Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Falk

At this point I've taken a lot of courses and trainings around water management and earthworks, but I'm still always curious to stay up to date on new takes and styles of working with water and shaping the landscape to optimize water capture on the terrain. I've talked to Ben Falk a couple of times in the past and I've always enjoyed his take on the need to build deep relationships with the systems we design and build, but in the past we never focused on water. In this episode, I reconnect with Ben, and we dive into water management and his new course on pond design and management. Ben explains the comprehensive focus of the course, covering site evaluation, water storage, pond construction, and long-term maintenance. He discusses the significance of water management in permaculture and restoration, addressing key considerations for pond building, such as erosion control and flood mitigation. The conversation also explores the ecological and culinary potential of ponds, emphasizing their role in enhancing microclimates, providing habitat, and offering diverse food sources. Ben shares insights on how ponds benefit both wet and dry climates by replenishing groundwater and managing floodwaters effectively. The episode highlights the importance of small, decentralized water systems and the myriad ecological benefits ponds offer.

In this episode from 2011 I was joined by Ben Falk who developed Whole Systems Design, as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. We discussed permaculture, growing rice in cold climates, hill side agriculture, site evaluation, saving money, uncommon crops and more. Today's episode of Friday Flashbacks was originally published on 10-24-11 and was originally Episode-771- Ben Falk on Growing Rice in Cold Climates with Permaculture. The show notes for the original episode with all relevant resources can be found here. Welcome to Friday Flashbacks, after 16 years and … Continue reading →

How can we better understand (and care for) the world around us? Be more in sync with nature? Become better attuned to what grows and lives in our own backyard? Permaculturist and author Ben Falk offers his candid thoughts on how to do just this. He starts with his own story, explaining how he went from "tree hugger" to where he is today (more than an "environmentalist" in the traditional sense of the word). He goes over the permaculture zones and other basics for how to best interact with our environment, reviews how to make the most of our resources (yes, even human "waste"), and ultimately how to collaborate with nature for a brighter future for all of us. Visit Ben's website: wholesystemsdesign.com Find Weston A. Price Foundation resources in Spanish. Check out our sponsors: Optimal Carnivore and Paleo Valley.

Is the perception of too many managers in the NHS is a myth?  Ben Falk, a director of operations at Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust, shares his journey into healthcare and his role as a director. He discusses the day-to-day responsibilities of a director of operations and the challenges of workforce planning. Ben also addresses the perception of too many managers in the NHS and emphasises the importance of collaboration and valuing all roles within the organisation. Ben & Tara's key takeaways from this episode: Workforce planning in the NHS involves attracting and recruiting the right talent, highlighting the benefits of working in the NHS, and showcasing the diverse range of roles available. Creating a culture of collaboration involves fostering communication, recognising and valuing all roles within the organisation, and breaking down barriers. Personal experiences and backgrounds can help leaders relate to and understand the challenges faced by different roles within the organisation. Managing stress is important in healthcare, and individuals can find different strategies that work for them. Building a network and seeking peer support can be valuable for career development. Work with THC Primary Care I'm Tara Humphrey and I'm the founder of THC Primary Care, a leading healthcare consultancy. I provide project and network management to Primary Care Networks and consulting support to clinical leads.  To date, I've worked with 11 Training Hubs and supported over 120 Primary Care Networks and 3 GP Federations.  I understand and appreciate the complexity of healthcare and what it takes to deliver projects across multiple practices. I have over 20 years of project management and business development experience across the private and public sector and have an MBA in Leadership and Management in Healthcare. I'm also published in the London Journal of Primary Care and the author of over 250 blogs. For more weekly insights and advice sign up to my newsletter. Improving the Business of Healthcare – One episode at a time… Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Business of Healthcare Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe, leave your honest review, and share your favourite episodes on social media.  Find us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn or visit our website: THC Primary Care.

Hunter Hughes and Josh Pacheco discuss Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut, NBA discipline procedures, a conversation with Warrior Football special teams player and punter Ben Falk, and more.

My guest for this episode is Ben Falk. If you don't know Ben, he's the author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead, 20 Years of Permaculture and Whole Systems Design, which I would describe as THE homesteading manual and is the result of decades of Ben's life in Vermont designing, implementing, and maintaining regenerative polycultures systems. Ben is very well known in the permaculture world, but isn't known so much in the wine world… which seemed a shame to me, as he has immense practical knowledge to share that would be useful to those of us growing wine. We cover many topics, as usual, in this conversation. From the state of the world, to learning how to design your life to be able to spend more time working in the land. And we get practical about many aspects of growing and maintaining fruiting perennials… which is my catch all term for grapes, apples, pears, berries, etc that we use to make wine. I've been thinking a lot about how owners of smaller vineyards can incorporate grazing, since the larger ruminants like sheep and cows are difficult to keep in any significant numbers without a good bit of land. Ben loves working with cows more than sheep, as it turns out, and has some great suggestions about how to protect your fruiting perennials from them. But we also dig into geese, which are also amazing grazers for smaller vineyards and orchards, and have their own nuances, as well as ducks, chickens, fencing, livestock guardian dogs, and more. Also, Ben has some beautiful things to say about mead making and has very much inspired me to consider mead making. Ben asks us to consider resilience in our winemaking. What kind of winegrowing and making can we continue to do indefinitely? What kind of wine makes our land continually healthier and more lush? What kind of winemaking makes our lives happier and more energetic? What kind of winemaking can continue to nourish us regardless of the changing whims and trends of the wine market? I think you'll find that Ben has some great insights into answering these questions. https://www.wholesystemsdesign.com/ Support this episode by subscribing via patreon. Or by donating or taking action at: Beyond Organic Wine Sponsor: Centralas Wine

Despite the popularity of permaculture, homesteading, regen ag, and all these other buzz terms we hear, many of the people promoting these ideas, including myself, are quite new and inexperienced. It's still rare to find people who can offer insight and wisdom from decades or a whole lifetime of living with regenerative systems. Sure, you can still find quite a few hardy old timers who know a lot about resilience and self sufficiency, but even though there is a ton of wisdom to be gleaned from those life experiences I've found many of them lacking in the whole picture, systems level thinking that informs a regenerative world view. I've been lucky enough to interview and highlight some of those voices on this show in the past, and today is another example of a person who's work and life philosophy has been a big inspiration to me. Many of you may know Ben Falk as the developer of Whole Systems Design, LLC, his company created as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as a proving ground for the regenerative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds a master's degree in land-use planning and design. He has conducted more than 650 site development and land inspection consultations across the US and abroad, and has facilitated dozens of courses on property selection, permaculture design, and resilient systems. He has given keynote addresses and presented dozens of workshops at venues ranging from Bioneers to the Omega Institute. Ben is the author of the award-winning book The Resilient Farm and Homestead (Chelsea Green, 2013) and serves as an Advisory Council for the international regeneration group Ecosystem Restoration Camps, which is incidentally how I first got in touch with him back when I worked with that organization. Today we'll be going beyond the typical talking points of regenerative design principles, reading the landscape and life hacks for permaculture enthusiasts, partly because we already went over them in the first interview he and I did together a couple seasons ago. Instead, Ben and I explore the reflections he has on over two decades of living the lifestyle that he designs and promotes for others. We look into the biggest learnings that have come from evolving alongside and in service to perennial food systems as well as what he might do differently if he could go back and redesign things. Ben also explains how his life experience has informed his design work and consultancy for clients, the patterns that have emerged from the endless experiments that he's run, and where his focus is in this stage of life, both in his family and personal life as well as his work on the land. Since I'm only in the second year of designing and building my own farmstead, I find it invaluable to gain insights into all of these reflections almost as a way to peek into one of a million possible futures in hopes of setting a solid foundation and maybe avoid some pitfalls ahead. 

  Donate Directly: via PayPal -or- Venmo @permaculturepodcast   Want to listen to more conversations about Permaculture?  Browse the extensive archives of the show.  This episode is a review of Ben Falk's recently released book The Resilient Farm and Homestead, published by Chelsea Green.   Learn More

  Donate Directly: via PayPal -or- Venmo @permaculturepodcast   Want to listen to more conversations about Permaculture?  Browse the extensive archives of the show.  My guest for this episode is Ben Falk, owner of Whole Systems Design, LLC, and author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead.   Learn More

In this episode we talk about getting the most out of your woodstove - cooking, baking, hot water, and more. Ben compares rocket mass heaters and masonry stoves to high-efficiency wood stoves, and shares why he uses a wood stove, how he cuts all the wood he needs for a year, manages his woodlot, and shares some wisdom gleaned from over two decades of permaculture homesteading. Check out Ben's workshop on wood stoves here: 2023 Wood Heating Intensive — Whole Systems Design And the new edition of his book The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and Expanded Edition: 20 Years of Permaculture and Whole Systems Design can be found where ever books are sold! Ben developed Whole Systems Design, LLC as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as a proving ground for the regenerative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds a master's degree in land-use planning and design. He has conducted more than 650 site development and land inspection consultations across the US and abroad, and has facilitated dozens of courses on property selection, permaculture design, and resilient systems. He has given keynote addresses and presented dozens of workshops at venues ranging from Bioneers to the Omega Institute. Ben is the author of the award-winning book The Resilient Farm and Homestead (Chelsea Green, 2013) and serves as an Advisory Council for the international regeneration group Ecosystem Restoration Camps. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/support

