The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

In this July Seed Chat, Greg Peterson, Bill McDorman, and Landen Schaelling explore how compost, fungi, microbial life, and living plant roots work together to build healthier soil. Landen explains why keeping plants growing is more important for long-term soil carbon than simply adding organic matter, and why fungal-rich compost can help store the carbon plants produce. The conversation covers cover crops, composting methods, curing, moisture, carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, chop-and-drop, crimping, and compost extracts.
Our Guests: Landen Schaelling is the founder of Sacred Soil Solutions. He is focused on bringing optimal and approachable microbe inputs to gardeners and homesteaders, while also teaching farmers in the American West how to implement soil building solutions at scale.
And Bill McDorman has committed his life to community-based seed stewardship. In 1984, he started Seeds Trust High Altitude Gardens, a bioregional mail order seed company that he ran for 28 years. He authored the book Basic Seed Saving in 1994, and in 2010 Bill and his wife, Belle Starr, founded Seed School.
Key Topics
Compost and soil health
Fungal-dominant compost
Soil food web
Cover crops and living roots
Rhizophagy cycle
Microbial fermentations
Liquid carbon and soil carbon storage
Thermophilic composting
Johnson-Su composting
Bokashi
Carbon-to-nitrogen ratios
Chop-and-drop and crimping
Compost curing and moisture
Landen Schaelling / Sacred Soil Solutions

Key Questions Answered
Why are living plants more important than simply adding compost for long-term soil improvement?
Living plants act as the soil's “income earners,” putting liquid carbon into the soil through their roots. Compost can support that system, but keeping roots in the ground is what continually feeds the soil food web.
What makes compost truly valuable?
The goal isn't simply the solid organic material. High-quality compost provides a living community of fungi and other soil food web organisms that can interact with plant roots and help store plant-derived carbon.
How can you encourage fungal growth in compost?
Landen recommends a high-carbon pile, roughly 60–70% carbon, along with consistent moisture. Chunkier wood chips can help encourage fungal activity, and the compost needs a long curing period for the microbial community to develop.
How long should compost cure?
After the heating phase, Landen recommends roughly nine to 12 months of curing with consistent moisture around 50–60%. He describes seeing a significant increase in fungi, protozoa, and other soil food web organisms as the compost matures.
Should compost be sifted?
Landen strongly recommends against sifting mature compost because it adds oxygen, dries the material, and can damage fungal hyphae. The living organisms on the compost matter more than producing a perfectly fine, crumbly product.
Can weeds function as cover crops?
Some weeds can contribute positively when they are temporarily left growing, but not all weeds provide the same benefits. Landen specifically notes that context matters and that some weeds can be less supportive of fungal relationships.
What is the difference between chop-and-drop and crimping?
Chop-and-drop can create a rapid release of nitrogen, while crimping breaks the stems without completely severing them, allowing nutrients to move more slowly into the root system. Either approach works best when another crop is ready to capture the released nutrients.
How often should microbial fermentation sprays be applied?
Landen says plants can benefit from very frequent, even daily, applications because they respond well to small amounts delivered consistently. However, he emphasizes that less frequent applications can still provide significant benefits when time is limited.
What should consumers look for when buying compost?
Landen recommends asking compost producers for microscope analysis. He argues that microscopy provides important evidence about the biological quality of the finished compost.
Episode Highlights
Living plants, not dead organic matter, are the primary “income earners” that build soil carbon.
Cover crops keep roots in the ground and continually support the soil food web.
Fungal-rich compost helps capture and store the carbon produced by plants.
A compost pile with roughly 60–70% carbon can encourage strong fungal development.
Thermophilic composting is only part of the process; long-term curing is critical.
Maintaining 50–60% moisture for nine to 12 months allows fungi and other soil organisms to develop.
Sifting compost can damage fungal hyphae and reduce biological quality.
Crimping can provide a slower nutrient release than chop-and-drop.
The goal of compost is not simply decomposition—it is developing and applying microbial life.
A fungally dominant compost can be extracted into water and applied directly rather than aerated like a bacterial tea.

Calls to Action & Resources
Attend future live Seed Chats — https://seedchat.org
Listen to previous Seed Chats — https://urbanfarmpodcast.com
Learn about Sacred Soil Solutions — Contact Landen Schaelling directly for information on Microbe Master Mix and educational resources. Instagram: @sacredsoilsolutions
Facebook: Landen Schaelling
Email: Landen.schaelling@protonmail.com

Our monthly Seed Chat at SeedChat.org
In This Podcast: In this month's Seed Chat Greg Peterson and Bill McDorman, discuss .
Visit UrbanFarm.org/1002 for the show notes and links on this episode!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg to get permaculture based feedback.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.

