June 6, 2025 • 40 mins
From sandy beaches to stormwater solutions, TV host Chad Crawford joins Cultivating Curiosity to talk about his hit series Flip My Florida Yard. A third-generation Floridian and creator of How to Do Florida, Chad shares how a single episode about landscaping evolved into a statewide movement for water conservation and environmental stewardship.
In this heartfelt and humorous conversation, Chad opens up about his journey and why flipping yards is about more than plants. Hosts Alyssa Vinson and Taylor Clem dive into how the show uses entertainment to spark curiosity and environmental action, explore the mental health and cultural impacts of outdoor spaces, and discuss what’s new in Season 4, including a homeowner-led format focused on relatable, DIY landscape makeovers.
Tune in to discover why Florida’s future may depend on a buffer zone—and how a yard show is quietly creating a state full of water-conscious, nature-connected citizens.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity, where two Extension
agents with UFIFIS Extension explore the world of
horticulture and quench yours and our thirst for knowledge.
My name is Alyssa Vincent. And I'm Taylor Clem, join us
each month as we delve into fascinating topics in the world
of plants and cultivate our curiosity.
(00:25):
Well, hey, Taylor. Hey Alyssa, how are you doing?
I'm good today. It's a it's yesterday was a
little blustery. So I'm I'm enjoying the the sun
today. It'll be nice to get outside a
little bit this afternoon. And I'm really excited because
we have a really interesting guest on the podcast today.
(00:46):
We get to talk to Chad Crawford.Chad Crawford has been in
Florida for his entire life. He's a third generation
Floridian, graduated from high school in Sanford, and
apparently he wanted to be a prosurfer at one point.
He doesn't and I right. I'm just not good at it.
(01:07):
And we're going to talk. We're going to talk later about
how you earned the moniker Captain of Fun Chad, if we can
on the podcast. I don't know please.
Let's do it. But Chad Crawford is the the
host and director of ATV show called Flip My Florida Yard
that, you know, kind of takes landscapes in Florida and
transitions them according to the Florida friendly landscaping
(01:29):
principles. So we're really excited to talk
to you Chad today. So welcome.
Thank you. Thanks for having me guys, this
will be fun. We did a little bit of an intro,
but tell us about who you are, your story.
How did you end up with CrawfordEntertainment and how that led
you to what you're doing today? Well, I guess it all started
with a video productions class my senior year.
(01:52):
It was a new class. They had just started it.
And my teacher, Charles Schumer,who's no longer with us, God
rest his soul, he had this classand he, I don't think he
realized what he got himself into as a bunch of seniors.
And it was a bunch of video equipment that he had just
bought. And he really didn't know how to
use it. And but he was trying to teach
(02:14):
us how to use it. And it was just a fun class.
It was a goof off class. It was an easy credit, like we
just goofed off. The perfect senior class.
It was that class, like video productions, Yeah.
And at the very last, the very last day, I'll never forget, he
came up to me and put his arm around me and says, you know,
(02:34):
Chad? He said if you weren't such a
goofball, you would be good at this.
You have talent. And up until that time, no
teacher had told me I had any kind of talent OR I would be
good at anything, right. So I remembered that and I went
off to the Navy and I came out of the Navy.
I was in the Navy for two years,stationed in Antigua in the West
Indies, where I was the captain of fun.
(02:57):
I work for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, which
is basically means I was in charge of fun.
I was in charge of That's great.Gosh, I I was, I had the only
keys to a beer cage that had allthe beer and the soda.
And so I was. Everybody wanted to be your
friend, yeah. I was very popular, let me say
it that way. And then really came out of the
(03:22):
Navy, had the GI Bill. But what Mr. Schumer told me or
said to me that day kind of stuck with me and said, and so I
said, I'll try this new school. It had just kind of started
locally in here. Winter Park was called Full
Sail. It hadn't been there for a
while, but it's video program was fairly new.
So I was like, let's just try and see what happens.
(03:43):
So I went there and I was so intimidated by all the equipment
there. I'll never forget this coming
out there feeling terrified, like, you know, because back
then video equipment was big. Everything was big and giant,
giant consoles, big cameras, youknow, and it was very
intimidating. But I went there and came out of
film school, and that really started my trajectory in film
(04:06):
was just going to college, you know?
So kids today, when they, you know, asked me advice about
getting started, I was like, youknow, going to college is good.
You're going to learn a lot. But really, it's just commitment
to that career, right? It's this kind of line of the
sand like, OK, this is what I'm going to do.
I'm investing my time, my mother, my money, my energy and
(04:28):
this this kind of moves me in that direction.
And you know, I tell my kids youcan't steer ship unless it's
moving. You got to have four month and
you got to be moving in some direction.
So that's that really kind of started me in that space.
And then I kind of fumble aroundand has always have always had
my own business. And then in 2005, me and my wife
(04:50):
started Crawford Entertainment, which is kind of what we have
today, so. I love what you said about you
can't steer a ship unless it's moving, right.
Having that that forward momentum is, is so important.
I love that. So how then you know, so, so
Crawford Entertainment comes into being.
How did you get connected with the University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in the FFL
(05:12):
program? Well, let me back up just a
little bit and just say that, you know, flip my floor to yard
with a spin off of how to do Florida.
And I started How to do Florida in 2005 with this idea of owning
my own content. You know, up until then I had
done a lot of corporate work. And you do corporate work.
It's fun, it pays the bills, butyou do it for somebody else and
(05:32):
they take it off you go, you don't really own anything.
You get paid, you go, you move on to the next project.
Well, I wanted to own something.You know, when you have a
television show and you own the TV show, it's called
intellectual property. It looks you, you look at it
just like you own a piece of land.
It is a piece of property that you own.
(05:52):
And so when you own that property, you can monetize it
over years and years and years because you own it.
So that was the idea we started how to do Florida.
And you know, funny story with that.
I was not supposed to be the host.
You know, I had brought in, I, Iwas the director, I was the
producer. I was behind the scenes and we
brought in, I brought in 40 different talent to, you know,
(06:16):
to, to audition for that role. And I came home, I was so
frustrated and I was like complaining to my wife.
I was like, you know, it's just a bunch of, you know, Orlando
talent markets a lot what I callteeth and hair, you know what I
mean? Just like beautiful people just
like smile and I'm like, I just nobody there just got any depth.
(06:37):
And she's like, you should be the host.
I'm like, no, behind the scenes,honey, you know, control the
image and direct. And she's like, you're not going
to be happy with anybody but yourself.
She's like, I know you. I'm like, OK, so we tried that
and do some Myrtle Beach and that was the end.
And that was so I was the host. And so through that show, I
think season 4, we did a show called How to do a Floor to
(07:01):
Yard. And this was really inspired by
my wife's uncle, Gary Henry, whowas very who worked at the
Department of Transportation andhe was really involved in the
wildflower movement. And he really.
Great. He really got me excited about
that and was kind of the early, at least me like understanding
how all this works with government and, and, and, and
(07:24):
agriculture and, and plants and how all that kind of coincides
because he was a big advocate of, of wildflowers on the, on
the, the side of the road. And we shouldn't be mowing all
this stuff. It's spending all this money.
It should all be wildflowers. And so I connected with fan
Cammy over there who just a great organization and they we
(07:45):
did one show called how to do a floor to yard.
And I didn't think too much about it.
I learned a lot. It was great.
But when it aired, it was so popular and everybody loved that
show and I kind of didn't get it.
I'm like, OK, it's a yard show, you know, but you know, do you
see the one where I caught the big swordfish?
I mean, that was really slut. I was like, what are we doing?
(08:08):
The people love that show. And I was like, you know what, I
really realized that there is somany people here who really want
this information right in in this format.
And so I started doing some digging around and I eventually
realized like, well, this is itsown show.
Like we just need to do a yard show.
And so that was kind of the origins of Flip my floor to
(08:29):
yard. It was a spin off of how to do
Florida and that's how it was born.
Taylor and I, we talked to folksabout landscapes quite often and
anytime you like write a newspaper article or do a blog
or something and it's just aboutlike how to have a landscape
that's successful. Everybody wants more.
