Taking my photographer John along with me, we had a pretty incredible time meeting everyone, documenting their work, and also getting some time to relax (well, not really, we got pumped up) with Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir.

A lot happened and I could spend a week of these spontaneous daily musings on the event. However, this particular episode comes from the first round of stories shared that day during the "Short Takes on Real Farm Life." That includes the impact those stories had on me and the lessons they add to our dialog about permaculture.

The ten stories were from:
- Sarah Bay of Fulton Farm at Wilson College
- Rebecca Croog of Gettysburg College Student Farm
- JJ Dabs of Cherry Grove Farm
- David Dietz of Dietz Produce
- Hanna Grose of The Gleaning Project of South Central PA
- Molly McCullagh and Ben Currotto of Real Food Farm/Civic Works
- Mike Nolan of Earth Spring Farm
- Judi Radel of Yeehaw Farm
- Sally Voris of White Rose Farm
- Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm

Their stories, and the wisdom contained within, were the inspiration for this episode of the show. Each one of them also reminded me why social and economic permaculture are part of my calling. But I wouldn't have been able to attend if not for all the people who organized the event and made it a success.

I'd also like to thank:
- Alice Veron, executive director of Certified Naturally Grown
- The Organizing Committee: Elizabeth, Sarah B., Sarah S., Dianne, and Ryan.
- All the volunteers who added their time and dedication to the cause.
- The participants for coming together and making this such a great conference.
- Brian Snyder for his keynote speech.
- Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Choir for joining in the fun, and staying to share fellowship and camaraderie at the bonfire.
- Ryan K. for inviting me to come out.
- John Staley for joining me and acting as the podcast photographer.

In preparing for the A Gathering of Farmers conference, where I'll be presenting a Permaculture 101 workshop, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to practice permaculture and then share what we know with others. How to distill that information down into something that is meaningful to mean, and not just repeating the information of those who came before. For me, that means working from the ethics down to everything else. But that doesn't mean that works for you when it comes time to talk to others. So, considering your position, think about and make a list of the influences, permaculture and non, that got you to the place you find yourself in now when it comes to this system of design. What books, authors, friends, family members, videos, and everything else were what got you here? Even if it was a conversation from 1972 that started you on that path, write it down. Then consider each of the people and other influences you wrote down. Who would you go back and speak to again? What would you re-read, or re-watch, or re-listen to, in order to ground your own ideas? Now that you know what and who, seek them out. Go and talk, read, watch, and listen again. Refine your understanding. Make your knowledge of permaculture better. Also, if you eat food and don't grow all of your own, join a local family-run Community Supported Agriculture program or start shopping at your local farmer's market. Get to know the people who grow your food. You'll make a great impact on their life, and your own as well. As you do all those things, I will do the same. Together we can take care of the earth, ourselves, and each other, and in turn build a better world.

If this show leaves you with more questions, or you'd like to talk about one of the points at hand, I'd love to hear from you. Leavea  comment below.

My response to him was about how to engage others, and is part of the episode here, but as the idea developed so did my sense that there is more to this question and the issue at hand than just communicating. It's about leadership. And right now each of us who are involved and interested, have to be the leaders. My personal progress is a part of that, after covering, in a general sense, how to engage others, and really meet them where they are at without ego, arrogance, or placing your own needs first. You'll find that in the third-half of this episode. Third-half you ask? No, that's not a typo, just borrowing an ongoing joke from the guys at Cartalk.

If this show leaves you with more questions, or you'd like to talk about one of the points at hand, I'd love to hear from you. Leave a  comment below to include your thoughts and questions in the conversation.

The question, "What is permaculture at the core?" has been weighing on my thoughts recently as I prepare for a Permaculture 101 presentation. When Eric from Baltimore asked for a piece on Demystifying Permaculture, it seemed ripe as a way to look at the subject. However, I don't know that the results are what he was looking for. Rather than answer the question, it is more likely that this will lead to a larger dialog within the community about what permaculture is, and how we approach it as a design system moving forward. But, it is an incredibly important conversation to have.

Agree with me? Don't? Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment below.

