Regenerative Skills

Can eating meat be ethical and good for the environment? With Meredith Leigh, author of “The Ethical Meat Handbook:” 116

We’ve reached the last episode in this month’s focus on fixing the food system. In the last three weeks we’ve talked about how co-op grocery stores offer real hope for transforming the supply and distribution of food by offering an alternative to the monopoly of the grocery giants. We’ve covered the power and importance of indigenous food and land management, and we’ve also explored the joys and realities of growing your own food on a residential scale.
To round this all off, I had the pleasure of speaking to Meredith Leigh, the author of “The Ethical Meat Handbook.” Meredith has worked as a farmer, butcher, chef, teacher, non-profit executive director, consultant, and writer for the past 17 years, all in the pursuit of sustainable food
The industrial meat industry, in my opinion, is the epitome of what is broken in our food system and is a glaring example of the disconnect between humans and healthy natural systems, but Meredith shows us how we can reconnect with animals by treating every step in the process from raising, to slaughter, butchery and cooking with respect and care. In this interview we start by acknowledging the broken and unhealthy state of meat consumption. We also go in depth about the environmental impacts, issues surrounding animal welfare, and the health problems of an imbalanced diet. Meredith then explains how a healthy and reverent relationship to animals and all their products could look like through real examples of ecological management of livestock systems, mindful slaughter, home butchery methods, and preservation through curing, fermentation and cooking. This is one of the most holistic and nuanced perspectives on every aspect of meat that I’ve come across that even treats vegan and vegetarian perspectives on the topic with compassion and understanding. Meredith herself was vegan before getting involved with butchery and animal care so I encourage you to listen through the full episode before jumping to conclusions on the angle that this interview takes.
I also recognize that everything about meat from animal care, to diet, slaughter and cooking are very contentious topics at the moment and I would love to hear from you about how you feel and relate to the opinions expressed in this session, so please leave respectful comments and feedback under the show notes for this episode, or any other episode for that matter, at abundantedge.com or email me directly at info@abundantedge.com.
Resources:
Buy the book “The Ethical Meat Handbook”
Buy the book “Pure Charcuterie”
Meredith’s website
Meredith Leigh on instagram

The joys and realities of growing your own food at home, with Crystal Stevens, author of “Your Edible Yard:” 115

Continuing with this month’s focus on fixing the food system, I wanted to go back to basics and discuss the practicalities and challenges of growing your own food with just a modest sized yard. I reached out to Crystal Stevens who is an author, an artist/art teacher, a folk herbalist, a regenerative farmer, and a Permaculturist.
She is the author of two award-winning books, Grow Create Inspire, and Worms at Work. And is also releasing a new book with New Society publishers yearly next year called Your Edible Yard.
I this interview I spoke with Crystal about her learning experiences in growing her own food in a few different environments. She also goes in depth about the practicalities of time investment, tools and equipment, and maintenance and planting schedules. We discuss how realistic it is for someone working full time and with only a small yard to produce a meaningful amount of their own food, and share stories of the unexpected joys that make gardening much more of a pleasure than extra work.
Resources:
Find all of Crystal’s books here
Pre-order the book “Your Edible Yard”
growcreateinspire.com

The power and importance of indigenous food, with Sean Sherman, author of “The Sioux Chef:” 114

In continuing this month’s focus on fixing the food system I had the pleasure of speaking to a personal hero of mine, Sean Sherman, author of the “The Sioux Chef.” Sean has been the recipient of a First Peoples Fund Fellowship, the Bush Foundation Fellowship, National Center’s 2018 First American Entrepreneurship Award, 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook, and a 2019 James Beard Leadership Award.
Sean has been cooking around the US and internationally for the last 30 years and his main focus has been on the revitalization and awareness of indigenous foods systems in a modern culinary context.  Sean has also studied extensively on his own to determine the foundations of these food systems and to gain a full understanding of bringing back a sense of Native American cuisine to the modern world.
 In this interview Sean and I talk about how he became passionate about the history and traditions of indigenous food. He starts by educating me on how North America got to the point where indigenous culture and food systems have been all but wiped out, and why it’s so important for us to reconnect with the native plants and animals that used to nourish the original peoples of North America. We also cover traditional farming and land management methods, why they’re an essential part of switching to a more ecological food system, and the health benefits that this way of eating can have on our bodies as well as the land. Sean also give his advice on how to transition to a pre-colonial food system that goes much further than just the native traditions of North America.
This is one of the most essential perspectives on fixing the food system through holistic means that connects nutrition to land stewardship, cultural reconnection and spiritual revival.
Resources:
buy the book “The Sioux Chef”
The Sioux Chef website
The Sioux Chef on FB
The Sioux Chef on Twitter
NATIFS website

How Co-op groceries are taking on “the giants” with Jon Steinman, author of “Grocery Story:”

Today I’ll be kicking off another month dedicated to an important topic in regenerative living. For a long time now, our food system has been a primary indicator for so many markers of health in our society, from the way that our food is produced, what kinds of food we eat, how we cook, how it affects our health and even our ethics as consumers. For the next four weeks I’ll be taking a look our food system from a variety of different view-points and analysis in order to shed light on some of the lesser know factors that influence how we eat and how our dietary choices shape the food industry at large.
To kick off this series I spoke with Jon Steinman, author of the new book “Grocery Story: the promise of food co-ops in the age of grocery giants.” Now Jon has studied and worked with everything about food for more than twenty years. He formerly produced and hosted a popular podcast called Deconstructing Dinner, was a writer and host for a web series by the same name, and now curates the annual “Deconstructing Dinner” film festival of compelling food documentaries. Jon was also an elected director from 2006-2016 of the Kootenay Co-op – Canada's largest independent retail consumer food co-op, serving as Board President from 2014-2016
Now I consider myself fairly well informed about the food industry from personal research and that fact that in the last decade I’ve worked directly in many branches of the industry from refrigerated shipping, industrial farms, organic farms, fish processing, many different roles in restaurants, and even the permaculture farm that many of you have heard me talk about for over a year now, but I never knew so much about the influence that the giant grocery chains and supermarkets have on every aspect of our food from how it’s grown till it gets to our plates. This is a very eye opening look, not only at the broken aspects of the food industry, but the very tangible and accessible solutions that co-op grocery stores can be, not only for getting access to better food and transforming the way the industry is incentivized to operate, but also for the positive impact that co-ops can have on our communities and local economies. We also talk about solutions for access to high quality food for low-income neighborhoods and much more.
Resources:
Get the book “Grocery Story”
Deconstructing Dinner website

Healthy communication for communities through listening and story telling with Loxley and Rhapsody of “The Story Connective:” RRT 16

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

Could co-housing be the revolution our communites need? with Alan O’Hashi board member of the US Co-Housing Association: 111

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

Building an off-grid intentional community in the Canadian wilderness with Peter Wildemann of the Zenith Project: 110

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

Creating a regenerative social network with Magenta Ceiba, executive creative officer of Bloom Network: 109

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

Intensive soil building on small farms with Neal, Jeremy, and Shad: RRT 15

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

The definitve guide to worm farming, with Rhonda Sherman, author of “The Worm Farmer’s Handbook:” 107

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