Farm Small Farm Smart Daily

If you want to be better off in December 2016, then the planning for that starts now in December 2015. The biggest leverage point which for the farm season next year is right there in front of you. You just need to tease it out. That's what today's show is about. Doing some End of Season Reflection - Thinking about How Things Went This Year, to Alter Course and Plan for Next Year I hope that you can use some of the information that we talk about in this episode to reflect on your 2015 farm season, so you can get better in 2016. With the end of the year, comes the end of this show. This is Episode 40 of The Urban Farmer, the last episode of the show. Good luck with everything in 2016 and beyond. Keep growing, keep pushing forward, and keep getting after it. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf40

Direct download: TUF040-12302015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 12:30am PDT

In today's episode Curtis and I will take a look back at the season of this show and talk about what's in store for the future for Curtis and this show. In regards to the future, you listening to this hold a bit of control on that in your hands. Because we want to hear what your thoughts are on this show - The Urban Farmer. This season what's resonated with you? What do you want to hear more about? And how has this show affected what you are doing? I don't beg a lot, but this is one case where I will, I am begging you, please send us your feedback on the show. Has it helped what do you want to hear more about, and are you using this information as a home grower versus a commercial farm? Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think. You can do so via email diego@permaculturevoices.com and/or leave a comment in the show notes for this episode at permaculturevoices.com/tuf39. Thanks for listening to the show and supporting us this year. It means a lot to me. This show has been outlet for me, and a way for me to put something out there to make an impact, that I believe in and can stand behind. I hope that it has helped. Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf39

Direct download: TUF039-12232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

On today's show I am talking to Rob Kippel. Rob's not your typical permie. He's a paramedic, a real estate investor, and he owns a profitable franchise business that has nothing to do with farming, but his values align with the values that permaculture supports. And Rob likes the idea of regenerative agriculture, but he doesn't want to be the farmer. And when you hear this interview, I think you will probably agree, that Rob's skills are best suited for the other fields which he is already excelling at. Because he has accomplished a lot, and is doing a lot, and he's done it by age 31.

I hope that this episode gets you thinking. Because the permaculture path might not be for everyone, and some people might be better off supporting Your Permaculture Goals with a Career Outside of Permaculture....

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/cd9

Direct download: CD009-12182015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

How much work should you put into something before it gets to the point where it isn't worth it? At what point does the money, the effort, and the headache justify not doing it? With everything in business and farming, there is always a trade off, an opportunity cost. If you are doing one, thing, then it's at the expense of something else. Because you can't do it all, and regardless of the return, sometimes it's just not worth it. In this episode we spend a lot of time looking at how to decide if customers and crops are worth the effort. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf38.

Direct download: TUF038-12162015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

If you are going to succeed in any business then you need to be able to tell a good story. Your skill, services, and product are only going to get you so far. You need to be able to tell the stories that get people to get behind you and pay for your products and services. If you can't do that, then you won't succeed. This is where marketing comes in. And for right or for wrong, marketing has a sleezy image. Because at the core of everything, marketers are propagandists. They are using information to manipulate you and get you to do something that you may or may not realize that you actually want to do. And as my guest today, Hilary Bromberg, will say, is the propaganda for somethign good or for something less than good. Because even the most noble causes need propadana to get people to pay attention. This episodes is all about marketing and story telling. And it's a beast. There's a ton of great advice in here from Hilary. But the advice and tips are subtle. This isn't go make this type of post on Facebook everyday types of tips. She will be talking about the fundamental principles of what makes people do what they do. Timeless adivce, that doesnt' change, because people don't change. Pay attention, and get ready. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/hilary

Direct download: PV3-HilaryBromberg.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

In this episode, I want to talk about this idea of growing wings and flying. Not limiting ourselves from becoming who we are and maximizing our true potential. Because we live in a society where everything is comfortable, too comfortable. Where you more or less just plug into the system and get pulled along with it from grade school to college to job to social security... A society where today, if you have a full time job, and you tell someone that you are leaving your job, their likely first reaction is going to be what are you going to do for money. That’s what my parents feared in 1998 when I wanted to transition from a lucrative career with sure employment to a field that was saturated. And that’s the first question they asked when I told them I was likely leaving my job now. It’s part of our culture. The job. And we are all trained to be employees and we are believed to be dependent on that thing... the job. That’s our future and it’s with the company. And that guy, the the guy in the other room. That's where our retirement is sitting. Where our progress and future is in the hands of someone and something else. Not us. And that's great, because it absolves us of responsibility, and puts one layer of insulation between us and the harsh world of surviving on your own. A layer that makes us comfortable, and therefore vulnerable, more on that later. It’s comfortable because honestly it’s pretty damn hard to get fired once you have a job. With paycheck security, I think most people lapse into minimum viable effort, intended or not. I have worked around enough co-works to see that in reality very few people put in 40 hours of productive work a week despite being at 40 for 40 hours a week. It’s show up, do some work, surf the web, chat with co-workers, drink coffee, repeat, eat lunch, do a little work go, home. That is most of corporate America. It’s easy. It’s comfortable. And life is good when you just show up and collect a salary. But there is a cost to living in that bubble. Your price of admission is trading your time and freedom for perceived and temporary stability. Think about that one for a second. What makes that stable hourly or salary based job for the man so nice, meaning show up and get paid, is actually costing you time. Your life’s precious time. And what’s happening in your life during that time that you are missing. What life experiences and memories are you trading those dollars, be it small or large for? Spending 40 plus hours a week at a job week at a job which realistically likely requires less than 40 hours of actual focused and effective work to complete. Read more at permaculturevoices.com/cd8

Direct download: CD008-12112015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

All in Curtis produced about 17,500lbs of product off of his farm this year. That's a lot of food coming from a small space. Remember Curtis is only farming off of 15,000 sq.ft. which is spread out over 5 plots. And this year he made the most of it producing over 17,000lbs of produce on those 5 plots. And we aren't talking corn and potatoes here. For the most part many of the crops which he produced really aren't that heavy, he simply produced a lot of product. 3000lbs of tomatoes, 2500 lbs of radishes, 2500 lbs of spring mix, 2000lbs of turnips. Big numbers for a small farm. Curtis has grown better throughout the years and grown a lot of crops in the past. At one time he grew over 90 differnet crops. Ultimatley that easn't affective for Curtis and he learned to focus on the crops that paid, dropping the ones that didnt'. Now in 2015 he produced about 23 differnet products off of the farm this year. But even with only 23 different crops, not all crops are created equal. Because his top 5 crops account for over 60% of his total sales. In this eposde we start to dig a bit into those different products and really disect the numbers looking at metrics like which crops made up the top five in terms of sales dollars. And what you will notice when we go through taht exercise is just what we have talked about all season, 20% of the crops produce the majortiy of the farms sales. Given that we'll look at how Curtis is using this data to start to plan for next year. In a nut shell it's grow what works and more of it if there's demand, and drop what isn't working so well. The numbers are telling and the numbers don't lie. Regarding of what you what, some crops just grow well on your farm and sell well in your market, so focus on those crops. You can't grow it all, so grow what counts. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf37

Direct download: TUF037-12092015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:53am PDT

