Shows
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesOctober 2025 Food Literacy PodcastCheck out the short October 2025 Food Literacy Podcast. As always, be sure to check out the show notes for resources, including a link to the October 2024 episode. Most of this short episode is related to topics related to food as medicine, whereas the 2024 episode is garden-oriented. A checklist for October garden tasks is included in the show notes.I participated in the interview process for the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School project, Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Policy Project report. More on food and health, or if you w...
2025-10-1414 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJuly 2025 Food Literacy PodcastHere is a short 15-minute episode with reminders about what to pay attention to in our gardens in July. July has arrived and gardening season is in full swing. There are approximately 105 days left in the typical growing season. Of course, if you take some steps to extend the season you may be able to grow crops such as collard greens, kale, etc. in early winter. Here are some crops you may want to consider growing in July that will provide a yield before the frost returns. Stony Acres Gardening and The Gardening Channel offer opt...
2025-07-0814 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDecember 2024 Food Literacy PodcastWe are signing out of the Food Literacy Podcast for 2024 and anticipate having a wonderful 2025 with episodes and resources devoted to all things food literacy from gardening to cooking to consumer information and exciting programming being planned for 2025 in Chicago. Stay tuned!December 2024 Food Literacy Podcast Show Notes Urban Farmer Zone 6 Planting Calendar Guide Farmers’ Almanac Seed Starting 101 The Garden Magazine 15 Tips for Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors Botanical Interests Seed-Starting for Beginners the Complete Guide In the Garden Budget Indoor Seed Starting Set Up (Vid...
2024-12-1010 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesNovember 2024 Food Literacy PodcastThis is a very brief episode of the food literacy podcast so as usual pay attention to the show notes for what we hope is useful information. More importantly, I want to make sure to thank all of the people and organizations I work with throughout the year.The new year is just about 7 weeks away and 39 days away from the winter solstice and the journey of the return of the sun and longer days. Spring arrives in just 128 days from the date of this recording. The last frost date is usually reported as April 15th for...
2024-11-1209 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesOctober 2024 Food Literacy PodcastHello, listeners to the October 2024 Food Literacy Podcast. Harvest time is upon us but as strange as it may seem it is also time to think about the 2025 gardening season. Get ready for winter and 2025!Here are some resources I hope will inform your decision(s). In doing research for this episode, I came across the Gardenary YouTube channel and an episode that suggested we stop using fertilizers to grow our gardens. The title was a bit misleading, but I agreed well sort of. The host talked about synthetic fertilizers so check out the entire video for...
2024-10-0822 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesAugust 2024 Food Literacy PodcastHello Listeners, this is a concise episode devoted to encouraging our listeners to establish a fall vegetable garden Longer episodes will begin in September 2024 where we will discuss myriad food literacy and wellness issues as well as follow up on fall vegetable gardening methods.I am having a hard time believing that it is August but alas it is! But it is fall garden and crop time, personally because of early season illness the fall season will be crucial for us as we will be planting many cool weather crops. Also, I have had several conversations with...
2024-08-0610 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJanuary 2024 Food Literacy PodcastIt is the beginning of 2024 and we embark upon a new trip around the sun. This is the first episode of the 2024 food literacy podcast and we will be providing a brief overview of what the upcoming season will include. Thank you for listening and may we provide you with a wealth of information for building healthy individuals and communities.In this episode, we give our decidedly grassroots definition of food literacy. Well, there is no set definition of the term and if you want to dig into the weeds do a keyword search, but here is...
2024-01-0919 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesNateo Carreno and Susan LucciA wide-ranging conversation about being human and co-creating with Nature/Mother Earth. I think you will enjoy this sonic experience!
2023-12-151h 22Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDecember 2023 Food Literacy PodcastThis is the final food literacy podcast for 2023. Please listen in and check the show notes for important season-ending information.As is stated in the trailer there is some news on the gardening front that I wanted to mention. There is a recently released USDA Hardiness Zone map. Check out Gardener Scott’s YouTube video about the new USDA Hardiness Zone map, who lives in a similar climate in Colorado and who was also part of the advisory team that put the new map together. Check out the USDA website to see the map and for more in...
2023-12-1217 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesNovember 2023 Food Literacy Podcast EpisodeNovember typically marks the end of the growing season for most of us in the Chicago region. However, there are some gardeners who may apply season extension strategies that carry them through the winter. If that is not you do not fret, it is time to close out the 2023 season, get some rest, and begin planning for 2024.We will not cover much at all regarding gardening tasks for November but in the show, notes please find information about garden tasks for our hardiness zones USDA zones 5 and 6. Please share our podcast with your network regardless of what...
