Basil Bottle: Growing Food Anywhere Without Soil

Basil Bottle: Growing Food Anywhere Without Soil

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2307588/fan_mail/new] What if you could grow fresh basil, tomatoes, and edible flowers right in a bottle — without soil, pumps, or electricity? In this episode of the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast, Mike McMahon sits down with Christopher Brooks, founder and creator of Basil Bottle, to explore the power of passive hydroponics, food accessibility, and the healing connection between people and plants. Christopher shares his powerful personal story of growing up in foster care and discovering gardening at 13 years old while in juvenile detention. A simple marigold seed became more than a plant — it became a moment of hope, confidence, and connection. Years later, that experience helped inspire his work in sustainability, food systems, and accessible growing solutions. Together, Mike and Christopher discuss how Basil Bottle works, why passive hydroponics makes growing easier, how plants can thrive without soil, and why this simple system could be used in homes, classrooms, assisted living spaces, and communities with limited access to gardens. In This Episode: ✅ Christopher’s personal story of discovering gardening as a foster youth ✅ How growing a plant helped build confidence and connection ✅ What passive hydroponics is and how it works ✅ Why plants can grow without soil, pumps, or electricity ✅ How Basil Bottle uses water, nutrients, roots, and air gaps ✅ Why overwatering and underwatering are common plant problems ✅ Growing basil, cherry tomatoes, and edible flowers indoors ✅ How hand-pollinating tomatoes works ✅ Why food accessibility matters in urban communities ✅ The educational and therapeutic potential of growing plants ✅ How Basil Bottle could support schools, seniors, and beginner growers Why Listen Listen if you are interested in simple ways to grow food at home, sustainability, hydroponics, school garden education, or the healing power of plants. Christopher’s story brings together personal resilience, food accessibility, and a creative growing system that makes gardening feel possible for anyone. Whether you are a gardener, teacher, parent, sustainability advocate, or someone who has never grown food before, this conversation shows how a simple bottle can become a powerful tool for learning, healing, and reconnecting with where food comes from. Subscribe to the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast for more conversations on sustainability, regenerative education, food systems, gardening, and the wisdom we can grow together. 00:00 Welcome to Harvesting Wisdom 01:00 Meet Christopher Brooks, founder of Basil Bottle 02:30 Growing up in foster care 04:30 The garden that changed Christopher’s life 07:00 Discovering the magic of planting a seed 09:30 From foster care advocacy to sustainability 12:00 The tomato that sparked a love for growing food 15:00 Food access, school meals, and nutrition 18:00 What is passive hydroponics? 21:00 Growing plants without soil 24:00 Adding biology into hydroponic systems 27:00 How Basil Bottle works 30:00 Roots, water levels, and air gaps 33:00 Growing basil, tomatoes, and edible flowers 35:00 How to hand-pollinate tomatoes indoors 38:00 Growing food in windowsills and small spaces 40:00 Basil Bottle in classrooms and senior living spaces 43:00 Future projects and closing thoughts

Wee Greens: Turning Classrooms Into Living Learning Labs

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2307588/fan_mail/new] What happens when kindergarten students get to grow, observe, harvest, and taste their own food? In this episode of the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast, Mike McMahon sits down with Deb Martinez, an educator and clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University, to talk about the power of garden-based learning in early childhood education. Deb shares how her lifelong connection to gardening, her years in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and her work with future teachers helped shape her contribution to Urban Farming Education’s Wee Greens curriculum. Designed especially for young learners, Wee Greens uses microgreens, recycled containers, hands-on activities, art, science, literacy, math, and family engagement to make learning more meaningful. The conversation explores why hands-on learning matters more than ever, how gardens can help students build curiosity and confidence, and how something as simple as planting microgreens can support critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and real-world learning. In This Episode: ✅ How Deb’s childhood garden shaped her love for growing food ✅ Why kindergarten students need hands-on, play-based learning ✅ How microgreens make gardening simple for classrooms ✅ The connection between gardens, science, art, literacy, and math ✅ Why students become more engaged when learning moves outside the textbook ✅ How Wee Greens helps teachers bring garden-based lessons into the classroom ✅ The role of family harvest days and food conversations at home ✅ Why school gardens can support curiosity, confidence, and community ✅ How UFE is building scalable garden-based curriculum for schools Why Listen Listen if you care about education, school gardens, or helping kids learn through real-world experiences. This episode shows how something as simple as growing microgreens can help young students build curiosity, confidence, critical thinking, and a stronger connection to food, nature, and community. Whether you are an educator, parent, school leader, gardener, or someone who cares about the future of learning, this conversation offers a beautiful look at how small seeds can grow into big lessons. Subscribe to the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast for more conversations on education, sustainability, gardening, regenerative living, and the wisdom we can grow together. 00:00 Welcome to Harvesting Wisdom 01:00 Deb Martinez’s background in gardening and education 03:30 From preschool and kindergarten to ASU 06:00 How Wee Greens became part of UFE’s curriculum 08:30 Why hands-on science matters in classrooms 11:00 The challenge of keeping students engaged today 14:00 Using gardens to spark curiosity and focus 17:00 Critical thinking, collaboration, and communication 20:00 How microgreens work in kindergarten classrooms 23:00 Recycled K-cups, egg cartons, and simple growing systems 26:00 The eight-day microgreens curriculum 29:00 Harvest day and family engagement 32:00 Garden-based learning across grade levels 36:00 Building curriculum that can scale worldwide 40:00 Why kindergarten deserves its own garden curriculum 42:00 Final thoughts and closing