My guest for this episode is Dr. John Kitsteiner, a medical doctor and permaculture practitioner. He also runs the very good website, Temperate Climate Permaculture. I've known of him and his work from my times spent as a member of the Survival Podcast forums community, and through his site. A listener suggested him as a guest after he posted a series of articles titled Dr. Permaculture's Guide to Healthy Eating Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. After listening to this show, I highly recommend you go read those, as well as his article series The Myth of the Perfect Job, Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. [caption width="2100" align="alignleft"] Dr. John Kitsteiner[/caption] If you'll be attending the Permaculture Voice Conference March 13-16, 2014, in Temecula, California, you can meet John. He will be there as an attendee and presenter. Tell him hello for me if you get a chance. He and I have never met, but I look forward to the opportunity in the future. For more information on some of the ideas presented here, I recommend listening to the past interviews with Arthur Haines about Wild Foods, Mary Johnson's introduction to nutrient dense farming, and Dan Kittredge's conversation about nutrient dense foods. From here, my next guest is Wayne Herring of Herring's Green Grass Farm, a past guest, to continue the discussion about food and small scale farming. In the meantime, I'll be attending the A Gathering of Farmer's conference on March 8th, 2014, at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. Part of my time there will be as a presenter for a Permaculture 101 workshop. If you're in the area, stop by, and join in all the fun. As always, if you have any questions or comments feel free to get in touch with me. The usual ways are: E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst Postal Mail: The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann The Permaculture Podcast Until the next time, take care of the Earth, your self, and each other. (Episode 2014-013)

Your feedback regarding the crossroads I found myself at with the podcast was incredibly positive. It resounded clearly that should the show stop it would be a loss to the community. Though I'm still figuring out how to move forward in a sustaining way, and will continue to need listener support, there is a new direction. I've step beyond the crossroads at which I found myself, and begin wandering down a familiar, if somewhat shadowy, road. One of those ways is to produce episodes that are unscripted, less tightly controlled, and much shorter than what would normally come out once a week. Ideally 15 minutes or less, these small bites of permaculture are something you can listen to while walking the dog, sketching out a new site design, or planting a single tree. Nothing you need to settle into for an hour or more. Small solution, more permaculture. But! These segments need a name, and I'm holding a listener contest to make it happen. Go to Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast, like the show if you haven't already, and then look for the post "The Short Shows Need a Name" from March 3rd, 2014, and we'll work together to pick a winner. The submission window for names closes on March 17th, 2014. Voting for the name will begin shortly thereafter.

This is a monologue about the future of the show. It details some of the things that have happened recently and the support needed for the podcast to continue beyond the current production schedule.

This episode is a continuation of the Faith and Earth Care series. This time, I speak with Kelly Ware, a permaculturist from Montana with one of the oldest known permaculture sites in the state. We talk about her thoughts on the idea of Permaculture and the Kingdom: bringing together the practices, and practitioners, of the Christian Faith with Permaculture. Whereas the first in this series, my conversation with Rhamis Kent, was a secular look at the elements of Earth Care in Islam, the conversation with Kelly is interwoven with her personal story of moving from a place of non-belief to one of faith and then to how we can do more to connect with others and build community. I enjoyed myself quite a bit in this conversation with Kelly and had a fun time talking about this topic from such a different perspective. We went to many different places in our conversation and I’m thankful that for all the sideline questions I asked things came together nicely in the end. You’ll find links with more information on how to connect with Kelly in the show notes. If you enjoy this interview, or any other episodes in the growing archive, help me reach the goal of releasing at least 75 episodes in 2014 by making a donation to the show. Your support is the only financial means of making that happen, and also support show related projects such as the Traveling Permaculture Library. Find out how to help at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support. Also, if you haven’t heard them yet, I suggest you go back and listen to the interviews with Larry Santoyo and Dave Jacke. They both spoke about the engagement we as permaculture practitioners need in order to grow the so called “invisible structures” and make permaculture happen. With her personal experience with the community composed of the body of the I think that Kelly’s approach is incredibly useful to that end. Though I haven’t, and won’t, discuss my own faith tradition, or a lack there-of, I have applied many of the ideas that Kelly presented to engage like-minded organizations locally. Meeting people where they are at makes a huge difference. Find the common ground and talk in that space. The rest will follow. If you’d like to talk to me about our common ground, or even where we disagree, feel free to send me an email: The Permaculture Podcast or give me a call: . As this is part of the faith and earth care series, the next episode on this subject will be the second part of the conversation with Rhamis Kent about "Islam and Earth Care" on March 18th, 2014. Then my friend Paul Tomkiel, a Lutheran Vicar, will speak about the "Christian Theology of Earth Care" on April 8th, 2014. But, those are many weeks away. In the meantime I’ll be releasing a review of the book Regenerative Enterprise, and then the next interview will be with Dr. John Kitsteiner to discuss Permaculture and Our Health. I’ll be attending the A Gathering of Farmer’s conference on March 8th, 2014 at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. and presenting a workshop on Permaculture 101. For that event the Keynote speaker is Brian Snyder the executive director of the Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture Association. Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir are there as entertainment. Should be a good time, and I’m quite looking forward to it. Come by if you can. I look forward to seeing you there. Resources: Contact Kelly: permakel@gmail.com Permaculture and The Kingdom Thread (Permies Forum) Permaculture Montana Facebook Page Surviving Off Off-Grid by Michael Bunker The Love Revolution by Joyce Meyer

