535: John Moody on Weed Suppression.
Controlling unwanted volunteers in our farms and gardens.
In This Podcast:
Could weeds be friends? In some cases, John Moody thinks they are! John shares some of the knowledge from his book and experience on his homestead to help you determine what are beneficial weeds in the right area of your garden. Listen in to learn about using weeds as an understory to benefit plants, designing your growing space to minimize weeds, when to utilize their benefits, or how to safely remove them. If you’ve ever seen a weed in your yard, this is an episode for you! Don’t Miss an Episode!! Click HERE to sign up for regular podcast updates
Our Guest:
John does not consider himself a typical farmer. Farming and homesteading were not something he ever planned to do. Growing up, he enjoyed a varied diet of video games, cartoons, and processed foods. Dental decay, seasonal allergies, and constant sickness were the inevitable result – one that doctors denied was connected to food and lifestyle choices.
In his early 20s, he was waylaid by duodenal ulcers, his body’s warning that some things were dreadfully awry. Over the course of a year, he and his now wife Jessica completely changed their understanding of food, asking – what is food? How should it be raised? and How should it be prepared? This eventually led to moving out to a farm of their own, and writing several books including The Frugal Homesteader Handbook, The Elderberry Book, and Winning the War Against Weeds.
Listen in and learn about:
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- His homestead and how it has evolved over the past 10 years
- What he is looking for in his next homestead
- Weeds as an unwanted plant, why some are good in the right location
- Some of the beneficial weeds they allow as part of their farm
- How an understory of weeds can benefit some plants
- Designing your growing spaces to minimize weeds
- Defensive and aggressive measures against weeds
- Companion planting with nitrogen fixing plants to crowd out weeds
- Managing weeds for their benefits and when to take them out completely
- The nutritional value of weeds
- Finding plants that want to live where you do and fostering those over ones that want to die
- How to use mulching appropriately for weed control
- Organic chemicals and when they are effective
- Occultation and solarization methods and how to use them in a non-growing season
- The Rogue Food Conference for local sustainable food and farming
As well as:
His childhood memory – Traditional holiday foods that reflect the culture and heritage of his area.
His advice – Grow herbs at home, shop at farmers markets, take action, big or small to make a difference in the food system.
Books written by John*:
“Winning the War Against Weeds”
How to reach John:
Website: johnwmoody.com
Facebook: John Moody, Abby’s Elderberry
Instagram: @AbbysElderberry
Previous Podcasts:
116: John Moody of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
UrbanFarm.org/johnwmoody