The Wisdom of Wine: Terroir, Soil Health & Biodynamic Farming in France pt.1

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2307588/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Mike McMahon sits down for a thoughtful conversation in France to explore the deeper story behind wine — not just as a drink, but as a reflection of place, soil, culture, and memory. Together, they discuss the importance of terroir, the character of Semillon grapes, the role of limestone soils, and how biodynamic and regenerative practices can support healthier vineyards and more expressive wines. The conversation also touches on climate change, farming challenges, wine as part of culture, and why the best wines are connected to the land and the people who care for it. This episode is perfect for anyone interested in wine, sustainable agriculture, soil health, regenerative farming, food culture, or the relationship between people and place. Why Listen Listen to this episode if you want to understand how wine connects to much more than taste. This conversation explores how soil, climate, farming practices, and human decision-making all shape what ends up in the glass. It is a great episode for wine lovers, gardeners, farmers, environmental educators, and anyone curious about how caring for the land can create something beautiful, meaningful, and lasting.

Bermuda’s Ocean Lab: What Microbes, Coral & Climate Can Teach Us pt.1

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2307588/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, host Mike McMahon sits down with Kaitlin Noyes from the ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences to explore what Bermuda’s ocean research can teach us about climate change, coral reefs, microplastics, microbes, and the future of our planet. From the deep sea to coral reef ecosystems, this conversation connects the hidden life of the ocean with the systems we depend on every day: soil, food, agriculture, carbon, water, and education. Kaitlin shares how ASU BIOS uses long-term ocean observations, research vessels, underwater gliders, satellite data, and microbial studies to better understand how the ocean is changing over time. This episode is perfect for anyone interested in ocean science, environmental education, climate solutions, coral resilience, microplastics, STEM learning, and the connection between healthy ecosystems on land and in the sea. In this episode, we discuss: Ocean microbes and the biological carbon pump Why Bermuda is a unique place for ocean research Coral bleaching and coral resilience Microplastics in the deep ocean How ocean science connects to agriculture and soil health The role of technology, satellites, gliders, and robotics in climate research Why long-term environmental data matters for the future Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom Podcast for conversations that explore sustainability, science, agriculture, education, and the wisdom we can learn from the natural world.

Growing Food, Building Community | Novella Carpenter

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2307588/fan_mail/new] What happens when someone sees possibility in a forgotten piece of land? In this episode of the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast, Dr. Joe Roselle speaks with Novella Carpenter, urban farming pioneer and author of Farm City, about transforming an abandoned Oakland lot into a working urban farm and gathering place for the surrounding community. Novella shares how growing food can create connection, preserve cultural knowledge, improve access to fresh produce, and help communities become more resilient. She also discusses food insecurity, industrial food systems, school gardens, soil biology, beekeeping, food sovereignty, and the importance of learning from the elders who already carry generations of agricultural knowledge. The conversation also explores Urban Farming Education’s plans to activate communities throughout Phoenix through accessible gardening classes and hands-on, garden-based education for students. In this episode: • How Novella created an urban farm in Oakland • Why community gardens are about more than food • The connection between gardening and mental well-being • How industrial food systems prioritize convenience • What children should learn about seeds, soil, and nutrition • Why culturally relevant foods and traditional knowledge matter • Advice for building a community gardening movement in Phoenix Learn more about Novella Carpenter and her book, Farm City. Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom for conversations about sustainability, education, food systems, community stewardship, and the people creating meaningful change.