The Probiotic Life: Recent Episodes

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This episode is with returning guest Chris Trump. He’s a student of Nature, and regarded as one of the leading experts in Korean Natural Farming and it’s adaptations around the world.

In this interview Chris shares a bit of his story of how he got involved in natural farming and why he started teaching it. I ask him about the qualities he sees in successful natural farmers, and we dive into philosophy.

We also get into a more detailed discussion about Indigenous Microorganisms aka IMO. I refer to his videos, which you can find on Youtube here: IMO1 IMO2

I highly recommend you look at his videos if you are even remotely interested in probiotic growing, it really helped me to look outside the box, and connect in with Nature.

You can find Chris on Youtube: Chris Trump’s Channel

We also talk about the difference between Effective Microorganisms aka EM and IMO and a bit about what you see under the microscope. Chris turns it around and asks me about my journey of natural farming.

You can find info on Chris and what he’s up to at naturalfarming.co and also on Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

May the beneficial microbes be with you.

Cheers!

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In this episode I’m flying solo… talking about my thoughts on living a probiotic life. It’s a question I ask myself regularly, and I challenge you to have a question that you ask yourself. It’s a form of meditation; asking yourself a question over a period of time.

Join me as I share a little more of my journey from the last year or so, and where asking this question has taken me. I delve into science, its applications and its limitations, and compare it to traditional eastern thinking, specifically Traditional Chinese Medicine. I go into the wisdom of nature, an ancient knowledge that expresses itself in the patterns all around us. Observing these patterns and rhythms with a curious mind and heart can lead to the understanding that we are all connected.

I then share some of the books that have influenced me in the last year or so.

These include:

Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall-Kimmerer

Walden

Henry David Thoreau

One Straw Revolution

Masanobu Fukuoka

The Girl Who Sang To The Buffalo

Kent Nerburn

Little House On The Prairie series

Laura Ingles Wilder

One I forgot to mention is:

The Secret Teachings of Plants

Stephen Harrod Buhner

Here are a few other links I mention throughout the episode too. Well worth the look.

The microscope course I took was with Earthwhile Australia

www.earthwhileaustralia.com

Yellowstone Wolves

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/a12c500d-eb1f-4304-88a6-73d414f3918a

Walden:

https://vimeo.com/231114403

In summary, I believe we are supposed to be connected through our senses; to plants, to animals, to microbes, to each other.

To have the humility to admit we only know a fragment of what life is, and the willingness to trust Nature, and to trust what I call God; the Creator.

I hope this, like other episodes, inspires you to dig deeper, to ask your own exploratory question.

Thanks for being on the journey, and I’d love to hear from you!

May the beneficial microbes be with you.

Until next time,

Cheers

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In this episode we have a chat to Holly Howe of makesauerkraut.com

She shares her story of how she fell in love with this fantastic fermented food, and how she came to write the book Fermentation Made Easy! Mouthwatering Sauerkraut.

We talk about various aspects of sauerkraut, from probiotic benefits of this amazing food, to delicious flavours that make your ferment stand out. Holly takes us though the basics of her step by step guide, and gives us some helpful tips. I’m sure you’ll be inspired to go and ferment after you listen to this episode!

Be sure to check out her website and find her book HERE.

Holly is also on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

But wait, that’s not all!

I’m excited to share with you a groovy song and make this episode a celebration of fermentation… Thanks to Charlie Mgee of Formidable Vegetable for sharing this song about KIMCHI!

I’ve been jamming to this band for the last couple of years, and my kids love the music. They ask me to play some songs over and over, including this cheeky one about a dunny.

Charlie’s songs have been therapy for my soul; they are fun and meaningful. Check out his TED Talk about music with purpose, and how it is an important medium to transfer knowledge and cultural wisdom.

You can find all of Charlie’s music HERE. Support him, download the songs, and spread the love!

Formidable Vegetable on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

YouTube

I hope you’re inspired by this episode, and I’d love to hear from you about what you’re fermenting or how you are living a probiotic life. If you like this content, give us a rating and review!

May the beneficial microbes be with you.

Until next time,

Cheers!

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Join us in this episode we hear from Gil Carandang who is considered to be a father of modern day natural farming in the Philippines and around the globe. His knowledge and wit shine as he shares insights into what it means to farm closer to nature, and listen to Her wisdom.

He is an organic farmer, Fulbright Scholar and educator. Gil’s work developing and teaching about beneficial indigenous microorganisms has been revolutionary for natural farmers worldwide; he is known for his engaging teaching style and empowers farmers to think outside the box.

He currently runs Herbana Farms and is an Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) inspector.

Gil has done extensive studies including:

-Bio-intensive Mini-Farming under John Jeavons in California.

-Natural Farming Systems for Crops and Livestocks under Dr. Han Kyu Cho.

-Apprenticed with Natural Farmers of Japan.

-A graduate of Ecological Horticulture at University of California, Santa Cruz.

-Biodynamics preparations at the Biodynamics Association of Northern California.

-Permaculture Design Course at the Center for Natural Design, Los Osos, California.

His book we talk about:

Grow Your Own Beneficial Indigenous Microorganisms and Bionutrients In Natural Organic Farming

Gil A. Carandang

Here’s a PDF of his book that he doesn’t mind sharing.

Some archived info from his old website.

Connect with Gil on Facebook

And his new project Napayong Island Ecovillage which is under threat from the Taal Volcano.

Thanks for listening, and may the beneficial microbes be with you!

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In this episode we talk to a fascinating guest from Germany, Dr. Anne Katharina Zschocke.

She is a doctor of medicine who studied in Freiburg and London. She worked for the German Red Cross and in immunology and oncology as well as working in various horticultural projects in Upper Bavaria, Franconia and the Rhineland. She did further studies in naturopathy, and has a unique, holistic view of life. In this episode she shares how she made the transition from MD to horticulture with a focus on microbiology, and EM aka Effective Microorganisms.

Anne Katharina has written 5 books: 3 on various aspects of EM, one on intestinal bacteria as the key to health, and one on natural healing with bacteria with her novel approach to microbiome therapy. She lectures internationally on topics for paradigm shifts including: microbiology, nutrition, water, trees and spiritual cultural history.

She has described her transition to practical horticulture as "unusual but recommendable". Her heart motive is the harmonisation of humans and nature for deep healing.

In this thoughtful episode I was challenged to think about how we anthropomorphise the world around us; how we see things such as bacteria as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and place a moral judgement on them, when really that is only a human view.

