Podcasts about abundant edge

With the twin horsemen of climate change and diminishing fossil fuels impacting food security (did you know that 10 calories of fossil fuel are required per calorie of food?) it is evident that the future of industrial agriculture looks more than a little grim. Given that food is critical for survival, PGAP continues to explore the essential answers to the question: how do we radically change our approach to growing food in the years to come? Dr. Shane Simonsen operates a ‘Zero Input Agriculture' farm in the highlands of South-East Queensland. What does zero input mean and does it work? Shane shares with PGAP how a zero input system works, in addition to weaving his vast knowledge and unique insights into a very pithy conversation with PGAP host Michael Bayliss. Shane regularly posts on his farm and his worldly observation on his website, Zero Input Agriculture (https://zeroinputagriculture.wordpress.com/), which we encourage you to explore. Shane has also been a guest on podcasts such as Abundant Edge (https://abundantedge.com/what-would-agriculture-look-like-with-zero-inputs-with-shane-simonsen-author-of-zero-input-agriculture/). Shane and I are mutual contacts of Michel Stasse and Doon Wyborn, both doing great things in permaculture and collapse awareness. Both have also been previous guests on PGAP. You can listen to Doon's interview here (https://pgap.fireside.fm/bindarrabi)and Michel here (https://pgap.fireside.fm/mikestasse). Do you enjoy this episode? Then please Support PGAP. Subscribe here (https://pgap.fireside.fm/subscribe). Contact us here (https://pgap.fireside.fm/contact). Rate and review us on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/post-growth-australia-podcast/id1522194099). Last episode I interviewed regenerative farming icon Charles Massy (https://pgap.fireside.fm/fenner) to promote the Fenner conference ‘Making Australian Agriculture Sustainable.' The Fenner conference proved to be fantastic with its array of fantastic speakers and its juggling of the precariousness of Australia's agricultural predicaments while also offering many hopeful solutions. I certainly learnt a lot more about dung beetles! The conference was supported and sponsored by Sustainable Population Australi (https://population.org.au/)a, who also support this podcast. Good on them! These are a couple of online screenshots from the first day of the conference. I am sure higher quality photos, taken on ground, will be available soon! The song of choice for this episode is ‘Safe Room', the first recorded single from my band ‘Shock Octopus' back in 2011. Back then, songs about collapse were still seen as somewhat niche in the WA music scene (and in mainstream society more broadly). These days, collapse is so obviously a thing that even the Murdoch Press are talking about it! What can I say, I was there first. You can find out more about ‘Safe Room' at the Shock Octopus Bandcamp page here (https://shockoctopus.bandcamp.com/) (you can even support the artist and buy a copy – hint). Would you like to find out more about PGAP's host, Michael Bayliss? You can find out more at my website here (https://michaelbayliss.org/). Disclaimer: All opinions from PGAP's guests are theirs alone, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or position held by PGAP, Michael Bayliss, or Sustainable Population Australia. This includes all current and previous research, work, advocacy or opinions attributable to our interviewees. Special Guest: Dr. Shane Simonsen.

Check out New Society Publisher's sustainability practices for digital reading Welcome to the very first episode of Season 6 of this show. This podcast has undergone a lot of changes and evolutions since I began as the Abundant Edge podcast back in 2017 in Guatemala. Back then I was working mostly in natural building designing homes and managing construction sites for friends and clients around lake Atitlan, now it's been two and a half years since I moved to Spain to be with my partner, and after years of searching and planning, we're now preparing to move to a new property later this year in the Catalan mountains. Yet through all of these changes, my fascination for the knowledge and stories of folks around the world who are working to regenerate this planet and their communities has only grown.  This year and over the 48 weeks of this podcast season, I want to take you through a learning journey through some of the most important concepts, skills, and experiences that I've come to value in my professional work, as well as the path that I'll be taking to move into our new property and design the place to accomplish the personal, financial, and community goals that my partner and I have set out for ourselves.  I've also been listening keenly to the valuable feedback and ideas that have been coming up from the Discord channel. Many of you there have voiced a clear interest in hearing more in-depth and long form interviews, and so that's exactly what I'll be working to provide.  So to start off this season, I'll be doing a deep dive into the design process from some of the most renowned permaculture and regenerative project planners that I know.  Since all of you are coming from different contexts and resource bases, I'm approaching this topic from different angles.  In this first session I spoke with Rob Avis from Verge Permaculture. For 12 years now he and his wife Michelle along with a growing team of designers have been elevating professional permaculture design in Canada and have written and produced professional resources and educational content in order to make permaculture and environmental design learning accessible to as many people as possible.  Since launching Verge, he's helped more than 5,000 students and a growing number of clients design and/or create integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste, and food, all while supporting local economies and regenerating the land.  In 2019, Rob moved to a 65-hectare [160-acre] wooded property in central Alberta, Canada, and now spends most of his free time building his own permaculture property. In this session we covered a lot of ground, but focused on the design process specifically for small and residential scale projects. We talk about the differences in the process at small scales and the advantages and disadvantages of the space limitation.  Rob shares a lot of his personal learning from being a designer and educator for over a decade and the aspects of the learning and observation process that he's expanded or now breezes past. We also spend some focused time talking about the opportunities outside of just growing food that he sees in making a living and building business through the application of  permaculture training. Be sure to stick around all the way till the end where Rob gives a sneak peak at the new blockchain project he's launching this year with the cofounders of the Ethereum cryptocurrency with the goal of regenerating the planet by 2049.  Rob brilliantly mixes a deep and philosophical understanding of earth care and environmental patterns with a practical and focused approach of a career engineer. You'll want to take the time to hear this one all the way through.  Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community Links: Vergepermacuture.ca https://www.youtube.com/c/VergePermaculture https://www.instagram.

Welcome back everyone. Today I'm going to explore a topic that has been important to me for a very long time, but that hasn't been explored much on this show so far. I'm talking about personal health and fitness.  Now of course this is a very multifaceted subject, and everyone will have their own ideas of what diets, exercise plans, mobility routines, as well as mental and spiritual practices are essential, and that's great. This interview is going to focus on physical fitness and what it means to integrate exercise and strength training into a holistic health plan that suits your own unique needs and goals.  Those of you who've been following this podcast since it was called Abundant Edge will likely remember me talking about my own struggles with digestive health and how I've had trouble for most of my adult life due to gut dysbiosis and related symptoms. In the past when I've felt hopeless and that my nutritional health was beyond my control, I would focus on the areas that I could still influence.  Since I was constantly traveling for most of the last 15 years, I focused on calisthenics and bodyweight exercises that I didn't need any equipment for. As I began researching how to train my body without gym equipment or weights I quickly found the inspirational work of Anthony Arvantakis, the founder of Bodyweight Muscle and the author of many bodyweight training books. I was immediately drawn to his focus on whole body fitness and functional strength above aesthetics, and his own personal journey of transformation is truly heartwarming.  Over the years Anthony's exercise programs and online community have helped me to get out of various depressive funks which have had transformative effects on my life beyond just my physical fitness. The routines have helped me to manage my time better, gain motivation for other goals in my life, and focus on holistic fitness. These qualities, while not unique to any one health program, have served as the spark to recommit myself to many of the virtues that I hope to continue to improve upon and one day even exemplify. Together they all tie into a much more complete and robust concept of holistic health as a lifestyle rather than an end goal.  In this interview Anthony shares his story of the accident that had him bed ridden and immoble for years, and the mind and body transformation that helped him regain control of his life. We talk about the mindset and discipline necessary for a holistically healthy life, and how to look beyond your physical fitness to strive for optimal health in many aspects.  I'm hoping that this will be the first of many conversations on these topics and I welcome you to suggest other experts and perspectives for future interviews on the discord channel, but for now, I'm pleased to get this discussion started with Anthony. Get the resource packet for this episode! Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdnGq7_Y2r8&t=2797s https://www.bodyweightmuscle.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bodyweightmuscle/ https://www.youtube.com/c/BodyweightMuscle

How To Start A Profitable Elderberry Farm. Since I first arrived in the northeast of Spain a year and a half ago, I've been obsessed with getting to know the native plants in my area. I've been blown away by just how many edible and medicinal plants are all around me and growing in the most unlikely places, from cracks in the concrete and the edges of parking lots to erosion gullies and whole forests of rosemary and thyme. I'm sure anyone who has studied plant medicines knows that some of the most resilient and persistent pioneer plants that conventional gardeners are always at war with also happen to be some of the most potent medicines and nutritious foods.  One in particular that I found growing in some really harsh conditions was elderberry. When I first arrived in August a lot of the bushes were transitioning from flower to fruit and I took the opportunity to harvest some, not really knowing how I was going to process it.  Luckily I found some help from books and friends in my network who had more experience and ended up making enough elderberry syrup to last me until know and all of the pandemic paranoia self medicating at the first sign of a stuffy nose that came in between.  For that reason I was thrilled to see an old buddy of mine from Minnesota, Pete Widin, start putting out content about elderberry as a profitable business venture.  Many of you might remember Pete from previous season of the Abundant Edge podcast where he came on to talk about attracting clients to your permaculture business and unlocking your potential in regenerative business, and while he still works a lot in permaculture landscape design and business consultation, I invited him back this time to share his knowledge about Elderberry as a profitable and resilient agroforestry business with some really incredible potential.  Get the resource packet for this episode! Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community Links: https://www.instagram.com/petewidin/ https://www.artisanenvironments.com/ Hear more from Pete Widin: https://regenerativeskills.com/abundantedge-pete-widin/ https://regenerativeskills.com/abundantedge-the-key-to-client-attraction-for-your-permaculture-design-business-with-pete-widin-of-artisan-environments-llc/