A Chat with Wendi Bergin
Greg Peterson and Wendi Bergin explore the “harvest mindset” and how to prepare for abundance before the garden starts producing more food than you can eat fresh. They discuss practical ways to preserve tomatoes, including freezing, canning, dehydrating, steam juicing, tomato powder, salsa, sauce, and tomato water. The conversation expands into zucchini preservation, fresh-milled grain, homesteading, preparedness, and the idea that being prepared can bring peace rather than fear. Throughout, Greg and Wendi emphasize experimenting, sharing ideas, and finding joy in growing and preserving local food.
Key Topics
Harvest mindset and preparing for garden abundance
Preserving large tomato harvests
Freezing tomatoes whole
Water bath canning vs. pressure canning
Safe, tested canning practices
Tomato sauce, salsa, tomato juice, and tomato water
Steam juicing and tomato powder
Zucchini preservation, relish, fritters, and zucchini lasagna
Fresh-milled grain and home baking
Azure Standard bulk buying club
Homesteading and self-reliance
Preparedness as a source of peace
Local food economies and growing your own food
Basil preservation and pesto

Key Questions Answered
• What is a “harvest mindset,” and why is it important?
A harvest mindset means expecting abundance instead of being overwhelmed by it. If you plant 20 tomato plants, you may get very little—or you may get pounds and pounds of tomatoes. Preparing ahead of time allows you to enjoy that abundance rather than scrambling to figure out what to do with it.
• What is the biggest mistake people make when harvest season begins?
Not being prepared. Wendi recommends having your preservation equipment, jars, lids, and other supplies ready before the large harvest arrives.
• What is a simple way to preserve tomatoes before the harvest gets really large?
Wash the tomatoes, place them in bags, and freeze them whole. As the harvest grows, the frozen tomatoes can later be taken out and canned.
• Why does tomato canning require added acid?
The discussion explains that modern tomato varieties may not be acidic enough for safe water-bath canning without additional acid. Lemon juice is discussed as a way to increase acidity when canning tomatoes.
• What is the difference between water-bath and pressure canning?
Water-bath canning uses boiling water and is intended for sufficiently acidic foods. Pressure canning reaches temperatures above the boiling point of water and is used for lower-acid foods such as meats and vegetables.
• What can you do with tomato water from a steam juicer?
Instead of throwing it away, Wendi cans tomato water and uses it in stews, goulash, chili, and for cooking pasta.
• What are some ways to use tomato powder?
Dehydrated tomatoes can be blended into powder and used to thicken spaghetti sauce, flavor broths, add to roasts, make tomato paste or sauce, create spice blends, and make tomato soup.
• How can you preserve a large zucchini harvest?
Zucchini can be shredded, have its excess water removed, and frozen. It can also be made into relish or pickles, fritters, bread, and even a lasagna using sliced zucchini instead of pasta.
• What is the larger lesson behind food preservation?
Preparedness can bring peace and help people live above fear. Whether facing an emergency or simply an overwhelming garden harvest, preparation makes it possible to respond confidently and joyfully.
Episode Highlights
The harvest mindset starts before you have 50 pounds of tomatoes or zucchini.
Freeze smaller tomato harvests as they arrive, then process them later when the volume increases.
Being prepared means having jars, lids, equipment, and a preservation plan ready ahead of time.
Preserve tomatoes simply by canning them as pure tomato sauce and adding herbs and spices later when cooking.
Steam juicing can separate tomato juice from the solids, creating useful tomato water and concentrated tomato material.
Dehydrated tomatoes can become tomato powder with dozens of potential uses.
Zucchini can become relish, pickles, fritters, frozen shreds, or even pasta-free lasagna.
Preparedness isn't about fear—it can create peace, self-reliance, and joy in abundance.

Calls to Action & Resources
Azure Standard — azurestandard.com
Homesteading Made Simple / Joyfully Prepared Podcast — Search for “Homesteading Made Simple” or “Joyfully Prepared”
Homesteading Made Simple on YouTube — Search for “Homesteading Made Simple”
Urban Farm Podcast — Listen to the Urban Farm Podcast for more conversations about growing food, local food economies, and self-reliance.
Grow your own food — Visit your local farmers market, grow herbs and vegetables, and find ways to participate in your local food economy

Content Advisory
Food preservation safety is discussed, including water-bath and pressure canning. The guests strongly recommend following prescribed, tested canning recipes and established safety guidelines rather than using unverified preservation methods.
Visit www.urbanfarm.org/1001 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges.You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback.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.