And one of the challenges we runinto an extension is how do you
(08:52):
reach the most people in the most impactful way?
And I think that you've really hit something with that.
The TV entertainment, right? Give some, give them something
that is exciting to watch, but also gives them tools that they
can use. So what?
And I'll just I'll just say on that point, Alyssa, you know,
for me, you know, and you guys know that the Florida family
(09:15):
landscaping journey is a long journey with no end, right?
It once you get on that train, it it is, it goes forever.
And I always looked at because Istruggle with two with like
trying to put so much information in the show, but
really realizing that the show is like the movie trailer get
you excited and to like let you kind of press in a little bit
(09:36):
want to know what this is, but it's not the movie.
The movie is starting this journey, interacting with your
extension agent, making those steps.
And it, it, it's going to go on and on and on and on.
You know what I mean? Like, there is no end insight.
But I always tell people like, this is just a, this is a hype
(09:56):
video to get you excited about this program to where it feels
obtainable for you. So yeah.
I, I really like how you kind ofprocess like this is the trailer
to the movie and when I watch episodes of Flip my 40 Yard, I I
love seeing the experience and reaction from the homeowners
(10:17):
when they get to see the landscape for the first time
because it shows from that personal level that impact, that
creating something beautiful yetachieved.
This higher goal of the FFL program is can happen and does
happen, but I know it's like there's a big process to this.
Of course, can you go over the details like what is ultimately,
(10:39):
because we didn't really say it yet, but what is the goal of
Flip My Florida Yard? What's the intention and what's
that process that you have to gothrough ultimately when you're
kind of creating these differentepisodes well?
One of the things we talked about in the office is like the
human element, you know, becausewe talked a lot about the
environmental impact, we talked about the science, we talked
(11:02):
about, you know, a lot of thingsthat University of Florida can
bring. And you know, now more than ever
we're talking about the mental health aspect.
But for me, it's always been about the human element, you
know, because if if you're not connecting somebody to the earth
by getting them down on their hands and knees, getting their
hands dirty, like physically bringing their face close to
(11:23):
plants, right? I mean, there's something about
that that kind of changes you. You know, I think one of the
biggest compliments that I've gotten is when people say like,
we're not yard people, but this has turned us into yard people.
I love that. I love that now we're making
yard people who didn't think they were yard people.
(11:46):
You know, just like when I'd hadto do Florida, I was my biggest
compliment was taking somebody who would never camp.
And now they're campers, you know what I mean?
Like helping somebody make that transition because ultimately
that's what it's about. Like saving water, yes.
Less nutrients, yes. All these things that the
principles teach, yes. But like, I want to connect
people to their yard because that's the only thing they can
(12:07):
control. Most people never go to the
Everglades. We'll never see it, never touch
it. Everglades is hard to go to.
It's not Disney. You don't buy a ticket, stand in
line. I mean, it's difficult to engage
the Everglades, but people can control their land.
That's their little park, that'stheir State Park.
They, they can control what goeson it, what they put on it, how
(12:28):
they treat it and giving people like the, the mandate to look at
that and, and also helping them realize that it's all connected.
You know, your yard is connectedto the Everglade just like
everything else. So that's for me the goal of the
show. All the other stuff is like,
what is the quality? I don't understand.
I know what a Pinta is and I know what a Kookie is of my
(12:51):
plant knowledge, but I know how to bring this to people and I
know television and that's my bucket and that's what I focus
on. And I think that's what makes
the show good, is that you kind of have a host and a creator who
doesn't understand plants but knows people and wants this to
have a huge impact on Florida. Can you talk a little bit more
(13:13):
about that, that Florida impact?I know you're talking about
catching a swordfish, and I think you you seem to be
somebody who engages in the outdoors a lot.
What is your interpretation thenof that connection between what
is happening in someone's landscape and the great outdoors
of Florida, the fishing communities of Florida?
Why is that important to you? Well, I think it's all
(13:36):
connected. And I think, you know, when I
grew up fishing and hunting in Florida, like, you know, I was
kind of raised to not like conservationist, you know, that
they were weird lefty people andthey were crunchy and they
didn't understand sportsman, youknow, like, that's how I was
raised. That's how a lot of people were
raised, you know, that hunting fish.
(13:57):
And I think over the last 15 years, a lot of those barriers
are gone where there is this convergence between sportsman
and conservationists. I think both of them have really
realized that they can be very strong and powerful when they
work together. And I think both sides have kind
of learned to to live with each other and realized that like
we're not going away. They're not going away.
(14:19):
And so and, and ultimately we want the same thing.
You know, some of the biggest conservation groups out there
run by hunters, Ducks Unlimited is one of them.
So like, you know, I think for me, that's the cloth that I'm
from that is this kind of hunting, fishing.
And so I love that I get to crossover into this conservation
space and science space. I think this is what makes my
(14:41):
content relatable to a broad audience is because I come from
that side and I'm able to see both sides and respect both
sides. So that's one of the things I
think makes us successful in making good television is we
don't make it for one group. Like I truly tried to look at a
broad scope of who's in Florida and trying to speak to a much
(15:04):
broader audience and kind of notbeing afraid to just kind of say
when things are weird and when things just kind of don't make
sense. You know, I, I, you know, I've
often said that the format for how to do Florida was part
genius, part ridiculous because that's, that's how I see
Florida. I see Florida as a mix of the
two. I think it's, it's not being
(15:26):
truthful to not say that and to not own that.
And I think Florida needs to ownthat even more, that we are kind
of ridiculous, you know? And that's OK if part of who we
are, but we're also part genius.And where those two collide, I
think it's what makes Florida soeclectic and so intriguing to so
many people around the world. What you mentioned, Chad, is
(15:46):
really unique because similar towhat we do in Extension is we
all live in Florida. We all share this beautiful
place, this beautiful space. What we do in Extension, our
goal is to like what are the needs, what are the issues that
are facing all Floridians and how can Extension help work?
Towards. Providing that research based
(16:07):
information to help overcome a lot of those issues.
And a lot of times part of that is, you know, we'll have a lot
of different partners, local stakeholder groups, and they
don't always see eye to eye, butwe're able to kind of facilitate
this space that allows people tocome together and.
Look. At Florida and its needs in a
(16:28):
more holistic way that allows them to all come together at the
same table. When you're talking about like
what Florida is, I really love that we can highlight Florida in
this show because so many peopleare moving into the state.
The metric that we use, like 1000 people a day are moving
into the state. I'm a transplant.
(16:49):
You're a third generation of Florida.
And so, I mean, your family has grown up seeing how much Florida
has changed. I've been in Florida for about
25 years, and I've seen how muchthe state has changed in that
time. And I love how this conversation
starts to connect people to whatFlorida is because like what you
(17:09):
mentioned, I don't think we always have that.
It's not showcased to us. Right.
I agree. Yeah.
I think that's a big challenge that we run into as Extension
agents is that folks come to Florida with a preconceived idea
of what Florida should look likeand and they try to get there
and then they get really frustrated when they can't get
(17:30):
there. Well, look at, I'll be honest
with you. I, I've, I've often thought that
Florida gets treated like a rental car.
You know, people, you know, statistically 70% of people who
live here are not from here. This is not their home.
This is not where they were raised.
Their grandparents aren't burieddown the street, you know, like
this is a, this is a, this is a rental.
(17:51):
They just came here, you know, and my goal was always been to
try to connect people to this place that they now call home
and to get them outside, to get them to touch it and feel it so
they're less apathetic about theenvironmental issues that impact
it. Because unless you're engaging
in a place and whether that's your yard or a State Park or
(18:12):
whatever, like it's just a place, you know, it's just where
you're living now because this is a season in your life or
whatever reasons brought you down here.
And we just have that here. You know, we don't, you know, if
Florida's just, we don't have a lot of team spirit here because
it's hard to find a real consensus in Florida sometimes
because we're all kind of a milewide, inch deep with our
(18:33):
commitments and our our groundings to this state.
And so I've always struggled with that really, you know,
trying to get people to see Florida, how I see Florida.
And that was the origins of how to do Florida.
It's, it's still that would flipmy Florida yard.