After last week's session with Matt Powers, I want to add a second perspective on soil and the new science behind how we can restore it to health in our own gardens. For that perspective I got back in touch with Robert Pavlis who was first on this show a few seasons ago to talk about building natural ponds. Robert has been an avid gardener for over four decades. He is the owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a 6-acre botanical garden that features over 3,000 varieties of plants. As a specialist in soil science, he has been an instructor for Landscape Ontario and is a garden blogger, writer, and chemist. He teaches gardening fundamentals at the University of Guelph and garden design for the City of Guelph, Ontario, where he lives. One of the things I most appreciate about Robert's work is that he's not afraid to challenge any entrenched gardening belief or myth. He is always looking to get to the bottom of what helps plants to grow and what's just marketing scams.  In this episode we really dive in deep on the fundamentals of soil composition and understanding the nutrients that plants need to thrive. We talk about looking at soil as an ecosystem unto itself rather than a living material, and why striving for ideal soil is not as important as making sure that you have the components necessary for the life inside it.  Robert also helps me to understand what happens in the ground after tillage, mulching, and other amendments. We go over simple tests you can do to diagnose your soil without special equipment or needing to pay for laboratory testing, and by the end, how to use the results of those tests to develop your own personalized soil plan.  This episode alone is like a short but thorough course on soil health, so you might want to keep a notebook handy.  For those of you who want to really expand your knowledge on soil science, I've teamed up with New Society Publishers to give away a free copy of this book. If you want to win a copy of Soil Science for Gardeners, just message me through our dedicated facebook group called Abundant Edge weekly regenerative skills and write a post about why you want to amend the soil on your site. I'll select a winner one week after this episode comes out and send a hard copy of the book to you if you live in the US or Canada or a digital copy if you live anywhere else in the world. It's that simple, plus you'll be joining an incredible group of listeners like you who are sharing their regenerative living journey and learning experiences with the community.  Resources: http://regenerativeskills.com/abundantedge-robert-pavlis/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJfYCNSWCIuOB2sltDh5ZjQ https://www.robertpavlis.com/books/ https://www.gardenmyths.com/ https://www.gardenmyths.com/garden-myths-book-1/ https://newsociety.com/books/s/soil-science-for-gardeners https://www.atitlanorganics.com/online-permaculture-design-certification Join the Climate Farmer's launch party and panel discussion!

Oliver Goshey is a regenerative consultant, designer, educator, natural builder for regenerative social and land-based projects. After studying as a marine engineer and working mostly in blue-collar trades such as commercial shipping, trail building, construction, and farming, across the world, Oliver built a unique and wide perspective implementing projects and managing complex systems as a practitioner on the ground. After struggling to justify his participation in destructive and extractive industries, he shifted his focus to land stewardship and rebuilding community connections. Ever since then he´s applied his unique experiences from 15 years of travel to helping clients and organizations to design and build natural healthy homes, develop businesses for social equity, and restore resilient native landscapes. Oliver is primarily motivated to advance access to quality education and sharing essential skills that revolve around planetary regeneration. This pursuit continues to evolve through 4 seasons of promoting innovators and leaders in the regenerative fields through The Abundant Edge podcast, teaching in-person workshops, and more recently, teaching online courses. You can learn more about his work and passions at abundantedge.com For more on this episode check out www.caryjack.com/podcastin Let's all work together to protect our planet! Love and light ya'll!

Today's guest is James Ulager, the author Beginning Seed Saving for the home gardener, and though this certainly isn't a talk about farm scale seed saving and propagation, I thought it was essential to include in this series. In my opinion, seed saving and selective breeding is one of the best ways that anyone with even a small yard or garden can participate in ensuring the food security of future generations. We live in a time when governments have deemed it possible to patent seeds and own genetic information. This not only threatens the sovereignty of our seeds, but of every aspect of our food system as life itself is now able to be patented and owned. Yet we all still have the capacity to grow and save seeds that keep the genetic history that is the foundation of so many cultures alive and evolving, not through technological genetic tampering, but through the stewardship and care that selects for adaptation and resilience. While this is a topic that I'm looking forward to exploring from a lot of different perspectives and advanced applications, James gives a wonderful talk in this episode that directly speaks to the novice gardener.  In this session we break down just how easy it is to get started saving your own seeds and just how powerful an action it actually is. We cover all the essentials like knowing when the seeds are ready to harvest, the best way to store them for good germination rates, and we even get into more intermediate steps like working with biennials and plant varieties that don't like to grow true from seed if they're cross pollinated.  James does a great job at making this practice accessible and fun and because I'm so excited to get more people saving and breeding their own seeds, I've teamed up with New Society Publishers to give away a free copy of the book. If you want to win a copy of Beginning seed saving for the home gardener just message me through our dedicated facebook group called Abundant Edge weekly regenerative skills and write a post about why you want to save your own seeds. I'll select a winner one week after this episode comes out and send a hard copy of the book to you if you live in the US or Canada or a digital copy if you live anywhere else in the world.    Resources: https://www.seedsavers.org/ https://newsociety.com/books/b/beginning-seed-saving-for-the-home-gardener

Today's guest, NIcholas Burtner, is a permaculture designer, consultant and educator through his organization The School of Permaculture. I caught Nicholas in a good moment for this interview because like many of us he's in a period of transition with his family in which they are looking to move to a more resilient and independent homesteading lifestyle. Though he's been gardening and working on self sufficiency projects from his suburban home for years, he and his family are looking to expand to a larger space where they can provide more of their own needs from the land.  In this interview we talk about the thought process behind looking for a good homesteading site and what options the new space could provide. Nicholas talks about the unique context and climate where he lives in Texas and how that influences his options as well.  We also break down the importance of community for resilient living and how investing time and resources at the local level can be one of the most important aspects to urban and suburban homestead living.  In the next couple of weeks I'll be putting out new content around resilient living during the challenges of this health crisis and techniques and projects you can start from anywhere right away to help prepare yourself and your community for the transition out of this lockdown period and the economic challenges that are likely to affect us all.  Thank you so to you listeners who've been writing to me to check in and share ideas and ask questions in the last few weeks. It means the world to me to connect with those of you in the Abundant Edge network and to know that this information is making a difference in your day.  The best part about making this show has always been the connections and relationships that it's helped to build and I appreciate you all more than ever.

In this ongoing series on homesteading I've talked to a lot of people who've given us really practical information on how to make the transition to a more self-sufficient way of life and connect with nature in the process. We've explored how to start businesses on your land, grow and produce your own food, as well as forage for wild food and medicine. In this episode we'll take a look at the softer side of the homesteading lifestyle in talking about the inner transformations and the feelings connected to rewilding and reconnecting to the land. For this perspective, I spoke to Ayana Young who made a drastic change in a short time from living in downtown Manhattan to living with minimal amenities in the redwood forest in northern California. We explore the motivations behind such a drastic change as well as the inner transformation that can take place during the journey. We also explore the personal sides of managing expectations, mental adjustments to a new environment, and the benefits and drawbacks of living so removed from modern life. Given that I'm normally very focused on the practical, logical and hard science side of ecosystem regeneration and lifestyle transition, it did me a lot of good to take the time to ponder the inner journey that takes place and to consider how others think and feel about the upheavals of these transformations and transitions.   Back when I spoke with Ayana we were not yet in pandemic lockdown here in Spain, but now that we are and now that the quarantine has been extended until at least April 11th, it looks like we here, and many people all around the world are getting a taste of isolated living, even though we may not have moved at all or are only one door away from many neighbors. These drastic transformations are bringing out extreme and unusual feelings in people, myself included, and I'm hearing more and more urgency in developing alternative livelihoods and support systems for ourselves and our communities. I myself was in the process of purchasing a small farm with my partner when everything shut down here in Spain and the process has been suspended indefinitely, but the two of us feel more committed than ever to move to a situation in which we can be of direct help to our community here by providing healthy food and offering learning opportunities to the people around us who are also looking to make a transition. We are living in uncertain and stressful times, but know that you're not alone in this journey. We will all need to work together and help each other out in the coming transition to a regenerative society. Though I certainly have low moments and doubts these days, I'm also confident that truly good and beautiful examples of human ingenuity and compassion will come out of this pandemic and that our communities will band together in new and inspiring ways to lift us collectively out of this and away from the trajectory of destruction and consumption that we've been on before now.  If you've been enjoying these episodes I'd encourage you to look through the archives of the Abundant Edge podcast for more inspiration and practical information on everything from natural building for low cost, high quality housing, to growing your own food, planning regenerative farms, and much much more in over 150 episodes. This information and the community connections that it can create are more important and urgent now than ever. Thank you all so much for listening and supporting this show. I hope this finds you all safe, healthy and in good company. Resources: https://forthewild.world/

