After speaking with Bryce and reading the book I find him to be a guru on creating functional plant guilds. We talk about that topic as well as how to discover ecological niches and system mimics so that we can adapt our designs to ever changing conditions, whether they arise from climate change, disease, or simply because a chipmunk or raccoon does not like a particular plant. In this interview I mention natural heritage programs. What I was referred to is a specific program that collects and provides information about important natural resources. These are in cooperation with the Nature Serve network covering Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. The Pennsylvania Heritage site was a go to reference I used repeatedly in my resources management program and is a useful resource for permaculture practitioners. The state specific site for me includes material on local plant communities, inventories at the county level of various plants and animals, species lists for the state, as well as ongoing projects and publications. It is worth looking for this kind of program in your area as the wealth of information is great for your ongoing research when creating a design. A link to the PA site and NatureServe is in the show notes. That ongoing research and education is important because we can’t take a Permaculture Design Course and think that is enough. Something one of my teachers imparted on me was that the PDC is just a beginning, our first step. From there we need to develop a niche based on our interests and passions, something David Holmgren recommended, to really know what it is we are doing, to have relevant experience, and be the experts in our areas of interest. In turn we can find people of like mind and take permaculture further. To be able to show examples that work anywhere in the world, and at the same time have the flexibility in our thoughts and a depth of understanding that we can answer questions truthfully. Be willing to say, “I don’t know,” or, “I haven’t done that before,” and a willingness to find a real solution. Something else Bryce mentioned was building resilience groups. Resilience groups, as presented at Resilience.org, are a way to build connections that coincide nicely with the transition movement. Resilience groups are a broad umbrella under which we can connect with other people on various topics including the transition movement, farm-to-school initiatives, and the efforts of Interfaith Power and Light. If you are in an area and considering starting a transition group or other organization to create a more bountiful world, definitely look to see if there are any resilience efforts underway in your area.

Resources
Integrated Forest Gardening
Plant Guilds eBook
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
Nature Serve 

hat I like about this conversation with Craig is the role we have as designers to act as preservers of the land. We can use the design tools presented in permaculture to create solutions that stop erosion with structures built from natural materials that harvest water by slowing it, spreading it, and sinking it, all while keeping that water from cutting through the earth. Craig does this in a way that doesn’t disrupt the natural flow of water, but takes the path into account. For all of the avocation for the use of particular technique, this approach takes us back to observing the landscape first, and deciding on what is most appropriate rather than looking for a one-size fits all solution. The strategy of water harvesting leads to a number of techniques. Some that Craig mentioned include check dams, one rock dams, rock mulches, and zuni bowls. In the show notes you’ll find a link to a document Craig made, along with Avery Anderson, that explains these techniques in detail, and one other called media luna. I also found a nice piece written by Bill Zeedyk about induced meandering. For those of you who have a copy of Mollison’s Designers’ manual, Chapter 7 Section 3 includes a number of great techniques as well.

Resources
Erosion Control Field Guide by Craig Sponholtz and Avery C. Anderson. This article includes information on Top-Down Watershed Restoration including one rock dam, rock mulch, zuni bowl, and media luna techniques.
An Introduction to Induced Meandering by Bill Zeedyk (PDF)

Projects for Children
Grainy: What Kind of Particles Make Up Soil?
Percolating Water: The Movement of Water Beneath the Earth's Surface
Erosion
Exploring Erosion, Sediment, and Jetties Eroding Away

I would like to thank Flavia Alaya and Fr. David Rivera for their invitation to cover this event. I’d also like to thank Mr. James Boner and his A/V Club students at Bridgeton High School, Andrea, Angel, and Reggi, for the connection to the sound booth equipment and for allowing me to share the space with them for the day. Thanks also to all the listeners who contribute to the show who make recordings like this possible via their one-time donations or ongoing monthly support.

When Trish contacted me about her work I wanted to interview her and see her project because she is practicing urban permaculture. With more than half of people worldwide living in cities we need to see and understand the examples of what works where people are. Let’s go there and practice. In additional to that city piece, I also wanted to talk with Trish because she’s relatively new to permaculture and has a different perspective from many of the guests who have devoted years to this material through the practices of design, teaching, or authoring books on the subject. May her voice inspire those of you who are just discovering this system of design to go out there and get your hands dirty. For those of you who have done this for a while, what about going out to explore and try something different. Start a new guild you’ve never thought of before. Tear up an old design and put a new one on paper.