All the shows that we do, you know, we produce over 5
different TV shows, but the coreof it is to connect people to
(18:56):
this land and to get more peopleon board with wanting to protect
it. Can you?
Chad, describe some of the reactions people have had to
flip my Florida yard. Either folks who have like been
on the show the the folks whose yards you've transitioned or
even from folks who like maybe come up and say like, hey, then
(19:18):
I saw this show. I want to tell you how it
changed me or you know somethingabout it.
Do you do you have any stories or thoughts about like some of
those impacts? Well, I'll tell you what, and
this is the first time I'm publicly saying this, but you
know, we're working on Season 4 right now and Season 4 is a very
different format and I'm really excited about it because I'm not
(19:38):
the host, I'm not in the show atall.
Oh wow. And and I reason I bring this up
is just to answer your question,question Alyssa, because a lot
of the feedback we got was, is that this seems too much.
You come in and sometimes we're dropping thirty $40,000 of Labor
product hardscape into somebody's yard and we're giving
(20:02):
them 250 plants now that you need to manage and take care of.
And so I think the feedback we got from these first three
seasons was is that we want moreobtainable.
Flips something that feels a little more weekend project S
not shock and awe and I think there's ATV guy we were shooting
(20:22):
for shock and awe. You know we wanted this big
reveal. You know, move that bus kind of
moment, take off your glasses. Take off your glasses.
We couldn't afford the bus, but you know, we did the best we
could. But, and so this because of the
feedback we've gotten this season, we really don't have a
(20:43):
host. We have the homeowners.
Homeowners aren't going to a State Park.
They're staying in the yard and they're learning.
They're learning from the extension agents.
They're learning from experts. They're getting their hands
dirty. And we just finished the first
show and it looks amazing. I mean, I got goosebumps just
thinking about it because the format is so great because
you're seeing these homeowners have these aha moments.
(21:05):
And that's, you know, for me and, and, and Kate Shorter, the
producer, that's what we're mining for are those aha
moments, like those moments whenthe Helmeter was like, oh,
that's that's why you do that. OK.
This is the kind of first time I'm saying this publicly, but
and it's going to be a little bit of a shock for people, but I
love the new format and super excited about Season 4, which
(21:27):
will launch this July on PBS affiliates throughout the state.
So just kind of getting that outthere as well.
Yeah, like how you mentioned is like with those homeowners, it
was this shock and awe moment you all leave you kind of like,
you know, I remember when we were filming the episode in
Alachua County, you took the homeowners to like the the
(21:48):
springs and they learned about spring shed areas and that the
impacts of landscape. Essentially you're bringing that
extension into it where you're taking the family through this.
So that shock and awe is like this big reveal, but now you're
adding depth to it. You're adding the how, the why,
and you're facilitating a space of the homeowner does they learn
(22:10):
the skill that then they can share with their neighbors and
that has a bigger impact to it. I'm excited.
Well said, Taylor. Well, and I'll be honest with
you though, it's a lot harder because because with me in
there, like I can, I can make television, I can make it
happen, you know, like I can ramrod it and we can get it
done. But now and then my first gun
(22:32):
was is like, let's get the homeowners out of here.
Like let's just and make TV. It's a new elements we'll bring.
Them back and show them what we did and it's harder to make
television with people who don'tunderstand television, but it's
always so good, you know, like the viewer feels that the viewer
feels that these people aren't professional TV people.
(22:54):
They're normal people just like them and they relate to that.
So it, it is definitely more challenging.
But man, it's definitely it. It's got so many more rewards
for it. We're so excited about what
we're seeing and how the show's coming together.
We're going to do 2 flips per show.
So they're kind of micro mini flips.
Oh cool. But they're kind of smaller, you
(23:15):
know, kind of weekend projecty type things that, you know, any
homeowner can do. Lots of DIY elements in there.
So yeah, I'm excited for this season.
It's going to be good. Yeah.
Not only are you making it relatable to the viewer because
they see themselves and the people who are engaging, but you
also make it accessible because the projects are something that
(23:36):
someone could, you know, feasibly accomplish with limited
funds or limited time. Yeah.
And, and I love, I love that youtalked about that aha moment
because I know that educators like, you know, Taylor and I
talk about this a lot, that spark that you see when it
lights up in someone. It is, it's what it's what we do
(23:59):
this, you know, And so being able to like facilitate that
and, and make that happen is, isjust, it's fantastic.
Yeah. So yeah, I'm looking forward to
it. Yeah, it's good.
It's good. When you look at the flips that
you've done, are any of those landscapes, were any of those
stories really staying out with you the most?
(24:20):
That's been the most impactful. That's maybe achieving like your
goal, your motivation, because it seems like your motivation
is, let me show people real Florida, true Florida.
I'm going to forget a flip we did in Tampa season 1.
Allison Bell. She was a single mom, 3 gorgeous
kids. The impact that yard had on her
(24:43):
family. And you know, we talk a lot
about family culture and to see this yard transformation have
such a big impact on her kids, on her family culture.
And knowing that that is kind ofsetting the tone for her kids
and what they saw was important to to their mom and what she did
(25:05):
and the impact that had on her kids and I was going to have on
her kids. Kids like that to me is like
what it's all about. And I love seeing that because
when we went back to kind of seehow this yard had impacted her
and it was just mind blowing. You know, like I think in
television, we move so fast and we're just doing our thing.
(25:26):
And, and sometimes I know I am, you know, guilty of this, not
really seeing the impact this ishaving, you know, moving too
fast to really absorb that. And, you know, when I do get a
chance to see and, and, and absorb, absorb that, it's so
it's so meaningful. But that's one that stands out
to me and is, and we still keep in touch with her.
(25:48):
Lynn Barber. She's made a great relationship
with Lynn, her extension agent. So they have a relationship now
because when when we leave, they're like, OK, now what?
All right, all right. You need to call the extension
agent. They'll, they'll, they'll help
you figure this out, but we makea big mess and hope you guys can
sort it out for us when we leave, you know, but that's
(26:10):
definitely one that stands out to me as a just a very
meaningful flip that, you know, I think is going to have an
impact for, you know, many yearsto come.
Yeah, I, I think that that's so it's so poignant when we think
about the ways that our physicalspace around us impact our
well-being. And a lot of the folks we've
(26:33):
interviewed on the podcast can point to moments in their life
where they had some kind of engagement with the outdoors or
an experience that that really changed the trajectory of their
entire life. And, and I know, you know,
feeling that sense of pride around your landscape, it can
(26:53):
change, you know, your confidence, how you approach the
world. So I, I think that you know that
that's part of why Taylor and I love talking about plants
because they're so. You know.
They can, they can do so much for people and I, I think we
don't always recognize the powerof beauty as well, right.
(27:16):
So like being in a beautiful space, you know, calm space, how
that can impact you and, and children as well.
So. That moment you probably through
filming this, created some sparkthat's going to happen for those
children to do something great because of that one moment that
you all were able to come in anddo that.
(27:38):
And that's, I think it's a superempowering thing.
Yeah. And we fixed a major problem.
First, you had a lot of flooding, which really I think
it was, you know, for someone who, you know, has chronic
flooding, it can really be like stressful, you know, especially
for somebody who just kind of doesn't know how to fix it
where, you know, typically if you don't have flooding, rain is
(28:00):
like a good thing, right? You, we love it when it rains.
You know, our plants are gettingwater.
This is good. But for somebody who has a lot
of flooding, rain is stressful. And especially in the summer
when we get a lot of big rains. And we put a brand new permeable
paver driveway in her yard. And it was one of the first big
permeable paver jobs we did. And I remember showing up to the
site being like, holy mackerel, like, it was just a massive
(28:24):
project, right? But it fixed your problem.
You know, all that water, instead of just sitting there,
goes down into the aquifer through those pavers.
And we were all just so impressed with that system.
And it's still working today. We reached out to her about a
month ago. She's like, Yep, I haven't had
one flooding issue. You know, the water just strains
(28:44):
right to the pavers and it goes down to the aquifer.
So like, you know, we need more of that, more permeable spaces.
We try to preach that quite a bit on the show and really
getting people to understand that, you know, like, I didn't
understand stormwater, just the flow.