Expert council member and long time community member Ben Falk joins us today. We discuss the new version of his book, the “low hanging fruit or resiliency”, wood stoves, homesteading in cold climates and more. Resources for today's show… Find … Continue reading →

Atgriezeniskās saite ir par rīcību, nevis par personību, tas ir novērojums, tā ir prasme redzēt un dzirdēt cilvēku. Cieņpilni pastāstīt otram cilvēkam iespēju robežās ko tur redzi, ko dzirdi, ko novēro. Cieņpilni to pastāsti. Šajā epizodē kopā ar Elīnu Bulāni cepāmies par sen aktuālu tēmu - atgriezeniskās saites sniegšana, kopā ar mums Sandra Lāce, supervizore, kognitīvi biheiviorālās terapijas speciāliste, vadīšanas prasmju trenere. Pētījumi rāda, ka cilvēki gaida vidēji trīs mēnešus, lai saņemtu konstruktīvu atgriezenisko saiti, lai gan skaidri zinām, ka tas ir pārāk ilgi. Mācāmies kā sniegt šo novērojumu, taču beigās to nestāstām, jo baidāmies otru aizvainot, nevēlamies pateikt kaut ko nepatīkamu. Paldies Iveta Bikse, Organizāciju psihologs, organizācijas attīstības vadītāja Putnu fabrikā Ķekava, par pētījumu un viedokli.Klausies epizodi un uzzini:Kāpēc Hamburgera metode nestrādā?Kādas metodes palīdz veidot atklātu sarunu?Kā veidot veselīgu dialogu darba situācijās?Vai atgriezeniskā saite nozīmē kritizēt?Vērts izlasīt grāmatas, ko pieminējām sarunā:Ben Falk's "Honest Talks": While not a book, Ben Falk's approach in his talks and workshops focuses on honesty and transparency in communication. His methods are valuable for developing a culture where feedback is given in a straightforward, constructive manner."Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life" by Marshall B. Rosenberg: This book is a foundational text in understanding empathetic communication. Rosenberg's framework for nonviolent communication is highly effective in creating an environment where feedback is given and received in a constructive, compassionate way, leading to better understanding and collaboration."Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" by Kim Scott - Scott's book focuses on how to be both direct and empathetic in giving feedback, fostering a culture of open and honest communication.

Ben joins us to discuss the exciting lifestyle being a captain for a large airline and the adventures that come with being in such a position. We also discuss some of the stories with the R8, which is his dream car, some of which proved to be eyebrow raising. Ben also touches on the recent adoption of the bodybuilding lifestyle and some of the ways it has benefited his overall health. 

Endlich ist es wieder so weit: Mailbag-Time! Ihr habt uns eure Fragen gestellt - und wir antworten: Warum enttäuschen die Cavaliers in diesen Playoffs bislang so sehr? (02:33) Welche Trades dieser Saison haben den größten Einfluss auf die Postseason? (14:45) Wird Draymond Green die Warriors im Sommer verlassen? (20:48) Ist Kevon Looney einer der besten Edelrollenspieler? (31:56) Was hält die Zukunft für Dennis Schröder bereit? (37:06) Würde die Nets-Taktik gegen Joel Embiid für ein anderes Team besser funktionieren? (42:09) Wo könnte Nick Nurse nächste Saison landen? (46:06) Ist Trae Young aktuell ein Top-20-Spieler? (51:00) Würde ein Trade von Damian Lillard nach Brooklyn Sinn ergeben? (56:58) Wieviel Potenzial steckt noch in Markelle Fultz? (1:05:41) Könnten die Magic nächstes Jahr ein Playoff-Team sein? (1:12:07) Welche aktiven Spieler haben die beste Chance, am Ende ihrer Karriere in der All-Time-Top-10 zu landen? (1:16:54) Gegen Ende des Pods sprechen wir noch über die schnellsten NBA-Spieler (1:22:46), Teams, die wir nicht leiden können (1:30:49) sowie Kevin Durant und James Harden in ihrer Prime - wer war der bessere Scorer? (1:34:46) Wir bauen uns mithilfe verschiedener Kategorien den perfekten NBA-Spieler zusammen (1:41:30), verraten, wer unsere Lieblingsspieler im Ruhestand sind (1:53:56), erzählen, wie wir uns unser Wissen über Basketball und die NBA angeeignet haben (1:54:47) und diskutieren, wer von uns beiden ein Eins-gegen-Eins gewinnen würde (2:05:49). Zum Abschluss wie immer die Trivia-Frage: Diesmal geht es um die Spieler mit den meisten 50+-Games. (2:10:37) Kleiner Disclaimer: Mir (Lorenzo) ist ein kleines technisches Missgeschick passiert. Meine Tonspur hört sich zu Beginn der Folge deutlich schlechter an als sonst, da ich aus Versehen mit meiner Webcam statt meinem Mikrofon aufgenommen habe. Das Problem besteht aber nur in den ersten zehn Minuten, danach ist wieder alles normal. Sorry dafür! Hier kommt ihr zum Artikel von John Hollinger über die möglichen Auswirkungen des neuen CBAs auf die Warriors und Clippers. Und hier die Links zu ein paar der von uns erwähnten Quellen zur basketballerischen Weiterbildung: Go-To-Guys, Half Court Hoops, BBALLBREAKDOWN, Thinking Basketball - und vor allem: der Onlinekurs von Ben Falk und Gibson Pyper. Schickt uns gerne jederzeit Anmerkungen, Fragen, Feedback und Kritik per E-Mail an doublestepback-podcast@gmx.de oder via Instagram (Julius / Lorenzo) und Twitter (Julius / Lorenzo).

Honored to have permaculturist Ben Falk at @wholesystems on the show to talk about the amazing Hippophae rhamnoides (Seaberry/Sea Buckthorn), homesteading after 15 years, permaculture and what he thinks of an energy decent future. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/plantcunning/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/plantcunning/support

What are beneficial ways of keeping water onsite to build a lush habitat for humans and wildlife? How can you locate the best spot to construct a pond in your landscape? What indicators can give hints about existing subterranean water systems? When is the best time to shape your land for water retention? From cold plunges, land regeneration, habitat diversification, climate resilience, soundscape enhancement to intense beauty and entertainment, water nurtures living systems. In this episode Ben Falk of Whole Systems Design shares profound insights into the workings and wonders of water systems! Opening tune: Waterplant Waltz by Carmen Porter (https://carmenporter.com (https://carmenporter.com)) To contact Ben Falk, see more of his glorious work, register for courses or order his brilliant book (The Resilient Farm and Homestead): https://www.wholesystemsdesign.com/ (https://www.wholesystemsdesign.com/)

Ben Falk, the ecologist, and permaculture expert joins us on today's episode to explore the role the environment plays in our journey to find health, wealth, and happiness.   TIMESTAMPS  0:42 – Welcome Ben Falk! 2:57 – How did you get into this space? 4:28 – How would you define wealth? 8:10 – What is your definition of permaculture? 15:31 – Naturalizing the economy 19:56 - What really is wealth? 26:35 – Starting at Zone 0 31:16 – Healing the soil 34:17 – Re-investment in land 39:33 – The role of legacy 44:29 -  How you can be involved   Read the full blog and get additional information on The Way2Wealth®: https://www.theway2wealth.com/episodes/   RESOURCES Check out Ben's book: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-resilient-farm-and-homestead/ More on The Way2Wealth®: https://www.theway2wealth.com/ More About Scott Ford: https://www.carsonwealth.com/team-members/scott-ford/ Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/354Pd2M Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way2wealth/id1607901600   Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Carson Partners, a division of CWM, LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors. 19833 Leitersburg Pike, Suite 1 Hagerstown, MD 21742. Guests are not affiliated with Cetera Advisors Networks LLC, or CWM, LLC. Opinions expressed by the presenter may not be representative of Cetera Advisors Networks LLC, or CWM, LLC.

Ben Falk is one of the most prominent figures in the world of ecological design but he didn't always see that path as his future. At a young age, he was drawn toward acts of dramatic protest, like sleeping in trees. But eventually he had an epiphany: the best way to inspire change is not to yell at or shame people, but to show them a better way to live. In the show, we discuss how Ben became one of the biggest names in his field, how he manages his own land, what kinds of client projects tend to succeed in the long term, and how mainstream awareness of permaculture is shifting. Check out Ben's work at wholesystemsdesign.com.

On today's show Fernando features airline captain and sim instructor Ben Falk who is on a new journey of taking his fitness to the next level. Growing up as an athlete he has taken habits and molded them to maintain his fitness as part of his routine in the airlines. Even though previous habits of fitness were developed, they talk about how it's still very challenging to transition those habits into the aviation industry. Ben shares with is some of his techniques, describes the fitness process he is in, and shares tips on how he's made it work for him. Enjoy!

