The Permaculture Podcast Joshua Hughes - Regenerative Investing
Aug 29, 2025
Joshua Hughes, founder of Black Sheep Regenerative Resource Management, discusses his innovative approach to regenerative investing. He shares insights on restoring degraded lands through agroforestry and community-centered initiatives. Hughes emphasizes the importance of planting high-demand crops to fund land recovery, integrating local ownership to prevent exploitation, and prioritizing local markets over exports. He illustrates how collective stewardship fosters resilience and community stability while creating diverse job opportunities beyond farming.
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From One Farm To A Scalable Template
- Joshua describes transforming 20 acres of destroyed cattle land into a diverse agroforestry farm over a decade.
- That experience became the template they duplicated as they expanded to ~400 acres with partners.
Social Mission Becomes Profitable Model
- What began as a safety-net social mission evolved into coordinated small businesses and investment projects.
- Joshua reports roughly 40x returns when agroforestry plans are executed over decades.
Use Pioneer Crops To Finance Recovery
- Plant high-value pioneer crops (e.g., turmeric, sacha inchi) to finance short-term recovery work.
- Use those early revenues to establish longer-term timber and forest species that secure future income and habitat.