He calls the sanctuary his home, along with Ethan Hughes and the rest of their community. In this episode we begin what is the first of several episodes that look at permaculture, philosophy, education, and what it means to learn and live an authentic life. Along the way we touch on many different models of thought and how we can accomplish these goals. As this is part of one, and is taken from a longer single recording, the ending may seem a bit abrupt. No worries though, we'll pick things up again in the next release from this conversation. Expect that in the beginning of February. In this conversation we talk about being open and honest and non-violent in the way we communicate, which reminds me of the talk with Dave Jacke in those ideas that vulnerability is strength. If we want to cut through the crap of our lives then we need to be real with ourselves and in our dealings with others. To compliment this interview, I'm setting up others with folks from the Non-violent communication movement, including Dominic Barter. In the meantime, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend checking out Nonviolent Communication by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. It's not a long or difficult read and you may find it transformational in your ability to communicate with others. Please let me know if I can help you in any way on your own journey. If you enjoyed this episode you may also enjoy: Ethan Hughes (Part 1) Ethan Hughes (Part 2) Dave Jacke Contact Adam: Adam Campbell 28408 Frontier Lane La Plata, MO (Missouri) 63549 Or call: 660-332-4094

This is the second interview with Mr. Lakeman. If you haven't heard it, please listen to his first interview before digging into this one. In this conversation we talk about permaculture and our city landscapes. Part of this is examples of how to rebuild our communities and bring people together, as well as understanding further the story we inhabit and how we can use permaculture to understand our own story and build regenerative cities. With the places Mark took the conversation I did my best to hang on and enjoy the ride. Sometimes I'd like to go through an interview and reflect on it point by point, and give a full breakdown of all my thoughts that come from a given conversation. But if I did that, I'd only release 8 shows a year and they'd be 8 hours long. I'd become more like Dan Carlin's Hardcore History rather than this weekly show with so many guests. Because of that I'm left with only so much to say at these end of show wrap-ups without becoming long winded. So in this case, and paired with the last interview with Mark, are three pieces that I scribbled down about wanting to cover further: Regeneration by addressing whole systems, becoming a facilitator for other people, and using permaculture to inhabit your own story. When it comes to regenerating the world around us by addressing whole systems I think back to the interview with Michael Pilarski, which had quite an impact on me. I almost think of his idea about “cleaning up our own little piece of the world” as a principle to approach how to get all the work done that rests before us. To that includes beyond the landscape and the wild, to be involved in our local community, building relationships with neighbors, and by engaging others. I've found that one of the easiest ways to start breaking down those interpersonal walls is by remembering that kindness costs me nothing and it can bring joy and delight in the world for others. I've been surprised what a difference this makes for my relationship with others and taking the time to make a space for someone to be open, honest, and vulnerable. If this isn't something you're comfortable with, and I realize that I am an extroverted person by the nature of what I do, then what are others ways that you can open doors and space for others, and show kindness in your own way? That idea of each of us having our broad niches, as David Holmgren implored in his interview, and to step away from the specialization that Mark spoke of in our conversation this time, is another place where we can reach out and aid is by becoming facilitators for other people. Each of us have skills and abilities we can share with others. I want to insure that each and everyone of you can find a path that works and gets you where you want to go. To do that requires to find your own story and inhabit it. I know we don't all have the same opportunities in our lives for different reasons, that some of us have been damaged by life, physically, mentally, emotionally, but we can work on ourselves and grow and be the people we want to. Take the time to use the principles of permaculture and look at yourself. If you need help, get it. If you can help others, provide it. Though it may be many years spent doing something we don't enjoy so we have a bit of time and money to pursue our real interests, we can get there. My own path took over a decade. Let's work together to make sure your journey doesn't take that long, or, if it does, that you are able to enjoy every moment of it. Other episode you may enjoy: Invisible Structures with Adam Brock Dave Jacke on Permaculture Exploring Permaculture with Larry Santoyo Resources: Mark Lakeman Communitecture The City Repair Project The Planet Repair Institute

