Sense-Making in a Changing World

How to teach permaculture? This is a very special episode - my way of celebrating the late Graham Bell - a tribute to a permaculture elder, pioneer, forest gardener, teacher, mentor, author, father, husband, friend. Graham died in early March 2023 after a brief illness. I join the permaculture community around the world in acknowledging his enormous contribution to the field of permaculture, and to teaching permaculture teachers. I send my deepest condolences to his family.Our focus here at the Permaculture Education Institute is about teaching permaculture teachers, and Graham has been teaching for decades too - one of the early pioneers of the movement.  I was keen to talk with him about his insights and experience as an educator. And oh my, what richness is within. I hope you thoroughly enjoy listing to Graham’s story spanning decades and the globe, and his wisdom shared.I actually recorded this episode late 2022 and had been trying to work out how to edit it - Graham and I talked for almost 2 hours. I thought I needed to edit it to about an hour, but I could simply not work out which stories to leave out. In the end, I have decided to simply share the whole conversation with you.You can watch this over in our Sense-Making in a Changing World Youtube channel here.Graham Bell's BooksTHE PERMACULTURE WAY - Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining WorldTHE PERMACULTURE GARDENI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

Our housing system is broken, but where do we look for different ways forward and a theory of change?Come and join me with economist Karl Fitzgerald from Grounded the new Community Land Trust Advocacy (and formerly of Prosper Australia ). Karl advocates that a saner future awaits when we focus on a community land housing solution that moves us away from the speculative drive and sprawl. He is dedicated to creating and sharing new models and developing housing futures that are intertwined with the permaculture movement. Listen throughout for how Karl cleverly describes this model of community land trusts through the language of permaculture principles, and describes a community-led `affordable housing option. So many possibilities presented. Grounded is researching ways forward - to come together. Grow together!GROUNDED FACEBOOKGROUNDED EVENTKarl mentioned:Community land trust UKCornwall CLT Champlain CLT Vermont Karl also mentioned the First Knowledges series of books .I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

Welcome to  this Permaculture Writer's Club episode of the Sense-making in a Changing World Podcast hosted Morag Gamble. This series is a chance to explore different forms of permaculture writing and speak with a range of authors and publishers.  Morag is joined here in this conversation by Robyn Rosenfeldt, founding editor and publisher of Pip Magazine.  Come behind the scenes of PIP Magazine - Australia's permaculture magazine, learn what makes a good article or story, what magazine editors are looking for and ways to approach PIP with your story.I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

Welcome to a special Permaculture Writer's Club episode of the Sense-making in a Changing World podcast. I am joined by the wonderful permaculture grower, forest gardener, youtuber and author, Liz Zorab who runs Byther Farm with Mr J -  to live a self sufficient, eco friendly life. . She is author of the best-selling book Grounded: A Gardener’s journey to abundance and self-sufficency -  put out by Permanent Publications and is finishing up her second book - the Seasoned Gardener - due out soon.In this episode, Liz shares how she has created 2 amazing permaculture farms and has healed herself in the process - of how she got going on her successful youtube channel and how she has gone about writing her books. Liz is so generous in her sharing. This conversation is full of practical strategies and ideas from paddock to pen.The Permaculture Writer's Club and Sense-Making in a Changing World podcast are hosted by the Permaculture Education Institute - teaching permaculture teachers and hosting a global permaculture graduate learning community called the Permaculture Hive.  You can also find lots of practical permaculture videos on my Our Permaculture Life Youtube Make sure to subscribe so you get notification of these weekly podcast episodes. I’d love for you to leave us lovely 5 star review too (it helps the bots to find our little podcast). You can also watch this podcast on youtube.We  acknowledge the traditional custodians of the unceded lands from which we share this podcast with you, the Gubbi Gubbi, and pay my deep respect to their elders past present and emerging. I’d like to recognise their care for this land, the waters, and biodiversity for so many many thousands of years.Thanks to Kim Kirkman for the music.I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

