The Probiotic Life

John D. Liu is passionate about ecosystem restoration, and has been championing the solutions and associated philosophies for more than thirty years. Join us as we explore our inextricable connections to nature through John’s eyes. 

Prepared to be inspired and challenged as John shares some of his journey. We go into the thinking behind the degenerative systems, how they came to be, and what he sees as the necessary evolution of human consciousness to move into regenerative systems.

He is currently the Ecosystem Ambassador for the Commonland Foundation, and a visiting research fellow at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Links:

Commonland Foundation

Ecosystem Restoration Camps

ERC Facebook Page

Published works - Academia page

A few of John’s documentaries:

Green Gold

Hope In A Changing Climate

SHOW NOTES

Background

- background in journalism, camera work, television & radio

- saw a lot of ego and hubris

- realised that contributing to environmental healing was much more meaningful

- changed to ecological research

- began lecturing and speaking on his research

- came to believe knowledge is a right, not a commodity

- hopeful that future generations will carry this shift in thinking

John’s Message

- discussion of the Loess plateau, its ecological destruction and subsequent restoration

- it is not inevitable that humans degrade their environment

- we have looted the earth

- by contrast, in nature there is no waste

- nature accumulates each generation

- a human collective consciousness is needed, not just experts

- felt like a detective figuring out what had gone wrong in barren places

- living separated from each other and our environment = the result is deserts, wars, etc

- there is no need for us to destroy our natural systems

The Impact of Modern Agriculture

- humans have spent a lot of time decreasing biodiversity

- modern agriculture is only 10-12,000 years old

- there are no exposed soils in natural systems (with a few exceptions)

- monoculture: human ancestors spread certain kinds of plant while killing many others

Hope For The Future

- Commonland is working on the principle of “4 returns”

- return 1: inspiration

- return 2: social capital - jobs, happiness, normal relationships

- return 3: natural capital

- return 4: return on investment, financial

- many people are beginning to be aware

- idea of ecological restoration live-in camps

- holistic view of life experience & development

Making Changes

- our descendants’ quality of life will be determined by what we learn, and how much we understand

- we have it in our power to restore paradise

- if our intention is to restore the earth, we will do it

- John believes this is our duty to do so

- what is the result of consciousness and generosity

- it’s necessary to move to the next level of consciousness

- not just a meme or a catchphrase, but a true understanding of our symbiotic relationship with the natural world

Final Thoughts

- collaborative learning

- not institutions that will accomplish it, but people

- this work needs to be done from an ecological standpoint, but also with a view to living together in peace

- these go hand in hand

When Austin Durant is not busy fermenting he runs Fermenters Club. He also organises the annual San Diego Fermentation Festival, and the Oregon Fermentation Festival.

Join us as Austin shares a bit about his journey, and how he went from fermenting at home, to starting the Fermenters Club, to organising fermentation festivals.

Fermentersclub.com has a mission to improve the overall health of the human population by teaching and encouraging people to make and share their own living, probiotic foods, thereby fostering communities that are "connected through their guts."

Be inspired to ferment and put this episode on while you are making some sauerkraut or kimchi!!!

Check out all the links here for some great value:

http://www.fermentersclub.com/

https://www.facebook.com/fermenters/

http://youtube.com/fermentersclub

http://twitter.com/fermentersclub

http://instagram.com/fermentersclub/

http://pinterest.com/fermentersclub

Show Notes

Austin’s Background

- a few years ago he made sauerkraut and it “lit him up”, reminded him of what his grandfather fed him when he was young

- this inspired him to get serious about fermented foods

- started a journey to learn about the food system & food history

- began to meet with his friends, all sharing what they had made themselves

- creating community through food

- this led to online blogging & public speaking

- reconnecting people to this ancient way of making food

- this led to organising festivals, as the next logical step

What’s Next

- creating online content

- Austin’s Youtube channel: http://youtube.com/fermentersclub

- what he is teaching publicly he is also learning personally: his work is much more effective and far-reaching when he is open to community helping him, allowing others to contribute

Getting Into Fermentation

- Austin always has at least sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha on the go

- keffir-based ice cream

- plays with putting different flavours together: salty, sweet, etc

- Sandor Katz is his go-to resource 

- check online for how others do it

- then try your own variations

- farming & growing your own food goes hand in hand with fermentation

- discussion about growing food conditions in different parts of the world

- fermentation is something of a lost art

- restoring a symbiotic relationship with the earth

Relationship Between Probiotics and Nature

- modern science is catching up with traditional wisdom

- how can we use this info to heal ourselves?

