Compost, Cannabis and GMO Songs with John-Paul Maxfield | Waste Farmers

"There was technology that came around that allowed nerds (which we proudly are) to tinker and to experiment and to play and we're seeing that in food." - John-Paul Maxfield

Seen one way, Waste Farmers is a small company producing soil products for urban farmers (Maxfield's Organics) and marijuana growers (Batch:64) with plans to diversify into consumer food products, soon. Seen another way, Waste Farmers is a purpose-driven organization with ambitious, wide-reaching goals to change the world one innovation at a time. They just happen to be starting with some excellent work in farming and reshaping people's relationship with food.

John-Paul Maxfield is the CEO and Founder of Waste Farmers. He leads a committed band of cosmic journeymen as they work to "grow food, eat well and live full" while developing simple solutions to complex problems. In this episode, he not only shares his knowledge but his musical talent as well - stay tuned for an original song at the end of the episode! 

- IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN -

• What is the #1 irrigated crop in America? (Hint - it isn't edible.) (Most of #2 isn't, either.)
• How food waste is really soil if you close the loop with composting
• How cannabis production has young farmers in Colorado
• How rapid industrialization has impacted cannabis production and users
• How he's grown his company from $9,000 and a pickup truck
• How sustainable food's evolution is similar to that of computer technology
• How technology can build confidence in people new to growing their own food
• Why agriculture's always been like Seinfeld's "horse race"
• Why we're only eating 200 of the 30,000 possible edible plants
• Why amaranth is a miracle plant with a long history poised for rebirth
• How our dollars are our votes and how Big Food is feeling the pressure

- LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE -

• Waste Farmers
• Grow: Stories from the Urban Food Movement by Stephen Grace (2015)
• Learn to Compost with Denver Urban Gardens
• Maxfield's Organics (urban farming soil products)
• Batch:64 (cannabis farming soil products)
• Organic Cannabis Association
• Colorado State University’s Ag Innovation Summit
• Coal Town Reunion (John-Paul's band)

  – THANKS FOR LISTENING –

This episode (#13) comes from Mile High Locavorist.