Regenerative Skills

Drought: Part 1. The myths, misconceptions, and causes

It’s that time again. In todays’ regenerative round table, my good friend Nick Steiner and I give updates on our respective projects. Him on the Island of Tenerife and myself in the mountains of central Catalunya in Spain. In the update we talk about some of the challenges we’ve been experiencing this year. The big topic at the moment for us, and many other in this area of the world, is drought. Partly because Nick and I live in parts of the world where drought is a common factor we’ve been researching it for some time. 
In this episode we’ll break down some of the common myths and misconceptions about drought and its causes. We’ll also talk about the link between drought and other common natural disasters such as floods and wildfires and then give concrete examples from our respective home bases. We go into some of the hidden factors that lead to regional droughts and some of the science behind the way water works in the environment to cool the atmosphere and create more moderate conditions in the climate. 
This chat is the first in a two part look at drought and will set us up for a second episode next week where we’ll break down some of the wide ranges of actions and changes that can make a difference, not only in mitigating the effects of drought but also reversing the trends in the long term and rehydrating your landscape. 
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Links:
https://www.instagram.com/regenerative_skills/
https://www.instagram.com/permanick_permaculture/
https://www.permanick.com/welcome/

The genius of plant adaptation to stress in their environment, with Harriet Mela and James White

A couple weeks ago I had a wonderful conversation with my good friend Harriet Mela, the independent researcher from Austria who has helped push the boundaries of soil science and plant physiological understanding. We focused last time on how plants handle water stress, specifically drought and the management practices that can either help or inhibit their natural adaptation to this stress. Harriet also made it clear that she had a lot more to say on this topic and behind the scenes we talked about how to frame another discussion. In that time I shared a link to research done by Dr James White demonstrating how plants can absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere via enzymes in the stomata of their leaves. Turns out that Harriet is of course in close correspondence with James and she suggested that we invite him to our next session to explore the newest discoveries and experiments that they’re both conducting. How could I say no to that!
So a quick intro to Dr James White to get us oriented. James is Professor of Plant Biology at Rutgers University in New Jersey where he and students conduct research on ecology of microbes that inhabit plants known as endophytes. James White is the author of more than 270 articles and book chapters, and author and editor of seven books on the biology of plant microbes. He is also an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Associate Editor for journals Symbiosis, Fungal Ecology, MycoScience, Biology and Scientific Reports, and also serves as Chief Editor for the Plant-Microbe Interactions Section of the MDPI journal Microorganisms and has presented extensively at international industry and academic conferences focused on regenerative agriculture, plant biostimulants and crop microbiomes.
So as you can imagine, between James and Harriet, we get into some epic material. 
Though this session takes us in many directions, a couple of which I probably can’t even pronounce correctly, the overarching theme that we explore is the workings of plants and their symbiotic relationships with other organisms that helps them to adapt and overcome stress in their environments. We start by looking at this topic from the perspective of drought tolerance to wrap up the previous conversation, and then we expand from there. We even get into genetic adaptation, the problems with industrially produced seeds, and by the end uncover a key piece of the puzzle that could help you cut the time it takes to transition to regenerative management of your farm into a fraction.
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Links:
https://www.jefflowenfels.com/books-by-jeff-lownfels/
https://kindharvest.ag/courses/ra-cc-carbon-course/

A holistic view of health to reach your optimal performance, with Dr Gerrit Keferstein