We also discuss EM aka Effective Microorganisms, which I really want to explore more. You can hear more about EM in episode 41 with Cuauhtemoc Villa.

I hope this episode challenges you to think about the way you see the world, and encourages you to live a bacteria friendly life; they are our partners, not enemies.

Find out more about Anne Katharina at:

www.bacteriotherapy.eu

And more info at:

www.dr-zschocke.de

A talk from Dr. Zschocke on YouTube in German (you can turn on auto generated subtitles by turning on CC then go to Settings>Subtitles>Auto-Translate)

If you can read German, you can get her books here. Some of them are also translated into Italian, Spanish, French, and Polish.

Thanks for listening to The Probiotic Life! Who’s one person that you would want to share this episode with?

May the beneficial microbes be with you.

Ben Klenner

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This episode is close to my heart, it really exemplifies the journey I’ve been on in the last year.

Join us today as I talk to Larry Korn who was one of Masanobu Fukuoka’s students 40 years ago, and is now an author, teacher, and natural farmer. Larry shares his story of how he came to be a student of Fukuoka, and his adventure since.

We talk about philosophy and the wisdom of nature as well as compare Fukuoka’s Natural Farming to methods of organic agriculture such as Korean Natural Farming and Permaculture.

We also discuss how Natural Farming is in line with the philosophies of indigenous peoples and how some of the main elements are humility and gratefulness. This resonates with me deeply, and I hope it stirs something in you.

Thanks again to everyone who is supporting the podcast in some way. If the message in this podcast has benefited you in any way, share your experience with us and your friends!

May the beneficial microbes be with you…

Larry Korn’s book: One-Straw Revolutionary: The Philosophy and Work of Masanobu Fukuoka

Larry’s website about Masanobu Fukuoka, Natural Farming, and more: www.onestrawrevolution.net

If you want to connect with Larry direct, he has given his email: ldkorn@gmail.com

Masanobu Fukuoka’s books:

Shizen Nōhō — Wara Ippon no Kakumei - Japanese edition of The One-Straw Revolution

The One-Straw Revolution — An Introduction to Natural Farming - Translated English edition

Sowing Seeds in the Desert: Natural Farming, Global Restoration, and Ultimate Food Security

The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy (free pdf)

The Road Back to Nature: Regaining the Paradise Lost (pdf)

See Also:

Fukuoka Masanobu Shizen Nōen (Masanobu Fukuoka’s Natural Farm) Official website.

Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness, documentary by Patrick Lydon and Suhee Kang.

SHOW NOTES:

Traveled to Japan

met a nice lady

traveled to different back to the land communes

the bozoku - the future primitives

when back in America, Larry did soil science and plant nutrition at Berkley
ended up going back to Japan with no plan and living on Masanobu Fukuoka’s farm for two years

What does do nothing farming mean

Fukuoka’s background

trying to improve on nature

natural farming is about getting back to our natural mind, our natural way of living

help nature get whole again so it could fulfil its destiny of providing conditions to foster life

building natural diversity

getting crop yields equal to or better than conventional farming

growing trees from seed - maintaining genetic diversity

people can never understand nature - there’s no need to understand

just enjoy being with the plants in nature

natures design - getting human intellect out of designing a farm

Fukuoka’s philosophy is almost identical to what indigenous cultures were doing

talking with the plants and animals, and trying things out

they had humility and gratitude - this is what we’re missing

arrogance is not the way of natural farming

try things out then listen - nature points out the direction to go

came back to the U.S. with the One Straw Revolution manuscript

landscaping in San Francisco

moved to Ashland, Oregon

wrote the book The One Straw Revolutionary - stories and teachings from his time on Fukuoka’s farm

Larry has edited two of Fukuoka’s four english books - One Straw Revolution and Sowing Seeds In The Desert

Fukuoka’s other english books are The Natural Way Of Farming and The Road Back To Nature

natural farming is suited for orchards, and not so much market gardens

natural farming and KNF are different

Larry’s wisdom is to relax, and accept things that come to you rather than grasping

go easier on yourself and do something that makes you happy

Permaculture vs Natural Farming - one is design based, and the other is intuitive

observing in permaculture is the first step to separation - the observer and the observed

indigenous peoples could talk to the plants and were one with them

become the soil

onestrawrevolution.net

ldkorn@gmail.com

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In this episode we talk to Dr. Jason Hawrelak. He is a leading clinician, researcher, naturopath and lecturer in the area of probiotics. Jason completed his PHD on dysbiosis in irritable bowels and how to change the microbiome using herbs, prebiotics and probiotics. He is well regarded in the probiotics community worldwide, and has authored many papers on the microbiome, the GI tract and pre and pro-biotics.

He’s the lead researcher for probioticadvisor.com and a professor here in Australia and in the US.

Find out all about Jason at probioticadvisor.com

On this episode we’re also featuring a fabulous song called Church of Fermentation by Samara Jade. You can check her out at:

https://samarajade.bandcamp.com/track/church-of-fermentation

May the beneficial microbes be with you!

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This is a bit of a different episode. In the first half Ben responds to some emails for the benefit of everyone. If you like it, let us know, and he’ll use this format for episodes between interviews.

The second half of the episode Ben gets real, and goes into some of the challenges he’s faced, and some of the things that are inspiring him. He asks for your input on what inspires you on the journey of living a probiotic life.

Thanks to Daniel Klenner for the music in this episode. Check out his work at danielklenner.com

May the beneficial microbes be with you!

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Today on the podcast we are talking with fermentation fanatic and entrepreneur Mara King. She shares her passion of probiotics through workshops, talks and fermented food products and has inspired people worldwide through her TED talk - “What can we learn from fermentation?”

Mara worked for many years as a chef, including a period as a sushi chef, but through a journey of process and fermentation, co-founded a fermented food company called Ozuké based in Boulder, Colorado.

Join us as Mara shares some of her story, including memories of growing up in Hong Kong, first experiences with fermentation, and starting the business Ozuké. We talk about the workshops she attended with Sandor Katz and how that eventually led to her travelling with Sandor through China to explore traditional Chinese fermentation techniques. You can watch their travels through China in an eight part series called: Peoples Republic Of Fermentation

Mara refers to a book near the end of the episode - she says “The Botany of Desire” but what she is actually referring to is “The Drunken Botanist” by Amy Stewart.

