Regenerative Skills

I’m so excited to share this interview with all of you, not only because I had such a good time speaking with Loxley and Rhapsody from the “Story Connective” but because they impart such incredible insights into story-telling, connecting to community, and a topic which I’m increasingly interested in, which is listening; not only listening as a passive way of absorbing information, but active listening by asking good questions and demonstrating that you’ve heard and understood the other person. Now some of you might ask, “How does this fit into regenerative living and permaculture?” To which I would say, listening and communication are essential to the design process of everything from ecosystem regeneration to social permaculture in communities and observing systems at a deeper level. Throughout this season in general, I’m going to be getting back to basics and strengthening the fundamentals of good design and I think all of you out there would agree with me when I say that honing the skills of observation, listening and then communicating what you’ve learned through story-telling are essential to understanding the context and nuances of any design project. Especially as we wrap up this month’s focus on regenerative community and its many forms, the most common challenge I’ve heard and even experienced myself that gets in the way of healthy community dynamics, is communication and conflict resolution. I first met Loxley and Rhapsody at a new years party at our friends place across the valley from us. They were traveling on their honeymoon and visiting our mutual friend Manola, and we hit it off immediately when I learned that they also produce podcasts and are passionate about social permaculture. The two of them are based on the island of Maui in Hawaii and publish stories that strengthen community wherever they go. During this conversation we talk about their journey, how to tell better stories, the power those narratives can have in connecting people, and much much more Resources: The Story Connective website

In our last interview in this month’s focus on regenerative communities, I had the pleasure of speaking with Alan O’Hashi, Alan is a newspaper journalist turned documentary filmmaker and screenwriter who works with groups and organizations to help them tell their stories and is also organizing an intentional creative community in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For the focus of this interview Alan speaks from his experience as a board member of the US Co-Housing Association and his time living in Silver Sage Village, a co-housing retirement community in Boulder, CO. In this interview Alan defines co-housing communities and their myriad configurations across the country. We explore the benefits that co-housing can bring to your lifestyle regardless of how you live, as well as the challenges that it could present for people more accustomed to living alone or who are used being independent and disconnected from their communities. We also discuss where the co-housing movement is headed and how it’s growing quickly as people, especially in the United States, aspire to become more connected and reliant on their local areas. If you live in a co-housing community, are considering moving to one, or have left one because of the challenges involved, I would love to hear from you in the comments, or directly through info@abundantedge.com. Now that I’m actively searching for a new home and community to invest in, co-housing is something I’m looking into closely and would love to hear about your personal experience. I’ll turn things over now to Alan. Resources: US Co-Housing Association Silver Sage Village

Continuing with this month’s focus on regenerative community models I had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Wildemann, co-founder of the “Zenith Project” an eco-village/intentional community in the Canadian wilderness. Peter is passionate about supporting people to live their highest purpose in the context of mutually supportive community by creating a new economic paradigm. Peter also aims to focus on connecting people in a small community setting where the most authentic relationships can be developed. In this interview we talk about what makes it a mutually supportive intentional community, how freedom is not the same as ability, what it means to re-wild yourself, how healthy community can promote the discovery of your highest potential, and so much more. Peter also gives advice on how you can take steps to create your own intentional community and the challenges and hurdles that he’s faced along the way. Since there are so many different configurations of communities and eco-villages around the world, I would love to hear from anyone listening to this episode who lives in a community configuration like this or who has lived in one in the past. Now that I’m essentially a free agent looking to find my home in a healthy community somewhere in the world, I’m fascinated by what elements are essential for healthy community creation and growth so please reach out to me either in the comments below or directly at info@abundantedge.com Resources: Zenith Project website

Today we’re going to kick off a month-long exploration of various community models that are focused on regenerating environments, communication, and healthy cultures. In the next three weeks we’ll be looking closely into regenerative social networks, ecovillages and cohousing configurations. As the regenerative movement builds momentum around the world, people are rethinking the communities and societies that either promote or disincentivize healthy development. Though I’ve never found a community structure that is perfect, the interviews this month aim to identify the innovative progress of the communal structures that I mentioned and unpack the successes, challenges, and lessons in the process of creating truly regenerative community structures. My guest today, Magenta Ceiba, is the executive creative officer of the Bloom Network. Bloom Network is an in-person social network that uses online tools to collaboratively work on regenerating culture and life systems. Local Bloom chapters host skill shares, educational events and hands-on actions in collaboration with different social movements in their cities. Our online collaboration platform uses augmented intelligence, a wiki, and video calls to help different social good movements share best practices and pool resources so we can be stronger together. We produce a yearly conference to support regenerative innovation called Pollination. In this interview we explore the three main focuses of Bloom. Namely, food security, alternative economic models and conflict resolution. Magenta also explains how branches of this network are formed and supported in their initiatives, and we even go into more personal topics such as how people of privileged backgrounds can help to promote the voices and perspectives of people who have been disenfranchised by society. This is a very nuanced look at the intricacies of community building and the aspects of regenerative culture, so you might want to grab a notebook Resources: AE podcast interview with Leah Penniman from Soulfire Farm Bloom Network: http://bloomnetwork.org Empowering Public Wisdom by Tom Atlee Anti-colonial solidarity primer Aragon digital governance Radical Woen John Hopkins' research Dynamic Facilitation (community mediation practice Local Bloom-related projects: Long Beach Fresh Proyecto Fe A.C. - Bloom Los Mochis crew Mushroom City Art Festival Bloom Network Resources: Local Blooms and how to start one Wiki Bloom Podcast RSS feed: https://pinecast.com/feed/bloom-podcast Bloom Network Membership Our conference, Pollination Primarily people of color and indigenous led regenerative efforts listeners might not know about: Climate Justice Alliance La Via Campesina All My Relations podcast Ujima Project Bay Area specific: Resilient Wellness Blockchain for Social Justice

