Exploring Nature's Herbal Bounty.

In This Podcast: Greg welcomes returning guest Bevin Cohen, an award-winning author and owner of Small House Farm, to discuss Bevin's new book, 'Herbs in Every Season.' The conversation delves into Bevin's holistic approach to herbs, focusing on their various uses throughout the year—from medicinal to culinary applications. Bevin shares behind-the-scenes stories about writing the book, choosing which herbs to feature, and the fun yet intense experience of photographing the herbs and recipes included. The episode touches on specific herbs and their seasonal roles, such as parsley in spring and sunflower in autumn, as well as the versatile nature of herbs like mint and oregano. Bevin also recalls vivid personal anecdotes, including a touching story about canning tomatoes with his grandmother. The episode concludes with practical advice for listeners to get out and grow something, highlighting the accessibility and benefits of herbs.

Our Guest:  Bevin Cohen is an award-winning author, owner of Small House, farm, and host of the popular Seeds and Weeds podcast. Bevin offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. He is a food and garden writer. Whose work has appeared in many national publications, and he's the author of more than 10 books, including The Artisan Herbalist, and his latest Herbs in Every Season.

To acquire Bevin's Latest book - Herb in Every Season

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

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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.

In This Podcast: Host Greg Peterson interviews Matthew Geldin, head farmer at Farmscape in Southern California, about creating sustainable neighborhood food systems. Farmscape is the largest urban farming company in California, specializing in food-focused landscaping for various scales including backyard gardens, commercial campuses, and multi-family communities. Matthew shares his journey from landscape architecture to urban farming, explaining the challenges and successes of integrating food production into urban spaces. He emphasizes the importance of community-supported farms and discusses their work on notable projects like Levi's Stadium. Then he reflects on overcoming challenges such as urban tree root intrusion, the evolution of community farming, and the significance of designing spaces that are both productive and beautiful.

Our Guest:  Matthew Geldin has been the farmscape's head for farmer in Southern California since 2014, overseeing the weekly maintenance of hundreds of projects from backyard gardens to neighborhood farms. He is an expert in raised bed vegetable gardening and developed the company's farming service manual.

Matthew's Book Recommendation - How to Prune Fruit Trees by Sanford R Martin

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

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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.

Join Farmer Greg Peterson and Don Titmus, a horticulturist and permaculturist dive into month 2 of their yearlong discussion of the principles of permaculture. They discuss foundational aspects of observation, protracted and thoughtful observation (PATO), and the importance of understanding local environments. They also highlight their 'Garden Chats' available at gardenchat.org and urbanfarmpodcast.com, where listeners can learn more about permaculture ethics and principles. Additionally, they emphasize the need for in-person courses to build a strong community and offer practical examples of challenges like managing pests, weather patterns, and optimizing plant growth. Finally, they encourage documenting observations and naming one's farm to cultivate a sense of ownership and community engagement.

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/877-garden for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

Toby Hemenway's Book Reference - Gaia's Garden

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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

In this episode we explore the concept of wicking bed gardens, hosted by Romey Romero & Farmer Greg, our guest is Ray Jess, a Master Gardener and hard goods manager of the Urban Farm Fruit Tree Program Store. Ray explains his journey from traditional gardening, which he has practiced since childhood in Central California, to discovering wicking beds during his Master Gardener training. He details the construction and benefits of wicking beds, which water plants from the bottom up, saving 40-50% of water, reducing nutrient loss, and requiring less frequent watering. Ray also describes the materials needed for building a wicking bed, and the principles behind its operation, including capillary action, evaporation, and condensation. The episode also touches on the suitability of different plants for wicking beds, the importance of garden bed orientation, and the process of succession planting.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/876-Rosie for the show notes and links on this episode!

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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.

In this episode, the focus is on the importance of building resilient local seed and food economies. They elaborate on the six stages of the food economy — growing, harvesting, distribution, preparation, eating, and disposal — and stress the need for these processes to be circular, emphasizing composting and waste reuse. They identify seven components essential for a flourishing local food economy, including farming methods, education, harvesting and distribution, creating farmers, value-added products, culture, and local seeds.