Support the podcast by getting the book here: Hardcover or Audiobook

If you want to find out what Mara is up to, you can check out her Instagram @zukemono

Also check out Ozuké at ozuke.com and on Facebook and Instagram @we.are.ozuke

Mara will be doing a workshop with Sandor in Denver at:

Slow Food Nations, July 20, 12.30-2pm

slowfoodnations.org

She’ll be giving an Asian fermentation presentation at:

Congreso de Fermentacion, Oaxaca, October 17-20

Facebook and Instagram @fermentoaxaca

If you’ve been inspired by our talk today, why don’t you reach out to Mara and tell her so:

mara@ozuke.com

As Mara says: it’s all about process…

Be involved with living a probiotic life and may the beneficial microbes be with you!

Show Notes to come.

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Our guest today is a Professor of Immunotoxicology at Cornell University.

He has become an internationally renowned author, educator and scientist known for his work on the microbiome and the immune system.

Not only has he been on faculty at Cornell since 1977 and published many peer-reviewed papers, but he’s traveled the world giving lectures and keynotes in a variety of forums.

He may be most well known for his book "The Human Super Organism: How the Microbiome is Revolutionising the Pursuit of a Healthy Life”

Join us as Rodney shares his story of how he came to be a professor at Cornell and what inspired him to do so.

In this episode we delve into Rodney’s ‘Completed Self Hypothesis’ which he outlines in the book ‘The Human Super Organism’ and talk about how what we are learning about the microbiome changes the way we look at medicine. He relates the human microbiome to a coral reef ecosystem, anyhow it relates to antibiotics, probiotics, gene transfer, biofilms, inflammation and cancer. We also chat about getting out in nature and playing in the soil and risks versus benefits.

There’s lots of great info in this episode, and Rodney makes it quite relatable for the non-academic. We hope you enjoy it and find it valuable on this exploration of the probiotic life. Thanks for taking time to be part of the journey!

Dr. Rodney Dietert’s latest book:

"The Human Super Organism: How the Microbiome is Revolutionising the Pursuit of a Healthy Life”

Purchase the book, ebook or audiobook through this link to support the podcast.

Connect with Dr. Rodney Dietert:

Email: rrd1@cornell.edu

Twitter: @RodDietert

If you are keen about soil health, go on over to microbiometer.com and pick your self up a microbiometer… You’ll be able to get a better picture of how much life is in your soil, and you’ll be supporting the podcast by purchasing from our affiliate.

Enter the promo code ‘probioticlife’ to get $10 off your purchase.

May the beneficial microbes be with you!

Show Notes to come.

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Join us in this episode as we talk with James Rickbeil and dive deep into the soil food web. James is a soil food web enthusiast, compost artist, and a student of Dr. Elaine Ingham getting certified as Soil Food Web consultant. He is also a cannabis grower who is passionate about regenerative living soil systems. On Instagram he’s known as @microbeherder and he’s been posting some great clips of what he sees down the lens of his microscope.

In this conversation James really highlights some of the main connections between soil health and human health and talk about how our microbiome affects everything in our body.

We also talk about the recent event he participated in called “The Science of Regenerative Cannabis Cultivation Conference”

There is lots of golden nugs in this episode, so belt up and get ready for a ride!

Be sure to check out James on Instagram @microbeherder

If you are keen about soil health, go on over to microbiometer.com and pick your self up a microbiometer… You’ll be able to get a better picture of how much life is in your soil, and you’ll be supporting the podcast by purchasing from our affiliate.

Enter the promo code ‘probioticlife’ to get $10 off your purchase.

May the beneficial microbes be with you!

Show Notes to come.

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Join us in this fascinating interview with bokashi expert Cuauhtemoc Villa.

He is a friend of the microbes, student of their ancient wisdom, and teacher of their ways. He has years of experience working with Effective Microorganisms, and creating custom blends of bokashi specific to the needs of the plants he works with. He does work in bio-remediation of land and waterways, and teaches school kids these practices. In conjunction to this, he also teaches Indigenous Agricultural Practices.

Cuauhtemoc shares a bit about he got involved with the microbes and shares with us some basics of how to brew EM and make bokashi.

His passion for the microbes is amazing, and he’s changing people’s lives as he shares their wisdom; he gives a lot of hope to the kids that have forgotten who they are, the ones that other give up on.

I hope you get inoculated with inspiration from this interview!

Learning how to grow plants and microbes is therapy for your soul!

Some things Cuauhtemoc is involved in:

ThePermacultureStudent.com

Sonomabiocharinitiative.org

SoundNativePlants.com

Reach out to him here:

Instagram: bokashi4u

Facebook: Cuauhtemoc Villa

Some recommendations from Cuauhtemoc:

Video: Microbe Power

Biocarbonassociates.com

ScdProbiotics.com

Terganix.com

SonomaEcologyCenter.com

Books he recommends:

Earth Saving Revolution

Dr. Teruo Higa

Growing A Revolution

David R. Montgomery

If you are keen to build soil health, and in turn, your own health, get yourself a Microbiometer!

It’s a way of testing and monitoring the microbial biomass in the soil, to see how much life you’ve got down there. Check out our affiliate microbiometer.com to purchase one, and in turn, support the podcast.

When you go to the checkout, enter the promo code ‘probioticlife’ for $10 dollars off your purchase.

Feel free to shoot us an email with any questions, comments, or guest suggestions. Also, we’re looking for inspiring original music to share on the podcast, so send us an email if you’ve want to share your creative energies. Thank you for being on this journey as we discover what it looks like to live a probiotic life!

May the beneficial microbes be with you…

Show Notes to come.

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In this episode, we bring you an interview with Dominic Anfiteatro from Adelaide, South Australia. Dominic was featured in Sandor Katz’ book ‘The Art of Fermentation’ and is a kefir alchemist of sorts. Join us as he shares his story of how he came across kefir. I enjoyed the way Dom tells stories… He also tells the story of where kefir grains come from, and why you should eat your kefir grains!

Among the topics we discuss are: silken kefir, the systemic anti-inflammatory nature of kefir grains, adding kefir grains to other foods, continuous secondary fermentation, and water kefir. You can tell Dom is passionate about what he does, I really enjoyed chatting with him.

Thanks for hanging out with us here on The Probiotic Life! We love hearing from you, we love hearing how you are living a probiotic life, and love hearing feedback about the podcast! You can support us by giving us a rating and review,

You can find all of Dom’s fantastic info on his website: http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/

Check out a video of Dom’s giant kefir grains

Here’s another video of his water kefir grains

Check out our affiliate at Microbiometer.com

Enter the promo code: probioticlife to get $10 off your purchase

Show Notes to come.

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Today we talk to Kristin Ohlson who is an award-winning freelance journalist, and the author of “The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers and Foodies are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet” Though she writes on a variety of topics, I was interested to talk to Kristin specifically because of this book.