Episode littérature aujourd'hui puisqu'on s'intéresse au livre écrit par Seth Partnow en 2021 : "The Mid-Range Theory". Véritablement livre évènement sur le paysage médiatique NBA, adoubé par l'ensemble des observateurs y compris les tous meilleurs analystes de NBA (Zach Lowe, Ben Taylor, Ben Falk, etc), "The Mid-Range Theory" aborde une quantité de sujets lié à la NBA sous une vision statistique et "analytics". Pour cela, c'est Rapha (@Rapha_Lutz) rédacteur pour Basket-Infos mais aussi et surtout Professeur de Littérature agrégé à l'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon qui se joint à nous, à la fois pour discuter de ce livre en tant qu'œuvre en elle même, mais également pour évoquer certains sujets basket exposés par Seth Partnow. Bienvenue dans le Basket Lab. Guillaume (@GuillaumeBInfos)

Ben Falk and I talk about the differences between the regular season and the playoffs and what lessons we can take away that make help us be better prospect evaluators. Enjoy.

On this episode of Doomer Optimism, hosts Dr. Ashley Colby (@rizomaschool) and Dr. Jason Snyder (@cognazor) interview the inestimable Tao Orion (@tao_orion) and get deeeeep into the weeds on the ecology of a homestead. This one is up there with episode 6 with Ben Falk of Whole Systems Design as one of the more practical episodes we've run this season. If you're interested in the ins and outs of maintaining your own ecological system, this is the episode for you. About Tao Orion Tao graduated from UC Santa Cruz after majoring in Environmental Studies with a focus on Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture. She participated in the 2001 Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the UC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, and received a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. She received her PDC from Max Lindegger at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village in Australia in 2002. Tao holds a MSc in Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security at the National University of Ireland. Tao is the author of Beyond the War on Invasive Species: A Permaculture Perspective on Ecosystem Restoration (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015), and also “People as Purposeful and Conscientious Resource Stewards: Human Agency in A World Gone Wild” (Routledge Press, 2020). She is passionate about linking restoration with thoughtful design of human and non-human habitat. Tao currently serves on the Lane County Climate Action Planning Committee, as well as on the Planning Commission for the City of Cottage Grove, OR. About Dr. Jason Synder Metamodern localist | homesteading, permaculture, bioregional regeneration | meditation, self inquiry, embodied cognition | PhD from Michigan State University, faculty Appalachian State University. About Dr. Ashley Colby Ashley is an Environmental Sociologist who studied at Washington State University, the department that founded the subdiscipline. She's interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. She's the founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation.

On this episode of Doomer Optimism, guest hosts Anarcho-Contrarian (@anarcontrarian) and Joe Norman (@normonics) chat with Ben Falk, the mastermind behind Whole Systems Design, and an expert on permaculture, homesteading, and ecology. About Ben Falk Ben developed Whole Systems Design, LLC as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as a proving ground for the regenerative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds a master's degree in land-use planning and design. He has conducted more than 300 site development consultations across the US and abroad, and has facilitated dozens of courses on property selection, permaculture design, and resilient systems. He has given keynote addresses and presented dozens of workshops at venues ranging from Bioneers to the Omega Institute. Ben is the author of the award-winning book The Resilient Farm and Homestead (Chelsea Green, 2013) and serves as an Advisory Council for the international regeneration group Ecosystem Restoration Camps. About Anarcho-Contrarian They're anonymous so honestly not that much to share here. But here's their Twitter bio: Scale-Reductionism, Localism, Agrarianism, New Village-ism, Distributism... i.e. Redundant, Nostalgic & Politically Homeless. About Joe Norman Joe is a complex systems scientist researching risk in large-scale systems, pattern formation in biological systems, physiological patterns for improving human health, and military strategy for international and global security.

Today we celebrate a man who is remembered for his contributions to art and ornithology. We'll also learn about a socialite, gardener, and garden designer whose story has been largely unappreciated. We’ll hear some thoughts on gardening in the Carolinas. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about resilient homesteading that incorporates an innovative approach to permaculture. And then we’ll wrap things up with the incredible behind-the-scenes story of the funeral of one of the world’s greatest scientific minds: Charles Darwin.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News Zen Garden Ideas: Create Your Own Backyard Zen Garden | Garden Design | Janet Loughrey   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events April 26, 1785 Today is the birthday of the ornithologist, artist, and naturalist, John James Audubon, who was born in Santo Domingo, Haiti. John's folio series called “The Birds of America” featured 435 life-size color prints of American birds. And John’s favorite state for birding was Louisiana. Honored as the namesake of the National Audubon Society, his birthday, today (April 26th), was designated as National Audubon Day to commemorate his birth and work. In 2011, Google celebrated his birthday with a Google Doodle. It was John James Audobon who said, “In my deepest troubles, I frequently would wrench myself from the persons around me and retire to some secluded part of our noble forests.” He also said, "When the bird & the book disagree, believe the bird."   April 26, 1873 Today is the birthday of the British socialite and garden designer Norah Lindsay. After marrying Sir Harry Lindsay, Norah began gardening at their Manor home and garden in Oxfordshire called Sutton Courtenay - which was given to them as a wedding present from Harry’s cousin. Norah’s gardens overflowed with flowers, and she hosted regular parties and even masked balls at her estate, which also allowed her to show off her gardens. Norah recognized the powerful draw of gardens. She once described Sutten Courtenay as having a “shining quality,” writing, “some gardens, like some people, have a charm potent to enslave and yet as intangible as dew or vapour.” Although she adored Italian gardens, Norah’s gardens were not formal but rather romantic and wild, relaxed and gentle. She memorably told one gardener that she “loved lilies, lazily lolling.” Norah was influenced by William Robinson, an advocate for wild gardening, and Gertrude Jekyll, the English gardener, and writer. Like Jekyll, Norah designed her gardens with drifts of color and soft transitions. And although her gardens seemed effortless, there was a method to Norah’s approach to design. Norah had an intuitive sense of scale and impeccable taste in plants. Beautiful, charming, and witty, Norah was sadly not a writer. Her legacy lives on in many of the gardens she created and her only daughter Nancy - who also loved gardening and horticulture. The British gardener, garden designer, and landscape architect Russell Page referred to Norah in his book The Education of a Gardener, saying, "Norah Lindsay could by her plantings evoke all the pleasures of a flower garden. She captured the essence of midsummer... or gave the pith of autumn… She lifted herbaceous planting into a poetic category and gave it an air of rapture and spontaneity.” By the time Norah turned 51, her marriage and her bank account had both fallen flat. In a letter to a friend, Norah summed it up simply: "No husband, no money, no home." To provide for herself, Norah began designing gardens for her royal and wealthy friends - a career that would last for two decades. Norah’s friends and clients were writers, gardeners, old-Hollywood stars, and politicians - and included Edward, Prince of Wales, Waldorf and Nancy Astor, Charlie Chaplin, Marshall Field III, George Shaw, and Edith Wharton. And, thanks to her wealthy clients, Norah was able to garden all over Europe - which meant that she became adept at understanding different soils, growing zones, and spaces - modifying her designs to accommodate new challenges. One of Norah’s friends and clients was the Duke of Windsor. He once remarked, “If you had the money, she was the one to spend it.” Yet, surprisingly, Norah’s biographer wrote that Norah lived two very different lives. By night, she often dined with the rich and powerful. By day - starting at 5 am - Norah was in the garden with her garden crew. And when her long day of garden work was done, Norah took a train back home; she didn’t own a car. One particular friend of Norah’s worth noting was the estate owner, gardener, and garden designer Lawrence Johnston who went by Johnny. Johnny owned Hidcote Manor, “HID-cut,” and Norah helped him design the magnificent 10.5-acre garden there. Johnny was planning to leave Hidcote to Norah, but that plan was thwarted when Norah died unexpectedly at 75 - shortly after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. Once, when she was in the midst of her career, regularly buying plants for clients, Norah wrote to a friend, “When I die, Magnolia will be written on my heart.” Today many regret that Norah did not write books to document her work. Little remains outside of her personal letters that capture Norah’s charm, cleverness, and quick wit - and her fresh perspective on gardens and gardening. The American garden historian, Allyson Hayward, wrote an excellent biography of Norah in 2007 called Norah Lindsay: The Life and Art of a Garden Designer.   Unearthed Words In the Carolinas, there are two growing seasons: warm and cool.  The cool season runs from about October or November through April or May (depending on where you garden).  The warm season runs from May or June through September or October.  If you plan your Carolina garden around no other guiding principle than this, you will be well in front of people who don’t. ― Katie Elzer-Peters, Carolinas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest the Best Edibles   Grow That Garden Library The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk This book came out in 2013, and the subtitle is An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach. In this book, Ben shares what he's learned gardening on a hill farm In Vermont Mad River Valley. Ben shares his incredible ingenuity and intelligent approach to working the land And restoring the biosphere. The author of A Sanctuary of Trees, Gene Logsdon, wrote this about Ben's book, “Grow rice in New England? Yes. Heat water to 155 degrees F on cold winter days at a rate of a gallon a minute by piping it through a compost pile? Yes. How about dinner tonight of your own rack of lamb garnished with homegrown mushrooms? Yes. Your choice of scores of different vegetables and fruits even in winter? Yes. Plus, your own dairy products from your own sheep. All the while, the soil producing this magic, on a site once thought little more than a wasteland, grows yearly more fertile and secure from natural calamity." An early adopter of permaculture principles, Ben is constantly testing ideas for better homesteading on his property in Vermont. Ben founded Whole Systems Design, LLC - a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. So he’s a practitioner expert when it comes to permaculture. This book is 320 pages of Inspiring and practical advice to create your edible sanctuary and resilient landscape. You can get a copy of The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $25   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart April 26, 1882 On this day, the funeral for Charles Darwin was held at noon sharp at Westminster Abbey. Thousands attended it. The deputy organist at Westminster Abbey, John Frederick Bridge, felt Darwin deserved to have an original funeral anthem and so, the day before the funeral he wrote original lyrics inspired by the Book of Proverbs and set them to music: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and getteth understanding. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand, riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Bridge also wrote original funeral hymns for Robert Browning and  Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Attendees needed tickets to get into the funeral. The ten pallbearers included Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (The son of the famous botanist William Jackson Hooker and Darwin’s closest friend), Thomas Henry Huxley (English biologist and anthropologist), Alfred Russel Wallace (British naturalist and evolutionary theorist - and a surprising friend to Darwin), James Russell Lowell (U.S. Ambassador), and William Spottiswoode "Spots-Wood" (President of the Royal Society). Darwin was buried at the Abbey next to the eminent scientist Sir John Herschel and just a few feet away from Sir Isaac Newton. On the Sunday following the funeral, the Bishop of Carlisle, Harvey Goodwin, said in his sermon, there is no “necessary conflict between a knowledge of Nature and a belief in God.” One of Darwin’s pallbearers, William Spottiswoode, delivered a eulogy for Darwin at the Royal Academy a few days after the funeral, on April 29, 1882. William said: “If patience and perseverance in good work… if a continual overcoming of evil with good in any way constitute elements of greatness, then the man of whom I speak—Charles Darwin—was truly great.” On his deathbed, at Down House, Charles Darwin told his wife, Emma, "I am not the least afraid of death—Remember what a good wife you have been to me—Tell all my children to remember how good they have been to me." And he told repeatedly told his children, "It's almost worthwhile to be sick to be nursed by you.” Darwin’s beloved dog, Polly, died naturally, two days after her master. Today, gardeners can visit Down House and explore the home and gardens of Charles Darwin. And, if you would like to pay homage to Darwin in your own garden, you can purchase one of David Austin’s favorite and best-selling roses: Charles Darwin. The Charles Darwin yellow rose is gorgeous and wonderfully fragrant - with notes of soft floral Tea and pure lemon. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Chris is joined by Ben Falk from ‘Cleaning the Glass’ to discuss NBA rule changes vs. team and player innovations to get a competitive edge, and how the NBA league office is responsible for keeping pace with the speed at which innovations are found with the use of analytics (06:00). Host: Chris Ryan Guest: Ben Falk Production Assistant: Jonathan Kermah Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