Welcome everyone to the first episode of a brand new season of the Abundant Edge podcast. I can't believe I'm starting the fourth year of this little pet project that I had three years ago after I had just moved to Guatemala and was wrapping up an internship on bamboo building, and now here I am, having moved to north eastern Spain and with more than 50 thousand of you incredible folks tuning in to this show every month from all around the world. I'm so happy to be able to keep this show going and I'm really excited to start a new season with a brand new website that makes it easier than ever to search for topics, names, categories and really anything you want to help you access great information from more than 140 interviews in our archives. I really encourage you all to check it out if you haven't yet, and of course, if you enjoy the content of this show, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes or whichever service provider you use. More than anything this helps me to get these episodes out and into the ears of more people, and that means more people equipped with the knowledge and techniques to begin to heal and regenerate this planet.  That's enough of the prologue, let's jump into today's episode. For those of you who've been following the last handful of episodes you know that we're deep into an ongoing series on reforestation and agroforestry, and though most of the previous interviews have been with people working directly to plant trees and restore native forests, I decided to switch the focus for this session for two important reasons. The first, is that without good soil and access to water very few things will grow or at least they'll take much much longer to get established. The second, is that Mark Shepard, founder of New Forest farm in Wisconsin and the author of Restoration Agriculture, has finally just released his much awaited second book called Water for Any Farm which outlines his revolutionary expansion on P A Yeoman's original classic called Water for Every Farm.  In this interview I got to speak with Mark about how his decades of experience on his own farm as well as designing and consulting on farms all over the country helped him to solve some of the shortcomings from the original keyline design system. We start by talking about how the mismanagement of land and water has created the conditions we have today all over the world where topsoil is constantly eroded and water quickly becomes a destructive force rather than a rejuvenating one if it's left to run over naked landscapes. Mark goes into a lot of detail to describe how to read your landscape and identify key points that can be used as references for keylines to direct water all across your land in a way that slows it down and rehydrates it. We talk about what machinery and tools he recommends for major earthworks, the installation of different types of ponds, building soil over large acreage, and much more. I get sent a lot of books to look over and review before speaking with authors and I often don't have time to read them very thoroughly, but this one, Water for Any Farm I really took the time to understand because of the incredible potential that this system has for increasing the productivity and resilience of any landscape, not just from an agricultural perspective. Adjusting the water harvesting capacity of your terrain can have an important impact on any kind of regeneration project and help with weathering severe climate events too. It's especially relevant to the ongoing series on reforestation and agroforestry because the earthworks method outlined in the book is how Mark was able to regenerate a damaged farm surrounded by monoculture corn crops into the highly productive oak savannah mimicking ecosystem based around the pillars of hazelnut and chestnut orchards.I highly recommend you check it out. I've put links to where you can buy it and learn more about Mark and his work in the show notes for this episode on the webs...

Here we are! The end of 2019 and season three of this podcast. For those of you who've been following this show for a while you know that I went through a lot of big changes this year, most notably a big move from the permaculture farm startup that I worked on for for about 16 months in Guatemala. From there I took some big trips through southern Mexico and the US and a bit in Canada to where I finally settled down in the Catalonia region of north easthern Spain. Though I live really far away from where I started the year, I thought it'd be a good chance here at the end of the season to check in with Neal Hegarty, the co-owner of Granja Tz'ikin in Guatemala, where this year began for me, to see how things have progressed and developed since I moved away. I know a lot of you followed along on our journey through the regenerative round table sessions of last season as we planned and started building out the design for the farm, so hearing how the design is starting to mature should be a good update. In this interview Neal fills me in on how the animal enterprises that were just taking shape while I was there are becoming more consistent and regimented and how they feed the other enterprises on the farm like the cafe/restaurant, the permaculture courses, the development of the hostel space and much more. They've also made some important alliances in their community and around Guatemala that are helping them reach more people in their village in their goal to facilitate a better market for high quality local farm products and a better price for wholesale goods. We also talk about some of the promising big design projects that Neal is taking on which have the potential to regenerate large acreage of damaged land in some of the most biodiverse regions of Peten in the north of the country. As I mentioned, this episode wraps it up for season 3. 2019 was a really major year for me personally and for the audience of this podcast. Together with you listening we more than doubled the subscribers to this show and I got so much beautiful and heartfelt feedback from so many of you that it really renewed my faith that this show is bringing the information and the inspiration that many of you are looking for. So thank you sincerely to everyone who has supported this show and sent feedback this year. Thanks to New Society Publishers especially for their collaboration and support and for making it possible to provide this content without any long pleas for patreon donations. Being able to advocate for an organization with integrity and strong ethics means the world to me. Season 4 of The Abundant Edge podcast will kick off strong again with brand new episodes starting on February 7th but stay tuned because I'll be reposting the most popular shows from this last year again until I return. Resources: Granja Tz'ikin Website Podcast RSS

I've been so fortunate to get to speak directly with so many people who have created incredible examples of permaculture abundance and ecological health and resilience through this podcast, and though I've also gotten to visit many permaculture projects and practitioners, many of the ones I've seen in person are either just in the early stages of getting off the ground, or haven't quite found their balance between financial and ecological prosperity. The best examples that I've seen in person are the projects that Alex Kronick and his team have managed in the area around Antigua Guatemala, namely Caoba Farms and his new project in Paramos. Now back in season 2, Neal Hegarty who I used to work with on the Granja Tzikin project interviewed Alex in an interview we called “The Most Impressive Permaculturalist You've Never Heard of.” Since then I've been back many times to visit Alex both at his farm/event space/restaurant at Caoba farms, and even more notably, the larger project that's been underway for just a couple years in the town of Paramos, northwest of Antigua. There Alex has been combining pieces of land that he's been able to acquire as he builds towards his dream of restoring the native forest of that region and strategically incorporate agroforestry, market gardening, eco-tourism and event space to ensure the value and protection of the native ecosystem is preserved indefinitely. Though I didn't have the time to bring recording equipment along on the few trips I made up there in person, I got to catch Alex on a call later to ask him to go over a few of the many intricacies of his plan and steps for development that are still in the early stages, but gaining incredible traction on his site.  In this interview we cover many of the details of the unique climate and context where the land is located and how it informs goals and designs that Alex is developing. He talks at length about how he and his team are choosing which of the native species to propagate and use for reforestation and how they are creating nurseries to grow thousands of trees at a time. We also talk about how the government incentives for reforestation in Guatemala are not as beneficial as they might appear and how navigating the regulations can both help and hinder ecological goals. We even cover how different trees can affect the water table on your land, passive irrigation methods, even education programs for school age kids and much more. I've learned so much from Alex and his methodical approach to land based projects. He's definitely one of the voices in permaculture and ecological business that I hope more people look to and reference as examples of no-nonsense, results based progress. I've also included a bunch of pictures from his farm and nursery that Alex sent me and you can check them out on the website at abundantedge.com Resources: Caobafarms.com Hear more from Alex in his previous interview with Abundant Edge  

I haven't done a special episode in a long time, in fact I haven't done any at all this season and it's been a while since I've done a Regenerative Round Table since I've been transitioning from the farm where I lived with my colleagues in Guatemala until May of this year to where I am now, which is a small town about a half hour north of Barcelona in the beautiful Mediterranean region of Catalunya in Spain. In the last few months I backpacked up through southern Mexico, spent a month visiting family in Spokane Washington, then another month visiting my brothers and nephew in Minnesota where we grew up. I've been in Spain just under two months and am working with my partner here to start a whole bunch of exciting new projects both online and in the community here which I'll be sure to talk about in future episodes once things get off the ground.  Today I'm going to be giving a review of the previous series on natural building and regenerative living and design from the last handful of weeks for those of you who want the cliff notes and the most important information from about a month and a half of episodes. I'll be talking about some of the main takeaways and things that I learned from these interviews as well as presenting new questions to you out there listening while sharing some thoughts and stories from some of my own experience as a builder and traveller that have taught me a lot over the last decade Resources: CRI interview on making cob legal Atulya Bingham on all the uses of lime Benito Steen on natural plasters Dan Chiras on home scale renewable energy Daniel Allen on aircrete April Magill on hempcrete and natural home renovations Mark Lakeman on healthy community design Kirk Mobert on Innovations in rocket stoves Trey Abernathy on building with bamboo Chris Magwood on choosing the correct natural building materials

Oliver M. Goshey is an accomplished natural builder who has worked in eleven countries on six continents. He is the host of "The Abundant Edge" Podcast where he interviews leaders and change-makers in the worlds of permaculture, natural building, and regenerative living. After six years of working in the industrial building trades and as a maritime engineer, he apprenticed with the Cob Cottage Company, specializing in cob and earthen plasters and finishes. Abundant Edge is his culmination of years of passionate research, travel, and experimentation with earthen building materials and regenerative design techniques. Oliver is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles that repair and advance ecosystems through symbiotic design and compassionate construction. Resources The Abundant Edge Podcast Support this podcast Please donate directly to us or buy a T-shirt OR Donate (even a small amount) per episode! OR For the truly offgrid amongst you we also welcome Bitcoin: 1GM1UPt6PPdmCxR4qANBWw4DnnmRZHLFko