Today I’m going to dive deeper into the broad topic of holistic health and wellness for this ongoing series that I started with Richard Perkins a couple weeks ago. In this episode we’re going to take a step back and analyze wellbeing with a perspective from the world of high performance athletics. 
Now I would imagine that for many of you this probably sounds a bit off-brand in comparison to my usual focus on ecological restoration and farming, but bear with me. Even though my guest today, Dr. Gerrit Keferstein’s studies focused on health and high performance in sports, his work has expanded significantly in his current practice to include a much more holistic view of wellness that touches on the esoteric, social, mental, and other broad contributors to a whole picture of what contributes to our health. 
Since we spend the first part of the session going into Gerrit’s background and studies, I’ll keep the intro short by saying that he is a doctor, coach and scientist with many years of national and international experience in professional and competitive sports, as well as in the treatment of chronic diseases. He’s also the founder and director of the MOJO Institute. To give you a small idea of what the institute is about I’ll quote from the two beliefs that the MOJO Institute was founded on. 
The first belief is that health is more than the mere absence of disease. We expect more than the health insurance-prescribed supply status of "sufficient". We want optimal. Our acute medical system is of course not designed for this. It performs other tasks. And at that it is excellent. Nevertheless, there is a need for supplementary offers in the healthcare market – today more than ever.
The second belief is that man is not a machine, but a biological being. The body can therefore neither be repaired nor tuned. One just adapts to the challenges of their environment - positive and negative. And of course one is dependent on the resources available to them. These are two parameters that we can work on: Optimizing the challenges and the resources.Hopefully you can now understand why I was thrilled to get a chance to dive into this holistic understanding of health. 
Before we get started you’ll probably notice at the beginning of this interview that we don’t start out as formally as I often do on this show. That’s because Gerrit and I kicked off right away in getting to know one another and he had a lot of good questions for me in the beginning that I wanted to include, and by the time we got into the line of questions I had prepared I figured it was valuable enough to leave it all in, so with all that said, let's start from the beginning.
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Links:
https://mojo-institut.de/
https://www.instagram.com/performance.doc/

What does a transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture actually look like? With Michael Reber

Today’s interview has been in the making for me for a couple years now. I first got to know Michael Reber through the pioneer program with Climate Farmers that I directed two years ago. Through that program we guided farmers from around Europe through existing online regenerative farming courses and helped them to adapt the information and techniques to their own businesses and contexts. By this point Michael had already gone through a few major transitions on his own farm and was in the process of diving deeper into soil health and improving the soil function on his 200 hectare grain and silage production operation in the south of Germany. During this period and through events like the Climate Farming conference that we hosted for the last two years, I got to know Michael’s remarkable story and see his farm in person. 
Since a large part of what I do is centered around communicating with farmers in Europe to understand their needs and challenges in their transitions toward regenerative management of their farms, stories like Michael’s are so important to highlight. There are many specific parts of what he and his family have been through that are very unique, but through all of it I hear similarities in the journeys that other farmers are on as well. The patterns of disruption in the business that cause people to reevaluate their priorities. Internal disputes that set us on a different trajectory. Daily learnings and the patience needed for observation and understanding to accompany us on our learning journeys, and other events like this resonate with so many of us, not only farmers. 
Despite Michael’s self consciousness about his level of English, he does a remarkable job in this interview in giving me a window into the changes and adaptations that have brought him and his farm to where they are now as well as the difficulties they’ve had in the past and still have in getting their land on a regenerative trajectory. As much as the details about soil health and the techniques he’s been trialing and the results they’ve achieved, I love the human side of his story that I know many of you listening will connect to as well. 
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Links:
Join the Climate Farmers Community
Michael's Podcast: https://bodenundleben.podigee.io/feed/mp3
Web: https://innovativelandwirtschaft.de
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Landwirtschaft.Reber/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichlReber
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.reber/
YouTube: Innovative Landwirtschaft Reber

Could this be the most versatile tool for homesteads and small farms? Zach Loeks explains

