427: Zachery Berry on Edible Cacti.
Savoring the delicious tastes of thorny cacti.
Zach is a graduate student at Arizona State University studying urban ecology, botany, and animal behavior. He serves on the board of Homestead Cactus Sanctuary, a local nonprofit that teaches people how to grow and use cacti as food.
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In This Podcast:
Zachery Berry from the Homestead Cactus Sanctuary teaches us about the edible cacti that grow naturally in Arizona. Listen in to learn about growing cacti at home and when and how to harvest them. Zach also shares tips on pollinating cacti, edible varieties of cactus, and glochids!
Listen in and learn about:
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- Zach’s journey to starting Homestead Cactus Sanctuary
- How animals are important in the ecosystem
- How several different insects are pollinators
- Different edible cacti
- Edible cactus fruit: when and how to harvest them
- Glochids
- The cooling effect of eating prickly pear
- Benefits of Prickly pear juice
- Peruvian apples
- Growing dragon fruit
- How to listen to your plants (step 1 in permaculture)
- Homestead Cactus Sanctuary programs and mission
As well as:
His failure – Taking on too much.
His success – Master’s program
His drive – To make the world a better place and fix the damage that has been done to our ecosystem.
His advice – Find your passion and stick to it!
Zach’s Book recommendations:
A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert
Field Guide to Cacti & Other Succulents of Arizona, Second edition
How to reach Zach:
Website: www.homesteadcactussanctuary.org
Facebook: Homestead Cactus Sanctuary
UrbanFarm.org/cactussanctuary
Note: You can also find these books mentioned above at one of our favorite local independent bookstores and have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a small business.
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