. Be Sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

This Week on Vegetable GardeningIn this week's episode of the Vegetable Gardening podcast, our good friend, the always energetic Craig Lehoullier joins Mike to talk about Tomatoes.  Craig and Mike discuss the Sun Gold tomato along with a half dozen other varieties that are being brought to market.  Craig will teach you how to grow tomato plants from the cuttings of existing plants, how to grow tomatoes in small containers, and which diseases to look out for in your tomato plants.  He'll discuss why Australia no longer accepts seeds from the USA and how you can still germinate those older tomato seeds.  From there, Craig will tell us all about his dwarf tomato project, how he got started and where you can get the seeds to all these new and delicious varieties so you can grow them as well.  This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening. In this episode here's what we'll cover SEGMENT ISun Gold TomatoesLearning How To Grow Tomato plants from root cuttingsPlanting late tomato seedsIndeterminate Tomatoes in small potsFungal Disease FusariumEarly BlightSEGMENT IIDwarf Tomato PlantsCraig's Full List of New Tomato VarietiesCherokee Line of Tomato varietiesGerminating older tomato seedsNostalgia GardeningGardenwebWhy Australia no longer accepts tomato seeds from the USASEGMENT IIIWriting about heirloom varieties that kids can growTracing the history of the development of the tomato in AmericaCrossing Different Plant variety plantsWhere you can meet CraigItems Mentioned in this PodcastEpic TomatoesGrowing Vegetables in StrawbalesCraig LeHoullier's new websiteEpisode #218: Vegetable Gardening Podcast with Craig LehoullierAbout this week's guest, Craig LeHoullier I love gardening. I’ve loved gardening since 1981, when my wife and I planted our first one together in Hanover, New Hampshire, just a few months after we were married. In truth, I’ve loved walking in gardens for longer than I can remember, seeds planted by my grandfather and father in walks through their own gardens. Each of them planted the seeds of that love when I was so very young, for which I am so grateful.   I love to write about my adventures among the plants. In doing so, I strive to share the joy that I experience while gardening with my readers. If all goes well, in addition to growing gardens, we will grow new gardeners. Being able to grow wonderful flowers, vegetables and fruit offers so much: confidence and control of what we eat, the multitude of benefits from being outdoors and working up a sweat, and creating an area to decompress, relax and share with family and friends. I LOVE TO SHARE, TEACH, COACH and LEARN. Though gardening can be a solitary hobby, I find that energy comes from being with and in front of other gardeners (anywhere along the experience spectrum, newbie to avid). It becomes all about collective sharing, learning, and growth. There is always something new to learn about gardening. The education process spans our lifetimes. The essence of what I do, and why I do it, is and will always be focused on learning and sharing, never about publicity and money. I am Craig Lehoullier. Through the years, I’ve been known as NC Tomatoman. Some know me as the fellow who named Cherokee Purple in 1990. To others, I am the author of the books Epic Tomatoes or Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales, the co-host of Tomatopalooza, a co-leader of the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project, or just the odd person with a garden where the driveway used to be. I am the tomato nut with a website, a blog, a newsletter (on occasion), and a huge tomato and pepper and eggplant collection. Really, all I am is Craig LeHoullier - someone that heirloom tomatoes chose to help participate in their continued relevance. Welcome to my web home - look around, stay awhile and come back often. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds

Everyday Self Sufficient 12/05/15 Guest Mike Podlesny Mike Podlesny, AKA Mike the Gardener joins us to talk about growing and preserving your own food, gardening with kids, and having a small backyard flock. ABOUT JEANNE: Gardening Jones, or often simply GJ, is the pen name for Jeanne Kunz Hugenbruch, mother of 3 and grandmother of 1. What began as a way to provide healthier food for her children over 30 years ago, has become a passion that she shares with her blog readers. A self-proclaimed gardening addict, she uses her decades of experience and Master Gardener training to enable others to become hooked on growing their own food. In collaboration with her childhood sweetheart, a restaurateur, they share recipes and cooking techniques in both blog and book form. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association, and recently was awarded a State Nutrition Services Award and had her yard declared a Certified Wildlife Habitat. She writes, gardens, cooks and cans in Zone 5/6, NE Pa. Links gardeningjones.com gardeningjonesrecipebox.com

