I am very excited about our ‘annual lets all learn about Solar PV’ day at the Urban Farm, Saturday April 10.

• Solar Energy Day
April 10, 2010
8:30am or 10:30am – Just show up
6750 N 13th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85014
Just south of Glendale Ave on 13th Place.
This is east of Central Ave.

These days I am getting so many questions about adding solar panels to our collective roof’s and quite honestly I am surprised at what I am hearing. It often comes down to what is the truth about adding panels, your rebates and tax credits.

American Solar has been in business since 2001 and installed my PV electric system at the Urban Farm four years ago. The process was very professional and they have always been there to answer my many questions.

So I have decided to bring their team into the Urban Farm to answer your questions and give you the opportunity to have them come to your home and give you a personalized site evaluation.

Please join me for these two educational and inspiring events at the Urban Farm.

Hope to see you here.

Greg Peterson

http://www.YourGuideToGreen.com

Solar Energy Day at the Urban Farm

Phoenix, Ariz. – March 12, 2010 – With the many questions these days about solar panels, where does someone go to understand what is real when it comes to installing solar on their home. Greg Peterson wondered that and decided to open his home, The Urban Farm, for two informational sessions on Saturday, April 10th at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM.

“I have had so many questions from friends lately about solar and I wanted to give them the opportunity to learn more about the many benefits solar power has to offer,” said Peterson. “We have to make sure that we educate ourselves about solar incentives and systems before we dive in. American Solar installed my system four years ago and I have been very happy with it.”

“More and more people are choosing to utilize the sun to produce electricity because it saves them money on energy bills and acts as a hedge against increasing energy costs,” said Krystal Book, Marketing Director with American Solar Electric. “We are delighted to partner with The Urban Farm to educate Valley residents and look forward to working with other organizations in an effort to expand the utilization of our most abundant, clean, and reliable energy resource—the sun.”

Many homeowners in Arizona have seen the benefits of owning a solar electric system. Not only does a solar electric system pay for itself, it also protects against future utility rate increases for a portion of your utility bill. In addition, current utility and government incentives can save homeowners as much as 75% off the total system’s cost which has been a key with helping Valley homeowners go solar.

To learn how solar can save you money, e-mail your RSVP to events@americanpv.com or call
(480) 994-1440 to reserve your seat. The two informational sessions will be held at the Urban Farm at
6750 North 13th Place in Phoenix, AZ 85014 at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM.

American Solar Electric, Inc. is an Arizona-based design-build firm specializing in photovoltaic (solar electric) power systems for residential and home builder applications. Headquartered in Scottsdale, the company is responsible for the installation of more than 10 megawatts of photovoltaic power in Arizona, statewide. American Solar Electric’s approach includes system design, permitting, procurement, installation, interconnection, and commissioning. Additional information on the company’s products and services is available online at http://www.americanpv.com.

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Once you watch the video check out the picture below.  It is showing signs of growth.  Woohoo.

Miniature Peach Tree

During the tour this past Saturday I promised people that I would prove to them that this technique works…well here is the proof.  Here is a picture of a peach tree that I planted last year using this same technique.

Second Year Peach Tree

And another…

Second Year Peach Tree Two

And yet another…

Second Year Peach Tree Three

These three pictures were taken on the same day and you can see that they are in different stages of budding out.  The ones that bud out later will produce peaches a little later in the season.

The next picture is an exciting on as it is an apricot that I just planted out.  Notice that it is budding out in multiple places rather than just one.  This will make the bushing process a lot easier.

First year Apricot

The other thing that will help with the bushing process will be that I will do summer pruning of the trees – this will help to keep the growth like a bush rather than like a tree.  I will cut them off at 6 feet and not let them get any taller.

More on that later.

Greg from the Urban Farm March 3, 2009

Title: Urban Farm Tour
Location: 6750 N 13th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85014
Start Time: 11:00 am
Date: 2010
End Time: 12:30 pm

The Phoenix Permaculture Guild offers a plethora of classes on gardening, composting, keeping chickens, preserving food and much more.  Check out their website for more information http://www.PhoenixPermaculture.org

I am sitting here in the living room at The Urban Farm. It is Sunday night January 31st. The news just reported that a group of singers will be rerecording the song We Are The World. In 1985 the song moved me. Today I purchased it on iTunes and reremembered why I do what I do – the song moves me as much today as it did then.

Every day I have to keep reminding myself why I do what I do. It is more a feeling than something specific – the song reminds me…

We Are The World

There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God’s great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they’ll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

When you’re down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

THAT is why I do what I do. Because I can. It is MY duty to leave the planet a better place…Every Day. FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Because I can. I can make a difference and I do every day with every choice I make. Choices made from love. If not me then who will do it. If not you then who. This is your call to stand up and change the world. Even if it is only in your little corner – just do it!!!

In the chorus there is a line

There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives

That couldn’t be more true or poignant today what it comes to our living on our Mother earth.

Why do you do what you do? That is what I want to know. Please post a comment here, ask your friends, pass this post along to everyone that you know. It’s time we step up to the plate and make a difference.

How do you make a difference? Tell me.