Join us as Kristin shares bit about her writing career and how she came to write “The soil will save us” She shares a story of a farmer named Gabe Brown and the inspiration she drew from him, which leads us to talk about climate change, our microbiome, and the similarities between our microbiome and the soil microbiome.

You can find out all about Kristin on her website kristinohlson.com

Thanks for listening, and sharing of your time with us. We always love to hear what you’re doing to live a probiotic life!

Check out our affiliate Microbiometer.com and when you enter the promo code ‘probiotic life’ you’ll get $10 off your purchase, which is essentially your first sample for free.

Thanks to Phil and his band Confiture for delivering some soulful vibes in this episode. You can check them out at confitureband.com

May the beneficial microbes be with you!

Show Notes to come.

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In this episode, it is a pleasure to bring you an interview with Geoff Lawton & Sam Parker-Davies of Zaytuna Farm in New South Wales, Australia.

Geoff is a world renowned permaculture designer, advisor, and teacher. He’s worked in over 30 countries around the world, and has taught over 15,000 students.

Sam is a student of Geoff’s, learning to follow in his footsteps, and is just a few years in to his permaculture journey. He contributes a fresh look at Geoff’s significant work through the eyes of a new, but deeply engaged learner.

I had the privilege of talking to them both about their experiences, and what permaculture means to them.

Of particular note is our discussion of the property they live on. Zaytuna Farm is a self sufficient site for permaculture demonstration, and is also the base for the Permaculture Research Institute.

A recurring theme that comes up in this conversation is creating abundance, and how a rich and fulfilling life comes from creating abundance around us.

Join us as we dive in to the world of permaculture!

Here are the links we mention:

Zaytuna Farm

Permaculture Research Institute

Permaculture Global

Permaculture Circle radio

Geoff Lawton Online

SPECIAL MICROBIOMETER PROMO OFFER

If you’re keen to do a bit of citizen science and test the microbial biomass in your soil, check out Microbiometer.com

Enter the promo code ‘probioticlife’ when you order, and get $10 off your purchase. This helps support the podcast.

Show Notes to come.

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In this episode we talk to Jeff Lowenfels about his trilogy of books: Teaming With Microbes, Teaming With Nutrients, And Teaming With Fungi. He frequently travels and lectures on these subjects which has led to his nickname “Lord of The Roots.”

Jeff also writes the longest running garden column in North America; The Alaska Dispatch Garden Column, having never missed a week in 41 years.

Join us for this lively conversation as Jeff shares how he came to write Teaming With Microbes, and how he changed direction after giving 25 years of wrong advice in his garden column. We touch on his book Teaming With Nutrients and delve into Jeff’s third book in the series; Teaming With Fungi.

We talk about how everything is connected, especially in the soil, and how important soil life is for our own existence.

You can find out more about Jeff on his website www.jefflowenfels.com

Check out his Twitter: https://twitter.com/gardenerjeff

Thank you for tuning in to this conversation! Let us know what you’d like to hear on the Probiotic Life.

You can support us by giving us a rating and review, and at patreon.com/probioticlife

Show Notes to come.

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In this episode, we talk with Eva Bakkeslett.

Eva is a creative at heart and has a Masters in Art & Ecology and she defines herself as an artist, filmmaker, curator and gentle activist. Her works often combine film, workshops and public participation to challenge, inspire and engage people. She is particularly inspired by the process of fermentation and explores how this can be a method for re-imagining sustainable human cultures.

Eva shows, lectures, curates and performs her work worldwide and she resides on the beautiful island of Engeløya in northern Norway. Join us as Eva shares some of the projects she’s done -including working with Sandor Katz; we talk about using fermentation as a metaphor, and get into some great discussion about having connection to the natural world.

I really appreciated talking to someone with a different world view, and expanding my consciousness. I hope you benefit too! Thanks for listening.

If you want to support the show, you can give us a rating and review and you can contribute at patreon.com/probioticlife

Check Eva’s website out to learn more about her and what she’s up to:

www.evabakkeslett.com

You can connect personally with Eva:

bakkesle@online.no

Be sure to check out Eva’s TED talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvQsCrHrsOk

And here is a fascinating book Eva contributed to:

https://www.oberonbooks.com/playing-for-time.html

SHOW NOTES

Eva Bakkeslett

• grew up steeped in wilderness and nature, picking wild food and baking bread

• always asked deep questions about how things are connected

• studied for a Masters in Art and Ecology

• while studying, made a poetic film about the process of making bread

• while fermenting, the bread dough was “chatting” to Eva: Eva decided to learn to understand that language

• became fascinated by the process of fermentation, and how it could relate to creating sustainable human cultures

Listening to Fermentation

• was inspired by people working with fermentation such as Frank Cook and Sandor Katz, did their course

• started incorporating that inquiry into every aspect of her artistic practice

• most nations have their own fermentation cultures passed down through the generations, Eva began to learn about these and how they parallel the other, larger kind of “culture”

• discussion of people who have shaped Eva’s mindset

How Eva Communicates Her Ideas

• “social fermentation”, involves humans and microbes

• workshops, more-in depth courses, films, art exhibitions

• bringing people into the fermentation processes

• reconnecting with natural processes, instead of seeing ourselves as separate

• encouraging people to ask deeper questions

Fermentation on a Cultural Level

• discussion of different ferments Eva is working with

• stories of people emigrating with cultures from their native homes, across to other countries

• engaging people on a visceral level

• we are great at using our eyes, but neglect the other senses

• Eva aims to facilitate the start of a transformation in people, an epiphany moment

• embracing a more connected way of thinking with then brings change

• story of immigrant couple from Congo experiencing Scandinavian ferment, memories of their native fermentation processes = cultural connections

Tying Into Humanity’s Bigger Picture

• we are all inevitably part of the earth’s fermentation process; when we die, we return to the earth

• we can choose be part of those natural processes now while we live

• these moments of experiencing nature’s transformations are magic

How Eva Finds Her Next Project

• becoming part of good things that are already happening

• initiating events

• discussion of connecting with immigrants, their stories and their own cultural practices = cultural fermentation on a meta level

Looking To The Future

• touring show about bird situation worldwide

• not looking for answers, but looking for questions

• we are more bacterial than human: a metaphorical perspective as well as a biological one

• everything is connected, and we can experience being part of it

Closing Thoughts

• go and explore for yourself

• Eva will be in Copenhagen at Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology on October 18th 2018

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This episode, we talk with Dr. Alan Darlington about his work with air bio-filtration.

