Propaganda By The Seed - Rooftop Gardens w/ Mike Spade

Rooftop Gardens w/ Mike Spade

07/23/20 • 90 min

In this episode of Propaganda By The Seed we talk with rooftop gardener & permaculturist Mike Spade of the Plant The Seed Project. We talk about Mike’s work in NY and Denver designing green roofs. Mike talk about the differences between growing with rooftop gardens in various climates and the crops that work well. We also get into some of the logistics to consider when building a rooftop garden and the challenges that one might encounter when growing food on rooftops, from hail to heat to rain and the soil’s ability to hold water.

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Mulberries w/ Eliza Greenman & Taylor Malone

In this episode of Propaganda By The Seed we talk with Eliza Greenman & Taylor Malone of the North American Fruit Explorers. We talk about Mulberries, their history , how to propagate them and the work they’ve done to uncover rare cultivars such as the Hicks Everbearing Mulberry. Mulberry leaves are surprisingly high in protein and an 8 year old tree can produce up to a quart of berries a day, making them one of the most prolific fruit bearers around. This episode covers a lot of ground, from the usage of mulberries in silvopasture (in conjunction with pigs or goats) to some of the more interesting things people do with them around the world.

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Farming From Gambia to Maine w/ Ousman Ndure

In this episode of Solecast we chat with Ousman Ndure. Ousman is a farmer from Gambia who immigrated to Westbrook, ME. We talk about his life in Gambia, and how he managed an independent market farm. He goes in depth about growing cashews, peanuts, rice, millet, mangos, cassava, and other interesting greens like sour sour(Roselle Hibiscus). He also describes the techniques he used to dig wells in the dry season. Ousman is currently farming a plot at the Hurricane Valley Land Trust. This is a wide ranging conversation that covers a ton of ground, from cooking ideas to growing. (Editors note: after this interview I prepared some sorrel in the way he described making a drink with “sour sour leaves” and was blown away by how good it was)