Now I'm kind of fascinated with where water moves and it's
raining. I'm kind of watching where the
(29:04):
water is going, you know? Those of us who.
Understand stormwater, it's, it's the flow of water is kind
of fascinating, right? But if you're not dialed into
that, you know, I think that's probably one of the hardest
principles for people to understand is reducing
stormwater runoff. You know, why in the heck would
I want water to stay on my property like I wanted to as
(29:27):
quick as possible? And I think that's one of the
most difficult things for us to show, illustrate, teach is this
idea of of keeping stormwater onour property, allowing it the
space to go down, not out. But once people understand that,
they get it. But it's definitely a little
difficult to kind of wrap your head around that.
(29:50):
You mentioned thinking about stormwater differently.
Are there other other things that you've noticed over the
years that you have changed youropinion about or you're more
aware of now because of your engagement with the FFL
principles? Buffer zone, buffer zone, buffer
zone, buffer zone. Look, if I was in charge of this
(30:11):
state, there would be buffer zone cops who would be flying
around giving out tickets for people who don't have a buffer
zone. You know, I think it's one of
it. It would be, it's one of the
things we could do in the state that would solve a lot of our
water quality issues. And it is a, it is a privilege
(30:32):
to live on water in this state. We have a lot of it.
And I live on a lake. I'm so thankful to be able to
live on a lake. So I see first hand what people
do when they move to a lake and they clear cut every bit of that
shoreline. They don't want any weeds, they
don't want any cattails. They don't want anything where a
(30:53):
snake to be hiding or an alligator could be in.
And they really, you know, take away the lakes lungs, the lakes
ability to recover and the storeitself by doing that.
And it's funny because I live ona lake and then there's another
lake next to me and my lake is alittle smaller.
It's not as big. Big houses on it.
(31:13):
We don't have. It's a smaller lake.
And our lake is so clean. I swim in it, not every day, but
every other day with me. And I have a group of guys.
We swim in the lake. The lake next to us has big
houses on it, big Saint Augustine backyards.
They've cut down all of the vegetation on just beaches.
And that lake looks like split pea soup, you know?
(31:35):
And my buddy and my buddy who lives on it comes and swims in
my lake. And he's like, dude, your lake
is so clean. I was like, yeah, because it
looks like a lake. There's weeds and there's
vegetation in here. It doesn't look like a retention
pond. And so we as a state have to
really realize that if you live on water, you have a
responsibility to buffer the junk coming off your yard
(32:01):
between you and the lake. And you can't just clear cut
that and give all that nutrientsand all that pollution just an
open gate to go right into the lake because the lake can't
sustain that overtime. So I mean, that's one of the one
things that I, I get up on a soapbox about and I'll preach it
with whoever asked and I would, I would love to see buffer cops
(32:23):
in cars with lights on driving around.
If you get people's buffer zone and people being people being
proud of their buffer zone, you know, like it's, I think it is a
state of pride. You know, when people come to my
house and I'm like, look at this, this is not just unkept
shoreline. I'm proud of this 10 foot space
(32:43):
here that I let go wild. This is an important part of
keeping this lake clean, keepingour waterways clean.
So I didn't mean to go on a soapbox there at least.
I'm sorry, but you, that is my thing.
It's not pest management. It's not recycling yard waste.
It is protecting the waterfront.It's big time for me.
(33:05):
And I, I, as somebody who loves the water, lives on the water.
It's a it's a responsibility I wish more Floridians took
seriously. You hit something that I, I love
to talk about because when, whenI talk to homeowners and
residents in extension, you know, I always love to ask
people that moved here is like, why?
(33:26):
What did you love about Florida that drew you here?
And so the water, the water. So I love using the 9th
principle, protect the waterfront.
It's kind of like that bridge inthat conversation.
We're here because we love the water.
And then I frame it because likeyou were mentioning, it's like
the one family in Tampa where it's like allow that water to
recharge into the aquifer. And part of the conversations
(33:50):
that we have a lot in extension as we're talking about, yeah, we
talked about protect the waterfront, but we're all
connected to water resource, we're all connected to forest
water. So it's kind of like ultimately
it becomes all of our responsibilities, you know,
because when I was living in Alaska County, huge portion of
the county was just spring recharge zone.
So it's not your, we weren't necessarily in a like a typical
(34:13):
watershed, but all the water that lands there is going
directly into the aquifer. And you could be miles away from
a stream or a water body, but you're still directly connected
to it. And I love having that
conversation because people cameto Florida because they loved
it. They love the idea of Florida.
They love the water. And that becomes a way to kind
(34:36):
of like, how can we make sure that we're protecting and
serving the reason that we love this state Or for many people,
one of the big reasons that you came here because, you know,
when I was growing up, when I was younger, I used to swim in
like the Julington Creek and Saint Johns River.
Yeah. And, you know, sometimes water
(34:58):
quality wasn't that good and I haven't swam in it ever since we
had a big algae bloom that came in in the mid 2000s.
And that's related to water quality, you know, but knowing
that I was being able to swim inthese rivers and streams and
creeks because no matter what, alligators are going to be
there, snakes are going to be there.
(35:19):
But I just love that we can haveconversations in a state where
we kind of connect people back to water.
So being that, that's kind of like one of the big things that
you really like to to love to see how the FFL program I think
is fantastic. Yeah, there's nothing more
unnatural in a lake than a whitesand beach.
Like I've been a lot of natural lakes since I've never seen a
(35:40):
white sand beach lake, you know,like people think they live on
Anna Maria Island. Don't treat your lakefront like
a beach. You're not on a beach, you know,
you're in a lake. A lake supposed to look like a
lake supposed to have lake like features, which is vegetation.
And there's been a kind of a industry around cleaning out
(36:02):
lakes. And I I think there's a certain
element of that. I'm not saying that's not
appropriate. I think, you know, lakes should
be managed, but managed to a certain extent.
You know, we have this preconceived notion about, you
know, even retention ponds. I just think retention ponds
look just so disgusting, you know, like, like they need to
look more natural. They need to look more, you
(36:24):
know, like a lake, you know, butpeople just don't like weeds.
They want to cut it down. And there's this thing about,
you know, manicuring our lakes and managing them to the point
where they don't look like lakesanymore.
And they when that happens, theylose the functionality, the
ability to function like a lake.I think that you really kind of
(36:46):
wrapped us up nicely with that comment, Chad, because when we
talk about the Florida friendly landscaping program, it is in
its essence a water quality and conservation program, right?
The intention of all of these different landscape practices is
really just to protect Florida, to protect the resources in
Florida that we love and namely water.
(37:08):
And so I think that your your story about your lake the East
women is a perfect simple of of that and how FFL really tries to
drive home that we need to protect the water that we have
here in Florida. Well, you know, I often say that
this put my Florida yard as a water conservation show
disguised as a yard show. Yeah, of this, you know, And
(37:30):
then before people know it, whether they realize it or not,
we've converted them into water conservationists through the,
the kind of the fun and lure of plants and wildlife.
You know, next thing you know, they're really watching their
sprinkler system or they've turned their sprinkler system
off or they're only watering as needed.
(37:52):
And and that's that, that's the goal is to get people onto the
train, whatever it takes, get them on the train and get them
moving in our direction. At the very end of the show, I
say everybody doing a little is a lot.
And that's all we're asking is for everybody to do a little.
You know, everybody doing it is a big deal.
So that's, that's, that's our ask.
(38:15):
Well, thank you, Chad so much for joining us today.
This is a great discussion and we all appreciate what you do
and helping raise awareness to what Florida really is and how
beautiful it can be and trying to just connect everyone
together and this great landscape.
Well, I'll say to, in leaving that, you know, we couldn't do
(38:37):
it without Department of Environmental Protection.
You know, they, they see the value in this program.
They put on the money and resources into our show to be
able to communicate this program.
So they think it's important just as much as University of
Florida thinks it's important. And so we're that's a good
partnership, a good team betweenUniversity of Florida Department
(38:59):
of Environmental Protection. They, they get it and we're,
they're just great to work with.And you know, I've learned so
much just working with that team.