▶️ Join Ben Falk and I for a Free Online Summit https://www.mypermacultureproperty.com Ben and I talk about his plans to revise his book "The Resilient Farm and Homestead", what it's like living on a permaculture property for almost 2 decades, the increase of "COVID Refugees" to the permaculture space, why we should all be naked more, our favourite plants, and so much more. Ben Falk developed Whole Systems Design, LLC as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben’s integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. Find out more about Ben's work at: http://www.wholesystemsdesign.com ▶️ Buy my book https://www.mypermacultureproperty.com ▶️ Buy topographical maps and more at https://www.contourmapgenerator.com ▶️ Find out more about my farm and consulting at https://www.coenfarm.ca Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/building-your-permaculture-property/donations

Ben Falk chats with Skipper on this episode of How This Works from his farm/home/homstead in Vermont about permaculture and sustainability. We start with Ben in utero at the base of El Capitan in California, visiting national parks with his family (instead of going to Disneyland), rock climbing, and then doing backcountry trips which formed his foundational relationship with his work now. We also talk about the difference between design being focused on sustainability and regeneration, how important context is to solving design problems, about the importance of a designer living with or inside their work, the fact that people move 11.7 times in their life (as written in his book "The Resilient Farm and Homestead"), and how Ben's able to grow rice on terraced flats in the Northwestern U.S. We chat about the wood stove that provides heat for Ben and his family versus a thermostat-driven heat system or even a voice user interface like Alexa and how manual a process it is. Stay tuned after the outro music for a clip and flubbed first take of the show's intro. This episode was edited and mastered by Troy Lococo. Special Guest: Ben Falk.

Ben Falk, owner of Cleaning the Glass, joins the podcast for episode 37. After years of working in NBA front offices, Ben is currently a high school basketball coach. We discussed his coaching style and the differences between high school, college, and the NBA. Ben and Gibson Pyper's X's & O's course: https://www.learn-basketball.com/ For more information on Solving Basketball and Jordan Sperber, follow on Twitter @hoopvision68.

In this episode of Propaganda By The Seed we talk with Ben Falk, author of The Resilient Homestead on Chelsea Green.  This discussion is mostly about seaberries(Hippophae rhamnoides) a nitrogen fixing plant that has 10 times more vitamin c than oranges and a range of other somewhat unique nutritional benefits.  We also discuss how to grow them, breed them, and some uses for them.  Ben also talks about different greenhouse practices he employs, beekeeping, rice and black walnuts.     If you appreciate our work, support this podcast on patreon and rate it in the I-tunes store.  

Quick PSA on Propaganda by the Seed! Subscribe here.  Support it on patreon here.    This project is no longer going to be on the Solecast feed... if you wanna hear our episodes subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!  Our first episode we dropped today is with Ben Falk, author of "The Resilient Homestead" on Chelsea Green.    And The Solecast is now The Institute For Post American Studies

This week's Nerder, with Ben Falk from CleaningTheGlass.com. Dave, Mo and Seth talk to Ben about the huge Harden-to-the-Nets trade that went down on Wednesday, the process in Houston, How to watch the game and Xs and Os vs. Player personnel scouting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Nerder, with Ben Falk from CleaningTheGlass.com. Dave, Mo and Seth talk to Ben about the huge Harden-to-the-Nets trade that went down on Wednesday, the process in Houston, How to watch the game and Xs and Os vs. Player personnel scouting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul sits down with Dez Choi and Jen Richardson and talk about their viewing of the first “DVD” of the four “DVD” set Permaculture Skills by Ben Falk. The group had high expectations, and they were exceeded. Disclaimer: Paul backed the Kickstarter 4 years ago. Support the podcast on Patreon Show notes and discussion More […]

"As foragers, we need to be gardeners," says Ben Falk — regenerative ecosystem architect and founder of Whole Systems Design. In this insightful conversation, Ben shares how we in the wild food world can be agents for good on the landscape. He discusses strategies for creating habitat for wildlife right where you live — building resilient living systems that attract wildlife and allow wild plant populations to flourish. We also discuss sustainable foraging, our responsibility to tend the wild, Ben's essential daily tools, and why beaver should really be a verb. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/045

My guest today is someone I've followed and looked up to since I first began to learn about permaculture and homesteading. Ben Falk is not only a badass homesteader and self-sufficiency pioneer, he's also an accomplished designer and consultant, primarily through his company Whole Systems Design. For years I've even had a video tour of his property in Vermont saved on my computer that I watch from time to time as inspiration for what can be done on a small degraded plot if you take the time to observe the context and patterns of the place and are not afraid to fail in your experiments.  Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur Ben Falk, founder of Whole Systems Design, holds bundles bundles of short grain brown rice grown in terraced rice paddies at his research farm in Moretown. Ben  is also the author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead, a comprehensive manual for developing durable, beautiful, and highly functional human habitat systems fit to handle an age of rapid transition. With that description I knew Ben would be the right person to speak to about the need for resilient living systems in this time of unprecedented upheaval in our global society.  In this interview, we break down the elements that have to be in place for a system to be considered resilient as well as the essential things that someone has to understand before they can start to interact with their land in a beneficial way. Ben also talks about some of the practical aspects of homestead living such as what he's found to be the best “bang for your buck” enterprises and time investments which include some surprisingly simple and basic things. We even cover resilience at the community level and dig out some essential advice from Ben's years working with clients to build their own systems and what considerations people often overlook when they first get started. Though I spoke with Ben before much of the pandemic lockdown had started in the US, this interview has turned out to be very timely for the huge surge in interest all around the world from people looking to reclaim independence from the global economic system and reclaim more self reliance in reaction to seeing how fragile our support systems really are. A renewed interest in everything from growing your own food garden to repairing common household appliances has grown as more people recognize that there is real value in knowing how to provide for your most basic requirements and being able to care for the needs of your community.  In the meantime, I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy in this difficult time of epidemic. My best wishes to all of you and your families. Resources: http://www.wholesystemsdesign.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/wholesystems https://www.facebook.com/ben.falk.14

My next guest on DITD is Ben Falk he is a permaculturalist, landscape architetect and site planner. He is the founder of Whole system design in Vermont... a modern day Homestead planning company and the author of the book The Resilient farm and homestead. Ben advises land owners on how to be Sustainable, ecologically friendly and meet most of your food, medicine and energy needs by living in a more resilient manner. He was one of the featured permaculturalist in one of the featured films in our environmental film series called. A film called "Inhabit". His process and results are scalable from residential properties to neighborhoods, to regions. The goal is to be able to better deal with future change brought on by the climate crisis and other unforeseen disasters.