2023-11-1317 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesOctober 2023 Food Literacy PodcastThis is the October 2023 Food Literacy Podcast episode. The weather is cooling and it is time to prepare for the winter though it may seem strange you also want to prepare for the 2024 growing season. Check out the episode and accompanying show notes for what we believe are pertinent issues for October. Check out this article by the Piedmont Master Gardeners about nutrient density and leafy green vegetables. Consider applying the information to your garden plan for the 2024 season. Here is more information about seasonal eating and a seasonal eating chart. In deciding wha...
2023-10-1221 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesSeptember 2023 Food Literacy PodcastSeptember is here and fall is upon us. How quickly things turn as it seems that May and June were just a few days ago. See the show notes for more details and you will find a link to the September 2022 Garden Education episode for information still relevant in 2023. Thank you for listening in!I will start by reminding our listeners that we are no longer doing a strictly gardening podcast, We shifted our format several months ago to cover food literacy which has as an element, gardening. The link for the September 2022 episode is here. You...
2023-09-1212 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesAugust 2023 Food Literacy PodcastThis is the August Food Literacy Podcast done in partnership with the urban gardening and farming community in Chicago and posted via Chicago Grows Food. There is still time to plant certain crops for a fall garden and harvest, check the show notes for more details...August 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Show NotesPlanting for a fall crop? Do not be deterred, go for it. In our home garden, we have crops planted from seeds including some unusual varieties of kale such as Ethiopian, Contralto, and Portuguese varieties as well as Alabama Blue and...
2023-08-1413 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJuly 2023 Food Literacy Podcast EpisodeShort and sweet food literacy podcast episode for July 2023. Topics include what to plant in July as well as what seeds to start indoors for those interested in fall gardening. Food literacy topics include food fraud and the high cost of food, the health impacts of ultra-processed foods on our health, and eggs as an example of the confusion often swirling around food, health, and "healthy" eating. Happy Summer and Enjoy the episode!Topics of Interest for the July 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Episode Seeds to Plant in July and August:https://y...
2023-07-1113 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJune 2023 Food Literacy Podcast EpisodeJune in Chicago is the kickoff of the primary gardening season in Chicago. In this episode, we address some of the concerns of participants in the Chicago Grows Food constellation about fabric grow bag and container vegetable gardening. Special thanks to Elizabeth Berkeley, executive director of Chicago Grows Food, Marjorie Kersten graduate student at UIC, and Taylor Swenski graduate student at DePaul University for assisting with the development of this episode. This episode has content that responded to some of the questions participants in the Chicago Grows Food survey and focus groups had regarding in pa...
2023-06-1334 min2023-05-121h 07Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesMay 2023 Food Literacy PodcastHello, food literacy podcast listeners. Please find and listen to the May 2023 episode. You will receive a lot of information this month including an episode on soil done in session with our co-host and co-producer soil enthusiast and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. Rather than essentially repeating ourselves you will receive the encore episode of the May 2022 garden education podcast that has information regarding May gardening in Chicago.On the food literacy front, we are focusing this month on basic cooking and cooking vegetables as an adjunct to increasing diet quality for our communities. T...
2023-05-0919 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesApril 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Part 2Self-described soil enthusiast and soil scientist Dr, Akilah Martin is in her co-host and co-producer seat for a lively conversation about soil. Dr. Akilah is not as expansive as she could be regarding soil, and the time allotted is not enough. However. we endeavored to provide some useful information and I think we hit our mark.As always I refer you to the show notes accompanying the audio for more information on the topic of soil.Dr. Akilah Talks Soil Show Notes April 2023 SOIL MOISTURE/DRAINAGE: https://plantcareforbeginners.com/ar...
2023-04-231h 01
Live from the HeartlandLive from the Heartland 04/22/23: Michael James with Orrin Williams & Jamie O'ReillyHeartland at Home Episode 149. Michael James discusses urban agriculture with Orrin Williams, the Executive Director of the Center for Urban Transformation in Chicago, then talks to musician Jamie O'Reilly about her project "In Old Chicago: Stories & Songs of a Beloved City."
Check out Orrin Williams's podcast to learn more about urban agriculture at:
https://www.rootswateringhole.org/
Learn more about ""In Old Chicago: Stories & Songs of a Beloved City" at:
https://www.jamieoreilly.com/projects/in-old-chicago-songs-stories-of-a-beloved-city/
Live from the Heartland airs each Saturday at 9AM on WLUW 88.7 FM in Chicago or everywhere online at:
2023-04-2258 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesApril 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Part 1It is April here in Chicago and excitement is at a fever pitch in anticipation of the gardening season for our community and home gardeners. This is the first installment of the April food literacy podcast. This episode is short but the second installment will be devoted primarily to soil with two programs featuring our co-host and co-producer, soil enthusiast and scientist, Dr. Akilah Martin. In this short episode check out the announcement for the 2023 Illinois Hunger and Health conference. Find the registration link for the May 1, 2023 event below in the show notes. If you do not already please...