So it's been a, it's been a good, good partnership.
That's fantastic. Thank you so much, Chad.
Thank you. Alright, bye.
Bye, guys. Thank you for joining us today
on Cultivating Curiosity. Join us each month as we explore
(39:19):
the fascinating world of plants.For more information on today's
topic, check out our web page and subscribe on your favorite
podcast platform. My name is Taylor.
And I'm Alyssa, stay curious with us.
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity, where two Extension
agents with UFIFIS Extension explore the world of
horticulture and quench yours and our thirst for knowledge.
My name is Alyssa Vincent. And I'm Taylor Clem, join us
each month as we delve into fascinating topics in the world
of plants and cultivate our curiosity.
(00:25):
Well, hey, Taylor. Hey Alyssa, how are you doing?
I'm good today. It's a it's yesterday was a
little blustery. So I'm I'm enjoying the the sun
today. It'll be nice to get outside a
little bit this afternoon. And I'm really excited because
we have a really interesting guest on the podcast today.
(00:46):
We get to talk to Chad Crawford.Chad Crawford has been in
Florida for his entire life. He's a third generation
Floridian, graduated from high school in Sanford, and
apparently he wanted to be a prosurfer at one point.
He doesn't and I right. I'm just not good at it.
(01:07):
And we're going to talk. We're going to talk later about
how you earned the moniker Captain of Fun Chad, if we can
on the podcast. I don't know please.
Let's do it. But Chad Crawford is the the
host and director of ATV show called Flip My Florida Yard
that, you know, kind of takes landscapes in Florida and
transitions them according to the Florida friendly landscaping
(01:29):
principles. So we're really excited to talk
to you Chad today. So welcome.
Thank you. Thanks for having me guys, this
will be fun. We did a little bit of an intro,
but tell us about who you are, your story.
How did you end up with CrawfordEntertainment and how that led
you to what you're doing today? Well, I guess it all started
with a video productions class my senior year.
(01:52):
It was a new class. They had just started it.
And my teacher, Charles Schumer,who's no longer with us, God
rest his soul, he had this classand he, I don't think he
realized what he got himself into as a bunch of seniors.
And it was a bunch of video equipment that he had just
bought. And he really didn't know how to
use it. And but he was trying to teach
(02:14):
us how to use it. And it was just a fun class.
It was a goof off class. It was an easy credit, like we
just goofed off. The perfect senior class.
It was that class, like video productions, Yeah.
And at the very last, the very last day, I'll never forget, he
came up to me and put his arm around me and says, you know,
(02:34):
Chad? He said if you weren't such a
goofball, you would be good at this.
You have talent. And up until that time, no
teacher had told me I had any kind of talent OR I would be
good at anything, right. So I remembered that and I went
off to the Navy and I came out of the Navy.
I was in the Navy for two years,stationed in Antigua in the West
Indies, where I was the captain of fun.
(02:57):
I work for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, which
is basically means I was in charge of fun.
I was in charge of That's great.Gosh, I I was, I had the only
keys to a beer cage that had allthe beer and the soda.
And so I was. Everybody wanted to be your
friend, yeah. I was very popular, let me say
it that way. And then really came out of the
(03:22):
Navy, had the GI Bill. But what Mr. Schumer told me or
said to me that day kind of stuck with me and said, and so I
said, I'll try this new school. It had just kind of started
locally in here. Winter Park was called Full
Sail. It hadn't been there for a
while, but it's video program was fairly new.
So I was like, let's just try and see what happens.
(03:43):
So I went there and I was so intimidated by all the equipment
there. I'll never forget this coming
out there feeling terrified, like, you know, because back
then video equipment was big. Everything was big and giant,
giant consoles, big cameras, youknow, and it was very
intimidating. But I went there and came out of
film school, and that really started my trajectory in film
(04:06):
was just going to college, you know?
So kids today, when they, you know, asked me advice about
getting started, I was like, youknow, going to college is good.
You're going to learn a lot. But really, it's just commitment
to that career, right? It's this kind of line of the
sand like, OK, this is what I'm going to do.
I'm investing my time, my mother, my money, my energy and
(04:28):
this this kind of moves me in that direction.
And you know, I tell my kids youcan't steer ship unless it's
moving. You got to have four month and
you got to be moving in some direction.
So that's that really kind of started me in that space.
And then I kind of fumble aroundand has always have always had
my own business. And then in 2005, me and my wife
(04:50):
started Crawford Entertainment, which is kind of what we have
today, so. I love what you said about you
can't steer a ship unless it's moving, right.
Having that that forward momentum is, is so important.
I love that. So how then you know, so, so
Crawford Entertainment comes into being.
How did you get connected with the University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in the FFL
(05:12):
program? Well, let me back up just a
little bit and just say that, you know, flip my floor to yard
with a spin off of how to do Florida.
And I started How to do Florida in 2005 with this idea of owning
my own content. You know, up until then I had
done a lot of corporate work. And you do corporate work.
It's fun, it pays the bills, butyou do it for somebody else and
(05:32):
they take it off you go, you don't really own anything.
You get paid, you go, you move on to the next project.
Well, I wanted to own something.You know, when you have a
television show and you own the TV show, it's called
intellectual property. It looks you, you look at it
just like you own a piece of land.
It is a piece of property that you own.
(05:52):
And so when you own that property, you can monetize it
over years and years and years because you own it.
So that was the idea we started how to do Florida.
And you know, funny story with that.
I was not supposed to be the host.
You know, I had brought in, I, Iwas the director, I was the
producer. I was behind the scenes and we
brought in, I brought in 40 different talent to, you know,
(06:16):
to, to audition for that role. And I came home, I was so
frustrated and I was like complaining to my wife.
I was like, you know, it's just a bunch of, you know, Orlando
talent markets a lot what I callteeth and hair, you know what I
mean? Just like beautiful people just
like smile and I'm like, I just nobody there just got any depth.
(06:37):
And she's like, you should be the host.
I'm like, no, behind the scenes,honey, you know, control the
image and direct. And she's like, you're not going
to be happy with anybody but yourself.
She's like, I know you. I'm like, OK, so we tried that
and do some Myrtle Beach and that was the end.
And that was so I was the host. And so through that show, I
think season 4, we did a show called How to do a Floor to
(07:01):
Yard. And this was really inspired by
my wife's uncle, Gary Henry, whowas very who worked at the
Department of Transportation andhe was really involved in the
wildflower movement. And he really.
Great. He really got me excited about
that and was kind of the early, at least me like understanding
how all this works with government and, and, and, and
(07:24):
agriculture and, and plants and how all that kind of coincides
because he was a big advocate of, of wildflowers on the, on
the, the side of the road. And we shouldn't be mowing all
this stuff. It's spending all this money.
It should all be wildflowers. And so I connected with fan
Cammy over there who just a great organization and they we
(07:45):
did one show called how to do a floor to yard.
And I didn't think too much about it.
I learned a lot. It was great.
But when it aired, it was so popular and everybody loved that
show and I kind of didn't get it.
I'm like, OK, it's a yard show, you know, but you know, do you
see the one where I caught the big swordfish?
I mean, that was really slut. I was like, what are we doing?
(08:08):
The people love that show. And I was like, you know what, I
really realized that there is somany people here who really want
this information right in in this format.
And so I started doing some digging around and I eventually
realized like, well, this is itsown show.
Like we just need to do a yard show.
And so that was kind of the origins of Flip my floor to
(08:29):
yard. It was a spin off of how to do
Florida and that's how it was born.
Taylor and I, we talked to folksabout landscapes quite often and
anytime you like write a newspaper article or do a blog
or something and it's just aboutlike how to have a landscape
that's successful. Everybody wants more.
And one of the challenges we runinto an extension is how do you
(08:52):
reach the most people in the most impactful way?
And I think that you've really hit something with that.
The TV entertainment, right? Give some, give them something
that is exciting to watch, but also gives them tools that they
can use. So what?
And I'll just I'll just say on that point, Alyssa, you know,
for me, you know, and you guys know that the Florida family
(09:15):
landscaping journey is a long journey with no end, right?
It once you get on that train, it it is, it goes forever.