Dan Brisebois will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Today’s episode takes us to Quebec, where farmer Dan Brisebois is doing some amazing things at the Tourne-Sol farm…. Dan Brisebois started out like a lot of other small scale growers, growing market vegetables intensively to sell to CSA customers. But unlike most other growers, Dan also had another plan in mind as he started his farm. A plan that would really distinguish him from many other small scale growers. Because from the beginning Dan’s plan was to integrate seed production into his small farm's operation. Seed which could be used on the farm, and seeds which could be sold. Dan's now about 10 years into the seed growing and selling business, and things are going well and he's producing a lot of seeds. Seeds that he uses in three ways. He's selling seeds which are being sold to through his own seed company and seeds which are being sold to seed retailers, and seed which is being used on his farm. It’s proving to be a lucrative and viable add on business for his small farm. And before starting thinking, I don't have enough room on my farm to grow seeds as well as market veg, thinking again, because Dan is dedicating less than 1/2 an acre to seed production. You don't need a lot of land to produce a lot of seeds. But it isn't just as easy as grow plants and get seeds. There's a lot of strategy, skill and marketing that plays into the small scale seed business. Some of which is intuitive and some of which isn't. Like why Dan grows his market tomatoes on supports in the greenhouse, but grows his tomatoes for seed outside on the ground. Find out exactly why in this episode, as Dan shares 10 years of seed growing experience. If you are looking to cash flow a small piece of land or diversify your farm operations, pay attention in this one... Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/dan

Direct download: PV3-DanBrisebois.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Christian Shearer will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Hopefully this episode will help shed some light on the long term design process, so you can approach you own long term project with the right mindset, expectations, and goals. Christian as has a lot of experience working on projects that have taken years to complete and evolve. For the past 10 plus years he has been the managing director of the Panya Project in Thailand, and he has taken on numerous long term projects as one of the founding members of Terra Genesis International. Through his work with Terra Genesis Christian has taken the lead on reforestation projects in the Philippines, regenerative farming practices in northeastern Thailand, and the broad regeneration of a sand quarry in Barbados. He's worked aroudn the world on a varitey of project over the past ten years, and he's gathered a lot of wisdom along the way. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/christian

Direct download: PV3-ChristianShearer.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode we will be talking about real world issues and troubles with restaurant customers. How Curtis has dealt with customers who haven't paid in the past and how he has changed his procedures to help make sure that it doesn't happen again. Because Curtis has learned the hard way, when you're in the real world and restaurants don't pay, you can lose a lot of money. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf36

Direct download: TUF036-12022015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Jean-Martin Fortier will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Basing his farm off of the French bio intensive market gardens JM has kept his farm small and intensive relying mostly on hand labor. He has focused on developing and following on farm systems that work and growing crops that pay. And the results have been a farm pays well. Jean-Martin's farm now generates $150,000 on 1.5 acres, with 40% of that being profit. Big numbers for a small farm. It's the $100,000 an acre that JM is associated with today. But he didn't start out making $100,000 an acre. He started out at square one, just like many of you. And as a preview for the episode, it wasn't easy. There was a lot of hard work involved in the beginning. It was that hard work and striving for constant improvement that allowed JM to arrive at the systems which he uses so profitably today. The systems which allow him to generate $100,000 off of 1 acre. But let's go back in time to Day 0 when he was just starting out. He was married, didn't have any money, he lived in a tipi, but he had a vision for the life that he wanted to live. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/pv3

Direct download: PV3-JMFortier.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 1:00am PDT

Where do you draw the line between this isn't working, but I can figure it out, and this will never work? Let's just accept the fact that farm start-up is going to involve it's fair share of struggles. How long should those struggles continue? Because there is no sense wasting your time, your life's energy, sacrificing the relationships in your life, as you pile on monumental amounts of stress if you don't have the skill, the will, or the resources to make it work. At some point should you draw the line and just say, maybe this isn't right for me, it's not working? When you find yourself scraping by ask yourself why, and what you can do about it, annd just maybe you will realize that your model doesn't work, or you're not very good at it. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf35

Direct download: TUF035-11252015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Erin Axelrod will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. A lot of people within the permaculture are visionaries. We imagine a better world. One that's more regenerative, versus depletive and consumption oriented. But sometimes it's hard to align those grand visions with how the world operates today, specifically when it comes to business. So how do you match the vision with what it takes to survive today? We’ll find out, in today's conversation with Erin Axelrod. Erin is a partner at LIFT economy, a business consulting and coaching company that provides support, structure and strategy to the next generation of businesses. A generation of business that share the vision of a world where all human needs are met, where people have more time to play and enjoy each day and where life flourishes in the richness of a stable climate and resilient ecosystems. In this episode Erin will be talking about her work at LIFT and what she has learned through her years of experience working with permaculture visionaries and the businesses that they are trying to build and grow to support their vision. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/erin

Direct download: PV3-ErinAxelrod.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Zach Weiss will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016. Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3. Zach's going to give you a realistic view of what starting out as a designer is really like. And he is going to answer the big questions of can you actually make a living as a designer and how much opportunity is out there? If you are looking to go into the permaculutre design field, pay attention in this one, because Zach is someone who is carving out their own niche as a designer, and making a living doing it. Zach's a protégé of legendary Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer. He has worked on properties around the world with Sepp and he has worked on his own jobs in multiple countries that range from big to small. He approaches the field with a high level of professionalism and integrity, something that isn't stressed enough in this field. And something that we will touch on in this episode. Learn more about Zach at permaculturevoices.com/zach

Direct download: PV3-ZachWeiss.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It's currently November 2015 and the main farm season for Curtis is pretty much over. And along with, so is this season of the show. For the remainder of the episodes we'll be wrapping up everything that happened on the farm this year with Curtis and tying up a few loose ends. With things very slow on the land, Curtis is taking a few weeks off from the farm. Given that today's episode is Q and A episode. These questions were actually answered last winter on via Curtis on his YouTube channel.

If you want to watch him answer these questions you can do so in the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf34.

In this show Curtis will be answering questions on time management, farm startup, finding land and securing land, converting land to urban farm land, approaching restaurants, and record keeping. The nice thing about these questions is that they cover a wide variety of topics which will help to help tie together the season as we look to wrap it up. There's a lot here, enjoy it.

Watch the video answers of these questions at permaculturevoices.com/tuf34

Direct download: TUF034-11182015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Today's episode takes us north of the American border to the city of Vancouver. It's the story of how urban farmer Chris Thoreau started his microgreens farm. Like Darby Simpson's story this is another one that very relatable. Chris started his farm at what on paper looks like an in-opportune time. He started this part time while in school full time and 2.5 months into his first semester his son was born. Despite life presenting challenges that some people would say aren't worth the risk, Chris made a go of it taking on these early challenges he has managed to grow his operation to one that will do $180k in sales in 2015. And all that sales are coming from a farm that's in a shipping container taking up 320 sq. ft.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/chris

Direct download: PV3-11162015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

If you think about your life, and you never made a dollar doing what you were doing, would you keep doing it - forever?

Regardless of whether you are making money doing what you are doing or not, take a second to think about that.

If you never made a dollar doing what you were doing, would you keep doing it - forever?

Do you like it enough to keep it up?

My goal for this episode is to try to get you to have a realistic view of what it's going to take to get to where you want to go. And it may scare a lot of people away. For today's episode I want to focus on the long road to overnight success. Being resilient enough to keep going when the times get tough, and being personal and emotionally invested enough to keep you going through those tough times.

Show notes at permaculturevoices.com/cd7

Direct download: CD007-11132015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

What's your time worth as a farmer? How much should should you be charging yourself to do tasks on the farm?

That's an important metric to think about when you are a small operation. Because for a lot of farmers in this space, the labor force is a force of one, you. And you only have so many hours in a day to get everything done. Your time is very valuable. Knowing that, are you spending your valuable time on tasks that actually return a greater value than the time that you put in?