2023-04-1109 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesMarch 2023 Food Literacy PodcastWe are kicking off the gardening season with some tips and things to consider fro the upcoming gardening season. To deepen our discussion about food literacy we will be providing links for general cooking as well as using herbs and spices to create tasty meals.Food Literacy Podcast – Garden Education Show Notes In addition to the March 2023 food literacy podcast find a link to a clip and show notes from the February 2022 Garden Education podcast, covering topics such as hardiness zones, first and last frost dates, seed starts, etc to get you...
2023-03-1413 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesLeah Penniman Roots Watering Hole Trailer and Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists PromotionThis is a very short trailer and announcement about Leah Penniman's new book out February 28, 2023. The full episode of our session won't drop until May 2023 when Dr. Akilah and I will devote the entire month to Black farmers and gardeners. Leah's new book is so exciting we wanted to let our audience and networks know that is coming out soon. Please share with your networks and consider purchasing this important new work, Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists.For more also see the Soul Fire Farm website. Scroll down while you are on the site a...
2023-02-2104 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesFebruary 2023 Food Literacy PodcastWell, spring is on the mind of many people here in the northern hemisphere, especially here in Chicago. This particular episode is devoted to getting our home veggie gardeners off to a rousing start by planning for the upcoming gardening season. While the audio portion is great the show notes will be full of information and resources to kick off the season.Let us kick off the 2023 gardening season! We are going to focus this episode on planning your gardening season. I hope you have had the opportunity to get into the seed catalogs and start buying...
2023-02-1423 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesEmergency Planning with Patricia Fontanet RodriguezIf we are paying attention to what is going on in the world the level of disasters from wind, water, and terrestrial forces emergency planning rises to the level of concern for everyone. Natural Disaster Program Manager Patricia Fontanet Rodriguez, kicks off a series of podcasts on emergency planning that will be done in 2023 under the leadership of Dr. Akilah Martin, co-host and co-producer of the Roots Watering Hole podcast series.Web: Ready.Gov Podcast: Floodlines by The Atlantic https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/floodlines/id1501433969Documentary: When the Levees Broke
2023-02-131h 08Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJanuary 2023 Food Literacy PodcastWe are kicking off the 2023 food literacy podcast series with the resources you will need to create a system to reach your food literacy and healthy lifestyle goals. Many of us hear the term "food as medicine' but what does it mean well the is no standard or concise definite according to Medical News Today. The Center for Food as Medicine report provides some in-depth information about the topic including a report you may download here.See the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 - 2025, and for additional information to inform your healthy lifestyle j...
2023-01-0912 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDecember 2022 Food Literacy Podcast EpisodeStay Safe and Well While Enjoying the Holiday of Your Choice! Happy New Year and We Will Be Back in 2023...This is the December Food Literacy podcast episode. You will receive a bonus episode an interview with the new executive director of Chicago Grows Food. There is virtually garden education-related information in this episode but we will hit the ground running with information pertinent to kicking off the 2023 gardening season along with our coverage of food literacy information and resources. Also, our co-host and co-producer of the Roots Watering Hole podcast series, Dr. Akilah Martin...
2022-12-1322 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesBonus Episode Interview With Elizabeth Berkeley Executive Director of Chicago Grows FoodListen in to our interview with Elizabeth Berkeley the executive director of Chicago Grows Food. Chicago Grows Food was formed as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and operating since 2020 and will have our 3-year anniversary in March of 2023. Elizabeth will give you an overview of CGF and what the future outlook is for 2023 and beyond.I am admittedly biased about Chicago Grows Food and the efforts that have emerged since the coalition began as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Chicago. See the Chicago Grows Food website for more information about this evolving project.
2022-12-1328 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesNovember 2022 Food Literacy PodcastThis Roots Watering Hole Podcast is done in support of the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion at UIC, the Center for Urban Transformation, and you the listener interested in improving the health and well-being of our families and communities.This episode represents the first foray into a new format where we provide much more information than through our garden education version. Instead, now the podcast is the monthly Food Literacy Podcast. What is food literacy? Check out the definition here and also understand that our working definition includes food production through farming and of course, gardening. Also...