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest is Natalie Bogwalker, the visionary behind Wild Abundance, a permaculture skills center and homestead near Asheville, North Carolina. As a primary instructor at Wild Abundance, she teaches a variety of classes, including tiny house building workshops, women's carpentry, and permaculture design courses. She likes to share her passion with others to help them live in an empowered and Earth-centered way. As a founder of Firefly Gathering, one of the most significant primitive skills events in the United States, Natalie brings years of Earth-focused skills and living to each of her classes. This focus forms the center of what she joins me to talk about today, as we discuss including hands-on primitive skills to create a more in-depth, grounded permaculture education. We also touch on how an extended experience, as her Earth-skills Permaculture Design Course takes 27 days spread over nine months, changes the nature of the PDC. We wrap up by talking about what students can bring to their course, and how permaculture instructors can improve Permaculture education. Find out more about Natalie and her classes, including the upcoming Earth Skills class, at WildAbundance.net. You'll find a link to that, as well as my interview with Eric Toensmeier and Ben Falk, and more, in the show notes. I'm thankful for what Natalie shared with us about extending and expanding on Permaculture education, both for the amount of time spent in courses, the skills we develop while there, and on mentoring and advanced classes after we start down this road. Her question, “How many hours did you spend in the fifth grade?” raises a point I've considered many times, though based more around college classes. A 72 hours PDC is about the equivalent of 6 college credits. So you can think of the Permaculture Design Course, as an introductory course, as about the same as Biology 101 and 102. It's a great place to start, but there's so much more to do.  Extended courses, such as Natalie's and others, add to the time between teachers and students. This extra time allows us to add to our hard and soft skills, from fire starting and shelter building to carpentry, nutritional knowledge, and social justice. With a student-focused approach, this can include not only the core knowledge necessary to complete a PDC, but also create the shared lexicon required to discuss design, ethics, and principles, and apply these ideas to more than the landscape.  Through these, and advanced classes that focus on specific subjects such as water catchment, home building, foraging, conflict transformation, and personal change, we can gain the skills necessary for the creation of the permanent culture inherent in the work of permaculture.  If you're still looking to find your area of focus, your calling, whatever your stage in life, teachers like Natalie, myself, and others, are here to help you find the way. If you'd like to learn more, get in touch with the folks at Wild Abundance, at WildAbundance.net, and, of course, you can write to me: Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast Oh, and how long do we spend in the fifth grade? Over 1,000 hours in the United States. Until the next time, eat something wild every day while taking care of Earth, your self, and each other. Related Interviews Drawing Down Carbon: Eric Toensmeier on Agroforestry and Climate Change Financial Permaculture with Eric Toensmeier Eric Toensmeier on Perennials, Broadscale Permaculture, & Food Forests Whole System Design & the Resilient Farm with Ben Falk Resources Wild Abundance Wild Abundance Instructors Firefly Gathering (Photo Credit: Jenny Tenney Photography)

Today is an episode of TSP Rewind, commercial free versions of past podcast episodes. Today's episode was originally Episode-1195- Ben Falk on The Resilient Farm and Homestead and was originally published on August 27th, 2013 The following are the original show … Continue reading →

Today is an episode of TSP Rewind, commercial free versions of past podcast episodes. Today’s episode was originally Episode-1195- Ben Falk on The Resilient Farm and Homestead and was originally published on August 27th, 2013 The following are the original show … Continue reading →

#31: Ben Falk | The one-number debate, film in analytics & measuring defense by Ben Taylor experiments

This week on the NOFA/Mass podcast we are going to be thinking about the setup, the beginning, the planning… of your garden or homesteading space! My co-host Anna Gilbert-Muhammad and I will discuss how we have thought about setting up garden and farm spaces in the past. Starting at conceptualizing all the way to our blunders in implementation. Then we will talk to permaculture expert and author Ben Falk about how he set up his farm and tips he can offer for people just starting out as well as folks who have been at it for eva. Ben Falk and his book on the Chelsea Green website https://www.chelseagreen.com/writer/ben-falk/

Shariq is the Senior Program Delivery Manager at Gatwick Airport He is helping advance digital and data initiatives with better predictability, more throughput, shorter lead times, lower cost and higher quality. Shariq was responsible for recovering a 2 year long failed AWS Cloud-based Data Analytics and Data Governance initiative at Gatwick airport.

Ben developed Whole Systems Design, LLC as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and back country traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach … Continue reading →

GDPR - boring right? No. Not if it means that 500 consumers across Europe have a chance to unlock and monetize their data. This week's guest Ben Falk has a solution to do just that; to understand your own data and make sure it works for you, and not someone else. Find out more at www.takebackmydata.co.uk Also on the show we have a discussion about AI and seed investment with articles taken from Geek.com and UK Tech News. Links below. https://www.uktech.news/news/european-seed-investors-eyeing-ai-investment-opportunities-more-says-report-20180605 https://www.geek.com/tech/mit-creates-an-ai-psychopath-because-someone-had-to-eventually-1741948/

Why do we choose to swim against the current of modern civilization in this era of rapid change?That’s a question that each of us, individually, will have to answer for ourselves. And that answer is liable to change, perhaps dramatically, as we venture further down the path back to nature and uncover hard-won knowledge about our place in the universe.Ben Falk, a permaculture-oriented land designer and site planner who runs the Vermont-based company Whole Systems Design, says his position has shifted over time.“I’ve moved away from the idea of trying to ‘survive.’ The big goal isn’t me surviving… I’m doing it to have a better life, and improve a place. I’m not trying to survive forever.”I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ben on the topic of homesteading, and he was generous enough to share a mountain of practical info and advice for folks all across the spectrum of experience living close to the land.“We’re cultivating an ecosystem that’s great for all living things here, and we just try to live on the byproducts of that ecosystem… we’re living on the interest.”Ben’s 2013 book The Resilient Farm and Homestead played a pivotal role at the start of my own personal homesteading journey, shedding light on a seemingly bottomless well of things I didn’t know that I didn’t know… you know?Ben is very down-to-earth and insightful when it comes to practical self-reliance, and also really a treat to converse with. I think there’s a lot to take away from this one, no matter where you find yourself on the path back to the land!

David Locke continues his conversation with Ben Falk (@bencfalk) about the philosophies behind the NBA.  This portion of the conversation discusses individual players performance when they switch teams, the standard deviation of player performance, which numbers Ben trusts and what about star defensive players and how should they be evaluated.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Locke continues his conversation with Ben Falk (@bencfalk) about the philosophies behind the NBA.  This portion of the conversation discusses individual players performance when they switch teams, the standard deviation of player performance, which numbers Ben trusts and what about star defensive players and how should they be evaluated.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Locke sits down with the host of cleaningtheglass.com Ben Falk to talk the analytics of basketball..  They start the conversation discussing whether the pendulum has swung to making offensive rebounds more important.  Then they move onto positive or negative offensive players and what the impact of those players are on their teams.  In Part 2 of the discussion, they move on the whether or not individuals efficiency changes when they switch teammates or systems.  How to look at the standard deviation of a player's performance, singling out Anthony Davis and LeBron James.   The conversation moves to what numbers does Ben trust and then to a defensive player who might deserve more value and would if he were an offensive player.   Finally, what works in the playoffs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Locke sits down with the host of cleaningtheglass.com Ben Falk to talk the analytics of basketball..  They start the conversation discussing whether the pendulum has swung to making offensive rebounds more important.  Then they move onto positive or negative offensive players and what the impact of those players are on their teams.   In Part 2 of the discussion, they move on the whether or not individuals efficiency changes when they switch teammates or systems.  How to look at the standard deviation of a player's performance, singling out Anthony Davis and LeBron James.    The conversation moves to what numbers does Ben trust and then to a defensive player who might deserve more value and would if he were an offensive player.   Finally, what works in the playoffs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dig into the Eric Bledsoe deal by looking at Ben Falk's breakdown of the deal for CleaningTheGlass.com, considering how Bledsoe fits into the Bucks short- and long-term future, his P&R potential with Giannis Antetokounmpo and how dealing away a future pick could compromise the Bucks' ultimate pursuit of a championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We dig into the Eric Bledsoe deal by looking at Ben Falk's breakdown of the deal for CleaningTheGlass.com, considering how Bledsoe fits into the Bucks short- and long-term future, his P&R potential with Giannis Antetokounmpo and how dealing away a future pick could compromise the Bucks' ultimate pursuit of a championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Falk, Former VP of Basketball Strategy and Owner of CleaningTheGlass.com, joins hosts Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow and Shane Jensen to discuss his experience working with the 76ers during the early stages of "The Process" and making the transition to running a statistical NBA database with cutting edge analysis on Wharton Moneyball. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Click to subscribe via RSS feed or iTunes. Ben Falk (@BenCFalk) discusses how to know what's real early in the season, how he learned the game, what he's trying to learn more about, and answers to Nate's dorky stats questions, in addition to what's special about his new site CleaningTheGlass.com. With host Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA). And if you like this pod, please donate to support Nate and Danny at Patreon.com/DuncanLeroux.  Merchandise available at NateDuncanNBA.com.

