187. the Kombucha Mamma | Hannah Crumm | Los Angelos, CA
It’s June 13th and schools out and I’m back to podcasting! Excited to reach out to all of you Green Future Growers! Hopefully this episode will hit your ears asap and here it is July 24th! But alas summer flies does it not!
Today I am here with Hanna Crumm the Kombucha Mamma!
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
Tell us a little about yourself and what is it Kombucha and am I even saying it right?
Kombucha with an O and it’s basically fermented tea
I visited a friend from college
Sanfranciso in CA
box of jars, towels, weird floaty things! That’s the kombucha! I had never heard of it, I was like that’s funny! So I get back to
entertaining!
I get back to Los Angels and there’s an entire case of kombucha! I take my first sip
acidic acid
tea vinegar
A lot of people that might get that sour kombucha face! For me I loved the flavor but I’m the girl that loved the pickle juice out of the pickle jar, fermented funky flavor
I felt the kombucha in my body
You know when you pick a vegetable out of your garden and you grew it and you know everything that went into it! You take the first bite it’s a rush that’s beyond the flavor and you can tell it’s alive and that was the experience I felt alive
I wanted more of it
but I my thirst out did my budget.
This is so appropriate because I ust got home and tasted some of the first lettuce out of the garden and just putting it in my salad, right here fresh picked!
Kombucha has applications beyond making it a beverage to drink.
Tell me about your first gardening experience?
My first experience come from my dad, he grew up on a farm in min own of like 200 people
Every summer we’d get
shipped out to the grandparents and get dropped off there
John Deere shop
clamber out the tractors
- tomatoes
- peppers
- plant the marigolds to keep bugs away
- soux chef who had to go out and gather the herbs and pick all the leaves off
- Lots of great memories!
How did you learn how to garden organically?
My grandparents grew
fields weeding
on the land stuff as a kid
later in life more pesticides
by the time I was getting older they kind of transitioned away into other things like auctioneering and real estate
My dad never used any fertilizer but on the other hand we didn’t have a composter
I made my own in my backyard a few years ago in Los Angelos, I love working with the worms. I turn all of that stuff into that rich black earth! That’s where all my volunteer tomatoes come from that come up in the weirdest places…
Tell us more about kombucha
Kombucha is in some ways similar to gardening
We need to have a really rich soil that is nutrient dense that has the right microbial balance so that teh plants are able to uptake that nutrition.
Were like that too where our guts are the soil in our boddies…interface to create that
diverse micro biome
create our nutrients that way
Kombucha is a fermented food.
fermetation
- sauer kraut
- pickles
- vinegar
preserved our foods, back when we did’t have a fridge, I know we take it for granted but 150 years ago, didn’t have those luxuries.
A lot of people still don’t around the world.
What’s interesting about the United States we came from a bunch of places
came to a country that didn’t
post world war 2 processing food industry replaced
- having a garden preserving
touting on the WWII posters
- patriotic to plant a garden
- everyone should have chickens
processed food industry
lowest cost lowest quality inputs unfortunately our bodies are suffering as a result of that
repopulate our microboime in a positive way.
micro-biome
there’s bacteria everywhere
I know we’ve been waging germ warefare
- bacteriacides
- hand sanitizers
fda
now banning trycluen
micorobiome is all the bacteria and organisms that live on your body
planet
rainforest under there
arm is like a dry desert
Our body has all these different terrains
each is populated with different organisms that protect you. They go from your mouth to end of you everything is covered with bacteria
We’re over prescribed
pesticides
that leaves space for organisms that
overprescribing
arent’ native
candida overgrowth
organizms
bacterial infections
can go wrong.
Even more to most basic level
back to hypocreties who says all disease starts in the gut.
2010
really starting to uncover
- autism
- parkinsons
- alcoholism
- rumitoid arthritis
so often they’re going
THE gut is out of balance
what strain
one thing
mentality
diversity
just like nature
organizms populating our body
speaking engagements
hug or a handshake you’re not getting away without sharing some of your bacteria only
Tell us about
started out as a workshop in my home. Kombuchas is easy to make.
- tea
- steep it
- add sugar to it
specific website
click on recipe
read it
sweet tea solution
add our culture to it then it turns it into this tangy healthy beverage
Because we’ve lost this connection with our grandparents
demistifying our process
Mainstream media says
- no proof
- contaminate yourself if your make it home
if that were true
people would stop ages ago
Why would you share something if you know it’s gonna cause them harm?
because it’s an acidic acid
low ph
coupled with the healthy acid profile has been shown to kill salmonella and wisteria and all of the pathogens on contact
pathogens were so strong
if they were so dominant we’d all be dead!
pathogens would have gotten us
There’s more good guys then bad guys
many good guys as possible
It’s our force
microbial cloud
helps keep us strong
what does all of this have to do with gardening?
soil based organizms are good for people
The bacteria tangyness
If you have acid loving plants
- rose bushes
- blueberries
composting the cultures is a way to get positive organisms in your soil
the worms love them and they help to break everything down quitkcly
then you get the particular
soil ammendment
put that scoby in a blender
burry the pieces in the ground
Let’s back it up a scoby what is that?
