On Episode 198 on Mother Earth News and Friends, Kashava Holt of Akron Urban Agriculture joins us to talk about urban gardening and agriculture, answer some questions from listeners about cultivating food in an urban setting, and also discuss some of the exciting initiatives his organization has been contributing to. Learn the best selling tips for microgreens as well as heating high tunnels and much more!
Selling Microgreens on Your Urban Farm
John Moore:“Hi! Welcome on the Mother Earth News and Friends podcast. On this edition of Mother Earth News and Friends we’re discussing everything urban farming in conversation with Kashava Holt. Take a listen to hear about some of the fantastic projects he’s been working on in Akron Urban Agriculture. Akron Urban Agriculture and get some answers to a few urban farming related questions.
Mother Earth News Fair Ad
We here at Mother Earth News enjoy hosting in-person fairs, and you can see a list of upcoming locations at www.MotherEarthNewsFair.com. We’re also thrilled to give you the opportunity to gain self-sufficient, dependable content for all the family right from your home.
Our final fair in 2023 will be held at West Bend, Wisconsin, September 16th-17th, and you will be able to see Kashava Holt in the area and many other speakers.
Introducing Kashava Holt: Importance of Urban Farming and Food Access
Happy Monday everyone! we thank you for being a part of another exciting episode of the Mother Earth News and Friends podcast. I’m Kenny Cogan, and joining me today is Kashava Holt, an urban farmer and educator. Kashava’s principal goal has been to aid residents in access to conservation, agriculture education, sustainability and other projects that benefit all kinds of people. The purpose of urban agriculture is to help the people of the city with access to education, land, technological resources and access to regular fresh, organic food.
In Mother Earth News for 50 years and and counting, we’ve been dedicated to protecting our natural resources on the planet as well as helping you preserve your finances. Today, we will to discuss urban agriculture, from microgreens all the way to growing in high tunnels, aswell and finding more efficient methods to purify our air, the soil and water.
We’re so happy to have you on our team. You’ve been with us in both Akron and Cleveland for a while. Akron as well as Cleveland areas as a college student and outreach specialist for the USDA. What are your reasons for being working in the field that deals with urban agriculture? What is it that you are passionate about? it?
I’m sure there’s plenty of things we can see visually at the supermarkets, with regard to the constant fresh and healthy foods, as well as the pricey items. Also, in many of the communities I’m in, residents live more than a mile away from stores, they’re considered to be to be a food desert. Therefore, [00:03.00] becomes an obstacle for those people and the residents of these zones. The goal I was thinking of was to bridge the gap between all of these obstacles and educating people that it’s fun and simple it is to grow your own food. Also, having different land areas in the city, and Akron specifically, which I’m working on and which we own allows people to access that information, and also be able to take part in the demonstration sites we offer.
Most importantly, there are a lot of health-related problems that many of people have dealt with for say10-20 years, if not more. I’d say 50 years, based upon the way we handle food and how we manage our production of livestock, and many of the dry products and liquids we consume in our cooking. As we as a whole we are more conscious about what we’re putting in our bodies. I’m sure there was a lot caused by the pandemic, the scarcity of food, the people being unable to access food, and some of the limitations imposed which led to people becoming more focused towards growing their own food and becoming more self-sufficient.