And I always looked at because Istruggle with two with like
trying to put so much information in the show, but
really realizing that the show is like the movie trailer get
you excited and to like let you kind of press in a little bit
(09:36):
want to know what this is, but it's not the movie.
The movie is starting this journey, interacting with your
extension agent, making those steps.
And it, it, it's going to go on and on and on and on.
You know what I mean? Like, there is no end insight.
But I always tell people like, this is just a, this is a hype
(09:56):
video to get you excited about this program to where it feels
obtainable for you. So yeah.
I, I really like how you kind ofprocess like this is the trailer
to the movie and when I watch episodes of Flip my 40 Yard, I I
love seeing the experience and reaction from the homeowners
(10:17):
when they get to see the landscape for the first time
because it shows from that personal level that impact, that
creating something beautiful yetachieved.
This higher goal of the FFL program is can happen and does
happen, but I know it's like there's a big process to this.
Of course, can you go over the details like what is ultimately,
(10:39):
because we didn't really say it yet, but what is the goal of
Flip My Florida Yard? What's the intention and what's
that process that you have to gothrough ultimately when you're
kind of creating these differentepisodes well?
One of the things we talked about in the office is like the
human element, you know, becausewe talked a lot about the
environmental impact, we talked about the science, we talked
(11:02):
about, you know, a lot of thingsthat University of Florida can
bring. And you know, now more than ever
we're talking about the mental health aspect.
But for me, it's always been about the human element, you
know, because if if you're not connecting somebody to the earth
by getting them down on their hands and knees, getting their
hands dirty, like physically bringing their face close to
(11:23):
plants, right? I mean, there's something about
that that kind of changes you. You know, I think one of the
biggest compliments that I've gotten is when people say like,
we're not yard people, but this has turned us into yard people.
I love that. I love that now we're making
yard people who didn't think they were yard people.
(11:46):
You know, just like when I'd hadto do Florida, I was my biggest
compliment was taking somebody who would never camp.
And now they're campers, you know what I mean?
Like helping somebody make that transition because ultimately
that's what it's about. Like saving water, yes.
Less nutrients, yes. All these things that the
principles teach, yes. But like, I want to connect
people to their yard because that's the only thing they can
(12:07):
control. Most people never go to the
Everglades. We'll never see it, never touch
it. Everglades is hard to go to.
It's not Disney. You don't buy a ticket, stand in
line. I mean, it's difficult to engage
the Everglades, but people can control their land.
That's their little park, that'stheir State Park.
They, they can control what goeson it, what they put on it, how
(12:28):
they treat it and giving people like the, the mandate to look at
that and, and also helping them realize that it's all connected.
You know, your yard is connectedto the Everglade just like
everything else. So that's for me the goal of the
show. All the other stuff is like,
what is the quality? I don't understand.
I know what a Pinta is and I know what a Kookie is of my
(12:51):
plant knowledge, but I know how to bring this to people and I
know television and that's my bucket and that's what I focus
on. And I think that's what makes
the show good, is that you kind of have a host and a creator who
doesn't understand plants but knows people and wants this to
have a huge impact on Florida. Can you talk a little bit more
(13:13):
about that, that Florida impact?I know you're talking about
catching a swordfish, and I think you you seem to be
somebody who engages in the outdoors a lot.
What is your interpretation thenof that connection between what
is happening in someone's landscape and the great outdoors
of Florida, the fishing communities of Florida?
Why is that important to you? Well, I think it's all
(13:36):
connected. And I think, you know, when I
grew up fishing and hunting in Florida, like, you know, I was
kind of raised to not like conservationist, you know, that
they were weird lefty people andthey were crunchy and they
didn't understand sportsman, youknow, like, that's how I was
raised. That's how a lot of people were
raised, you know, that hunting fish.
(13:57):
And I think over the last 15 years, a lot of those barriers
are gone where there is this convergence between sportsman
and conservationists. I think both of them have really
realized that they can be very strong and powerful when they
work together. And I think both sides have kind
of learned to to live with each other and realized that like
we're not going away. They're not going away.
(14:19):
And so and, and ultimately we want the same thing.
You know, some of the biggest conservation groups out there
run by hunters, Ducks Unlimited is one of them.
So like, you know, I think for me, that's the cloth that I'm
from that is this kind of hunting, fishing.
And so I love that I get to crossover into this conservation
space and science space. I think this is what makes my
(14:41):
content relatable to a broad audience is because I come from
that side and I'm able to see both sides and respect both
sides. So that's one of the things I
think makes us successful in making good television is we
don't make it for one group. Like I truly tried to look at a
broad scope of who's in Florida and trying to speak to a much
(15:04):
broader audience and kind of notbeing afraid to just kind of say
when things are weird and when things just kind of don't make
sense. You know, I, I, you know, I've
often said that the format for how to do Florida was part
genius, part ridiculous because that's, that's how I see
Florida. I see Florida as a mix of the
two. I think it's, it's not being
(15:26):
truthful to not say that and to not own that.
And I think Florida needs to ownthat even more, that we are kind
of ridiculous, you know? And that's OK if part of who we
are, but we're also part genius.And where those two collide, I
think it's what makes Florida soeclectic and so intriguing to so
many people around the world. What you mentioned, Chad, is
(15:46):
really unique because similar towhat we do in Extension is we
all live in Florida. We all share this beautiful
place, this beautiful space. What we do in Extension, our
goal is to like what are the needs, what are the issues that
are facing all Floridians and how can Extension help work?
Towards. Providing that research based
(16:07):
information to help overcome a lot of those issues.
And a lot of times part of that is, you know, we'll have a lot
of different partners, local stakeholder groups, and they
don't always see eye to eye, butwe're able to kind of facilitate
this space that allows people tocome together and.
Look. At Florida and its needs in a
(16:28):
more holistic way that allows them to all come together at the
same table. When you're talking about like
what Florida is, I really love that we can highlight Florida in
this show because so many peopleare moving into the state.
The metric that we use, like 1000 people a day are moving
into the state. I'm a transplant.
(16:49):
You're a third generation of Florida.
And so, I mean, your family has grown up seeing how much Florida
has changed. I've been in Florida for about
25 years, and I've seen how muchthe state has changed in that
time. And I love how this conversation
starts to connect people to whatFlorida is because like what you
(17:09):
mentioned, I don't think we always have that.
It's not showcased to us. Right.
I agree. Yeah.
I think that's a big challenge that we run into as Extension
agents is that folks come to Florida with a preconceived idea
of what Florida should look likeand and they try to get there
and then they get really frustrated when they can't get
(17:30):
there. Well, look at, I'll be honest
with you. I, I've, I've often thought that
Florida gets treated like a rental car.
You know, people, you know, statistically 70% of people who
live here are not from here. This is not their home.
This is not where they were raised.
Their grandparents aren't burieddown the street, you know, like
this is a, this is a, this is a rental.
(17:51):
They just came here, you know, and my goal was always been to
try to connect people to this place that they now call home
and to get them outside, to get them to touch it and feel it so
they're less apathetic about theenvironmental issues that impact
it. Because unless you're engaging
in a place and whether that's your yard or a State Park or
(18:12):
whatever, like it's just a place, you know, it's just where
you're living now because this is a season in your life or
whatever reasons brought you down here.
And we just have that here. You know, we don't, you know, if
Florida's just, we don't have a lot of team spirit here because
it's hard to find a real consensus in Florida sometimes
because we're all kind of a milewide, inch deep with our
(18:33):
commitments and our our groundings to this state.
And so I've always struggled with that really, you know,
trying to get people to see Florida, how I see Florida.
And that was the origins of how to do Florida.
It's, it's still that would flipmy Florida yard.
All the shows that we do, you know, we produce over 5
different TV shows, but the coreof it is to connect people to
(18:56):
this land and to get more peopleon board with wanting to protect
it. Can you?
Chad, describe some of the reactions people have had to
flip my Florida yard. Either folks who have like been
on the show the the folks whose yards you've transitioned or
even from folks who like maybe come up and say like, hey, then
(19:18):
I saw this show. I want to tell you how it
changed me or you know somethingabout it.
