Eric Puro's keynote address from Radical Gathering. In this video he introduces the idea of Vernacular Architecture and shared the history and mission of ThePoosh.org.

Like this post? Become a Patron.

Pat Bowcock explains how she left her 9-5 lifestyle to live in tune with the land, creating her own five acre permaculture smallholding, that is her home, her work and her life.

Produced by Permaculture People in cooperation with Permaculture Magazine. I've been in touch with Lauren and Phil of Permaculture People for several years and really enjoy their work.

I'll continue to post these videos as the series develops. You can also find the full archives on the Living with the Land webpage.

We take a broad view approach to this idea and move from the underpinnings of her perspective, stemming from heavy research that is well documented in the book, to the idea of restoration and how many modern techniques depend heavily on the chemical weapons of our war on plants: herbicides. Wrapping up Tao answers a series of listener questions. If you have questions after listening to this interview, get in touch with me. I’d like to have Tao back on the show in the near future so we can follow up on many of the ideas presented here. Email or call in with what you would like to know more about. The Permaculture Podcast or Finally, before we begin, this show is listener supported. Make a one time contribution using the donate link on the right hand side of the main page or become a recurring monthly patron at Patreon.

You can find Tao's book, Beyond the War on Invasive Species at ChelseaGreen.com. If you use this link to purchase this book, a portion of the coverprice goes towards supporting this show. Something that I like very much about her book is how well researched it is, with copious endnotes. Whether or not you agree with Tao’s perspective on invasive species, there is no question where her ideas and evidence arose from. As someone who wants to see more scientific literacy and research in permaculture literature, I see this book as an entry into a new model for how to proceed with writing material for the community as well as a broader audience, filling a niche between a pop-science book and a peer reviewed journal entry. From there, what stood out for me in this conversation with Tao was her long-term, conscious approach to our interactions and decision making processes that extends our perspective forward, and backward, in time and space to consider not only what got us to this moment, but also where things can go into the future. The smooth cordgrass and being able to imagine that kind of ecological change based on the environment being constantly in state of transition. With that is the broadscale view of how to impact the problems that arise by digging down into the issue and creating larger, elegant solution. We are drawn out to ask bigger questions. Far too often, from my own personal experiences, it is easy to drill into the details without doing a larger analysis. We make decisions on the micro scale, rather than pulling out our macro-scope. A zone analysis is done of a single divisible space, be that land or waterway, and track the influences on it, but don’t step back and do that same analysis for the watershed or biome where that space is located. As we look to interface with larger problems and bring systems thinking to bear upon it, then we must step back and look at the systems that are at play, which brings us back to not looking at just the landscape, but also the social and economic structures. In doing so we can make choices that use the principles of permaculture to satisfy the ethics in a way that can have incredibly far reaching and lasting change. If there is anyway I can assist you in the problems and issues you face, get in touch. Email: The Permaculture Podcast From here, when this episode goes live I will be on my way to Kentucky for Radicle Gathering. If you are in the area and want to swing by the event starts Thursday August 20 and runs through Sunday August 23, 2015. Tickets for the event are very reasonable, and there is camping allowed on-site so you can stay the whole weekend and learn about earth skills and permaculture, plus get to listen to great music each night. Find out more at RadicleGathering.com Until the next time, take care of Earth, yourself, and each other.

A pioneer in plant-based agriculture, Iain Tolhurst has been a practising organic vegetable producer since 1976.

Specialising in a "systems approach” to farming, Tolhurst, has developed a stockfree approach to farming — the use of green manures, crop rotations & sustainable practices without recourse to inputs such as animal manures or animal by-products.

Together with business partner Lin, Iain Tolhurst started Tolhurst Organic more than 25 years ago producing seasonal organically grown food on 18 acres of land in Oxfordshire.

Stockfree farming is one of the many ways of Living With The Land.

Produced by Permaculture People in cooperation with Permaculture Magazine. I've been in touch with Lauren and Phil of Permaculture People for several years and really enjoy their work.