- feed the microbiome within us so it can look after us

- what’s going on in the jar, & in the soil, is very similar to what’s going on inside our gut

Creating Community

- allows for people with different skills to all contribute their part

- Austin runs bi-monthly chapter meetings, working on making these scalable

- coming together and geeking out!

Flavouring Ferments

- fruit trees in your yard

- chili peppers

- length of time letting ferments sit changes the flavour

More Upcoming From Austin

- soon to release a comprehensive video on fish sauce

Austin’s Message

- fermentation is nothing to fear

- wants to integrate people who don’t get it yet, with people who do

- fermentation is easy and safe

- total vilification of all bacteria is starting to come to an end

Final Thoughts

- more discussion of different kinds/flavours of ferment

- trust your senses

- be genuinely curious, question everything

- magic happens when you stop projecting & start taking in new ideas

Darren Hey is a nutrition expert and a teacher of Natural Living. His studies include the philosophies of natural hygiene, nature cure, and biogenics

We talk about these philosophies, about nutrition, about the gut, and more. He has a great way of communicating this, and tying it all into the Probiotic life.

If you want to reach out to him, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/darrenhey6

Show Notes

Background 

- very diverse career background

- all types of work have been some form of training his body to make it stronger and fitter

- this made him realise you need to nourish your body well

- philosophies of natural living: the body is self healing when you align with life conditions

- 3 streams of philosophy: natural hygiene, nature cure, biogenics

- became an educator in natural living and healing

- Q of how do you get/grow high quality food? led him to permaculture

- recently completed apprenticeship with Geoff Lawton 

- teaches on true health science, not info pushed by corporate dogma

Natural Hygiene & Nature Cure

- cleanliness inside and outside

- cleanliness does not mean sterility, which is devoid of life

- looks at health holistically

- when you provide your cells with what they need in the right ratio they are effectively immortal

- cells require: energy, nutrient, the removal of waste product

- nature cure is very similar, but uses fasting a little bit differently

Biogenics

- biogenics: came from teaching of ancient sacred society of Essenes, as deciphered by scholar Edmond Bordeaux Szekely

- Essenes lived in accordance with natural law, how to align yourself with beneficial forces

- natural forces (such as water) have memory and energy flow; water will die if you interrupt its natural flow

- water behaves as if it is frozen inside our bodies, to facilitate energy & information along our nervous tissue

Steps Along Darren’s Path

- found mainstream perception of life dry and unfulfilling

- went on a search for meaning, for answers

- intuitively sensed there was something more

- experience in army of how easily info can be manipulated, where the public receives incorrect or incomplete info

- truth has become his highest value

- as many others, reaching a point of breakdown and injury, caused him to reevaluate

- began to ask how he brought himself to that point, develop awareness of his own responsibility

- high value for self-actualisation

- people not knowing or outright ignoring their own health is the cause of chronic illness & mental health crisis

Lessons learned from Nature

- nature provides everything that we need

- life is working for us, not against us

- how can we work with the living forces around us?

- this gives you your greatest chance for wellbeing

- also reveals which parts of you sees life as an antagonist: this creates opportunity for emotional & mental healing

The Disrupting of Nature

- water seeks 4 degrees Celsius and retreats from warmth, which creates the cycle of how water moves around the earth

- by interrupting and polluting nature, you destroy the habitat water requires

- life is seeking homeostasis, in all the trillions of processes happening at every moment in your body

- physical symptoms are messages that something is out of balance

- treating the symptoms instead of finding the cause interrupts our bodies’ attempts to self-heal

- this shuts off our opportunity to get back in balance and heal naturally

Getting Back In Alignment

- nature within us, nature around us, and our own nature

- we are not meant to live separated from natural processes

- we need technology that frees humanity, is earth-friendly, obeys natural law

- law of energy conservation: don’t push life beyond its ability to recuperate, or it will die

- get familiar with the laws of nature operating within us, learning what your senses are telling you

- willingness to face the truth

- take responsibility for your journey, self-education

- surrender to life’s prerogative in your body, that it is out of your control and has its own laws

Illness, Bacteria, and Healing

- your body will tell you the truth about what is happening in your consciousness

- illness and injury come from spirit & mind attempting to heal the body, or spirit & body attempting to heal the mind

- energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed

- you can transform it to your benefit or to your detriment

- the monomorphic idea of germs = disease, kill bacteria = cure disease is not quite correct