Not the intro, or anything related to the technical side of recording and producing it, but the podcast with me at all. Many years ago I was introduced to his show, right after it started, and his work inspired me to devote my time to creating a permaculture podcast. Sure, if you listen to the early episodes things were a bit rough and rocky here, but they got better. More to the point, however, is that survival preparedness is about planning and designing for disasters, something I devoted a show to a while back, as well as bringing on guests like Nicole Foss to talk about the possibilities and how to prepare for them. Survival and disaster preparation is like a Zone, Sector, and Vector analysis that we then use to mitigate the Vectors represented by disasters. In this particular interview, Jack and I talk about his background, as well as how Jack reached the point of creating his podcast, and then coming to permaculture in his own way. From there we move through quite a bit like politics, including how the political system divides us and the things we have in common, preparing for disaster, and how we can use permaculture to build a better world by reaching out to the mainstream, meeting people where they are at, and showing that permaculture can work. The show closes with my reflection on several of the ideas that Jack brought up in our conversation: a "Do-ocracy", Voluntary Association, and Investing in the Now. My final thoughts run about 10 minutes so stick around after the interview to hear more. If you like this episode you may also enjoy these past shows: Economic and Financial Collapse with Nicole Foss Trees and Professional Permaculture with Damien McAnany Exploring Permaculture With Larry Santoyo Ethan Hughes (Part 1) Ross Crutchfield of Making a Homestead Permaculture and Disasters Resources: Jack Spirko The Survival Podcast The Survival Podcast Forum The Survival Podcast Facebook Page The Survival Podcast YouTube Page

My guest for this episode is Ethan Hughes. He is part of the team that lives at the Possibility Alliance and Stillwater Sanctuary in La Plata, Missouri. This is Ethan's second time sitting down to talk to me for the show, having joined me last year for our conversation I called “Radical Possibilities.” I recommend you listen to that episode first, even if you've already heard it, as an introduction to this one. Once you're done there, come back and catch up. This time around, at the suggestion of my permaculture colleague and listener Josh Evans, more on the practical side of things. Though, as you'll hear, how Ethan and his community practice their methods is as much about the internal work as the external, and insuring we meet ourselves where we are at to make good decisions that we're ready for, rather than jumping in too deep with both feet and no way to cushion the landing. Much of what Ethan and his community do rests in their embodiment of what they do, so you won't find a lot of resources in the show notes for this episode. What you will find, however, is their contact information. You can send Ethan in particular, or the Still Water Sanctuary, in general, a letter to: The Possibility Alliance 85 Edgecomb Road Belfast, ME 04915 207-338-5719 You can also visit them at that address, but make sure you send a letter or call ahead and arrange the visit before you go. Though they're open to visitors, please consider their community and personal space, as well as your own. I can easily say that my first interview with Ethan was one of the the top 3, if not the top, interview episode of the show. I think that this follow up will wind up ranking right up there with it. What I loved about this conversation, as well as the last one, was Ethan's candor and honesty with us about how their site is developing, their successes and failures, and that it is a gradual process. We have to move at our own pace and in our own time. Some will be quicker, some will be slower, but as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other we can get there. Something else which stood out, among the many quotable moments, was that idea that “speed is overrated.” I can completely understand that, especially after the life I've had this fall. Watching the weather change, the stream begin to have ice form in the stillness of the water flow behind rocks, the cardinals and blue jays beginning to rest upon the bird feeders, and things slow down, I'm thankful for a slower, if only slightly so, pace. It reminds me that I'd rather do one thing at a time, really well, than to do a bunch of things all at once that aren't my best. To provide a create a level of quality to what I do, rather than quantity. To do that, I think, requires us to slow down, but not to look at a task as so daunting that we live in fear of doing it or that it requires perfection. I struggled with that idea of needing perfection, as well as my own fear of success or being seen as a failure, for a long time. Once I started doing different things, to try my hand at living the life I wanted to, the failures weren't as big as I told myself. The setbacks, though often, weren't as horrible as they could have been. So now, everyday, I take a step, however small, closer to the authentic life I want to live, and tell my own story, rather than inhabit someone else's. It isn't easy, but we can walk this road together. Where are you going? What do you want to do? If you enjoy this interview, you may also like: Mark Lakeman Bill Wilson Damien McAnany Resources: Ethan Hughes First Interview: Radical Possibilities

My guest for this episode is Mark Lakeman, an architect, planner, and trained permaculture practitioner from Portland Oregon. Our conversation today is part one of two. In this conversation we discuss participatory culture and community building through action, as a way to engage the social structures that are vital to the ongoing development a better world. The ideas presented here form the basis for our second conversation where we delve more fully into urban permaculture. Start here and then look for the next show in a few weeks. What I like about this conversation is that idea of building culture and community through action. That we're going out and engaging others, pushing the lines of the possible, and bringing more delight and joy in the world in a way that's non-violent and inclusive. The public corridor, where everyone wanders, becomes the space to reach others. Though I don't touch on politics in the show, and have no intention to generally speaking, the more I speak with people, the less I see divides between us as individuals and groups. If we focus on what we can do to make our own space better and on sharing that with others so we can find what we have in common, the world becomes a more peaceful bountiful place to live. Together we can find abundance rather than scarcity. Joy instead of fear. Won't you join me in seeing that happen? Other episodes you may enjoy: Invisible Structures with Adam Brock Dave Jacke on Permaculture Exploring Permaculture with Larry Santoyo Resources: Mark Lakeman Communitecture The City Repair Project The Planet Repair Institute