Many of you will remember my guest today from the three other interviews I’ve done with him over the years. Zack Loeks is a good friend and a maverick of many regenerative skills and knowledge. From growing up on a permaculture homestead in northern New Mexico as a kid, to farming commercially in Canada, teaching edible ecosystem design through Ecosystem U, designing and installing edible ecosystems and many more side projects, I’m always thrilled to catch up with him. 
In the past I’ve interviewed him about his previous books “ The Permaculture Market Garden” and "The Edible Ecosystem Solution” which are broad concepts and patterns brought into practical design and applications. Today however, we’re going to focus on his newest book, “The Two Wheel Tractor Handbook,” which, in contrast to the other two, is a more specific manual about the wide range of uses and applications of a versatile tool, which incorporates broad concepts and uses within it. 
We start out first by just catching up as Zach explains some of the many fascinating projects and jobs that keep him constantly busy and innovating. From there we dive into the world of two wheeled tractors and why he believes they’re one of the most useful and adaptable pieces of machinery for a wide range of contexts and enterprises. We discuss their history and innovation and the huge number of single use power tools that they can replace on a farm or homestead. We also do a side by side comparison with larger four wheeled tractors and on the other side, compare them to working solely with hand tools. Zach also breaks down the options for different attachments, personal considerations as to whether a two wheeled tractor is right for your own operation, and we even discuss the maintenance and repair considerations to make sure it doesn’t break down on you. 
Yes it’s nerdy, yes it’s super fun, and yes it’s always inspiring to hear what Zach is working on and tinkering with. 
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Links:
https://newsociety.com/books/t/the-two-wheel-tractor-handbook?sitedomain=row&variant=43851666292986
https://www.ecosystemu.com/home
https://www.ecosystemsolutioninstitute.com/
https://www.zachloeks.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@EcosystemU
https://www.instagram.com/zachloeks/

Richard Perkins on the process, preparation, lifestyle, and enjoyment of whole food

Now that I’m spending so much time out on the land here at the new farm I’m becoming a lot more conscious of my health. Nutrition has been really important for me in the last handful of years as I’ve struggled to overcome the chronic digestive issues that plagued me until my 30s. Over time I’ve dug deeper into whole food nutrition, fermentation and the gut microbiome, the importance of healthy fats and unpasteurized products, and quite a few others. 
At the same time, I’ve read and researched a lot of work that’s very dogmatic and extreme in their nutritional and healthy living advice. Some of the recommendations are really unrealistic for my lifestyle or miss important holistic concepts of an overall healthy way of living in connection to one's surroundings and sources of food. For this and many other reasons I’ve been closely following the development of Richard Perkins new book titled  Farm Fish Hunt Pick Bake. Like many young farmers and homesteaders, I know Richard from his work and educational videos around the development of Ridgedale farm in Northern Sweden. I’ve interviewed him now a few times in the past on previous seasons of this show and hosted skill exchange events online with him for the Climate Farmers community. Cooking and nutrition has been a minor part of his online teachings until recently, but has been very much in line with the ethos of his ideas on reconnecting with the land and living in close relationship with your food sources, both plants and animals. 
As Richard has been transitioning from beyond full-time farming he’s collaborated with the incredible chefs who’ve catered his many farm events and trainings to create a cookbook that conveys the full scope of not only the recipes, but also the process of foraging, farming, processing, and preserving all the food that Ridgedale farm is well known for. 
In this interview Richard and I explore where the inspiration for this new focus on food came from, and how the book has come together. We also dive into reemerging traditional concepts from the book like nose-to-tail eating, the art and culture of fermentation, the importance of both raw and properly cooked foods, the redemption of animal fats, and so much more. 
I’ve often thought that even if I didn’t love the farm lifestyle I’d still be in love with regenerative agriculture just for the food, and this massive volume covers so much of exactly what it means to reconnect with the ecology and processes of your food sources to make the enjoyment, appreciation, and reverence for what we eat a part of our lifestyles once again. 
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Links:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/828829028/farm-fish-hunt-pick-bake?ref=checkout
https://www.richardperkins.co/
https://www.youtube.com/@regenerativeagriculture 
https://www.instagram.com/richardperkins.co/
https://regenerativeskills.com/richard-perkins-helps-troubleshoot-your-market-garden/
https://regenerativeskills.com/richard-perkins/
https://regenerativeskills.com/abundantedge-richard-perkins-042/