What 1,000 Conversations Taught Me About Real Wealth
In this milestone 1,000th episode, Greg Peterson reflects on more than 50 years as an entrepreneur, 34 years of building regenerative food systems, and nearly 11 years of consistently publishing The Urban Farm Podcast. Rather than measuring success solely in dollars, he explores the deeper forms of wealth created through knowledge, community, resilience, and food sovereignty. Through stories of listeners whose lives were transformed by growing food, Greg makes the case that every garden, fruit tree, and saved seed becomes part of the infrastructure for a stronger local food economy.
Our Guest: “What if there was a garden and fruit tree in every yard?” This is a question that Greg ponders every day. For over 32 years he created of one of Phoenix's first environmental showcase homes for urban farming. The 1/4-acre yard featured a primarily edible landscape with over 80 fruit trees, rainwater and greywater harvesting, solar applications, and extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials. What we now call an Old Growth Food Forest. He is the co-founder of Great American Seed Up an educational organization designed to energize local seeds. He is also the founder of UrbanFarm.org and the host of The Urban Farm Podcast that has 1000 episodes and over 5 million listens. The podcast is designed to help fulfill Greg’s passion of spreading the word about growing your own food and sharing new and seasoned gardeners epic stories.
Key Topics & Entities
The Urban Farm Podcast's 1,000-episode milestone
Local food economy as community infrastructure
Regenerative agriculture and permaculture
Food sovereignty and household resilience
Urban Farm Phoenix food forest
Asheville food forest project
Fruit tree education for desert climates
Seed saving as community infrastructure
Building knowledge archives through podcasting
Entrepreneurial purpose beyond financial success
Community gardens and food access
Parallel food systems and resilience
Consistency as a long-term investment
Transforming the global food system one backyard at a time

Key Questions Answered
Why does Greg believe he was "paid twice" without receiving money?
He describes receiving recognition from ChatGPT for the long-term impact of the podcast and a handwritten letter with saved seeds from a listener who started a community garden at a Chicago homeless shelter. Both affirmed that meaningful work creates value beyond financial income.
What is a local food economy?
A local food economy is more than farmers markets. It is the infrastructure that enables communities to produce, preserve, share, and distribute food locally, making them less dependent on fragile global supply chains.
Why is growing food an act of resilience?
Every garden, fruit tree, and saved seed strengthens local knowledge, increases food security, and builds community resilience against disruptions in centralized food systems.
Why has consistency mattered more than revenue?
Publishing every Friday for nearly 11 years created a searchable teaching archive that continues helping new listeners long after each episode was released. Greg argues that knowledge compounds just like healthy ecosystems do.
What does Greg mean by "payment in multiple currencies"?
He defines wealth as the accumulation of knowledge, confidence, relationships, healthier communities, seed saving, and transformed lives—not simply financial profit.
How can anyone begin participating in a local food economy?
Start small by growing one plant, planting a fruit tree, joining a community garden, learning seed saving, visiting farmers markets, and sharing knowledge with others. Every action strengthens the larger network.
Episode Highlights
Greg reflects on reaching 1,000 podcast episodes and the unexpected recognition that confirmed the long-term impact of his work.
A listener's community garden at a Chicago homeless shelter demonstrates how knowledge creates lasting change beyond the original conversation.
The Urban Farm in Phoenix serves as a decades-long proof of concept for regenerative food production in the desert.
Local food economies are built through relationships, education, and community infrastructure—not simply food sales.
Showing up consistently for nearly 11 years transformed individual podcast episodes into a permanent knowledge archive.
Every saved seed, backyard garden, and farmers market vendor contributes to resilient parallel food systems.
Real wealth includes confidence, skills, community, and the ability to feed yourself and others.
Greg challenges listeners to become active participants in rebuilding local food systems by simply growing something.

Resources
Listen to the Urban Farm Podcast — Search the archive of 1,000+ episodes for practical gardening, permaculture, fruit tree, and food system education. UrbanFarmPodcast.com
Grow Something — Start with one tomato, herb, or fruit tree and experience your first harvest.
Save Seeds — Learn to preserve and share locally adapted seeds for future generations. GreatAmericanSeedUp.org
Support Your Local Food Economy — Visit farmers markets, community gardens, and local growers.
Share What You Learn — Teach someone else to grow food and help expand the network of local resilience.