The unsung hero of all that we've accomplished here in Guatemala are the local communities and people where we live and work. In this Regenerative Round Table I spoke with Charlie and Gabi, two of my closest friends here at the lake about the challenges and learning experiences over a combined 30 years living and working with the local Mayan communities around Lake Atitlan. We speak at length about the intricacies of running organizations and projects in this area and the challenges of respectful navigation and deeper understanding of a culture that is significantly different from the ones we were raised with. In this episode we explore everything from the traditions and customs, language barriers, differences in access to infrastructure and resources, and much more. I'm passionate about exploring the often-overlooked aspect of traditions and culture in the holistic design process and how to consider these essential elements in community regeneration to facilitate the healthy development from all people involved. For that reason, I would also love to hear your own stories of cultural learning and observation, whether you've lived and worked in another part of the world or have played host to foreigners visiting your community. I hope this sparks a larger conversation about respectful consideration and even celebration of the differences in our cultures and ways of life. I look forward to your comments and stories. Resources: La Cambalacha Website Previous podcasts with Charlie Rendall ARE YOU THE OWNER OR PROMOTIONS MANAGER FOR A REGENERATIVE BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION LOOKING TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT TO A LARGER AUDIENCE? Finding your target audience for regenerative products and services can be tough, especially while the movement is still in its infancy and awareness around the importance of ethical business still has a long way to go. If you want to tap into a network of informed and motivated people with strong environmental and community ethics who vote with their purchases then you've come to the right place. The Abundant Edge podcast now has more than 30,000 monthly listeners around the world and is growing fast. These are listeners who are actively involved in the regeneration of our planet and are enthusiastically supporting businesses and projects that reflect their priorities. We now offer competitive sponsorship packages for single episodes and discounted rates for multiple episodes, social media campaigns, promotional videos and more. The best part is that all your investment goes straight into making this podcast the best resource for regenerative skills education that it can be. Because of our commitment to the integrity of our message and our affiliations, this offer is only open to businesses and organizations that are as committed to regenerative work as we are. If this sounds like a good fit for you, go to the show notes for this episode to fill out the collaborator application form. We look forward to helping you reach your highest potential. COLLABORATOR'S APPLICATION FORM Name * Name First Name Last Name Email * Tell us about your business and why its "regenerative" * Where can we look to learn more about your business or organization? * Which of our services are you interested in? * Choose as many that apply Podcast sponsorship space Social media exposure Promotional video Other Thank you! A representative will contact you as soon as possible

In keeping with the theme of water regeneration this month I spoke to Rob Avis, the co-author along with Michelle Avis of their book in the New Society Essentials series called Rain Water Harvesting. Rob and Michelle founded Verge Permaculture, an award-winning design, consulting and education company in Calgary, Alberta after years of international training in renewable energy and regenerative design. Since its founding, Verge has helped more than 1000 students and clients to design and create integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste, and food, all while supporting their local economy and regenerating the land. Through their design and consulting they create havens that produce their own energy and food, harvest water, cycle nutrients, and restore the surrounding ecosystems, enabling property owners to thrive no matter what. With such a broad range of knowledge, experience, and expertise, we focused mainly on rain water harvesting techniques and systems in this episode as an entry into the larger concept of watershed regeneration and revival. In this session Rob explains some of the key components of rain water harvesting systems and the ways that you can treat and filter the water for various uses. We talk at length about why expensive filters and disinfectants are often unnecessary, even for most potable water uses, and the different ways you can keep your stored rainwater clean. Rob also speaks about how rainwater harvesting systems fit into a larger system aimed toward water resilience in multiple living contexts from urban to rural applications. I've been a big fan of Verge Permaculture and all their great work for some time now and I'm intending to create a larger series of in depth talks with Rob and Michelle in the future so if you enjoy this episode and have further questions that you'd like to hear us cover in future talks, then by all means send your questions and feedback to me at info@abundanedge.com or in the comments in the show notes on the website. Resources: Buy the book “Essentials: Rainwater Harvesting” Verge Permaculture Website Verge Youtube channel Are you the owner or promotions manager for a regenerative business or organization looking to get your message out to a larger audience? Finding your target audience for regenerative products and services can be tough, especially while the movement is still in its infancy and awareness around the importance of ethical business still has a long way to go. If you want to tap into a network of informed and motivated people with strong environmental and community ethics who vote with their purchases then you've come to the right place. The Abundant Edge podcast now has more than 30,000 monthly listeners around the world and is growing fast. These are listeners who are actively involved in the regeneration of our planet and are enthusiastically supporting businesses and projects that reflect their priorities. We now offer competitive sponsorship packages for single episodes and discounted rates for multiple episodes, social media campaigns, promotional videos and more. The best part is that all your investment goes straight into making this podcast the best resource for regenerative skills education that it can be. Because of our commitment to the integrity of our message and our affiliations, this offer is only open to businesses and organizations that are as committed to regenerative work as we are. If this sounds like a good fit for you, go to the show notes for this episode to fill out the collaborator application form. We look forward to helping you reach your highest potential. Collaborator's Application form Name * Name First Name Last Name Email * Tell us about your business and why its "regenerative" * Where can we look to learn more about your business or organization? * Which of our services are you interested in? * Choose as many that apply Podcast sponsorship space Social media exposure Promotional video

We've completed 100 episodes! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters who are part of more than thirty thousand subscribers to this podcast and the growing regenerative community that is taking back our future and helping humanity move into its fullest potential. In this episode Oliver and Neal talk about the new direction that Abundant Edge and Granja Tz'ikin will be taking independently and how the two enterprises will continue to work together and support one another in the years to come. They also talk at length about the main takeaways and learning that has happened over the last year of development on the farm here in Guatemala as well as the vision and initiatives moving forward. Keep an eye out on the website at abundantedge.com for new content coming out soon with video tours of the farm, tutorials and explanations of our systems, as well as a regnerative travel show that will begin in May. Resources: Volunteer at Granja Tz'ikin Check out Abundant Edge's services Upcoming courses at Granja Tz'ikin

Welcome to the first episode of season three. I'm so excited for the year to come and all the conversations, interviews, and information that I'll be sharing with all of you over the year. This season, while I'll be sticking with the general format of the season prior, I'm also looking to bring more stories into these conversations and cultivate narratives around the incredible work that people around the world are doing in the regenerative fields. Just like last season, once a month the team from Abundant Edge will be checking in on the Regenerative Round Table segments and giving updates on the design and development of the farm as well as the projects we're working on for clients and friends both in our communities and around the world. Now today's guest is a good friend of mine from our community here in Tzununa on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Marcus Veysey has lived and worked here at the lake for over 25 years and is a wealth of knowledge on medicinal plants and herbs. Now rather than focusing just on plant medicines, our conversation focuses more on how to listen and observe the natural environment around you and open your heart and perspective to what the plants you interact with are really communicating to you. Through mindfulness practices and small but profound changes in your habits and perspective, Marcus guides us through his own journey of discovery and learning from the local ecology and communities here in Guatemala. I thought this would be the perfect conversation to launch the new season of this podcast with the intention of connecting the practical information of regenerative living to the stories and narratives of the people and their lifestyles so I hope you enjoy this chat with my good friend Marcus. Resources: Marcus Veysey on Facebook The Seed

It's been a monumental first year for us here at Abundant Edge with the development of the farm “Granja Tz'ikin” and all of the client projects we've been juggling at the same time. As we wrap up the second season of the podcast and the first year of me, Neal and Jeremy working as a team we want to mostly take the time to show our gratitude for all the people who've been instrumental in the progress we've been able to make together in a relatively short period of time. We also discuss the core projects that we moved forward on and some of the key lessons we've learned and continue to learn over the last season. From here we move into a month long hiatus but The Abundant Edge podcast will be back for its third season on Friday February 1st. Until then, thank you to all of you who've listened, subscribed and supported us. Your feedback and encouragement mean the world to all of us here. We'll look forward to catching you in the new year! Resources: Alex Kronick's episode Lorenzo Maniet's episode Previous regenerative round tables

The Abundant Edge team is back to talk about all the progress from our projects over the last month as we transition from the rainy season to the dry season here in Guatemala. We've got compost production, plant propagation, new baby goats, duck houses, gray and black water treatment for the house and much more. Above all we're talking about how each one of these projects and enterprises contribute either directly or indirectly to building soil health and fertility on the land. If any of you are hoping to see pictures of the farm and many of the elements that we're discussing in these episodes, you can follow us on facebook under the Abundant Edge page and on instagram under @abundant_edge Resources: intro to natural building course intro to permaculture course Ecological farming and agroforestry course link Permcaulture chocolate episode with Lorenzo Maniet

Welcome back to the regenerative round table. Today Neal and Oliver are joined by "Bamboo" Charlie Rendall, natural builder and founder of Return to the Forest as we talk in depth about new developments and progress on the Abundant Edge farm (aka Finca Tz'ikin). We recently had a new drainage channel open up right next to the farm so as we scramble to shore up the northern border of our land and divert any potential water away from the house we discuss the many ways that you can mitigate the risks and damage from a severe weather event when it comes to building and landscape management. We also talk about a new joint venture that Charlie and the Abundant Edge team are planning around permaculture gardening services and we talk about all the ways we are planning to use the business venture to benefit our communities in the process. The audio quality is not as good as I would like on this episode due to a problem I had with the microphone so sorry in advance but there shouldn't be any trouble hearing what is being said Resources: Abundant Edge course returntotheforest.org

Our baby goats, just a few days old One of the biggest challenges that we and many other peramculturalists face is how to balance the need for diversity and resilience in our ecosystems and enterprises and the need for efficiency and simplicity in their maintenance and operation. On this regenerative round table Neal and Oliver talk about their own experiences and mistakes along the way in finding this balance on the Abundant Edge farm as well as balancing the development needs of their site with the work they do for clients. Everything from moisture issues in hobbit houses to delivery systems for goats cheese and running the business sides of each. Join the discussion and share your own stories in the comments below.