Dr. Darlington was awarded his PhD investigating the interaction between plants and their physical environment from the University of Guelph, in Canada.

He spent 6 years as a member of a research team developing biological life support systems for long term space habitation, and is the “inventor” of a number of patents integral to the application of plant based biofilters that arose from research.

In 2005, he was named by Outdoor Magazine as one of the 25 top “true believers” in the environmental movement, for his work with plant biofilters, and he’s received a number of awards for academic and entrepreneurial accomplishments.

Come nerd out with me as Dr. Darlington graces us with his depth of knowledge and understanding, in all things bioremedial!

You can find out what Alan is up to, and reach out to him at www.alandarlington.ca

If you want a little inspiration on how you can start to live a probiotic life, check out our Instagram @theprobioticlife

Thanks to all who are supporting this journey. You can support… patreon.com/probioticlife

I hope this interview has got you thinking about new ways you can create life around you. Thanks for listening!

SHOW NOTES

Dr. Alan Darlington

• spent a lot of time as a youth walking through the bush, wanted to turn it into a career

• got degree in horticulture, every plant has value

• the importance of how things all fit together, how plants are affected by their environment

• PhD in how atmospheric conditions influences plant physiology and growth

• worked on waste disposal in closed environments, e.g. space stations

• realised this same technology could be used worldwide

New Technologies for Clean Air

• living walls

• people spend very little time outside

• indoor air quality is hard to maintain, indoor items give off gases

• can we generate fresh air indoors?

• “virtual outdoor air” with living wall technology

• biofiltration: used industrially; microbes take the waste in the air and eat it

• phytoremediation: more for brown fields (contaminated soils); introduce green plants that hasten the growth of beneficial microbes

• hydroponics: wall of coarse growth media, with water circulating through it; plants feed microbes, microbes clean the air

Aha! Moments

• discussion of spider plants & formaldehyde research experiment

• Dr. Alan was inspired by this example

Biofiltration

• VOCs (“the stinks and the smells”) being released all the time from products and people

• these are lesser than they were 20 years ago

• discussion of VOC studies

• currently, people are forced to choose between running a building efficiently or having good air quality

• biofiltration can render that choice unnecessary

• this is what his company, Air Quality Solutions seeks to do

• their biofilters cultivate both bacteria and fungi

• making them easy for anybody to use

• giving naturally-occurring microbes a great environment to do what they do best

Microbes in Space

• transporting Earth microbes to space

• discussion of biofiltration in space

Nature Offers Solutions

• further discussion of integrated air filtration systems and potential issues

• spores, mould, humidity, energy levels, diverting water

• Dr. Alan began work with NEDLAW mid 200s, a building company, to implement air quality solutions

• we are living among a plethora of other organisms, and we just need to learn how to get along

• for many issues, the solution is there in nature for us to find

• discussion of recent research on species of fungi, spores, other organisms in air

• air is not a sterile environment, so introducing new microbes is not a problem, it’s just a matter of keeping all populations under control

Solutions For Moving Forward

• having plants in your home does very little for air quality, although it may help you mentally!

• healthy, uncontaminated soil is much more important

• figuring out the right box to put nature’s solutions in to solve issues

• improving efficiency of systems, not using unnecessary energy

• people have a lot of fear about microbes

• teaching people that we can harness many microbes to our benefit, and conversely there are very few that can harm us

View Details

In this episode, we talk to Angelina Hjelm of AngelinaNaturalis.com

Her passion is to gather nature’s intrinsic knowledge and share it with others.

She’s studied alpine botany at Umeå university. Did a Bachelors in organic gardening and design systems at Gothenburg University.

And also a Permaculture Design Course with Richard Perkins, at Ridgedale Permaculture Farm.

Angelina’s love for nature and her inquisitive disposition has given her extensive knowledge of plants, both wild and cultivated, their use in gardens and their medicinal and culinary properties.

Join us as Angelina shares some of her journey. We get into a great discussion about connecting to nature, wild foraging, herbs, and she shares with us some ‘how to’ on her favourite ferments.

Check out what Angelina is up to:

AngelinaNaturalis.com

Instagram

Facebook

Thanks for investing your time in this podcast. You are welcome to financially support us at patreon.com/probioticlife

To all who have been reaching out and connecting, thanks being part of this journey!

Show Notes

• studied and worked with plants for last 13 years

• alpine botany and organic gardening at university

• strong sense of belonging in the natural world, and therefore curiosity, has been the inspiration for her work all her life

• “everyday magic”, being part of this little bubble (Earth) among the stars

• discussion of oldest place in Sweden

• Angelina had a farm near the Arctic circle

• now lives in the southern part of Sweden, and works there to guide people into the natural world

• certified in permaculture

• since 2016 has run “Angelina Naturalis”: specialises in edible and medicinal wild plants, herbal therapy, plant-based wild and green foods

• incorporating plants into everyday life is gentler on the body, creates longterm solutions

• Angelina helps people find ways to use these plants regularly

• discussion of Angelina’s early experiences in nature

• wanted to learn more details about how plant kingdom was defined

• she learned how to read the landscape based on what plants were growing and how they tasted

• colours and flavours, and therefore nutrients, are intensified in certain landscapes, where food is less available

• we have focused on sweeter plants in our cultivated crops, and neglected more bitter-tasting medicinal ones

• bitter substances serve specific functions in our body, to stimulate enzymes, gallbladder & pancreatic juices, digesting and absorbing foods

• Angelina advocates a balance of annuals, biannuals, and perennials in the diet

• because of her connection to nature, Angelina grew up with a sense of trust, and a very positive outlook on the world, in contrast to many others she encountered

• she saw the world as dynamic, resilient, and capable, a world of possibilities

• “we are in space, no one knows why, I love you”

• understanding the natural world gives a sense of responsibility and care, that we have natural capital and resources available to use to benefit each other and the world

Trust

• the world has billions of years experience, and so many functional systems to learn from

• a striving to understand, but also an openness that there is so much more to know

Looking Forward

• base knowledge of the world in and around us, tending to our health while not overloading the systems around us that we are totally dependent on

• instead of conquering and controlling, we have the possibility to collaborate

• oldest book in Chinese medicine, which is about the relationship between human being and nature, constantly adapting for optimum function

Herbalism

• fermented “Jun” culture

• using Jun to make different herbal brews and medicinal teas

• fermenting flowers and leaves into different teas

• discussion of fermentation process

• discussion of plants and flavours to use

Current Interests

• studying phytochemistry, otherwise known as herbal therapy

• herbal tours from south to the north of Scandinavia

• people have a hunger and openness to gain useful knowledge of plants, especially children

Final Thoughts

• Angelina wants to encourage even the smallest expression of cultivating a healthier approach to life

• support people who are already doing so

• engage with your curiosity

• willingness to be amazed

Angelina’s Inspirations

• intensive permaculture design course with Richard Perkins

• Stephen Barstow, “The Extreme Salad Man”

View Details

This episode is another insightful interview with Chris Ferreira.