Dennis has investigated colony collapse disorder and the on-going bee die off since Dave Hackenberg first reported large colony losses. I wanted to speak with Dennis after seeing him in the documentary “Who Killed The Honeybee?” and then happened to see a recent research paper he was involved with, as well as his TED talk “A Plea for Bees”. During our conversation we talk about his work with bees, the ongoing loss of bee colonies in the United States and elsewhere, the role of bees as pollinators in our food supply, and what we can do to support honeybees and native pollinators. Two things I really enjoyed about this particular conversation was how precise and technical the conversation got regarding the research and issues surrounding bees, while still remaining accessible. For all of his work and research, I never felt like Dennis spoke over our heads. Part of that, I imagine, come from his love and passion for bees. Listening to him describe the co-evolution of flowers and pollinators reminded me of the beauty of nature and why I love this work and want to take care of this little space of mine and build a better world by including habitat for pollinators and tend to the other species around us. If you enjoy this episode you may enjoy: Native Plants with Dr. Doug Tallamy Stream Restoration with Dr. Bern Sweeney The Soil Food Web with Jeff Lowenfels Resources: Dennis vanEnglesdorp, PhD Dennis vanEnglesdorp: A Plea for Bees (TED Talk Video) Bee Informed Partnership Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees to Pesticides Which Alters Their Susceptibility to the Gut Pathogen Nosema ceranae (Research Article)

We covered some of those core thoughts in this conversation, which were reflections of the interview with Dave Jacke. Three of the important pieces of functioning as a professional were: not knowing what we don't know, forming a professional group, and working with collaborators. That piece about not knowing what we don't know sticks out because of the hurdles I'm encountering as the podcast, and my role in the permaculture community, continues to grow. There are licensing requirement, taxes to be accounted for, insurances to carry, and a host of other pieces of the puzzle that aren't immediately clear when starting this kind of work. Only as I bump up against them do they become clear and require a reactive response rather than a proactive one. Depending on what kind of work you do you've probably encountered those days where something comes up you have to deal with that completely takes the wind out of your progress. That's what this is like. I'm not stumbling into my issues so much as hitting them head on. That's where I find developing your own professional group is important. Even if you form this with fellow students from a PDC, it's likely you'll each reach your different milestones and obstacles at different times and can share those discoveries with your group. You can also share notes on who your accountant, banker, lawyer, or insurance agents are. That's where we need to collaborate with others. We only have so many minutes in each hours, hours in a day, days in a week, and so on. Unless you've found a way to suspend time, or go without any sleep, then there is only so much you can fit into your schedule. Working with others can free you to focus on what it is you do best, and bring in those who can handle the other pieces for you, while also sharing what they know.

If you enjoy this episode, you should also check out:
Edible Forest Gardens and Permaculture with Dave Jacke
Josh Trought and D Acres
Professional Permaculture with Erik Ohlsen
The Permaculture Credit Union with Bill Sommers
Community Development Finance with Bill Sommers

Resource:
Damien McAnany
Abundant Earth Landscaping and Tree Care (Damien's Company)
ISA Certification information Natural Target Pruning (PDF)
Silky Saws (Damien's Prefered Saws)
Bear Saw (Scott's Current Saws)
Air-Spade

He's been a member of the community for some time and I enjoyed the conversation with him. He had me laughing, hard, quite a few times, though I removed them so you could hear him talking and not my guffawing in the background. His delivery is easy going, and, even though he said he doesn't like soundbytes, incredibly quotable. In this conversation we talk about Bill Mollison, the misrepresentation of permaculture, applying the concepts of permaculture broadly, and arriving at solutions. Though his website is under construction, you'll find his website, which includes contact information, at earthflow.com. He also teaches with the City of Angels Permaculture Academy, find our more about that course at cityofangelspermaculture.com. I really enjoyed the note that we ended on, “What about embracing sustainability because we love the things we love about the present, not because we fear the future?” and will leave that as it is for you to take out into the world. Some of my favorite quotes from the conversation with Larry:

- Apply it [permaculture] to everything equally.
- There's no skill we can't use to get through this. We need everybody.
- Sectors trump everything. Sectors beat two of a kind.
- Don't impose a static solution on a dynamic problem.
- You're talking about the details when you need to be talking about the bigger pattern.
- Learn how to do things. That's gonna help people.

