A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman. – The conversation covers the benefits of wildflowers, emphasizing their role in permaculture and ecological wealth. They highlight successful gardening practices, including using grains and legumes as cover crops to maintain soil health.
A Garden Chat with Don Titmus. – Greg and Don dive into the Permaculture Principle of ‘making the least change for the greatest possible effect’. The discussion covers various techniques such as composting, leveraging points in the system, and creating sustainable urban gardens.
A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman. -Greg and Bill discuss the fundamentals of seed saving, emphasizing the importance of observation in the garden to identify the healthiest plants for seed collection. They share their experiences and techniques for selecting seeds, such as paying attention to plant resilience, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation.
A Garden Chat with Don Titmus. – In this garden chat, Greg and Don Titmus dive into the Permaculture Principle ‘The problem is the solution,’ using examples like managing excess lemons and wetland areas to illustrate the concept. They also talk about water harvesting techniques, such as swales and curb cuts, and offer solutions for gardening in small spaces, like using tower gardens and partnering with neighbors. The session concludes with an explanation of what a permaculture design course entails and the benefits of taking it in-person. Participants are encouraged to drop questions in the Q&A, and the next month’s topic will be ‘Make the least change for the greatest possible effect or yield.’
A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman. – Greg and Bill McDorman explore why seed saving virtually disappeared. They reveal how, historically, seed saving was an integral practice for gardeners and farmers, promoting more resilient and adaptable crops. However, the industrialization of agriculture and commercialization of seeds in the 20th century led to a decline in this practice due to economic pressures and the introduction of laws favoring seed patents and protections. Bill recounts the historical developments, including the idea of patenting of plants in the 1930s and the eventual patenting of seeds in the 1980s.
A Garden Chat with ______. – This month Greg from Urban Farm and Don Titmus from Bee Oasis discuss the principle of working with nature rather than against it. They cover various permaculture techniques, such as building soil organically, harvesting rainwater, using polyculture, and incorporating animals for land management. The conversation highlights the importance of seed saving, biological pest control, and the benefits of a permaculture design course. They also share personal experiences and insights on creating sustainable and resilient ecosystems.
A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman. – In This Podcast: Greg and Bill navigate the evolution of seed ownership and its impact on biodiversity. They highlight how, historically, seeds were predominantly grown locally, fostering diversity. However, today, four major companies dominate the global seed market, resulting in a significant loss of agricultural diversity. This shift has made the food system vulnerable to diseases and climate change, which were traditionally mitigated by seed diversity. Efforts to preserve genetic diversity through seed banks are underfunded and face operational challenges, raising concerns about future accessibility.
The conversation emphasizes the importance of local seed saving and sharing initiatives as a means to reclaim control over seeds. Resources like Seed Up Saturday and organizations such as goingtoseed.org are promoted as vital tools for increasing seed diversity within communities. The session concludes with encouragement for individuals to actively participate in seed saving and sharing to enhance local food security and biodiversity.
A Garden Chat with Don Titmus- Join Farmer Greg and Don Titmus, a horticulturist and permaculturist as they reflect on their 20-year friendship and shared journey in permaculture. They outline the fundamental principles of permaculture then introduce the concepts from permaculture of elements, zones and stacking functions, where each element in a design performs multiple roles, using chickens as a primary example. They explore how zones and sectors work in permaculture design, emphasizing the importance of understanding the external elements and how they impact the property.
A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman. – In this months Seed Chat Greg Peterson and Bill McDorman, explore how saving seeds fosters independence, self-sufficiency, and better food production. They delve into the conversation that by saving seeds, gardeners can create a diverse and resilient plant community adapted to their local conditions. The conversation includes personal anecdotes, such as Greg’s successful basil seed saving, and highlights the benefits of community gardening and seed sharing. They underscore the importance of growing food locally to combat the decline in nutritional quality associated with industrial agriculture and long-distance food transport. The hosts also mention the Great American Seed Up initiative to encourage widespread seed saving and promote food security
Greg Peterson from Urban Farm Fruit Tree Program and Tom Spellman, a seasoned nursery expert with Dave Wilson Nursery, discuss the intricacies of managing fruit trees in a changing climate. They provide an educational overview of effective fruit tree planting and maintenance techniques. Key topics include the importance of proper planting mix, establishing adequate basins with woody mulch, painting trunks for heat protection, and using cover crops like cow peas and sweet potatoes to maintain soil health. They also emphasize supplemental irrigation during high heat periods, the significance of rootstocks, and managing wind stress with natural windbreaks. The session includes practical advice on insect management, the benefits of companion planting, and ensuring optimal nutrient supply tailored to tree growth stages. The wrap with announcing the launch of Tom’s new YouTube channel, ‘Growing with Tom Spellman,’ and a motivational note on personalizing one’s garden space.
