Living Homegrown Podcast with Theresa Loe

If you have wanted to grow your own blueberries but thought it was too hard, this is the episode for you. Yes, blueberries have specific requirements. BUT...if you know the tricks, it is easy to have success! In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews Lee Reich - a well-respected author and authority in fruit growing. Lee knows a thing or two about blueberries. In fact, his PhD is in blueberries! In this episode you learn: How growing blueberries is easier than you think, The pros and cons of each type of plant, The exact formula to adjust your soil pH, The secret to creating the best soil, How to best prevent birds from eating your harvest, How to prune each type of blueberry plant, The trick for knowing when your blueberries have the best flavor...and no...it has nothing to do with color! As always, you can get more information at www.LivingHomegrown.com/97 including links and a full transcript of the episode. 

Direct download: 97_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:23pm PDT

This week's podcast is a group podcast where host Theresa Loe brought on 5 different guest experts in the areas of Organic farming, Foraging, Fermenting, Wellness and Cheesemaking. Each of the experts answered the same question about living farm fresh. But they all had VERY different insights on how to live more organically and flavorfully. In this episode you learn: A simple trick for meal planning, How to find new organic flavors in your own backyard, Where to source inexpensive organic produce, How to get over the fear of fermentation, Simple steps to reduce stress and why we sometimes need to embrace failure when we try new food crafts. As always, you can get more information and all the links at www.LivingHomegrown.com/96 as well as a full transcript of the show. In addition there is a free PDF download in the show notes with a summary of all the tips. 

Direct download: 96_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:03pm PDT

Learn from the top organic flower farmer-florist in the country. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews farmer-florist Erin Benzakein of Floret Farm. Erin is well known in the organic flower world because she grows massive amounts of flowers in a relatively small space in the state of Washington while using organic practices AND she creates stunning bouquets that include edibles, vines and other farm-fresh ingredients. Her reputation earned her the Martha Stewart American Made Award for Floral and Event Design. And she has been featured in countless magazines and bridal websites. In this episode, Erin shares how we can grow and enjoy organic flowers in numerous ways ourselves. You learn: Why supporting local flowers is SO important for us and the earth, How Erin transitioned from city life to flower farmer life, The big impact you can have from a small handful of sweet peas, The counter-intuitive technique for reviving wiling cut flowers, The best pro tips for getting long vase life, Just how little space is necessary for growing, How the home gardener can get started, How to prevent wind-blow garden plants in less than 5 minutes, and so much more. As always, you can get al the related links mentioned in the episode in the show notes at: www.LivingHomegrown.com/95 as well as a full transcript AND a free PDF of all Erin's pro tips on getting a long vase life from cut flowers. Be sure to visit the website for more information and links to more articles on growing and enjoying organic flowers.

Direct download: 95_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:32am PDT

Learn how the simple mason bee can be incredibly powerful in our backyard gardens and in helping farmers around the world. These gentle creatures are much lower maintenance than a honeybee and yet, they can do just as much if not more to pollinate our food. In fact, they can boost our backyard food growing yields with just a few bees. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews Dave Hunter of Crown Bees to shed some light on this important topic. You learn: Why these gentle bees are so valuable to us, The differences between honeybees and mason bees, The mason bee's secret to massive pollination, Why it's important to ID what makes holes in your garden plants, How mason bees can be like zucchini (LOL), How we can participate in a citizen science project to help bees and farmers around the world, and the easy way you can raise and share these bees with friends. As always, you can get a ton of more information at www.LivingHomegrown.com/94 as well as a full transcript of the episode. 

Direct download: 94_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:18pm PDT

What? We can eat the hostas??  Yep, you can - If they are grown organically, of course. In this week's episode, host Theresa Loe interviews author and foraging expert, Ellen Zachos on the subject of foraging our own backyards. Learn exactly which common garden plants are edible AND learn how to prepare those foods after you harvest. You will learn: Important safety tips when it comes to foraging, Why starting in the backyard is a good idea, Which common plants are safe (and delicious) to eat, The one plant people are shocked to learn is edible, Why eating daylilies makes you a better gardener, Which tuber flavor changes dramatically with each species, The surprising plant with 4 edible parts, Which evergreens are safe to eat and how to do it. IMPORTANT: Always be absolutely certain of a plant's identity before consuming. Many toxic/poisonous plants look similar to the safe varieties. You must be careful and not assume everything is safe until you have it properly identified. As always, you can get all the links mentioned by going to www.LivingHomegrown.com/93 as well as a full transcript of the episode. 

