These were not small efforts, however, as they reached thousands of people in each city, and generated thousands and thousands of hours of volunteer outreach. As you’ll hear I was rather impressed by the results. One other thing you’ll hear is the quality of our internet connection, as I reached Jasmine while she was in Guatemala and over some less than perfect wifi, requiring multiple calls and the use of several different internet cafes. Still, things turned out pretty good and this is well worth the listen. You can find out more about her, the organization, and the tour at permacultureaction.org. The campaign for the forthcoming film is at Permaculture Action Tour Film (IndieGoGo). As this episode goes out there are 16 days left for that fundraiser and they are over halfway to the goal. Go lend a hand if you are able. Walking away from this conversation I’m reminded of a common question I receive, “How can we make permaculture more mainstream?” If that is the direction you want to go then what Jasmine and the rest of the folks involved in the Permaculture Action Tour are doing is a way to accomplish that. Use music, art, and entertainment to cast a large wide net and draw people in and then engage them with what it is that we do. Share why it matters and how it can make a difference to attendees. Let them know about what is already happening in their backyard that they might not know about. Invite them in to our world. As you create that invitation, consider the importance of training and how that can help make what you are doing, wherever that may fit into the community, more effective. The success of this tour speaks volumes for the the individual roles, experience, and education of the team members. If you want to do community organizing, take a workshop. Look for a class in marketing. Spend some time on YouTube watching videos on the subject at hand. Find ways to improve your mind so that you can in turn change the world. You can do it. I believe in you, so go, get out there. If you need a hand along the way, get in touch. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Or Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast Before bringing this episode to a close, I would like to thank Jay, John, Jill, Brad, Phillip, and Ewelina for supporting the podcast via Patreon. Your assistance really helps. If you would like to know more about that program, and what you get for signing up to lend me a hand, go to Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast and check out the reward levels. Until the next time, take care of earth, your self, and each other. Resources       A Permaculture Action Tour A Permaculture Action Tour (Facebook) A Permaculture Action Tour Film (IndieGoGo Campaign) The Polish Ambassador

In this interview, we talk about his background and how he came to timber framing, how this type of building differs from a modern stick-built home, how to get started in timber framing, a review of the basic tools needed to begin, and the role that engineers and architects play in the design and approval of these builds. We wrap up with some resources for you to learn more and his final thoughts on the aesthetics and craft that go with the skills in building this way.

I became aware of his work when a listener, Emma, reached out to me to offer to host a roundtable discussion at her farm, The Riverside Project, outside of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, later this year. As we traded messages she said it would be best if we waited until after her timber framing workshop, which got me interested in talking to Patrick who is working with her on that project. If you would like to take the timber framing workshop and learn about this craft from Patrick and other timber framers you will find more information at this link: https://www.theriversideproject.com/timber-frame-workshop Your assistance as a listener helps me to go record live events like the round table at Emma’s farm in September, 2015, and to take Photographer John along with me to document things like the timber framed pavilion. If you are in a place to make a one-time or ongoing contribution you can find out how at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support. If there is any way I can be of service to you, please get in touch.

