KKUP is a non-profit organization, beholden to no one but the listeners, who by their subscriptions alone have kept the station on the air for over 38 years. The KKUP Old Time Farm and Garden Show was originally created by Dr. Craig Kolodge (PHD Plant Pathology) and has aired continuously over 17 years now. At the time Craig held the job of UCCE Santa Clara County director, County Farm Advisor and
had recently transitioned from the role of Director of the Santa Clara BAREC Field Station and wanted to share his enthusiasm in urban horticulture. Craig approached me in 1995 and asked about the viability of doing such a show and as KKUP Program Director I brought his proposition to the Program Committee for consideration and a vote. The show was competing with 2 others, which included Adam Atman’s “New Medicine Show” as well as Tazz & Paula’s “Embracing Mother Earth”. The program committee, who makes the decision on all radio slot and allocations, could not really come to final agreement between these three wonderful shows. They decided to feature each one in various slot variations on Thursdays and that remains pretty much as it is today. I began working directly with Dr. Craig in late 1998 and decided to host a show in his absence myself as a substitute. Since Craig basically had “forgotten more than I knew” about horticulture (I was a retired Electronics Engineer after all), I surrounded myself with some extensive talent that day including Master Gardeners Dick Thompson, Cathy Thompson and Elaine Levine, and several others as I recall. It was a wonderful experience and I told Craig, how much I enjoyed it. The next year I became a Master Gardener myself and Craig thought it would be a good idea to have a running mate (novice gardener type) and I remained as such for many years. In the year 2000, Dr. Kolodge left UC service and went into high tech sales and business development with several ventures related to the horticulture field. The closing of the BAREC was a factor, which we both lamented, but that’s another story…
The late, great Garden Editor Holly Hayes honored the show in 2003 with a wonderful article in the San Jose Mercury. I could not believe how many people read that article and commented on it by phone call or personal contact. We were rolling…
About 2009, I panicked when Craig told me he was leaving the area and moving to Southern California for a new job in in the environmental services industry promoted the sustainable use of compost to address erosion and pollution control problems. Fortunately in line with surrounding myself with talent, I asked Master Gardener Sharon McCray to join me on the show as a co-host. Sharon had guested on the show since its inception and has UCCE experience as Master Gardener Coordinator and held most volunteer management jobs in the Santa Clara County program as well. She also was co-founder of the Santa Clara County Master Composter Program along with my wife Dot Maley. Sharon was a natural and we have been doing the show ever since. Bader Kudsi also participated in almost all shows after 2000 and has become an integral part of the show as my wife Dot, Sue Conde and Randy Fox have become as well. All participants on the show are members of the UCCE Master Gardeners Santa Clara County. Yep, its great surrounding yourself with talent, but Farm and Garden music arrangements are all mine.