- when illness manifests, bacteria are the last thing to show up; disease was already well on its way before that

- if you keep creating toxic conditions in your body, the bacteria will keep transforming and coming back

- infection is the body attempting to clean house

- “the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything”

- waging war on bacteria is a sure route to destroying higher life forms, while the bacteria will survive

Final Thoughts

- soil food web inside you as well as your garden

- for high quality food pay attention to the biology of the soil

- permaculture is by design, food growing conditions that work in harmony with the laws of nature

- many organisms that live in soil also live in our bodies

- these benefit serotonin production within our bodies, boost natural immunity & detoxification, help with nutrient assimilation

- the seat of our physical mind is in our gut, modern science verifies this

- your ability to think clearly and powerfully depends on your gut

Today we talk to Finian Makepeace, a Co-Founder of Kiss The Ground. He is a recording artist, activist and self-taught soil advocate who has a passion to change the world. He strives to make the world a more peaceful and harmonious place for humans and all of nature. Join us as he shares a bit about his background, and why he is passionate about advocating for regenerative agriculture and building soil carbon. 

He shares with us about how healthy soil creates delicious and nutritious food, and how composting is a simple way to get started in building soil carbon.

Check out Kiss the Ground online:

www.kisstheground.com

www.facebook.com/kissthegroundCA/

www.instagram.com/kisstheground/

For the speaker training Finian mentions:

Contact Michelle via Email at [email protected]

Show Notes

Background

- there are things in our lives that set us up for our big epiphanies

- grew up with lots of exposure to the natural world, mother was an avid gardener

- considered himself in the top bracket of people in level of understanding climate change

- influenced by hearing Graham Sait speak & share much he didn’t know

- concluded that if he didn’t know, that most people would know even less

- resolved that he (along with others) would get the message out to people, and thus Kiss the Ground was born

- Finian’s parents encouraged critical thought, gave him the chance to find answers for himself

- his schooling (home-based, then heavily nature-focused) favoured gaining experiential knowledge, which gave him confidence as an adult to become a self-taught soil scientist

Kiss the Ground

- director of storytelling, media, and communications at Kiss the Ground

- brand new speaker training course happening now, wanted to help other people become advocates also

- course is about 70% content, 30% training on speaking

- giving people the tools to articulate the Big Idea

- the Big Idea: the difference between degenerative, sustainable, and regenerative

- this is NOT a sustainability movement, it’s a regenerative movement

- a new way of interacting with nature in all arenas of life

Sustainability vs Regeneration

- sustainability = cessation of harm to the world, while regeneration is far more than that = makes everything better

- you don’t need to make people feel bad about doing harm (sustainability) before introducing them to regeneration

- help them see how much better everything will work in their favour through regenerative practices

- people are motivated ultimately by pleasure, so show them that and they will move towards it

Current Projects

- Kiss The Ground book came out in November 2017

- Kiss The Ground movie coming out soon, with Exec. Producer Leonardo DiCaprio. Woody Harrelson as narrator. 

- launched a new blog, looking for writers to contribute.

- speaker training with Kiss The Ground.

Our Microbiome & the Soil

- our taste buds are designed to increase our consumption of things that are really good for us

- in the last 150 years, we’ve had access to whatever we want, and fake flavours that trick our taste buds into eating more

- good news: research is showing that food that tastes better has better content for us, and is most likely grown using better soil practices

- rhizosphere : the tip of plant root systems, where sugars are leaked out to feed microbial communities, and in that process, the plant is getting to take those minerals and fortify itself

- reverse this process, and you basically have the human gut

- as if we have roots inside us, or plants have a stomach under the ground!

- number-wise, we have many more microbes than human cells in our bodies

- who’s actually in charge: us, the plant, or the microbes??

Other Influences & Inspirations

- David Montgomery’s book: The Hidden Half of Nature 

- his wife -Anne Biklé built soil in their backyard, we can build soil much quicker than used to be commonly thought

- in the 70s, Carl Sagan’s ex-wife -Lynn Margulis was doing research on mutualism: two things coming together, and both becoming better as a result

- in the U.S., this mutualism research opposed by “competitive theory” i.e. survival of the fittest

- Dr Alan Williams: soil building research

Getting Practical 

- compost at home

- watch 2 Youtube videos and become an expert on home composting, it’s not rocket science

- keep compost container in your freezer: eliminates stinkiness, mess, and fruit flies

- want an equal nitrogen to carbon ratio

- food scraps are very high in nitrogen

- keep a browns bin right next to your compost bin: leaves, newspaper, other carbon-based materials

- intersperse browns with your frozen compost scraps, shuffle together, water twice a month

- because scraps are frozen, it’s not gross at all

- become a first time parent to epic compost!