Have you ever wanted to become a permaculture writer? Listen in to learn the niches waiting for permaculture writers and insights from our guest's decades of permaculture writing, editing and publishing.I am delighted to welcome you to a the first of our special Permaculture Writer's Club series on the Sense-making in a Changing World podcast. This podcast is an initiative of the Permaculture Education Institute. We teach permaculture teachers around the world and host global permaculture conversations and learning communities.Who better to launch the Permaculture Writer's Club with me than Maddy Harland - writer, editor, publisher extraordinaire.  I love when I get the chance to catch up with her.  Maddy is the cofounder and editor of the brilliant 30+ year old Permaculture Magazine and co-founder too of Permanent Publications - THE major contributor of permaculture books in the world. Maddy is also an avid beekeeper, no-dig gardener, forest gardener, walker, nature lover and a mother of two amazing daughters. She is a visiting Knowledge Exchange Fellow of the Institute of Theological Partnerships at the University of Winchester in the UK and through her publishing company, a recipient of the Queens Award for entrepreneurship “unfettered dedication to promoting sustainable development internationally.”Maddy and I talk about what kind of writing we need in permaculture now & how we need more diversity of permaculture writing, more writing about fair share and good writing that opens the conversation about what in the world that is possible - sign posting what the future might look like and describe a diversity of practical climate adaptations for all the different regions of the world, and all different contexts. Here's where to make a book submission to Permanent Publications.I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

In the new episode of Morag Gamble’s podcast, Michael Mobbs shares insights from his 50 + years experience living and breathing environmentalism and sustainability.Starting out as Australia’s first environmental lawyer in 1978, Michael went on to create an off-grid home for his family in the 1990s – right in the heart of Sydney. His passion for sustainability led him to write two books: Sustainable House, and, Sustainable Food.Michael’s off-grid home is featured in Zac Efron’s latest season of Down to Earth on Netflix, and a model of the home is on display in the Powerhouse Museum Sydney. (here's a link to the trailer - Michael is featured in the Eco-Innovators episode)As for the need for climate action, now? Michael says:“The best way through (the climate crisis) is by consuming food that you grow or buying locally grown. And when you grow food, do so with the compost that you create from your food waste. There's no such thing as waste, just a failure of imagination. Don't be without imagination – be with compost, be with the soil, be with plants.”The Sustainable House website with Michael MobbsSustainable House Book by Michael MobbsSustainable Food Book by Michael MobbsI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

This episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World is the final of our 5 part Urban Agriculture series released during Urban Agriculture Month in November 2022.Here, Morag Gamble is joined by Chris Smyth, a coordinator of Community Gardens Australia (WA). They talk about the gardens he co-founded on the Murdoch University Campus, as well as the community gardening movement around the country.Chris, a retired Assoc. Professor and Dean of the School of Media Communication & Culture at Murdoch University, was able to assist students negotiating the university landscape to enable this garden to happen, and link many of the faculties to the project.Community gardens and city farms are places where people come together to grow fresh food, to learn, relax and make new friends.Community Gardens Australia connects and celebrates the growing movement of  city farms and community garden around Australia. It is a community-based organisation linking people interested in city farming and community gardening with each other and other projects. Morag was a founder of this organisation back in the 1990s with just a few dozen projects. Now there are hundreds of active projects. The resources on the website are vast and a go-to place if you are interested in starting a new garden.  All the local coordinators in each state and region are volunteers and love to hear from those wanting to create projects, or from projects that need help. Urban Agriculture MonthThis special Urban Agriculture series on Sense-Making in a Changing World is brought to you by the Permaculture Education Institute in collaboration with Sustain Australia - celebrating growing food in cities and towns for Urban Agriculture Month.Podcast Host: Morag GambleUrban Agriculture Month Ambassador, Morag Gamble, founder of Permaculture Education Institute & teacher of permaculture teachers, is a passionate advocate for urban permaculture and has been deeply involved in creating, supporting and networking projects and programs for 30 years on 5 continents.  She is cofounder of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane and the I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