2022-11-1420 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesOctober 2022 Food System Literacy Podcast formerly the Garden Education PodcastPodcasts evolve and this is the case for this monthly podcast from a garden education podcast for in particular, home gardeners in the Chicago area to a podcast focusing on all aspects of the food system. Why? Well, because we want to enhance our communities' ability to have a secure food supply, improve diet quality, mitigate social determinants of health and health disparities, and support for the co-creation of healthy communities for all.Whether you have listened to the trailer and/or episode or not we are expanding our podcast. That said we are starting off here...
2022-10-1713 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesSeptember 2022 Garden Education PodcastFall gardening season and even winter gardening possibilities are upon us. Get ready for that and get ready for the spring 2023 season as well. Spring will be here before you know it and you will find that gardening (and farming) is a continuum...There is still time to grow more crops by utilizing varieties that may be sown from seed and have a short period until maturity, watch this video by MIgardener to learn more. Seed companies such as Sow True Seeds (this is NOT a commercial endorsement, we receive no compensation from STS) offers a list...
2022-09-0920 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Stephen Haymes on Decoloniality and Decolonization (Raw, Unedited)
2022-09-041h 252022-09-0401 min2022-09-0403 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesToni Anderson Sacred Keepers Full EpisodeThe full episode with ecologist, community organizer, and wisdom/dharma teacher Toni Anderson. It is hardly a stretch to say that we love Toni Anderson the "Curator of Internal & External Ecologies". It is not a stretch to say that we think Sacred Keepers is a wonderful program and that we wish there were more opportunities like this for youth in Chicago and beyond. We only have one Toni so how do we expand programs like this during these times when many of our youth do not have much in the way of positive activities to engage in?S...
2022-09-041h 362022-09-0407 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Liz Carlisle on Colonization, Extractive Economy and Regenerative Farming
2022-09-0103 min2022-09-0102 min2022-09-0102 min2022-09-0103 min2022-09-0101 min2022-09-0101 min2022-09-0100 min2022-09-0104 min2022-09-0101 min2022-09-0101 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip on Remembering with Susan Lucci and Nateo CarrenoThis clip is about remembering on a deep level and how it is of strategic importance to regeneration and recovery from colonization and oppression.
2022-08-2906 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip with Susan Lucci and Nateo Carreno on belonging...This clip is about belonging on a deep level and how it is of strategic importance to regeneration and recovery from colonization and oppression.
2022-08-2906 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesLate July-Early August 2022 Garden Education Podcast SeriesLate July-Early August 2022 Garden Education Podcast SeriesHello fellow gardeners, this is a very short episode. I had hoped to get a second episode for July 2022 out earlier but I was looking for guests to discuss season extension and four-season gardening but the people we had in mind are taking well-deserved time off for vacation.This episode covers what crops can be started in July and August for your fall garden. Also, in response to several pest management inquiries, I included some links that may be of interest. I hope you enjoy the episode and...
2022-07-2908 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip Audience Questions from Kali Johnson Dr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative FarmingClip with audience questions from Kali Johnson. The questions were edited from the main podcast in the interest of time, but are offered here unedited with Dr. Carlisle's answers.Our audience member raised a question regarding the use of a nuclear weapon in 1815. Our fact-checking revealed a catastrophic event in 1815 that indeed had a profound impact on many parts of the planet. The event was the Mount Tambora volcanic eruption that caused casualties in the immediate aftermath of the event and perhaps for a decade afterward because of food shortages. It is thought to be the largest...
2022-07-2811 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip Dr. George Washington Carver Dr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative FarmingClip with Dr. Carlisle responding to a question from Roots Watering Hole podcast co-host and co-producer regarding one of his long-time heroes Dr. George Washington Carver.
2022-07-2807 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip on Motivation for the Book... Dr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative FarmingClip with Dr. Carlisle on what motivated her to write her wonderful book Dr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming.
2022-07-2804 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesClip Carbon Sequestration... Dr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative FarmingClip with Dr. Carlisle defining carbon sequestration, climate change, and the incontrovertible importance of healthy soils for all beings.
2022-07-2806 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Liz Carlisle Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative FarmingThis episode was very informative and our guest Dr. Liz Carlisle is inspirational and sparks optimism for the health of our species and all beings.When I first discovered Dr. Liz Carlisle's book, Healing Grounds - Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming I was intrigued. Then I found out she was on faculty at UC-Santa Barbara in the department chaired by one of my dearest friends, Dr. David Pellow. I reached out to David and he introduced us. Then the next part was one of deep anticipation as I imagined the dialog between Liz...
