The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Once again we join a conversation with Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson to learn about growing from seed, growing for seed, and why our seeds are so important in these changing times. This is the replay of the May 2019 Seed Saving Class - In this class he covers seed school, how to become a teacher, allowing plants to go to seed, and of course a few more things as well.

We welcome back Matt Smith from Smith House Design to hear more about improving family life with a garden. Matt and his wife have created a learning environment in their backyard full of fruit trees and plants. Now, their children prefer nature over screen time. He shares his secrets to gardening with kids and how to make your neighbors never want to leave your backyard. Also, get a sneak peek on Matt's farm to table project and how it will revolutionize their cooking! urbanfarm.org/smithhousenature

What do you get when a civil engineer loves to garden but doesn’t want to spend two hours a day in the backyard? You get a LEHR garden! Meet Ed Williams, the creator of this regenerative, functioning ecosystem that utilizes aquaponics and mushroom spawn. His garden beds are low maintenance, create soil, self-water, and fertilize using earthworms, fish, and chicken droppings. Listen in to learn about the amazing backyard garden that Ed is creating at his LEHR Urban Homestead. www.urbanfarm.org/lehr

Our apple expert Kanin Routson joins us again to help us understand the process of making delicious apple cider using white wine making techniques. He explains the difference between juice, cider, and hard cider, and how the new modern ciders vary from the heritage ciders. We are introduced to Stoic Cider and we learn more about his dedication to apple tree diversity with the RAD project. www.urbanfarm.org/stoiccider

Awakening to the desire to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and meat, Brittney Schiff and her husband Stephen started with a few garden beds and chickens. Gradually this increased and they moved to a property that allowed them to do more. Now they raise, chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats and their kids are learning homesteading skills too. She shares what she appreciates most about this journey. www.urbanfarm.org/worththewait

The home purchase was going to be a stretch, but she could not escape the pull. After several visits, Katie Critchley took the leap and this farming community is much more than she expected. The appeal was so strong that her extended family joined her as well. She found herself becoming more and more involved and eventually became the Farm Director at a truly integrated farming community. A one sentence description is impossible – you must hear this podcast to understand! www.urbanfarm.org/agritopia

Earning his degree in agronomy put Marty Campfield on a path that led him eventually to work for AZOMITE selling this unique nutrient dense fertilizer/soil amendment product. He helps explain about the importance of nutrients in the soil, and how different forms can easily break down for quick plant consumption or slowly break down for long term nutrient availability. Marty also shares tips on different methods of application for this mineral rich substance. www.urbanfarm.org/azomite

In the pursuit of resetting his health, Luke Allen took a four-day fasting journey and ended up taking his life in a new direction.  Eventually he resettled, started growing food, and seeds! With his experience as a seed grower, he helps break down some seed terminology for us and discusses the importance of true breeding in seeds. www.urbanfarm.org/sundial

Once again we join a conversation with Bill McDorman and Greg Peterson to learn about growing from seed, growing for seed, and why our seeds are so important in these changing times. This is the replay of the April 2019 Seed Saving Class - Bill talks about growing grains and saving seeds safely. www.urbanfarm.org/bonus27 

Knowing that curb appeal is important, Matt Smith has applied this concept to his backyard to improve the value of his home. He shares how growing food and appreciating nature has become so important to him, and which historical figures influence his goals for his green space. Matt also explains why home improvement shows can diminish home values and what to focus on to prevent that from happening in your space. www.urbanfarm.org/smithhousedesign

Early influences helped Kasey McCaslin develop both a love for food and making things, and that eventually led her to try making small batch chocolate to sell at the farmers market. From there she has gone on to develop recipes that have earned her several awards and she shares about the steps and care she takes to make her internationally inspired flavors. www.urbanfarm.org/stonegrindz

For years, Julia Hubler couldn't find a garden planner that had it all. After running her family's homestead of chickens, goats, and gardens, she put together a comprehensive garden planning guide and journal. Here, she paints a picture of life on her homestead. Listen in to learn why she added native trees back into her orchard, what it's like raising chickens for meat, and how you can win a free copy of her e-book so you can start planning your best garden yet! www.urbanfarm.org/reformstead

What do you do with the abundance of fruit from your yard? Making jams and jellies are an easy solution. Sara Wolters from Pomona's Universal Pectin shares how their fruit-based pectin allows you to create delicious preserves with little to no added sugar. She also shares about the pectin industry, the recipe and video resources they have available to the public, methods of making jams with young kids, and additional uses for pectin. www.urbanfarm.org/pomonaspectin

Jason Johns is the author of 18 books on gardening. Here, he shares everything anybody needs to know about growing tomatoes! From the ideal soil, varieties, conditions, and pruning you'll be ready to plant amazing tomatoes. We also discussed common pests and what to do about them, as well as his first failure with tomatoes and what he learned from the experience. Jason plants something new each year. As a bonus, he also shared some of his other growing experiences! www.urbanfarm.org/growingtomatoes

How does one become a farmer when you haven't gone to school for agriculture? Emily Heller did just that using local education programs and opportunities. Here, she discusses successful selling as a small space producer, parameters for success in gardening, and some of her best practices. She also speaks to the emotional journey of farming and how to handle the imperfections and challenges. Emily also shares how to educate customers at Farmers Markets and build repeat clients. www.urbanfarm.org/emilyheller