Do you do you have any stories or thoughts about like some of
those impacts? Well, I'll tell you what, and
this is the first time I'm publicly saying this, but you
know, we're working on Season 4 right now and Season 4 is a very
different format and I'm really excited about it because I'm not
(19:38):
the host, I'm not in the show atall.
Oh wow. And and I reason I bring this up
is just to answer your question,question Alyssa, because a lot
of the feedback we got was, is that this seems too much.
You come in and sometimes we're dropping thirty $40,000 of Labor
product hardscape into somebody's yard and we're giving
(20:02):
them 250 plants now that you need to manage and take care of.
And so I think the feedback we got from these first three
seasons was is that we want moreobtainable.
Flips something that feels a little more weekend project S
not shock and awe and I think there's ATV guy we were shooting
(20:22):
for shock and awe. You know we wanted this big
reveal. You know, move that bus kind of
moment, take off your glasses. Take off your glasses.
We couldn't afford the bus, but you know, we did the best we
could. But, and so this because of the
feedback we've gotten this season, we really don't have a
(20:43):
host. We have the homeowners.
Homeowners aren't going to a State Park.
They're staying in the yard and they're learning.
They're learning from the extension agents.
They're learning from experts. They're getting their hands
dirty. And we just finished the first
show and it looks amazing. I mean, I got goosebumps just
thinking about it because the format is so great because
you're seeing these homeowners have these aha moments.
(21:05):
And that's, you know, for me and, and, and Kate Shorter, the
producer, that's what we're mining for are those aha
moments, like those moments whenthe Helmeter was like, oh,
that's that's why you do that. OK.
This is the kind of first time I'm saying this publicly, but
and it's going to be a little bit of a shock for people, but I
love the new format and super excited about Season 4, which
(21:27):
will launch this July on PBS affiliates throughout the state.
So just kind of getting that outthere as well.
Yeah, like how you mentioned is like with those homeowners, it
was this shock and awe moment you all leave you kind of like,
you know, I remember when we were filming the episode in
Alachua County, you took the homeowners to like the the
(21:48):
springs and they learned about spring shed areas and that the
impacts of landscape. Essentially you're bringing that
extension into it where you're taking the family through this.
So that shock and awe is like this big reveal, but now you're
adding depth to it. You're adding the how, the why,
and you're facilitating a space of the homeowner does they learn
(22:10):
the skill that then they can share with their neighbors and
that has a bigger impact to it. I'm excited.
Well said, Taylor. Well, and I'll be honest with
you though, it's a lot harder because because with me in
there, like I can, I can make television, I can make it
happen, you know, like I can ramrod it and we can get it
done. But now and then my first gun
(22:32):
was is like, let's get the homeowners out of here.
Like let's just and make TV. It's a new elements we'll bring.
Them back and show them what we did and it's harder to make
television with people who don'tunderstand television, but it's
always so good, you know, like the viewer feels that the viewer
feels that these people aren't professional TV people.
(22:54):
They're normal people just like them and they relate to that.
So it, it is definitely more challenging.
But man, it's definitely it. It's got so many more rewards
for it. We're so excited about what
we're seeing and how the show's coming together.
We're going to do 2 flips per show.
So they're kind of micro mini flips.
Oh cool. But they're kind of smaller, you
(23:15):
know, kind of weekend projecty type things that, you know, any
homeowner can do. Lots of DIY elements in there.
So yeah, I'm excited for this season.
It's going to be good. Yeah.
Not only are you making it relatable to the viewer because
they see themselves and the people who are engaging, but you
also make it accessible because the projects are something that
(23:36):
someone could, you know, feasibly accomplish with limited
funds or limited time. Yeah.
And, and I love, I love that youtalked about that aha moment
because I know that educators like, you know, Taylor and I
talk about this a lot, that spark that you see when it
lights up in someone. It is, it's what it's what we do
(23:59):
this, you know, And so being able to like facilitate that
and, and make that happen is, isjust, it's fantastic.
Yeah. So yeah, I'm looking forward to
it. Yeah, it's good.
It's good. When you look at the flips that
you've done, are any of those landscapes, were any of those
stories really staying out with you the most?
(24:20):
That's been the most impactful. That's maybe achieving like your
goal, your motivation, because it seems like your motivation
is, let me show people real Florida, true Florida.
I'm going to forget a flip we did in Tampa season 1.
Allison Bell. She was a single mom, 3 gorgeous
kids. The impact that yard had on her
(24:43):
family. And you know, we talk a lot
about family culture and to see this yard transformation have
such a big impact on her kids, on her family culture.
And knowing that that is kind ofsetting the tone for her kids
and what they saw was important to to their mom and what she did
(25:05):
and the impact that had on her kids and I was going to have on
her kids. Kids like that to me is like
what it's all about. And I love seeing that because
when we went back to kind of seehow this yard had impacted her
and it was just mind blowing. You know, like I think in
television, we move so fast and we're just doing our thing.
(25:26):
And, and sometimes I know I am, you know, guilty of this, not
really seeing the impact this ishaving, you know, moving too
fast to really absorb that. And, you know, when I do get a
chance to see and, and, and absorb, absorb that, it's so
it's so meaningful. But that's one that stands out
to me and is, and we still keep in touch with her.
(25:48):
Lynn Barber. She's made a great relationship
with Lynn, her extension agent. So they have a relationship now
because when when we leave, they're like, OK, now what?
All right, all right. You need to call the extension
agent. They'll, they'll, they'll help
you figure this out, but we makea big mess and hope you guys can
sort it out for us when we leave, you know, but that's
(26:10):
definitely one that stands out to me as a just a very
meaningful flip that, you know, I think is going to have an
impact for, you know, many yearsto come.
Yeah, I, I think that that's so it's so poignant when we think
about the ways that our physicalspace around us impact our
well-being. And a lot of the folks we've
(26:33):
interviewed on the podcast can point to moments in their life
where they had some kind of engagement with the outdoors or
an experience that that really changed the trajectory of their
entire life. And, and I know, you know,
feeling that sense of pride around your landscape, it can
(26:53):
change, you know, your confidence, how you approach the
world. So I, I think that you know that
that's part of why Taylor and I love talking about plants
because they're so. You know.
They can, they can do so much for people and I, I think we
don't always recognize the powerof beauty as well, right.
(27:16):
So like being in a beautiful space, you know, calm space, how
that can impact you and, and children as well.
So. That moment you probably through
filming this, created some sparkthat's going to happen for those
children to do something great because of that one moment that
you all were able to come in anddo that.
(27:38):
And that's, I think it's a superempowering thing.
Yeah. And we fixed a major problem.
First, you had a lot of flooding, which really I think
it was, you know, for someone who, you know, has chronic
flooding, it can really be like stressful, you know, especially
for somebody who just kind of doesn't know how to fix it
where, you know, typically if you don't have flooding, rain is
(28:00):
like a good thing, right? You, we love it when it rains.
You know, our plants are gettingwater.
This is good. But for somebody who has a lot
of flooding, rain is stressful. And especially in the summer
when we get a lot of big rains. And we put a brand new permeable
paver driveway in her yard. And it was one of the first big
permeable paver jobs we did. And I remember showing up to the
site being like, holy mackerel, like, it was just a massive
(28:24):
project, right? But it fixed your problem.
You know, all that water, instead of just sitting there,
goes down into the aquifer through those pavers.
And we were all just so impressed with that system.
And it's still working today. We reached out to her about a
month ago. She's like, Yep, I haven't had
one flooding issue. You know, the water just strains
(28:44):
right to the pavers and it goes down to the aquifer.
So like, you know, we need more of that, more permeable spaces.
We try to preach that quite a bit on the show and really
getting people to understand that, you know, like, I didn't
understand stormwater, just the flow.
Now I'm kind of fascinated with where water moves and it's
raining. I'm kind of watching where the
(29:04):
water is going, you know? Those of us who.