He recently released a book called ‘A Place In The Country’ and we discuss the story of how Chris came to write this book, and delve into the subjects covered.

Chris is a friend and a mentor, and I’m happy to support him by giving him a platform to discuss the book. The idea behind the book is an “ ‘eyes wide open’ approach to creating your own beautiful, productive and sustainable rural landscape.”

While not directly related to microbes, I think it fits in well to living a probiotic life by keeping with the theme of creating life around us.

We talk about choosing a rural property, deciding on livestock, priming the soil, pasture and crops, revegetation, water in the landscape, and more.

I really had fun talking to Chris about his book, and I hope you enjoy our chat too.

If you listen to this the week it’s released, you can enter to win a copy of this book!

Also, if you enjoy this podcast, consider giving us a rating and review on your preferred podcast app. And if you want to really support the podcast, consider supporting us on Patreon.

Check out The Probiotic Life on Instagram to enter the giveaway.

The official rules are here.

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Show Notes to come.

View Details

In this episode we talk to Julie Wolf who is the communications specialist at the American Society for Microbiology. She has her PHD in medical mycology, and teaches at a community bio-lab in New York.

As part of her work with ASM she hosts the podcast ‘Meet the Microbiologist’, and I thought it would be fun to talk to someone who talks to microbiologists for a living.

Join us for this intelligent and thoughtful interview as we hear how Julie got into studying medical mycology and her work with the American Society for Microbiology. We also talk about science communication, genetic modifications, citizen science and molecular biology.

Follow Julie on Twitter:

@JULIEMARIEWOLF

And Listen to her podcast:

Meet the Microbiologist

And check these too!

ASM Blogs

GENSPACE

Biotech Without Borders

Thanks for the feedback and the reviews, and all who are supporting the podcast. Feedback helps us to serve you better!

You can now support us on Patreon

And may the beneficial microbes be with you ;-)

Show Notes

Julie Wolf

• focus on medical mycology

• story of how she came to choose studying single-celled fungi instead of pathological bacteria

Medical Mycology

• very few fungi that can cause disease in humans

• our ability to be warm-blooded protects us from most fungi growth

• our natural microbiota contains common fungi like candida, which can only grow too numerous under specific stressors to our microbiome such as antibiotics

• those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to disease-causing fungi

• idea that there is a small microbiota population that form the foundation of the microbiome, most of these are bacteria, some are fungi

Julie’s Current Work

• Julie is a science communicator

• digests scientific technical reports into smaller summaries

• making the “take-home message” clear

• she hosts a podcast “Meet the Microbiologist”, and a youtube series “Microbial Minutes”

Shaping Her Mindset

• her interest in science came late in life

• tried a few things before taking a microbiology class, realised how cool and intelligent these simple organisms are

• became fascinated with bacteria

• tried her hand at research in a lab as an undergraduate

• learned the importance of a mentor, had a graduate student who was very important in fostering her curiosity

• inspired her to want to be a good mentor herself

Effective Communication

• in Julie’s observation, science folk can struggle with how much detail to include when presenting to others outside their field

• sometimes take-home message gets lost in jargon

• lead with the most interesting facts, and cut to the chase

Citizen Science

• “GenSpace”: a community biolab in New York, a place for people to visit and experience hands-on all kinds of science

• many people interested in bioremediation and mushrooms

• strong community now pursuing mycoremediation

• discussion of how to get into molecular biology for citizen science

• more examples of citizen science happening currently

• research is just starting to understand and explore the myriad possibilities with citizen science and biolabs

• Julie provides some examples of this

Genetic Modification

• FDA only counts adding genes as genetic modification, Julie thinks deleting genes should also be counted

• everything we eat has DNA in it, so don’t be afraid of eating something with a different genetic sequence, it’s all broken down through the process of digestion

• the politics of GMO is a separate issue than the science of it

• we now have the knowledge to understand what is being changed in the genetic information when we put microbiota through certain processes

• this is safer than just irradiating fungi and then taste it like we used to do!

• discussion of golden rice example

• discussion of dengue-resistant mosquito example

• openness to these genetic modifications can depend on what the stakes are for the people most likely to be affected

• the idea of “the natural order of things” and fear of messing with it, can fail to take into account how things were before our own time

• ex: common diseases people used to die from until we developed techniques to prevent it, used to be “the natural order of things”

Current Projects

• educating researchers on how best to communicate their results in a headline-driven, time-poor world

• the more interesting you make your headline, the more likely people will be to read what you have written

• Julie is most excited and happy to be involved in podcasting and interviewing

Final Thoughts

• A Probiotic Life, by Julie: taking care of her own health and the environment to the best of her abilities

• using as little waste as possible, balanced diet, getting sleep

• technology and science are advancing rapidly

• don’t let this pace can put people off: if you’re interested, just jump in

• podcast recommendation: Vincent Racaniello does several, all on science

View Details

Today’s interview is with with William Padilla-Brown. He’s a mycologist, artist, permaculturalist, and the founder of Mycosymbiotics. He has produced one of the first English books on cultivating Cordyceps militaris.

His website www.mycosymbiotics.blog has the quote ”Homeostasis will only be achieved via Symbiosis with local Systems" which is a good way to frame this interview.

Join us as William shares a bit about his journey, which leads us through a fascinating dialogue about mindsets, community, permaculture, mycology, creative expression, psychedelic experience, and culture.

William is also a hip-hop artist and on this episode we feature one of his latest releases. You can listen to it on Soundcloud here: soundcloud.com/itscosmic/rose-hips

Thanks again to everyone who is supporting us in some way or form. We’d love it if you would invest two minutes to give us a rating and review.

You may notice some of the same threads keep coming up in the interviews, and we’d like some feedback about these. What threads do you like? What threads don’t interest you? What do you want to hear more of?

There are a few good takeaways from this one, so listen up!

