During this in-person interview, we start with what he’s currently working on, including where he’s gone with natural burials and his exploration of chestnuts as a way to plan for the future. From there we talk about North America’s largest native fruit: the PawPaw. During the conversation that follows, Michael shares the resurging interest in this tree and fruit. The development of named cultivars and improvement of PawPaw genetics thanks to growers like Neal Peterson and Jim Davis. We also touch on growing your own PawPaw, as well as the flavor and nutrition of the fruit, and end with what you’ll find if you make it to his annual PawPaw festival, which recently celebrated its 4th year. Find out more about Michael, including his latest book For the Love of PawPaws, his homestead, and other work at ecologiadesign.com. You’ll also find links to that, the nurseries mentioned, and much more, in the resources section below. Also, in the Patreon feed at patreon.com/permaculturepodcast, you’ll find two giveaways. One for his book, For the Love of PawPaws. I also have a giveaway open for a copy of David Holmgren’s Scenario Planning for the Future. Both of those are open until October 10th, 2019. What I love about this conversation and all the times I’ve spent with Michael, is his go do it attitude and desire to instill that feeling in others. If you find something you love, you can learn enough to get inspired, and then go begin. Whatever you’d like to accomplish in permaculture, through successes, failures, and moments of great joy, take that first step and see where the journey leads you.

If I can ever assist you on that journey, please get in touch: Email: The Permaculture Podcast

Or write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast

From here, the next interviews are a two-part series with David Holmgren discussing his book Retrosuburbia! and what we can do to prepare the communities we live in for the future. Until then, spend each day creating the world you want to live in by enjoying PawPaws, learning more about the native fruits in your regions, and taking care of Earth, yourself, and each other. Fall Fundraiser If you enjoy this show, you can help it to grow and continue to explore the edges of ecological design and what it means to practice permaculture in the landscape, our lives, and our communities by donating today.

Resources

For the Love of PawPaws Ecologia Design Planting and Growing Chestnut Trees (PDF)

Future Scenarios: How Communities Can Adapt to Peak Oil and Climate Change - David Holmgren SilvoCulture: Nuts for the Future Custard Apple NPR: The Once-Obscure Fruit is on its way to becoming PawPaw-Pawpular Neal Peterson / Peterson Pawpaws Deep Run PawPaw Orchard / Jim Davis Lee Reich

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

Paw Paw Nurseries

West Farm Nursery (New Jersey)

Peaceful Heritage Permaculture Nursery (Kentucky)

Twisted Tree Farm (New York)

dible Acres (New York)

Food Forest Farm (New York)

Rolling River Organic Nursery (California)

Grimo Nut Nursery (Ontario, Canada)

Edible Landscaping (Virginia)

Red Fern Farm (Iowa)

England’s Orchard (Kentucky)

Blossom Nursery (Arkansas)

Hidden Springs Nursery (Tennessee)

Burnt Ridge Nursery (Washington)

Raintree Nursery (Washington)

Past Interviews with Michael Judd

Honoring the Dead and Holding the Dying Starting Out and Getting Involved with Permaculture Edible Landscaping Michael Judd’s Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence Keynote Address  

He helps us navigate what to do in order to create our burial site; how to clear it with local officials, laws, and regulations; how to provide access in perpetuity; and how to legally and properly inter the deceased. From there we continue the conversation to talk about how we can prepare for our own end of life by creating an advanced directive; the options for green burial; the need for all of us to start having honest and open conversations about death, regardless of our age. We end with a series of listener questions.

Find out more about Michael at EcologiaDesign.com.

As I mentioned early in this episode, I see preparing for our own end and including our loved ones in those conversations early as essential to our work as permaculture practitioners, regardless of what level or degree you take your design to. If your focus is primarily on farm and land, then setting aside a place to hold the dead is essential.

If your design takes you beyond the landscape, then what ways can you start the conversation with family members, friends, and your community? Can you take the ideas here, of the wake that Michael held, and apply them where you are? Or do you have different cultural hallmarks that mark the transition from life, just there are ones for entering it?

I don’t know anyone for whom death and dying is an easy conversation, but if you have thoughts on this and would like to talk about them, or need some space for someone to listen as you grieve and seek closure, my door is always open.

Leave a comment below and we can continue the conversation. 

Resources
Ecologia Design
National Home Funeral Alliance
Crossings: Caring for own Own at Death
International End of Life Doula Association
Five Wishes - Aging with Dignity Advanced Directive
Death Cafe
Green Burial Council
Penn Forest Cemetery
Sparkroot Farm - Conservation Burial Ground in Moncure, North Carolina
Urban Death Project (Facebook)

The new book by Michael Judd, "Edible Landscaping, with a Permaculture Twist: How to Have your Yard and Eat it Too" is a wonderful reference for anyone wanting to make better use of their yard, patio or deck space at home whether they are interested in Permaculture or not. It is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, but one that can make an important difference in your garden design if you implement a few of its projects.

As expected from the title, Michael opens the book with a brief discussion of the basic principles of Permaculture and how they can, and do, relate to choices you make around your home and garden. I applaud him for taking the time to include the principles and yet he keeps the discussion from being preachy. What he shared was enough, but not too much, and it might even make a few readers want to know more. I'll admit I read the book cover to cover when I probably should have been doing other things, like working, but it was such a pleasure to read. Michael's writing style is easy to read and he has a genuine sense of humor that comes shining through every section of the book. I was also fortunate that the subject matter was spot-on for me at the moment as well. I'm looking to redesign our front garden next spring so I was hungry for ideas when Edible Landscaping landed in our Post Office Box. Sadly most garden books show perfectly manicured plantings and impossibly expensive projects that I could never attempt on my own or afford on a modest budget. I was pleasantly surprised that Edible Landscaping is different in every way from those other books. In fact, if I had to use only one word to describe it that word would be "approachable."

This book is not scary, it is not too technical and though it has some nice photographs and beautiful gardens, it is believable that the projects in the book are doable by a regular gardener like me on a modest budget. With the use of drawings, diagrams and photographs of actual projects in varying stages, Michael guides you through making small changes to your garden that will yield big changes in the long term. Cost for materials are often included as well when specialized items need to be purchased which is useful when deciding which projects to tackle if there is a budget involved. For me, the most helpful information was on unusual fruits for your food forest.

Even though I knew of all the plants Michael mentioned, what he provided was a more in-depth discussion of their growth habits than I have seen before. He also lists resources where you can find more information about the plant and also where to purchase growing stock. Other topics discussed in Edible Landscaping are herb spirals, rainwater harvesting with swales and rainwater gardens, growing specialty mushrooms, Hugelkultur, and Earthen Ovens. Also included at the very end of the book is a short section on Michael himself explaining his interests and background. So, if you've ever wanted to try growing mushrooms at home, or you've seen an herb spiral but weren't sure how one could be built at a reasonable cost, or maybe you just want to settle in to some good gardening reading in the dead of winter - for all those reasons (and tons more) pick up a copy of Michael Judd's, "Edible Landscaping, with a Permaculture Twist: How to Have Your Yard and Eat it Too."

It is well worth your time.

Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.