Resources
Timber Framers Guild
A Timber Framer's Workshop by Steve Chappell

On less than one acre farmed organically the farm supported herself and two interns financially, while keeping three restaurants stocked with vegetables, provided fifteen CSA shares, and also fed herself, those interns, and her extended family. She even had enough left over to give to local food pantries. She accomplishes all of this while married with two children, and without the use of insecticides, herbicides, or any tilling. I learned all of this in our time together recording the interview and while we ate lunch and spent several hours walking around her farm. That time together was incredibly inspirational to me and gave me a better understanding of what we can accomplish with the right systems and support. My time with Holly really stuck with me, even now several months later, because this was the first time I saw a farm that was integrated and operating in a way that I would want to run a farm when consider creating my own permaculture demonstration site. Her farm showed the possibilities I read about in books like Peter Bane’s The Permaculture Handbook, while remaining true to her own ideals. Holly invited me into the home she shares with her husband and two children, a modest place compared to most of the houses I’ve seen in America, more reminiscent of the ideas you’ll find in the books by Lloyd Kahn, though not quite that small. In the time after the interview she and I shared lunch together, a curry consisting of on-farm vegetables with yogurt she made from local raw milk and a salad containing something like 12 different kinds of lettuces. We then walked around and she showed me her successes and failures, including two different gothic arch greenhouse frames, one of which was strong and supportive that Holly demonstrated by doing a pull-up on, and another that wavered in the wind a bit. If anything, visiting Holly gave me hope that we can build productive permaculture farms that feed people. That we can use little urban, suburban, and rural spaces to grow the food necessary, in an ecologically responsible manner, that can make a real difference. From that she, and the conversation with Rick Williams, inspired me to do even more, in this space and in the soil. We can create a bountiful world for our selves and all life on earth. Trips like this to visit Holly at Island Creek Farm, and the Virginia tour as a whole that allowed me to speak with Trish Wright, Rick Williams, and Lee and Dave O’Neill, are all possible because of listener support. Your gifts to the show allow me to keep this podcast going and to meet with people and bring back all the information and photographs that go with it. Please consider making a one-time or ongoing contribution by going to: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support. As long as I am able I will be here to assist you on your permaculture path so please reach out to me if there is anything I can do for you. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Or Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast The next episode, out on Wednesday, February 18th, is a conversation with the timber framer Patrick Shunney about how to get started in timber framing, and his appreciation for the skill and artistry of the craft. Until the next time, take care of Earth, your self, and each other.

Rick was my first stop once I got into Roanoke as part of my road trip in October of 2014. We sat down at his farm in one of the city neighborhoods to discuss his vision of how that space, and others like it, can act as hubs for community development and enrichment. I’d like to thank Michael Grantz for helping me to organize this interview, as well as all the other farm visits while in Virginia. I’d also like to thank all the listeners who support the podcast, allowing me to go and visit Rick and the others on this trip. Without your generous gifts, none of this would be possible. You can make a one-time or recurring monthly donation by going to: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support.

What I enjoyed in meeting Rick is that he is actively pursuing this work. He’s in the neighborhood he wants to be in and building his farm from the ground up even though he has questions about how things are going to operate and creating the plan as he goes. His approach might not be the one you’ll hear about in a business development course, but he’s embodying what he wants to see happen and learning along the way. As we said, succeed or fail, he is trying something different and exploring the possibilities. I don’t know where he’ll be in a few years, but I do plan to check up on him with another trip to Lick Run in the future and find out what lessons he’s partaken in while creating this dream. Another part of this was when he talked about how there are things he doesn’t want to do in order to keep doing what he’s doing. I can deeply relate to that feeling as I know what it’s like to spend a lot of time focusing on what feels like the wrong things and not getting what you want done. One of the questions I often get asked is how I can produce the podcast, email and call people back and spend hours answering questions or just talking, while still being a present father and going back to school. Focusing on the things that I like to do is a big part of that. As I do, it doesn’t feel like work. It can be difficult, and I’m always busy, but it's enjoyable to pursue. Just as Rick wants to work on building the farm as a community hub, I focus on creating the podcast to add more voices to the discussion, and on helping you, the listener. I found my calling. I love it, and whatever I have to do to keep on keeping on, I am going to. Along the way I’ll be here to assist you, so please reach out to me if there is anything I can do for you.

Until the next time, take care of Earth, your self, and each other.