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/1000 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges.You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback.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.

Growing Food, Building Abundance, and Working with Nature
In a unique twist, Greg is interviewed by Taylor Luke of the Tales with Tayler Podcast. In this Episode Greg Peterson shares the philosophy and practical systems that have guided more than four decades of growing food in the desert and beyond. From creating an old-growth food forest in Phoenix to building local seed resilience through the Great American Seed Up, he explains how anyone can begin producing food at home. The conversation explores permaculture, fruit trees, seed saving, local food economies, and why understanding where food comes from is one of the most important skills of our time.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I was going to do for my 1000th episode of the Farm podcast. And was recently interviewed by Tayler Wellman of tales with Tayler. After listening to the episode, I thought it would be a great jumping off point for my 1000th narrative episode. This tells some of my story and she did a really great job with the interview so I asked and she said yes, play it on your podcast. This will give you two opportunities, first to experience a new podcast and second to hear some of my backstory leading into the next 1000 episodes. Enjoy!
Our Guest: Taylor hosts "Tales With Taylor," a spirited interview podcast where successful entrepreneurs and business owners share their most captivating stories from childhood to future goals. Each episode blends life-changing advice, nostalgic reflections, and playful humor, as guests open up about the best advice they've ever received, the lessons they wish they'd known sooner, and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Part business wisdom, part storytelling adventure, Tales With Taylor offers a genuine, personal connection to the highs, lows, and hard-won insights of inspiring people in the business world.
Taylor is the owner and operator of Financial Potion, a video marketing company based in Mesa, Arizona. Taylor helps businesses and organizations make swift, lasting impressions through tailor-made video marketing, personally guiding every step from scriptwriting to production, editing, and video SEO. Clients consistently praise the process as stress-free and genuinely enjoyable.
Key Topics
Greg Peterson
Urban Farm
Urban Farm Podcast
Permaculture
Food forests
Fruit trees and perennial food production
The Great American Seed Up
Seed saving and home seed banks
Local food economies
Desert gardening
Asheville, North Carolina
Tower Gardens
Farmers markets
Regenerative systems

Key Questions Answered
What was Greg Peterson's favorite harvest?
His favorite harvest is food that returns naturally year after year without replanting. Self-seeding crops like basil, parsley, cilantro, kale, nasturtiums, and sweet potatoes transformed his Phoenix property into an old-growth food forest that largely cared for itself.
Why are fruit trees such an important investment?
Fruit trees are planted once and can provide fresh food for decades. Greg shares stories of century-old citrus trees and explains why fruit trees offer one of the highest long-term returns for home gardeners.
What is permaculture?
Permaculture is the art and science of working with nature instead of against it. Greg explains how designing landscapes that mimic natural ecosystems creates resilient, productive gardens with less work over time.
Why should every household maintain a seed bank?
Seeds are the foundation of food security. Greg explains how storing seeds at home strengthens local resilience and inspired the creation of the Great American Seed Up, helping thousands of people build personal seed reserves.
Do seeds really expire?
Not necessarily. Most expiration dates reflect packaging regulations rather than biological limits. When stored cool, dark, and dry, many seeds remain viable for years—even decades.
How can beginners successfully start growing food?
Start small with crops you already enjoy eating. Herbs like basil are inexpensive, productive, and easy to grow—even on a sunny windowsill.
What if someone doesn't have a yard?
Greg recommends Tower Gardens, container gardening, windowsill herbs, and visiting local farmers markets. Food production is possible even in apartments and condos.
Why is understanding our food system so important?
Knowing where food comes from reconnects people with healthier eating, stronger local economies, and more resilient communities. Growing even a small amount of food changes the way people think about nutrition and sustainability.
How can individuals help address climate change?
Focus on regenerative practices that work with nature. Growing food, improving soil, supporting local farmers, and creating resilient food systems are practical actions anyone can take.
Which book most influenced Greg's thinking?
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn profoundly shaped Greg's worldview by challenging assumptions about humanity's relationship with nature and inspiring his lifelong mission of transforming food systems.
Episode Highlights
Greg explains how self-seeding plants transformed his yard into an old-growth food forest that produces food with minimal maintenance.
Fruit trees are presented as one of the easiest long-term investments for home food production.
The story behind the creation of the Great American Seed Up and its mission to build community seed resilience.
Why seeds stored properly can remain viable for decades despite printed expiration dates.
Lessons learned growing food in both the Arizona desert and the mountains of North Carolina.
How Tower Gardens make food production possible for apartment and condo dwellers.
The philosophy that nature is regenerative while most human systems are degenerative—and why that must change.
Greg's lifelong mission: helping people understand where their food comes from by inspiring them to grow even a small portion themselves.

