812: Seed Borne Diseases

A chat with an expert on seeds.

In This Seed Chat:

This is the April 2024 Seed Chat - Seed-borne diseases quietly jeopardize the vitality of crops, as seeds unwittingly harbor microscopic threats like fungi, bacteria, and pests. Bill and Greg will help you identify these pesky pests and guide you through the measures to screen for disease-resistant seeds to thwart these covert adversaries.

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/812-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

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.

811: All about Keeping Honeybees with Cricket Alderidge Ungvary

A Rosie On The House Radio Show Replay

In This Podcast: Ever thought about keeping honeybees? It's a process and it's something we need to learn if you're gonna take it on and that's exactly what we're talking about today. Join our our monthly radio show called Rosie On The House in Phoenix, Arizona as we discuss with Cricket what it takes to keep honeybees; and oh yeah, what is mead.

Our Guest: Today we have Cricket Aldridge Ungvary to talk about her experience with suburban homesteading in the desert. Cricket is a natural homesteader growing up in rural Idaho with a garden, a horse, and lots of home canned food.

She brings those sensibilities to her farm in North Phoenix. Cricket adds a little dose of cottage garden flavor and permaculture tendencies, and you'll see why her blog, BloomingAZ. com, is a reflection of everything she does. Cricket is a longtime beekeeper, brought in to this new life skill by wanting to know more about making mead.

Now she runs a farm called Blooming Ranch and teaches people every day about bees, chickens, and more.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/811-Rosie 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.

810: Randy Ritchie on Why Gardening Must Change.

Helping gardeners weed out toxins from their gardens.

In This Podcast:

Randy transitioned from landscaper to biodynamic farmer, along the way he discovered biodynamic compost and its incredible transformative impact on growing food. Join us as we explore the principles of regenerative agriculture, the importance of creating insectaries and promoting biodiversity. Along his journey he founded Malibu Compost whuch serves as a guide for individuals looking to create thriving, sustainable ecosystems in their own gardens and communities.

Our Guest: Randy lives happily with his wife on their urban farm nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. He grew up in Pacific Palisades, California and graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu. Randy is a Christian, a father of three, entrepreneur, disruptor, screenwriter, author, garden lecturer, eco-landscaper, organic farmer, podcast host and the founder of Malibu Compost and Number 2 Organics. He loves gardening, surfing, great music, healthy food, being and staying healthy and telling everyone he can, the truth about real organics and living a healthy lifestyle.

Book Recommendation:

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/RandyRitchie 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.

809: Enoch Graham on His Garden Story.

Passionate about encouraging others to Garden.

In This Podcast: From houseplants, to a single plant that actually makes a cucumber to growing groceries on your carport roof and having the police come and investigate what you are growing...wink, wink. He wasn't, he was growing groceries and turned his passion into a weekly YouTube show that inspires many people to grow their own. Join Greg and Enoch for his very interesting story!

Our Guest: Enoch is an small space gardener who has been growing some of his own food for over 12 years in his limited urban space in southern Oregon. By growing so many different varieties of fruits and vegetables he has taken his skills to a new level. So 7 years ago he started sharing his gardening adventures with his viewers on his Youtube channel "the Urban Gardener”. As his passion for growing his own food and gardening grew over the years he never imagined where it would take him. He is constantly surprised by what he gets back by sharing his growing adventure.

Book Recommendation:

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/TheUrbanGardener 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.

808: How to Help Pollinators

A Garden Chat with Charlotte Wiggins.



In This Garden Chat:

Ever wonder about pollinators and their impact on our environment?  Why are they important and how do they impact the environment around us?  Join us as we chat with Charlotte Wiggins and explore all things pollinator!

Our Special Guest:

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is an award-winning author, lecturer, master beekeeper and master gardener. After careers in journalism, US Forest Service and US Navy, she’s now chairing an 8-state Midwest partnership to grow beekeeping instructors teaching scientifically-based best management practices. 

Her 42-year old, one-acre garden, where her neighbors said nothing would grow, is a Monarch Way Station, Certified Wildlife Habitat and apiary. She featured how she developed Bluebird Gardens in her April 2019TEDx talk “Why Bugs Matter.”

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.

807: Seeds, Are They Dead or Alive?

A chat with an expert on seeds.

In This Seed Chat:

This is the March 2024 Seed Chat - Don’t throw away seeds collected for years. Do a germ test. Germination testing is a vital step to ensure seed viability before planting. We will talk about the process and show you how to determine the ratio of successful germination. Then you can plant the germinated seeds right into the ground. Learning how to germ test empowers growers with crucial insights into seed quality, helping you make informed decisions on seed selection and planting strategies.

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/seeds24mar 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

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.

806: The Rogue Food Conference with Joel Salatin and John Moody

Showcasing those who are making a difference in our food systems.