2022-07-281h 26Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJuly 2022 Garden Education PodcastThe garden education podcast series is more than anything else presented to encourage the expansion of the home and community garden universe in Chicago and elsewhere, In the United States 95% of us do not eat the recommended amount of fiber and 88% of us are metabolically unhealthy. It is our hope that gardening will be one component of a comprehensive generational program to reverse these troubling trends.Well, finally the season is in full swing after some weather-related setbacks for many gardeners and even urban farmers here in Chicago. Congratulations to our partners in the Chicago Grows Food...
2022-07-1412 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJune 2022 Garden Education PodcastThe garden education podcast series is a review of pertinent vegetable gardening information in the Chicago, IL area.It has been a challenging year on many levels here in Chicago and vegetable gardening is one area that has experienced many challenges. In Chicago, we had a spring that was cold and wet, then we had some incredible temperature swings, so many people are behind or have gotten off to a rocky start. June has arrived and the activity level has increased dramatically with many of us working hard to catch up. So the warm weather...
2022-06-2429 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesMay 2022 Garden Education PodcastAn episode in the home vegetable, medicinal, and landscape gardening series for 2022.Hello Gardening and Farming Friends and Those That Love Fresh Hyperlocal Food,Well, I apologize for being later than I would have liked to get this episode out. The weather in May has been like a pendulum swing from one extreme to the other. This theme is one that I mentioned before and whether you agree or not climate change and the resulting climate instability is the probable cause of this heretofore unusual weather. What we are faced with is adapting...
2022-05-2316 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesPodcast Episode with Clyde W. Ford the author of Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives in the Making of White Power and WealthAn interview with the author of one of the best books we have ever read, Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth, Clyde W. Ford.The Roots Watering Hole podcast series proudly presents an episode with Clyde W. Ford author of, Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth. My co-host Dr. Akilah Martin and I agree that this book was one of the best reads in our experience. We were intrigued by how for example, Clyde through recounting the case of Elizabeth Key...
2022-05-061h 20
Big Talk PodcastSpeaking of Free Speech: Tech Censorship with Orrin NaylorOrrin Naylor has almost 10 years of experience working in the tech industry. On this episode, Orrin teaches us about what's going on behind the censorship we're seeing online. And yes, we do talk about Elon Musk & Twitter.
2022-05-0441 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDanielle Jones Sankofa VillageDanielle Jones is the co-creator of the visionary Sankofa Village project in Arkansas. Tune in to listen to Danielle discuss her vision for communities that are rooted in a cooperative model that creates a sanctuary for the village inhabitants and surrounding communities.Find information about Danielle's Sankofa Village project:Sankofa Village Arkansas website2021 Arkansas Soul Article on Sankofa Village ArkansasOur blog Video about the developing vision of Sankofa Village ArkansasInstagram - @sankofavillagearkansasLegal Structures for Intentional communities in the US - https://www.ic.org/community-bookstore/product...
2022-04-221h 27Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesApril 2022 Garden Education Podcast Series In this episode, we will be discussing spring vegetable gardening in the Chicago area in preparation for the upcoming season.April in Chicago for gardeners sometimes can seem like it is a remote endeavor. However, there is much to do and consider. Some people are already deeply involved in gardening doing seed starts and if they have season extension they perhaps have some crops growing. In fact, at an event I went to recently I was speaking to the manager of the Urban Growers Collective Farm and was told that many cool weather crops are well o...
2022-04-1928 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDanielle Jones Sankofa VillageDanielle Jones is the co-creator of the visionary Sankofa Village project in Arkansas. Tune in to listen to Danielle discuss her vision for communities that are rooted in a cooperative model that creates a sanctuary for the village inhabitants and surrounding communities.Find information about Danielle's Sankofa Village project:Sankofa Village Arkansas website2021 Arkansas Soul Article on Sankofa Village ArkansasOur blog Video about the developing vision of Sankofa Village ArkansasInstagram - @sankofavillagearkansasLegal Structures for Intentional communities in the US - https://www.ic.org/community-bookstore/product...
2022-04-171h 36Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesMarch 2022 Garden Education PodcastCUT, GardenEd, USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 6, container vegetable gardening, cool, weather crops, sunlight, photoperiod, full sun. partial sun, partial shade, season extension, cold frames, high tunnels, low tunnels, greenhousesGardening or hardiness zones (also see) are a critical starting point. Chicago is in a zone that overlaps between zones 5 and 6. Look at the difference between the gardening tasks, crops that you would plant, etc if you were in gardening or hardiness zone 10 in south Florida near Miami.You can search for the first and last frost dates for your zip code on the Farmer’s Al...
