The Mike Nowak Show Podcasts

Gary Oppenheimer is founder and Executive Director of the nationwide non-profit AmpleHarvest.org. His organization seeks to end food waste and hunger by enlisting backyard gardeners to locate local food pantries with which they can share their produce.

Ken Santowski, President of Chicago Logistic Service promotes the upcoming symposium Revitalizing Plastics Recycling and talks about his mission to recover used Styrofoam. Michael Howard of Eden Place Nature Center urges people to contribute to their Go Fund Me campaign. WBEZ’s Monica Eng tells fascinating tales of Chicago's early days as a food-growing powerhouse.

Harriet Festing is director of Flood Forum USA, an initiative of the Chicago-based nonprofit, Anthropocene Alliance, which she co-founded in April of this year. She joins meteorologist Rick DiMaio in a conversation about the aftermath of Hurrican Harvey and the lessons about climate change and urban planning that can be learned from its devastation.

Mikek and Peggy broadcast live from the Chicago Botanic Garden and its event Heirloom Fest: Tomatoes & More. They are joined by horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg, Director of Interpretive Programs Kristie Webber, Executive Vice President and Director of CBG Fred Spicer, and Assistant Director of CBG and Director of Plant Collections Andrew Bunting.

Author, lecturer and horticultural media personality Melinda Myers returns to the show, having just been inducted into the Hall of Fame of GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators. She covers a wide range of gardening issues with Mike and Peggy.

Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free Illinois, and Scott Beckstead of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) promote an upcoming forum on factory farms, where the formation of The Illinois Agriculture Advisory Council will be announced. Michele Hoffman of Microcosm and Mark Schick, Collections Manager at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. talk about the future of worldwide coral populations.

Meagan Thompson is a senior scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. She will not get to see the eclipse in totality (except on TV) because she is one of the people holding down the fort in Washington, answering calls as an Eclipse Subject Matter Expert for NASA.

Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, joins Peggy Malecki as today's co-host while Mike has the day off. Michelle Hickey is co-founder and vice president of The Resiliency Institute (TRI), a non-profit organization with a mission to transform Chicago’s suburbs into resilient communities based on the concept of permaculture. Chris Beiser, Plant Care Specialist for the Chicago Botanic Garden, talks about what he’s seeing in the way of pests and diseases in the summer garden.

While Mike is away, Peggy Malecki brings in Kelly Nichols from Moms Clean Air Force to co-host the show. They talk about clean air issues in Illinois and across the country--including emissions from natural gas and crude oil production, transportation, coal ash and related toxic dust, methane emissions, clean energy jobs,  asthma and more.

Mary Hennen and Peggy Macnamara talk about their book, The Peregrine Returns: The Art and Architecture of an Urban Raptor Recovery. Laura Calvert is the new executive director of Peggy and I are big fans of Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) and she talks about her vision for the group. Dr. Harry Klee from the University of Florida explains his quest for the perfect commerical tomato. Jonathan Kruger previews the 12th Annual Veggie Fest Chicago.

Jordan Parker from Bring Your Bag Chicago Facebook page.talks to Mike and Peggy about the successes and failures of the effort to control plastic bag use in the City of Chicago.

Show regular Dan Kosta answers gardening questions while promoting the Prairie State Bonsai Society and their annual show. Ruth Kerzee, executive director of the Midwest Pesticide Action Center, and Laura McGowan from Clarke discuss the complexities of mosquito abatement in the Chicago area.

Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz are the authors of  Gardening with Foliage: 127 dazzling combinations that pair the beauty of leaves with flowers, bark, berries, and more. They talk to Mike and Peggy about value of foliage in a garden and how to use their book for inspiration.

Lisa Kivirist and Alison Parker preview a couple of events for women farmers--Soil Sisters, A Celebration of Wisconsin Farms and Rural Life, and In Her Boots, Market Farming in Suburbia. Michele Hoffman takes her place at The Mike Nowak Show Science Desk before heading to Florida to do research for her film Microcosm. Elaine Coorens reports on the biggest land deal in the North Branch Corridor that nobody has heard of.

Chef Paul Virant previews the Angelic Organics Learning Center (AOLC) 10th Annual Peak Harvest Farm Dinner at which Mike Nowak will be auctioneer. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on his trip to Iceland with Loyola University Chicago students to study climate change.