In this episode we talk with Dusty and Nate about their project, The Experimental Farm Network. The project is both a platform to support open-source, collective plant breeding and other on farm experiments as well as a seed store, which focuses on unusual varieties and genepools suitable for further selection. We cover how they started the project…

In this episode of propaganda by the seed we sit down with Rachel Alexandrou. Rachel is a forager, educator and artist based out of the Midcoast Maine region. The focus oof this conversation is seaside foraging, plants such as saltwort, sea brassicas, sea plantain, common seaweeds and more. Rachel also talks about some of her favorite wild plants t…

In this episode we talk with Melissa Hoffman of Sho Farm and Living Future about Siberian Peashrub (Caragana arborescens). Siberian Peashrub is a large, multi-stemmed shrub from northern Asia. They are somewhat familiar in landscaping and as a nitrogen fixer, but the seeds remain underutilized by most people growing them around here. Melissa shares…

In this episode of propaganda by the seed we sit down with Nick from Goen Foods. Goen Foods is primarly known as a Miso producer in Maine, but also produces a wide range of koji based products. Nick also is an all around promoter of fermented foods/practices and helps to organize Maine’s Fermentation Fair. This conversation is an incredible glimpse…

This month we talk about gardening for habitat, especially in the North-East. This episode is adapted from a workshop that Aaron presents sometimes, so it comes with a PDF handout and a slideshow, the podcast stands up well without them, but those extras are there if you want them. We cover what habitat gardening is, why it’s important, ecological …

We didn't get around to making a new episode this month, but here is a good one you might not have heard! This is a episode of Tim's old podcast the Solecast where he invited Aaron on a guest co-host, it's basically Propaganda by the Seed before it was called that. In this episode of the Solecast we sit down with Stephen Barstow, aka The Extreme Sa…

In this episode we talk with Buzz Ferver of Perfect Circle Farm. Buzz has been doing a ton of great work preserving fruit and nut genetics at his farm in VT, as well as pushing the boundaries of what tree crops can be grown in zone 4 in the north-east. He shares a ton of practical knowledge about the genus Carya (Hickories, Pecans and their hybrids…

In today's episode we talk about Sochan with Nico Albert Willaims of Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness. Sochan is a member of the Asteraceae family (Daisy family) and is an important plant in Cherokee cuisine. In addition to being a great perennial vegetable for humans to eat, thisplant offers leaves for the caterpillars of several moths and butterf…

This episode of Propaganda by the Seed we speak with Alan Bergo aka Forager Chef(www.foragerchef.com). Alan is a chef out of the midwest who is known for using wild ingredients to create unique gourmet dishes. He has been executive chef and run several kitchens, is the creator for the Apple TV show “Field, Forest, Feast,” and has published a new bo…

In today’s episode we talk with Eve Emshwiller about Oca (Oxalis tuberosa), a fascinating root crop from the Andes. Eve has spent many years studying Oca and was able to share tons of really interesting stuff with us about how and why Oca is grown in the Andes and why this plant doesn’t necessarily grow well in other regions. You can find Eve on in…

In this episode Aaron and Tim talk a bit about what we learned this year, what are excited about for next year and some of our favorite tools. Rather then rambling on indefinitely we decided to check back with some previous guests about their year and well as checking in some other people who we think are doing interesting stuff. - Zach Elfers ( @s…

In todays episode of Propaganda By The Seed we speak with “Dr Sandy” aka Sandra Anagnostakis. Dr. Sandy is a past-president of the Northern Nut Growers Alliance. She has been working on breeding blight resistant chestnuts since 1968 at the Connecticut Agricultural Station and has selected and named many of the cultivars currently in use. Her areas …

In this episode we talk with Natalie G. Mueller about the Eastern Agricultural Complex. The EAC was a group of plants independently domesticated by Indigenous people of Eastern Turtle Island (aka North America) starting 7,000-8,000 years ago. Some of these plants, like the Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) we still know and love, but others are no long…

In this episode we chat with Little John about his favorite plant obsession, Cornelian Cherries (Cornus mas). We cover propagation, maintenance, harvest and a few of the hundreds of uses for the fruit (and other parts of the plant!). After a few heavy topics, it’s nice to take a little break and just shoot the shit about a fascinating plant. Little…

In part two of our Herbal Abortion and Fertility Control series, we chat with Mischa Schuler. Mischa is the director of Wild Carrot Herbs. In this episode Mischa discusses various herbal, homoeopathic and over-the-counter methods for fertility control, some of their uses and limitations. If you missed it, check out the first part of this series wit…

This month we will be bringing you a two part episode on herbal abortion and fertility control. It’s a complicated and heavy topic, but our guests bring a lot of knowledge to the table and offer a nuanced but down to earth look at the information. In part one August focuses on the history and political context of herbal abortion and fertility contr…

In this episode of Propaganda by the Spore, Aaron gets into the nitty gritty of indoor mushroom cultivation and DIY mycology labs. The first part of the show describes how to grow mushrooms using spawn purchased from a supplier, which is a quite easy and a great place to start. In the second part we talk about how to produce your own spawn from spo…