Propaganda By The Seed

Latest Episodes:

Kratom with Dr. Christopher McCurdy and Dr. Swathi Nadakuduti Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

In this episode I'm speaking with Dr. Christopher McCurdy and Dr. Swathi Nadakuduti about Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). If you aren't familiar with this species, they are a tree from South-East Asia whose leaves have been chewed or brewed for a long time for a variety of reasons, but mostly used in a similar way to Coffee or Coca. More recently powdered leaves and live plants have been imported across the globe and have been used for similar uses as well as for treating pain, substituting for opioids and many other purposes. Between these 2 guests we cover traditional use, cultivation, chemical constituents, recent changes in the Kratom marketplace, and best practices for consumption. I was very impressed with their ability to speak on these topics utilizing their many years of primary research, but also in way that should be easily understood by most listeners. You can contact them through their faculty pages, or find their work on Google Scholar (Christopher / Swathi) or check out the website of the Nadakuduti Lab.

The other podcasts I mention in the intro are: The Dugout, The Beautiful Idea. Thanks to MK for having me on The Child and It's Enemies.

If you want to support this podcast, you can tell a friend to check it out, subscribe/rate/review on your favorite podcast platforms and/or join the Patreon. You can also submit questions or listener audio!

Summer Gardening with Live Like the World is Dying Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

This week on Live Like the World is Dying, Brooke follows up with Aaron from Propaganda by the Seed about planting a garden and what you can do now that it's summer. We talk watering, weeding and fertilizing. If you want to learn a whole lot more about using urine as fertilizer, we've got a whole episode on that in the PBTS feed.

Live Like the World is Dying is published by Strangers in A Tangled Wilderness. They can be found at www.tangledwilderness.org, or on Instagram @Tangled_Wilderness and Blue Sky @tangledwilderness.bsky.social

You can support thm on Patreon at www.patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness.

Find out more at https://live-like-the-world-is-dying.pinecast.co

Perennial Beans with Ken Asmus May 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode I'm talking to Ken Asmus of Oikos Tree Crops about perennial beans. Ken has been growing andbreeding perennial food plants since the 1970s and has developed many interesting populations of several species. We talk Thicket Beans (Phaseolus polystachios), how they can hybridize with Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus) as well as Peashubs (Caragana spp) and Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata). You can find Ken's writing at biologicalenrich.blog

Cover image photo by Ken Asmus

Spring Gardening with Live Like the World is Dying Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

This week I am back collaborating with my friends at Live Like the World is Dying, this time Brooke is asking me questions about planting a spring garden.

Live Like the World is Dying is your podcast for what feels like the end times.

They ask the question, how do we live in a world that might be ending? By preparing to survive that end and by working to prevent it. Live Like the World is Dying features interviews with people who think about how to prepare for and survive crises. Check them out through their website, on your favorite podcast platform, or follow them on instagram or bluesky

If you would like to support Propaganda By the Seed, now is a great time to order plants/seeds from EdgewoodNursery.com! I just updated the inventory and it's prime time to ship bare root plants. Of course you can also support by telling a friend to check it out, subscribing/rating/reviewing on your favorite podcast platforms and/or joining the Patreon. You can also submit questions or listener audio!

Apples with Laura Sieger Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

In this episode I'm talking to Laura Sieger about Apples. We cover history, care, varieties and re-framing expectations. Laura is a freelance orchardist and nursery worker who has worked on several great projects around Maine. They mention the Maine Heritage Orchard, Maine Apple Camp and the Gnarly Pippins Wild and Seedling Pomological Exhibition. You can follow Laura on Instagram or email them at Maine Fruit Buds. This episode was recorded in person and wound up with a little bit of weird reverb/ crosstalk that I couldn't quite get rid of, sorry about that!

Skirret with Cicada Seeds Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

This week I'm talking with Michalina Hunter of Cicada Seeds about Skirret (Sium sisarum). Skirret is a perennial root vegetable in a Apiaceae family that produces clumps of Parsnip like roots. Michalina is a full time grower of perennial vegetable seeds and describes some of her breeding work with Skirret as well as a few other perennials that she grows. You can follow Cicada Seeds on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with her work.

Cover image used by permission of Cicada Seeds

Wild Grains and Seeds with Pascal Baudar Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Tim rejoins as co-host and we talk to Pascal Baudar about foraging wild seeds and grains. We cover some basic techniques for harvesting and processing these materials, along with how to forage in a ecologically beneficial way and a boatload of interesting ways to cook them. Pascal has been on the list of people to invite on the show for multiple year and he did not disappoint. Check out all his books, but especially Wildcrafted Seeds and Grains. You can also find him on Instagram and Facebook.

I usually stick just to audio, but Pascal showed so much cool stuff on the video, I'm releasing a video version… just this once. It's on YouTube Here.

Teaching Kids About Plants Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

In this Shorts episode I'm talking about teaching kids about plants. It basically boils down to inviting them to the topic, following what they are interested in, encouraging autonomy while offering enough support that they are likely to succeed. I guess that could apply pretty widely. I also suggest several levels of starter projects. In the Q&A I answer Ryan's question about beginner raised beds. You can find the diagram I mention Here

Haskaps with Dr. Bob Bors Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Propaganda By the Seed, I'm talking with Dr. Bob Bors about Haskaps. Bob spent many years working with this species and selected and named some of the best varieties around. This species of edible Honeysuckle grows widely across the extreme north and is gaining popularity as a crop in many northern climates. We cover their origins, cultivation needs, culinary uses and several other topics. We also take a minor detour into the topic of bush cherries, which Bob also has a lot of experience with. Lots of Bob's articles are currently missing from the USASK website, but you can find many of them archived Here

In the Q&A I answer a question about keeping honeybees.

Repodcast: Solecast: Food Forestry & Perennial Vegetables w/ Aaron Parker of Edgewood Nursery Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Today I'm reposting the very first podcast I was ever on, an episode of The Solecast from 2018. This podcast sparked my friendship with Tim which led, eventually, to collaborating on Propaganda By the Seed. I hope to get back to my regular production schedule in November, but for now, check out this blast from the past. If you enoyed this one, there are many other episodes available at soleone.org or on most podcast apps.

Episode description from The Solecast: in this episode of The Solecast I talk with Aaron Parker of Edgewood Nursery. Aaron is a self-taught Horticulturist, Food forest designer and lover of Perennial Vegetables. We talk about food forest concepts and he breaks down some of his favorite perennial foods to grow & eat. We also discuss his work with Mt Joy in Portland, Maine, a free public orchard and food forest on the Eastern Promenade. Throughout this conversation we discuss some of the challenges of perennial vegetables, the health benefits and the history of pre-Columbian Americas as some of the largest food forest/agro-forestry projects in human history.

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