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode of the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, the well traveled, garden author and expert Derek Fell joins Mike for an in depth conversation on growing vegetables at home in much less space by implementing some creative vertical techniques.  Derek will share with you how he is able to use these techniques in two different growing zones, the vegetables he likes to grow, and introduce you to some nearly lost classics. From there Derek will share his stories of gardening adventure and the many places he visited throughout the years, his favorites and what makes them must see trips.  He'll also tell us about how he combines his passion of gardening with cooking, and some of his favorite culinary dishes.  That and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode here's what we'll coverGardening differences in various zonesVertical GardeningLazy Wife BeansMalabar SpinachTrombone SquashCreative Vertical TechniquesFascinating Gardens from around North AmericaItems Mentioned in this PodcastVertical Gardening: Grow Up Not Out for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less SpaceAvant Gardening NewsletterDerek Fell's WebsiteTrombone Squash SeedsMalabar Spinach SeedsAbout this week's guest, Derek Fell Derek is the author of more than 100 works of non-fiction including books and calendars, dealing mostly with art, travel and gardens. Born and educated in England, he became an American citizen in 1970 and began a series of gardening books. This led to a series of acclaimed works about the gardens of the great Impressionist painters, Renoir, Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh. This led to a biography about Vincent Van Gogh, 'Van Gogh's Women' and a co-authored cookbook, 'Monet's Palate Cookbook.' His most popular garden books include 'Vegetables - How to Select, Grow and Enjoy,' 'Grow This,' 'Vertical Gardening' and 'The Gardens of Frank Lloyd Wright.' Derek is winner of more awards from the Garden Writers Association than any other person, and he was a consultant on vegetable gardening to the White House during the Ford Administration. Derek is married, with three children and three grandchildren, and lives at historic Cedaridge Farm, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He also owns a property on frost-free Sanibel Island, Florida where he cultivates a one-acre tropical garden a block from the beach. There he grows mostly tropical fruits such as coconuts, bananas, mangoes, avocados and macadamia nuts. Derek's mentors include O. D. Gallagher, a World War II war correspondent who taught him to write; Harry Smith, horticultural photographer who taught him to photograph gardens; and David Burpee dean of American seeds-men, who taught him a great deal about gardening in the US when Derek worked six years as Burpee's catalog manager. Derek has written hundreds of garden articles, illustrated by his own photography for leading publications such as Architectural Digest, the New York Times magazine and Connoisseur. Contact Derek at derekfell@verizon.net. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. You can also read gardening articles from Mike on his blog at AveragePersonGardening.com/blogBe sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this week's episode, Mike chats with Michael Dahl of DissidentPotato.com to discuss the importance of community gardens, teaching those in need the importance of growing their own food and the current state of the world's food supply. Michael will take you on a journey from his early humble beginnings in Minnesota and how gardening, and living off the land played a vital role in his own family's sustainability, and how that shaped his future to teach others. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In This Episode Here's What We'll Cover Community GardeningThe World's Food SupplyHow Michael Got StartedGrowing in your own CommunityHelping those in need with your own gardenItems Mentioned in this Podcast Michael DahlDissidentPotato.comMicheal's Facebook ConnectionFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on InstagramAbout this Week's Guest, Michael Dahl Michael's passion about real food and urban gardening goes way beyond hobbies and into obsession territory.  He is constantly learning how to be a better steward of the resources and is working hard to become a small part of the real food movement that is in blazing  ascendancy these days. Michael has lived in the company of gardens his whole life.  For a significant part of his youthful years, chickens (eggs), goats (milk), and deer (venison) kept he and his family fed while dead trees and labor filled his family's wood stove. As an adult, Michael has used a mix of the farm back home, landlord's land, and his own backyard to supply fresh, homegrown food for himself and his family.  Michael's abundant garden and hunger to help currently grows in Zone 4b in St. Paul, MN. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. Be Sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