2022-03-2428 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesVery Short 2022 February Garden Education EpisodeWe will provide an introduction to topics such as STEAM, meteorological versus astronomical seasons, frost dates, etc. as a prelude to our March 2022 garden education podcasts.Gardeners, please find more information about some of the topics that were covered very briefly in this short episode. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is here and you can see why typically we say that Chicago lies in hardiness zone 5/6 as the map depicts a small sliver that finds us in zone 6. There are a couple of reasons for this first Lake Michigan has a modifying effect and second...
2022-02-2706 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Derise E. TolliverDr. Derise Tolliver on African-centered psychology.After we encountered some technical difficulties, Dr. Akilah Martin and I are able to offer our entire interview with Dr. Derise E. Tolliver, One element we had to edit out was the reading of Dr. Tolliver's bio so please take the time to read it here.BIO – Dr. Derise E. Tolliver Derise Tolliver, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Illinois. Her life mission is to help people “re-member” who they truly are. She has facilitated this through her teaching...
2022-02-181h 26
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesBonus February Home Garden Education Podcast EpisodePreparing for the upcoming home garden season.Well, the first episode of the 2022 Home Garden Education Podcast Series dropped today but I wanted to add a short bonus episode about our main topic in the first episode, on soil. Dr. Akilah Martin and I had a lively conversation and this follow-up is designed to keep you stoked for the upcoming home food gardening season. That said we want to temper your enthusiasm as well because I know from experience we want to get out there and start gardening. One thing you will learn on your gardening journey...
2022-02-1507 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesFebruary 2022 Garden Education Clip One Reconnecting to Nature Via SoilReconnect to nature via houseplants and gardening.There are multiple components that must be considered when gardening. They are sunlight, water, and of course soil. The focus of the February garden education podcast is soil with our co-host and co-producer soil enthusiast and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. We will be adding more content related to soil later in February and into the March episode as we will be preparing for the upcoming season. Look forward to a materials list and formulas for mixing your own potting soil for those using grow bags and other containers as...
2022-02-0203 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesFebruary Garden Education 2022 Clip Two What Type of Soil to Buy for Your Garden and In Ground SafetyWhat type of soil do you need for your garden, including raised beds and containers?There are multiple components that must be considered when gardening. They are sunlight, water, and of course soil. The focus of the February garden education podcast is soil with our co-host and co-producer soil enthusiast and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. We will be adding more content related to soil later in February and into the March episode as we will be preparing for the upcoming season. Look forward to a materials list and formulas for mixing your own potting soil for...
2022-02-0211 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesFebruary 2022 Garden Education All About SoilFebruary Garden Education Episode on SoilThere are multiple components that must be considered when gardening. They are sunlight, water, and of course soil. The focus of the February garden education podcast is soil with our co-host and co-producer soil enthusiast and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. We will be adding more content related to soil later in February and into the March episode as we will be preparing for the upcoming season. Look forward to a materials list and formulas for mixing your own potting soil for those using grow bags and other containers as well...
2022-02-0248 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJoseluis Ortiz y Muniz on IndigeneityA clip with our friend Joseluis on the definition and nature of indigeneity.
2021-10-1602 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJoseluis Ortiz y Muniz on the American Food System and HealthThe clip with our guest and friend Joseluis discusses the impact of the American food system on our health.
2021-10-1606 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesSacred Wisdom with Joseluis Ortiz y MunizThe Indigenous View From Northern New Mexico. A Discussion About Food, Water, Soil, and Climate Change. In addition to the interview, you can find two short clips from the episode as well on our website rootswateringhole.org. One clip is devoted to indigeneity, the other is devoted to a critique of the American food system and its impact on our health and well-being. If you receive a distribution email from us links to both clips have been provided.Joseluis M. Ortiz y Muniz is a land-based Native New Mexican Genizaro father from El Llano de La Yegua i...
2021-10-131h 02
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP September - October Garden Education PodcastFall is upon us in Chicago and this episode and weblink are focused on season extension for vegetable gardeners in the Chicago area USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6. Season extension can add at least 30 days each to the front and back ends of your garden season if you apply the strategies outlined here.Quickly, I would like to announce that we are substituting a new term for the backyard garden. The term we will be using moving forward is home and kitchen or home-kitchen garden. The reason for making this change in jargon is...
2021-10-0811 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP September Garden Education SeriesThis is part one of the CPHP September Garden Education series for 2021. This episode, as well as the second episode, are devoted to fall gardening in Chicago or USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6. Find below links pertaining to cool weather crops, fall gardening, and season extension strategies. The second episode will be dedicated exclusively to season extension and there will be additional links included.For now, jump in and grow even more vegetables so that you may save money and improve your health and well-being through eating a healthier diet.Gardener's Path Cool Weather C...
