Urban Conversion

URBAN CONVERSION follows fiscally conservative businessman and host Rodman Schley as he seeks to learn more about the sustainability movement. It is all in an effort to get on the same page as his wife Gina, who wants their family to lead an eco-friendly, environmentally conscious lifestyle. While Rodman enjoys living with all the modern conveniences of the city, Gina would rather move the family to a simple, low impact life in a rural setting. In the spirit of compromise, Rodman and Gina begin to seek ways to bring the country to the city and begin their own "Urban Conversion". Each episode goes beyond the buzzword to find out first-hand what the "green scene" is all about. Cultivating an urban farm, understanding backyard beekeeping, and learning about alternative fuels are just a few of the issues Rodman explores. Schley lends his common sense (and often humorous) perspective to the viewer through hands-on learning experiences, interviews with experts, and profiles of eco-leaders who have built their lives around living more sustainably. The series is set in Colorado, but takes the Schley family across the nation to cities like Detroit, where urban farming is helping to heal a community, and Washington D.C., where White House chef Sam Kass gives them an educational tour of First Lady Michelle Obama's vegetable garden.

Wed, Jul 6	6:30 A.M.	Back to Nature Topic: Healing Qualities of Nature and Mental Health.
Wed, Jul 13	6:30 A.M.	Freegan Awesome! Topic: Food Waste, Foraging, Gleaning, Dumpster Diving (Freeganing).
Wed, Jul 20	6:30 A.M.	Upcycled Art and Fashion Topic: Upcycled Art and Fashion. Rodman and Gina expand their artistic horizons at PalletFest, a festival dedicated to putting upcycled art and fashion on display.
Wed, Jul 27	6:30 A.M.	Zero Waste: Home and Office Topic: Waste Reduction in the Office and Home. Gina begins working at the office with Rodman and is troubled by the lack of a green policy, recycling and composting.
Wed, Aug 3	6:30 A.M.	Building Small Topic: The movement to living simpler by reducing spaces carbon footprint (and mortgage payment).
Wed, Aug 10	6:30 A.M.	Alternative Building Topics: Large scale eco-building. After coming to terms with the fact that a family of four probably needs a bit of space, Rodman and Gina continue to explore what other types of alternative builds could be in their future.

Watch Urban Conversion - Clips, Episodes & Previews

Seeing the Forest through the Trees

Rocky Mountain Air

Across the Desert Sand

Harvesting the Sun

Whose water is it, anyways?

Let it Rot!

Urban Conversion By Episode

Backyard Farmer (#101)
Beginning a journey to reduce his family's carbon footprint, Rodman Schley explores the world of backyard farming with urban agriculture guru Sundari Kraft.
The Burbs and the Bees (#102)
Gina's desire to get her own backyard bee hive sends Rodman seeking advise from holistic bee keeper Corwin Bell.
My Alternative Fuel Future (#103)
Could an alternatively fueled car be in Rodman's future? Rodman learns what's down the road for hydrogen fuels, gets his hands dirty collecting bio diesel, and is shocked to learn about a mechanical shop that converts classic cars to electric.
Green yoU (#104)
Rodman goes back to school to learn how one campus is leading the way towards sustainability in higher education.
Detroit Urban Farming (#105)
Rodman sees first hand the positive effects of urban farming as it shapes a new identity for the Detroit community.
Rodman Needs A Hobby/Home Brewing (#106)
Gina, forever hopeful that Rodman will embrace a sustainable lifestyle, encourages Rodman to find a hobby.
Farm to Table (#107)
Date night at a farm-to-table restaurant sends Rodman and Gina on a mission to follow their food back to its roots, volunteering at a local organic market farm.
Urban Gardening, The Whitehouse and Monticello (#108)
Gina's community garden inspires a family trip to the historic gardens of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello followed by a visit to the First Lady's kitchen garden guided by White House chef, Sam Kass.
Back to Nature (#201)
Topic: Healing Qualities of Nature and Mental Health.
Freegan Awesome! (#202)
Topic: Food Waste, Foraging, Gleaning, Dumpster Diving (Freeganing).
Upcycled Art and Fashion (#203)
Topic: Upcycled Art and Fashion. Rodman and Gina expand their artistic horizons at PalletFest, a festival dedicated to putting upcycled art and fashion on display.
Zero Waste: Home and Office (#204)
Topic: Waste Reduction in the Office and Home. Gina begins working at the office with Rodman and is troubled by the lack of a green policy, recycling and composting.
Building Small (#205)
Topic: The movement to living simpler by reducing spaces carbon footprint (and mortgage payment).
Alternative Building (#206)
Topics: Large scale eco-building. After coming to terms with the fact that a family of four probably needs a bit of space, Rodman and Gina continue to explore what other types of alternative builds could be in their future.
Clean Energy 101 (#207)
Topic: Wind Power, Solar Power, Climate Change. Rodman, a global warming skeptic, puts his views to the test as he visits with climate change expert Casper Ammann.
Urban Conversion (#301)
Urban Conversion (#302)
Urban Conversion (#303)
Urban Conversion (#304)
Urban Conversion (#305)
Urban Conversion (#306)
Urban Conversion (#307)
Seeing The Forest Through The Trees (#307)
The Schley's go into the forest in this episode of Urban Conversion to examine the relationship between man and trees from eating their fruit, using them as shelter, and burning them for warmth and light they gain a better appreciation for sustainably harvesting trees that they use in their home and on their farm.
Urban Conversion (#308)
It Takes A Village (#308)
The Schley's wrap up the season with a new appreciation for the many essential community relationships they've built through the project and the importance of building a local sense of place.