Ben developed Whole Systems Design, LLC as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and back country traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach … Continue reading →

In this episode Dan Palmer from Making Permaculture Stronger enjoys a rich dialogue with Ben Falk from Whole Systems Design. Dan and Ben explore issues and themes around: heathy living processes of design and creation working with clients the relation of necessity to beauty part of what it might mean to enjoy an authentic, healthy, connected life.

In this episode Dan Palmer from Making Permaculture Stronger enjoys a rich dialogue with Ben Falk from Whole Systems Design. Dan and Ben explore issues and themes around: heathy living processes of design and creation working with clients the relation of necessity to beauty part of what it might mean to enjoy an authentic, healthy, connected life.

Ben Falk returns to ReWild Yourself Podcast to add his perspective to our invasive species conversation series! Ben lives in an intentional, resilient, forage-able ecosystem on his homestead in Vermont's Mad River Valley that he designed and continues to evolve. As someone who works closely with his local landscape, he is intimately enmeshed with both native and non-native invasive species and has valuable input on this complex issue. Ben — an innovative permaculturist and intentional ecosystem designer — developed Whole Systems Design as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben’s integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. Ben has studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds a master’s degree in land-use planning and design. He has conducted more than 300 site development consultations across the US and abroad, and has facilitated dozens of courses on property selection, permaculture design, and resilient systems. Ben is also the author of the award-winning book the Resilient Farm and Homestead. In this episode, Ben and I grapple with some of the critical questions of the invasive species conversation: Who has the right to be considered native to a specific ecosystem when we are all native to this planet? Can we eat our way out of the invasive species problem? How do we define natural? Ben brings a balanced viewpoint to our invasive species series. He believes — as do I — that the conversation on invasives can be hugely advanced by active ecosystem participants (rewilders!). Tune in, and let's continue to be conscientious participants in the conservation of our ecology! EPISODE BREAKDOWN: Show Introduction: Hunt + gather updates: Striper and mackerel fishing, squirrel hunting, acorn gathering and pack basket making Introducing Ben Falk Ben’s permaculture intentional ecosystem Food yield on Ben’s homestead  The processing that goes into a permaculture ecosystem Backstory to Ben’s viewpoints on invasive species Invasive species and native local plant communities — who has the right to stay? Thoughts on eating invasives Creating forage-able landscapes Tying a bow on the invasive species conversation Defining what’s natural Ben’s prognosis for the future of the landscape

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/27 Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE. Ben Falk from Whole Systems Design, LLC joins me talk about permaculture design and what he has learned on his research site over the years. He talks about how to break into the business as a designHe touches on cold climate infrastructure and heating with wood. And he goes into his thoughts on designing a property and why it's important to understand the land's capability and how you should relate that to your goals. We also spend some time talking about the mass selection of plant genetics for a site, stressing the importance of over stacking the system in the beginning to see what works and what doesn't. Key Takeaways: Get some experience working with the land and systems before you start designing properties as "a designer." You can reduce your wood usage by 30-40% by drying wood well versus haphazardly drying it. Cold humid climates have a low tolerance for bad moisture detailing in structures. When designing a home detail carefully to keep the home dry and get water out. Grow tree multi-purpose tree species for fuel wood. Consider black locusts - fixes nitrogen, fast grower, rot resistant wood, good fuel wood, and makes great saw logs. Have goals but understand the land's capability so you can adjust those goals as needed. Don't fight against the land's tendencies and capabilities, work with it, not against it. Most people have more land than they can manage well. Moving down in acreage might be advantageous. It is better to manage 5 acres right than 100 acres wrong. Most people can have most of their needs met on 5-10 acres. Unless you have a commercial aspect or grazing component. Have a good access plan for your site. Don't box yourself out. Start and maintain a clear access pattern which is based on the water flow throughout the site. For site selection general location and access are a quick way to filter down a list of a lot of properties. Then look to the Keyline Scale of Permanance. Consider water security and controlling as much of a watershed as you can. Focus on manageability with regards to plantings. Plant based on water access with on contour swales. Not all permaculture techniques will work on all sites. So don't expect that. Practice the mass selection of genetics. Identify the best genetics from your site by growing trees from seed. Plant as many tress as you can on a site, way closer than you would ever imagine, and cut out the ones that don't do well. Use the first 3-5 years on a site to learn what does well. Years 5-10 are when you focus on plants and families that really want ot grow on your site - microclimate - aspect - soils. And there is no way to know which ones will work unless you start putting a lot of plants in the ground. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/27 Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE.

Ben Falk joins us to discuss permaculture and the art of regenerating landscapes. Ben is an author and the founder of Whole Systems Design, LLC, a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. He shares about his experiences using permaculture to create edible landscapes and set ecosystems in motion. Ben, a former eco-warrior, has turned his passion for our earth into a beautiful dedication to healing the trauma of the land. EPISODE BREAKDOWN: Daniel answer your questions on the role of dance in ReWilding and addresses your questions and comments on bear hunting How Ben got into permaculture Ben’s journey from eco-warrior to regenerating landscapes What is permaculture? Using permaculture to create habitat for other species Regenerating the landscape Setting ecosystems in motion Intentional design vs surprise in permaculture The intuitive nature of permaculture Healing the trauma of the land Getting started with permaculture The radical backcountry farmer Harnessing cross-fit energy Getting involved with Ben Ben’s prognosis for the future of the human species 

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast Like this post? Become a Patron. This is Episode 1538 of The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann, a listener supported program. If you listen to this podcast as part of your regularly routine, such as when gardening, running, or on your daily commute, visit the contribute tab and find out how you can keep this program going and growing. Now on with the show. Today's show is a round table discussion I recorded during my August visit to the Clear Creek community in Kentucky. On a warm summer evening, with individual tables arranged to create a single continuous space down the center of a one room schoolhouse, I was welcomed in to the community composed of farmers, WWOOFers, artists, teachers, builders, and architects. Together we shared a meal and sat as an extended family for the evening before beginning to pass the microphones from one another up and down the table. That lead to the conversation you are about to hear. As we begin I give thanks to PermieKids and Jen Mendez for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and helping to make trips like this one, far from my home in Pennsylvania, possible. Find out more about her work on educating future generations and building community, a recurring theme of this episode, at permiekids.com, or by visiting the sponsors tab and clicking on her banner. If you want to find out more, I recommend contacting Eric Puro of ThePOOSH.org who can get you in touch with others in the area. When they get the community website completed expect to find links shared through Facebook, Twitter, and all the other forums for connecting with the podcast. A standing invitation remains for me to go back down to the area and currently I have plans developing for my next trip. I want to record an extended interview with Susana Lein of Salamander Springs Farm, who in addition to speaking with us here, appeared in the film Inhabit. Ziggy and April from The Year of Mud also live in the area, and I plan to tour their space and speak with them on record during this next trip. Ziggy and I traded email message during the lead up to my trip to Kentucky, and I found out he traveled north to Ben Falk's place while I journeyed south, but we both intend for our paths to cross soon. Opportunities like this trip to Kentucky depends on the support of listeners, and the sponsorship of people doing good work such as Jen Mendez at PermieKids. In addition to her own podcasts that explore the topics of children, permaculture, and education, which I recommend you check out if your life involves any of these three subjects, she also offers a number of courses on Educational Design, an ongoing series of EDGE Alliances -- topical webinars with featured guests -- and personal consultations. Recently she added a series of electronic campfires, in cooperation with Dr. David Blumenkrantz and the Center for Youth and Community, that expand on the recent conversation we shared on Youth and Community Development and Rites of Passage. Find out more at PermieKids.com. Should you decide to join in on any of these courses or other offerings, know that Jen extended a discount of 10% off of her courses and other materials to Patreon supporters. Revisiting this material and spending time in Clear Creek showed the possibilities we create when living with one another, rather than living near one another. Once our basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, and human interaction get met space opens up to explore the many roles that each individual fills and their relationships with others. Time existed for conversations that, as Philip mentioned in the round table, go deep. That dialog and space allow hard problems to get worked out, without the need for a judicial system. Explicit rules become unnecessary to keep and maintain the community when those involved know, trust, and care about one another. That reinforced for me the need that each of us get right with ourselves and right with others so we can come to truly live in community and rely on our fellows so when a crisis hits people come together to create a plan and take action, rather than pay lip service or do nothing. That gave me a better understanding of what I personally require to create an intentional community, and how to make it work. We build the kind of intimacy and trust that, at the moment, I only have with a handful of people. Moving forward in my own life, once the current dust settles and I land on my feet again, I want to adopt that idea of Sunday coffee and keep my door open for whoever wants to come by and talk and get to know one another better. To create a standing invitation for whoever wants to break bread with me on a scheduled day of the week. A tradition I once participated in called Soup Night saw a bunch of people get together over a few pots of soup with bread and other foods to spend time together. Though we all came from different backgrounds we met around the table, around the food, and talked. Sometimes late into the night. Though I last participated in Soup Night nearly a decade ago, some people I met there count among those I could live with in community. Many people I know now, I don't know well enough to feel comfortable doing so. Building community does not require everyone living there to drink beer together and hang out every night of the week, but we should have the trust and respect to know that if anything happened to one or the other we would be there to see their basic needs get met. That the intention and desire to create community come from a place of authenticity and concern for others. With how far so many of us live from one another and how little time we seem to have because of the many priorities and requirements of this modern life we live, we need a shift. To give up some of those time sinks. To make building community a priority. To get to know one another with depth and understanding. Food. Drink. Celebration. These ways, these rituals, we can come together around. How would you bring people to your table and into your community? I'd love to hear from you. or Email: The Permaculture Podcast From here, the next Permabyte episode comes out next week, based on my trip to the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. After that I release the interview with Jason Godesky to talk about collaborative storytelling, culture, and his tabletop roleplaying game, The Fifth World. Upcoming interviews begin with a member of the Office of Sustainability from Western Michigan University to discuss The Gibbs House, a permaculture focused initiative on campus. After that Sandor Katz joins me to talk about fermentation. If you have questions for them, or me, get in touch. Until the next time, take care of Earth, your self, and each other.