To wrap up this month long focus on building soils for market gardens I spoke with three of my favorite collaborators. Neal Hegarty and Jeremy Fellows from Granja Tz’ikin and Shad Qudsi from Atitlan Organics. Each of them share their experiences, trials, and errors from years of intensive soil building methods on rocky marginal land in rural Guatemala and the systems they currently use to build fertility on their farms. In this episode Shad talks about his integrated poultry operation and how his deep bedding method creates nutrient rich compost for the adjacent salad greens production at Atitlan Organics. Neal speaks in detail about how they’ve integrated goats and chickens in a three tiered composting animal house, and Jeremy explains some of the extra soil fertility amendments they’ve been experimenting with including biochar and effective micro-organisms. The ongoing learning and experimentation on both Granja Tzikin and Atitlan Organics is something you can participate in yourself, so be sure to check out their websites to see how you can get involved. Resources: Granja Tzikin Atitlan Organics Previous interviews with Shad Previous interviews with Neal Previous interviews with Jeremy

My guest today, Rhonda Sherman, is the director of the Compost Learning Lab at North Carolina State University and a leading expert on vermicomposting. Rhonda travels extensively to present workshops and to consult with farmers, businesses, and institutions on the development and management of vermicomposting systems. She also organizes the annual North Carolina State Vermiculture Conference, which for nineteen years has drawn participants from across the United States and around the globe. She is a co-editor of Vermiculture Technology and has written extensively about composting and vermicomposting in her role with NC State University. In this episode I talked with Rhonda about her new book, “The Worm Farmer’s Handbook.” Though the book focuses mostly on mid to large scale vermicomposting systems, we start by talking about small residential vermicomposting and the positive effect it can have on our lives by taking back control of our waste streams and turning it into an incredible product. We also go into detail about troubleshooting problems in the system, feeding and watering indicators, pest deterrents and much more. Rhonda also shares some great resources from her website that you can use for free and which I’ve linked to on the show notes for this episode at abundantedge.com Resources: Buy the book “The Worm Farmer’s Handbook” Rhonda’s website More about Rhonda Sherman

Welcome back to the definitive guide to no-till organic gardening. In this session we’ll pick up where we left off with Andrew Mefferd, editor of “Growing for Market Magazine” and the author of “The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution.” In last week’s episode we talked mostly about Andrew’s journey into farming and research of no-till market production methods after identifying the principle problems of tillage and the damaging effects on soil health that it’s had worldwide. In this session we’ll jump straight into the four methods of no-till mulching that the different farms that are profiled in the book are using successfully as well as the pros and cons of each technique. Andrew discusses the importance of identifying the context of your place and intentions before choosing which technique to follow as well. Be sure to go back and listen to the first episode in this series to hear about Andrew’s background and experiences to get you caught up for this episode if you haven’t done that yet. Once again now I’ll hand things over to Andrew Resources: Growing for Market Magazine Buy the book “The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution” Buy the book “The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook” Andrew Mefferd on FB

My guest in this session Andrew Mefferd, worked for seven years in the research department of Johnny’s selected seeds and has travelled around the world to connect with farmers and researchers about greenhouse growing and soil conservation. He then started his own farm in Maine to apply all of that knowledge and experience, which he writes about and curates as the editor of “Growing for Market Magazine”. In this episode Andrew and I talk about his new book “The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution,” We begin by identifying the systemic problem that industrial agriculture, specifically with its reliance on soil tillage, has caused, and the massive losses of topsoil and the nutrient degradation that has resulted from this ubiquitous practice. From there Andrew breaks down the four no-till market gardening methods that he’s seen used successfully in his travels and research. We cover Mulch grown in place, Cardboard mulch, Deep straw mulch, and Deep compost mulch as well as the pros and cons of each method and how to choose the no-till methods that works best for your context. Andrew also explains how soil health ties in with climate stability, small farm profitability and much more. This is the first in a two part series with Andrew, because all the knowledge that he shared was best split in two to avoid going too long, so don’t forget to catch next Friday’s conclusion of this interview, and two more soil building episodes in this month’s focused look at building market gardening soil. Resources: Growing for Market Magazine Buy the book “The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution” Buy the book “The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook” Andrew Mefferd on FB