Today we talk about the way that Curtis used to do certain tasks and contrast that with how he does tasks now. And why he changed how he did things.

For notes and links related to this episode visit the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf33.

This episode was recorded in November 2015.

Direct download: TUF033-11112015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darby Simpson will be one of the speakers at PV3 in March 2016.

Learn more about PV3 at permaculturevoices.com/pv3.

As you will learn in this episode, Darby Simpson is someone who transitioned into farming on a part time basis while working full time in an unrelated field.

Putting in well over 50 hours each week as an engineer and spending a couple hours each day in the car commuting back and forth. But despite those long hours, he started his farm, on the side.

He did it while raising a young family, and keeping his sanity in the process. He did it by working hard and smart. And he did it in a very approachable way.

He started his farming operation with only $500. With that $500 he bought 50 broilers and some equipment and he was on his way to farming full time. The first 50 sold and he never looked back.

$500 in initial expenses, started farming on the side, while working full time, and with a young family. A very relate-able and applicable situation to many people listening to this show.

If you are contemplating that jump into farming and making that dream a reality, but you feel like life is standing in the way, here is someone who's done it with life in the way.

Learn more about Darby at permaculturevoices.com/darby

Direct download: PV3-11092015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on soils, marketing, energy.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b35

Direct download: b035-10015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode we talk about post crop harvest processing, including how Curtis has changed some of his techniques over the years.

We also talk about some of his farm equipment and infrastructure like his flame weeder and walk in cooler.

For notes and links related to this episode visit the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf32.

Direct download: TUF032-11042015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the Regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on buildings and fences.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b34

Direct download: b034-10015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the Regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on water, access, and forestry.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b33

Direct download: b033-102015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Set yourself up for success by having realistic plans and expectations for the first year. Match your lifestyle and your budgeting to those realistic expectations.

If you are going to start out farming with a gun to the head survival mentality then it makes things very hard. Long term learning gets displaced for the need to put money into the till today.

Work to learn, not to earn.

The goal is to farm for a career. Not make a bunch of money this year and then do something else next year. And the only way to do that is day after day for the long run, learning as much as you can in the process.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf31

Direct download: TUF031-10282015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Darren Doherty presents the Regrarian Platform.

This is Darren's introductory presentation that he gave at Grant Schultz's Versaland in October 2014.

The presentation lays out the ten key components of the regarian platform - climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soils, marketing, and energy.

This episode focuses on the introduction, geography, and climate.

This episode is the part of a four part series - episodes b032, 033, 034, 035.

The workshop was open source, so thanks to Darren for allowing me to share this with you all.

Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/b32

Direct download: b032-102015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Today's show is another remarkable story of another entrepreneur, a permaculture entrepreneur.

It's the story of someone who went from being an anti-money activist to running a $1M permaculture design and build business. A business that catches millions of gallons of water, builds soil on hundreds of acres, plants hundreds of useful trees every year, restores native habit, redesigns our cites our schools and new developments.

It is a success story that is 10 years in the making. And one was almost derailed a few times along the way.

But just like with Harland Sanders, it was persistence and a strong belief in what he was doing that allowed my guest today, Erik Ohlsen of Permaculture Artisans, to continue his vision and build it into a $1M design business.

If you don't think that permaculture based business can be profitable or be big, here's an example of one to change your mind...

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/cd6

Direct download: CD005-10232015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Big isn't always better. More just for the sake of having more is pointless.

Just because you have access to more land doesn't mean you need to take it.

If you are getting bigger then you better have a reason why you are getting bigger...

If you are thinking about expanding stop and ask why? Does it fit within the overall plan that you have for your business, your farm, and your life?

If not, then don't do it.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf30

Direct download: TUF030-10212015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

While the presentation will focus on plant propagation for a profit from a small/backyard nursery stand point if you want a successful permaculture business you will want to attend this talk.

Within permaculture perennial plants represent an extreme expense and an incredible opportunity.

In this 60 minute presentation Jack Spirko will bring his 20 years of business management, marketing, technology and sales experience to the plant propagation niche.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015.

To watch this presentation visit permaculturevoices.com/b31.

Direct download: b031-10192015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Today's show is about time.

Specifically how precious our tiem is, and how we ought not to waste it.

I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This is one of the most common regrets that people have at the end of their lives. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people don't honor even a half of their dreams and die knowing that it is due to choices they had made, or not made.

How many people listening to this have unfilled dreams?

How many people are really living their lives the way they want?

How many people are listening to this as they drive drive to or from a job that they really don't like and in a perfect world wouldn't be doing?

A type of job that they only go to pay the bills because they have kids, a mortgage, etc, etc..

A lot of people live that life. And that's a life of fear disguised as practicality.

It's a sad way to live, because life is too short.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/cd5.

Direct download: CD005-10162015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Think about how much work you do on the farm now. How much of that work is actually being done efficiently and effectively?

Are you making the best use of your time by focusing on the 20% of the tasks that generate the most return?

Getting rid of crops can actually be a good thing. It allow you to work more efficiently and effectively by focusing on the task at hand instead of always trying to keep you head above water. It's very hard for any one person to do many things well, but each of us can do a few things really well. Crops are no different. And odds are you can grow a few crops a lot better than you can grow a lot of crops.

Take a look at your farm and the crops that you grow. Which crops generate 20% of your revenue? And how would your farm and life look if you just focused on those?

Get a copy of Curtis's new book via the show notes at permaculturevoices.com/tuf29

Direct download: TUF029-09232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Learn practical tips to leverage this powerful and often misunderstood marketing tool.

This talk will teach you to focus on generating farm revenue while avoiding the popularity contest trap.

This talk was presented at PV1 in March 2014.

See the slides at permaculturevoices.com/b030.

Direct download: b030-10122015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Today's episode focuses on fear.

Fear is a very powerful motivator for humans. It's part of what keeps us alive. But it's also what holds us back.

It holds us back by taking over our mind. Stalling our actions because we are afraid of imaginary, un-quantifiable, or low odd outcomes.

There's a big difference between being scared in shark infested waters and being scared about the sea level rising and flooding global coast lines.

One could literally lead to death and other might not even happen.

Yet a lot of people are paralyzed by the state of planet.

Paralyzed by events that may or may not play our as predicted in their lifetime. And while these people remain paralyzed by fear over these future events, life goes by. And with it a lot of other things take place which should have a higher level of fear associated with them.

Let's dig into this concept a little bit and see if we try to rationalize all this fear.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Creative Destruction.

For notes related to this episode visit permaculturevoices.com/cd4.

Direct download: CD004-10092015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

How can you a lot mistakes and wasting valuable resources by overproducing a crop, and the inverse of that, not producing enough?

Good record keeping.

Records on the farm are extremely valuable. When you start to get a few years of records and can notice trends, those records become very valuable because the records are what dictates your future action.

Action that can save you work down the line and put the right amount of product in your walk in so you can sell it.

This type of planning directly translates to maximizing your farm income.

And it's not actually that hard to do. Don't over-complicate it. Start by keeping simple records and get into the habit of doing it, then expand and adapt your records as time goes on.

If you want to be successful as a farmer, then this is something that you need to do. It's one of the principals that has made Curtis as successful as he is.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf28.

Direct download: TUF028-10072015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Is there a place for permaculture principles in a bio-intensive approach to successful ( and profitable) small-scale vegetable production?

For more than a decade Jean-Martin and his wife have been making a living farming on 1.5 acres of land. Last year they sold for more than $140 000 in sales (with a profit margin of around 45 %) by selling freshly harvested vegetables trough their 140 member CSA and seasonal market stands.

