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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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

Toby Hemenway joins me to talk about his upcoming talk at PV2 titled Liberation Permaculture. Permaculture offers more than a path to a sustainable and just food system. It can move entire segments of our society off the radar screens of state oppressors and help return equality, abundance, and justice to people while restoring healthy ecosystems. This talk, being premiered at Permaculture Voices, will tell you how. If you’ve appreciated Toby’s series on permaculture and civilization, you’ll want to see this significant new chapter. Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/100

John talks about the workshop that he will be giving on Sketchup at PV2. This workshop will give the student a crash course in using Trimble SketchUp, followed by a tutorial on landscape modeling and analysis, earthworks and plantings design using freely available tools and templates. 3D modeling is a powerful tool to aid the Permaculture Designer in analyzing and designing water catchment, zones, sectors, earthworks, and plantings. Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/pv2shorts John's Page: johnackley.com/sketchup

Grant Schultz presents on trees from VersaLand in Iowa City, Iowa. This presentation focuses on the propagation of trees to be used in tree crop style systems. There is a lot of information on tree buying, grafting, nurseries, and rootstocks. Grant touches on things like the cost versus time trade off of grafting trees versus buying pre-grafted trees and how trees prefer fungal environments and how you can create those environments. This is the recording of a presentation that Grant Schultz gave at a workshop at VersaLand in October 2014. Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/b019 Information on Grant: VersaLand.com

This interview with Michael centers around his upcoming workshop at PV2, There's Not Just Honey In That Hive. Michael describes the talk as, "I want to tell you my first hand experiences with bees, from the loss of not knowing how to be a good keeper of the bees, to making an inner city home stead centered around the little girls super profitable. How to grow a small hobby Apiary, or back yard hive into a money making company. I want to show you how to take your starting products to the people, and how to develop new ideas in this art of bee keeping. That it is not being the millionaire, but being able to turn your hobbies, no matter what they are, into your job, and your job more into a hobby." Show Notes: permaculturevoices.com/pv2shorts