During this interview we discuss the role of research, citizen scientists, and traditional ecological knowledge in order to build biome specific agricultural systems. Throughout we use the models presented by the Savanna Institute as the basis for the conversation. You can find out more about Keefe and the Institute at savannainstitute.org. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter (@Savannainst). Keefe wanted me to let you know that the Savanna Institute is accepting applications to work with farmers who are interested in getting involved. You’ll find more information about that on the Case Study Program page. If you enjoyed this episode, two others I recommend are my interview with Stephen Harrod Buhner, or Elizabeth Farnsworth. Both of those conversations touch on the ideas of citizen science and what we can do as lay researchers. From this conversation I liked Keefe’s focus on mixing the rigorous quantitative methods of science and research with the qualitative experience of farmers. We can all come together to do this work.and gain knowledge. Find out what is best, what is worse, and what does or does not work in a given area. Are hardy kiwi or grapes right for everyone, everywhere? No, but sharing information can help us find just the right niche for our crops. Similarly Keefe’s reference that farming was not his primary endeavor is another standout point. I’m glad to see the understanding spreading that we all have our own endeavors and strength and that we can, and should, spend our time focusing on those. Do what you are good at. Do what you love. Along the way I’ll be here to assist you, so please reach out to me if there is anything I can do for you. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast Before we draw these notes to a close I would like to let you know about an upcoming class. Since this episode deals with the restoration of the savanna, if you would like to learn more about restoration agriculture from the author of the book by the same name, Mark Shepard, he is working in cooperation with Ecology Artisans in San Diego, California, from March 10-14, 2015. Josh Robinson, a past guest of the show, brought this course to my attention. He is offering a $50 discount to any listener who registers and uses the code “permaculturepodcast50”. Restoration Agriculture Workshop Finally, this show depends on listener support to stay on the air. I’ve embraced gift economics as the way to support the podcast, myself, and my other online permaculture work. If you are in place to help, I really appreciate it. Know that you are keeping this podcast on the air and keeping it free for everyone else who is unable to lend to hand. Together we are spreading permaculture world wide, including 125,000 unique visitors to the website last year and over 800,000 downloads. Together I want to at least double those numbers in 2015. Find out how to make a one time or ongoing gift at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support Until the next time, take care of earth, yourself, and each other. Resources Restoration Agriculture The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka Tree Crops by J. Russell Smith (Public Domain PDF)

In this interview we discuss her book and the thirteen plants for human survival and her criteria for selecting these specific plants. We also talk about food and the inclusion of wild plants for human health and nutrition, and plants as medicine. Katrina also shares with us how she uses community celebration and festivals as a way to promote positive change, rather than having to fight directly about an issue. She also answers listener questions on which plant has the most potential to feed the world, what is the fourteenth plant she would include on her list, and what to do with bindweed also known as wild morning glory. If you are interested in wild foods this is a great interview and book to start with. Katrina’s inclusion of recipes throughout the book make eating any of these thirteen plants easier. No digging through internet forums wondering how to prepare dandelion root, or what to pair with your chickweed. All of that is included here. Once you have begun exploring these foods then I recommend you listen to Sam Thayer and Arthur Haines (Part 1) (Part 2) to learn more about foraging and harvesting wild plants to include more in your diet. You can meet Katrina, in addition to the annual Dandelion Festival, at the Northeast Organic Farming Association Winter Conference on January 31st. Then she’ll be at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Farming for the Future conference. That event is from February 3 - 7, 2015. You can find out more about the book by reading the New York Times review. If you are interested in the 5 DVD set mentioned by Markus Rothkranz it is Free Food and Medicine. Read Katrina’s work and investigate the world around you to learn about the plants we call weeds. The ones that grow in disturbed soil but have potential to heal earth and our bodies. As we eat better and feel better and reconnect with a sense of place we can move from destruction to sustainable, to regenerative practices. A first step could be a forkful of wild, wonderful weeds. Wherever you are on your path I am here to assist you in whatever way I can. Get in touch. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast I would like to end by thanking everyone who helps to keep this podcast running, as I depend on your generous gifts to pay for web hosting, software, equipment, and to provide a small income from the work that goes into this show. You make all of this possible. If you are in a place to assist the show please do so by going to www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support and making a one-time or recurring donation.

