The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Latest Episodes:

486: Clint Hickman on Building Community Sustainability Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

Honoring a family heritage or nurturing neighbors.

In This Podcast: Most people in Arizona are familiar with Hickman's eggs, but there is so much more to this family-run business than eggs! Clint Hickman shared with us the evolution of egg farming, and how his family business grew enough to feed Phoenix. He also explains all the side businesses that came out of egg farming: organic fertilizer, recycling programs, and animal feed. They even formed a mutually beneficial program with local prisons that gives farm-work-release inmates a leg up.

Clint is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hickman’s Family Farms, the largest egg company in the Southwest United States and one of the top 20 nationwide. Truly family-run, Clint and his siblings have built up the business that his grandmother founded. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he oversees the vast network of partners that Hickman’s maintains, and guides the company’s marketing efforts.

While growing up, Clint was inspired by how his grandparents treated friends and neighbors. From that, he now makes sure that programs are provided to help relieve hunger, support education, and promote extensive and ongoing training in the communities that Hickman brands are welcomed.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/10/15/486-clint-hickman/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

486: Clint Hickman on Building Community Sustainability

485: Jolene Kuty on Abundant Holistic Harvests Oct 12, 2019

Show notes

Creating a full circle food system that connects family and community.

In This Podcast: Wholistic living has taken on a whole new meaning for Jolene Kuty! Through learning about health, she went from eating cheese infused hot dogs to working as a chiropractic physician surrounded by her half-acre urban farm. She created a full circle system using compost, chickens, mealworms, and contributions from neighbors. Hear how she engages her kids and educates with no element overlooked as she creates a thriving space that allows her to get outside and engage with the world.

Chiropractic physician and health educator, Dr. Jolene Kuty, built an idyllic sustainable urban farm as a role model for her patients and her family.  Her home and on-site chiropractic office is surrounded by 800 sq. ft. of raised organic vegetable gardens and over 20 Urban Farm fruit trees. They live, work, and play on a half-acre in the city where their five children swing beside seedlings and are surrounded by fresh growing fruit. They eat farm-to-table sharing recipes and inspiration with all who visit.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/10/12/485-jolene-kuty/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

485: Jolene Kuty on Abundant Holistic Harvests

484: Kristie Kapp on Eco-edible landscaping Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

Helping others understand and create food forests.

In This Podcast: Eco-edible landscaping sounds like a cool new method, but it incorporates many of the tried and true methods of permaculture. Kristie Kapp educates on building a food forest and how to incorporate 7 layers, supporting plants, mineral accumulators, and beneficial insects. She teaches stacking plant functions and how to build the ideal soil for your food forest in just one year. Listen in to learn these principles and how to start creating regenerative, resilient ecosystems.

Kristie is the Founder and Executive Director of Resilient Roots. She has a master's in ecology from Yale School of Environmental Studies and over twenty years of farming experience. She decided to merge the two professions, completed a permaculture landscape design program, and has been designing landscapes since 2014.

Resilient Roots is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote awareness about permaculture landscapes that are primarily edible and guided by ecological principles. They empower people to grow their own food in a manner that is sustainable and uses local resources.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/10/08/488-kristie-kapp/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

484: Kristie Kapp on Eco-edible landscaping

483: Tiffany Panaccione on Starting an Urban Farm Business Oct 05, 2019

Show notes

Moving from dreaming about it, to doing what it takes to grow a farm.

In This Podcast: How does an adventurous spirit, practicing yoga and following your intuition lead someone to start a farm? As Tiffany Panaccione learned, those experiences teach you to follow your heart and try new things! Listen in to learn how she plans to turn her dream of farming into a profitable business. She discusses her plans for her first crop, and how she plans to build a customer base. Healthy soil, drip tape, and saving seeds are all part of the strategy she discusses.

Tiff is a Phoenix native with a gypsy soul. Her self-healing journey has sailed her around the world and right back home to her roots. With a strong craving and an inner calling to go deep within herself and simultaneously the dirt, she is now listening, learning, discovering, and planning to cultivate the gifts of the Sonoran Desert. After all, she wonders… is it really worth doing the “hard work” if it isn’t your heart’s work?

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/10/05/483-tiffany-panaccione/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

483: Tiffany Panaccione on Starting an Urban Farm Business

482: Michael Gettens on Evolving Lifestyles in a Changing World Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

Enhancing our connection to the earth and each other.

In This Podcast: Learning about permaculture can be life changing, and Michael Gettens shares about his experience taking a permaculture design course, how to take on a production mindset instead of simply consuming resources, and how the current food system is degenerative instead of regenerative. Rainwater harvesting, sectors, zones, and solar cooking are all topics in this chat about working with the earth to connect with it and each other.

Michael is a Permaculture student inspired by the diversity of plants and animals who call the Sonoran Desert home. Growing up in New Jersey, his Italian mother sparked an interest in nutrition, and thus the importance of fresh, local ingredients began his gardening journey. When he moved across the country in 2014 to Arizona, the unique climate presented an obvious focus on water to ensure a good harvest.