Check out what William is up to:

Instagram

@MycoSymbiote

@ItsCosmicMusic

Websites

Mycosymbiotics.blog

Mycoshop.net

Facebook

William Padilla-Brown

MycoSymbiotics

Youtube

Show Notes

William Padilla-Brown

• started a mushroom festival in 2015

• pre-existing interest in nutrition prior to getting into mushrooms

• benefits of cordyceps mushrooms

• wrote book “Cultivating Cordyceps”, one of the first guides about growing these written in English

Mindset Opens A Different Path

• moved around the world often while growing up

• dropped out of school at 16, started to take his education into his own hands

• became interested in holistic life choices, growing own food, permaculture

• decided to be the person in his community who undertook study of mushrooms

• had a desire to be an educator

• didn’t want to do traditional work for a living, saw opportunity to make a life another way

• taught a mushroom class, made more money in one hour than in lots more hours in any other job he’d had

• created a community around his chosen area of interest

• began to feel overloaded with too many projects, so narrowed focus to cordeceps

William’s Approach

• goes about his work with an “open source” mindset

• asks “how can I make this more accessible for people who need it?”

• loves to teach inner city residents

• his background in hip-hop and rap music has allowed him to introduce lots of people to permaculture ideas, who otherwise wouldn’t have encountered it

Creating Inspiration & Solutions

• draws inspiration from his 4 year old son

• firmly believes that there will be an end to suffering, and that we’re close to it

• what is needed is: more education, more communication, more acceptance

• many problems he sees are due to lack of these

• moving from a consumer mindset to a producer mindset

• able to be more creative when not worrying about surviving

• exposing people to experiences and creativity they might not have encountered before

• people want to be creators

• William is “a graduate of YouTube university”

Lessons from Fungi

• being humbled

• we are part of an interconnected whole, here to serve our function

• organisms, as they express their DNA, are telling their story

• we are more designed to utilise natural symbols as a language, than use auditory language

Psychedelic Experiences

• psychedelics can be a powerful tool just like any medicine, but it’s not for everyone

• his own experiences have brought understanding himself and the world around him

• for some people, this would be too unsettling

• communicating with ancient organisms as “elders”, looking to them for wisdom

• experiencing connection with yourself and the world around you at a deeper level

• Will didn’t feel like a man until he had these experiences, and after felt a greater level of social responsibility

Current Projects

• mushroom festival!

• a day in the life of William

• cordyceps production is booming

• discussion of uses for cordyceps

• William has written an ebook on growing cordeceps

Benefits of Cordyceps

• “DNA mushroom”

• protective of DNA

• almost all the ingredients for DNA and RNA synthesis, which our body normally spends a lot of energy on

• produces compound called cordycepin, which is so similar to ATP it can go into our mitochondria and provide energy on a cellular level

• really good for energy

• good for respiratory health

• effective antiretroviral

• powerful aphrodisiac for both women and men

• cordyceps militaris will grow on 32 species of insects; most other species will grow on only one species of insect

Adding Life Around You

• create homeostasis through symbiosis with local systems around you

• this includes food, people, other organisms

Looking To The Future

• technological systems that are beneficial for humans and the environment

• people becoming aware of and developing respect for nature, desiring to be closer

• seeing natural systems integrated into cities

• markets shifting away from junk, to accomodate growing desire for quality food and other items

• we’re moving towards something great

View Details

In this episode we have a doctor of environmental science known to some as Dr. Greywater. Ross Mars is an author, a teacher and has 20 years experience in the field of greywater and wastewater. He’s the Managing Director of Water Installations, a company based here in Perth, W.A.

He is also an accredited permaculture design teacher and teaches people how to teach permaculture.

Listen in as Ross shares a bit of his journey and we discuss: the development of permaculture, greywater systems, Australian native herbs and medicinal plants, and how we can use water more effectively in our environment.

This episode is a bit of an insight into how we use water here in Western Australia, but I think the principals can be utilised in any climate.

Check out Ross’ work at:

http://www.waterinstallations.com/

http://www.redplanetplants.com.au/

http://www.mundaringecostay.com/

https://www.cfpermaculture.com.au/

https://www.youtube.com/user/WaterInstallations

Show Notes

Formative Experiences & Background

• grew up with orchards & home-grown veggies

• learned a lot while weeding the garden

• first got into permaculture by tagging along with his wife to a course

• studied biology and teaching

• specialised in waste water for graduate research project

• worked on introducing accredited permaculture training to Western Australia

• discussion of permaculture courses

• Ross is “Dr Greywater”

• did lots of experiments & thesis on greywater

• discussion of greywater ecosystems

The Future of Permaculture

• Ross enjoys teaching others, especially those who go on to also teach people themselves

• seeing a huge move of people learning to live more sustainably

• vegetable seedlings are the most popular selling plant

• understanding that you do have options

• seeing change among mainstream farmers

Backing It Up With Science

• Ross is very keen to make sure what is being taught about permaculture is firmly based on science

• when wanting to use herbs medicinally, find out what you can about the herb being tested so as to use it safely

• much of current herb lore is anecdotal

• working to get studies undertaken to test these claims

• discussion of current testings

Water Filtration & Soil

• discussion about turning greywater into drinking water

• passing water through some kind of filter, for ex. soil

• if we get the soil right, we get the plants and the people healthy

• when we build soil, we can create biological filters for our water

• need to build water literacy among local populations

In 50 Years, Ross Would Like to See…

• desalination plants are not the way of the future

• stormwater harvesting is beginning to be practised in Western Australia

• government enforced grey water home systems

• needs to be more moves to reuse all water on gardens

What’s Happening Now?

• discussion of water filtration in Kalamunda (area in Western Australia)

• discussion of climate change in Australia, specifically the South West

• “transition movement”: arose out of permaculture course in England, also spreading in Australia now, utilising urban areas to grow food and live more sustainably

• turning chlorine pools into natural pools

• discussion of setting up proper safety measures so water is completely safe

Living a Probiotic Life

• planting a seed or cutting and watching it sprout

• safeguarding family, teaching kids to grow food

• great to see this happening in schools now

• become involved in teaching others what you know!

• books: Getting Started in Permaculture, The Basics of Permaculture Design, How To Permaculture Your Life

• 2 dvds: RAPS - Remote Area Power Supplies

View Details

In this episode we talk with Peter McCoy. He is most well known as one of the founders of Radical Mycology, a grassroots organisation and movement that teaches the many ways to work with fungi for personal, societal, and ecological resilience. He describes himself as an interdisciplinary, systems-oriented mycology educator.

Join us as we talk about traditional uses of fungi, myco-literacy, what fungi can teach us, and Peter shares a bit about his journey.