Some things that stand out from this conversation are about how much you can do with not a lot of space. Two-thousand square feet, what Trish originally started with, is less than 1/20th of an acre, yet she has dozens of species of plants there useful to her and the wildlife, and is developing several guilds to expand and integrate into the forest garden. With wildlife, she’s also planting for other species, such as food for her groundhog, pollinator plants for the pollinators, and also water features for birds, snakes, and amphibians. We work with nature rather than against it and can do a lot of good in our designs by including such things, and expands the system to have more yields even if they don’t appear to benefit us directly by producing food or meeting a human need. Finally, I did a lot of what Trish did to gain experience early on volunteering for more experience. If you’re interested in hanging out a sign and doing design, spend a few years working on designs for others whatever chance you get. Here Trish is doing work with the Goodwill and a farm. I worked with a church, and a local non-profit. I’ve had people contact me with questions through Facebook. An old friend of mine, a single father with six children, has been consulting with me via text messages. There are many people who want this information and your help so ask around. Put yourself out there. Tell people what you are doing and you’ll get the assignments you need to help build your portfolio of permaculture design work. If there is any way I can help you get in touch with local groups or organizations to help you get started, let me know. I’m here to help you create a better world, every day. Our Sponsor I’d like to thank Jen Mendez at Permiekids.com for her ongoing sponsorship of the program. We continue to have a dialog about bridging the gap between children and adult learners in education and permaculture. Find out more about her work at permiekids.com. There you will also find information about her series of Edge Alliance webinars, as well as her Educational Design Course. Support the Podcast I am in fundraising mode this fall and need your help to get 2015 off to a good start. If you are in a place where you have some financial surplus in your life, please consider making a one time or monthly contribution to the show. Find out how at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support Get In Touch E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst YouTube

That work includes activities like seed swaps or the growing of culturally significant flowers to language development for foreign-born students. As with the conversation with Brad Ward about international development, I consider this interview important for all the ways we can engage using permaculture through culturally relevant means, all without needing to mention P-word. We can engage people directly where they are, and indirectly introduce the ideas and concepts of ecological design and permaculture. This provides a context for the work we do, because that context matters and allows people to see examples of what we are doing, and in turn understand that design, permaculture, and community development all have a place in creating the world we want to live in. The work of Dr. Poole and her students at the Indiana Community Gardens provide one such model for that. As an educator, with an environmental ed background, one of the things that I like about what she’s doing is that it provides a hands-on multi-discipline approach to learning. Here students are able to take what they are learning in the class room, share it with others, and see the direct impacts of this kind of work. I like that it’s more than just a narrow niche to focus on, but broadly based in the community. David Holmgren and others have said that permaculture wasn’t about just design and teaching, but much much more. Chapter fourteen of the Designers’ Manual is the same way. Let’s take what we know, let’s take what we’re good at, and bring it forth into the world in a way that cares for the world that we live in, for all life, and in a way that shares the surplus freely. If this is something you are doing already or would like help getting started with, I’m here to help. If I don’t have an answer, I know plenty of people in the community who do. Together we can work to create a better world, by design.

Resources
Dr. Amanda Poole
Indiana Community Gardens
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
The Appalachian Teaching Project
Julian Steward - Cultural Ecology 

Listen to our initial conversations:
Restoration Agriculture with Mark Shepard (Part I)
Restoration Agriculture with Mark Shepard (Part II)

In this episode, we discuss four topics based on listener questions.

1. What is Mark's "Oil Cartel?"
2. What place does keyline design have on a small-scale site?
3. What techniques does Mark suggest for water retention on a flat area?
4. What tips does Mark have for starting seedlings where you are unable to water daily or weekly?

I enjoyed these conversations because of the different voice and perspective that Mark brought to the table. These really expanded my thoughts on how we can practice permaculture in many different ways underneath the same umbrella. Mark focuses on large-scale agricultural restoration. My focus is on communication and outreach. We each have a role to fill.

Where do you see your niche in the permaculture community?
Where do you fit into this big puzzle of creating a better world?
Is there any way I can help you find your fit?

I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Brad came to my attention on a recommendation by Eric Toensmeier, originally as a possible guest for the Faith and Earth Care series, but in setting up the interview with Brad, he and I spoke quite extensively about development aid and how permaculture can be used to ask better questions. In turn that allows us to reform our efforts to meet people where they are at. That forms the basis of our conversation. Along the way we also touch on the personal struggles and transformation that comes from wanting to aid others in a meaningful way. As with the conversation with Rachel Kaplan, there is a lot of internal work to bring change out into the world. Whether you have an interest in international development or not, quite a bit of this conversation applies equally to our internal landscape, as well as the business of permaculture. Asking the right questions, and stepping out of our normal frame of reference, changes the quality of our practices. Listen to this interview with Brad and let me know what you think, and how I might assist you on your path. Two other things that stand out from this conversation were Brad’s reference to Pandora’s Box, and the artificial busyness of life. 