Michael took his first Permaculture Design Course in the Fall of 2017, led by Dan Dorsey - which guided him to a concentration in rainwater harvesting, and a goal to discover low-tech solutions that provide basic human needs. His current position at Galaxy Gardens includes irrigation maintenance, rain garden design, and planting services.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/10/01/482-michael-gettens/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

482: Michael Gettens on Evolving Lifestyles in a Changing World

481: Rivka Fidel on Biochar and Carbon Farming Sep 28, 2019

Show notes

Building soil quality through carbon management.

In This Podcast: Biochar can improve your soil and help the environment at the same time! We visited with Dr. Rivka Fidel from the University of Arizona to learn all about biochar and carbon farming. Listen in for how you can make it, use it, and the science behind adding it to your compost. She also shares about her journey into the field of sustainable agriculture, why it's important for our future to create a carbon negative world, and highlights in carbon farming.

Dr. Rivka Fidel is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at the Department Environmental Science, University of AZ, teaching introductory level classes in Soil Science and Critical Zone Science. She received her PhD in Soil Science from Iowa State University and her B.S. in Environmental Science from Union College. Her research is in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, specifically examining the efficacy of biochar for improving soil quality and mitigating climate change.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/09/28/481-rivka-fidel/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

481: Rivka Fidel on Biochar and Carbon Farming

Bonus Episode 30: Seed Saving Class August 2019. (480.5) Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

Bonus Episode 30: Seed Saving Class August 2019.

In This Bonus Podcast: 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 August 2019 Seed Saving Class In this class, he covers the Art of Seed Saving, and of course a few more things as well.

Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/09/24/bonus30/ for more information and links on this bonus podcast, and to find our other great guests.

480: Kevin Espiritu on his Apocalypse Grow Survival Challenge Sep 21, 2019

Show notes

Experimenting with living off existing food sources for difficult times.

In This Podcast: We followed up with Kevin Espiritu to hear the results of his Apocalypse Survival Challenge. Could you survive for a whole month only eating what you grow, fish, barter, or forage? Hear how Kevin used his 200 square foot gardening space, community foodscapes, and trade - to nourish himself for an entire month. He gets specific on identifying what foods to grow in the 90 days prior to the challenge, how he added protein using fishing and plants, and his surprising takeaways.

His business Epic Gardening began as a way for Kevin to present gardening information in a more modern, updated way to friends and family. First came the website. Followed by YouTube, a daily podcast, and finally his social media presence on Instagram, and Facebook. Kevin is the author of Field Guide to Urban Gardening from our friends at Quarto Publishing. Like Greg, Kevin was a presenter on the recent Superfood Summit and loves to share gardening knowledge.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/09/21/480-kevin-espiritu/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

480: Kevin Espiritu on his Apocalypse Grow Survival Challenge

479: Katie Fiore on Apple Abundance Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

How to get creative with 80 pounds of fruit.

In This Podcast: We are back with returning guest and team member, Katie Fiore to talk about getting creative when your yard gives you an excess of food. While many people fear abundance, she embraces the creativity it allows and shares a different way to look at cooking with apples in both the long and short term. You’ll also learn about the concept of a local "Cool Tool" community shed for lesser-used harvest tools, as well as saving seeds and succession planting for seasonal abundance.

Katie  is an Arizona native who spent most of her life thinking she had a brown thumb. Five years ago, her first successful attempt at growing food was herbs grown in wine barrels. Since then she has become an Urban Farm junkie. In Spring 2018 she planted 15 fruit trees and bushes in the backyard and has started adding a few raised beds to her garden. Now, she is up to 21 fruit trees on her property, all with sweet potatoes planted under them.

A career change last summer has given her the time to pursue a healthier, lower stress life with her new husband Mark. She is currently following her dreams of blogging about all her adventures, nurturing her backyard food forest, and helping GrowPHX Collaborative establish a Speakers Bureau in Arizona. 

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/09/17/479-katie-fiore/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

479: Katie Fiore on Apple Abundance.

478: Matt Lebon on Foodscaping Sep 14, 2019

Show notes

Transforming ordinary spaces into beautiful, food-producing landscapes.

In This Podcast: Entering college without much direction, a life-changing experience in Paraguay helped Matt Lebon find his place in the global food system. Now, he runs a custom foodscaping company making spaces beautiful and edible. He share about hands-on education in permaculture and farm school as well the magical food moments his company helps to create. He gives insight into how gardens and orchards connect people to nature and how schools can use their foodscapes to teach science.

Matt is a proud St. Louis native with over ten years of farming and gardening experience. He got his start with farming as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, later going to study permaculture and work on several farms in Israel and Brooklyn, NY. Then he became a practitioner and instructor on edible landscaping, organic agriculture, orcharding, and permaculture design. He is most passionate about creating magical food moments in the everyday places we work, learn and play.

His company Custom Foodscaping transforms ordinary spaces into beautiful, food-producing landscapes. They provide consultation, design, and installation services to create edible landscaping in your farm & garden.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2019/09/14/478-matt-lebon-2/ for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

478: Matt Lebon on Foodscaping

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