359: Keiran Olivares Whitaker on Black Soldier Fly Farming.

06/12/18 • 33 min

The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

Composting with nature's own army.

In This Podcast:

It was a common tilapia being released into the wild that had a profound effect on Keiran Olivares Whitaker. He realization on how ecosystems were being devastated by man’s actions prompted him to try and make a difference. He’s also highly aware of the cost of food miles so he’s been working on a solution that helps in many ways and a method to help build it close to where it is needed. All it takes is an army of single focused soldiers... soldier flies, that is.

Keiran is the founder and CEO of Entocycle. He has a Masters in Environmental Design and Conservation, and while working as a scuba diving instructor he was fortunate enough to travel and visit some of the most beautiful places on earth. He saw first-hand the environmental damage that human development and current lifestyles are causing to these paradises.

Convinced that we are killing our own planet, and that animal farming is the single most destructive activity humans have ever invented, he started Entocycle as an insect farming company using Black Soldier Flies to provide an alternative.

Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/12/359-keiran-olivares-whitaker/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Composting with nature's own army.

In This Podcast:

Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/12/359-keiran-olivares-whitaker/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Previous Episode

358: Jake Mace on WWOOFing

Trekking around the world to learn about organic farms.

In This Podcast: Starting a new adventure with a minimalist lifestyle and travel to foreign countries is not something readily understood by most people. Yet when faced with life changes and an opportunity to start anew, that is exactly what Jake Mace is going to do. Having sold most of their possessions they are off on a world-wide WWOOFing trip visiting organic farms in various countries. He tells what motivated the change and how they are going to document their experiences.

Jake started gardening in 2011 with a peach, fig, pomegranate and kumquat tree to save money on his food budget. He has joined us multiple times on this show about his urban farm, best gardening tips and tricks, and learning from failure. As wells as how he became inspired by his mission to live a life that’s compassionate with a a zero- to positive-sum impact on the earth, particularly through his commitment to a vegan lifestyle.

These days Jake is traveling the world WWOOFing and looking for his next great vegan meal.

Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/09/358-jake-mace/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

Next Episode

360: Sara Matlin on Selling at Farmers Markets.

Building local food systems through community markets.

In This Podcast: She was not planning to be a Farmers Market Manager, but that where Sara Matlin ended up and she is passionate about her community. She tells about the Phoenix Public Market and how it has grown to over 100 vendors. We also cover how growers can become vendors with their own booths and how they are supported by the market. There are also opportunities for backyard growers to sell without having their own booth. www.urbanfarm.org/phxpublicmarket

A native to the Phoenix Area, Sara is passionate about building community and supporting local businesses. Every Saturday you can find her running the downtown Phoenix Public Market managed through Community Food Connections, a nonprofit organization. This open-air market is open rain or shine, year-round. When she's not busy coordinating vendors or taking farm tours, she's hiking outdoors and exploring the small towns of the Southwest.

Go to https://www.urbanfarm.org/2018/06/16/360-sara-matlin/ for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.