Welcome to part two of the Abundant Edge design criteria checklist. If you're just tuning in now for the first time, I would recommend that you have a listen first to part one where we covered the goal and visioning exercise and the site analysis portion of our design criteria. Today we'll be starting where we left off by diving into "invisible structures and moving through the list until we've formed an actionable strategy with well defined roles and expectations. Remember, this list isn't meant to be a replacement for your own judgement or creativity as a designer, but it reflects many of the criteria that have helped us the most and what we consider to be some of the most essential bits of information and observations that can be expanded on based on the needs of your clients (or your own projects). We are constantly updating and revising this list so feel free to let us know if there are other essential criteria missing from this list or considerations that you think are important. Resources: Get the Abundant Edge design criteria checklist here * indicates required Email Address * First Name * Last Name *

The biggest challenge for our team here at Abundant Edge when it comes to holistic design is that there are just so many considerations. Climate and landscape data, client's wants and needs, economic constraints and many more can seem overwhelming but are crucial to creating designs that work in harmony with nature and solve real problems. This is why we put together our “Design Criteria Checklist” to help us remember some of the most important considerations and questions to ask when designing for individuals and organizations alike. This list isn't meant to be a replacement for your own judgement or creativity as a designer, but it reflects many of the criteria that have helped us the most and what we consider to be some of the most essential bits of information and observations that can be expanded on based on the needs of your clients (or your own projects). We are constantly updating and revising this list so feel free to let us know if there are other essential criteria missing from this list or considerations that you think are important. Don't forget to listen to the podcast episode that accompanies this list for more stories and explanations on how we've used many of the key points bellow to help us get past sticking points and challenges in our work. We hope you enjoy! Resources: Get the Abundant Edge design criteria checklist today * indicates required Email Address * First Name * Last Name *

Here we are once again to talk about the progress, projects and challenges of building the Abundant Edge homestead. On this episode Neal and I are also joined by our good friend Tim Reher. Owner of Shangrila Coffee Roasters in San Marcos just one town over from us here on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. In this episode we talk about setting up our four animal compost factory and the benefits of inoculating soil with bio-ferments and compost teas. I break down the process of slaking our own quicklime to make the mortar for laying slate stone tiles without any cement, and Tim dives in deep into the world of coffee production and processing as we investigate ways or improving the ecological impact of the industry for small producers and processors alike. This was a really fun and insightful conversation to record so I hope you enjoy it! Resources: Shangrila Coffee

Oliver Goshey is an innovator in the field of Regenerative Design and Agriculture. He took his diverse life experience and founded Abundant Edge, a firm that helps train people around the world on how they can become more connected to nature, and in the process become more secure. To learn more contact: James Cox Cell: 267 323 6936 Email: jamescoxprivateemail@gmail.com

This was an opportunity from a few months ago that I just couldn't pass up. Two of my best friends and mentors in the world of permaculture, Shad Qudsi and Zach Loeks, came together to teach a Permaculture Design Certification course and we got to sit down in the middle to talk about a wide range of topics from respecting the diversity of permaculture, exploring regenerative land management sites in local communities around Guatemala, to different landscape and soil amendment challenges in different sites. It was an blast sitting down with these two on the Abundant Edge homestead with coffee that we grew and processed ourselves so I'll hand things over now to Shad and Zach Resources: Atitland Organics on Instagram Atitlan Organics Zach Loeks on Instagram

I haven't been this excited about a project in forever. On this month's regenerative round table, I sit down with Neal Hegarty, co-founder of Abundant Edge, and Shad Qudsi, founder of Atitlan Organics, to get to scoop on our first community reforestation project and heirloom local avocado preservation effort. This has been the culmination of many years of observing the local ecology, and social fabric of our valley here in Tzununa and we're opening the doors for groups and organizations to come and learn through practice. Before I give everything away, have a listen! Resources: Atitlan Organics Service Project Link Hear more from the Abundant Edge Team

Here we are again with one of my favorite guests, Shad Qudsi. Shad has been a good friend and mentor to me and our team at Abundant Edge for years now and is the Founder of Atitlan Organics, a profitable permaculture farm and education center here on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. If you'd like to hear more from Shad and his path to permaculture farming in Guatemala you can always check out our previous interview from season one in the link in the show notes for this episode. I've invited Shad back today to help us tackle some of the most pressing questions and concerns that I hear addressed on our facebook page and on-line forums for permaculture farmers. In this interview we speak from our own experiences and context about finding the balance between farm diversity and efficiency. We also go in depth on the often-neglected subject on lifestyle around your farm and how to prevent your plant and animal-based enterprises from trapping you in a cycle of constant maintenance and preventing you from living the life you want. The modern context of regenerative farming comes with a lot of advantages but also limitations if you're not clear about the life you want to live around farming. I hope this is a discussion that many of you listeners will feel compelled to jump in on. Every context is a bit different and I look forward to hearing your take on the topic. You can always write to us on the abundant edge facebook page or email us directly at info@abundantedge.com. Now I'll hand things over to Shad Resources: Atitlan Organics Our first interview with Shad from season 1

Zach and I on my porch in Tzununa I don't always have the pleasure of interviewing my guests in person but I was fortunate this time to be able to sit down with Zach Loeks, permaculture teachers and author of the book “The Permaculture Market Garden” last week while he's down here in Guatemala co-teaching a PDC with Abundant Edge and Atitlan Organics. In this episode we had the chance to talk about a lot of subjects we missed on my first interview with him back in season one. We explore the topics of putting “culture” back in permaculture and finding ways of sharing and communicating in other forms such as art and music. Zach talks about the challenges and advantages of the high tropical climate we have and how some of the difficulties might be managed creatively. For anyone looking to get to know Zach better you can hear more about him and his background in our first interview on market gardening from season one. So lets jump back now to my little porch overlooking the lake and catch up with Zach Resources: Zach Loeks on Facebook Zach Loeks on Instagram MC Ecology on Instagram

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest today is Oliver Goshey, founder of the regenerative design and natural building company Abundant Edge, and host of the Abundant Edge podcast. During this interview we talk about natural building and designing for disasters, including the nature of and increase in these problems; the role of our ecological impacts on what is occurring; what we can do to prepare ourselves for these eventualities; a better definition for what we should call a disaster; what we can do personally and systemically to bring about preventative change so we can be proactive rather than reactive; and why we need to abandon the concept of sustainability. Quite a lot to cover, but all applicable to your daily permaculture practices. -- Oliver and I did have another conversation not long after recording this one, in which he recorded me for an episode of the Abundant Edge Podcast on how we can live regeneratively without abandoning society. -- For Patreon supporters, I'm giving away a copy of the book Oliver mentioned, The Hand-Sculpted House (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2002). Look for that in your feed on Wednesday, April 18, and I'll draw the winner on Thursday, April 26. Not a Patreon supporter but want to enter? Go to Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast, select the reward level that suits your needs, and sign up today. -- Get in Touch with the Show Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast -- Support the Podcast Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, have you made a one-time donation? I ask because for with all the episodes released since 2010, totaling millions of downloads, this show exists thanks to the generosity of around 500 people, total, who have donated in the last 7 years. That is an average of just 1 listener per episode giving their support. Will you take today to make a difference for permaculture? Make a one-time donation online by going to: paypal.me/permaculturepodcast Contact: The Permaculture Podcast Resources: Abundant Edge Abundant Edge Facebook Page (Company) The Abundant Edge Facebook Page (Podcast) Cob Cottage Company Cob Cottage Company Apprenticeship The Hand-Sculpted House (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2002) How to live regeneratively without abandoning society with Scott Mann, - - where Oliver interviews me. Why Cape Town is Running Out of Water, and Who's Next (NatGeo)

Hey everyone! We're back with another regenerative round table with the whole Abundant Edge team to fill you in on the projects, challenges, and of course goats here on our regenerative homestead in Guatemala. In this session we talk about the work we've been doing on the landscape and the house over the last month, but also break down a few key concepts that have to be considered in any design such as the nuances of your climate. Neal and I talk about training new members of the team from our local community, and Jeremy breaks down why you should start a nursery as soon as possible and the many benefits of living fences. We also get into other topics like build project planning, planning for the seasons with your goats, answer listener questions, and much more. Don't forget to send your own questions to our team at "The Abundant Edge" facebook page and we'll do our best to answer them for you in upcoming episodes of the podcast.

Welcome to the first "Regenerative Round Table" with the Abundant Edge team. In this new segment we got together at the AE demonstration homestead to have one of our regular evening chats, but this time we turned the mics on and gave it a bit of structure. In this episode we talk about the design and implementation strategy for the site, the apprentice and volunteer program that we're in the middle of, and we also answer listener questions from the facebook page about biochar production and plant propagation. This is our first time recording our discussions, so bear with us as we get a bit of a slow start in the episode, but pick up the pace and the laughs real quickly. If you would like your own questions answered by the AE team, you can write to us on The Abundant Edge Podcast facebook page either in a message or by publishing on the wall and we'll do our best to answer you on our monthly round table sessions. Resources: The Abundant Edge FB Page

Wow! Here we are on the last episode of season 1 and I have a really valuable interview for all of you to wrap up the season. Over the last year we've talked so much about the regeneration of landscapes and ecosystems through permaculture as well as natural building techniques and materials, but to end on a bit of a different note, I spoke with Breanne Gibson, founder of Circular Nutrition to talk about some unexpected ways to apply holistic design and living practices to our own lives. Breanne is a leading holistic nutritionist, live food expert, and permaculture practitioner who talks to us about cultivating a regenerative ecosystem within ourselves through healthy eating and lifestyle choices. She dives in deep into the controversial topics of GMO foods, fad diets, and digestive issue treatment. Breanne even gives me a mini consultation in which we go over my own history of digestive illness and discuss how antibiotics, parasites, and diet can contribute to gut disbiosis and some ways to get back to optimum health. I can only imagine how many comments and discussions that these topics will spark, just for how personal everyone's opinions about health and nutrition are these days. The truth is, I've really become fascinated by all of the ways that permaculture design and regenerative project management can be applied to other areas of life besides the more commonly associated land based renewal projects, and you can look forward to hearing a lot more about those topics when season two begins on February 2, of 2018. But don't forget to keep listening to our little in-between episodes where I'll give some early enrollment information for our upcoming regenerative homesteading apprenticeship, the 2018 workshop schedule and information on how to get your questions answered by our panel of experts all coming up in season two so stick around after the interview to hear more about that. This is another information dense interview so you might want to grab your notebooks for this one For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Breanne on Facebook Circular Nutrition homepage