That’s what we call
our mother
If you’re at all familiar with raw apple cider vinegar at the bottom of the bottle you will see this disc object
acidic acid bacteria
also creates cellulose because it’s so reproductive you end up with loads these extra scobies
My hope is if you throw them away they will break down the garbage.
could
don’t want to throw them away, people feel like they are friends and pets and up with hoards of them
put them back into the world…
indicative in all things in nature if you give an organism what it needs to thrive it will!
If you’re putting the right nutrients in the soil you’ll notice your plants will be more
- robust
- healthier
- they don’t don’t need pesticides as much because their immune system
- plants are more nutrient dense
something we can look at through bricks testing. That’s really we have this myth of needing pesticides because we’re trying to farm in a way that isn’t in harmony in nature
Nature isn’t monocropping
nature is diversity
- corn
- squash
- beans trio
more of all of them
competing and taking things from each other
how nature operates
implement how those things we end up withmore successful gardens
instead of in straight lines following the patterns of the earth in order to create more yields with less chemical inputs.
The one thing I have been trying to get done, I interviewed this woman from PITMOSSⓇ
PITMOSSⓇ
- it’s natural
- recycled fiber
there’s two other episodes I have done with soil scientists, it’s imperative for me especially Mike’s been wanting to buy $180 for soil for hopefully welll split with someone. I think the non-organic option
soil health is so essential I’ve been trying to have a worm bin. I’m fascinated with all of this that it’s a tea I thought it would be more like a vegetable.
Is it an herb? Do you grow it?
tea doesn’t grow everywhere
tea plantations in the south
liptons
other climates showing potential
tea plant
here in the us
traditionally grown in china and india
fermentation has been important in all of those ancient cultures coupled with the fact that they have realiable access to tea
arose from
cha in kombucha
chai can we use herbs?
Often reserve those for flavoring. That’s what I did. I went out and plucked some
- lavender
- rosemary stems
- sprigs of thyme
would give it this lovely herbacious flavor
herb s and spices are our friends
don’t just add flavor
help support our bodies
come from nature
most
litterally no separation
all inhabit
same amazing planet
all of our computers
technology
drive our cars
airconditioning
leads to a lot of depression and sadness
we need to be in contact with nature
Japanese word for forest bathing
concepts like these are percolating back into our society
thing when we take the time
Even if your not the most successful gardener
- getting your hands dirty
- peace and kind of
- sense of connection that really satisfies…
Absolutely, I call people trying to grow a greener future being in thr garden, something we all share in common.
Then you see how the run off pollutes the waterways
fish start to suffer
We’re starting to see about the negative affects of not caring where those inputs are growing. That’s creating a lot of problems with the waterways or fish that live in them and the humans that have to consume that
If we poison ourselves to death were’ the ones to lose. Look at where Chernobyl other nature is vibrant and robust.
Especially today, it seems it gets scarier and scarier but I try to look on the postive side.
So looking to nature and witnessing the regenerative power
quickly take something that was toxic
wasn’t in a
here in California we had the Ballona Wetlands Preserve
nature
As soon as they started preserving it they started to come back
Some people accused the environmentalists of planting birds there, but the reality is if you give animals the habit they need they’ll show up. There’s a zillion ways of reconnecting with the soil….
I love that and you’re so passionate about protecting your planet and our health! I think listeners will like it as much as I do!
You said your stuff was starting to bolt? Tell us about something that grew well this year. We’re close to that too.
Being in California, we have a long growing season here in so cal too. My husband as a gift someone invited
- gardening boxes
- mulch in the yard
- planted a bunch of veggies
new to all of this
cabbages all turned into flowers
broccoli
before I could get anything that I know looks familiar.
in addition to planting you also have to take care of them… doing really well
of course are my greens these things are fantastic
- swiss chard
- kale
My lettuce has bolted because it got warm, and my parsley has grown over and flowered. I’m enjoying everything I get from my garden.
My arugala, sometimes you’re window to rabe that produce is just a couple of days.
I figure they’ll just regrow
- cut back broccoli
- cabbages
- more then anything it’s just fun to see the interplay with the insects
what else gets attracted
- short dwarf lemon trees want to make sure they get a lot of fruit
- cumquat tree
- crazy in the late summer
- good at the stuff that doesn’t require a lot of effort.