The secret of their success resides in the low-tech, high-yield methods of production they have developed at les Jardins de la Grelinette.

This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015.

View the slides at permaculturevoices.com/b29.

Direct download: b029-10052015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Joel Salatin speaks on successional farming - partnering the older generation with the next generation of farmers.

This is an excerpt of an interview that I conducted with Joel Salatin on May 22, 2013 in Big Bear Lake, CA.

Listen to another podcast with Joel at permaculturevoices.com/89

Direct download: A5-JoelSalatin2013Two.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Can you accept in the beginning that what you are doing may not work?

Because, guess what, it might not.

But as long as you keep trying something will..

You just have to be willing to continue on until then. And if you are willing to accept that, then save yourself the time, money, and stress and quit now.

This path isn't for everyone and that's fine.

Regardless of what decision you make, just be content with you own decision.

Do yourself a favor and think about this long and hard, because it is a life changer. 20 years from now, do you want to look back and say you went for it, or regret not going for it.

Hopefully this show will lead you down the path of no regrets, and make your journey a little bit easier.

More about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf27

Direct download: TUF027-09302015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this talk Greg Judy talk covers the steps used to find leased land and build a multi-species grazing operation from scratch.

Livestock can be a blessing or a curse. It's all in the management. With smart management livestock become a multiplier on the landscape. By using a variety of livestock to manage the forages it allows better utilization of plants. Harvesting much more solar energy through the wide selection of different plant leaves.

This is a message that Greg Judy has come to learn, live by, and not preach.

Greg's story is remarkable. He is someone that went from almost broke to financially successfully and paying off his farm and house in three years. He did it by grazing cattle on land that he didn't own, leased land.

This talk was presented live at PV1 in March 2014.

Greg will be speaking at PV3 in March 2016.

Learn more about Greg at permaculturevoices.com/b28.

Direct download: b028-09282015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Denis Hayes talks about a lifetime of work in environmentalism - the challenges, successes, the changing environmental problems, and how he has endured numerous political changes in Washington.

Denis was the organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970, headed the Solar Energy Research Institute under President Carter, and is now president of the Bullitt Foundation. In 1999 Time Magazine named him Hero of the Planet.

In this episode we go through his early life in a polluted Washington paper milling community to how he became an environmental activist. We also discuss the creation and organization of the first Earth Day in 1970 and how the scope of the environmental problems have changed since then.

Learn more about Denis at permaculturevoices.com/cd3.

Direct download: CD003-09252015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 5:30am PDT

Work to learn, not to earn...

Understand where you want to go, understand why you want to get into it, figure out a smart systematic way to get there, and work hard in the process.

And give yourself the forgiveness to make mistakes, but have the wherewithal to analyze those mistakes so you can adapt going forward.

That's what this episode is all about.

Taking the time to think long term and setting yourself up for long term success in the beginning.

Part of setting yourself up for success is knowing some of the common pitfalls, so you can avoid them.

In this episode we delve into more common reasons why many farmers struggle.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf26

Direct download: TUF026-09232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Peter and Grant met at a Darren Doherty workshop in 2012 as landless farmers with the shared dream of regenerating landscapes.

Since then, they’ve both landed properties, planted thousands of trees, and developed large-scale permaculture farms. They will share their stories of how they acquired land and rapidly deployed permaculture in different ways in different places, amid different contexts.

Peter farms at Mastodon Valley Farm in the ridges and valleys of southwestern Wisconsin, and Grant at Versaland in the rolling hills of Iowa. This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015.

View the slides from this presentation at permaculturevoices.com/b27.

Direct download: b027-09212015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This is an excerpt of an interview that I conducted with Joel Salatin on May 22, 2013 in Big Bear Lake, CA.

Listen to another podcast with Joel at permaculturevoices.com/89

Direct download: A5-JoelSalatin2013One.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It's August 25, 2015 which means we are at the tail end of summer and shorter, cooler days are coming as fall nears.

We are in one of those unique periods in the year known as the shoulder season, the transition periods at the end of one season and the beginning of another.

They can be tricky time periods for farmers to navigate.

Day lengths start getting shorter, temperatures start getting cooler, and the weather starts to change.

As a farmer this is one of those time periods where it critical to be able to adapt.

You need to be able to understand the changes that are taking place in your biome and plan your crop rotations accordingly.

With an ever changing climate each situation is different and each climate is different, making these shoulder seasons tough to explain.

This episode should shine some light on the topic and give you a general approach that works.

It's this approach, and methodology, that lies at the core of every farmers ability to adapt.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf25

Direct download: TUF025-09162015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Appropriate technology plays a critical role in permaculture systems. Developing, documenting, and sharing these tools and systems can turn dreamers into true permaculture practitioners.

Grant will discuss home and hot water heating using regenerative energy sources, year-round food preservation in a permacultural context, and functional transport including cargo bikes among other topics.

This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015 by Grant Schultz of Versaland.com.

Learn more about Grant at permaculturevoices.com/b26

Direct download: b026-09142015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Hello Diego,

My name is Russ. I am married, and have two awesome children and I used to be an alcoholic...

This episode is the story of Russ and how permaculture helped him get past alcoholism and change his life.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/111

Direct download: PVP111-09112015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

As a farmer, how do you communicate what you have to sell each week, how much it costs, and when you need orders placed by, so you can deliver it on time?

You use what is called a fresh sheet.

At it's simplest a fresh sheet is a list of what you are selling currently on the farm, and for what price.

A fresh sheet is more than a current inventory list. It also reminds ever-busy chefs that you have product that they probably want.

If you've never made a fresh sheet before, this episode may prompt you to make one.

It's a whole bunch of little tips and tricks to help you design, create, and maintain an effective fresh sheet.

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

 

Direct download: TUF024-09082015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Learn the tools, techniques, and costs of establishing a productive silvopasture – a production system that produces yields from every layer. Beginning with bare land, you’ll understand harvest planning and sourcing trees, seed, livestock, and equipment. Also learn what can potentially be built, bartered or bartered.

This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015.

See the slides for this talk at permaculturevoices.com/b025.

Direct download: b025-09042015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This episode is all about the art of farming.

Creating a framework, and understanding the overlying philosophy about why you do what you do, and leaving yourself some room to maneuver within that philosophy.

Learn more about Curtis at permaculturevoices.com/tuf23

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF023-09012015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Part 2 of the series with Marcin Jakubowski of Open Source Ecology.

This episode is the react show to the Marcin interview that I did in Part 1.

This episode is made up of my commentary inspired by the interview with Marcin, and your comments.

I dig deeper into some of the ideas that Marcin brought up such as the 1000 True Fans article by Kevin Kelly, how do you measure success, how do you focus your efforts, celebrating the small, and the advantages of quick iterative learning.

Details, notes, and link mentioned in this episode can be found at permaculturevoices.com/cd2.

 

Direct download: CD2-08282015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:20am PDT

This episode is all about being a better provider to your customers...

In this episode we dig deep into sourcing products from other farmers, breaking into new markets, working with chefs and soliciting feedback.

It's currently August 4, 2015 and the inevitable has happened. Curtis is short product, and he is having to source those products from other farmers to keep his restaurant customers happy...

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/tuf22

Direct download: TUF022-08252015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Are we moving to an open source world?

Marcin Jakubowski thinks so.

Through his global village construction set Marcin hopes to do what Wikipedia has done for actual physical equipment - open sourcing the tools and machines that are the fundamental components of civilization.

But like the visionaries that created Encarta and Wikipedia, it takes a unique perspective to create a future that doesn't exist yet, and to make that future a reality.