My guest today is here to demystify one of the aspects of permaculture design that I hear the most questions about, but also one of the issues that I see folks most entrenched in their viewpoints about. I'm talking about earthworks; one of the first aspects that people implement and the most permanent change made in a landscape. Today I've got Douglas Barnes, author of “permaculture earthworks” and owner director of EcoEdge Design Ltd. to answer our questions and take the guess work out of the subject of terrain changes. In this interview Douglas talks about the best way to map out contours on the land, some of the most effective ways to harvest rainwater on a site, how to link up various earthwork and containment systems to make them work in tandem, and most importantly, he talks in detail about many of the safety concerns that many people have no idea about when it comes to installing swales and dams. There's a ton of valuable information in this session but don't forget to check out his book “permaculture earthworks” for some essential formulas on calculating for swales, water catchments and so much more. Make sure to keep listening at the end of the interview to hear how you can win your own free copy of the book as well. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Permaculture Reflections Blog The Permaculture Earthworks Handbook EcoEdge Ltd

I have a very knowledgeable and experienced guest from the world of natural building for ya'll, Rohan Sutherland from Earthship biotecture is here to talk about one of the most famous and recognizable icons of the natural building movement in the last 30 years. Rohan began in international social and environmental work before getting involved with earthship biotecture after being inspired by their on the ground work around the world and the appropriate technology and design that they promoted. Rohan has some amazing stories to tell from his international work, but more than anything he goes into great details about the systems and techniques that earthships exhibit and promote which facilitate off-grid, self sustainable living and integration of their structures with the environment. In this interview we talk at length about indoor food production systems, water harvesting and reuse, and how earthships can be improved and adapted further by using more natural materials. Rohan even talks about the catch 22 of self sustainable living and how it can have a negative impact on community development and connection if not managed correctly. This is another very information dense interview so get your notebooks ready For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability.

In this special episode I'll be giving a detailed look at the design criteria that we use here at Abundant Edge to work on all kinds of regenerative projects. What's important to know about the design criteria list is that it's meant to be a concise and easy-to-follow guide to making responsible and insightful choices. The list is constantly evolving and updating with the experience gained by the Abundant Edge team and I. Keep an eye out for updated and revised versions in the future as we refine our systems and processes. And if any of you have questions for me, or any of the other team members, you can reach us directly on our Facebook page by searching "Abundant Edge." Leave your questions and comments there as posts or private messages, and we'll either answer them as soon as possible or maybe in a future podcast or blog post. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Get the Abundant Edge design criteria PDF

This is one of the most delicious applications of large scale permaculture I can think of. Just the idea of chocolate, cardamom and coffee makes my mouth water. In this episode Neal Hegarty of Abundant Edge interviews Lorenzo Maniet, the owner and director of El Porvenir cacao finca in Guatemala. El Porvenir is the most impressive agroforestry system you'll ever find in which large scale cacao, cardamom, and coffee production are grown in the shade of larger hardwood trees for the best health of each species. Lorenzo has taken great care to save “criollo” or indigenous species of cacao from extinxion and as a result is producing the highest quality and most deliscious chocolate in the world, all on a regenerative farm model that's building soil with agroforestry and silvopasture practices. What's more is this unparalleled farm will be the site for the new Permaculture Design Certification course run by the instructors from Abundant Edge where students will get to learn all about the succesive models of planting that got this place up and running, and will help to design a zone 1 and 2 space for intensive food production for the finca. Go to abundantedge.com to learn more about the courses. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Jungle Wisdom PDC with Abundant Edge Dalileo Chocolate El Porvenir Finca

S2E1 of Naturally Smart people begins with a conversation with Oliver Goshey who runs the Abundant Edge project. Oliver talks about Natural Building, design and well-being.

I'm especially happy to bring you today's interview because I'll be speaking with one of the natural builders who's most influenced and helped me out to get to where I am today running a profitable natural building and regenerative design company. His name is Charlie Rendall and he's the owner of Return to the Forest, a natural design and building firm in the next town over from me in San Marcos la Laguna here in Guatemala. For 13 years Charlie has been living in this little lake-side community and first started learning to build while working on structure on his own land. Through help from other colleagues and friends who got him interested in building with bamboo, Charlie gradually trained himself and a group of local construction workers to build and design some of the most impressive natural buildings that I've seen anywhere in the world. I first met Charlie in May of 2016 when I reached out to him to interview him for an article on my website the last time I was traveling in Guatemala. I was so inspired by his work that I arranged with him to come back as an intern in order to learn more about bamboo and managing larger contracts and designs. I then lived and worked with him for four months and learned so much that has helped me in all aspects as a builder and business owner. In this interview we'll be going into detail about bamboo as a building material and many of its' advantages and disadvantages. Charlie goes into how its' produced and treated for use in construction as well as how to maintain it so that it lasts as long as possible and performs well. Don't forget to check out his website at returntotheforest.org and have a look at the pictures of some of the many incredible projects that he's worked on over the years. There will be links to all of it in the show notes for this episode on the website as well. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: The Bambu Guesthouse project pictures returntotheforest.org

Most of you will already be familiar with the name Joel Salatin and his immense and incredible work with Polyface farm and all of his books, but you've probably never thought of him primarily as a businessman. In this episode we get to talk to Joel about his new book "Your Successful Farm Business" which he describes as a graduate level resource for anyone aspiring to make a living in a regenerative land based enterprise. This book is heavy on the entrepreneurial side of farming and covers everything from direct marketing to maximizing the efficiency of your operations. Joel also talks a lot about how his own farm has changed over time to accommodate new demands and trends in the market and how his designs and strategies have morphed to meet the new new food economy. This is a really information heavy interview so you'll likely want to have a notebook on hand for this one. I would also love to hear from you if you have any stories from your own farming business to share with the community. Enjoy! For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Polyface Farm Joel's books

This is honestly one of my favorite interviews that I've yet done and I'll tell you why. In this interview I got to talk with one of my heroes in the regenerative farming world, Richard Perkins. Many of you probably already know Richard and Ridgedale farm from all of the amazingly informative videos and seminars he's put out on YouTube. I came across Richard about 8 months ago and nearly binge watched all of his material online. In just a few short seasons, Richard and a small team have taken a severely degraded small farm in northern Sweden at 59 degrees north from mediocre mono-crop production into a profitable diverse and regenerative permaculture site that produces veggies, eggs, broiler hens, and much more, with longer term plans of food forests and perennial systems beginning to mature. Now I almost never go over an hour in my interviews unless the subject matter is really good, so the fact that this one is just over an hour and 20 should tell you something. Richard starts by explaining why it's so important to bring back small mixed production farms all over the world and then jumps right into practical and actionable information by going over the 7 tenants of regenerative agriculture that he's outlined as the most important aspects to aim for. We also talked at length about how to solve the farm cash flow problem by finding alternative models and markets to sell to, how to intensify rather than merely grow your farm enterprises, how to holistically develop key ecosystems on the farm by building soil, and a whole lot more. This is definitely an interview you'll want to listen to with a notebook on hand, and don't forget to check out the links to some of the projects we mention in the interview in the show notes on the website. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Ridgedale Permaculture Farm Alan Savory's holistic land management The Pleistocene Project

I have an unusual interview for ya'll today since I actually wont be the one conducting the interview. Instead, Neal Hegarty, one of the lead designers and team members here at Abundant Edge will be taking the reigns since he's actually known Alex Kronick of Caoba farms in Antigua Guatemala for years and is good friends with him. Now I call Alex, the most impressive permaculturalist you've never heard of because he likes to keep a low profile, but to his credit, his farm and enterprises are truly impressive. He co-manages an incredibly diverse biointensive market garden within the town that also has a farm to table restaurant, farmers market and organic local goods store. Around the periferies of the farm he raises many varieties of animals, fruit trees, perrenial crops and bokashi composting. He's raises snails and has an exoitic plant nursery and seed saving operation. It's the most complete and functional permaculture operation that I've seen anywhere in the world. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: https://youtu.be/IRFc-OajjAk Caoba Farms Link to the book Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Beyond the Doors of Perception into the Dreaming of Earth Neal Hegarty's Interview

I've gotten a lot of requests over the last few months from people asking if I can do more on woodworking and especially timber framing, so today's episode is for you good folks. Today I'll be speaking with Skip Dewhirst, who has been a professional wood worker for more than 30 years and has taught over 100 classes in furniture making, woodworking, timber framing and natural building at places like Rocky Mountain Workshops, Dartmouth College, Rancho Mastatal, Bona Fide, and Mao Organic Farm in Hawaii. In this interview Skip talks about the differences between the main styles of timber framing around the world, box framing, cruck framing and aisled framing, the many types of joints and tools used in the trade, and even gives practical advice for owner-builders and novices starting out. We go deep into different infill materials and techniques for the wall systems and the different considerations to take into account if you're building in a cold or hot climate. There are a lot of technical terms in this episode and a lot of explanations of techniques that are might not make sense unless you see pictures, so I've put a whole list of resources and visual aids in the show notes on the website to make it easier to follow along, so just go to abundantedge.com and click on the podcast tab in the navigation bar to find this and all previous episodes. links to different tools, reviews and pictures Diagrams of different joints and terms For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: yestermorrow design/build school Rancho Mastatal timber frame HQ the timber framer's guild hawaii timber frame course