I'll continue to post these videos as the series develops. You can also find the full archives on the Living with the Land webpage.

he United States continues to wrestle with issues of policing and impartiality under the law. The increase in recording of police interactions with citizens has drawn attention to issues that were spoken about for many years, but rarely witnessed: the overuse of force, and falsification of reports that support the word of the officer. This has lead for a call to use technology, such as body cameras, to create greater accountability for officers. Examining incarceration and conviction rates show that blacks, latinos, and native americans punished disproportionately, compared to whites. Being poor can also increase the difficulty of having a positive outcome under the law when faced with fines, bail, or court costs. To frame that another way, as a white middle-class male I have substantially less concern during my interactions with police, whatever the case may be. As someone with a modest income and an existing support structure of friends and family who have financial means, I’m more likely to make bail should I ever be arrested for some reason, and not get stuck in jail, unconvicted, while awaiting charges or a trial. I don’t see the world as fair, or that everyone is created equally, but I do believe in equal treatment under the law. With so many systemic issues that currently exist in society it raises the question if technological solutions and incarceration are best ways to handle justice in America, or elsewhere. After speaking with Melanie I am convinced that restorative justice holds the keys to unlocking a more just, fair, and peaceful society. As permaculture practitioners we can use this idea into our daily lives, and introduce the concept as we work on social and economic permaculture. Doing so raises awareness and makes the practice of restorative justice more well known. As we stop the war on invasive species, let’s also stop the war on our fellow human beings.

Original Release Show Notes: My guest for this episode is Melanie G. Snyder, author of Grace Goes to Prison who works on issues of restorative justice and prisoner re-entry. You can find out more information about her and her work at www.melaniegsnyder.com. One of the core ideas of her work is “prison as a last resort” and that forms the theme for this interview, and how restorative justice, and rehabilitation and treatment programs impact in a positive way the people and communities who use these options. I see this conversation as an important way for permaculture practitioners to apply what we know, especially among those with sociology, psychology, law, or criminal justice backgrounds, to engage the system that exists and create a better world that values all the people who are a part of it. This very candid conversation touches on a number of stories of people from my life impacted by the criminal justice system. Melanie’s work and this conversation matter to me, and from speaking with many other people it matters to them, too, because of their loved ones who could have been saved if other options existed. Listen if you know anyone who has ever had a negative interaction with the law and consider how implementing restorative justice and re-entry programs in your community help create a better world. Work like Melanie’s is important for breaking us out of the mold of current thinking and shows that other systems are possible. We don’t live in an unchangeable machine, we’re not cogs or sprockets. We are part of a dynamic living system and we can change it to be more kind, more peaceful, and more beneficial to all.

The Four Questions of Restorative Justive

1. Who has been harmed by a crime?
2. What are their needs?
3. Who should be accountable for addressing the needs and harms that were caused by the crime?
4. What can be done to address the harm?

Resources
Melanie G. Snyder
The Center for Community
Peacemaking
Lancaster County RMO
Restorative Justice Online
National Association of Community and Restorative Justice
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Melanie's TedX Talk: Breaking Out of Prison Thinking

How can I help you create a better world? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Back in October, my friend showed me The Permaculture Podcast for the first time while we were camping, developing business models and visioning the future of each other’s work in the startup world of San Francisco. It was an appropriate time to listen to the episode where Ethan Roland of Appleseed Permaculture spoke about the Eight Forms of Capital in Regenerative Enterprise. Having listened to nearly every episode from the last 5 years in a matter of weeks, I’ve been deeply moved and inspired by this daily dose of educational therapy that has pushed me to make meaningful changes at a crossroads in my life. This is one of the most transformative collections of media I’ve come across to date. I’ve included links to the shows on the website, but you can download the mobile app as well. If you feel so inspired, support the growth of the show with a one time or monthly donation on Scott’s crowdfunding platform or leave a review on the itunes app store. 1. Ethan Hughes and Necessary Simplicity & Practical Possibilities with Ethan Hughes – Ethan Hughes is a permaculture practitioner and radical minimalist that founded the Possibility Alliance, an 80-acre petrol and electricity-free homestead that gifts over 1,500 permaculture design courses each year. After traveling the world and watching the innumerable tragedies that fossil fuels and Western civilization have imposed on the earth, indigenous populations, and the minds of the masses, Ethan decided to give up his car for a bike, eat dinner by candlelight, liquidate his financial capital, and begin educating people about changing harmful lifestyles. I cannot explain how game-changing it was to hear Ethan tell his story: 20 years of slowing down to the simple life where chocolate doesn’t belong, where in the last ten years his car has only been used twelve times for emergencies, and where the inner landscape work to make these external changes is of utmost importance and is the only practical path. Here is another article with Ethan over at Mother Earth News. 