- look for ways to source products made using regenerative practices

- ask farmers their practices

- ask local chefs where they get their produce: best growing practices equals best-tasting food

Final Thoughts

- nature wants to be regenerative

- instead of just doing less harm, we can actively restore vitality

- life is designed to move in the direction of regeneration, and it’s not that much work to help it and watch it grow exponentially

- being probiotic = living regeneratively

In more of a how to episode, Drake joins us again to share with us some of the preparations of Korean Natural Farming. We talk about the how to, but also delve into how we can use these preparations for our plants, our animals, and how we can use them to boost the helth of our own microbiome. 

Drake's Links:

http://naturalfarminghawaii.net/

http://whogrew.com/

Drake's Facebook  

Korean Natural Farming Facebook Group

Show Notes

Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) As Baths

- IMO pile: nutrients with indigenous organisms, added carbohydrates, fats, and oils 

- you can have a dry bath in IMO

- creates an artificial fever in your body, raises temp like a sauna

- cooks pathogens & parasites out of your body

- opens pores to let good microbes back in

- microbes reduce in number in every successive generation living in cities

- IMO baths can restore those lost microbes

- these restored microbes are now present in your body to fight off disease like armour

- good for humans and livestock both

Nutrient Cycle Theory

- how do you know when your plant is a teenager?

- learning to diagnose the changeover period in plants, and what they need

- nutrient cycle theory: 3 stages in a plant’s life

- 1) accumulative growth - growing leaves, 2) changeover growth - flowering, 3) reproductive growth - fruiting

- to recognise changeover period: look for “yellowing”, plant looking pale - it’s having “morning sickness”

- feed it the right food, help it have an easier transition between flowering and fruiting, just like a pregnant woman

- give it calcium phosphate to help grow the “bones” of the plant in this stage

More About IMO

- 2 branches of KNF: microbes and foods

- IMO comes under microbes branch

- gather indigenous microbes from the dankest part of the forest

- IMO start to build soil structure

Master Cho

- was almost killed for not charging money for his farming 

- faith in humanity, vision for restoration through farming

- knows land so well he has developed intuition about what’s happening with it

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

- literally “green juice from heaven” in Korean, food for plants and humans

- how to make: can use food material that would otherwise have been discarded, mix with sugar

- Drake used rambutan peels and seeds, not much fruit

- could also use things like palm tree or milkweed, readily available plant materials

- it’s the hormones and enzymes in the plant that make a medicine

- it’s immediately bioavailable into your body as it’s already “digested”, so your body can absorb it as a pure food

- picking tips of plants before dawn to FPJ, as they contain maximum enzymes and hormones for plant growth at that time

- for human consumption: use a food safe container, make it where you would make your other food

- use common sense, pick plants that are known to be safe for eating

On Drake’s Farm

- WhoGrew Farms www.whogrew.com

- OH Makai field 1 

- if you check out these links, you can see Drake’s gardens, follow the schedule of looking after his plants, using KNF methods, and see the impact they have

- make your product with enough care that you would drink it, then you can be sure it will be good for your plants

- they use their homemade Fish Amino Acid as flavouring in kimchi

- Drake has not gotten sick from eating his homemade products, in fact he is healthier now

Advice for those wanting to learn KNF

- go learn from someone already using the methods

- some people have made deals where they can use other people’s land to try out these farming practices

- make a variety of FPJs from available materials, keep them in your fridge to use in drinks, desserts, etc

- making water soluble calcium: toast chicken eggshell, dissolve in vinegar

- use your nose: if it smells funky, or it has mould, don’t eat it

- health is diversity: give your body diverse microbes

Final Thoughts

- Drake would like to create tech programs to help people understand natural farming

- returning to older style of eating: keeping microbes in the food instead of trying to kill them all

- discussion of how Ben started out making FPJ and other products

- could we ferment jellyfish?

- may the beneficial microbes be with you

Righting the Wrongs: Ecological Responsibility

Nick Mahmood and family run Green Source Gardens, which is a legal cannabis farm in Southern Oregon. They are committed to creating rich diversity in their soils, and growing the highest quality medicine possible. They promote agricultural practices that not only provide results, but also heal and build soil.