My guests for this episode are Wilson Alvarez and Ben Weiss. They are permaculture teachers and practitioners from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who focus on rewilding, observation, and tending the wild. I also consider them my friends and colleagues in the community, having learned and shared a great deal with both of them. We've also sat down and broke bread by sharing meals with one another. This is their third time on the show. Their past episodes are: Restoring Eden: Zone 4 Permaculture with Wilson Alvarez and Ben Weiss Listener Q&A: Zone 4 Permaculture with Wilson Alvarez and Ben Weiss In this conversation we spend much of our time talking about their advanced PDC, which revolves around three core concepts: 1. Reconnection 2. Regeneration 3. Rebellion It is quite a conversation and I look forward to having more with them around this expertise of re-wilding and observation. I am reminded of David Holmgren’s suggestion that we all find our niches, as I continue to develop my own. I'll also be visiting Wilson, Ben, and Natasha on February 27th, so if you have any follow-up questions for any of them, please let me know. Contact Wilson and Ben: Wilson Alvarez: rebelgardentools@gmail.com Ben Weiss: susq.permaculture@yahoo.com Resources: Susquehanna Permaculture Facebook Page Aboriginal Men of High Degree by A.P. Elkin Native Science by Gregory Cajete Rewilding (Conservation Biology) (Wiki) Rewilding (anarchism) (Wiki) Practical Rewilding by Sky (Article from The Anarchist Library) The Forest People (Archive.org. Free Download.) by Colin Turnbull (Wiki) The Rewilding Institute and Dave Foreman. A Note From Scott: I’ll be attending A Gathering of Farmers on March 8^th, 2014 being held by Certified Naturally Grown. This event is on the grounds of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  If you are in the area and would like to attend perhaps we can take a few moments to meet and catch up. Contact the Show: E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst (Episode 2014-011)

My guest for this episode is Adam Campbell, a permaculture teacher who lives at the Stillwater Sanctuary and teaches at the Peace and Permaculture Center. This is the second of several episodes that come from one long conversation I had with Adam.  As this picks up right where things left off, it’s best if you start with that first show and then join us again afterwards.  In this case we begin with him sharing a story about his friend Megan who started her a Personal Honesty Project, and what making a radical change in one’s life is like. We also talk about having confidence and trusting yourself to do transformative work, and move to more about thoughts on education and learning, inside and outside the traditional school system and hall of academia. I think this episode fits well with the past interviews from Natasha Alvarez, Stephen Harrod Buhner, and of course Ethan Hughes (Part 1) (Part 2). I have another 2 hours of raw audio from the day he and I spoke, so expect to release another 2 episodes with Adam in the future. Something I want to speak to is near the beginning of this conversation when Adam and I were talking about making new models that work for our selves and others, and about giving up things to find what we do and don’t need. One of my fellow martial arts students and I were working through some fencing material and he kept saying, “Make it smaller.  Make it smaller. Keep making it smaller until it doesn’t work, then make it a bit bigger.” That’s how I've come to think about these changes we make in our lives. Start with little changes and keep removing pieces and removing pieces, until you get to a place that doesn’t work, where something isn’t right, and then add a bit more back to it. Then you’ll know what your tolerances are for something and can find what really works for you. What you really need. What you are capable of. And have a place to take action from. But, you need to act. Resources: Peace and Permaculture Education with Adam Campbell (Part 1 of this series) Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken Non-Violent Communication by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg The Heroes Journey (Monomyth) as considered by Joseph Campbell (Wiki Links) The Four Agreements and Don Miguel Ruiz Think Little (Links to a PDF) by Wendell Berry A Note From Scott: I’ll be attending A Gathering of Farmers on March 8^th, 2014 being held by Certified Naturally Grown. This event is on the grounds of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  If you are in the area and would like to attend perhaps we can take a few moments to meet and catch up. Contact the show: E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst (Episode 2014-010)