Friday’s gameplan for ‘Afternoon Shift’: Planting seeds

Friday’s gameplan for ‘Afternoon Shift’: Planting seeds

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(Flickr/tarakay827)

As Spring begins springing, those of us with green thumbs begin looking for the perfect time to start our seeds. Friday on Afternoon Shift Diane Ott Whealy talks about the growing obsession with heirloom seeds. Then Chip Mitchell follows up on the seed money recently promised to Chicago’s bus rapid transit future. And we round it all out with a candid conversation with former Senator Roland Burris.

Listen to the first hour of the show

Seeds:  From locavores and organic gardeners to restaurants and farmer’s markets, more Americans are rediscovering the joys of heirloom produce.  Diane Ott Whealy joins us to talk about her 35 year quest to preserve the nation’s heirloom seeds as co-founder of the Iowa-based Seed Savers Exchange.  Her recent book is Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver.

Weekender:  Alison Cuddy preps us for the oh-too-short weekend.

Listen to the second hour of the show

Chip/BRT:  Bus Rapid Transit.  Chip Michell reported on it.  Other media picked it up big time.  Can Chicago get those lumbering, lurching, always-in-front-of-me-and-I-can’t-get-around-‘em busses into faster, more efficient lanes? 

Rewind:  Eric Zorn of the Trib and Neil Steinberg of the Sun Times talk about the most intriguing news stories of the week.

Roland Burris:  Former US Senator Roland Burris joins us for a wide ranging interview.