They commit to not disturbing the soil in order to achieve a healthy and thriving biological soil ecosystem. They focus on poly-culture gardens where diverse plant species work in collaboration with one another. 

Their methods are rooted in experience and influenced by research, including but not limited to the growing styles dictated by Bio-dynamics, Permaculture, indigenous agriculture, and love. 

Join us as Nick shares some of his story and philosophy of how the earth and cosmos create everlasting abundance. We talk about bio-remediation and ecological responsibility.

Green Source Gardens

https://greensourcegardens.com/

Instagram

Facebook

NOTES

Green Source Gardens

- legal commercial cannabis garden in Southern Oregon

- exemplifying biological remediation practices

- Living Soil Symposium - check it out here https://www.livingsoilssymposium.com/

Nick’s background & mindset

- felt a lifelong connection to the natural world

- attended alternate school that nourished the desire to be outside

- mother gave him freedom to explore and to find out who he was a person, gave him responsibility without micromanaging

- went walkabout after graduating college, explored the world

- these experiences fuelled his passion for his love of nature

 Cannabis discussion

- Nick believes we ascribe too much power to it, both negative and positive 

- he sees it as a plant like any other, part of the entire bigger work on planet earth

- part of the bio-remediation team, helpful with water filtration

Agricultural remediation

- building systems for our planet to function in the future

- empowering people to know they don’t need the shops to grow things

On Nick’s Farm

- Nick finds “farm” a loaded word, as it’s associated with a monocultural crop growing, production-based model

- farms of the future will be a much more integrated model

- focus on cleaning the water & replenishing the water table

- their gardens are giant digestion chambers, keep feeding organic matter back to the ground to break down

- build carbon in the ground, create space for biological diversity to flourish

- practice with the intention to become regenerative, right the wrongs to the earth

Ecological responsibility

- encourages people discern between companies when buying, don’t choose those who are damaging the environment

- do research before you buy

- if we treat financial gain as more important than ecological responsibility, we end up making a lot of sacrifices that damage our future

What does regenerative living look like for Nick?

- virtual walkthrough of Nick’s farm

- completely dependent on the organic matter (mostly from animals) that they gather

- building bio-swales

- “Hugel culture” or hill culture

- working towards a system that doesn’t require a lot of people to manage

- less energy-intensive growing practices, working with the existing climate, instead of trying to control the climate

Advice to buyers

- look for markers that this grower’s practices resonate with your values

- is there evidence of biodiversity?

- are they working with the existing ecology or against it?

- living and buying with mindfulness

Reflections on regeneration

- Japanese idea of “shinrin yoku”: going into nature and using all the senses to imbibe the microbes, the air, the freshness, be present and mindful

- reflection on indigenous ideas of natural world and returning to “earth worship”

- learning to look at the landscape, see what’s not working and find remediative solutions

- maintaining integrity until business practices surrounding crop growth become ecologically sustainable

- putting money into businesses that are ecologically oriented

- making whatever sacrifices that means so the next generations don’t suffer

Creating life wherever you are

- understanding that the earth IS us

- if you want to look after yourself, look after our environment

- abundant life happens when we start to honour the earth

- how things are going to play out depends on the choices we make now

- wake up and do good things!

Microbes Run The World:

And Why You Can Make It Work In Your Favour

Embriette is one of those attractively enviable people who have figured out how to combine multiple passions for a living. For her, these passions are writing and science. She holds a PhD in Integrative and Molecular Biomedical Science and has spent years on the cutting edge of research on the microbiome. Grab your kombucha, and settle in with Ben and Embriette, as she shares insights into how the microbiome touches every aspect of our lives.

Twitter: @EmbrietteHyde 

Website: drhydenotjekyll.com 

Email: [email protected] 

Medium Blog: https://medium.com/@embriette

NOTES

Investigative Research

- research on the microbiome (PhD)

- looking at changes in microbiome in an area - what cause some to flourish instead of others

- healthy people vs sick people

- she thinks of the microbiome like looking up at the galaxy: multitudes more bacteria just in our own bodies than stars you can see

- became interested in communicating science to the public

- how the microbiome in your mouth helps you with cardiovascular health

- forensics aspect, how microbes help break our bodies down after we die

A Developing Direction

- Embriette asked: what can I do, to make people understand my work more?

- citizen science microbiome project

- now writing full-time to meet goal of better public & broader community education on the microbiome

- always loved writing, kept journals growing up

- got 102% on a science test despite being in a period of depression

- occurred to her that maybe she should be doing science!

