Agave & Cactus Talk
Talking about Agave & Cactus from farms to products. I will cover using permaculture practices on farms for the new industry of California Agave & Cactus, such as the use of animals & biomimicry. California Agave today is mainly being used for spirits, and cactus fruit is mainly being used for consumption or wine. I farm both agave & cactus in Hi Vista & Lancaster, which are cities in Northeast Los Angeles County, & in the Western Mojave Desert. I will talk about my experiences, observations, opinions & tips on Agave & Cactus farming in California. I will cover what i believe the future is for these 2 plant families in california, what products i believe they most will be used for, and exciting plants. Some examples of agave products can include fiber, food, inulin, spirits, or syrup. Cactus products can be animal forage, fruit, jams, juices, & wine. Both agave and Cactus can be great plants to add for fire protection as their leaves are full of water. I will also cover the use of animals such as goats on my farms, and various systems i use to improve it, such as rainwater collection. If you have any topics you would like me to cover, or any questions feel free to leave a comment.
Episodes
Dec 9, 2024
Dec 9, 2024
2hr 27 min
Agave & Cactus Talk # 7 - Chatting about agave and tequila with my friend. We go into Agave and Mexican culture, CA Agave spirits, global agave, agave business and how farmers/distillers can succeed, how we can help small brands, and even a little about nopales and cactus farming. Very interesting questions and conversation. You dont want to miss it. Have a Great day everyone, and make sure to follow el tequilero 90 on Instagram for more tequila content.
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Dec 6, 2024
Dec 6, 2024
32 min
Agave Tequiliana aka Agave Angustifolia subs Tequiliana is the only species allowed in the production of tequila. In todays episode, i go over why this is a major issue for the future of tequila production and some ways that the CRT can maintain tradition but adapt to a changing world. Tequila needs genetic diversity, or it will have a hard time staying dominant or maybe even existing. I give real-world examples from other industries & some lessons to be learned.
Nov 23, 2024
Nov 23, 2024
53 min
Today I talk about the diversity the agave family by just trying to answer 1 question. How many agaves are there? This is not an easy question, but I think I did an ok job 😂 Hopefully me talking about so many different agave possibilities has you thinking of what you can do to improve agave genetics on your farm, nursery, or collection. Enjoy!
Those i mentioned on IG: Katopin, hiddenagave, yamato nursery, mojave lv. totally missed talking on potatorumagaves and kiri6590. love their stuff!
Nov 20, 2024
Nov 20, 2024
48 min
In this podcast I go over why cotton top cactus (echinocactus polycephalus) is an amazing cactus, why it should be propagated on a massive scale, and some of the threats it is facing. I also talk about how I disagree with the IUCN’s classification of it as least concern and share some ways to help this cactus sustain its wild populations.
Nov 13, 2024
Nov 13, 2024
55 min
Today i talk about some of the species of cactus i grow, how cactus farming can make your ranch more profitable, & a few of the uses i have for cactus. I wanted this episode to be a primer for cactus farming and animals, but in no way is this everything. My next cactus podcast will likely be on why California vineyards should switch over to cactus, instead of agave, and make cactus wine, but we will see. If you have questions or suggestions for an episode, leave a comment.
Nov 9, 2024
Nov 9, 2024
24 min
In this episode i talk about Agave Shawii and the perilous state it is in. I also talk about why i believe the CA agave industry should step up to save it and how they can do so before its too late. I share my personal goal with agave shawii as well.
Jun 21, 2024
Jun 21, 2024
17 min
Agave & Goats: How they can complement each other for a more profitable farm + ranch