In this episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World, host Morag Gamble speaks with Buttons Testa - the creator of The Mushroomery - a micro mushroom farm she set up in her Brunswick backyard in Naarm (Melbourne) in a 10m2 growing space.The little farm supplies two restaurants and a farm gate from time to time with tasty oyster mushrooms. She is influenced by the ethics and principles of permaculture. She is working on closing multiple loops of waste within her farm. Being a massive foodie she is keen on making farming more visible in the city to create better understanding around food within the urban bubble.Buttons is also inspired to spread the knowledge of how mushrooms grow and what wonderful benefits they can have for yours and the environments health. Fungi is on the precipice of solving many earthly problems from waste to health.Buttons also loves to show how much food can be grown on small marginal plots of land in the inner city. She believes that we will need to localise our food systems in order to transition to a low-energy sustainable future. This is part 4 of our 5 part  Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022)Urban Agriculture MonthThis special Urban Agriculture series on Sense-Making in a Changing World is brought to you by the Permaculture Education Institute in collaboration with Sustain Australia - celebrating growing food in cities and towns for Urban Agriculture Month.Podcast Host: Morag GambleUrban Agriculture Month Ambassador, Morag Gamble, founder of Permaculture Education Institute & teacher of permaculture teachers, is a passionate advocate for urban permaculture and has been deeply involved in creating, supporting and networking projects and programs for 30 years on 5 continents.  She is cofounder of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane and the Australian Community Gardens Network. Her blog and youtube channel include loads of urban permaculture content and this podcast features many urban agriculture pioneers.I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

Landscape Architect and urban farmer, Hilary Hoggett - President of Fawkner Food Bowls in Naarm (Melbourne) -  takes  us on a journey into hyper local food systems. This is part 3 of our 5 part  Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022) Fawkner Food Bowls is a community market garden which grows herbs, vegetables, and seedlings for their very local area. They work with volunteers and community members providing culturally relevant food in a thriving growing space where community can learn about urban food growing through sustainable and regenerative growing practices. They strive to address local food security through growing and distributing food, support social cohesion within their diverse community, and build community resilience in the face of climate change.Fawkner Food Bowls started with two local residents who wanted to grow food on a larger scale than their front yards AND find a family-friendly place to relax, enjoy and meet other locals. Their ideas was supported first by the Fawkner Bowling Club and also by The Neighbourhood Project, an urban placemaking initiative of CoDesign Studio - and it has grown from strength to strength - particularly meeting local food and community needs during the long lock-downs in Melbourne. Urban Agriculture MonthThis special Urban Agriculture series on Sense-Making in a Changing World is brought to you by the Permaculture Education Institute in collaboration with Sustain Australia - celebrating growing food in cities and towns for Urban Agriculture Month.Podcast Host: Morag GambleUrban Agriculture Month Ambassador, Morag Gamble, founder of Permaculture Education Institute & teacher of permaculture teachers, is a passionate advocate for urban permaculture and has been deeply involved in creating, supporting and networking projects and programs for 30 years on 5 continents.  She is cofounder of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane and the Australian Community Gardens Network. Her blog and youtubI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!

This episode is all about keeping bees in our backyards. This is part of our 5 part  Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022).  My guest today is Amanda Collins of Ballarat Backyard Beehives and member of the Ballarat Permaculture Guild. Amanda and her partner Scott became accidental beekeepers ten years ago after being gifted a hive and falling in love with the bees.Since then, their passion for beekeeping has grown into a small apiary of 80 hives, delivering beekeeping courses and undertaking formalised training in beekeeping, training and assessment and Agribusiness. Amanda is the founder of HiveMind Community Apiary, a community apiary established to provide beekeeper training for people at risk of living with a mental illness. The couple are strongly connected to their local community and are advocates for urban farming, verge gardening and sustainability. Urban Agriculture MonthThis special Urban Agriculture series on Sense-Making in a Changing World is brought to you by the Permaculture Education Institute in collaboration with Sustain Australia - celebrating growing food in cities and towns for Urban Agriculture Month.Podcast Host: Morag GambleMorag Gamble, founder of Permaculture Education Institute & teacher of permaculture teachers, is a passionate advocate for urban permaculture and has been deeply involved in creating, supporting and networking projects and programs for 30 years on 5 continents.  She is cofounder of Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane and the Australian Community Gardens Network. Her blog and youtube channel include loads of urban permaculture content and this podcast features many urban agriculture pioneers.I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the showThis podcast is a project of the Permaculture Education Institute. We work with people on six continents, teaching permaculture design and skills - from how to be a community leader to creating a regenerative permaculture livelihood. Visit our website to find out more. You can start any time, in any capacity! We teach permaculture and host permaculture teacher courses. We also share conversations through monthly masterclasses, Our Permaculture Life YouTube, and offer free monthly film clubs in a supportive global community. This podcast is broadcast from a solar powered studio in the midst of a permaculture ecovillage food forest on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi country. Subscribe, share and comment if you enjoy and keep this podcast myceliating!