Reprinted from Gather and Grow, read their experience when visiting Ethan’s land and home of the Possibility Alliance

2. Edible Forest Gardens and permaculture with Dave Jacke – Dave Jacke is a permaculture practitioner and co-author of Edible Forest Gardens that tells it like it is. Like Ethan Hughes, Dave asserts the importance of inner landscape work if any external actions are to have lasting results. His work with perennial food forestry is comprehensive, and the content of this conversation has given me a more clear understanding of how to move forward in my path, both internally and in the outer landscape, specifically with regards to food forestry.

3. Right Livelihood with Ben Weiss, Dave Jacke, and Charles Eisenstein– This recent episode features permaculture practitioners Ben Weiss and Dave Jacke, and author of bestseller Sacred Economics, Charles Eisenstein. The conversation traverses the ways in which we can integrate the lessons of the old story, and begin to make positive changes toward the new world we wish to inhabit. A true necessity for the contemporary changemaker. Linked in the show notes is the second half of the conversation without Charles (who had to leave the discussion early). 

Reprinted with permission from The Permaculture Podcast. Ben Weiss, Dave Jacke, and Charles Eisenstein panel discussion (left to right).

4. Restoration Agriculture with Mark Shepard (Parts 1-3)– Mark Shepard is a practical go out and get it farmer. He’s not interested in obscure uses of the word permaculture or anything short of prolific results. This three part discussion explains Mark’s story and experience with the Organic Valley Co-operative farmers group, in which biofuel tractor design, perennial food forest design, and efficient chestnut growing are all shared practices to build a resilient network of farmers who live in the same proximity. After listening to the first episode, I was thrilled to see there were two more to listen to. This is a great episode for practical solutions to profitable farming, truly restorative land management practices, and integrative food forestry design.

5. Whole Systems Design and the Resilient Farm with Ben Falk– Ben Falk is a permaculturist who, like Ethan Hughes, wouldn’t flinch if the system as we know it broke down overnight. The homestead he designed for himself is completely self-reliant, other than a generator he uses as a backup heating source for showers until solar panels can be bought (by now, I’m sure he has them, since this episode is over two years old). But unlike Ethan, Ben makes a living from his rugged resilience through a design firm called Whole Systems Design, LLC. When I first came across Ben’s website a year or so ago on accident, I thought to myself “this is what I want to do” as I watched a video of him using a scythe to cut a cover crop and his design team talking about the completely self-reliant and closed loop homestead systems they design, build and inhabit.

Here is the video:

Whole Systems Design, LLC Firm Overview from Ben Falk on Vimeo.

Whole Systems Design, LLC Firm Overview from Ben Falk on Vimeo. A visual overview of some of the work Whole Systems Design performs in Vermont, New England and
abroad. Enjoy and check us out at www.wholesystemsdesign.com for more information.

6. Eight Forms of Capital and Regenerative Enterprise with Ethan Roland– If you haven’t read Regenerative Enterprise by Gaia University Graduates Ethan Roland and Gregory Landua, I encourage you to do so after this episode. This show outlines the conceptual viewpoint of the eight forms of capital, of which financial is only one. I’ll let Ethan explain how this simple formula for viewing the world makes all of your work, whether it is volunteer work at a food bank, growing your own food, traveling, or reading books, as contributing to your wealth as a human being.

7. Responsible Business, Responsible Entrepreneur with Carol Sanford– Fast on the heels of the Eight Forms of Capital episode, Carol Sanford takes the concepts of Regenerative Entrepreneurship to new heights with responsible entrepreneurship being her twist on the subject. She speaks about ethics-driven corporations and right relations business practices that make for truly regenerative business ventures.

8. Natural Building and ThePOOSH.org with Eric Puro– It was a pleasant surprise to hear my friend and new world colleague speak about how natural building changed his life and how, by searching craigslist for free land and buying a couple books, he and his friends built their first earth ship from all natural and up-cycled materials. Eric speaks about an ecovillage tour of Europe, starting a web platform, natural building with no power tools, and meeting people where they’re at in any type of work that cares for the earth, community, and oneself. Visit ThePOOSH.org to start or join a natural building project today.