- now combining her passions for science and writing

Engaging With Current Research

- loves citizen science, because it gives people a chance to engage as well as understand how and why scientific trials take time

- wants to help find a balance between educating the public & generating excitement about scientific investigation, and reporting about it responsibly and giving the research the time it needs to be verified

- advises people to seek out the source about any research you read in articles

Medicine and the Microbiome

- discussion of specific bacteria and fungi that are helping us

- for many diseases, there are specific probiotics that help

- anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria

- the idea is to keep everything in balance

- creating an environment for life to thrive

- she is excited about the concept of precision medicine, that takes into account everyone’s individuality

- one size does NOT fit all with treatment

- individualised approach, considering your microbiome and many other factors

Ongoing Research Projects

- The Earth Microbiome Project: catalogue the microbiome of every single environment on earth

www.earthmicrobiome.org/

- The American Gut Project is its daughter project

www.americangut.org/

- Embriette has been involved in both of these

- collaboration is necessary to make sense of this much data!

Links Between Brain & Gut

- your brain and your gut affect each other, mainly through hormones

- researching links between microbiome and various common illnesses e.g. depression

- depression is linked to inflammation, and imbalances in your microbe communities can cause inflammation

- eating to keep your brain & microbiome healthy could also result in feeling happier

Shifting Your Lifestyle

- your microbes are what you eat

- eating foods that are high in micro-accessible carbohydrates

- getting creative with veggies, nuts & seeds, fermented foods

- eat the rainbow, foods of various colours

- being pro-biotic = pro-life, in every aspect of how you live your life: make the lives of your little microbes better, and you will make your own life better

Joel Salatin is a farmer, author, and storyteller. He is a leading voice in regenerative agriculture, and has a unique perspective on many aspects of life. If you haven’t heard him talk before, you’re in for a treat!

Join us on this episode as Joel and I talk about a paradigm shift. 

We talk about carbon sequestration, farming, and taking action, whether farmer or urbanite. The underlying theme is really that nature wants to work with us in the abundance of life.

You can find out all about him, his farms, and his books at:

www.polyfacefarms.com

SHOW NOTES

Polyface farms, Virginia. “Most famous farmer in the world”.

Sequestering Carbon

- historically, mainline agriculture has led to depletion of carbon in the soil

- we need to be doing the opposite, putting carbon back into the soil

Background

- came to US in 1961, Joel was 1 year old, bought a farm

- learned about organic farming from magazines

- felt sense of abundance with grandfather’s garden

- developed a desire to participate in that abundance

- very little soil on his parents’ farm, so his father got onto the managed grazing idea, migratory choreography of herbivorous populations using electric fences

- sharp contrast between his parents’ farm & grandfather’s garden

- through his teen years saw the land heal on his family’s farm, experienced that he could participate in ecological healing

The Abundance of Nature

- the “womb” of nature wants to provide abundance

- contrasting world views: many people’s opinion that the nature’s default position is scarcity and sickness, Joel believes earth’s natural state is abundance and wellness

- nature is a benevolent lover

- our job is to ask humbly of nature: how can I best help you do what you already want to do?

- over 60 years his farm has gone from barren, to the most productive, verdant farm in the whole region

- affirming nature’s template, that if it is nurtured, it will flourish

- this has been done without pesticides and chemical fertilisers, and hardly any seed-planting

Nature: Mechanical or Biological?

- orthodoxy of our age: we see life as fundamentally mechanical, see plants and animals as machines

- nobody seems to be asking: how can I make a happy animal/plant?

- quite materialistic and dispassionate view

- in Joel and likeminded others’ view, life is fundamentally biological, not mechanical

- mechanical things cannot heal; biological things can, they have a built-in desire for resilience & are responsive

- the ecosystem as an “underground cafe” of interactive weird organisms, like the cantina scene in Star Wars

- this changes the way we interact with nature, and the questions we ask of it

Historical Influences On Agricultural Thought

- in 1837, Austrian chemist Justus von Liebig presented idea that all life was a combination of 3 chemicals, a mechanical answer to biological questions

- world wars furthered this worldview that then impacted agriculture in a big way

- in 1943, Sir Albert Howard, “godfather” of modern scientific composting, released his book “An Agricultural Testament”, viewed as the start of sustainable agriculture

- Howard spoke about “artificial fertilisers” leading to an artificially sustained society: could be seen as prophetic regarding modern “healthcare” and pharmaceutical industry

