The Mike Nowak Show Podcasts

Guests: Robert Nevel of Hyde Park's KAM Isaiah Israel explains how his congregation is expaning their Food Justice and Sustainability Program. Following their appearance together on WTTW's Chicago Tonight, Mike and 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack continue their conversation about the Daley Administration's plan to privatize Blue Cart Recycling in Chicago. More information at the Chicago Recycling Coalition. Farmer Kim Marson of Sweet Home Organics describes what it was like to be at her first auction, where she made the winning bid on the tractor of her dreams.

Ken and Susan Turner from Stop the MegaDairy.org, and Kate Thomas, who wrote a Masters thesis about it, talk with Mike about a CAFO in Jo Daviess County that could potentially wreak havoc with the environment there; Leah Pietrusiak reports from the Farmers Market that wasn't; Mike gives away tickets to the Chuck Leavell benefit concert to raise money for the American Forest Foundation and the TREE Fund.

Guests: Christy Webber of Christy Webber Landscapes starts out as a guest and ends up being the co-host. Go figure. Also featured: Lucian Gansca from Hardscape Designs, Inc., a sponsor of WCPT's Ultimate Backyard Makeover; Linda Kiscellus from the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association promotes a showing of the documentary film "A Chemical Reaction" at Cantigny Gardens; 38th Ward Alderman Tom Allen talks about his attempt to force the City of Chicago to finish the roll out of the Blue Cart Recycling Program.

Special Broadcast: "Our Community Garden" from Family Focus Our Place, 2010 Dewey in Evanston, sponsored by CEDA. Conversations about the Health & Wellness Fair and Community Garden Unveiling.

Live Broadcast from Pesche's Garden Center in Des Plaines. Guests: Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller talks about the initiative with Chicago Wilderness called Leave No Child Inside Month; Milo Shammas, Founder & Formulator, Dr. Earth, Inc.; Wally Schmidtke (a.k.a. "Dr. Wally") from Pesche's.

Guests: Jim Slanina and Linda Basinger from Opus Environmental; Loyola University's Summur Roberts talks about next week's North Lake Shore Community Earth Day 2010: Recipe for a healthy planet; Mike previews Tuesday's rally to support the introduction of 49th Alderman Joe Moore's Chicago Clean Power Ordinance in City Council.

Guests: Follow up on Chicago's war on local food: Chicago Tribune's Monica Eng, Alexis Leverenz of Kitchen Chicago and Martha Boyd from Angelic Organics Learning Center; Garth Conrad, president of the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association (MELA); speakers for the 18th Annual Natural Landscaping Seminar for the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee of McHenry County--Lorraine Johnson, Ed Collins and Nancy Williamson.

Guests: Tim Magner of Green Sugar Press on his environmental books for children; Brian Granahan of Environment Illinois talks about various green issues, including the drawbacks of nuclear energy and the future of cap-and-trade in America; Josh Mogerman from Natural Resources Defense Council discusses the threat of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.

Guests: Bruce and Erika Horigan of Horigan Urban Forest Products, Inc., Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm, and a special appearance in the second hour by arborist Guy Sternberg of Starhill Forest Arboretum. In a completely non-horticultural related appearance, Mike's holiday caroling group, The Frozen Robins take over most of the second hour with their warbling and improvisation.

Guests: Commissioner Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago on Cook County Watershed Management Ordinance Public Review; Jack Darin, director of Illinois Sierra Club on their 50th Anniversary Celebration; Rick DiMaio talks about harvesting woes for Illinois farmers.

Mike and co-host Peggy Malecki chat about Mike's semi-viral post for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine and the demise of the proposed George Lucas museum in Chicago.  Kay MacNeil is the chair of the 2015-2016 Milkweed for Monarchs project of the Garden Clubs of Illinois. She talks about how that state organization is encouraging its members to plant milkweed whenever and wherever they can in an effort to help the monarch butterfly population rebound from record low numbers. Lyman Welch, Legal Director for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, provides insight into the decision this week to allow Waukesha, Wisconsin to tap into Lake Michigan water, though technically it sits outside of the Great Lakes Water Basin.

Jason Schuster works for Big Cricket Farms, the first state and federally approved edible insect farm in the country, and Mike questions him about the growing market for edible bugs. Sandy Syburg is president of Purple Cow Organics, and Mike interviewed him as he drove something called a Soilmobile to Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse in Chicago to promote the idea or organic growing. At the Fork is a powerful documentary film premiering in Chicago and elsewhere on July 13, 2016. Mike talks to director John Papola, Nebraska rancher Kevin Fulton and Iowa family farmer Chris Petersen about the message of the film--that people need to be more aware that there are humane ways to raise the aniimals that we ultimately consume.

Entrepreneur and educator Veronica Porter, prime mover of Veterans Victory Farm and Ask Aunt V in Naperville explains how she works to help people grow and cook healthy, organic food. Patrick Barry talks about three of his recent stories for Chicago Farm Report, including a fascinating story about how Chicago preps vacant land for farms and a woman's search for local food in DeKalb, Illinois. Audrey Fischer from the Chicago Astronomical Society joins Diane Turnshek from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the Starry Chicago students from Amundsen High School in Chicago to talk about why it's so important to reduce light pollution in Chicago.

Podcast Episode

Entrepreneur and educator Veronica Porter, prime mover of Veterans Victory Farm and Ask Aunt V in Naperville explains how she works to help people grow and cook healthy, organic food. Patrick Barry talks about three of his recent stories for Chicago Farm Report, including a fascinating story about how Chicago preps vacant land for farms and a woman's search for local food in DeKalb, Illinois. Audrey Fischer from the Chicago Astronomical Society joins Diane Turnshek from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the Starry Chicago students from Amundsen High School in Chicago to talk about why it's so important to reduce light pollution in Chicago.