This episode is an exploration into Marcin's longer term view, specifically how does he stay focused and work towards something that is a far off view of the future. How does he deal with the hard times, the struggles, and the haters? How does fund the process and how does he measure progress? These are all challenges that come with having lofty goals and a grand vision, and when you starting point is currently only one one-millionth of the total economy.

As you listen to this episode think about open source and think about where we could be in the evolution of open source. Don't forget the lesson of the encyclopedia - when everything is going great and things are at an all time high - that impossible scenario, the one that could change everything, might not only be possible, it might just be around the corner.

Learn more about Marcin at permaculturevoices.com/cd1

Direct download: PVP111-08212015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode Curtis and I are joined by new farmer Rob Kaiser.

Rob is a few months into his farming journey. And like Curtis he didn't come from a farming background. He came from the corporate world. A few years ago Rob realized that the path that he was on, wasn't right for him anymore, and he needed to change. One part of that change was an entry into farming.

In this episode Rob will talk about his transition into farming and the plan that he has put into place to make the transition. He'll touch on how he has dealt with not knowing everything. And how he has dealt with the good times and the really bad times that are unavoidable when you start any new business venture.

One key to Rob's progress has been to surround himself with successful people to make his go a little easier by leveraging their experience. And it's worked because progress is being made and Rob is slowly making the change that he not too long ago dreamed about. The idea, the dream, has become a reality. It's happening.

For all the new farmers and aspiring farmers out there, this episode will shed some light on the early parts of the journey, showing that you are aren't alone, even though we all feel like we are at times. There are others out there trying to do what you want to do. Keep at it and and be the change. And as Rob will say in this episode, "You may not be able to change the world, but you can change yours."

More about the show at permaculturevoices.com/tuf21

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF021-08192015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

You need to ask yourself - Are you approaching farming as a hobby or as a livelihood?

There's no right or wrong answer.

But you need to be clear with your decision and set your expectations accordingly.

Because approaching farming as a business is dramatically different than approaching farming as a hobby.

To sum this all up be clear in your own head of the distinction between farming as a hobby, and farming as a career. No BS. Know what the answer is and make all, all, of your choices on the farm accordingly.

It is week 20 of the urban farm season - July 28, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf20

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF020-08122015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Most of the world’s human population in now urban. Permaculture designer and teacher Larry Santoyo will examine the permaculturist’s role in city planning and it’s direct relevance to wilderness protection, resource management and cultural curation. Larry will lead the discussion and share his lessons learned on projects.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/b24

Direct download: b024-08072015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This romantic notion of farming - working outside, hands in the soil, sowing seeds, and then nurturing those crops to harvest. While all great, and all true, they are just a piece of the farming pie. And this is where problem's start to arise.

The romantic view pulls people into farming, on just that, a romantic view, not a realistic full picture. And one part of reality is sales and moving product.

Many people don't think about how they are actually going to sell these crops that they harvest. Maybe just assuming someone will want to buy them, everyone needs to eat, right?

A dangerous assumption. And it is no doubt one of the reasons why you hear about so many small scale farmers struggling. They invest a lot of time in the dream, but not how they can actually make that dream a successful and sustainable reality.

Today we will take a look at that idea as we discuss how to sell your farm products, so you can keep working on the farm.

This episode is detailed dig into CSA's and farmers markets. What's worked for Curtis, and what hasn't. Strategies that can help you succeed..

It is week 19 of the urban farm season - July 21, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf19

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF019-08042015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Something so evident yet so ignored by industrial agriculture, why agriculture in the future must use plants that are naturally adapted to their environments.

In our present day world man has become so detached from nature that he imagines that he can grow wheat in parched deserts and oranges in the arctic, and while this is only a partially true statement, the fascination with gene tinkering in the laboratory with apparent obliviousness to natural forces has scientists trying to create “organisms” with super powers. The disciples of such approaches to agriculture preach of corn and rice that will withstand brutal temperatures and drought and supposedly bring humanity to food security when the thermometers pop because of climate change. Curiously, these people so intent on creating “super” plants in the laboratory, don’t seem to observe that such plants already exist in nature!

E.A.S. is such a simple concept that it is almost elementary school logic, yet for all the brilliant scholars around the world, practically no worldwide cohesive effort has been directed to amassing and trialing all the food plants suited to desertic conditions. Joseph Simcox will explain his bio-adaptive approach to creating effective agriculture in the world’s dry lands, and he will lay out a plan to produce food in them in an ecologically relevant and suitable way. His basis lies in the world’s food plant flora, hundreds if not thousands of plant species around the world have been utilized for food in the deserts by indigenous peoples for millennia, now is the time he argues, to take a closer look and put these plants in the spotlight for cultivation and selection.

This talk was presented live at PV1 in March 2014.

Learn more about Joseph Simcox at permaculturevoices.com/b023.

Direct download: b023-07312015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

As a farmer and as an employer it is important to have systems in place. To know why and how you do something. This helps you understand what you do and it allows you to communicate what you do to an employee.

When you have clear, defined systems in place it takes most of the guesswork out of the equation. This allows you to produce a consistent product quickly and efficiently. And it also allows you to troubleshoot problems when they come up. Because if everyone does things the same way, and something goes wrong then you can quickly tell whether it was operator error or system error, and fix the problem.

When you have an employee that understands why you do what you do and how you do what you do, then it comes down to when you do it. Time can be tight on a farm and things can get hectic, so it pays to take a little extra time each day to schedule out the upcoming day.

This episode is all about setting up and establishing systems to make the work that is done on your farm more effective.

It is week 18 of the urban farm season - July 14, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf18

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF018-07282015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Mycelium co-founder Matthew Abrams talks about his journey of leaving the status quo to finding meaning in his own life and the starting an alternative education business.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Matthew Abrams. Matthew is co-founder of mycelium.is

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-MatthewAbrams-ALearningJourney.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

There are all sorts of things that Curtis does to make his efforts more efficient and more effective. Some are complex and involve a lot of time studying spreadsheets, and others are simple like minimizing you transit time.

Growing the business while working less hours. That's something that we all want. It isn't always easy or straightforward, but it is possible. it's something that comes with experience if you take the time to analyze all of your processes and see where you can make them more efficient.

Interplanting is a good example of this. Interplanting has allowed Curtis to grow more crops in the same amount of space. This maximizes the use of his land by growing more in the same space.

Curtis has also figured out how to optimize tasks on the farm that pay. Think sales related tasks like ways to harvest product quicker and more efficiently, and ways to package product in a way that satisfies customers and saves prep time.

But, there are a lot of tasks on the farm that simply don't pay. Things like weeding. And as a farmer you don't get paid to weed. Yet it has to be done.

Using Landscape fabric to prevent weeds and using tarps for stale seed bedding are two passive systems that Curtis uses to prevent weeds from germinating. There are also more active preventative measures than be done to help mitigate weed pressure. Things like pre-emergent flame weeding and no-till bed preparation. While these activities require work, they work in your advantage by using some time now, in order to save a lot of time later.

Those are the types of things that we're talking about today Streamlining Tasks and Being More Efficient. Tips for Maximizing Effort and Time on the Farm.

It is week 17 of the urban farm season - July 7, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf17

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF017-07222015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Nowadays, people associate American native culture with three crops; Corn, Beans and Squash (the three sisters). According to Joe this is only the tip of the iceberg, Indigenous Americans (North of Mexico)used at least 3000 species of plants for food!

Joe will unveil an amazing palette of wild edibles used by the Native Peoples that hold promise for our farms, gardens and kitchens, and show how these “forgotten” foods are legitimate heirs to a new food ecosystem.

