KVMR Podcasts

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

On this edition of the Homestead Radio Hour: When it comes to small, local farming, is “profit” a dirty word? Does farming and ranching need to be profitable? Tune in for a conversation with Roger Ingram, County Director for the UC Cooperative Extension, and Andrew Meyers, UCCE Ag Program Reperesentative and former owner/founder of Four Frog Farm, about the challenges that small farmers face, the balancing act between profitability, sustainability, and locality, and how we as a community can support and encourage local, sustainable agriculture as a viable practice.

Download MP3 (29 MB | 50:57 min)

www.ucanr.org

UC Cooperative Extension / Agriculture and Natural Resources

facebook.com/homesteadradiohour

Homestead Radio Hour on Facebook

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

On this edition of The Homestead Radio Hour, hosts Phyllis and Julia talk with the guest speakers and organizers of this remarkable local event, including farmer and author Joel Salatin, sustainable rancher Mark Baker, Underground Wellness Radio host Sean Croxton, and farmer-organizer Eric Dickerson. Tune for a lively conversation about real food, independent farming, sustainability, and keeping it local.

Nevada County’s Sustainable Food and Farm Conference will once again bring together an internationally renowned panel of speakers, local and national farming related businesses and organizations, and the public, for a weekend full of informative lectures, lively discussion, a food and farming exposition, plus numerous workshops for all levels of farming and ranching.

Download MP3 (30 MB | 51:58 min)

www.polyfacefarms.com

Joel Salatin - Polyface Farms

bakersgreenacres.com

Mark Baker - Baker's Green Acres

foodandfarmconference.com

Nevada County's Sustainable Food and Farm Conference

The Homestead Radio Hour on Facebook

Links, upcoming shows, and more...

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

Joel Salatin and Michael Ableman visit the Homestead Radio Hour to talk about sustainable agriculture, real food, and the future of farming.

Joel Salatin is a full-time farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. A third generation alternative farmer, he returned to the farm full-time in 1982 and continued refining and adding to his parents’ ideas. His speaking and writing reflect dirt-under-the-fingernails experience punctuated with mischievous humor. He passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm. He is the author of nine books, including The Sheer Ecstacy of Being A Lunatic Farmer and Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World.

Michael Ableman is a farmer, author, and photographer and a recognized practitioner of sustainable agriculture and proponent of regional food systems. He has written several books and numerous essays and articles, and lectures extensively on food, culture, and sustainability worldwide. Michael is currently farming at the Foxglove Farm on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, home of The Center for Arts, Ecology & Agriculture.

Download MP3 (20 MB | 29:09 min)

www.polyfacefarms.com

Joel Salatin - Polyface Farms

www.fieldsofplenty.com

Michael Ableman - farmer, author, photographer

The Homestead Radio Hour on Facebook

Links, upcoming shows, and more...

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

On this episode of the Homestead Radio Hour: tune in to learn all about the joys of Backyard Chicken-Keeping! How do you get started? What do you need to know before you bring home those chicks? What should you consider when building a coop? And what is life with chickens really like? Find out why urban homesteaders everywhere, in city and country alike, are keeping chickens in their backyards — and why you should too! Plus, we take calls and questions from Homestead listeners.

See resources below for more info on getting started with backyard chicken-keeping…

Download MP3 (46 MB | 49:51 min)

The Nevada County Sustainable Local Food and Farm Conference and the Placer Grown Food and Farm Conference are just around the corner. On this edition of The Homestead Radio Hour, hosts Phyllis and Julia talk with the organizers and presenters of these two remarkable local events about how they bring together internationally renowned speakers, real-food advocates, regional and local farmers and organizations, and consumers to share their knowledge, enthusiasm, and ideas.

Plus, Joel Salatin and Michael Ableman visit the Homestead Radio Hour to talk about sustainable agriculture, real food, and the future of farming.

Joel Salatin is a full-time farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. A third generation alternative farmer, he returned to the farm full-time in 1982 and continued refining and adding to his parents’ ideas. His speaking and writing reflect dirt-under-the-fingernails experience punctuated with mischievous humor. He passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm. He is the author of nine books, including The Sheer Ecstacy of Being A Lunatic Farmer and Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World.

Michael Ableman is a farmer, author, and photographer and a recognized practitioner of sustainable agriculture and proponent of regional food systems. He has written several books and numerous essays and articles, and lectures extensively on food, culture, and sustainability worldwide. Michael is currently farming at the Foxglove Farm on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, home of The Center for Arts, Ecology & Agriculture.