 
The Poosh.org ‘s first naturally constructed home in Oregon on land they found through craigslist.

9. Economic and Financial Collapse with Nicole Foss– This talk with Nicole Foss, founder of Automatic Earth, on building community resiliency at a time where growth is coming to its limits, has inspired me to take my commitments of local action further. In a society where infinite growth is assumed possible, and even necessary, this exhaustively researched and academically referenced talk about Economic Collapse asks the listener to think about how they would live if energy and fossil fuels ran out today. Would you live? What necessities of life would you have secured from within your home or bioregion. Which neighbors do you know enough to collaborate with to stay healthy? Would you have any food or water if exports stopped immediately? I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic lately, and relocalization of my physical needs to survive has become a relatively high priority. By making deep relationships with local farms, finding a local spring, and planting fruit trees today, we can buffer the effects of economic collapse by building a thriving community where we live.

10. Urban Permaculture in Baltimore, Maryland – The final episode I’ve chosen goes deep. It begins with the stories and backgrounds of Eric and Victoria, the founders of Charm City Farms. While Eric’s background story is brief, Victoria’s is as authentic and genuine as it is lengthy. She speaks about her path as a visual artist and student, growing up in Georgia and being completely enthralled with nature, and reading depth psychology authors such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell to help her make sense of her life. She also gives history on her herbalism and permaculture studies. Victoria gives the listener a relatable and cherishable story of her struggles, her darkness, her challenges, and tells the story of her life’s transformation through permaculture and urban community development. After listening to the work of Eric and Victoria just a couple days ago, I’ve been inspired to make changes in my place, as they have, and decided not move to the big progressive cities where movements are already so large and prominent (like Boulder, Brooklyn, Austin, Portland, etc). Eric and Victoria grew the first public urban food forest in Baltimore (and they are already starting to plan their second). They do primitive skills workshops in the middle of the city, and they do the inner work that is so essential to truly help people in underprivileged communities. This inner work is particularly essential in order that change agents may be in right relations, or as Victoria says, “do right by” the community they serve. It is easy to want to go to places where the large movements are already happening to do this work, but if everyone does this, the rest of our country will remain stuck in the old story, and underserved communities in the places people have left behind will stay this behind. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t travel, learn new skills, meet new people, and gain new perspectives, but when it comes to setting roots in the ground, consider a place that truly needs changemakers, as Eric and Victoria did with Baltimore.

Urban Food Forest in Baltimore, Maryland.

These are the conversations that give educational and experiential capital far beyond return for the financial capital of supporting the podcast if it is truly in your means. I supported the show recently, and I will say that for as much educational and experiential capital that Scott Mann is giving away each week it is clear that he truly is doing really great work for the world, for community, and within himself. You can also help spread the wisdom and education of permaculture by sharing this article or www.thepermaculturepodcast.com with your friends.

What are your 10 favorite episodes of the show? What inspiration or knowledge did you gain from them? I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Growing organic vegetables commercially for over 30 years, Charles Dowding has developed a no-dig method of cultivation for temperate climate gardening.

Charles introduces us to Homeacres, his 1/4 acre market garden. Now supplying year-round salad and fresh vegetables for local restaurants, Charles took just one winter to transform it from weedy pasture using mulch and no-dig gardening.

Learn as Charles explains the ideas behind no-dig growing, (replicating nature through mulching and minimal soil disturbance), from his various experimental raised beds, as well as the importance of soil.

Produced by Permaculture People in cooperation with Permaculture Magazine. I've been in touch with Lauren and Phil of Permaculture People for several years and really enjoy all their work. Check them out in order to see and hear more voices of people practicing permaculture around the world.

I'll continue to post these videos as the series develops. You can also find the full archives on the Living with the Land webpage.