I’ve been thinking lately about the myth of Pandora’s Box and how there was something left in the box after all the evils of the world were released, Elpis, the spirit of hope. Though hope wasn’t released, I don’t see that as a negative side of the story, but that we each carry hope, Elpis, inside of us. I know I do with me every day. I am an optimistic person and see the future as bright and abundant, but that we have to take the path seriously and work towards it. Myself, people like Brad, each and every one of you who listens to the show, we are all part of that abundant future. I’m here to use my hope to help you on your path. We can do it. The other piece, is the artificial busyness of life. Something Brad Lancaster asked me to do a show on was how I live a full life with so many things going on, and roles filled. A big part of that is overcoming distractions. I let go of the mindless brain-numbing entertainment that Brad mentioned. I disconnected from advertisements. It took a lot of work, and there are still times I catch myself consuming media, but when I do notice what I’m doing I put it down and move to something of meaning. With that, I continue to use permaculture to design the way I live my life so that I live with intent. Nearly everything I do is a conscious choice. With that comes an acceptance of what matters and what needs to get done or can be left for later. There’s something beautiful about spending an evening with my children and being completely present in their lives. To ask a friend how they are doing, and create a space where I’m not trying to fill the space until I can speak again, but to listen and really hear what they have to say. Your life becomes your own and, as Mark Lakeman spoke to, you inhabit your own story. That’s the big picture idea of what it’s like to let go of that artificial busyness. I’ll put together something that goes through my process of getting to this point so you have something more practical to use in your own life. The world is beautiful and abundant. Let us be stewards of a bountiful future by taking care of Earth, our selves, and each other.

My guest for this episode is Rachel Kaplan, the co-author, along with K. Ruby Blume, of Urban Homesteading. She is also a permaculture teacher and practitioner, as well as a licensed marriage and family therapist from northern California. Our conversation today covers all of these roles, and more, as we talk about re-patterning ourselves and permaculture to be more intentional and deliberate in our work. We also spend some time talking about women in permaculture, as I spoke with Karryn Olsen-Ramanujan, and on breaking down the barriers of understanding others and insuring we are diverse in our inclusion and practices. Rachel also shares with us the upcoming PDC she will be teaching, along with Delia Carroll, Cassandra Ferrera, and Kyra Auerbach, as part of the 13 Moon Collaborative, a new model for a 13 month long course that allows time for the course material to become a part of your internal thoughts and external practices. Find out more at: 13MoonCollaborative.com Our conversation today reminds me that we all have a voice and a place in the permaculture community. It part of what I love about creating this podcast and sharing what other have to say with the world. We add to the chorus of people who spend each day creating a better world. That includes your voice. Go, do your work, and add your voice to the conversation. Resources Urban-Homesteading.Org 13 Moon Collaborative Walking Elephant Theatre Company The Show is On The Road The show is on the road so that I can go report on events of interest to the growing movements to build a better world, and to continue to spread the word of this wonderful system of design we call Permaculture. Next up I’ll be going to CHABA-Con, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on October 11th, 2014 where Lester Brown, of the Earth Policy Institute will be the keynote speaker for a day of lectures, discussions, and tours on how to transform the world we live in. The last of the currently planned trips is to Roanoke, Virginia, from October 20th-22nd, interviewing farmers and local permaculture practitioners. I am also delivering a presentation, “Permaculture: Creating a Better World by Design” on 630PM on October 21st, 2014, at the Roanoke Natural Food Co-Op at Grandin Village. If you’re in the area I’d love to see you there or at any of the other events I’ll be attending. More on those as they are scheduled. Support If you value this show and the work of the podcast in spreading the word of permaculture to the world, lend your assistance in supporting these projects. Share links posted to the Facebook page, facebook.com/thepermaculturepodcast, with your friends or followers. Retweet messages sent from @permaculturecst. Leave reviews on iTunes or your favorite podcast sites. The show can also use your financial support, either as a one-time or ongoing monthly contribution. Find out how to do that at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support. Get In Touch E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst (Episode: RachelKaplan2)

