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**The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson**

Welcome to The Urban Farm Podcast, your partner in the Grow Your Own Food revolution! This audio only podcast features special guests like Rosemary Morrow, Zach Loeks, and Andrew Millison as we discuss the art and value of growing food in urban areas. We’ll explore topics such as gardening basics, urban beekeeping and chicken farming, permaculture, successful composting, monetizing your farm, and much more! Each episode will bring you tips and tricks on how to overcome common challenges, opportunities to learn from the experience of people just like you, and plenty of resources to ensure you’re informed, equipped, and empowered to participate more mindfully in your local food system… and to have a great time doing it!

Support our Podcast and listen Ad-Free! Visit www.urbanfarm.org/patron for more information and see what else we include.

Latest Episodes:

665: Urban Farm Series: The Present Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

In Part 2 of this special 3 part series, Greg Peterson reflects on the upcoming move from the Urban Farm in Arizona, to a new, yet to be named farm in North Carolina. He talks about the factors leading up to the move and the criteria for choosing the new location.

"Well, the news is out and there are big changes in my life. Heidi and I are moving, and this is not a little move. We are transporting ourselves 1900 miles to our dream home in Asheville, North Carolina. Lots more to come about our landing place in the ‘future’ part of my writing. I want to assure you, however, with our team in place (Janis, Tayler, Theresa, Ray, Renee, Bill, Belle and Kari) all of our programs will continue into the future just like they have for over 20 years. And for those of you that expect to see me on the ground in Phoenix – you still will for the Fruit Tree Program events and the Seed Up.

To begin my journey I thought I would review the Past of the Urban Farm, visit the Present and the biggest question I get…why are you moving?, and speculate on the Future of our new space. Here is a little teaser, we are moving mid-April 2022 to a quaint little town 10 miles from downtown Asheville, North Carolina. We found our ‘dream farm to be’ on 4 acres that is exploding with possibilities, way too many for me to choose right now."

For more information visit www.UrbanFarm.org/patron

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/22/urbanfarmpresent/ for show notes and links.

664: Growing Flowers to Love Your Veggies Mar 18, 2022

Show notes

A chat with Lisa Ziegler.

In This Garden Chat: Every vegetable garden can benefit from having beautiful flowers in and around the area. Beautiful blooms can boost the aesthetics and add a wide pallet of colors. Some flowers can repel unwanted pests, and some flowers can bring in healthy pollinators. Some flowers are even edible. Let's get in the know with Lisa Ziegler of "Vegetables Love Flowers".

On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&A

Our Special Guest: Lisa Ziegler is a cut-flower farmer, author, and online teacher on organic cut-flower gardening. She has been farming since 1998 in Southeastern Virginia on the Ziegler family homestead. In season this urban three-acre farm produces thousands of stems of flowers and an abundance of vegetables weekly. Lisa has sold her flowers to florists and supermarkets, and at farmer’s markets and her members-only farm market. She loves sharing the experiences she gathers from day-to-day life on the farm. In recent years Lisa’s business, TheGardenersWorkshop.com has grown into an online garden shop and Learning Center that includes resources and online courses for gardeners and farmers.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/18/664-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

663: Urban Farm Series: The Past Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

In Part 1 of this special 3 part series about the Past, Present and Future of the Urban Farm, Greg Peterson reviews the history of the Urban Farm and gives a sneak peek into the future.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/15/urbanfarmpast/ for show notes and links.

662: Starting Your Seeds Indoors in Trays Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

662: Starting Your Seeds Indoors in Trays.

A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.

In This Podcast: This is the February 2022 Seed Saving Class with special guest Kari Spencer discussing starting your seeds indoors. Kari shares insights on how to get a head start on your spring gardens by starting your seeds indoors in trays. We will talk about germination temps, timing, and nutrition as well as how to avoid common problems. Then we discuss how to transplant your seed starts into your garden successfully.

At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class. Join the class! Register anytime for the next event. Register Here for the Seed Saving Class with Live Q&A

Kari Spencer is the founder of the Microfarm Project in Phoenix, Arizona and the author of two books, Vegetable Gardening Journal; A Weekly Tracker and Logbook, and City Farming. In addition to teaching classes all over the city of Phoenix, she is the creator of Urban Farm U’s Growing Food the Basics & Backyard Livestock courses.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/11/662-seed-chat/ for the show notes on this bonus episode, and access to our full podcast library!

661: Abby Schaefer on Woodchip Bioreactors Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Reducing Agricultural Nitrogen Runoff into Rivers and Oceans

In This Podcast:

Abby Schaefer didn’t know what she wanted to do when she started college, but she went with the flow and turned her love of chemistry into a career studying water as a bio-systems engineer. Abby studies woodchip bioreactors, a relatively new technology which harnesses the power of microbes to remove excess nitrogen from agricultural waste water. She explains what they are and how they work to prevent dangerous dead zones downstream.

Abby Schaefer is a research scientist and engineer in Michelle Soupir’s Water Quality Research Lab in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department at Iowa State University. Abby solves water quantity and quality problems, and loves microbes, data analysis, and programming. She is the 2020 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Pre-Professional Engineer of the Year, and her research was recently published in Agrosystems, Geosciences, & Environment.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/03/04/661-abby-shaefer/ for show notes and links.