A step by step guide to making your own microorganisms and natural fertilizers with Lorenzo Costa

Today I’m going to give you a window into the series of Skill Exchange calls that I host regularly for the members of the Climate Farming community. The community is open to any active farmer in Europe and together we’ve co-created an online learning space for farmers to connect with one another, share ideas and knowledge, and receive support from their peers.This series of Skill Exchange calls is part of my ongoing effort to create a free library of farmer’s presentations on tips and abilities they’ve found success with throughout the diverse farming operations that are represented in our groups. 
In today’s episode we get to hear from Lorenzo Costa, who’s been on this show once previously in an episode I recorded on his farm in the Chianti region of Italy with Zach Weiss when I visited in November of last year. Lorenzo will offer a deep dive into some of the processes and recipes he has learned, applied, and found success with from Korean Natural Farming, or KNF. We start out with an overview of what KNF is and how it began before jumping into tutorials on how to make your own indigenous microorganisms, DIY liquid fertilizers, and more.
This is a very technical presentation which will walk you through the each step in how to make these garden amendment and enhancement products for yourself, and since I know it can be tough to remember everything much less take notes if you’re doing something else while you listen to this, Lorenzo was kind enough to send me his presentation with all the pictures he refers to so you can reference it later when you’re mixing all this stuff up.Check out the presentation here
Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community
Links:
https://christrump.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.costa1/
https://www.instagram.com/lascoscesa/
https://en.jadam.kr/

The key to growing more resilient and nutrient dense food, with Julia Dakin

In my work with farmers and clients I’ve always looked for the leverage points where small actions can lead to the largest changes and progress. Where is it that a beginner or novice can invest some resources and make big leaps rather than burning out for small results. In fact, as I’m in the early stages of renovating my own house and farm, this is a source of constant reflection for me as well.This line of thinking has led me to focus so much on water, since basically all life is dependent on it, and if you can keep your landscape hydrated you can massively increase the living capital potential regardless of what you’re producing or what ecosystem you inhabit. 
Another leverage point that I’ve become increasingly focused on, thanks to the work of Julia Dakin and Joseph Lofthouse of the “Going to Seed” organization, is that of landrace gardening and plant breeding. I won’t give away too much because we’ll go deeper into it in the episode, but the broad concepts is, why go through all the effort of trying to adapt the conditions of your environment, your soil, water access, and other conditions, in order to grow plants that were either grown in greenhouses or completely distinct environments, when you could instead breed resilient and thriving cultivars that are adapted to your specific growing conditions. 
In order to shed light on this ancient concept today is Julia Dakin. 
Julia is a food and seed producer in Mendocino County, California. She has been involved in agriculture for most of her life, and has devoted the past few years to growing market crops and teaching the benefits of seed saving, local adaptation, and genetic diversity. For the last year she’s been collaborating with Joseph Lofthouse to create the course Landrace Gardening.
Over the last six months, she co-founded an organization called Going to Seed, whose mission statement is ‘inspiring a shift in agriculture towards adaptation, diversity and community. Going to Seed now offers free seed contributed from growers in the Landrace Gardening network, as well as free online courses. More recently Julia has been working on the new online course together with collaborators in Southern Mexico called Center of Origin: Sustainable Farming Methods of Southern Mexico.
In today’s interview, Julia and I go over her adapted definition of landrace gardening and the research epiphany during the pandemic that transformed her understanding of the conditions needed to grow the most nutrient dense food. 
From there we go into the practical steps on how to get started with your own landrace breeding trials and how to select for the traits you want to favor over time. 
We also cover the easiest vegetables to get started with, how this can work for people with tiny gardens, and some of Julia’s own learnings from her early trials in growing her own tailored plants on her farm. 
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Links:
https://goingtoseed.org/
https://goingtoseed.org/products/1406309
https://goingtoseed.org/products/center-of-origin-traditional-farming-methods-in-southern-mexico