I'm really excited for today's episode because I get to talk to a close friend of mine, Jeremy Fellows. Now Jeremy has been studying and working in permaculture for ten years and has tons of experience in botany, horticulture and soil science. He and I actually first met when we were hired to collaborate on a project for a client here in Guatemala and we've been friends ever since and have continued to work on lots of other projects. All this has lead up to the collaboration that he and I have with another team member of ours, Neal Hegarty, on a small regenerative demonstration farm that we just broke ground on recently. In this interview Jeremy and I talk a lot about how the farm was designed to prioritize water and soil management as well as biodiversity while making a much better than average profit when compared to other small-holding farms in the region. I also let Jeremy geek out on aquatic food systems, climate resilience, land conservation vs regenerative management and tons more. He even talks in detail about how he designed much of the incredible landscape at the Yoga Forest, a retreat center located in a really challenging location. Before I turn things over to Jeremy I just want to give a heads up that there will be more information on the first ever Abundant Edge complete Permaculture Design Course starting in January so stick around for that at the end and check out the links in the show notes when you're done. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Jeremy's Profile The Yoga Forest

Our guest today is Lydia Doleman, an accomplished natural builder and educator as well as the founder of “flying hammer,” a natural building company based in southern oregon. The company focuses on pushing the boundaries of affordable and energy efficient housing, training people and communities in various building skills, and infusing the dreary urban fabric with structures that reflect beauty, sustainability and community. Lydia is also the author of “Light Straw Clay,” one of the volumes in the sustainable building essentials series which will be the focus of this interview. In this episode we go in depth about the world of light straw clay and it's wide range of applications and the nuts and bolts of the building technique. We talk about permanent and temporary form work, larsen trusses and split stud framing, different options of plastering and sheathing the walls, and the advantages and challenges of building with clay straw. I would highly recommend this interview for anyone looking to build a hybrid structure or to renovate an existing conventional building because of how easy it is to use these techniques in traditional homes. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: theflyinghammer.com

We're really excited about today's guest Robert Pavlis. Robert is a master gardener who has designed and cultivated his own world class private botanical garden on his property in Ontario, Canada and is the author of both gardening myths and building natural ponds. In today's episode we'll be focusing on natural ponds, and Robert's successes and learning experience in mimicking nature to bring all the benefits of a pond into his garden environment. In this interview Robert talks in detail about the increased biodiversity both in the water and along the shores that a pond attracts. We go into pond lining options, simple diagnostics for water quality, design considerations and much more. Now some of you permies and regenerative landscaping folks might find that this interview is a bit heavy on the residential and gardening perspective, and you'd be right, so I would challenge you to leave comments on the abundant edge facebook page or in the comments sections under this episode on the website if you'd like to challenge any of the information in this interview or offer a different perspective on pond construction. But honestly, I think just about anyone will find a gold mine of information in here and Robert does a fantastic job of breaking down the design and installation into really easy to follow steps that we know will empower you to build a pond of your own, and if that's the case then stay tuned at the end of the interview to see how you can win your very own copy of the book, Building Natural Ponds.  For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources:gardenmyths.com/ robertpavlis.com/

My guest today is Matt Powers, the inspirational author of The Permaculture Student, both 1 and 2. He's also the creator of three successful kickstarter campaigns building advanced courses for permaculture designers as well as educators for many different age levels on a broad range of topics including regenerative landscape management, vegetable gardening, forest farming, and much more. In this interview Matt talks at length about the family emergency that caused him to change his priorities and the way he interacts with his food systems and landscape. He also gives invaluable advice on the most effective steps anyone can take to make sure that their efforts and money are going to support ecosystem regeneration and divert it away from the destructive practices of industrial farming. We also talk about is upcoming advanced online permaculture course with a huge roster of the best instructors and change-makers working today For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: The kickstarter project http://www.thepermaculturestudent.com/

Today I have a guest with a truly remarkable story and journey into natural building. Atulya Bingham is the author of “Mud Ball” and Mud Mountain, both of which cover her incredible experiences moving to the countryside in Turkey and learning to build her own home with earth bags. She has also written numerous educational manuals on earth bag building, clay plasters and much more as well as blogging about her experiences. In this interview Atulya talks about how she first moved onto her bare land in rural Turkey after some economic struggles and learned to do without the comforts that she'd grown accustomed to. We also go into detail about tons of natural building techniques including earth bag construction, applications of limecrete, pros and cons of earth bags when compared to other earthen building techniques and much more. Atulya also talks a lot about her process and journey that many of you who are making, or have already made transitions in your lifestyle will certainly relate to. I also caught up with her as she travels around northern Spain and talks a lot about this new transition of her own. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: themudhome.com

This week's interview is with a good personal friend of mine who is an awesome farmer and experimenter with plants, especially trees. I first met Brock Barker through some mutual friends when he came down here to Lake Atitlan to co-teach on a PDC with some colleagues of mine. Now Brock is the founder and owner of “The Brockoli Patch,” a permaculture farm and orchard outside of Lafayete, Louisiana on which manages an incredibly diverse and productive landscape. In this interview Brock talks about how taking a permaculture course with the Bullock brothers in Washington state and seeing a mature permaculture system for the first time changed his perspective and way of doing things on his own farm which was originally a market gardening operation. He goes into detail about the fruit tree guilds that keep his perennials strong and healthy, and shares some wisdom from his experiences, trials and errors over the years. This is a really relate-able conversation with tons of great tips for people who are just getting started For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: The Brockoli Patch on FB Profile of the farm

This is gonna be a pretty special episode in that I'll actually be interviewing a man who has seen an incredible transformation in “conventional” farming during his lifetime. My guest is Roland James, but to me he's my Grandpa. Now Roland grew up in a small farming community in the midlands of England near the southern border of Wales. He well remembers the very first tractors coming onto his family's farm in the early 1940s. Before then all of the fields were plowed with horses or oxen. As he grew up he took over the family farm and adapted to the rapidly changing industry just as the rest of the farmers around him were doing. The stories and perspectives that my Grandpa has are a great reminder of how recent the technological ways of farming really are. As he often tells me, he's seen the first mechanization of simple tasks on the land all the way to fully automated machinery that communicates with satellites to gauge the amount of fertilizer that it spreads on different parts of the farm. All this in one person's lifetime. This interview is a remarkable look into just how much our food supply systems have changed in such a short time and why many “conventional” farmers struggle to break out of the cycle of debt that keeps them buying industrial chemicals to mitigate the damage being done to their ecosystem. I hope you find as much value in this perspective as I do and that it will help you better understand how we got into the modern farming systems that we now have. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability.

In this episode I got to interview one of my personal heroes Erik Ohlsen. Now Erik wears a lot of hats, he's the founder and director of both Permaculture Artisans, a landscape and design company, and the Permaculture Skills Center, an amazing trade school based in sepastapol ca. Erik also writes and publishes books for adults and children with his company, Storyscapes. In this interview Erik talks in detail about how he's built synergy and connection into all of his business endeavors. We talk about how he's designed the courses for the permaculture skills center to include mentoring and the profound effect that mentorships have had on his own journey, and we also get into the the skills that aspiring permaculturalists should work to build that aren't necessarily taught in a PDC. This session is chalk full of practical insights and advice For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: http://www.permacultureartisans.com/

I'm really excited about today's guest. In this episode I'll be speaking to Tom Duncan, one of the visionary leaders behind Aquabiofilter, a water cleaning and regeneration company based in Melbourne, AU. Tom has been involved in some of the most ambitious and successful watershed cleanup operations in history with major projects in China, Malaysia, and Australia that have helped to restore lakes, rivers and wildlife reserves. I became inspired by Tom's work after seeing his webinar presentation on the Sustainable Design Masterclass with Neal Spackman and Raleigh Latham a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to share his insights with all of you. In this interview Tom talks about how he got started in water restoration and cleanup, the biology behind how wetland plants, and specifically their root systems help to filter and absorb excessive nutrients and toxins from the water, and the ingenious floating wetlands that he helped to design based on the ancient indigenous systems that utilize natural materials to create rafts that can be farmed. Tom also discusses some of the ways that all of us can get involved and start helping to clean and manage the contamination levels in our own watershed. This is a really informative interview so for those of you as excited about the potential of regenerating damaged water systems with plants and natural materials, grab your notebooks For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: http://www.aquabiofilter.com/

today's episode is going to be a bit unusual in that I'll be stepping over to the other side of the microphone as my good friend and permaculture blogger Mike Vair Haley writer of the blog Permaculture Hami asked me to do an interview with him for an article. Mike is a teacher/traveler spending this year going around the world and documenting interesting sustainable designs along the way. He also writes a lot about how permaculture can be applied in unexpected ways such as in finance, government, and business. I highly recommend that you check out his blog at https://permaculturehami.blogspot.com and I'll also have a link to it in the show notes of this episode on the website. Since he wanted to know more about natural building and natural materials, we sat down on my front porch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and just made a fun conversation out of it. In our little session Mike and I talk about what natural building really means, and why I'm so careful to include the full spectrum of materials and even waste stream products in the definition. We get into ways of creating a more healthy and regenerative living space with natural renovations in industrial homes and I end up geeking out about everything from the intricacies of regenerative ecological design, some common myths and misconceptions about natural building, and even some really simple and actionable steps to making and applying your own clay based plaster in your home. Now normally I give more of an introduction and background for my guests but since I've already introduced myself and talked about my own history back in episode 1 of this show, I'll spare you all the repetition and anyone who's interested can always have a listen to the abundant edge intro episode. So here's me and Mike Vair Haley talking natural building For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: Permaculture Hami Blog the real cost of a natural building earthen plasters article soil testing article