Woodchip Bioreactors.

660: Harvesting the Future from Your Garden Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

A chat with Bill McDorman.

In This Garden Chat: Your tastiest vegetables can be grown again and again from your own garden! Future harvests are just a few steps away from what you are growing now and Bill McDorman can help you see the path to the future you want. Explore the benefits of seed saving, learn how to take those first steps, and keep your journey on course with a free class recommendation.

Our Special Guest: Bill McDorman got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013. He authored the book Basic Seed Saving in 1994, and in 2010 he and his wife, Belle Starr, created Seed School, a nationally recognized week long training. Bill is a passionate and knowledgeable presenter who inspires his audience to learn to save their own seeds and so much more!

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/25/660-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

659: Companion Planting Feb 18, 2022

Show notes

Companion Planting.

A Chat with an Expert on Seeds.

In This Podcast:

This is the December 2021 Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman and special guest Kari Spencer discussing companion planting. Why work so hard in your garden? Gardening should be fun, relaxing and stress free. Unfortunately many of us don’t subscribe to that philosophy. We worry, we fret and we fear we aren’t doing it right. Companion planting is a way to capture nature’s brilliance to help you “get it right.” There are plants that naturally love being partnered with each other in the garden. They provide many benefits such as shade for a heat sensitive specimen or maybe are themselves a kind of bug repellent for another plant. Often food from plants that taste good together have a symbiotic relationship in the garden. At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class.

Bill McDorman is Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, Ketchum, Idaho. He got his start in the bio-regional seed movement while in college in 1979 when he helped start Garden City Seeds. In 1984, Bill started Seeds Trust/High Altitude Gardens, a mail order seed company he ran successfully until it sold in 2013.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/18/659-seed-chat/ for show notes and links.

658: Mike Biltonen on Regenerative Orcharding with Climate Change Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

Growing Fruit Trees WhileAdapting to Changing Climates.

In This Podcast:

Mike Biltonen explains how he applies pre-industrial farming principles to help food farmers plan for the unpredictable weather that affects their crops. He remains a positive voice in the often negative conversation surrounding climate change, and advocates for quality of nutrition over quantity of production, focusing on the soil to accomplish that goal. Don’t miss Mike’s tip for an easy soil test you can do right now!

Mike Biltonen has spent nearly 40 years in agriculture –working mostly with orchards, vineyards, and specialty veg and fruit crops. An early passion for sustainable agriculture evolved into a profound dedication to the principles and practices of ecologically focused, biodynamically-driven farming. For the last fifteen years Mike has worked as a consultant to novice and seasoned farmers and orchardists on all aspects of managing regenerative and integrated farmscapes. Mike conducts workshops, seminars, and webinars, and has a free newsletter for the truly dedicated. He co-owns Know Your Roots, a novel and innovative family-owned company, with his wife Debbie, where they are synchronously using farming and herbalism practices to heal the Earth.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/11/658-mike-biltonen/ for show notes and links.

Regenerative Orcharding with Climate Change.

657: Vicki Hird on Rebugging the Planet Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

Renewing Our Relationships with Bugs.

In This Podcast:

Wait…Don’t step on that bug! Vicki Hird introduces us to the fascinating world of bugs, showing us a whole new way to think about our insect and invertebrate friends. She invites us to look a little closer so we can begin to appreciate bugs not only for the many essential services they perform, but also for the amazing diversity they represent. Vicki describes the many dangers they face, then talks about what we can do to protect them from harm and even encourage them to thrive and flourish.

Vicki Hird is the Head of the Sustainable Farming Campaign for Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming (over 100 non-profit organizations), and she runs an independent consultancy. She has a Masters in Pest Management and is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (FRES). As an experienced and award-winning environmental campaigner, researcher, writer, and strategist working mainly in the food, farming and environmental policy arena, Vicki has worked on government policy for many years. Vicki is the author of Perfectly Safe to Eat? The facts on food, and her latest book is titled Rebugging the Planet (published by Chelsea Green). Her passion is insects and other invertebrates.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/02/04/657-vicki-hird/ for show notes and links.

Rebugging the Planet.

656: Growing, Giving, and Making a Difference Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

A chat with Jenny Beasley.

In This Garden Chat: Jenny Beasley talks about her 12 years working with Heart for the City Community Garden in Arizona. Grown from nothing more than a plot of dirt and a desire to help others, the garden is now a safe space where people exchange food and knowledge with neighbors from other cultures. Jenny recalls the work it took to get the garden off the ground, describes the tending that was required to grow a strong sense of community, and expresses appreciation for the many people who keep it growing.

Our Special Guest: Jenny Beasley received her certification as a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City along with her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. She is currently the Director of Heart for the City Community Garden located in Glendale, AZ. She became involved with Heart for the City twelve years ago, a non-profit that helps change lives of inner city at risk youth by walking life with them. She was asked to spearhead a 1/2-acre community revitalization project…. a community garden in which they educate Title 1 school children and their families on gardening and provide families ways of growing their own healthy foods. Jenny decided to become a health coach to fulfill her passion of working with individuals to enhance their own well-being, and she is currently becoming a Master Gardener.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2022/01/28/656-garden-chat/ for show notes and links.

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