Growing Home Podcast

“Connecticut ranks number 1 as the state with the highest percentage of the population living in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas. According to the USDA Forest Service, 72 percent of Connecticut’s residence live in or in close proximity to areas of significant wildland vegetation.With more than 3,300 acres of Connecticut land under management, few know the wildlife as well as this episode’s guest, Patrick Comins, Executive Director of the Connecticut Audubon Society.As a leading expert in wild life habitats and populations, Patrick shares with us:•The history and accomplishments of the Connecticut Audubon Society•Tips on how you can make your back yard a wild bird sanctuary•And how a car accident changed the course of his career, a career that has had an impact statewide.”

Terry and Len visit Earth Animal headquarters to chat with Dr. Bob and Susan Goldstein about their journey in pioneering the integration of holistic and traditional veterinary medicine. Their story reminds us that commitment to purpose is the true North Star for finding success in life.As award winning experts, authors, retailers, and manufactures, Dr. Bob and Susan Goldstein have truly made an impact on an industry and touched the lives of our pets.

Terry and Len get a chance to catch up with Peter Geiger, Editor of the Farmer’s Almanac. In our annual special, we talk about helpful hints for gardening and other tasks around the house, weather predictions for Terry’s wedding, and canoeing in a pumpkin.Join us for a meeting of old friends with new stories. Interview Notes:When it was founded, the Almanac was about teaching skills to immigrant populations. Now, it’s about teaching skills to younger people, who want to be more sustainable, and favor homemade solutions. The Almanac also features recipes, which come from reader entry contests. This year’s winners were required to focus on banana in their recipe. Other sections include famous firsts, life hacks, and weather. Geiger said that the 2019 Almanac gave a good prediction for this year’s weather. Almanacs, including the Farmer’s Almanac have secret methods for predicting the weather more than a year in advance. Terry shares his concern about the weather forecast for is September 2020, in which Geiger reveals his interpretation of the almanac’s prediction. Tips/ Life Hacks:Here are some of the Life Hacks that Geiger shared with us during the show:Wash your window vertically on one side, and horizontally on the other side, so you can tell which side still has dirt or streaks. To melt the ice of your windshield wipers, spray a mixture of half vinegar and half water.For better traction on ice, you can spread kitty litter or coffee grounds.To get moles to leave your garden, put a mesh bag with garlic cloves into a mole hole. Moles don’t like the smell of garlic, and will abandon that hole. Keep stud earrings together by keeping connected with a button. When cooking, boil water before putting above ground crops. Boil below ground crops with the water. Above ground crops have thinner membranes and need less cooking time.

In July 2018 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a statement titled, “FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease.” As a retailer that specializes in pet nutrition supplies, both us and our customers have been looking for a better understanding of the reports and findings. To learn more about the FDA’s report and the studies that trace back to the 1980’s, we reached out to Ryan Yamka, PhD. Dr. Yamka is a pet food nutritionist with an extensive background in pet food formulation and regulation.In this episode of the Growing Home Podcast, Dr. Yamka breaks down the FDA’s statements, what facts we do know, and how we can make better decisions about our pet’s nutrition.Heart Disease-What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)?-How is DCM diagnosed?Diet Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy-Why did the FDA start looking into the association of canine nutrition and heart disease?-What are the facts? What do we conclusively know about diet related DCM?-How are pet nutrition products monitored by the FDA? Has the FDA taken any action against pet food manufacturers? Have there been any recalls regarding diet related cardiomyopathy?Moving Forward-What information and data should we pay attention to? -How do we know the pet food we’re feeding is safe?-What you should do to identify or rule out nutrition related health concerns?ResourcesDr. Ryan Yamka’s Blog “Debunking Pet Food Myths and Misconceptions”: http://bit.ly/ryanyamkablogFDA July 2018 Announcement: http://bit.ly/fdadcmjuly2018FDA June 2019 Announcement: http://bit.ly/fdajune2019

In this wholesome episode, Terry sits down with Chicken Soup for The Soul Editor Amy Newmark. She talks about the making of the Chicken Soup books, and the importance of cats and dogs in our lives. Tuck in for this heartwarming episode of Growing Home.

