Ryan Blosser, a farmer, educator, and co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, dives into the essence of permaculture in his insightful conversation. He shares his motivations behind writing a book on growing food and fostering community ties. Topics include the significance of water management and the cultivation of food forests through layered planting. Ryan also discusses the importance of diverse capital forms, humorous personal stories about cannabis cultivation, and reflections on generational resilience, all while celebrating the connections we build through nature.
01:35:53
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Critical Role of Human Sector
The human sector in permaculture is as challenging to design as climate, vital for sustainable communities.
Good human relationships enable resource sharing, making self-sufficiency less fragile.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Build Water System Redundancy
Design redundancy into water systems to handle both drought and flooding.
Favor perennials over annuals to increase resilience against extreme water variations.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Plan Efficient Access Routes
Plan access and circulation carefully to minimize daily walking, saving valuable time.
Design with intention, balancing efficiency with personal goals like exercise or mindfulness.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship
Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship
Ryan Blosser
Trevor Pearsall
Jitterbug perfume
Tom Robbins
In 'Jitterbug Perfume,' Tom Robbins crafts a narrative that spans centuries, intertwining the lives of various characters across different time periods. The story follows King Alobar, a medieval king seeking immortality, and his journey with his beloved Kudra, as well as modern characters like Priscilla, a waitress and amateur perfumer in Seattle, and Madame Devalier, who runs a perfume shop in New Orleans. The novel explores themes of immortality, humor, individuality, and love, using the scent of perfume as a metaphor for deeper life philosophies and connections to the past. The narrative is characterized by Robbins' unique blend of humor, philosophy, and vivid descriptions, making it a wild and intellectually challenging read[2][4][5].
Jim talks with Ryan Blosser about the ideas in his book Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship, co-authored with Trevor Piersol. They discuss the motivation behind writing a permaculture book, the human sector in permaculture design, financial challenges of permaculture farming, 8 forms of capital, food forest design principles, plant guild functions & relationships, persimmons, hunting stories, willows, redbuds, bourbon, black locust properties, rhubarb as a barrier plant, spring bulbs, garlic, Hawaiian adventures, the benefits of tulsi, growing cannabis, uses of comfrey, beets for deer plots, burdock as medicine, community, climate considerations, water management, soil fertility, aesthetics in design, and much more.
Episode Transcript
Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship, by Ryan Blosser and Trevor Pearsall
Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins
Ryan Blosser is a farmer, educator, permaculture designer, writer, and mental health professional. He is co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and owner/operator of Dancing Star Farm. In addition, he holds a teaching license in the State of Virginia and earned an MA and Ed.S. in clinical mental health counseling from James Madison University. Ryan served as Executive Director of Project GROWS, an educational non-profit farm dedicated to growing healthy communities. He also taught permaculture design and gardening in Staunton Public Schools before accepting a position with Waynesboro School, where he directs the continued development of the Waynesboro Education Farm. The intersection of his twin passions for growing food and helping people fuels his unique perspective on building community health and resilience through permaculture design. Ryan lives in Churchville, VA.
The Jim Rutt Show 