Because one of the objectives is to put practical information in the hands of practitioners, Joe will invite participants to apply to be a part of his native food revival efforts which will access and distribute rare native edible propagation stock.

This talk was presented live at PV2 in March 2015.

Learn more about Joe Simcox at permaculturevoices.com/b22

Direct download: b022-07172015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Farming in the city is something that Curtis has done ever since he started farming 5 years ago. But he hasn't always farmed, just inside the city. At one point in time he actually farmed a two acre plot outside of the city with another farmer. He did this in addition to farming his urban lots. So he had a multi location farm with small plots inside the city and one large plot outside of the city. As a result he saw first hand the differences between farming more land and less land - because there are a lot of differences.

In this episode we will dig into those differences and hear what it was like farming two acres and how it was different than farming a third of an acre.

We will touch on the various different models for selling products off of a farm - think CSAs versus selling directing to restaurants. We'll talk about the differences between each of the models.

As you will find out each market, each farmer, and each farmer will have to experiment to find the best fit for them. What works for one farmer and in one market, might not work for the next.

It is week 16 of the urban farm season - June 30, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf16

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF016-07142015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Permaculture designer Neal Spackman talks about leaving his desk job, family, and culture to go to another country and country and to a very dry Saudi Arabia and take on greening land on the Al Baydha Project.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Neal Spackman. Neal blogs at twovisionspermaculture.com

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-NealSpackman.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This week we will get into how Curtis went about getting his very first piece of urban farm land over 5 years ago. We will talk about what worked and what didn't work when he was just starting out and trying to gain access to land.

The unique part here is that this was all happening in the beginning. Before Curtis had built any social capital from being an active urban farmer. There were no demonstration sites or track record to refer to, it was only one person saying this is what I am gonna do, are you interested in helping.

As you will hear Curtis eventually found his first piece of land to farm. That got the ball rolling and from there he never looked back.

It is week 15 of the urban farm season - June 23, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf15

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF015-07082015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:46am PDT

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

Direct download: b021-07032015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

To be successful as an urban farmer you need to be able to quickly adapt and solve problems on the fly.

In this episode we talk about how Curtis has had to adapt in the past and how his system allows him to change his production quickly.

I also talk to Curtis about five mistakes that I see a lot of farmers make when they get into the farm business. Together we discuss these common mistakes and how you can avoid them. We will give you straightforward, honest, actinable advice that you can put into use today and hopefully keep you out of trouble and increase your chances of farming success.

It is week 14 of the urban farm season - June 16, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf14

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF014-07012015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Permaculture Kitchens I’ve Known is about the application of permaculture design principles and strategies to ecologically minded kitchen design, local seasonal menu planning, nose to tail cookery and butchery, cooking in community and regenerative food shed design.

It is a realization that food is at then nexus of our society and culture. Both agriculture and food preparation come together to create, reshape and define our physical world and thus our reality, it has been this way since the beginning. Thus, the ways we grow, cook and eat food are the vehicle to making better more regenerative systems as we reclaim traditional knowledge and combine that with appropriate technologies to create our own future.

All of the world’s problems can be solved at the dinner table as we reintegrate our kitchens and our gardens.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Seth Peterson.

Chef Seth blogs at https://apermaculturechef.wordpress.com

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-SethPeterson.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It's June 9th and the farm is in full production. As you heard last week a big part of that production comes from greens. Greens that are being cut and cut and cut.

That's resulting in a lot of product that is being sold to restaurants, distributors, and farmers market customers.

This we we talk about deliverying that product to restaurant customers and how that day looks from harvest to delivery.

We also talk a lot about crop planning. How do you know what to plant now so you have it harvest later, and how do you know that you will have a market to sell that product to later.

It is week 13 of the urban farm season - June 9, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf13

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF013-06232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:28am PDT

The future of business lies in sustainability. And to be sustainable businesses must be profitable. In this talk Philippe will explore the idea of why branding and marketing are so important for the future of sustainable business.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Philippe Choiniere. Philippe runs Oneka Elements - https://onekaelements.com/en

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-PhilippeChoiniere.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It's June 2nd and the farm is in full production. As you heard last week a big part of that production comes from greens. Greens that are being cut and cut and cut.

That's resulting in a lot of product that is being sold to restaurants, distributors, and farmers market customers.

This week we get into sales, crop planning, planting density, and the ability to cut greens multiple times.

It is week 12 of the urban farm season - June 2, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf12

Direct download: TUF012-06172015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Did you ever imagine what it would be like if you’d started your PDC in middle school?

How would you have lived your life differently?

What if everyone had that same experience?

What would the world look like?

That’s exactly the question Matt Powers wants to answer. He is an English and soon-to-be Permaculture teacher at a school with laptops for each student in Central Valley California. He is developing a permaculture curriculum for middle school – high school to connect students to the fledgling collegiate permaculture programs and the online permaculture community.

Matt shares excerpts from his books, experiences in teaching permaculture to children and teens, & insights into the growing permaculture youth movement.

Join Matt for a look at the future of Permaculture in public and home school settings.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Matt Powers of thepermaculturestudent.com

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-MattPowers-06122015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode Curtis talks about:

- How his no till beds are working out and performing.

- His strategy for what types of tomatoes to grow.

- How he grows his tomatoes. What cultural practices is he doing.

- How he interplants other crops between his tomatoes.

It is week 11 of the urban farm season - May 26, 2015.

Learn more about The Urban Farmer at permaculturevoices.com/tuf10

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: PVP011-06102015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:10am PDT

Today I am talking to Troy Martz of Off Grid Pro about his reality. How he is going from a hobby, something that he loves and is passionate about, and what it's like to transition it into a functioning, profitable business.

In this episode we talk about things like..

How do you deal with starting up a business when funds are tight and you have kids?

How do you split time between your day job that pays the bills and the new business that is time hungry, but currently not paying your bills?

How do you know if the business is making forward progress or if you are just wasting your damn time?

And we start out by talking about Troy's passion - gasification.

A real look, at a real person, trying to do what many of you are trying to do. Taking on the tough but necessary changes that need to be made when it comes to transitioning a passion from hobby to business.

Learn more about this episode at: permaculturevoices.com/110

Direct download: PVP110-06052015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:32am PDT

In this episode Curtis answers questions on..

-How much land you should start with your first year?

-How much you could expect to make your first year of farming?

-How he does his harvesting?

-How he deals with crop residue in his no till beds.

-Raised beds. A fit or not?

-Does he thin his seeds?

-Are pelleted seeds worth the cost?

-How you should start a relationship with chefs when production is inconsistent?

-Is he subject to food handling regulations? 

It is week 10 of the urban farm season - May 19, 2015.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf10

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF010-06032015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Start with water, your most valuable form of capital, and retain as much of it as possible on the property in order to rehydrate the landscape.

We can use efficient landscape design to control the flow of water to slow it, spread it, and sink it allowing the water to infiltrate into the soil, giving the plants water to do their work.

Then nature will start building soil and creating microclimates and shade. But none of that will happen without water.

Zach Weiss an ecological landscape designer from Montana and a student of Sepp Holzer joins me to talk about creating a water retention landscape.

In this episode we will talk more about what he has learned from Sepp and get more into his own ideas on how water retention can have a dramatic effect on the landscape.

We touch on everything from building ponds and sealing ponds to catchment used to feed dams to the three zones of any body of water. An episode for designers and homesteaders alike.