Did you like this interview? You also might enjoy these conversations:
More Natural Building with Bob Theis
Edible Forest Gardens and Permaculture with Dave Jacke
The Permaculture Handbook: An Interview with Peter Bane
Radical Possibilities with Ethan Hughes

Resources:
Earthflow Design Works
City of Angels Permaculture Academy
In Danger of Falling Food (Video with Bill Mollison)
The Hand Sculpted House by Ianto Evans

If you haven't listened to the last interview with Mr. Theis, please go back and start there, as we jump right into the conversation this time around. This introductory list isn't all inclusive, but we cover different construction techniques, including catalan, or tile, vaulting which is a quick way to build load bearing arches. We return to the conversation of labor costs and the trade-offs involved in using natural building techniques, particularly in developed countries where labor is more expensive, or if we decide to be an owner-builder and the issues that can arise from tapping the good will of our family, friends, and neighbors in helping to build our natural home. Home renovation is covered in more detail, including what roofing materials to consider using, and why some are not ideal. There is some time spent talking about thatching, a craft that I have a deep interest in exploring one these years. We wrap things up by looking at some interesting emerging building materials.

Check out the resources section below for a more information on these topics, and the other people and ideas touched on by Mr. Theis in the interview. One of my takeaways from this is that we need to keep looking for new and novel ways to use the resources we have available, especially items that might be discarded or seen as having little value, and also to see what old ways we can re-discover.

In the interview with Robert Kourik, he talked about some of the ideas he found when walking through the stacks of his library and looking through old books, such as Mrs. O'Brien's gardening techniques. What is sitting on your bookshelves waiting to be found? What is in your local library that I, or others, might never see? What ways of doing can our elders teach us that was passed on to them from their now deceased parents, grand parents, or even great-grand parents? As we find that information, how can we apply our creativity to synthesize the new and the old together, while also investing in them so others can see the possibilities? Also, how can you apply your own interests, and special skills, to creating new possibilities in ways that I or others might not consider? Something that comes to mind from this conversation is the business opportunity that could be created here in the U.S., and probably elsewhere, for someone who wanted to explore making cross-laminated timber panels out of local resources. As Bob mentioned, in the Pacific North-West, there are trees getting taken out by beetle kills, and I think of the damage done by the emerald ash borer in the South. Or, as I mentioned, to explore doing this with pallets. I imagine folks taking this idea and finding local materials, particularly pallets, and experimenting with wood of different dimensions, different adhesives, and so on, and then sharing what they find. Can it be done on a small scale in a home wood shop and then used to create, say a shed, as a working example? Perhaps you build that shed with cross laminated timber panels and then put a thatched roof on it, and send me a picture. That would make my day. Another part of this time with Mr. Theis that stands out was where he talked about placeholder and transition materials, such as the rigid foam panels compared to the soy and vegetable oil based panels. I think that they play a role, by being a good solution now, while we wait for these other, better, emerging materials to make it to market, or while we wait, as the example of the cork insulation, comes down in price. As we learn more, experiment more, and then invest in the pieces that make sense for us, where we live, we can help bring down the price for others. Or, another side of this, is just asking our builders and suppliers if they've every used, or carry, these materials, such as mineral wool. Get them thinking about other options, and spread the idea that these possibilities exist. The direction we're headed may be slow to turn, and may take a few decades or generations, but we can invest today, in a better tomorrow.

Resources:
People and Places
Bob Theis
Deanne Bedner (Thatching)
Muhammad Yunus
LLoyd Khan author of Shelter
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Low Tech Magazine
International Straw Bale Conference

Construction Materials
Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC)
Cellulose Insulation
Expanded Cork Insulation C
ross-Laminated Timber - A Primer (PDF)
Mineral Wool Insulation

Find out more about Mr. Kourik and his work at RobertKourik.com.

Our conversation looks at how landscape design has changed over the years, moving towards more sustainability, while also looking at the practical aspects of design and meeting a customer's needs. That, in turn, leads to some thoughts on practicing permaculture. Throughout, Mr. Kourik includes references to his own research and experience over the years, including some of the technical details. One of my favorite thoughts from this interview is his notion to "not inflict ourselves on clients". That we can't go in with preconceived notions of what techniques to use. This goes back to that thought of “It depends,” as shared with us by Dave Jacke and so many others when asked what to do with a particular site for any given client. There is no one way to do this. There is no universal technique or strategy. What is universal to permaculture is the ethics and principles that lead to on-the-ground ideas. By observing the landscape, interacting with the client, and developing small and slow solutions, we can use our expertise to meet the needs of others. If we want to meet the needs of others, we need to meet them where they're at.

Resources:
Robert Kourik
Robert's Books (Where You Can Order Directly from the Author)
Dr. Alex Shigo (Tree Pruning and Arboriculture)