Understand stormwater, it's, it's the flow of water is kind
of fascinating, right? But if you're not dialed into
that, you know, I think that's probably one of the hardest
principles for people to understand is reducing
stormwater runoff. You know, why in the heck would
I want water to stay on my property like I wanted to as
(29:27):
quick as possible? And I think that's one of the
most difficult things for us to show, illustrate, teach is this
idea of of keeping stormwater onour property, allowing it the
space to go down, not out. But once people understand that,
they get it. But it's definitely a little
difficult to kind of wrap your head around that.
(29:50):
You mentioned thinking about stormwater differently.
Are there other other things that you've noticed over the
years that you have changed youropinion about or you're more
aware of now because of your engagement with the FFL
principles? Buffer zone, buffer zone, buffer
zone, buffer zone. Look, if I was in charge of this
(30:11):
state, there would be buffer zone cops who would be flying
around giving out tickets for people who don't have a buffer
zone. You know, I think it's one of
it. It would be, it's one of the
things we could do in the state that would solve a lot of our
water quality issues. And it is a, it is a privilege
(30:32):
to live on water in this state. We have a lot of it.
And I live on a lake. I'm so thankful to be able to
live on a lake. So I see first hand what people
do when they move to a lake and they clear cut every bit of that
shoreline. They don't want any weeds, they
don't want any cattails. They don't want anything where a
(30:53):
snake to be hiding or an alligator could be in.
And they really, you know, take away the lakes lungs, the lakes
ability to recover and the storeitself by doing that.
And it's funny because I live ona lake and then there's another
lake next to me and my lake is alittle smaller.
It's not as big. Big houses on it.
(31:13):
We don't have. It's a smaller lake.
And our lake is so clean. I swim in it, not every day, but
every other day with me. And I have a group of guys.
We swim in the lake. The lake next to us has big
houses on it, big Saint Augustine backyards.
They've cut down all of the vegetation on just beaches.
And that lake looks like split pea soup, you know?
(31:35):
And my buddy and my buddy who lives on it comes and swims in
my lake. And he's like, dude, your lake
is so clean. I was like, yeah, because it
looks like a lake. There's weeds and there's
vegetation in here. It doesn't look like a retention
pond. And so we as a state have to
really realize that if you live on water, you have a
responsibility to buffer the junk coming off your yard
(32:01):
between you and the lake. And you can't just clear cut
that and give all that nutrientsand all that pollution just an
open gate to go right into the lake because the lake can't
sustain that overtime. So I mean, that's one of the one
things that I, I get up on a soapbox about and I'll preach it
with whoever asked and I would, I would love to see buffer cops
(32:23):
in cars with lights on driving around.
If you get people's buffer zone and people being people being
proud of their buffer zone, you know, like it's, I think it is a
state of pride. You know, when people come to my
house and I'm like, look at this, this is not just unkept
shoreline. I'm proud of this 10 foot space
(32:43):
here that I let go wild. This is an important part of
keeping this lake clean, keepingour waterways clean.
So I didn't mean to go on a soapbox there at least.
I'm sorry, but you, that is my thing.
It's not pest management. It's not recycling yard waste.
It is protecting the waterfront.It's big time for me.
(33:05):
And I, I, as somebody who loves the water, lives on the water.
It's a it's a responsibility I wish more Floridians took
seriously. You hit something that I, I love
to talk about because when, whenI talk to homeowners and
residents in extension, you know, I always love to ask
people that moved here is like, why?
(33:26):
What did you love about Florida that drew you here?
And so the water, the water. So I love using the 9th
principle, protect the waterfront.
It's kind of like that bridge inthat conversation.
We're here because we love the water.
And then I frame it because likeyou were mentioning, it's like
the one family in Tampa where it's like allow that water to
recharge into the aquifer. And part of the conversations
(33:50):
that we have a lot in extension as we're talking about, yeah, we
talked about protect the waterfront, but we're all
connected to water resource, we're all connected to forest
water. So it's kind of like ultimately
it becomes all of our responsibilities, you know,
because when I was living in Alaska County, huge portion of
the county was just spring recharge zone.
So it's not your, we weren't necessarily in a like a typical
(34:13):
watershed, but all the water that lands there is going
directly into the aquifer. And you could be miles away from
a stream or a water body, but you're still directly connected
to it. And I love having that
conversation because people cameto Florida because they loved
it. They love the idea of Florida.
They love the water. And that becomes a way to kind
(34:36):
of like, how can we make sure that we're protecting and
serving the reason that we love this state Or for many people,
one of the big reasons that you came here because, you know,
when I was growing up, when I was younger, I used to swim in
like the Julington Creek and Saint Johns River.
Yeah. And, you know, sometimes water
(34:58):
quality wasn't that good and I haven't swam in it ever since we
had a big algae bloom that came in in the mid 2000s.
And that's related to water quality, you know, but knowing
that I was being able to swim inthese rivers and streams and
creeks because no matter what, alligators are going to be
there, snakes are going to be there.
(35:19):
But I just love that we can haveconversations in a state where
we kind of connect people back to water.
So being that, that's kind of like one of the big things that
you really like to to love to see how the FFL program I think
is fantastic. Yeah, there's nothing more
unnatural in a lake than a whitesand beach.
Like I've been a lot of natural lakes since I've never seen a
(35:40):
white sand beach lake, you know,like people think they live on
Anna Maria Island. Don't treat your lakefront like
a beach. You're not on a beach, you know,
you're in a lake. A lake supposed to look like a
lake supposed to have lake like features, which is vegetation.
And there's been a kind of a industry around cleaning out
(36:02):
lakes. And I I think there's a certain
element of that. I'm not saying that's not
appropriate. I think, you know, lakes should
be managed, but managed to a certain extent.
You know, we have this preconceived notion about, you
know, even retention ponds. I just think retention ponds
look just so disgusting, you know, like, like they need to
look more natural. They need to look more, you
(36:24):
know, like a lake, you know, butpeople just don't like weeds.
They want to cut it down. And there's this thing about,
you know, manicuring our lakes and managing them to the point
where they don't look like lakesanymore.
And they when that happens, theylose the functionality, the
ability to function like a lake.I think that you really kind of
(36:46):
wrapped us up nicely with that comment, Chad, because when we
talk about the Florida friendly landscaping program, it is in
its essence a water quality and conservation program, right?
The intention of all of these different landscape practices is
really just to protect Florida, to protect the resources in
Florida that we love and namely water.
(37:08):
And so I think that your your story about your lake the East
women is a perfect simple of of that and how FFL really tries to
drive home that we need to protect the water that we have
here in Florida. Well, you know, I often say that
this put my Florida yard as a water conservation show
disguised as a yard show. Yeah, of this, you know, And
(37:30):
then before people know it, whether they realize it or not,
we've converted them into water conservationists through the,
the kind of the fun and lure of plants and wildlife.
You know, next thing you know, they're really watching their
sprinkler system or they've turned their sprinkler system
off or they're only watering as needed.
(37:52):
And and that's that, that's the goal is to get people onto the
train, whatever it takes, get them on the train and get them
moving in our direction. At the very end of the show, I
say everybody doing a little is a lot.
And that's all we're asking is for everybody to do a little.
You know, everybody doing it is a big deal.
So that's, that's, that's our ask.
(38:15):
Well, thank you, Chad so much for joining us today.
This is a great discussion and we all appreciate what you do
and helping raise awareness to what Florida really is and how
beautiful it can be and trying to just connect everyone
together and this great landscape.
Well, I'll say to, in leaving that, you know, we couldn't do
(38:37):
it without Department of Environmental Protection.
You know, they, they see the value in this program.
They put on the money and resources into our show to be
able to communicate this program.
So they think it's important just as much as University of
Florida thinks it's important. And so we're that's a good
partnership, a good team betweenUniversity of Florida Department
(38:59):
of Environmental Protection. They, they get it and we're,
they're just great to work with.And you know, I've learned so
much just working with that team.
So it's been a, it's been a good, good partnership.
That's fantastic. Thank you so much, Chad.
Thank you. Alright, bye.
Bye, guys. Thank you for joining us today
on Cultivating Curiosity. Join us each month as we explore
(39:19):
the fascinating world of plants.For more information on today's
topic, check out our web page and subscribe on your favorite
podcast platform. My name is Taylor.
And I'm Alyssa, stay curious with us.
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