In This Podcast: The Rogue Food Conference" is an annual gathering of innovative thinkers and passionate advocates who are challenging the status quo of the food industry. Hosted by Joel Salatin and John Moody, this conference showcases individuals and organizations that have found creative solutions to navigate the regulatory hurdles and bring nutrient-dense, local, and authentic food to their communities.

Joel Salatin and his family owned Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Featured in the iconic foodie book, Omnivore's Dilemma, An award winning film, Food Inc., the farm's moniker is Healing the Land One Bite at a Time. Joel is a prolific author and speaker. He promotes local food systems, freedom of food choice, and farming systems that build the commons. Joel was a guest on our podcast and appeared in episode 310.

John Moody lives in his homestead in the rolling hills of Kentucky. He founded the whole life buying club, one of the largest alternative food distribution approaches in the country. He is the author of five books and a well known speaker at conferences across the country on health, food, farming, and freedom. John is a returning podcast guest and appeared on episode 116 and 535.

NOTE: the tickets are available at the Rogue Food Conference website, which is RogueFoodConference. com

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/806Rogue 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.

805: Jennifer Jewell on

the Personal, Ecological and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Saving an iconic resource almost lost to history.

In This Podcast: We chat with Jennifer Jewell on her journey discovering the significance of seeds. She shared "that my tiny life will end and I will have spent a lot of hot air talking to gardeners, but the seeds are gonna survive. Like we've messed up a lot, but the seeds are still there. And the incredible number of seed keeping humans on the ground everywhere, they are doing great work."

Our Guest: Jennifer is the host of the national award-winning weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. She is an author and her third book is called What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Jennifer’s greatest passion is elevating the way we think and talk about gardening, the empowerment of gardeners, and the possibility inherent in the intersection between places, environments, cultures, individuals, and the gardens that bring them together beautifully – for the better of all the lives on this generous planet.

She lives and cultivates her place in interior Northern California with her partner, plantsman John Whittlesey.

Jennifer's Book: What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.

Book Recommendation: Braiding Sweeetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/WhatWeSow 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.

804: Janis and Ray on Journaling a New Habit

A Rosie On The House Radio Show Replay

In This Podcast: Janis Norton and Ray Jess join us for our monthly Rosie on the House Radio hour talking about journaling for gardens and orchards.

Our Guests: Janis Norton is the General Manager at The Urban Farm, where she manages several major projects including their Fruit Tree Education Program, The Urban Farm Podcast,  and the Permaculture Design Course, as well as their online educational classes, chats, and summits.  She earned her degree in Sustainability from Arizona State University, became a Master Gardener, and took her PDC training in Phoenix. While Greg is the visionary at The Urban Farm, Janis is the Implementer – using her superpowers as a project manager to keep things organized and growing our community.

Ray Jess is the Manager of the General Store at The Urban Farm Nursery,  (worked with Greg to update the Urban Farm Planting Calendar, making adjustments for recent changes in our climate and weather ) Ray was a Master Gardener for six years starting in 2016,  completed a Permaculture Design course in 2018 and currently works as a sales associate for a local nursery.

Special Note: For part one of Janis's story she wrote from her journaled experience starting her orchard go to The Fruit Tree Mud Bath Salon

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/804-Rosie 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.

803: Joe Villines on Reviving a 123-Year Old Farm

Living a Dream.

In This Podcast: We speak with Joe Villines about his history as a media person in the Army and how it has impacted the process of rebuilding the 123-year old farm he and his family purchased.

Our Guest: Joe is a father, husband, US Army veteran and co-owner of ‘HalfAcre Farms at Armadillo Acres’ with his partner Lydia in Indianola, Iowa. He attended college for commercial horticulture to further a lifelong interest in growing food.

Joe was a photojournalist and broadcaster in the Army Reserve where he served tours in Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait and other assignments all over the world. Exposure to world strife and world agriculture informed his resolve to raise animals and crops using holistic methods for sale locally.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/HalfAcreFarm 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.

802: All About Chickens, Goats, and Sheep

A Garden Chat with Judith Horvath.

In This Garden Chat:

Judith joins our Garden Chat and she shares the ins and outs of getting into raising small backyard animals. This includes goats, sheep, and chickens. In this Chat, we explore the pitfalls associated with having small animals and how to avoid them.

Our Special Guest:

Judith Horvath has journeyed from a white-collar business executive to hair sheep and dairy goat farmer. When COVID and global events laid bare the fragility of our food supply chain, Judith found a way to leave corporate life to concentrate solely on farming.  Today she’s helping launch a new generation of small farmers with the goal of establishing a resilient local food supply chain based on regenerative agriculture methods, rotationally grazed grass fed meats, and nutrient dense produce.  She’s on a mission to help people get started farming and be immediately successful. 

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.