See videos and other content related to this episode at permaculturevoices.com/109

Direct download: PVP109-05292015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode we talk about acquiring new farm land. What it takes to get new land, how land deals are structured, and what information you want to know from a land owner before entering a land deal.

We also discuss how you convert a conventional lawn over to a production urban farm plot. What are the steps involved?

It is week 9 of the urban farm season - May 12, 2015.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf9

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF009-05272015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Greywater is the most plentiful and abundant source of irrigation water we have. For those of us in dry climates, its the most sustainable option- thought often forgotten. Learn how you can install simple and affordable greywater systems that will efficiently irrigate your bountiful, productive, landscape.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Laura Allen of GreyWaterAction.org.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-LauraAllen-06012015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Scott Gallant, one of the instructors at Rancho Mastatal joins me to talk about what it takes to run a successful and profitable education center.

Talking about topics like volunteer labor and getting what you pay for. We will talk about their apprenticeship program. And how the ranch is really in the hospitality business, not just the education business.

Rancho Mastatal is a business, a for profit business, that needs to be financially successful to be sustainable.

In a world where so many educational businesses are run on non-profit frameworks, here is one that isn't. Let's find out why and get into it with Scott Gallant..

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/108

Direct download: PVP108-05222015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It is week 8 of the urban farm season - May 5, 2015.

In this episode we take a deep dive into direct seeding. When is it appropriate, how Curtis does it, and how he optimizes his direct seeding to maximize production for yield and quality.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf8

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF008-05202015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Thinking about food, ruling with it and destroying it. The next 25-50 “us” years will be critically important to the future of food. You can be on the wave of an amazing era of domestication by turning to the wilds for inspiration. A whirlwind tour of the history of food then, now and “tomorrow”.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Joseph Simcox.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-JosephSimcox-05152015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:30am PDT

It is week 7 of the urban farm season - April 28, 2015. The setting for this show is Kelowona, BC, Canada. 

This episode focuses on the role of the urban farmer in the community.

Problems Curtis has had with people in the city and how he has dealt with them.

And what skills it takes to be an urban farmer. 

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf7

Listen to past episodes at: https://www.paperpot.co/podcast

Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on Instagram:http://bit.ly/2B45VKQ

Direct download: TUF007-05132015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:26am PDT

Do you feel like you are the only one who cares? The only one who sees the important work that needs to be done? If you find yourself venturing into seldom-explored areas of thought and practice, chance are good you can relate.

The truth is, however, that there are others like you, like us, eager to connect with like-minded folks and you may need to be the catalyst to make it happen. There is an art and science to cultivating a community and in this talk John will discuss his favorite strategies for fostering your own constituency.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by John Rife.

More information on John at eastendmkt.com.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-JohnRife-05042015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Welcome to The Urban Farmer show. It is week 6 of the urban farm season and it is April 22, 2015. The weather is beautiful in Kelowona, BC and urban farmer Curtis Stone is setting the farm up for the forth coming season.

In this episode we talk a lot about nursery, transplanting into the field, and the concept of inter-planting.

Currently on the farm transplants are going in, irrigation systems are being setup, and the end is in sight for the setup phase.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf6

Direct download: TUF006-05062015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming,SPIN Farming -- posted at: 7:41am PDT

In the last regular show episode 107 with Bill Bean I referenced an upcoming webinar.

This episode is a replay of that webinar - Building Quick, Convincing Business Plans That Deliver Confidence, Capital, Market Share & More was recorded on April 30, 2015.

In the presentation Bill introduced proven tips, tools and techniques to help you quickly organize your thoughts into a succinct storyline that explain:

- Why your initiative is needed in the market place.

- What makes your approach unique and valuable to your clients?

- How you will introduce your concept successfully and grow it for impact and profitability?

This episode is a recording of the full webinar. The presentation part of the webinar lasted about 45 minutes and was followed by 30 minutes of questions.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/107

Direct download: b020-05052015.mp3
Category:permaculture,business -- posted at: 6:14am PDT

Many veggie and fruit growers are quick to write off home delivery as inefficient without considering the value it can add to their farm produce.

For small-scale farmers whose customer base is urban, a well-structured CSA with home delivery can be more profitable and efficient than selling at the farmers’ market, and more appealing than drop-off points.

In this short talk, veggie grower Jordan Marr will discuss the operation of his home-delivered CSA, and how to structure such a program to maximize the benefits to your farm.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Jordan Marr.

Jordan podcasts at theruminant.ca

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-JordanMarr-05012015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

It is week 5 of the urban farm season - April 14, 2015. The setting for this show is Kelowona, BC, Canada.

Urban Farmer Curtis Stone is going gangbusters in what he calls the setup phase on his farm - getting all of the major things done on the farm plots before the season gets underway. Things like preparing the soil, starting plants in the nursery, putting down weed control measures, and getting infrastructure in place. Part of that infrastructure involves getting your irrigation systems in order.

This we talk about setting up irrigation systems, poly low tunnels, and trying out new crops.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf5

Direct download: TUF005-04292015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 7:27am PDT

Permaculture is a framework that can be integrated into any interest and passion. It helps us use and value patterns from a sophisticated long-term, systems-thinking approach to solve problems. Through it we can re-invent and re-design what it means to learn, educate, and be educated.

Putting in a swale or planting a tree alone is not going to be a long-term solution to our problems. To have a long-term impact we need a culture that understands, values, and utilizes the ethical design science principles of permaculture.

We must bring permaculture thinking mainstream and make it a thriving movement that shapes this world.

This must occur both locally and globally. To accomplish this we must get our youngest problem solvers, our children, to use the permaculture methodology to start asking and finding answers to problems. This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Jen Mendez of permiekids.com.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-JenMendex-04272015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:29am PDT

In business there is no such thing as new business, there is only other people's business. That's the subject of today's show.

Strategically planning your business so you can capture a share of the business. Doing that planning ahead of time, so you don't end up spending a lot of money, time and energy going in the wrong direction selling something that people don't want or can't pay for.

Most people don't do that "The problem is, most people don't spend as much time thinking about it as they should. They just try and go do something that they think is exciting, and they don't really test it as much as they should."

The goal of this show is to get you thinking. Testing your ideas and thinking them through to determine is the concept really worth the time, energy and money involved?

Let's tackle that subject today with Bill Bean.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/107

Direct download: PVP107-04232015.mp3
Category:permaculture,business -- posted at: 6:45am PDT

It is now April 8 and we are another week into the Urban Farm season with Curtis. What's happened on the farm so far.

At this point in the season Curtis has prepared most of the growing beds on his various plots for the upcoming farm season and that includes switching a lot of his production methods over to more of no-till style. He has been spending a few hours each day on farm related activities. This season is just getting underway and this year he isn't doing it alone. He is doing it with the help of a new full-time employee. A move that Curtis hopes will allow him to work more on the business, not in the business.

This week we will be talking about his new employee and how the onboarding and training process is going.  We will also talk about the financial impacts of hiring someone - when do the additional costs make sense?

In this episode we will talk a lot about pricing and how Curtis prices his products. He has found a pricing system that works and has kept his prices consistent since he started farming a few years ago.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf4

Direct download: TUF004-042222015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:14am PDT

The United States Greatest Permaculture Challenge?

There are enormous challenges and contrasting opportunities inherent on Indian Reservations today. One one hand you have sovereign nations inside the US which are in a state more depleted than most third world nations but, on the other hand, they have opportunity to lead in a way they never have before.

Permaculture abundance in the setting of a typical reservation can be so dramatic because of the endemic scarcity. In particular, The Navajo Nation could be the most dramatic demonstration in the US of what is possible with Permaculture.. The fact that the Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the US and also happens to be the largest brown spot on the map of the US should give anyone who really believes in Permaculture an insatiable desire to show its restorative powers.