In this episode Brad and I discuss the value of infiltrating water into the soil so that it becomes a resource that we invest during water-rich times and withdraw from that bank only when needed during dry times. As Brad’s work includes more than just drylands the conversation also includes ideas for storing water in rich areas. Along the way we also look at several listener questions including fog harvesting, using living systems to hand wet basements, and observing to find the right match for plants suitable to wet clay soils. What I really enjoyed about this conversation was Brad’s continued reference to creating and using living systems. This was something reinforced to me during my permaculture education by a teacher training instructor Rico Zook. Rico said that we have to design ourselves out of the system. Whether we are working our backyard or in international aid we are only there for a limited amount of time with a restricted pool of resources. The ideal is that our designs will be integrated to the point that they are resilient and functional when we are no longer available to directly oversee them. I also think of the importance, especially in designing for disasters, or systems that can survive if they are damaged by a storm, negligence, or ill-intent. The principles and ethics of permaculture provide an excellent foundation for that, and Brad’s work adds to the strategies available for harvesting water. If after listening to this episode you would like to hear another perspective on water harvesting I recommend checking out my earlier interview with Craig Sponholtz of Watershed Artisans. That conversation compliments what Brad said here and reminds me that life is the way to slow down the forces of entropy and recycle resources in the landscape and in our lives. Other resources of interest: Brad's blog post on Fog Harvesting David Eisenberg and the Development Center for Appropriate Technology Zephaniah Phiri Maseko's biography at National Geographic I know I’ve referred to it before, but when thinking about water I come back to the saying from the disaster preparedness community. We can survive three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Water is vital to our health, well-being, and ability to grow food. If we are to build a regenerative civilization using life-sustaining systems we need to ensure the availability of clean water wherever we wish to live. We need to harvest water. We need to save water when we have a surplus so we can use it when there is a deficit. That is the way that we can borrow from ourselves rather than go into debt to future generations. Wherever you are on your permaculture journey, I am here to help you. Get in touch. Email: show@thpermaculturepodcast.com Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast. You can also find me on Facebook at: facebook.com/thepermaculturepodcast and on Twitter where I am @permaculturecst Until the next time, create a better world each day by taking care of Earth, your self, and each other.

Some of his books include A Language Older Than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, and the two-volume set that introduced me to his work, Endgame.

As with the Dave Jacke interview, this is an intense and open conversation. We talk about the natural world, our role as human beings within it, and the violence that occurs when we become disconnected from that sense of place. We end with how we all have a role in making a difference and caring for Earth; this place that is our home.

If you are familiar with Derrick’s writing this interview takes much the same progression moving in a non-linear fashion that draws together a number of ideas to make a point. The language he uses is often blunt and direct. There is no mincing of words and the conversation can get uncomfortable at times with the frank questions about cultural and societal violence. This is one of the few shows that may not be for everyone, but is worth listening to if you are open to the topics at hand.

The intensity of what we covered leaves me in a place where I am still examining what he shared in the context of permaculture and creating a better world. This conversation leaves me questioning my role in continuing to participate in the framework of the culture in which I exist. What can I do to lessen my own harm? We all have a role in doing something positive for life here on Earth. What that is varies so widely that we share the path, but are on our own journeys. With that, I leave you to consider your own place and what you can do to make a difference. 

Today he joins us to discuss Ecological Culture Design. Dave is a returning guest to the show. You can hear about his background and how he came to do this work in his initial interview. If this is your first time listening to Dave I recommend you start there to get a feel for the level of candor you’ll hear in this episode. This is an open and honest conversation about the four components of Ecological Culture Design:

• Technology
• Resources
• Social and Economic Structures
• Cosmology

We discuss how we must include these elements in our designs for permaculture systems. These areas matter because these are the pieces we must work with in order to bring the so-called “Invisible Structures” of permaculture to the forefront. Dave and I end the conversation with a constructive critique on what it means to organize, practice, and teach permaculture. In preparing this episode Dave and I both listened to the audio before it went out on the air and he asked that I correct his statement about Tantric philosophy. In the interview he said, “the perceiver, the perceived and the object of perception are one.” What he meant was “the perceiver, the perceived and the process of perception are one ,” a subtle but big difference.

I like interviewing farmers, particularly those engaged in ecological design and permaculture, because there are numerous ways to get started. Lee and Dave began by WWOOFing for numerous years, including on after they got married. My friend Erin Harvey worked at coops and then rented land. Wayne Herring started by borrowing space from family before purchasing. For anyone who wants to farm and do it in a way that benefits the earth, there are many different ways to get started. If you’d like to find out more about how the Radical Roots and those beginnings you’ll find the farm, and Lee and Dave, featured in Peter Bane’s The Permaculture Handbook.

Resources
Radical Roots Farm
Radical Roots Apprenticeship
The Permaculture Handbook by Peter Bane
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)