Into the Soil

- best & deepest soils on the planet are under grasses

- grasses are more efficient as converting sunlight into biomass than any other plant

- this is due to its high metabolism, rapid growth & death cycle

- role of herbivores is to prune plant life, to send it back into green biomass production cycle

- seasons keep herbivores moving across the landscape

- this is the way nature builds soil, how carbon sequestration takes place

Making it Work On a Modern Farm

- use electric fence: cheap & effective

- steer a herd of “pruners” around a landscape as precisely as a mower

- supporting cast: portable shade (shade cloth, etc) and water

- 3 elements to make it all work: shelter, water, and control

- simulate what happens in nature, on a small scale farm

- by mimicking nature’s pattern over time, the landscape comes alive

- “pulsing of the pasture”, the land will rest, then exercise, and repeat

- water retention increases exponentially

- all of this reverses desertification

Landscape healing in Australia

- Australia is on the cutting-edge of bringing innovative land healing technology to the world

- severe ecological stress, paired with unparalleled capital wealth = the ability to innovate in healing design

On Joel’s Farm

- built numerous ponds on high ground

- gravity feed the water down

- move livestock every day

- following nature’s pattern of symbiosis

- birds follow herbivores, they are nature’s way of dispensing with waste & insects

- portable chicken houses moved to follow cows, increase fertilisation, sanitise the paddocks

- chickens are well-fed and produce eggs = another product to sell

- meat chickens also moved daily, fresh food & clean environment

- tree chips used as bedding for animals, who turn it from anaerobic matter into aerobic compost

- greatly increases income

- also greatly increases biodiversity, which mimics the biodiversity of wild places

- leveraging every aspect of the farm for maximum benefit to all

Closing Thoughts

- when you shift paradigm from looking at problems (e.g. pathogens & pests), to a more nature-respectful viewpoint, most of these problems solve themselves

- moving from a reactive approach to a proactive approach

- these systems become self-perpetuating

- get in your kitchen: build awareness of & connect with food, develop skill around what good food looks and tastes like

- do something yourself to viscerally participate in life: food scraps for worms, keep bees or chickens, tomato pot plants on your patio

- locate your local food treasures

Sandra Tuszynska is a microbiologist, with a specialisation in mycology. She can be found pursuing her passion for fungi and all living things at Woodfordia, home of the Woodford Folk Festival, in Queensland, Australia. 

Join Ben & Sandra as they dig deep into her journey through the wilds of microbiological research, her deep affinity for all forms of life, and how that love has led her to her current passion projects. Share her wisdom on the power of mushrooms to create life in every situation, including our own internal worlds, and get some expert tips on how you too can get neck-deep in glorious fungi from your own kitchen or backyard.

Find Sandra on her Facebook page, where she would be delighted to have you share your adventures in citizen science:

Myco-Mania

SHOW NOTES

Background 

- studied agricultural science

- any life form - she’s into it!

- got a shock learning about food industry: cruelty to animals, antibiotics, and pesticides

- turned vegan

- wrote book on how we can survive on fruit - Fruitful Nutrition

- wanted to be part of reversing the damage

Developing interest in microbiology & mycology 

- microbes at a cellular level

- how they can break down toxins (heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides)

- possibilities of remediating damaged landscapes

- using fungi from Germany and Poland to research

- deep cellular structure, how organelles are affected

- saw her work as one part of the puzzle, adding to the full picture

Potential for research to be applied 

- her research was lab-based, not so much applied as yet

- she now has confidence in her results that they can be used to remediate the environment

- there are projects happening where people are doing so, some in Western Australia

- big possibility now of cleaning up entire landscapes, e.g. open mines leaching metals

- long-term dream of getting communities working on this, not relying on governments & companies

Current work

- environmental projects officer at Woodfordia, home of Woodford Folk Festival

- many projects on the go

- collaboration, raising awareness

- soil remediation using mycelium

- repairing erosion from dairy farming

- creating fungi gardens

Love in her work 

- sensitive to life forms: animals, nature, children

- passionate about watching life happen

- most excited about mycelium

- being present in the moment

- connecting to yourself & the world

- teaching us to connect to each other as humans

- our bodies are made up mostly of microbial life

- loving ourselves as a living colony

- the beauty of the support system we have

Restoring balance 

- nature is designed to restore balance, always

- using the logic of nature to break down some of the harshest man-made chemicals, because they all came from nature to start with