If Geoff Lawton can turn heads with 10 acres in Jordon what could the attendees of PV2 do with 17 million acres in the middle of our country? Can Permaculture afford not to take a serious look at such projects? Come spend 5 minutes listening to a challenge that may engage you in the most restorative project our nation has ever seen.

For more information on Grant's project visit: https://www.facebook.com/PermacultureProvisionProject

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Grant Curry.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-GrantCurry-04202015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This episode is a presentation given by Erik Ohlsen at PV2 in March 2015.

Learn real world tools for design and implementation of Permaculture based contracting businesses. Permaculture principles applied to business design. Use the ethics of permaculture as triple bottom line.

Create a marketing plan that has a social impact. Imagine being able to make a career out of your passion for Permaculture. Create a business that catches millions of gallons of water, builds soil on hundreds of acres, plants hundreds of useful trees every year, restores native habit, redesigns our cites our schools and new developments.

Join Erik Ohlsen, Principal of Permaculture Artisans and Executive Director of The Permaculture Skills Center as he shares tangibles recipes for economically, ecologically and socially just businesses.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/106

Direct download: PVP106-04172015.mp3
Category:permaculture,business -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Week 3:

It's Tuesday, March 31st, and the first farmers market is coming up in four days. What's Curtis up to?

In this episode we are talking about how Curtis maximizes his efforts on the farm by staying organized. And how he is switching his beds over this year to a no-till strategy.

This show is the story of urban farmer Curtis Stone.

Curtis is an urban farmer who farms on 15,000 sq.ft. in Canada. He has been farming in an urban setting profitably for 5 years. We are going to follow Curtis on a journey through a full farm season, taking you behind the scenes each week to see what being an urban farmer is really like. It isn't always glorious, but it's real.

Stay tuned, and enjoy the journey.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf3

Direct download: TUF003-04152015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Nature’s been using biochar to replenish soil carbon for millennia. Taking our cue from her, we’ll unravel what biochar is and how it works to build long-term soil health. We’ll explore techniques of making your own biochar simply and affordably regardless of where you live.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Gloria Flora.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-GloriaFlora-04132015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

My guest today is Cherrie Nolden a Masters and Ph.D candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She says "If animals are not managed to maintain vegetation, they are going to destroy the vegetation."

Cherrie is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to goats. She combines a lot of academic research with years of practical on the ground experiences with goats. She is going to provide an different view on this often misunderstood species. This episode is very specific, and it is going to be an indepth look at goats and how we can manage them in a way that actually helps, not hurts the land. You will learn a lot about goats in this episode.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/105

Direct download: PVP105-04102015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 9:01am PDT

Week 2:

It's mid-March and the farm is now in what Curtis calls the setup phase. He has started selling some overwintered crops and he is adding to his restaurant customer base.

This show is the story of urban farmer Curtis Stone.

Curtis is an urban farmer who farms on 15,000 sq.ft. in Canada. He has been farming in an urban setting profitably for 5 years. We are going to follow Curtis on a journey through a full farm season, taking you behind the scenes each week to see what being an urban farmer is really like. It isn't always glorious, but it's real.

Stay tuned, and enjoy the journey.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf2

Direct download: TUF002-04082015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming,SPIN Farming -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

Community food forests are rapidly emerging as part of a new trend in the local food movement to promote food literacy and build community. This talk will discuss what community food forests are and the motivations that are propelling their establishment in urban areas across the United States. The social dimensions of partnerships and management processes that can help them succeed will be highlighted along with who some of the key players typically are. These projects are an example of how permaculture can be scaled-up to the community level. Come found out about the many reasons they are important.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Catherine Bukowski.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-CatherineBukowski-04062015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

What if you had all the time, money and energy in the world?

What would you do?

Frank’s wife asked him that question 5 years ago, and he realized he needed to get out of the Navy, make mead and share it with people. Hear how connecting with his passion to do good for people and planet through mead making has inspired a ton of personal growth and now a successful business that is shifting paradigms in the markets it serves.

This talk was presented at PV2 in March 2015 by Frank Golbeck of Golden Coast Mead.

Listen to more at permaculturevoices.com/podcast

Direct download: A5-FrankGolbeck-04032015.mp3
Category:permaculture,business -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

Week 1:

It's mid-February and the farm season is just beginning. Most of the work on the farm is preparing for the warmer months ahead. A lot of time is spent planning and preparing for the year ahead.

This show is the story of urban farmer Curtis Stone.

Curtis is an urban farmer who farms on 15,000 sq.ft. in Canada. He has been farming in an urban setting profitably for 5 years. We are going to follow Curtis on a journey through a full farm season, taking you behind the scenes each week to see what being an urban farmer is really like. It isn't always glorious, but it's real.

Stay tuned, and enjoy the journey.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/tuf1

Direct download: TUF001-04012015.mp3
Category:permaculture,agriculture,farming -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

This episode is a recording of Luke Callahan's presenation at PV2.

Want to start your business, but don’t know where to begin? Does starting your business feel scary and overwhelming?

In this session, you’ll learn the seven surprisingly simple steps to easily start any business. We’ll analyze a few successful permaculture businesses through this step by step framework so you can see exactly how it works in the real world. At the end of this session, you will have a step by step plan to start your business.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/104

For all of the audio presentations from PV2 visit: permaculturevoices.com/audio/

Direct download: PVP104-03242015.mp3
Category:permaculture,business -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

We are experiencing the end of an era as a new era in human civilization is beginning. It is a time of great risk but also a time of great potential.

We now know that it is possible to restore large-scale damaged ecosystems. It is possible to sequester carbon and re-regulate the hydrological system. It is possible to restore natural fertility and to remove toxicity from contaminated soils and water.

We are required to do this so that future generations will live in peace and abundance.

For humanity to further evolve it is necessary to transition from a society dedicated to consumption to a society dedicated to ecological function.

Although sometimes obscured by the collapse of the old order this heralds a time of full employment, equality, purpose and fulfillment.

This is THE GREAT WORK OF OUR TIME and we are called to understand and participate in it.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/103

PV2 Audio: permaculturevoices.com/pv2audio

Direct download: PVP103-03202015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 7:31am PDT

In this episode, the second part of a multi-part series, we at some of the critiques of permaculture. And the focus is on an article written by permie Peter Harper in 2003.

This series takes a critical look at permaculture itself. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

As I sit here today I wonder if the same permaculture that got us here, is the same permaculture that we need to ultimately effect change into the future.

The times are different, the people are different, technology is different. I am not simply saying let's rewrite the designers manual with new updates. I am saying let's take a critical look at what is in the manual and tear it apart. What works and what doesn't, and cut out what doesn't. Because if we think that everything in that manual works, we are telling ourselves a lie.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/102

Direct download: PVP102-03162015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT

In this episode, the first part of a multi-part series, we look at what permaculture is. Is it a design science or is it a movement?

This series takes a critical look at permaculture itself. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

As I sit here today I wonder if the same permaculture that got us here, is the same permaculture that we need to ultimately effect change into the future.

The times are different, the people are different, technology is different. I am not simply saying let's rewrite the designers manual with new updates. I am saying let's take a critical look at what is in the manual and tear it apart. What works and what doesn't, and cut out what doesn't. Because if we think that everything in that manual works, we are telling ourselves a lie.

Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/101

Direct download: PVP101-03062015.mp3
Category:permaculture -- posted at: 6:00am PDT