Working with water on the frontline of European desertification

If you’ve been following the episodes so far this season, you know I’ve got a lot of projects and travels going on right now. Since the episode I recorded in Nicaragua, I’ve also been on a project on the island of Madeira and just two days ago I got back from a 9 day trip to Portugal. Though I haven’t been able to record everything like a diary the way I would have liked to, today I did get a chance to sit down with Nick Steiner who was with me every step of the way during the tour around three of our favorite farms around the Alentejo region.To keep things short, we start by talking about the activities we were involved with and the farm visits with the Climate Farmers team. Then we go into more detail about the enterprises as well as the management techniques and experiments that each of them are implementing and having stunning results with, and then, since it wouldn’t be an episode with me and Nick if we didn’t geek out about water management, we talk about the opportunities we observed from the different farms on how to hold and store water better, and what implications this could have for the fertility and production on each of their landscapes. 
I know that this will be only one of many visits we make to Portugal, especially given the requests and interest we’ve been getting from other farmers in the region to help with water scarcity issues. In future episodes, Nick and I will start to move from the larger overview talks like today, and go into more detail on the causes and effects of broken water cycles, the range of techniques available for specific contexts, and actual tutorials and classes where you can transform your land into a water retention landscape.
Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community
Links:
https://www.permanick.com/welcome
https://instagram.com/herdadesluis_porcusnatura?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=https://instagram.com/permanick_permaculture?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=https://instagram.com/montesilveirabio?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=https://instagram.com/sergio.grapegrower?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Post pandemic zero input gardening and a vision of a biointegrated human future, with Shane Simonsen

I’ve got a treat for you all today. After almost 3 years, I’ve got Shane Simonsen back on the show. For those of you who are not familiar with Shane, I’ll give a quick intro and then point you to the links to the two previous shows I recorded with him because they’re really worth while. 
Shane is a biologist who has a fascinating project on 40 acres in Queensland, AU centered around the concept of zero input farming, which also happens to be the name of the popular blog he’s written about it, which is one of the most original approaches to large scale food production that I’ve come across in a long time and asks the simple question of “how might we still be able to produce enough food for ourselves and our communities if we no longer had access to all of the inputs and fossil fuels of our modern times.”
Despite sounding like a post apocalyptic exercise in primitive living, Shane’s writing is surprisingly optimistic and pragmatic. In a small excerpt from his very first post from September 2019 he writes: In the resource constrained future ahead of us these input dependent approaches to growing food will become impractical or impossible. Instead new systems that rely on locally adapted crops and livestock, integrated into systems that are truly compatible with the local geology and climate will be required. I have taken on the challenge of developing these systems in our particular region in the remaining two decades of vigor I have left in me. This blog is an account of this journey. Hopefully I can inspire some of you to follow in my direction and develop your own locally adapted systems.
, but that’s just an excerpt from the original interview I did with Shane from before the Pandemic. Today I’m speaking with him about how his zero input strategy helped during the Australian response to the pandemic. We go over what he learned and observed from the resilience and weak points of his farm, as well as how it has caused adaptations for the next steps ahead. 
On top of all the farm and ecology talk, we dig into the new series of a unique brand of science fiction novels that he’s just about to publish. Though it’s much better to hear him explain it, I can say that I’ve never yet found literature on a possible future for a reintegrated future human society whose world is built around biological technology in contrast to the industrial and mechanical technology that dominates our modern world as well as every other sci fi premise I’ve so far come in contact with. That alone has my imagination and curiosity piqued and I hope it's something we can explore a lot more in future sessions.
Join the discord discussion channel to answer the weekly questions and learn new skills with the whole community
Links:
https://haldanebdoyle.com/
https://zeroinputagriculture.substack.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4r7XRgHoe4Ac0v2YVeQkg