In This Podcast: In this episode, returning guest and 50-year organic agriculture veteran Scott Murray shares the remarkable story of how coffee is commercially being successfully grown in Southern California. Scott explains how a single houseplant sparked a multi-variety coffee trial, eventually producing a Geisha harvest that sold out in one day at $796 per pound. He walks us through polyculture design, coffee’s surprising climate tolerance, and how California could become a boutique coffee region.

Our Guest: Scott Murray has over 50 years of experience in organic agriculture across the U.S. and Mexico and has served as a California conservation official for 33 years. He specializes in farm creation, farmland preservation, and regenerative polyculture systems. Scott now leads pioneering research and consulting on California-grown coffee, managing multi-variety trials and agroforestry-based plantations.

Scott Murray is a farmer, consultant, and conservation leader with 50 years of organic agriculture experience in the U.S. and Mexico. He has been a California conservation official for 33 years and specializes in farmland preservation, smart-growth planning, and farm creation. He has recently become a pioneer in growing coffee in Southern California.

Yes! Scott and his collaborators have successfully grown multiple varieties of coffee in Southern California. Their first commercial harvest in 2018 sold out in one day at $796 per pound.

It started as a houseplant experiment when Scott’s son Sam bought a coffee plant from a nursery. When it produced cherries, it sparked curiosity. Later, Scott interplanted coffee into a rejuvenated avocado orchard, creating a thriving polyculture system.

Coffee thrives with protection, partial shade, and companion plants. Avocado trees provide a microclimate that buffers wind, sun, and temperature swings. This intercropping also enhances biodiversity and farm resilience.

• Monoculture: Growing only one crop (e.g., avocados alone).
• Polyculture: Multiple crops grown together (e.g., avocados + coffee + bananas).
• Polycultures support pollinators, beneficial insects, soil health, and long-term productivity.

Scott developed a “coffee protection structure” using:

• A gopher basket
• A chicken-wire cage
• Agricultural shade fabric

This boosts early survival and results in fast, healthy establishment.

Scott is currently trialing 48+ varieties, including rare and exotic types such as Geisha and Whoosh Whoosh.

Geisha is one of the highest-value coffees in the world, known for its floral, tea-like flavor profile. Scott’s California-grown Geisha fetched $796/lb—demonstrating the potential for a specialty coffee industry in California.

Because California coffee cherries often stay on the plant for up to 12 months, the beans can accumulate more complex flavor compounds, potentially elevating specialty coffee quality.

More

In this garden chat, Greg and Don Titmus dive into permaculture's eighth principle, 'Information and Imagination Intensive,' highlighting its emphasis on multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving using both low and high-tech solutions. They delve into the importance of utilizing quality thought and data to maximize yields and share personal experiences about integrating various systems like passive solar heating, water filtration, and composting. The discussion also covers the concept of food forests, zone planning, and sustainable design strategies for reducing energy and resource consumption. They encourage community collaboration and innovation, reflecting on their own permaculture journeys and offering insights on creating self-sustaining environments. Upcoming events like the Phoenix Permaculture Design Course and the Great American Seed Up are also mentioned.

Our Guest: Don grew up in London and at age 16 spent 4 years being trained in horticulture through an apprenticeship and a college course. From there he continued landscaping in his hometown until he moved to Arizona in 1981, where he worked in landscaping and then starting his own business in garden maintenance. In 2003 he attended a Permaculture Design Course, which was life-changing for Don. He knew right away that this was the path he’d been waiting for, and later attended two Permaculture Teacher Trainings.

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/918 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

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*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

A Rosie On The House Replay

This episode is the replay pof our monthly 'Rosie on the House' radio show in Phoenix. It features host Romey Romero, Farmer Greg and guest Kari Spencer discussing backyard livestock, primarily chickens and goats, for urban farming. They chat about the benefits of keeping chickens and goats, including eggs, milk, garden pest control, and composting. They also delve into the logistics of raising these animals, such as the necessary supplies, housing, and regulations. The episode touches on the challenges and advantages of meat birds, ducks, turkeys, quail, and guinea hens, offering practical advice and sharing personal experiences for listeners interested in starting their own urban farm.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/917 for the show notes and links on this episode!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.