Calls to Action & Resources
Urban Farm — https://urbanfarm.org
Urban Farm Podcast — https://urbanfarmpodcast.com
Great American Seed Up — https://greatamericanseedup.org
Fruit Trees Program — https://fruittrees.org
Free Desert Planting Calendar — https://plantingcalendar.org
Learn about Permaculture — Explore local Permaculture Design Courses (PDCs) at Permaculture.net
Visit Your Local Farmers Market — Meet local growers and buy seasonal food directly.
Read: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Tales with Taylor Podcast on podcast platforms and HERE on YouTube
Tales with Taylor Website - https://taleswithtaylor.com

Visit www.urbanfarm.org/999 for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges.You can chat with Greg or choose one of the senior members of our Urban Farm team to get permaculture based feedback.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.

A Rosie On The House Replay
In this episode we explore the concept of wicking bed gardens, hosted by Romey Romero & Farmer Greg, our guest is Don Titmus where we find that Water harvesting is about far more than capturing rain, it is a foundation for resilient landscapes, healthier soils, and regenerative living. Greg Peterson welcomes longtime permaculture educator Don Titmus to share the evolution of his Mesa, Arizona property, beeOasis, and the lessons he's learned from decades of designing landscapes that work with nature instead of against it. Together they explore permaculture principles, rainwater harvesting, biodiversity, and how small design choices can create thriving ecosystems in urban environments.
Key Topics
Water harvesting and passive rainwater collection
Permaculture design principles
Don Titmus
Greg Peterson
beeOasis (Mesa, Arizona)
Urban Farm
Phoenix Permaculture Guild
Permaculture Design Course (PDC)
Pollinator habitat creation
Composting systems
Top-bar beekeeping
Biodiversity in urban landscapes
Landscape design for resilience
Long-term ecological thinking

Questions
How did beeOasis get its name?
Don explains that after attending a top-bar beekeeping class, he realized his property naturally provided everything bees need—water, flowers, trees, pollen, nectar, and shelter—making it a true oasis for pollinators.
Why did Don stop keeping bees?
Although his landscape was ideal for bees, the hive's location near his compost system made routine compost maintenance difficult because the bees aggressively defended their territory. He ultimately donated the hives while continuing to maintain the property as pollinator habitat.
How did Greg and Don first connect?
The two met shortly after Don completed his first Permaculture Design Course in the early 2000s during an event at Greg's Urban Farm. Their shared passion for regenerative design led to years of collaboration through the Phoenix Permaculture Guild.
What role did the Phoenix Permaculture Guild play?
The guild became a hub for education, demonstrations, public tours, and community outreach, helping spread knowledge about rainwater harvesting, graywater systems, and sustainable landscape design.
Why is naming a property important?
Greg encouraged people to name their properties as a way to establish identity, purpose, and connection to the land. Don shares how this simple suggestion helped shape the identity of beeOasis.
What makes a landscape resilient?
A resilient landscape integrates water harvesting, healthy soils, diverse plantings, pollinator habitat, and thoughtful design that works with natural systems instead of relying on constant inputs.
Episode Highlights
Greg introduces longtime permaculture educator Don Titmus and their decades-long friendship through the Arizona permaculture community.
Don shares the story behind creating and naming beeOasis.
The conversation explores how pollinator-friendly landscapes support both wildlife and resilient gardens.
Don recounts his experience as a beekeeper and why he ultimately chose to remove the hives while preserving bee habitat.
Greg reflects on the early years of the Phoenix Permaculture Guild and its influence on water harvesting education.
The discussion highlights how permaculture principles can transform ordinary urban properties into thriving ecosystems.
Listeners hear practical examples of designing landscapes that capture water naturally and build long-term resilience.

Calls to Action & Resources
Learn more about Urban Farm — https://UrbanFarm.org
Explore permaculture education and courses — https://UrbanFarm.org
Visit beeOasis during public tours — Check local announcements for tour opportunities.
Community — Connect with local permaculture organizations and water harvesting groups to learn hands-on techniques.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/998 for the show notes and links on this episode!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges.You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.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.