- mycelium devouring nutrients in plastic

- possibility of growing food out of plastic because of fungi

- more research needed

- show a new generation the possibilities, how quickly things could be reversed

Making it accessible

- Book: Peter McCoy - Radical Mycology

- basics that anyone can do

- mycology was taken out of universities in Australia a long time ago

- Sandra would love to see more courses, workshops, conferences

- pooling of ideas

- before you know it, we’re all doing a bit to restore the environment

- Book: Paul Stamets - Mycelium Running

- Phil Ross - building the world’s strongest bricks out of mycelium

Woodfordia 

- 500 acres

- former dairy farm, cycads killed to protect cattle

- vegetation & tree cover being replaced

- rainforest species being regenerated

- platform of education, workshops

- not-for-profit

- much work done by volunteers (tree-huggers!)

- tree-planting festivals

- caregivers of the land

- food festivals, all organic materials composted

- “closing the loops” as an example to society

Citizen science for listeners 

- soil regeneration: put all your organic material directly onto soil, cover with mulch, monitor the soil

- watch the mycelium grow & observe the broader impact

- can use human waste also - Sandra is a big fan of poo!

- just do one experiment for 6 months

- every life form requires food, water, and shelter: if you give it these, you can’t go wrong

- not just creating life but also creating habitats for that life

- Sandra has a Facebook page where she would be happy to see your citizen science projects.

Healing through fungi 

- Paul Stamets magic mushroom experience

- went from being a forester to preserving forests because of that experience

- not all benefits of mycology can be scientifically quantified

- psychiatry article: cases of micro-doses of psyllocibin to treat mental illnesses, makes us childlike and therefore emotionally connected to ourselves, and allows for healing

- the experience cured Paul Stamets stutter

- becoming a scientifically studied process

- starts with personal experiences, which is why citizen science is so important

Discussion of further projects 

- Ben: countertop system - air filtration through plants

- Sandra: growing bowls / cups of oyster mushrooms, feeding it wood-chips / sugar cane mulch/coffee

- possibilities of mycelium growing replacements for many common products e.g. styrofoam, leather

- experiments in making a filter out of mushroom mycelium to absorb oil spills

- cleansing environments so next generation are not born with diseases caused by toxins

- Sandra believes this will happen through citizens doing their part, not waiting for governments

- experiment in your own backyard & your own kitchen, and pass it onto a friend!

Closing remarks 

- be open to experience, like a child approaches the world with an open heart

- pursue your passion, whatever it is, because life is first created inside of each of us

Kristina Campbell is a science writer specifically in the area of the microbiome. She’s authored a book called The Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook, and recently co-wrote a textbook on gut microbiota.

Today Kristina and I talk about probiotics, the microbiome, communicating science, women in journalism, and family and fermentation among other things.

Check out her website 

bykriscampbell.com

And follow her on Twitter 

@bykriscampbell

And Facebook 

@intestinalgardener

Check out the FPJ Giveaway! See website for official rules.

SHOW NOTES

Writes for gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com

Her story 

-family all had gut issues 

-tried fermented foods

Two published books

-passion for writing about the microbiome 

-take the science and then do the best you can to implement it your everyday life

-cookbook is the science turned practical 

-her aim is to communicate where science ends and where speculation begins

-what is the ‘jumping off point’

Dr. Rob Night 

-American Gut Project

-Global FoodOmics Project

-led by Dr. Julia Gauglitz

Definition of a probiotic 

-Colin Hill and colleagues 

-wrote a paper on the definition of probiotic 

-proven benefit for host health

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2014.66

-live cultures

-live microorganisms 

-may or may not be specifically contributing to health 

Having children and probiotics

-being aware of diet and health 

-vaganal seeding

-microbiome of c-section and vaganal birth babies are different 

Health professionals collaborating 

Book by Dr. Brett Finlay and Marie Claire Arrieta 

Let Them Eat Dirt

-exposure to germs can be good for children 

-provides good guidelines 

-low risk environments to get dirty

-get to know bacteria 

-learn more about them

The Earth Microbiome Project 

-Rob Knight

-microbes and animals

-microbes and agriculture 

Journalism science and women

-discussion of disproportionate number of voices are male

-challenge assumptions we’ve had

Family culture

-co-educating each other 

Fermented food cultures connect us

-get a culture from a friend 

-microbes passed on

The Probiotic Life for Kristina

-Life of living in the moment

-fermented foods help her live in the moment 

-let microbes teach you how to slow down