This episode, Terry talks to Nancy Jack and Jeffrey Busch, the founders of the Nantucket Spider bug repellent company. Join us for a conversation about natural insect repellent, and starting your own business.

No matter how technologically advanced we get, Mother Nature still does some things better. One of these things is pollination. Join Terry and Len for tricky flowers, busy bees, and a honey tasting.

Why don't my hydrangeas bloom? Having hydrangeas in your garden can remind you of vacations gone by, even in the middle of the workweek. Join Terry and Len as they talk about the different varieties of this plant, and caring for them through the year, so you too can enjoy these impressive flowers.

The rose has been a status symbol for ages, with only the wealthy having manicured rose gardens. But with today's plant breeding, anyone can have beautiful roses, if they give them enough love. Join hosts Terry and Len as they talk about planting and pruning roses, plus how to fight pests. Listen to our best smelling episode yet!

In this episode we talk to Karen Davison, Ph.D., a horse nutritionist who has worked at Purina for 25 years, to learn more about Purina’s 125 years of innovation and the latest in equine nutrition.

It’s mid spring, and things are warming up. Is it time to plant? Join Terry and Len as they talk about when to plant, how to plant, whether to buy plants versus seeds, and a few tips on growing organically.

"This is the year! We're going to work on the yard and have it ready for Memorial Day Weekend." "Wait, should I prune that? Should I plant this? Do I lime first?" Taking our gardening gloves off the shelf every Spring we meet a perfect storm of enthusiasm and confusion. But have no worries, Len & Terry will help you get off to a great start as they share their expertise and their 'learning experiences.'

What is herbalism? A form of witchcraft? Does it work? Please HELP MY ALLERGIES! Listen in as Kassie Mashiak, owner of Kassandra’s “It’s About Thyme” Herbs Unlimited, shares with us how we can use herbs to keep us healthy and improve our quality of life. Kassie generously shares her expertise with a humble and practical approach.

Len and Terry dig into growing potatoes in the garden and containers. Their goofy curiosities take them from the cultural importance of the potato to what life lessons we can learn from the growing process. Listen in to learn how to be successful growing potatoes this season!Check out our show notes and tips at: www.mackeysgrows.com

Why do we feed the birds? What’s the best bird food? How do we attract particular types of birds? How do we NOT attract the squirrels?The questions ‘us birders’ ask ourselves and more, in this episode of Growing Home with Harlan Hyde of Aspen Song Wild Bird Food. Harlan is a longtime member of the ag community and host of our Winter Wild Bird Seminars. Harlan not only provides us with a wealth of knowledge, but reminds us what this hobby is all about. Also, check our website, https://mackeysinc.com/events, for our upcoming seminar dates and times.

Will it be a White Christmas? What is the best day to go fishing? When should we harvest?Since 1818 the Farmers’ Almanac has been our guide to good living. In this episode we chat with Peter Geiger, the 40 year and second generation Editor of the Farmers’ Almanac. Peter shares with us the Almanac’s history and the development of life hacks and predictions.

Are the Holidays Happy for your pets? We’re joined by Dr. Andrea Dennis and Dr. Eva Ceranowicz, the hosts of the popular Saturday radio show Pet Talk on WTIC and practicing veterinarians at Bloomfield Animal Hospital, to uncover the common health and safety concerns for our pets during the holidays. In this episode we uncover the major and not so major risks our pets are exposed to, as well as the little things we can think about ahead of time so that our friends and furry family have a safe and happy holiday season.

Our interview with Jonathan Hudak, the chef of Cafemantic, about what he looks for in quality ingredients, how we can prepare to be the chefs in our own homes this holiday season, and one of his own favorite recipes!

An in depth interview with Barry Green, President and 5th generation of Jonathan Green, a leading lawn care products company. Barry helps us understand the difference in grass seeds and shares the development of his company's famed Black Beauty varieties.

Fall overseeding is known as one of the best practices for achieving a healthy, thick, and green lawn. In this episode we interviewed Steve Rackliffe from the University of Connecticut Turf Science department for advice on how to successfully overseed this fall.