The Garden Journal

Join Host Alexa Bradford in conversation with Jannine Cabossel “The Tomato Lady” as she shares tips and information about weather, harvesting, tomatoes and what you can plant now for your fall garden. For more information see: https://giantveggiegardener.com/

Join Michelle Stizza, Santa Fe County Extension Consumer Science Agent and Tom Dominguez, Santa Fe County Extension Agricultural Agent to hear about what's happening this fall at the Extension Service. 

Join Kaitlin Haase for a conversation with Emily Rees, Southwest Restoration Ecologist with the Institute for Applied Ecology. Emily leads the River for Pollinators project which is adding important nectar, pollen, and host plants along the Rio Grande and its tributaries to improve habitat connectivity along these natural corridors. 

Learn more about the River for Pollinators Project

Sign up to volunteer with the Institute for Applied Ecology

Pollinator education at Reunity Resources Fall Fest - September 27th

Join Host Alexa Bradford in conversation with Kathy Mathai of the Santa Fe Master Gardeners to hear about the significant renovations of the organization's Herb Demo garden, as well as a deep dive into all things lavender. 

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg talk with Santa Fe Farmers' Market CEO Debbie Burns about the market - its history, features, and what makes it an award-winning market - in celebration of National Farmers' Market Week Aug 3rd-9th.

Join Host Alexa Bradford in conversation with Jannine Cabossel “The Tomato Lady” as she shares tips and information about weather, harvesting, tomatoes, and preparing your vegetable garden for fall planting. For more information see: https://giantveggiegardener.com/

This month on the People, Plants, & Pollinators edition of the Garden Journal, Katlin interviews Christine Chavez, City of Santa Fe Water Conservation Office Manager, speaks with Kaitlin about outdoor water conservation practices. Christine discusses the City's initiatives to reduce water use and how gardening and drought-tolerant landscaping are a crucial part of water and pollinator conservation.

https://savewatersantafe.com/

https://savewatersantafe.com/eye-on-water/

https://www.santafewatershed.org/

https://www.kswvradio.com/podcast/save-water-santa-fe/

Join host Alexa Bradford in conversation with Harry and Amanda Werksman of the Santa Fe Garden Club. Harry and Amanda discuss the Garden Club’s partnership with the City of Santa Fe that led to the restoration of historic Amelia White Park, and its acceptance into the Smithsonian’s Archive of American Gardens. 

https://santafegardenclub.org/amelia-white-park-aag-acceptance/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8UoodKMD-g 

https://gardens.si.edu/collections/archives/explore-aag/

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg talk with Pam Roy, Farm to Table New Mexico and New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, about current and proposed federal cuts in the food and farming world. 

Host Alexa Bradford talks with Jannine Cabossel, “The Tomato Lady,” about what’s going on in the vegetable garden in the coming month of August.  See Jannine’s blog at https://giantveggiegardener.com

This month on the People, Plants, and Pollinators edition of the garden Journal, Kaitlin interviews Sharon Selvaggio, a Pesticide Program Specialist with the Xerces Society, who leads the pollinator-safe nursery plant program. Sharon shares tips on how to find plants for your garden that are free of pesticides harmful to pollinators and how growers can manage pests without excessive pesticide use. 

Xerces Bee-safe Nursery Plants page

Harmful Pesticides Found in Milkweeds from Retail Nurseries press release

Santa Fe Pollinators Habitat Kits - local opportunity t...

Join Host Alexa Bradford for part two of our program with renowned local tree expert Tracy Neal, who will share his recommendations for the best trees to plant in the Santa Fe area.  

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg will feature Andrew Neighbour of Desert Verde Farm, NM's first and only commercial aquaponics operation.

On this episode of the Garden Journal, Alexa talks with Jannine Cabosell about what we should be doing in our gardens during this time of year. 

Join Michelle Stizza, Santa Fe County Extension Consumer Science Agent and her guest long-time County Fair volunteer JoAnn Brennan as they talk about preparations for the July 27 – August 2, 2025 Santa Fe County Fair. It’s time to plan your entries now!

https://santafeextension.nmsu.edu/fcs/county-fair.html

Details and how to participate in the Xerces Pollinator Habitat Kit Program

Join Host Alexa Bradford for the first of two consecutive programs with renowned local tree expert Tracy Neal, who will discuss the climate and soil challenges for trees in the Santa Fe area.

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg talk with Mary and Zach Ben of Bidii Baby Foods, an Indigenous baby food line created by farmers and new parents to increase access to traditional foods in early childhood.

Host Alexa Bradford talks with Jannine Cabossel, “The Tomato Lady,” about what’s going on in the vegetable garden in the coming very busy month of May.

See Jannine’s blog at https://giantveggiegardener.com.

The May Vegetable Garden-2025 

Visit here for the full notes from this show!

Join host Kaitlin Haase for a conversation with Victor Lucero, New Mexico Forestry Division's Forest Health Program Coordinator. Victor discusses his knowledge of integrated pest management and how to prevent pests from damaging trees while maintaining a wildlife-friendly landscape.

NMSU Plant Pathology Extension - eps.nmsu.edu

Forest Health Program at the New Mexico Forestry Division - emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/forest-health

Join Host Alexa Bradford in conversation with Master Gardener project leaders Anne Rivas and Linda Hinckley to learn about the Santa Fe Compost Action Team (SCAT), the Master Composter Volunteer Training Course, and the joys of recycling waste and improving garden soil in Santa Fe.

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg talk with Ungelbah Dávilah, artist and writer, and Phil Viarrial, Director of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Bison Restoration Project. 

Host Alexa Bradford talks with Jannine Cabossel, “The Tomato Lady,” about the inspiring Karl Foerster gardens outside Potsdam, Germany, and what’s going on in the vegetable garden in April.

Join Extension Agents Tom Dominguez, Michelle Stizza and Sunny Finley, as well as Master Gardener Kathy Mathias to learn about the Extension Service six week lecture series "Seed to Supper Vegetable Gardening", the Wildfire Mitigation Community Day on March 29, all things lavender, and more.

Join Kaitlin Haase with the Xerces Society for a conversation with butterfly researcher Simon Doneski, PhD student at UNM studying insect conservation. Simon will share his work on the conservation of butterflies and rare insects throughout the state of New Mexico, including the development of a new public database for these species.

Join Host Alexa Bradford in Part 2 of a conversation with nationally known orchardist Gordon Tooley, founder of Tooley’s Trees in Truchas, New Mexico, as he introduces listeners to Keyline Design, a water management plan that uses natural landscape contours and cultivation techniques to harvest rainwater and build soil health.

Slow Food Santa Fe's Lissa Johnson and Nina Rosenberg talk with New Mexico Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte about legislation the agency is sponsoring during the 2025 NM State Legislative Session related to food and farming.

Tune in to hear Jannine Cabossel "The Tomato Lady" discuss what's happening in the vegetable garden in March.

Kaitlin Haase speaks with Judy Calman, New Mexico Director of Policy for Audubon Southwest, who discusses efforts to reform the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish this legislative session.