Download MP3 (23 MB | 50:36 min)

www.polyfacefarms.com

Joel Salatin - Polyface Farms

www.fieldsofplenty.com

Michael Ableman - farmer, author, photographer

foodandfarmconference.com

Nevada County's Sustainable Food and Farm Conference 2012 - January 21st & 22nd

PlacerGrown.org

PlacerGrown / Placer County 2012 Food and Farm Con­fer­ence - Sat­ur­day, Feb­ru­ary 4th

The Homestead Radio Hour on Facebook

Links, upcoming shows, and more...

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

What are your favourite gifts to make and give? What handmade treats will you be giving this year? On this month’s episode of the Homestead Radio Hour: we’re celebrating Handmade Holidays, and we want to hear your suggestions for local, sustainable, useful, and meaningful presents. From jams and jellies to cozy hand-knit socks to great garden tools and must-have guidebooks, homesteaders always think outside the gift box… and our listeners are no exception!

Plus, we talk with Jim and Ginger Armstrong, of Snowy Peaks Christmas Tree Farm in Foresthill, about their 14 years in the tree-growing business. Find out why a fresh, locally-grown, natural, and real tree is the sustainable and eco-friendly choice, and how these farmers are caring for their land while cultivating family holiday traditions.

Download MP3 (24 MB | 51:54 min)

Snowy Peaks Tree Farm

Jim and Ginger's farm web site

B H Ranch Blog: A visit to Snowy Peaks Christmas Tree Farm

See photos from our visit to the farm, here on our blog!

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

Have more leaves in your backyard than you know what to do with? Maybe you’ve tried making a compost pile, but found it too stinky or too slow? Then you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of the HRH: UC Extension expert Kevin Marini, “The Worm Whisperer,” discusses the hows and whys of traditional composting, vermicomposting, and more. Get the dirt on putting your kitchen scraps and yard waste to work, making your own homegrown, nutrient-rich soil amendments. From choosing a composting method to building a bin and maintaining your pile, Kevin explains how to make composting an integral part of your homestead (and maybe even your life!)

Download MP3 (22 MB | 47:20 min)

UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County - Composting Resources

The Nevada County Master Gardeners are also Master Composters and can help you turn your yard waste, food scraps, animal manures and more into the best soil amendment for your garden. Bin plans, troubleshooting guide, and much more...

The Homestead Radio Hour on Facebook

All the latest from the HRH!

With hosts Phyllis and Julia Boorinakis-Harper

In this episode: The joys of Backyard Chicken-Keeping! Learn all about the little critters, and why you should have them. How do you get started? What do you need to know before you bring home those chicks? What should you consider when building a coop? And what is life with chickens really like? Find out why urban homesteaders everywhere, in city and country alike, are keeping chickens in their backyards — and why you should too!

Download MP3 (25 MB | 53:38 min)

Our Virtual Coop Tour

Come visit our chicken coop! Ours came from a friend's backyard, and there are so many clever little details that we wouldn't have thought of if we were building from scratch. See them up close on our photo coop tour, and meet our birds!

MyPetChicken.com

A great resource for raising chickens. Don't miss their free Guide for Chicken Care, which will walk you through caring for your chicks, building a coop, and raising your chickens.

UC Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Catalog & Free Publications

Lots of useful material here on a wide array of farming-related topics, many of which will be of interest to the backyard farmer. Click on "Animal Science" to browse their excellent poultry-related pubications.

BackYardChickens.com

A forum for all kinds of chicken-related discussion: coop design, breeding, illnesses, raising chicks, diet, eggs...

Boorinakis Harper Ranch / Homestead Radio Hour Blog

News from our farm, photos, homestead how-to's and more.

Organic Codling Moth Control Made Easy

Do you have worms in your apples or pears from your orchard? Then you have codling moths! If you live in the Foothills and you want to get rid of them, now is the time to start doing something. Tom Harper of the B H Ranch tells you how.

The Adventures of Buckwheat the Brave

Yes, you guessed it — Buckwheat is one of our chickens...

Living With Chickens, by Jay Rossier

An ideal introduction to chicken-keeping, covering all stages of the chicken's life cycle, from hatching and raising chicks to slaughtering for meat (if that's your eventual intention), as well as coop building and more. (Google Books)

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, by Gail Damerow

In-depth instruction on just about everything chicken-related. Everything you need to know and then some! (Google Books)

Building Chicken Coops: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, by Gail Damerow

A good, concise overview of coop construction and considerations. (Google Books)