Greg from my couch, January 31st, 2010. Looking to make THE biggest difference of my life in the next 11 months.

Remember you can and do make a difference every day.

Hey all,

Join me tonight at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release of the Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series – Purchase Link. Here is book four of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing.

• Grow Wherever You Go, Discover the Place Where Your Garden Lives, By Greg Peterson
Where does your garden live? No matter where you live you can grow something to eat. Shift your thinking and you’d be surprised at the places your food can be grown! Windowsill, fire escape and rooftop gardens have the same potential to provide impressive harvests as backyard gardens, greenhouses and community spaces.

Grow Wherever You Go helps you explore and discover just where your garden lives. So whether you choose to grow a few herbs, or work your way toward creating an entire edible landscape, the process is simpler and more deliciously rewarding than you can imagine. Be creative…discover where your garden lives!

Technorati Tags: edible landscape, Environmental footprint, find your garden, Footprint, gardening, Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release – Purchase Link. Here is book three of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing. It is a very interesting book exploring 14 different aspects of your environmental footprint with lots of education along the way.

• How Green Am I?, Your Personal Environmental Audit, By Don Lotter with Greg Peterson
Living green is simpler than you think. The gamut of green choices is endless, whether it’s paying a bill online, turning he water off while brushing your teeth, planting a garden or recycling. Everyday simple changes add up in a hurry. Awareness is the key!

By reading How Green Am I? you will discover many places where you can paint your life a little greener. Using Greg Peterson’s ‘No Suffering Allowed” attitude, this book covers the 14 areas that make the biggest impact on our environmental footprint.

This is the most comprehensive footprint-measuring tool on the market. Simply by filling it out you will transform the way you live.

Technorati Tags: Don Lotter, Environmental footprint, Footprint, Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release – Purchase Link. Here is book two of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing. It is a delightfully written and illustrated book by Rachel Bess on keeping chickens in your yard. I even learned some thing when reading it.

• Fowl Play, Your Guide to Keeping Chickens in the City, By Rachel Bess with Greg Peterson
Why should you keep chickens in your back yard? Think fresh eggs, the thrill of the daily hunt, the chickens tilling your soil, eating your food scraps, weeds, seeds and bugs then providing great fertilizer.

“You can learn so much about life from chickens,” explains Michelle M., a busy nurse, wife and mother of seven. “I’ve learned that keeping chickens is good for my soul.”

Anyone can do it…no roosters required. The secrets to your success easily unfold in the pages of Fowl Play. Read and gather your rewards.

Technorati Tags: Chickens, Greg Peterson, Keeping Chickens, Living Green, permaculture, Rachel Bess, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Here is the first book of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing – Purchase Link.   Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release. See below for more info.

• My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard, By Greg Peterson
You can create your own urban farm. Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting you flowerbeds with edibles. The payoffs can include home grown food and a deeper connection to the earth. In this unique mini-book, Greg Peterson shares how his yard went from grass and hedges to his very own Urban Farm, full of vegetables and fruit trees with plenty to share. His motto ‘food grows abundantly – lets grow it and give it away.’ This insightful book about how Greg’s Urban Farm came to be will inspire you to create your own urban farm.

The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series
Greg Peterson and Rachel Bess Present at:
Changing Hands Book Store
6428 S McClintock Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85283
7pm
Monday November 16th, 2009

Greg Peterson and Urban Farm Press presents a new and unique series of mini books designed for the busy, fast-paced life we live. The series, called The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Series, feature palm-size, single topic, and well-researched mini books that are concise and to the point with each book exploring a different aspect of living a green (sustainable) lifestyle. Topics are addressed in a guilt-free, action-oriented and upbeat manner. Designed as a quick study, the books bridge the gap between facts and action and are written in an inspirational manner for anyone with an interest in green lifestyle changes and sustainably oriented processes.

Technorati Tags: Greg Peterson, Growing Your Own, Living Green, permaculture, Sustainability, Urban Farm

Hi all,

One of the cool things that I learned early on was how to can the produce that I grew. I can’t really tell you why I was interested, but in high school I made an offhand comment to a friend’s mother that I would like to learn how to can. She responded by teaching me

It is actually a very easy project to ‘put up’ that which we grow. There was a second benefit for me in that instance – I began learning about the community building process, which is reflected in my life today. In this week’s article, I reflect back on the difference Community Preservation has made.

I have also been busy at work writing several books and an email series on living green. I would be grateful if you would check them out. The first two titles have already been released, with more on the way! Check out “My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard / Fowl Play Book COMBO“. I field a lot of questions about where I live, how the gardens work, how water is managed and how to live more green lifestyle. My Extraordinary Yard answers these questions and more, in a short 28 page read. “Fowl Play” is about chickens. If you’ve ever thought about raising chickens (I do for eggs), know someone who does, or have run into the odd hurdle, than this book is for you! 2 books for a great price. Read more about this offer.

Don’t foget aobut my awesome RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set & Holder deal. These sets are perfect for your lunch-on-the-go and make uniquely great gifts, too. Find out more here!

Have a great green day!

Greg

Technorati Tags: canning, food, preservation, preserves, Preserving food