Is there something you would do different next year or want to try/new?
Im growing some strawberries right now, they are yielding some fruit but they don’t taste good like the ones I get at the farmer’s market?! I think a lot of this that’s exciting is how much work and effort goes into
wheather I’m getting it at my garden or the farmer’s market there’s another layer of appreciation of all that goes into that process
food is so accessible
year round
recognize how much effort is growing into it to make a salad! IT’s not like you can have enough salads if you
My problem is I should put 5 seeds in the ground and the next week another 5 and another and I say it evrey year and I NEVER do!
lazy gardener have to admit
potatoes pieces
throw them in the yard they eventually
ends of my celery
get those things to grow
just interacting with it seeing how it goes is just kind of al ot of fun!
then you get the aphids… and I’m like now what do I do?
You can sometimes put kombucha or vinegar
sour to drink
leave it too long
if you end up with Kombucha you don’t want to drink another things you can do is put it in a spray bottle
That’s good because people talk about pest problems alot.
Mike spends a lot of time on potatoes.
gettly
here is so easy
little dirt over them
green tops grow, wait until they fall over and then pull them up. That’s what I do is I let them grow wild
not harvesting enough potatoes to keep us through the winter.
Or a potato meal, but that’s Mike’s goal to grow us enough to get us through all year, but this year he planted the mini-farm and IDK what’s gonna happen there!
A big one for me that I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago, was the red potatoes have red pink flowers and the white potatoes have white potatoes!
This year we got this thing a Broad fork and it’s so fun Idk how we ever lived without it. It’s just so great for turning over new beds or turning over anything. It’s interesting the way it works in hard packed ground or soft soil in a deep bed.
I’ve been trying to get down to the garden more but I think a lot of people are like me we start off strong in the Spring and in the middle of the summer were like huh!
tidying up the garden
If you live a busy life like me, I klike being an acciental gardener, nature will come through for you. I
I love your appreciation for the farmer’s market. I think a lot of listeners are like that people who have access talk about growing native plants and landscaping and being able to commune in the garden without having to grow all your vegetables.
I have more bees coming around
- more hummingbirds
- butterflies
I love to see how the other aspects of nature
Since I’m a lazy gardener is put more flowers
- for butterflies
- hummingbirds so the pollinators to have some food
- look pretty somewhat easy to take care of
- not harvesting it quickly enough before it goes to seed
I love right now the chives are blooming, they bring in the pollinators, they grow in sandy soil, and they come back every year! One of my power houses!
green onion plant
compbination of paved patio
dirt
Of course in California succulents are really popular
- look like they came from mars
- neat colors
- awesome flower coming off of it
fun to watch you never thought it was gonna do that!
- low keep plants
- bromileads
- jade plants
- lavendar
- birds of paradise
- roses grow great!
I grew up reading these Miss Marple books, difficult in England
Or on
audible
Here in this climate there just super easy! I love being able to just cut a few stems and put them in the house. Even though my husband’s encouraging me, they look so pretty! When they die I dead head them anyway!
They’re gonna grow back, it’s like cutting your hair.
I think they grow back more.
Yes they do!
People have asked me a lot of questions about roses? I know do some people get the blight on the leaves?
We use soil amendments
our compost
I turn the compost 2xs a year
fill up and get nice and rich.
I don’t have an actual compost bin. I have like a converted garbage can
dig out the top layer, I get this lovely richness
pass that around, because it’s had the scobies in there you can’t even see the pieces, you can’t see them they’ve just been consumed, I think that helps roses to do well. Putting acid loving soil
- acid loving plants that they are
- citrus as well
- compost that I am creating
- extra scobies
sometimes a little bit of cardboard make sure the worms have a good variety of things.
Let’s take a minute to thank our affiliates!
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Let’s Get to the Root of Things!
Which activity is your least favorite activity to do in the garden?
If it’s my least favorite I’m not doing it
It would be dealing with the aphids
I bought the lady bugs but they just fly away
attack it early
consistent
caring for plants
let one plant go to aphids almost like a sacrifice, I say you guys stay over here and then tidy them off of everything else
aphids…
Two Interesting things about aphids, I swear it was something like if the ladybugs leave that’s good because that means they’ve run out of aphids to eat. I have had other people talk about leaving a plant for the aphids as a sacrifice. And also, I was just reading this book about tidying that my principal gave me I like the way you talk about tidying the garden.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
also available on
audible
What is your favorite activity to do in the garden?
To do, I like pruning! I feel like, you’re communicating you end with your trees and your plants.