This Week on Vegetable GardeningIn this week's episode of the vegetable gardening podcast, Mike chats with good friend to the show, Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily.  Lisa has released a new book, Gardening with Chickens, and she fills us in how she combines these two tasks to get the most out of each.  Lisa will fill you in on the benefits of chicken manure, using your chickens "tilling" abilities, how to use your chickens to take care of the garden at season's end and she'll touch on soil structure and why you should get a soil test. From there Lisa will tell us all about her move from Virginia to Maine, the affect the move had on her livestock, adjusting to the different gardening zone and she'll fill us in on her new TV show, Fresh Eggs Daily, which airs on local TV in Maine. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode here's what we'll Combining gardening with your chickensChicken ManureBenefits of a soil testChickens tilling the gardenWhich plants to keep chickens away fromChickens and insectsItems mentioned in this podcastGardening with ChickensFresh Eggs Daily (website)Fresh Eggs Daily (book)Fresh Eggs Daily (TV Show)Duck Eggs DailyAbout this week's guest, Lisa SteeleWith an audience that spans the globe, I am well-recognized as the creative force behind Fresh Eggs Daily®, the most popular destination for natural chicken and duck keeping advice on the internet. A fifth-generation chicken keeper who has been around chickens most of my life, I have been raising my own backyard flock since 2009 and sharing my farming adventures on my wildly popular blog and Facebook pages, charming readers and drawing them to Fresh Eggs Daily® in record numbers to help them learn how to keep their flocks safe from predators, how to build strong immune systems, and how to keep them healthy and happy without using antibiotics or other commercial medications. An aspiring herbalist dedicated to raising my own animals as naturally as possible, I offer practical, down-to-earth and time-tested advice for raising chickens using herbs and other holistic preventives and remedies - and show my readers how to have some fun while doing it. In addition to chicken keeping tips, I also share DIY projects for the coop and run using repurposed materials, natural household and personal products, gardening ideas, and recipes using fresh eggs, vegetables and herbs. I grew up on a small farm across the street from my grandparents chicken farm in central Massachusetts and raise chickens and rabbits growing up.  After heading off to college and a short stint on Wall Street, I am back on a New England farm once again, doing what I love and carrying on my family tradition. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. You can also read gardening articles from Mike on his blog at AveragePersonGardening.com/blogBe sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

This Week on Vegetable Gardening In this weeks episode, Mike interviews Sandra Reaves of Josie Gladys Gardens about how you can mix growing vegetables with beautiful flower arrangements in your front yard so that you can grow food to eat all the while your front yard still looks aesthetically pleasing to neighbors and passers-by. From there, Sandra will give you her tips on food preservation, various preservation methods, which ones beginners should use and why, and which vegetables and fruits work best with which food preservation methods. Along the way, Sandra will delight you with her wonderful stories and adventures as a fairly new chicken keeper, and she will share her experience so that you can avoid some stumbling blocks right out of the gate. This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In This Episode, Here's What We'll Cover Front Yard GardensVegetables to Choose and WhyFood Preservation MethodsWater Bath Canning compare to Pressure CanningCold Pack MethodNew Chicken keeping and what to expect Items Mentioned in this Podcast Jose Gladys Gardens Sandra on Facebook Sandra's Gardening Blog About this Week's Guest, Sandra Reaves Sandra shares real-life home gardening with all its successes, crop failures, sweat and wonder.  Sandra shows that her own efforts are living proof that a garden can be both imperfect and bountiful and that growing your own fruits and vegetables ensures the most healthful food is on your family's plates.  Preserving food at home lets you lay in a supply for lean times.  Sandra's bounty is eaten fresh, canned, frozen, dried, and shared with family and friends.  Once in awhile, Sandra, will even sell the "fruits" of her labor.  About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industries leading experts. Be Sure to Visit the Show's Sponsors 00:0000:00