The unsung hero of all that we’ve accomplished here in Guatemala are the local communities and people where we live and work. In this Regenerative Round Table I spoke with Charlie and Gabi, two of my closest friends here at the lake about the challenges and learning experiences over a combined 30 years living and working with the local Mayan communities around Lake Atitlan. We speak at length about the intricacies of running organizations and projects in this area and the challenges of respectful navigation and deeper understanding of a culture that is significantly different from the ones we were raised with. In this episode we explore everything from the traditions and customs, language barriers, differences in access to infrastructure and resources, and much more. I’m passionate about exploring the often-overlooked aspect of traditions and culture in the holistic design process and how to consider these essential elements in community regeneration to facilitate the healthy development from all people involved. For that reason, I would also love to hear your own stories of cultural learning and observation, whether you’ve lived and worked in another part of the world or have played host to foreigners visiting your community. I hope this sparks a larger conversation about respectful consideration and even celebration of the differences in our cultures and ways of life. I look forward to your comments and stories. Resources: La Cambalacha Website Previous podcasts with Charlie Rendall ARE YOU THE OWNER OR PROMOTIONS MANAGER FOR A REGENERATIVE BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION LOOKING TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT TO A LARGER AUDIENCE? Finding your target audience for regenerative products and services can be tough, especially while the movement is still in its infancy and awareness around the importance of ethical business still has a long way to go. If you want to tap into a network of informed and motivated people with strong environmental and community ethics who vote with their purchases then you’ve come to the right place. The Abundant Edge podcast now has more than 30,000 monthly listeners around the world and is growing fast. These are listeners who are actively involved in the regeneration of our planet and are enthusiastically supporting businesses and projects that reflect their priorities. We now offer competitive sponsorship packages for single episodes and discounted rates for multiple episodes, social media campaigns, promotional videos and more. The best part is that all your investment goes straight into making this podcast the best resource for regenerative skills education that it can be. Because of our commitment to the integrity of our message and our affiliations, this offer is only open to businesses and organizations that are as committed to regenerative work as we are. If this sounds like a good fit for you, go to the show notes for this episode to fill out the collaborator application form. We look forward to helping you reach your highest potential. COLLABORATOR’S APPLICATION FORM Name * Name First Name Last Name Email * Tell us about your business and why its "regenerative" * Where can we look to learn more about your business or organization? * Which of our services are you interested in? * Choose as many that apply Podcast sponsorship space Social media exposure Promotional video Other Thank you! A representative will contact you as soon as possible

In keeping with the theme of water regeneration this month I spoke to Rob Avis, the co-author along with Michelle Avis of their book in the New Society Essentials series called Rain Water Harvesting. Rob and Michelle founded Verge Permaculture, an award-winning design, consulting and education company in Calgary, Alberta after years of international training in renewable energy and regenerative design. Since its founding, Verge has helped more than 1000 students and clients to design and create integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste, and food, all while supporting their local economy and regenerating the land. Through their design and consulting they create havens that produce their own energy and food, harvest water, cycle nutrients, and restore the surrounding ecosystems, enabling property owners to thrive no matter what. With such a broad range of knowledge, experience, and expertise, we focused mainly on rain water harvesting techniques and systems in this episode as an entry into the larger concept of watershed regeneration and revival. In this session Rob explains some of the key components of rain water harvesting systems and the ways that you can treat and filter the water for various uses. We talk at length about why expensive filters and disinfectants are often unnecessary, even for most potable water uses, and the different ways you can keep your stored rainwater clean. Rob also speaks about how rainwater harvesting systems fit into a larger system aimed toward water resilience in multiple living contexts from urban to rural applications. I’ve been a big fan of Verge Permaculture and all their great work for some time now and I’m intending to create a larger series of in depth talks with Rob and Michelle in the future so if you enjoy this episode and have further questions that you’d like to hear us cover in future talks, then by all means send your questions and feedback to me at info@abundanedge.com or in the comments in the show notes on the website. Resources: Buy the book “Essentials: Rainwater Harvesting” Verge Permaculture Website Verge Youtube channel Are you the owner or promotions manager for a regenerative business or organization looking to get your message out to a larger audience? Finding your target audience for regenerative products and services can be tough, especially while the movement is still in its infancy and awareness around the importance of ethical business still has a long way to go. If you want to tap into a network of informed and motivated people with strong environmental and community ethics who vote with their purchases then you’ve come to the right place. The Abundant Edge podcast now has more than 30,000 monthly listeners around the world and is growing fast. These are listeners who are actively involved in the regeneration of our planet and are enthusiastically supporting businesses and projects that reflect their priorities. We now offer competitive sponsorship packages for single episodes and discounted rates for multiple episodes, social media campaigns, promotional videos and more. The best part is that all your investment goes straight into making this podcast the best resource for regenerative skills education that it can be. Because of our commitment to the integrity of our message and our affiliations, this offer is only open to businesses and organizations that are as committed to regenerative work as we are. If this sounds like a good fit for you, go to the show notes for this episode to fill out the collaborator application form. We look forward to helping you reach your highest potential. Collaborator’s Application form Name * Name First Name Last Name Email * Tell us about your business and why its "regenerative" * Where can we look to learn more about your business or organization? * Which of our services are you interested in? * Choose as many that apply Podcast sponsorship space Social media exposure Promotional video