Direct download: 93_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:58pm PDT

This episode is a Q & A session featuring several listener questions and answered by host Theresa Loe. You learn: If sterilizing is necessary when bottling up homemade liqueur, The biggest worry when infusing alcohol, Which "proof" is best when making liqueur infusions, The trick to getting a clear vinegar, Is it possible to reuse the fruit of one food project for another, How does homemade Greek yogurt work and Do you need a yogurt maker or not. All that and more - Plus you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/92 for a full transcript and all the links and resources mentioned in the episode.

Direct download: 92_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:12am PDT

Learn how to enjoy all sorts of garden harvests including fruits, veggies, flowers, seeds, pods and roots. If it has a harvest, there is a way to utilize it!  In this week's episode, host Theresa Loe interviews garden designer and author Stefani Bittner about her new book Harvest. Stefani co-wrote the book with Aletha Harampolis and together they create a book that is filled with gorgeous images, delicious recipes and tons of tips for adding a harvest to your life. You learn: How to create a useful and beautiful garden, Food safety in urban gardens, How to use all parts of the plants, A recipe for making a shrub (no - not the garden shrub! The drink!), How to garden through the seasons, How easy it is to add productive plants to your landscape. PLUS...You can enter to win a free copy of Harvest simply by going to the show notes and leaving a comment!  Two winners will be chosen - so leave your comment by March 16, 2017. Also, in the show notes there is a PDF download of Stefani's special quince paste recipe. She was nice enough to share!  Just go to: www.LivingHomegrown.com/91 and the recipe and a full transcript will be waiting for you. And don't forget to leave a comment!!  Tell Theresa what productive plant you are ready to grow next!  Your comment automatically enters you to win a free copy of the book directly from the publisher. Enjoy the episode. 

Direct download: 91_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:12pm PDT

This episode is all about flavor enhancers. It doesn't matter if you grow your own herbs or buy them fresh at the farmer's market, nothing beats the fresh taste of herbs in your cooking. But sometimes, you can't have fresh herbs at your fingertips. The good news is that there ARE ways to preserve those flavors for later so that when you find yourself in a pinch - those flavors are at the ready!  Host Theresa Loe has covered preserving herbs in different ways on other podcast episodes (which are listed in the show notes). And today, she covers two more methods that you can use: Herb Salts and Herb Butters. You learn: How to preserve herb flavor in salt, The best salts to use and why, Her favorite herbs to use, Two herbs you should NOT use, Why citrus is the perfect "secret ingredient", A method for freezing herbs that is very versatile, and How to take advantage of those flavors. As always, you can get more free information, links and a full transcript at www.LivingHomegrown.com/90 as well as a free downloadable recipe sheet with the recipes of the day.

Direct download: 90_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:02pm PDT

Learn what permaculture is and how to apply it to your own backyard to create more sustainable and eco-friendly garden. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews garden author Jessi Bloom. Jessi is an ecological landscape designer and the author of one of the top permaculture books in the country. You learn: Exactly what permaculture is, Why it is important, How to put it into practice this coming season, Why garden size doesn't matter when apply the principles, What the systems are and how they work, And how permaculture is about a lot more than gardening. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/89 for more information, links mentioned in the show and a full PDF download of the transcript.

Direct download: LH_89_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:14am PDT

This episode is about taking a natural approach to pest control and avoiding sprays and pesticides...even organic ones. You see, many people think that switching to organic gardening methods just means changing from synthetic sprays to more natural/organic ones. But the truth is that if you have a more balanced ecosystem in your garden, you don't need sprays AT ALL.  And that is what we cover in this podcast. 

Host Theresa Loe brings on author and organic gardening expert, Jessica Walliser to share how we as organic gardeners can shift our mindset when it comes to bugs. You learn: About the ecosystem of your own backyard and how to balance it, Making the shift from sprays to no-sprays, Do plants have immune systems, Can a plant send out a distress call, How to change your mindset about bugs, How to attract the "good bugs", What is a beetle bump and why in the world would we want one in our backyard and much more. As always, you can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/88 to get all the links mentioned in the episode, more free information and a full PDF transcript of the show. 

Direct download: 88_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:15am PDT