The conversation then shifts to the critical role of local seed economy and how everyone can participate by saving and sharing seeds. The benefits of seed saving, including the creation of surplus and unique, locally-adapted varieties, are highlighted. Joseph Lofthouse's concept of landrace gardening and 'Grex' is introduced, emphasizing the joy and importance of growing plants adapted to local conditions. Stories of localizing food systems, the pitfalls of dependence on industrial agriculture, and the value of volunteer plants further enrich the discussion. Both Greg and Bill encourage listeners to embrace growing, saving seeds, and actively participating in their local food economies..

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/875-seed for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!

What is the Seed Chat?

At least ten times a year we have a live Seed Saving Class with Bill McDorman, the former 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.

Come join us for the next live class, or catch up on our previous classes through our podcast episodes. Either way you will expand your seed knowledge and gain new perspectives on your food system.

Register anytime for the next event.

Register Here for the Monthly Seed Saving Class with Live Q&A

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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.

The Gardenerd strikes again.

In This Podcast: Returning guest Christy Wilhelmi discusses her new book, 'High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening.' Christy, founder of Garden Nerd, shares her expertise on small space, biointensive, and organic gardening techniques that allow her to generate up to 70% of her family's produce from just 300 square feet.

Our conversation includes plant placement strategies, the importance of soil health, pest control, and various garden DIY projects. Additionally, Christie underscores the significance of testing soil quality and provides insights into the benefits of using a product called a tomato crib.

Our Guest:  Christy is founder of Garden Nerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes her popular blog, top ranked podcast and YouTube videos. She also specializes in small space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes. Between 50 and 70% of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet. She's also the author of High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening, 400 Tips for Gardening Success, grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden, and her debut Novel Garden Variety.

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

Contact Christy at GardeNerd.com

Get Christy's book HERE

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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.

Diving into community design with Agrihoods

In This Podcast: We dive into what AgriHoods are and their transformative impact on communities. Hosts Sarah Rosenberger and Matthew Geldin from Farmscape discuss their roles and experiences with AgriHood projects. Sarah explains her background in urban farming and her journey through various community-based agricultural programs, while Matthew shares his expertise in vegetable gardening and farm maintenance.

We explore the concept of AgriHoods, which are communities centered around agricultural amenities like farms and gardens. Key benefits include providing access to nourishing food, encouraging outdoor activity, and fostering a sense of community. They highlight successful projects such as Rancho Mission Viejo and the challenges of implementing AgriHoods, emphasizing the importance of intentional design and adequate funding.

Our Guests: Sarah has been working at Agrihood sites since 2015 and works for Farmscape in a few different roles. She is passionate about designing programs that exist at the intersection between farms, ecology and human residents. After nearly a decade of working in these types of programs she serves as a consultant for developers of all scales to implement edible and ecologically vibrant amenity spaces and engagement programs.

Matthew has been Farmscape’s Head Farmer in Southern California since 2014, overseeing the weekly maintenance of hundreds of projects from backyard gardens to neighborhood farms. He is an expert in raised bed vegetable gardening and developed the company’s farming service manual.

Sarah's Book Recommendation - The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Matthew's Book Recommendation - The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

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

Become an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.

*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.

Sourdough Tools and Tricks for Bakers

In This Podcast: Greg interviews Erik Fabian, co-founder of Sourhouse, about his journey and the innovations his company brings to sourdough baking. Sourhouse, based in Asheville, creates tools for home bakers, including a countertop device called Goldie. Erik shares his background as a home baker and marketer, his challenges and inspiration during the COVID-19 lockdown, and how Sourhouse successfully launched via Kickstarter.

He talks about the importance of sourdough in understanding and improving the food system, the benefits of sourdough baking, and the supportive sourdough community. Eric shares how his product Goldie helps maintain sourdough starter conditions and the benefits of consistent sourdough starter temperature.

The episode is filled with practical advice for both novice and experienced bakers, including tips on creating and maintaining starters, as well as encouraging generosity and community building through baking. Wrapping up with Sourhouse's Bake for Your Neighbors initiative and the 1 Percent for Asheville program to support local recovery efforts.

Our Guest:  Erik is co founder of Sour House, an Asheville based company making tools for sourdough home bakers. In the early days of COVID, when the world was learning to bake sourdough, he envisioned a countertop device called Goldie to help bakers care for their sourdough starters, he teamed up with his industrial designer, friend, Jennifer Yoko Olson to create their first products. Sour House now sells their products to bakers worldwide. Their first product Goldie recently received a best kitchen gear award from Good Housekeeping.

Erik's Recommended Book - Southern Ground by Jenifer Lapidus

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

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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.