185: Elaine Ingham on Life in the Soil

Education and Learning, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Regenerative or Sustainable, Soil Searching1 Comment

Greg talks with one of the foremost experts on soil health Dr. Elaine Ingham and learns a lot about the world of microbiological life in the soil.  Her studies have been amazing and it is easy to see how being a student in one of her classes can be quite informative.  She tells about how she became so focused on the microbiological life in the soil and educates us on the importance of those first few dozen inches of earth our food is grown in.  This is a mini course of science in just one podcast.

184: Michael Phillips on Holistic Orcharding

Fruit Trees, Homesteading or Farmsteading, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Soil SearchingLeave a comment

Greg has found an east coast twin when he talks to a fruit tree farmer named Michael Phillips who has been growing apple trees in New Hampshire with a care that works for the health of the trees and the ecosystem in which they live. Michael grows and sells fruit trees and he focuses a lot of offering tree growing education as well.  He shares his main points of growing healthy fruit trees and explains why some of the steps are so beneficial to trees.

183: Shawn Jadrnicek on The Bio-Integrated Farm

Aquaponics, chickens, Frugality, Greenhouse or Hoophouse, Homesteading or Farmsteading, Permaculture and Design, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Regenerative or Sustainable, Soil SearchingLeave a comment

Maximizing functions from landscape elements to save time, energy and money. Greg meets Shawn who explains a key permaculture concept of having multiple functions from one element. Shawn tells how he has designed many projects focusing on elements that have at least seven functions each. With his experience, he has brought together several examples in his new book and so he shares some ideas in this interview.

182: Matthew Shepherd on Planting to Feed Bees

Bees and Beekeeping, Permaculture and Design, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Pollinator Animals, Support systemsLeave a comment

Expanding the habitat of an essential pollinator through garden choices. Greg chats with Matthew of the Xerces Society to learn more about their latest book titled 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, as well as some of the projects the Society has been working on.  Matthew’s story of how he got to work for the Xerces Society is a little world tour and then he helps explain more about different bees and what they need.

181: Quita Jackson on Thrifty Self Sufficiency

Aquaponics, Community, Farm Animals, Frugality, Fruit Trees, Homesteading or Farmsteading, Kids and Gardening, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Prepping, Regenerative or Sustainable, Small Space Gardening, Support systems, Water WisdomLeave a comment

Being green is all about having less of a negative impact on the planet and here Greg chats with Quita who has fully adopted a new lifestyle and loves helping others find their way into it as well. Quita tells how she got the courage to start gardening, and how that gave her confidence to try new ways to become self-sufficient even while living in a major city. Her encouraging attitude and caring nature helps as she spreads the word about little steps people can take in their own lives.

180: Brian Smith on Biochar

Homesteading or Farmsteading, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Regenerative or Sustainable, Soil SearchingLeave a comment

Greg talks to Brian Smith, a transplant to Arizona who needed to improve his gardening results and found out about biochar. Brian explains the process that was used over 2000 years ago, to transform burned wood into a long lasting organic super buffet with nutrients galore. He tells how he was so interested in the results that he took his research to the point that he can now make his own biochar in his backyard.

179: Penn Parmenter on Passive Solar Greenhouses

Greenhouse or Hoophouse, Homesteading or Farmsteading, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Regenerative or Sustainable, Support systems, TechnologyLeave a comment

Greg reconnects with Penn to talk about the greenhouse designs she and her husband create, sell and teach about. Penn tells how her husband Cord took passive solar concepts and implemented them into the first greenhouse they built from reclaimed and scrap materials, and how they have made many improvements over time.

178: Jayson Matthews on Solutions to Hunger

Community, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Support systemsLeave a comment

The complex and often misunderstood situation of food insecurity and hunger is the focus of discussion in Greg’s interview with Jayson. Jayson’s personal history growing up as the son of a young single mother gave him the empathy he needed to fill his role at the United Way. Jayson helps to explain many of the distinctions of hunger as well as how prevalent the reality is in the urban communities in America.

177: Drew Taddia on Reducing Stress and Detoxing Smartly

Cooking and Nutrition, Health, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Support systems, Vegetarian or VeganLeave a comment

Greg interviews health and fitness advocate and radio show host Drew Taddia, and they talk about the importance of reducing stress and making sustainable lifestyle changes that work. Drew teaches about using a different mindset when making lifestyle changes, and how that can be the difference in succeeding or failing.

176: Cory Williams on Tropical Fruit Trees

Fruit Trees, Homesteading or Farmsteading, Podcast - Previously Patron Only (now free), Regenerative or Sustainable, SeedsLeave a comment

Greg meets Cory, a man who could not take ‘You can’t do that’ for an answer. Cory has transformed his home just outside of Phoenix to his own tropical fruit forest paradise using micro-climates, observation, experimentation, and frankly ignoring naysayers.  His interest started with a few wine grapes and he got bit by the growing bug as he now has over 150 trees on his urban property and is not done trying new things.