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast This article is by Taylor Proffit, and originally posted at NuMundo.org and reprinted/recorded as a podcast with permission. Back in October, my friend showed me The Permaculture Podcast for the first time while we were camping, developing business models and visioning the future of each other's work in the startup world of San Francisco. It was an appropriate time to listen to the episode where Ethan Roland of Appleseed Permaculture spoke about the Eight Forms of Capital in Regenerative Enterprise. Having listened to nearly every episode from the last 5 years in a matter of weeks, I've been deeply moved and inspired by this daily dose of educational therapy that has pushed me to make meaningful changes at a crossroads in my life. This is one of the most transformative collections of media I've come across to date. I've included links to the shows on the website, but you can download the mobile app as well. If you feel so inspired, support the growth of the show with a one time or monthly donation on Scott's crowdfunding platform or leave a review on the itunes app store. 1. Ethan Hughes and Necessary Simplicity & Practical Possibilities with Ethan Hughes – Ethan Hughes is a permaculture practitioner and radical minimalist that founded the Possibility Alliance, an 80-acre petrol and electricity-free homestead that gifts over 1,500 permaculture design courses each year. After traveling the world and watching the innumerable tragedies that fossil fuels and Western civilization have imposed on the earth, indigenous populations, and the minds of the masses, Ethan decided to give up his car for a bike, eat dinner by candlelight, liquidate his financial capital, and begin educating people about changing harmful lifestyles. I cannot explain how game-changing it was to hear Ethan tell his story: 20 years of slowing down to the simple life where chocolate doesn't belong, where in the last ten years his car has only been used twelve times for emergencies, and where the inner landscape work to make these external changes is of utmost importance and is the only practical path. Here is another article with Ethan over at Mother Earth News. [caption width="500" align="aligncenter"] Reprinted from Gather and Grow, read their experience when visiting Ethan's land and home of the Possibility Alliance https://gatherandgrowdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/possibility2.jpg[/caption] 2. Edible Forest Gardens and permaculture with Dave Jacke – Dave Jacke is a permaculture practitioner and co-author of Edible Forest Gardens that tells it like it is. Like Ethan Hughes, Dave asserts the importance of inner landscape work if any external actions are to have lasting results. His work with perennial food forestry is comprehensive, and the content of this conversation has given me a more clear understanding of how to move forward in my path, both internally and in the outer landscape, specifically with regards to food forestry. 3. Right Livelihood with Ben Weiss, Dave Jacke, and Charles Eisenstein– This recent episode features permaculture practitioners Ben Weiss and Dave Jacke, and author of bestseller Sacred Economics, Charles Eisenstein. The conversation traverses the ways in which we can integrate the lessons of the old story, and begin to make positive changes toward the new world we wish to inhabit. A true necessity for the contemporary changemaker. Linked in the show notes is the second half of the conversation without Charles (who had to leave the discussion early). [caption width="490" align="aligncenter"] Reprinted with permission from The Permaculture Podcast. Ben Weiss, Dave Jacke, and Charles Eisenstein panel discussion (left to right).[/caption] 4. Restoration Agriculture with Mark Shepard (Parts 1-3)– Mark Shepard is a practical go out and get it farmer. He's not interested in obscure uses of the word permaculture or anything short of prolific results. This three part discussion explains Mark's story and experience with the Organic Valley Co-operative farmers group, in which biofuel tractor design, perennial food forest design, and efficient chestnut growing are all shared practices to build a resilient network of farmers who live in the same proximity. After listening to the first episode, I was thrilled to see there were two more to listen to. This is a great episode for practical solutions to profitable farming, truly restorative land management practices, and integrative food forestry design. 5. Whole Systems Design and the Resilient Farm with Ben Falk– Ben Falk is a permaculturist who, like Ethan Hughes, wouldn't flinch if the system as we know it broke down overnight. The homestead he designed for himself is completely self-reliant, other than a generator he uses as a backup heating source for showers until solar panels can be bought (by now, I'm sure he has them, since this episode is over two years old). But unlike Ethan, Ben makes a living from his rugged resilience through a design firm called Whole Systems Design, LLC. When I first came across Ben's website a year or so ago on accident, I thought to myself “this is what I want to do” as I watched a video of him using a scythe to cut a cover crop and his design team talking about the completely self-reliant and closed loop homestead systems they design, build and inhabit. Here is the video: Whole Systems Design, LLC Firm Overview from Ben Falk on Vimeo. Whole Systems Design, LLC Firm Overview from Ben Falk on Vimeo. A visual overview of some of the work Whole Systems Design performs in Vermont, New England and abroad. Enjoy and check us out at www.wholesystemsdesign.com for more information. 6. Eight Forms of Capital and Regenerative Enterprise with Ethan Roland– If you haven't read Regenerative Enterprise by Gaia University Graduates Ethan Roland and Gregory Landua, I encourage you to do so after this episode. This show outlines the conceptual viewpoint of the eight forms of capital, of which financial is only one. I'll let Ethan explain how this simple formula for viewing the world makes all of your work, whether it is volunteer work at a food bank, growing your own food, traveling, or reading books, as contributing to your wealth as a human being. [caption width="500" align="aligncenter"] Reprinted with permission from The Permaculture Podcast. The Eight Forms of Capital infograph.[/caption] 7. Responsible Business, Responsible Entrepreneur with Carol Sanford– Fast on the heels of the Eight Forms of Capital episode, Carol Sanford takes the concepts of Regenerative Entrepreneurship to new heights with responsible entrepreneurship being her twist on the subject. She speaks about ethics-driven corporations and right relations business practices that make for truly regenerative business ventures. 8. Natural Building and ThePOOSH.org with Eric Puro– It was a pleasant surprise to hear my friend and new world colleague speak about how natural building changed his life and how, by searching craigslist for free land and buying a couple books, he and his friends built their first earth ship from all natural and up-cycled materials. Eric speaks about an ecovillage tour of Europe, starting a web platform, natural building with no power tools, and meeting people where they're at in any type of work that cares for the earth, community, and oneself. Visit ThePOOSH.org to start or join a natural building project today. [caption width="500" align="aligncenter"] Reprinted with permission from The Permaculture Podcast. The Poosh.org ‘s first naturally constructed home in Oregon on land they found through craigslist. Find out more: thepoosh.org[/caption] 9. Economic and Financial Collapse with Nicole Foss– This talk with Nicole Foss, founder of Automatic Earth, on building community resiliency at a time where growth is coming to its limits, has inspired me to take my commitments of local action further. In a society where infinite growth is assumed possible, and even necessary, this exhaustively researched and academically referenced talk about Economic Collapse asks the listener to think about how they would live if energy and fossil fuels ran out today. Would you live? What necessities of life would you have secured from within your home or bioregion. Which neighbors do you know enough to collaborate with to stay healthy? Would you have any food or water if exports stopped immediately? I've been thinking a lot about this topic lately, and relocalization of my physical needs to survive has become a relatively high priority. By making deep relationships with local farms, finding a local spring, and planting fruit trees today, we can buffer the effects of economic collapse by building a thriving community where we live. 10. Urban Permaculture in Baltimore, Maryland – The final episode I've chosen goes deep. It begins with the stories and backgrounds of Eric and Victoria, the founders of Charm City Farms. While Eric's background story is brief, Victoria's is as authentic and genuine as it is lengthy. She speaks about her path as a visual artist and student, growing up in Georgia and being completely enthralled with nature, and reading depth psychology authors such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell to help her make sense of her life. She also gives history on her herbalism and permaculture studies. Victoria gives the listener a relatable and cherishable story of her struggles, her darkness, her challenges, and tells the story of her life's transformation through permaculture and urban community development. After listening to the work of Eric and Victoria just a couple days ago, I've been inspired to make changes in my place, as they have, and decided not move to the big progressive cities where movements are already so large and prominent (like Boulder, Brooklyn, Austin, Portland, etc). Eric and Victoria grew the first public urban food forest in Baltimore (and they are already starting to plan their second). They do primitive skills workshops in the middle of the city, and they do the inner work that is so essential to truly help people in underprivileged communities. This inner work is particularly essential in order that change agents may be in right relations, or as Victoria says, “do right by” the community they serve. It is easy to want to go to places where the large movements are already happening to do this work, but if everyone does this, the rest of our country will remain stuck in the old story, and underserved communities in the places people have left behind will stay this behind. I'm not saying that we shouldn't travel, learn new skills, meet new people, and gain new perspectives, but when it comes to setting roots in the ground, consider a place that truly needs changemakers, as Eric and Victoria did with Baltimore. [caption width="500" align="aligncenter"] Reprinted with permission from The Permaculture Podcast. Urban Food Forest in Baltimore, Maryland.[/caption] These are the conversations that give educational and experiential capital far beyond return for the financial capital of supporting the podcast if it is truly in your means. I supported the show recently, and I will say that for as much educational and experiential capital that Scott Mann is giving away each week (for only the $261 that he is getting on his crowdfunding platform per month) it is clear that he truly is doing really great work for the world, for community, and within himself. You can also help spread the wisdom and education of permaculture by sharing this article or www.thepermaculturepodcast.com with your friends. What are your 10 favorite episodes of the show? What inspiration or knowledge did you gain from them? I'd love to hear from you. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast

Ben Falk discusses some of the lessons and leanings from his 10 years of living on a homestead in Vermont. He touches on topics like water management, growing trees, and growing rice. The webinar was recorded on August 10, 2013. You can watch a view of this presentation in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/b21

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest for this episode is Dave Jacke a designer from Massachusetts and author, along with Eric Toensmeier, of Edible Forest Gardens Volume 1 and 2. Today he joins us to discuss Ecological Culture Design. Dave is a returning guest to the show. You can hear about his background and how he came to do this work in his initial interview. If this is your first time listening to Dave I recommend you start there to get a feel for the level of candor you'll hear in this episode. This is an open and honest conversation about the four components of Ecological Culture Design: Technology Resources Social and Economic Structures Cosmology We discuss how we must include these elements in our designs for permaculture systems. These areas matter because these are the pieces we must work with in order to bring the so-called “Invisible Structures” of permaculture to the forefront. Dave and I end the conversation with a constructive critique on what it means to organize, practice, and teach permaculture. In preparing this episode Dave and I both listened to the audio before it went out on the air and he asked that I correct his statement about Tantric philosophy. In the interview he said, “the perceiver, the perceived and the object of perception are one.” What he meant was “the perceiver, the perceived and the process of perception are one ,” a subtle but big difference. I agree with much of what Dave has to say in this episode. We cannot keep calling the non-landscape portions of our design invisible, or they will remain there, on the outside, away from view. We need to communicate about them differently in order to understand them and make them a part of our larger designs so that what we do can continue long after our ability to maintain or consult on a system is gone. For much the same reason the Designers' Manual only the beginning. Yes, every permaculture designer should have a copy in their library as a reference, and to understand some of the early vision as expressed by Bill Mollison, but in additional to that book we need a large library of materials to reference and cross reference and research to create good designs. With that I would like to see a new edition of the Designers' Manual written every decade or so as an encyclopedia of permaculture that can include more information about what we've learned over the years, but written as a collective cooperative piece by the community that takes the best of what everyone has to offer, and focuses on their areas of specialty, to create a book with multiple perspectives and voices. Get Dave Jacke and Ben Falk to write about formal design, Jude Hobbs and Andrew Millison about permaculture education, Marisha Auerbach and Rachel Kaplan to cover urban permaculture, and Karryn Olson-Ramanujan and Adam Brock on social permaculture. Those are just the names and topics off the top of my head. The Designers' Manual as written by Mollison is over 500 pages. There's room for many authors to contribute to such an effort. If you'd be interested in contributing to something like this, maybe we can get a proposal together and create a new manual for the 21st century. Whatever your permaculture plans, I'm here to help. Email: The Permaculture Podcast Write: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast Resources Ecological Culture Design: A Holistic View (PDF) Dave Jacke Edible Forest Gardens and Permaculture with Dave Jacke (Dave's first interview on the podcast.)

My guest today is Ben Falk. Ben is a really incredible permaculture designer with a comprehensive focus. Ben runs a planning firm called Whole Systems Design. Through this firm, he "identifies, designs, and develops human habitats - landscape and infrastructure systems - that yield perennial abundance and enduring value. These are adaptive, resilient and secure places in a future of peak oil, climate instability, and deepening economic insolvency." They also "plan, develop, and manage land-based wealth preservation and security projects for those with the forethought to invest an abundance of present day resources to reduce their familly's vulnerability to future food, energy and other supply-chain disturbances, as well as peak-oil, climatic, economic and other events." The interview covers a variety of topics, including: Ben's path from architecture to comprehensive design. How to approach personal lifestyle design from a systems mindset. How to prioritize needs and investment. How he heats his house, heats his water, cooks his food, and dries his clothes in Vermont with a very small amount of wood. How he grows 80 to 90% of his food intake. My favorite quote from the interview: "Don't fight something that's wrong. Make a new system that makes the old system obsolete." Enjoy! Joshua Links: Whole Systems Design The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach by Ben Falk

Diego Footer is the founder and CEO of the Permaculture Voices Conference where important voices in the real food moment meet up including Joel Salatin, Mark Shepard and Ben Falk. We talk about how designers, photographers and farmers themselves can make a great living helping people eat real food. Also I talk about the wellness program at im.notjustpaleo.com -- There are 14 early bird price spots left!! Please write a review on iTunes!

Ben Falk and Grant Schultz join me to talk about permaculture as a survival preparedness strategy. How can we use whole systems design to create systems that work passively to increase our resiliency. In our modern day world we are quick to throw money at technological, mechanical systems that are complicated and brittle. In an emergency situation you could have a generator, but if that breaks or you run out of fuel, you are out of luck. If you have a wood fuel based system, it is going to work no matter what, it's bulletproof.Ben and Grant are both a wealth of knowledge when it comes to homestead technology, both simple and complex. They are living the lifestyle. Using and building the systems that they talk about. They are both builders and tinkerers, therefor they understand how these systems work, and can break down. You will learn how important it is to buy high quality tool that will last a lifetime (and the tools to service the tools); often times those tools were built 80 years ago and can be bought on the cheap. They have an appreciation for good quality tools and things you can craft by hand. Simple is beautiful, simple is resilient.This isn't typical prepper talk of buying generators, storing fuel, and MREs. This is all about designing systems that will work before and after SHTF. Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/40

Ben Falk from Whole Systems Design, LLC joins me talk about permaculture design and what he has learned on his research site over the years. He talks about how to break into the business as a designHe touches on cold climate infrastructure and heating with wood. And he goes into his thoughts on designing a property and why it's important to understand the land's capability and how you should relate that to your goals. We also spend some time talking about the mass selection of plant genetics for a site, stressing the importance of over stacking the system in the beginning to see what works and what doesn't. Key Takeaways: Get some experience working with the land and systems before you start designing properties as "a designer." You can reduce your wood usage by 30-40% by drying wood well versus haphazardly drying it. Cold humid climates have a low tolerance for bad moisture detailing in structures. When designing a home detail carefully to keep the home dry and get water out. Grow tree multi-purpose tree species for fuel wood. Consider black locusts - fixes nitrogen, fast grower, rot resistant wood, good fuel wood, and makes great saw logs. Have goals but understand the land's capability so you can adjust those goals as needed. Don't fight against the land's tendencies and capabilities, work with it, not against it. Most people have more land than they can manage well. Moving down in acreage might be advantageous. It is better to manage 5 acres right than 100 acres wrong. Most people can have most of their needs met on 5-10 acres. Unless you have a commercial aspect or grazing component. Have a good access plan for your site. Don't box yourself out. Start and maintain a clear access pattern which is based on the water flow throughout the site. For site selection general location and access are a quick way to filter down a list of a lot of properties. Then look to the Keyline Scale of Permanance. Consider water security and controlling as much of a watershed as you can. Focus on manageability with regards to plantings. Plant based on water access with on contour swales. Not all permaculture techniques will work on all sites. So don't expect that. Practice the mass selection of genetics. Identify the best genetics from your site by growing trees from seed. Plant as many tress as you can on a site, way closer than you would ever imagine, and cut out the ones that don't do well. Use the first 3-5 years on a site to learn what does well. Years 5-10 are when you focus on plants and families that really want ot grow on your site - microclimate - aspect - soils. And there is no way to know which ones will work unless you start putting a lot of plants in the ground. Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/27

Today will be an interview with Ben Falk of Whole Systems Design. Ben developed Whole Systems Design as a land-based response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben’s integrative approach to developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as a proving ground for the innovative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben has studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds a master’s degree in land-use planning and design. He has taught design courses at the University of Vermont and Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum as well as on permaculture design, microclimate design, and design for climate change. He recently served on the Board of Directors at the Yestermorrow Design-Build School and teaches there from time to time. Ben latest book, The Resilient Farm and Homestead can be purchased on his website.