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My guest for today is Brad Lancaster, author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, who returns to talk about Desert Harvesters, an organization in Tucson, Arizona, using neighborhood plantings to collect urban rainwater runoff, and create community by raising awareness about native edible plants. We spend much of our conversation discussing the history and actions of this organization, before turning to how these ideas are spreading to other cities and towns. During the closing Brad shares some of the current research on using street runoff to irrigate roadside plants, as well as four water assessment suggestions that he uses to evaluate every site. Find out more about him at harvestingrainwater.com. Desert Harvesters' website, desertharvesters.org, has numerous resources that expand on the conversation Brad and I had today. One piece I recommend you read is the Manifeasto (PDF) by Kimi Eisele, as it is a one-page poetic encapsulates of everything Desert Harvesters stands for, including the vision and approach to spreading knowledge about native plants, and the power of celebration and capturing water run off. Through the use of celebration Desert Harvesters created community that leads to a greater buy-in from the changemakers in not only Tucson, but other regions as well. Through actions that started out illegally, with those first curb cuts, Brad and the others in his neighborhood showed that these ideas of using street run-off worked. Leveraging those two ideas shaped through the creation of the cookbook, they expanded the circle of influence further and further, accomplishing more collectively than through the actions of a given individual or organization. Could you use these ideas as a model in your own community to enact change? If you have any thoughts, questions or comments on this or anything else you heard during this episode, leave a comment here on Patreon and we can continue the conversation.  

You can also reach me by email: The Permaculture Podcast or phone: . From here, the next episode, out in a day or two, is a short interview with Ethan Hughes to discuss what to expect from The Possibility Handbook.

On Monday, December 7, a permabyte interview with David Casey, who recently launched the site NuMundo, to talk about how to take an idea and turn it into reality.

On Thursday, December 10, is Jereme Zimmerman, to share with us how to Make Mead like a Viking. Until the next time, spend each day creating the world you want to live in by taking care of Earth, yourself, and each other.

Would you like to receive a free copy of the inaugural issue of Regenerative Agriculture Magazine?

Now through December 31, listeners of the podcast can use the coupon code “podcast” at checkout to do just that. Go get your copy today.

Resources:

Harvesting Rainwater (Brad’s Site)

Desert Harvesters The Desert Harvesters’ Manifeasto (PDF)

Multi-Use Rain Garden Plant Lists

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My guest for this episode is Sandor Katz, author of Wild Fermentation, The Art of Fermentation, and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. If you’ve practiced any kind of fermentation and went looking for a recipe, reference, or just read about the wee yeasties and bacteria that transform our foods with their microbial magic, then you’ve probably read something by Sandor, and I recommend reading even more. His books, like what he shares in this interview, are filled with passionate personal presentations, balanced with a reservation towards any claim or information that sounds too good to be true. Can fermented foods change your life? Yes, but not in a miraculous way. What they will do is change your relationship to food, health, the cycles of the world, and the context of your diet. You can find out more about Sandor at his website, wildfermentation.com, and all of his books are available through Chelsea Green Publishing. If you are interested in picking up those books use the links in the show notes as a small portion of your purchase goes towards supporting the podcast.

If you are wondering how to make fermented foods, pick up a copy of Wild Fermentation and begin reading. As soon as you encounter something that sounds interesting, try it. Make a small batch. A pint, a liter, a half gallon. However you want to measure it, start somewhere. You have the accumulated knowledge of hundreds of generations behind you. You can do this. The bacteria and yeast want to help you make delicious, wonderful foods. Go for it.

You might just be surprised what you learn about food, and yourself. If along the way you have successes, failures, or questions you want to share, get in touch with me. or email: The Permaculture Podcast.

Up next week on December 3 Brad Lancaster returns to share his work the the Desert Harvesters and collecting water in an urban environment. December 10, Jereme Zimmerman continues the fermentation conversation when we talk about Making Mead like a Viking. The last interview of the year comes out on December 17, and is with Taj Scicluna, better known by many as The Perma Pixie. She got up early to talk with me about the current state of Permaculture in the world. Until the next time, take care of Earth, yourself, and each other.

Resources:

Wild Fermentation (Sandor's Website)

Wild Fermentation (The Book)

The Art of Fermentation

The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved

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Venmo: @permaculturepodcast

Today’s episode continues the faith and earth care series through a conversation with Dillon Naber Cruz, one of the co-instructors of my Permaculture Design Course in 2010. Dillon was also one of the first guests on the podcast back in 2012 when the show moved to the regular interview format.  Then we talked about the idea of paying permaculture forward through our actions. Today we delve into his perspective on the intersection between Christianity and Permaculture, a subject he is exploring intensely during his preparations to enter seminary. Heading into this interview, I’d like to begin with my thoughts on what follows.

These conversations about Faith and Earth Care generate the most feedback I’ve ever received on any of the topics presented on this podcast. As our community continues to discuss whether permaculture is just a design system or a movement, and the role of spirituality has in that dialog, this material is of ever more importance. You’ll find that Dillon expands on this through a personal view on his faith, mixed with a call to apply the moral teachings of Christ with the ethical entreatments of permaculture.

Having known Dillon for a long time, I expected this to be a passionate conversation, and it defnitely is. More so, I never found him to hold back, mince words, or shy away from expressing political views, and he definitely doesn’t today. Anyone is likely to find a few moments in this conversation that are a little uncomfortable, but left with a lot to consider once we reach the end. This interview came about from a series of articles, titled The Christian Call to Earth Care, that Dillon wrote for his blog that blend together faith, politics, and biblical scholarship. You can read those and more of his work at: dilloncruz72.wordpress.com. As I opened the episode with my views on this interview, there are no more to follow, but you can get in touch with me and share your thoughts by phone at or by emailing: The Permaculture Podcast If you’d like you can also drop something in the mail, and we can correspond by post. The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast And a few announcements. The Possibility Handbook, a project with Ethan Hughes, continues. Ethan confirmed with me that January 16-23, 2016 we will record a series of new interviews together at The Possibility Alliance as the draft manuscript of the book. This listener exclusive fundraiser to make this project happen is seeking to raise $5,000 by the end of this year. That’s less than six weeks away and we’ve got some distance to go to get there. If you would like to hear and see more of Ethan’s passion and perspective in the world, in a guide to create the world you want to live in, make a pledge today.

Also, would you like to spend three weeks in Costa Rica learning permaculture with Joshua Peaceseeker and other instructors at Joshua’s farm, Verdenergia? You still have time to enter the drawing to win this opportunity. Until the next time, spend each day creating the world you want to live in by taking care of Earth, yourself, and each other. From here on Thursday, November 26, Sandor Katz joins me to talk about wild fermentation. After that, on December 3, Brad Lancaster returns to discuss the Desert Harvesters, community, and urban water catchment.

Resources:

Creation Care, Neighbor Care, Future Care (Dillon's Website)

The Christian Call to Earth Stewardship

The Christian Call to Earth Stewardship II: Permaculture Jesus?

The Possibility Handbook Crowdfunding Campaign Costa Rica PDC Drawing