My guest for this episode is Elizabeth Farnsworth, PhD, a research biologist with the New England Wild Flower Society, and one of the leads on the GoBotany! project, an online resource for discovering thousands of New England Plants, including simple and advanced plant identification tools, teaching tools, and a PlantShare space where you can create your own home page to catalog your plant discoveries. This also gives you access to Ask A Botanist. As an online tool, GoBotany! Serves as an electronic field guide that can help us reconnect in a digitally connected world to the natural landscape, and foster ongoing discovery. We also spend some time talking about the idea of citizen science and how we can work to be a part of the scientific process. For those of you who listen to this show and Jen Mendez of PermieKids.com, there are some thoughts on developing a passion for discovery that extends from us into our children. I took away from this conversation that each of us is a scientist. We can wake up each morning and simple as, "Why?" That leads us to an exploration of the world. We can then take that further by connecting with citizen scientist programs like EDDMapS or the EarthWatch Institute and get involved. Your interest and passions can add to the body of human knowledge. In turn that adds to the body of permaculture knowledge. Together we can create an abundant world together. Resources and Citizen Science Programs GoBotany! EDDMapS EarthWatch Institute Cornell Lab of Ornithology Check out the Merlin Bird ID App for Android and iOS. BugGuide Citizen science comes of age (PDF) From the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment journal. Zooniverse Citizen Science Websites. Project BudBurst CitizenScience.org CitSci.org DataONE.org for managing large data sets. PublicLab.org DIY monitoring tools Project Noah Explore and document wildlife in your area. Going on the Road The show is going on the road so that I can go report on events of interest to the growing movements to build a better world, and to continue to spread the word of this wonderful system of design we call Permaculture. Next up I’ll be going to CHABA-Con, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on October 11th, 2014 where Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute will be the keynote speaker for a day of lectures, discussions, and tours on how to transform the world we live in. The last of the currently planned trips is to Roanoke, Virginia, from October 20th-22nd, interviewing farmers and local permaculture practitioners. I am also delivering a presentation, “Permaculture: Creating a Better World by Design” on 630PM on October 21st, 2014, at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op at Grandin Village. If you’re in the area I’d love to see you there or at any of these other events. Get In Touch E-mail: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann The Permaculture Podcast Facebook: Facebook.com/ThePermaculturePodcast Twitter: @permaculturecst (Episode: ElizabethFarnsworth)

My guest for this episode is Mark Shepard, owner of New Forest Farm and author of Restoration Agriculture. This is the second of three pieces that Mark and I recorded together to talk about Restoration Agricultural practices and to answer listener questions. In this episode we discuss four topics based around listener questions.

1. Mark’s nursery techniques.
2. Grafting vs. Seeding.
3. What tools and infrastructure are needed to start a nursery project?
4. How Mr. Shepard markets his tree crops locally or otherwise.

We also discuss the importance for each of us, that means you and me, to be growing, selecting, and breeding our own plants from seed. To make this easier Mark shares his STUN method of seeing what plants are best. What does STUN stand for? Sheer Total Utter Neglect. After listening to this episode, even if you don’t have a green thumb, there’s no reason to not be playing with plants on a variety of scales. Here is another discussion about how to bring profit and entrepreneurship into permaculture. It is something I continue to work on and struggle with at times, but it is something we can do. As Mark said, we do this and then ask other systems to try and keep up with us as we create a better world now and for the future. This is not a game or something we play at, but real work to make a difference. We can do it. To support that, I have some interviews that will come out over the coming months with people like Ethan Roland to discuss the Eight Forms of Capital and Regenerative Enterprise and how we can apply permaculture to business. Then Carol Sanford joins me to discuss how we can apply business to permaculture, find the essence of our entrepreneurial work, and grow what it is we are doing to bring functional permaculture models into the mainstream.

Support the Podcast If you value this show and the work of the podcast in spreading the word of permaculture to the world, lend your assistance in supporting these projects.

Retweet messages sent from @permaculturecst. Leave reviews on iTunes or your favorite podcast sites.

The show can also use your financial support, either as a one-time or ongoing monthly contribution. Find out how to do that at: www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/support.

Going on the Road:

The show is going on the road so that I can go report on events of interest to the growing movements to build a better world, and to continue to spread the word of this wonderful system of design we call Permaculture.

Next up I’ll be going to CHABA-Con, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on October 11th, 2014 where Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute will be the keynote speaker for a day of lectures, discussions, and tours on how to transform the world we live in.

The last of the currently planned trips is to Roanoke, Virginia, from October 20th-22nd, interviewing farmers and local permaculture practitioners. I am also delivering a presentation, “Permaculture: Creating a Better World by Design” on 630PM on October 21st, 2014, at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op at Grandin Village. If you’re in the area I’d love to see you there or at any of these other events.

Contact: The Permaculture Podcast