Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

Sundari Elizabeth Kraft is the author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Urban Homesteading.” She is the owner of Heirloom Gardens LLC, a multi-plot urban farm in northwest Denver. Heirloom Gardens distributes its food through a Neighborhood Supported Agriculture program, at the local farmers’ market, and to area restaurants. Sundari is also the founder and organizer of Sustainable Food Denver, an advocacy group. Sustainable Food Denver was instrumental in passing a new Food Producing Animals (chickens, ducks, and dwarf goats) ordinance for Denver. Sundari is the co-chair of the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council and teaches classes in backyard chicken and goat care, small-space gardening, and canning. She lives in Denver with her husband Brian and their chickens, ducks, dwarf goats, bees, two cats and a chihuahua. 1) Tell me how you got interested in agriculture. When I was growing up we didn’t have a garden, but I developed a

Back in April, I interviewed Anaiis Sales, the founder and Executive Director of Green Sanctuary Earth Institute of Pennsylvania.  Anaiis is running what she describes as “a scaled-up-CSA for the social service sector.”  To learn more about the model, check out the interview. She recently provided an update on the endeavor, which I’m happy to share with you all.  I think Anaiis’ project shows the type of innovation that’s needed in this sector, without ignoring the real hurdles in legislation, policy, permitting, and finance that need to happen to make a project a success.  We wish you continued success in your endeavor! Things progress apace here in Philadelphia. Our social service agency CSA pilot project is a success! Our clients are happy, we’ve had our first harvest, are about to plant hot weather crops, and plan our first feast in the field. I’ve been approved as a PA Dept of

This week, I wanted to dive into the world of urban homesteading blogs.  What does it take to run a successful one?  How do you get started?  What are the key lessons?  For insight, I turned to Erica Strauss.  Erica blogs about urban homesteading, gardening, and keeping a productive home at Northwest Edible Life.  Before focusing her efforts on her homestead, she owned a successful personal chef and catering business.  Now she nurtures vegetables, fruit and two beautiful children on one-third of an acre in suburban Seattle.  I’ve been reading Erica’s blog for a while now, and she was kind enough to share some of her insight with GitC readers. 1. Your blog, Northwest Edible Life, focuses on your homesteading adventures. Tell me, how did you get involved in urban homesteading? Urban Homesteading for me is really a gardening hobby that’s gotten way out of hand. I started growing veggies

This week I spoke with Anaiis Salles.  Anaiis is the founder and Executive Director of Green Sanctuary Earth Institute of Pennsylvania. After traveling the world over a decade, exploring the Northwest and Seattle before moving to Vermont where she worked as an outreach coordinator for Senator Bernard Sanders, Anaiis has returned to her Philadelphia roots. Menu for the Future Collaboration is a ground-breaking community food hub program of GSEIPA, providing social service agencies with fresh produce, conventional and site grown. She is a new grower with City Harvest Growers Alliance. An artist and creative spirit, Salles is an avid cook, environmental activist, translating her political outreach experience with Senator Sanders into food justice work back in her home town. 1. Tell me a bit about Menu for the Future – what do you do, and who is your client base? Our community food hub program is Menu for the Future Collaboration.

This week’s interview is with Alfonso Morales, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Wisconsin – Madison – one of the premier schools for integrating food systems into urban planning curriculum.   He is originally from rural New Mexico with roots in family farming, there and in west Texas. He is a researcher, advocate, and a practitioner/consultant on food systems and public markets.  He has been invited to speak on these topics nationally and internationally.  A scholar of entrepreneurship, economic development, and law and society, he uses empirical research on these topics to investigate the relationship between reasoned behavior and social organization. His scholarship includes three edited books and more than 30 articles and book chapters; recently he organized a conference and co-edited a book about Mexican American Entrepreneurship. His publications are found in Spanish and English and have appeared in the American Journal of Sociology, Journal of

This week, I talked with Abbie Rae Harris, the Communications Coordinator for Denver Urban Gardens. She started with DUG as a Programs and Outreach Intern at DeLaney Community Farm, and now manages the DUG website and fundraising efforts, and co-manages the Free Seeds and Transplants Program. She loves mountain biking, picnics, vegan cooking, and Twitter, and lives in Denver with her boyfriend, two cats, and two dogs. 1) What is Denver Urban Gardens? Denver Urban Gardens is an independent, nonprofit organization that builds and supports community gardens throughout Metro Denver. DUG comes alongside residents, and together, we grow community – one urban garden at a time. DUG offers neighborhoods the essential resources for community gardens, including on-going technical expertise with: Securing sustainable land for gardens; Designing and building gardens; Supporting garden organization, leadership, outreach and maintenance; Utilizing gardens as extraordinary places for learning and healthy living; and Linking gardens with related

This week I talked to Carlton Jackson, an entrepreneur, to talk about the trials and tribulations of starting a business in the urban agriculture market.  Carlton is co-founder of Tunnel Vision Hoops LLC (which you’ll learn more about below), founder of the Bioneers Cleveland’s Fast Track Civic Minded Project Accelerator, Local Food 365 Vacant Land Reuse, and We Dig the City Organic Backyard Raised-bed Gardens (now a division of Tunnel Vision Hoops).  He volunteers for the international aid organization Reach the Children and Eco-Tuesday Cleveland.  1. Tell me a bit about Tunnel Vision Hoops LLC – what do you do, and who is your client base? Tunnel Vision Hoops designs, fabricates and installs High Tunnel Hoop Houses to extend the traditional growing season for urban, peri-urban community and market garden farmers in North Eastern Ohio (NEO). Our clients include institutional organizations like Case Western Reserve University Squire Valleevue Farm, the Cleveland Botanical