2021-09-2139 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesAgroforestry with Gavi and Remi Welbel of Zumwalt Acres FarmThis episode of the Roots Watering Hole podcast series is with Gavi and Remi Welbel of Zumwalt Acres Farm, in Sheldon IL. In this lively episode, my co-host Dr. Akilah Martin, Gavi, and Remi explain the roots of their projects in ancient Jewish spiritual traditions. Akilah and I have a deep, deep interest in the ancient indigenous traditions, concepts, and practices from Africa and around the world. We are humbled by the universality of ancient spiritual traditions but also recognize as Dr. Rupa Mayra states ..."European missionaries and medics waged war on Indigenous shamans and healers. Physicians were part...
2021-08-291h 07
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP August Garden Education PodcastThis episode describes garden tasks including what to grow for a fall crop in August in the Chicago area. Depending upon the source you consult Chicago is in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 or 6. Or as we say during our podcast series hardiness zone 5/6. Here are few links for plants to consider growing for fall gardens that should be transplanted from seedlings and/or direct sown from seeds. If you have questions, require more information, or want to share your fall gardening experiences send an email to Orrin Williams at orrinw@uic.edu. Thank you for listening in!Northern H...
2021-08-1027 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP July Garden Education Podcast Part 1July! There is plenty of gardening left. Listen in for information about July container vegetable gardening. Check out the supporting videos and articles for your July gardening:10 Best Crops to Plant in July10 Best Crops to Plant in Late JulyWatering Your Vegetable GardenPruning Your Tomato PlantsPruning Your Tomato Plants (Video)
2021-07-0911 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP June Garden Education Podcast Part 2 on Pollinators with Danielle Russell School Garden Coordinator at OpenlandsJoin soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin and me as we welcome our guest Danielle Russell School Garden Coordinator at Openlands for this second part of the CPHP June Garden Education podcast series. Our objective was to provide a basic overview of pollination and pollinators but the conversation expanded some to cover topics related to trees, the urban tree canopy, and its relationship to mitigating climate change, cooling the urban heat island as well as additional benefits. Tune in to this episode to hear the full scope of our lively conversation with Danielle.Also, see:Chicago...
2021-06-221h 19
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesAmaris Alanis Ribeiro North Park Village Nature Center of the Chicago Park DistrictThe Roots Watering Hole podcast series is excited to present this episode with Amaris Alanis Ribeiro the director of the North Park Village Nature Center of the Chicago Park District. The nature center is a sanctuary for the diverse communities that make up Chicago. For more information see the North Park Village Nature Center. Also, see the Chicago Park District website for their programs available throughout Chicago.Part of our conversation with Amaris talked about the importance of expanding green spaces throughout community areas in Chicago, see information about urban green spaces and why they a...
2021-06-201h 01Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesBalanced Breastfeeding Solutions with Kendra ShelbyJoin soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin and me for a lively and very, very important conversation or breastfeeding with Kendra Shelby of Balanced Breastfeeding Solutions. The benefits and importance of breastfeeding cannot be overstated, yet as Kendra reveals during our conversation the rates for breastfeeding in the United States are among the lowest in the world. Worse yet is the rate of breastfeeding in the African American community. Kendra is determined to change the rates of participation in breastfeeding in the United States in general and the African American community in particular. Tune in for our lively...
2021-06-1755 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesJune Garden Education Podcast Part 1This is the CPHP June Garden Education Podcast Part 1. Listen in for information about gardening in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 6 that depending upon your source, Chicago is located in. For more information contact Orrin Williams, Food Systems Coordinator CPHP at orrinw@uic.edu.Some of the topics covered in the episode: USDA Hardiness Zone Map The Heirloom Collard ProjectPlanting PollinatorsWhat to Plant in JunePreparation for Fall Vegetable GardeningI hope you have a great season! Yes while it seems counter-intuitive June and...
2021-06-0927 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Claudia J. Ford Ethnobotanist and Roots Woman Part 2My co-host Dr. Akilah Martin and I discovered very quickly that one Roots Watering Hole podcast episode with Dr. Claudia J. Ford would not be enough. So we bring you part 2 of our podcasts with Mama Claudia, Find a few links to some of the topics covered in the podcast for deeper exploration:The therapy website mentioned by Mama Claudia:https://www.therapistsforblackgirls.com/blog/283377-free-therapy-for-black-women Good articles on helping traumatized people:https://www.nvfc.org/what-do-you-say-to-someone-struggling-from-emotional-trauma/https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/trauma-helping-family-or-friendsh...