My guest for this episode is Toby Hemenway, author of the longstanding favorite book on ecological design Gaia’s Garden. His next blockbuster The Permaculture City, was recently released by Chelsea Green. This latest volume, focusing on urban landscapes, forms the basis for the conversation today. We work our way through the book and along the way discuss permaculture as a decision making system, and the importance of what permaculture practitioners have, for so long, called the invisible structures: our social and economic systems. For patreon supporters, stick around after the end of the interview, as there is a piece I cut from the piece for broadcast that I included at the end for you to hear. Before we begin, I’d like to thank everyone who had help to make this show a reality. If not for every one of the listener supporters I wouldn’t be able to keep going, as all of this work is made possible by you. If you’ve thought about giving, do so now. If you would like to be part of the members who are part of the monthly program, become a Patreon supporter and receive a number of benefits, including early access to shows and subscriber only podcasts. You can find out more about Toby's work at patternliteracy.com. His latest book, The Permaculture City, is currently available through Chelsea Green. If you choose to order use the link above and help support the podcast at the same time. Before we get to my thoughts, a class announcement. October 2 - 11, 2015 Dave Jacke is teaching a 9 day intensive Forest Garden Design Course at Feathered Pipe Ranch, near Helena Montana. This is the first time in three years this course has been offered in the United States. The all inclusive class allows students to learn how to mimic forest ecosystems that include a number of valuable characteristics including stability and resilience in a changing world. As the recent interviews with Dave this have expressed, you can also expect this course to explore the human side of design including the social and economic elements, as discussed with Toby as part of today’s interview. Participants will the opportunity to design multiple forest gardens, including one for the course site, as well as another for the 6th Ward Forest Garden Park, as discussed with Caroline and Jesse during the conversation with them on Social System Design. Find out more at: https://www.insideedgedesign.com/upcoming-events.html Now then, my thoughts at the moment. To me this book and the interview you just heard are vital to changing the conversation about permaculture away from just the landscape and growing food, as these are problems that are technically solved. We know how to raise up plants from seed, cutting, or graft. We understand the techniques to use in a wide variety of situations in any climate, even if that means making modifications to the land through ponds or swales, or creating physical structures such as greenhouses or stone walls as thermal mass. Conventional and organic agriculture have a lot of information for us to pull from, as do the rapidly growing fields of agro-forestry and agro-ecology. Where things go sideways is in reaching a larger audience with these ideas, not just in mainstream culture, but also in the permaculture community at large. The landscape is the focus and gets many of us stuck there. Myself and, as you heard, Toby as well. In the beginning this is the place it all starts. Plants. Animals. Food. Fuel. Fiber. Medicine. They form our materials and techniques and yields. These are all easy to see and engage in. But now, 40 years since the beginning we need to go back and dig through Mollison’s big black book of permaculture and remember Chapter 14: Strategies for an Alternative Nation. We need to learn how to build and work in community with one another. Now that the thorny pioneers have blazed a trail into the depths of the jungles, plains, and cities, and there set down roots, we have flourished in the shade of their experience and the work that came before us long enough. Now the specialists can come in. The growers, the builders, the organizers, and the communicators, to fill in the gaps and expand to reach all aspects of human life. We have the potential for permanent human agriculture, now let’s work on building that permanent human culture, and retain the aspects of civilization that matter to us. Thankfully we can do so using the same system of design as those who came before us, and show others how to create a different world. We can tell the stories of how what will come can be different from what has been and what is. Together, though climate change and other obstacles may seem insurmountable, we can bring prosperity and abundance to all life on earth. We can get the next story right and, with it, get the future right. I am hopeful for what will happen next, as is a recurring theme in my work as of late on engaging what was once seen as invisible. It was quite an experience to hear what Toby had to say on this subject, given his many years of experience and the place of respect he holds in the community. The Permaculture City is a fundamental resource that I recommend everyone who is listening read. If this interview is your first exposure to permaculture and you liked Toby’s perspective get a copy of Gaia’s Garden, read it, and then read The Permaculture City. If you’re someone who finds their thoughts continually revolving around the land, read The Permaculture City and see the broader scope of decision making that permaculture can help us engage in. For those of you already working on issues of social and economic systems, especially in the urban environment, pick up a copy and know that you are not alone in your work and there are many people stepping out from what was to create a new now. Along the way, wherever you go, I am here to lend you a hand. To walk beside you until such time as our paths part. If I can be of service to you in any way, get in touch. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Call: Skype: permaculturepodcast You can also send me a letter, as I do so love receiving mail in the post. The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast As we draw this to a close, on Wednesday, August 19, 2015, I’m going to be attending a potluck in Berea, Kentucky for an evening discussion about permaculture, being organized by Michael Beck of The POOSH. Though short notice, once I have a flier for that event I’ll pass it around if you are in the area and able to attend. That event kicks off my time in Kentucky, as I’ll be at Radicle Gathering, in Bowling Green, August 20 - 23, 2015. Come out and join me, and members of The POOSH, for a weekend of workshops, entertainment, and community building. Tickets are currently on-sale and the entire weekend is only $25 for adults, those 16 and under get in for free. My deepest thanks to Meg Harris for being part of the team organizing this event and inviting myself, Eric Puro, and all the other presenters and musicians for this weekend. It’s going to be a blast. Find out more at RadicleGathering.com. With that, so comes the end of the episode. There is a short episode planned for Monday, August 10. Until then spend each day creating a better world, the world you want to live in, by taking care of earth, your self, and each other.

