Episode 57: Urban Agriculture, Compost, and Water
“From the urban farmers that I’ve worked and interfaced with, some of them have rain catchment systems and also use gray water. But for the most part, urban farmers are relying on municipal water supplies for their irrigation, which can cause issues in a few different ways”
A conversation with soil microbial ecologist Dr. Joshua Garcia about farming in cities, composting, and regenerative agriculture. Released October 18, 2024.
guests on the show
Dr. Joshua Garcia
Dr. Josh Garcia is an NSF & UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from UC Davis in 2017 and his PhD in Integrative Plant Science from Cornell University in 2022. His PhD research broadly examined how bacteria and fungi in soils regulate biogeochemical processes and specialty crop traits using a diverse range of research methodologies. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Garcia is currently conducting research to examine how regenerative soil management practices can support soil biodiversity and improve soil health in field-based and urban agroecosystems. In July 2025, he will join the Life and Environmental Sciences Department at UC Merced as an Assistant Professor in Soil Biology and Sustainable Agriculture. You can learn more about his work at joshuagarciaphd.com