2021-05-311h 15
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP May Garden Education Podcast Episode Part 2 Dr. Akilah Martin on Soil and Soil HealthTune in to the CPHP May Garden Education podcast series. This is part 2 of the May episode with my friend, co-host, and fellow Earth Spirit; soil scientist and enthusiast, Dr. Akilah Martin discussing her passion - soil.This is a timely episode in Chicago and USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6 that kind of overlap in Chicago as gardeners of all stripes swing into action. Chicago can be a tricky place to grow in the spring because this week we experienced temperatures near 90 degrees and as I write this on May 28th the temperature reached a high of 45 degrees...
2021-05-2640 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP May Garden Education Episode Part 1Welcome to part one of the CPHP May Garden Education podcast. In this, part one, Orrin Williams, covers some of the tasks to get you started on your 2021 gardening season journey in Chicago. I will be digging deeper early in June as the gardening season in USDA hardiness zones 5 & 6 kicks into action during June. Be sure to move on to part 2 with our discussion on soil with our friend, co-host, and fellow Earth Spirit, soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin.Get inspired:Midwest LivingHarvest to Tablethe Spruce
2021-05-2519 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. David Pellow is the Dehlsen and Department Chair of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa BarbaraProfessor David N. Pellow is the Dehlsen and Department Chair of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he teaches courses on environmental and social justice, race/class/gender and environmental conflict, human-animal conflicts, sustainability, and social change movements that confront our socio-environmental crises and social inequality. Global Environmental Justice Project website: https://gejp.es.ucsb.edu/Pellow, David N. 2020. “From social distancing to environmental justice in the time of COVID-19.” Bifrost (special issue on The New Normal? An Environmental Humanities Response to COVID-19). June...
2021-05-181h 22
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesTrauma, Health Equity and NeurobiologyJoin the Roots Watering Hole Podcast Project for our interview with Drs. Pat Rush and Audrey Stillerman who along with Dr. Mardge Cohen and Kathleen Weber, RN, founded the Center for Collaborative Study of Trauma, Health Equity, and Neurobiology.THEN hopes to help bridge the GAP between the explosion of emerging research and the very slow application of this important science to clinical care. We believe that medicine and healthcare can develop a rigorous, system-science-based approach. But so far that hasn’t happened.In the past thirty years...
2021-05-171h 312021-05-0210 minRoots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesThe Letter from the Future ProjectI was invited to participate in a project entitled "Letter From the Future" here in Chicago, IL in April 2021. The project task was to write a letter to be read 100 years from now in 2121 about the food system in Chicago. I chose to write the letter addressed to my great, great, great children however I wrote the letter not just to my biological great, great, great-grandchildren but with love and concern for all of the children of planet earth 100 years from now as an acknowledgment that all things are ONE. One Love,Baba Orri...
2021-04-2608 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP April Garden and Food Literacy Education Podcast Series Part 1
2021-04-1626 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Claudia Ford Roots Woman, Teacher and HealerDr. Claudia Ford, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Interim Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Potsdam is a remarkable woman and human being that I have had the opportunity to meet and work with although mostly virtually during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, I find her a compelling and multi-disciplined, and talented person that I am really pleased to have the opportunity to create a podcast session with that included my co-host and fellow earth spirit, soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin.Together we had a far-reaching conversation about ethnobotany, herbs, and herbalism, global women's health, Bl...
2021-04-161h 12
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesDr. Deborah Wood Holton: The Black Aesthetic and the Black Arts Movement in Chicago
2021-03-311h 18
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Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesMarch CPHP Garden Education ClipA short clip to supplement the full CPHP March Garden Education podcast with co-host, soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin and guest gardener extraordinaire, Karen Edmond. Karen is a landscape and fruit and vegetable gardener here on the south side of Chicago.Please share any tips and information with us that we can pass on to gardeners and farmers in Chicago and elsewhere. Our focus is fabric grow bag vegetable gardening but we support safe gardening of all forms. We are also working to support and expand backyard and community gardeners throughout Chicago as a means o...
2021-03-1414 min
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2021-02-1107 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP February 2021 Vegetable Garden and Food Literacy Education Part I
2021-02-091h 08
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2021-01-2817 min
Roots Watering Hole Podcast SeriesCPHP 2021 Monthly Vegetable Garden and Food Literacy Education Series TrailerThis is the trailer for the upcoming Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion (CPHP)* podcast series for 2021 for home vegetable gardeners that will also cover an array of topics related to food literacy. The series will be co-hosted by Orrin Williams, Food Systems Coordinator and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. The primary objective of the series is to expand the number of home-based backyard gardeners. The focus of the vegetable gardening episodes will be how to use fabric grow bags as the preferred medium for gardening but we will also cover raised bed gardening as well as for t...
2021-01-2502 min
2021-01-1544 min