Rhidi D'CruzMark Lakeman I have an extra special interview for all of you today. In this episode I've got not one, but two visionary change makers from the community restoration non-profit City Repair, which is based in Portland Oregon. I've got Ridhi D'Cruz, the co-director of City Repair, and the founder and co-director, Mark Lakeman. They each come from very different backgrounds, but have united to foster thriving, inclusive and sustainable communities through the creative reclamation of public space. City Repair also facilitates artistic and ecologically-oriented placemaking through projects that honor the interconnection of human communities and the natural world. I know that all sounds a bit complicated, but what's worth knowing is that a large part of their projects involve permaculture garden installations and community spaces built with natural materials, all in urban environments where those types of projects have traditionally been hard to get approved In this interview, Mark and Ridhi go in depth about the concept of placemaking and why it's so essential in our modern communities. Mark gives incredible insights into the history of colonial advancement through the Americas and how it shaped the landscape and our build environment into one that isolates us from one another. Ridhi goes on to explain their annual event called the Village Building Convergence and how their work has already had an amazing impact on the interconnectedness of the people they've worked with in unexpected ways. At the end, both of them give invaluable advice on how you can take up the mantle and effectively create and facilitate connections in your own community. The answers may surprise you. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: http://www.cityrepair.org/

My Guest today is Elvira Di'Brigit, the author of the new book “Why We Farm” which is an investigation into the whole truth about life as a modern day farmer. Viewed through the lens of the environment within the Capay Valley of northern California, each chapter features a different model of farming. In each profile, farmers share the stories behind their work and their lives on the farm; the business side of production, the personal challenges they face, and words of advice for the would-be-farmer.  The book asks hard questions and gives a reverent yet realistic picture of a thriving local food system. In this interview Elvira talks about how she first came to the Capay Valley and her motivations behind wanting to live a farming lifestyle. We talk about how the farmers profiled in her book tell a larger story of modern farming in the United States, and even the trends and challenges facing the agricultural industry around the world. Elvira also gives a unique perspective into the growing community outreach that is strengthening the bonds in the valley and fostering a larger network of resilience that should be inspiring for anyone living a rural community. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: on facebook http://whywefarmcapay.com/

My guest today is none other than Curtis Stone, author of The Urban Farmer. For the better part of a decade, Curtis has been pushing the boundaries of organic gardening in the city and proving through his carefully documented processes that making a profit on small acreage and borrowed land is realistic. H's also the host of a fantastic youtube channel which is practically an ongoing master level course for aspiring urban farmers and small scale market gardeners. In this interview Curtis shares his incredible formulas for farming on land that you don't own and how to select plants that will give you a maximum profit in a small space. He also goes into some of the most common mistakes that city farmers make, and gives great advice on the first steps you should take to starting a profitable farm in an urban setting. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Listen in at the end of this podcast to find out how you can win your own copy of "The Urban Farmer" from New Society Publishers Resources: greencityacres.com profitableurbanfarming.com https://www.youtube.com/user/urbanfarmercstone

My guest today is Gabriel Franklin, master plasterer and the owner of the company “The Art of Plaster.” Gabriel grew up with a father who was a designer and builder who shared much of his trade with him from a young age. From the age of thirteen, Gabriel started on his dad's bucket and cleanup crew and has been working in plastering and finish work ever since. As an artist and nature enthusiast he has traveled all over the American northeast and even as far as Australia with his trade and dedication to giving blank walls a voice with clay, lime, and gypsum plasters, saying he is inspired by artistic design and how natural materials can accentuate one's personal experience within a living space. In this interview Gabriel explains the difference in performance and characteristics of clay, lime and gypsum. He goes into detail about the importance of prep work and the variety of additives he uses to get specific finish effects and ad strength to his mixes. We even talk about some tricks of the trade and much more. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resource: http://theartofplaster.com/ The Art of Plaster on Instagram Sigi Koko on the The Abundant Edge http://americancollegeofthebuildingarts.com/

My guest today is Zach Loeks. The owner of the 50 acre Kula Permaculture farm in the Ottawa Valley of Ontario, Canada. There they run a local CSA, grow over 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits, nuts and trees , and even offer yoga retreats and children's summer camps. Zach is also the author of the book “The Permaculture Market Garden” which is an in depth guide to the techniques that he's developed and refined over many years of running this multifaceted and profitable farm. In this interview Zach talks about how growing up on a permaculture homestead in northern New Mexico helped to give reference as he developed and grew Kula farm. He also talks in detail about his permabed system designed, profit resilience, and finding a balance between the diversity needed in a permaculture farm and the focus and efficiency needed to make a profit. This interview is chalk full of practical advice and information that you can take and apply to your own gardening project no matter what the size, so grab a notebook and I'll turn things over to Zach. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: https://www.kulafarm.ca/

My guest today is Hannah Eckberg. Along with being the co-founder, editor and creative director of Permaculture Magazine of North America, she has also been the president of “get oil out” which was recognized as the US's first grass roots activist organization when she was only 19 and also the United Hemp council promoting the agricultural and environmental benefits of hemp. As a self described “optimizer” she is always looking for ways to make things better and look at them from different view points. In this interview, Hannah talks about her experiences and lessons as grass roots organizer, and now as an editor how she's helping to promote positive voices for change and regeneration in the permaculture community and beyond. She also gives invaluable advice on how to make a difference in community organization and empowerment. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: https://permaculturemag.org/

My guest today is Tamara Dean, the author of the book “the Human Powered Home: choosing muscles over motors” which is an in depth look into the history, advancement, and modern applications of human powered machines. Having just finished reading this I can honestly say that I was immediately inspired to start building and using these machines myself. It covers the full range of people powered devices from treadle sewing machines, prisoner powered treadmills and cotton gins, to bicycles, see-saw water pumps and pedal generators. In later chapters, Tamara profiles people and organizations that are applying human powered devices to appropriate technologies that stimulate economies in developing regions, empower people to take on new projects on their own steam, and even just improve your health and fitness. In this interview Tamara talks about her inspiration to write “the human powered home” and some of the machines she built herself while researching for the book. She also gives advice on some of the most efficient and less efficient tasks to power on your own, some of which are based on her own successes and failures. For "The Abundant Edge" listeners only, you can now get 50% off your digital subscriptions to Permaculture Magazine North America by entering the code PMNA50abedge at checkout. Get your subscription today and dive deep into the local and global solutions that go beyond sustainability. Resources: Pedal Powered Prime Mover Plans http://www.mayapedal.org/ http://tamaradean.media/ https://www.newsociety.com/Books/H/The-Human-Powered-Home

Today's a special episode. It's an interview that I did, but on the other side of the microphone. The episode you will hear today is a replay of an interview I did with Oliver Goshey of The Abundant Edge. The focus of it all centers around the lessons I have learned doing what I do every day. If you like what you hear in this episode and you want to hear more from Oliver, check out theabudnantedge.com where he has a variety of podcast episodes in the archive spanning topics from permaculture to one of his specialties, natural building.  One of the subjects I don't ever touch because I am not very knowledgeable on the subject, but Oliver is. But that's not the case in this one, because I touch on a subject I know very well, failing. I tried to keep it real in this one, I hope you get a lot out of it, enjoy it. Listen to hundreds of more episodes in the archives at www.permaculturevoices.com/podcast Support the show at www.permaculturevoices.com/support

Todays guest is a good friend of mine who has recently become a member of the Abundant Edge team. His name is Neal Hegerty and he's the volunteer coordinator and co-teacher at Atitlan Organics here in Tzununa, Guatemala. Neal grew up in Ireland and spent a lot of time around his uncle's dairy farm when he was young. He went on to study agriculture in science and began to learn more about alternative methods of farming during his travels and volunteering on wwoof farms. He later went on to get his masters in agriculture and development studies. In this session we talk about many progressive agricultural techniques such as holistic land management, silvopasture, strip grazing and more. Neal also shares his experiences from managing volunteers from all over the world, and how cattle farming can actually be good for the environment. Resources: http://imapermaculture.org/ http://www.atitlanorganics.com/

Welcome to the very first interview on "The Abundant Edge." In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with William Horvath, founder of "Permaculture Apprentice." William studied permaculture in Australia before quitting his job as a geologist for the mining industry there and moved with his wife back to Croatia where he is from originally. For years now he's been developing his own permaculture paradise and writing and educating about his experiences on his site permacultureapprentice.com. He has also begun teaching permaculture courses for people looking to start their own farms and transition to a regenerative lifestyle. I particularly recommend his series of webinars at the Ecolonomic Action Team here. Resources: https://permacultureapprentice.com/ https://www.eatcommunity.com/products/eat-free-team/categories/188834 This is the link to William's webinar series on starting a permaculture farm

Welcome to the very first episode of "The Abundant Edge." In this introductory episode I'll introduce the concept and motivation behind starting the podcast and introduce myself, Oliver Goshey, by explaining how I got interested in regenerative living practices and the journey I've gone through to get where I am as a natural builder and permaculture designer.  As always, these episodes are meant to be a dialogue and conversation starter more than a lecture series. Especially in these early days of getting the podcast up and running I really appreciate feedback, comments, ideas, whatever. I want to hear from you! If you enjoyed this episode please share it with your friends or others who you think might benefit from the information and insights in these episodes. I'm looking forward to making these as useful and informative for everyone looking to make the world and our environment a better place.