Permaculture design can be applied to all aspects of our lives. Whether it is communities, farms, gardens or urban areas.

With over 50% of the population living in urban areas, the London Permablitz team is working hard to spread permaculture across the city, transforming community spaces and individual gardens into wildlife-friendly, edible havens. Learn how they implement designs and create productive and beautiful urban environments.

Produced by Permaculture People in cooperation with Permaculture Magazine. I've been in touch with Lauren and Phil of Permaculture People for several years and really enjoy their work.

I'll continue to post these videos as the series develops. You can also find the full archives on the Living with the Land webpage.

During the discussion Adam and I get straight to the point and talk about the contents of the issue he is editing, the process of contacting authors to collect articles, the importance of magazines as current sources of information, and how this assignment as an editor is accessible for anyone with an interest in writing, permaculture, or both. You can find out more about his work at thegrowhaus.org. If you would like to contact John Wages and propose a subject for an issue you would like to edit, email editor@permaculturedesignmagazine.com. After Adam and I wrapped up the episode, he wanted me to share an article with you that is currently available, and he is republishing in the issue on Decolonizing Permaculture. That piece is Towards a Racially Inclusive Permaculture Community. One of the things that initially attracted me to permaculture was the broad range of voices from so many different people around the world who, as we’ve heard time and time again when I ask for it, come from backgrounds that do not readily seem like they should intersect. Perhaps the only tenet that ties us all together is a spark that rose up and caused us to care enough for the world we live in to seek a different way, and in our search we found permaculture. It could have been anything else, but this was it. With permaculture we found a home and a community. Wherever you come from, whatever you’ve known, whatever you do, you can practice permaculture. In that process, and through the path that you are on, you’ve learned something that matters and can make a difference in someone else’s life, and that of the community and the world, by sharing it. You can write articles for Permaculture Design Magazine. If you are comfortable with the idea, you can guest edit an issue. All you need to do is take that first step: contact John Wages and let him know your interest. Along the way, if you have something you’d like to share with me or via the podcast, get in touch. Email: The Permaculture Podcast . If you leave a message with a question or comment, I can include it in an upcoming episode of the podcast. Or, if you’d like to you can even send me a letter or postcard in the mail. The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast Two final notes as I draw this to a close. First, the show depends on listener support, particularly ongoing monthly contributions that allow the space and time to go do live recordings like the recent trip to talk with Eric and Victoria of Charm City Farms, or the round-table discussion with Charles Eisenstein, Dave Jacke, and Ben Weiss. Sign up at Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast for $5 a month and enjoy unique benefits including patron only episodes, and discounts to permaculture oriented businesses, including 25% off at Chelsea Green publishing, and 10% at Field and Forest Products, my favorite retailer for all things mushroom spawn. Second, It’s nearly August and that means my journey to Radicle Gathering in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is getting closer. I’ll be there for all four days of the event, August 20 - 23, with a discussion on Friday, workshop on Saturday, and the Saturday keynote address on building community. Eric Puro and ThePOOSH will be there as well, as Eric is the Friday night keynote. I look forward to seeing you there, and you can find out more at radiclegathering.com. Until the next time, take care of Earth, yourself, and each other.