This Week on Vegetable GardeningIn the week's episode Mike chats with Tara Nolan, the author of a great new book Raised Bed Revolution: Build It, Fill It, Plant It ... Garden Anywhere!  Tara will fill you in on all kinds of wonderful information when it comes to gardening with raised beds.  She will teach you all about the difference and creative ways to make your own raised beds, the soil structure and which plants you should grow.  From there, Tara is going to share some of the more unique raised beds that she has seen in her travels, as well as a great appliance find she had one day that she now grows potatoes in.  This and Mike sharing his story about his mobile raised garden bed and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode, here's what we'll cover Why raised beds are a good idea?Building Raised BedsBuying raised bed kitsCreative raised bedsSoil for your raised bedsWhat you can grow in your raised bedsItems mentioned in this Podcast Raised Bed Revolution: Build It, Fill It, Plant It ... Garden Anywhere!SavvyGardeningWhere to Find TaraAbout this Weeks's guest, Tara Nolan Tara Nolan is a garden and lifestyle writer who lives in Dundas, Ontario. Fascinated by ornamental plants, Tara loves to experiment by partnering spirited colours and textures, and using new-to-her cultivars and combinations in both container gardens and flower borders. For six years, Tara served as Canadian Gardening magazine’s online editor and penned various articles for the publication. Her lecture experience includes talks at Canada Blooms, Canada's largest flower and garden festival, and the Toronto Botanical Garden. Tara has also written about gardening for the Toronto Star, Reader’s Digest, Canadian Living, and Style at Home, among others. When she’s not in the garden, this card-carrying member of the Garden Writer's Association is on her mountain bike or travelling somewhere to check out public and private gardens, always intent on discovering the next big gardening craze. Tara also considers herself to be pretty crafty (meaning creative, not sly), and while you probably aren't going to learn about her talent with a needle and thread here, you will learn about the amazing (and crafty!) garden creations growing right outside her back door. About the Host Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month.  Be sure to listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast, as he interviews the gardening industry's leading experts. You can also read gardening articles from Mike on his blog at AveragePersonGardening.com/blog Be sure to Visit the Show's Sponsor

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE US A REVIEW ON REDDIT In this "can't miss episode", Mike interviews Annie Haven of Authentic Haven Brand about the California drought.  Annie is smacked dabbed, right in the middle of this national tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes in real time. Annie gives us her first hand account of the issues she faces as a life long rancher in California, and how she is learning to cope with severe water restrictions.  She'll also give us a look into some of the power players involved in trying to solve the problem and why what they are proposing will only make matters worse. You won't want to miss this informative interview.  This and so much more on this week's episode of Vegetable Gardening! In this episode, here's what we'll cover California DroughtAnnie's StrugglesDrought SolutionsPower Players Getting InvolvedItems mentioned in this episode Authentic Haven BrandAnnie of TwitterAbout this week's guest Annie Haven Haven Seed Co. was established in 1853 and incorporated in 1873. Haven Seed Co. grew for commercial seed until 1968 when the focus was then turned to Manure tea which was harvested from the horses used to pull the equipment through the fields and the livestock raised to feed the workers. Haven Co. processed and packaged the manure in large "Pillow case size bags", brewed the tea, then flood irrigated the fields to restore nutrients to the soil. Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew is harvested, processed and Eco hand packaged, from Haven raised grass fed livestock, free of antibiotics, growth hormones, herbicides and pesticides. Over the past 7 years Social Media for Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew has played a big roll in the introduction of brewing and feeding cow, horse and alfalfa teas to replenish needed nutrients to the soil. Gardeners around the world have seen tremendous results in their gardens and indoor house plants once they started brewing and feeding Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew. ABOUT THE HOST Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person as well as the creator of the Seeds of the Month Club where members receive non gmo, heirloom variety seeds every month. You can listen to Mike each week on the Vegetable Gardening Podcast where he interviews gardening industry experts.