- lemon trees
- kumquats
It tells you get rid of this dead piece there and it lets this new thing come through, something about getting rid of the old yuck. I love to pull all the dead leaves off! Throw it on the patio and sweep it on the patio.
I feel that way about cleaning the chalk board. Starting a clean new slate. She talks about discarding and getting rid of things, and communicating your clothes, and the way you fold your socks in a swirl and thinking about what your gonna wear. Filling your house with joy, instead of getting ri of things, just filling yourself with things you love.
process
the seed putting love into everything you do
constantly buying more stuff, we don’t value or appreciate the things we do have
yearn for a return to craftsman ship and quality over convenience and chepaness.
those pieces have a
If you have a heriloom beause it’s durable you can hand it down, there’s not just something monkey wrench there’s an intrinisic value
piece itself
- clothes
- garden
- bookshelf
Anywhere you can cultivate that love and put positive energy
world is so stressful enough if we don’t have these havens of peace
if your home’s all cluttered.
Yes, but sometimes I like my clutter, and when I find something I’m like oh here you are my old friend. IDK I have lots of things that I haven’t used for years and then it will be invaluable again.
We have these quarterly clothing swaps
- see some of the same pieces will come back around
- joy of somebody finding pleasure in something you want
- they’re gonna love this!
re-cylcing aspect
all enjoy
that is a fun way to let things go and have a 2nd life in the community and who knows maybe it will come back your way and you’ll say I’m ready for this again
donate to people
We have really good thrift stores. We call it the food pantry. IDK we have like 5 thrift stores now in Eureka and good ones in Whitefish
My grandma was the first one who took me thrifting!
What is the best gardening advice you have ever received?
Don’t fight nature let nature take it’s course, trust the buds are going to bloom
nature teaches me to be patient and I’ll see the little lemons forming and they fall off and Ill be so disappointed and Ill be like oh no, my lemon didn’t grow
relearning patience and process.
trusting in the outcomes that come
A favorite tool that you like to use? If you had to move and could only take one tool with you what would it be.
My pruning shears
My pokey stick for the compost. It’s not exactly a pitchfork
railroad tie
iron
compost is hard
do need to trun it
So I like how it helps me get in there and turn it allover.
I’m curious about your garbage can do you have a pic?
see all
garbage can
- gravel and a screen on the bottom
- hole so liquid can come out
- drain
- throw things in the top
A favorite recipe you like to cook from the garden?
100%
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
Tomato and Feta salad
I’ll harvest those little tomatoes growing in the garden and then make a kombucha vinegrette! With some feta. Best tastes of summer summer.
good olive oil
that recipe is fantastic!
Sounds so good!
A favorite internet resource?
our resources for info on kombucha.
kombuchakamp.comWe make it really easy, we’ve been doing this for over a decade
going on 15 years
every paper
passion for our product and passion for education
dispel fear and myths
gives you info that empowers you so that
A favorite reading material-book, mag, blog/website etc you can recommend?
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
400 pages on subject
trouble shooting
lots of pics
kombucha scobie can take a bunch of weird shapes.
Recipes
-
cooking recipes
-
260 flavoring recipes
benefits from a scientific research paper
great reputation putting that info with resources to do own research to understand why Kombucha is beneficial for so many people.
fantatstic
sivler
best sellar on amazon
flagship stores
Grateful for everyone who has enjoyed the book and given us a review to help others
Final question-
If there was one change you would like to see to create a greener world what would it be? For example is there a charity or organization your passionate about or a project you would like to see put into action. What do you feel is the most crucial issue facing our planet in regards to the environment either in your local area or on a national or global scale?
I think the most crucial issue is teaching children where their food comes from so I am heartened by
- school gardens
- urban gardens
serving the food deserts and remember that the first grocery store didn’t exist until 1946? It’s only recent that we’ve been so disconnected from our food supply.
all you need is a piece of earth, detereminations, love
The first grocery store didn’t exist until 1946?!
you can create a food source for yourself
how similar place
terms of a supermarket grocery store! Recent phenomena, of the insane processed food
- root cellars
- farmer’s market
- relationship with milk person who dropped it off at your doorstep
we had a different food system and I hope we can remember to go back to our roots
Recultivate that love of gardening
caring for our earth….
Do u have an inspiration tip or quote to help motivate our listeners to reach into that dirt and start their own garden?
our motto is trust your gut
listen to the innate wisdom if you’re feeling a whisper to get back to the earth then listen to that impulse
wisdom, nutrition is about sunlight getting our hands dirty nourish our being our soul
couch locker stuck staring at aa screen all the time.
go do that…
trust your gut
How do we connect with you?
free ebook and guide
starting the process
reach out with the email
small family business
number goes right to my cell phone, I’m always happy to help
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
The Organic Gardener Podcast is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
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