In 2016, Peter released the book Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working With Fungi. He is the lead cultivation expert for the Amazon Mycorenewal Project, and a mycology advisor to Open Source Ecology and Permaculture Magazine North America.

Apart from his work with fungi, he is also a community organiser, artist, musician, lecturer, and teacher. Peter’s daily practice centers on cultivating, researching, and foraging for new intersections between healthy human and fungal relations. He is available for consultation on mushroom cultivation and remediation design, site surveys, lectures, informal talks, and teaching assignments.

Check out all that Peter is up to:

Radical Mycology

radicalmycology.com

radicalmycologyconvergence.com

facebook.com/radmycology

instagram.com/radmycology

Radical Mycology: The Book

Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working With Fungi

Mycologos School

www.mycologos.world

facebook.com/mycologos

instagram.com/mycologos

And shoutout to the band Confiture… bringing funky tunes to ears near you… www.confitureband.com

Show Notes

Mycology As Activism

• came to see mycology as a huge piece of the puzzle to nature’s restoration

• wanted to actively contribute to earth’s betterment

• did some self-education as a young adult that broadened his worldview

• got involved in some projects which made him realise you can be part of making changes

• creating solutions and community, instead of basing identity on what you are against

• began to bring mycology up as a potential solution to current issues, not always received well

• found like-minded people and ideas began to evolve

• realised this was the piece of the puzzle he could contribute

• solutions that mycology creates fold into social issues as well as environmental issues

Mycology in Cultural Awareness

• discussion of fermentation & Sandor Katz

• mycology is unfamiliar and even somewhat feared in popular awareness

• Peter works to de-stigmatise fungi and show how great it is

• discussion of historical uses of fungi/mycology

• many approaches to mycology beyond food, ethno-mycology

Getting Educated!

• for Peter, mycology gives him access to new perspectives on many aspects of life

• it reminds him that there is still mysteries out there to discover

• most people don’t know much about fungi; one way Peter is working to address that through his book

• building community around mycology, to bring it into the cultural awareness at a social level

• has in mind for the future a much more structured form of education to bring deeper study of mycology to people

• “Radical Mycology 2.0” is coming

• mycology is not taught in schools, so there is a hole to fill in offering education

A New Way to See the World

• sense of connection that comes for many people, in learning the magic and mystery of fungi

• a whole new way of seeing the natural world

• teaching mycology through the the eyes of ecological awareness

• for Peter, sometimes the things that are least talked about are the most interesting, such as the benefits & deliciousness of probiotics

Ecological Remediation

• according to science, it seems likely that fungi were the first larger-celled structured organisms on earth (after bacteria)

• fungi are central to earth’s biology & uniquely powerful

• discussion of how fungi supports soil, animal, and plant life

• fungi are capable of breaking down many kinds of toxic substances that other organisms cannot

• in the long run, fungi will probably be able to break down almost all man-made substances

• this branch of research (micro-remediation) is very young, with not many fully realised examples, but there is so much room to explore

• this exploration is something that many people will be capable of doing eventually in their own backyards, and potentially make big discoveries

Fungi in Our Future

• in the further-off future (100, 200 years), possibly all man-made systems could be affected and improved by fungi

• fungi has a long shelf life, & makes an incredible building material

• discussion of growing mushrooms for common household & natural medicinal uses

Closing Thoughts

• fungi already influence your life in a million ways

• now is the perfect time: there is so much opportunity to get involved in cultivating fungi at this particular point in history

• radicalmycology.com

• Peter’s book is at publishing website: chthaeus.com

• this coming October: Radical Mycology Convergence

• join the newsletter on any of their social media platforms

View Details

In this episode we talk with Nicole Masters of integrity soils. She is an expert in ecology and soil science with over 20 years experience. She advises farmers on how to improve the health of their land an ecosystems.

Nicole shares about how she went from wanting to be a great white shark researcher to an agroecologist. We talk soil health, worm compost, producer and consumer mindsets and integrity. This conversation gets in to the detail about soil, but we also cover the overarching idea that mindset changes everything. Nicole mentions one of the best ways to live a probiotic life is to support your local farmers.

Just a note that half way through the interview a cable decided to quit, so I had to re-record my side of the conversation from that point on… Luckily it was my side, not Nicole’s.

Check out what Nicole is doing by visiting her website:

www.integritysoils.co.nz

Facebook

Youtube

Linkedin

Thanks again to Confiture for a sample of their funky jazz.

Check them out at: http://confitureband.com/

Show Notes

Scientific Background

• Bachelor of Science (Ecology) at Otago University

• originally went to be a great white shark researcher

• study focus shifted from zoology to botany to soil

• light went on for her when she began to study soil

• this passion has now continued strongly for 20 years

Formative Experiences

• spent her early life in aircraft looking down at the earth

• the eruption of Mt St Helens put things in perspective for her, how powerful the earth is and how small we are

• saw a need to disrupt the current trend towards people living among their own man-made pollution

• willingness to be part of a conversation about what’s possible for transformation

• realised the mainstream farmers are the ones that she needed to be talking with, enter their worlds and make transformation profitable

Key Things to Know About Soil

• gastrointestinal system is very similar to the soil system

• the rhizosphere, or root interface with soil, is the most biodiverse system on the planet

• how do we support a very diverse ecosystem

• modern farming techniques are disturbing microbiology

• this depletes biodiversity and lowers nutritional value of food grown

• quorum sensing/quenching discussion

• sending out a little signal that tells biology to turn on a particular response

• plant can send a chemical signal asking for what nutrient it requires, and if the microbiome is intact it will send the plant that nutrient

Worms Farming

• the worm castings are the best part

• the perfect worm farm makes no leachate, if it’s making leachate you need more carbon in there

• most vermicast is bacterial dominated, which is the environment weeds prefer

• use white (soft) wood chips to make it more fungal friendly

• get liquid form by running water through a finished (fully processed) vermicast

• leachate is not good to use on plants, pour it back into the worm farm

Current Focus

• workshops in Montana on how to assess soil health/pasture quality

• addressing sodium deficiency around the world to improve nutrition, animal health, erosion

• working with crop producers to reduce nitrogen and herbicide use, while keeping equivalent yield and higher profit margin

• how do we identify what a limiting factor might be on a property?

• working with clients’ goals, what outcomes do they want to see from these changes?

• evidence is showing that applying herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides are altering plants’ physiology, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases

• discussion about nitrogen & compaction

Integrity Soils: What Does This Name Mean to You?

• integrity: describes something that is whole and complete

• resilient, complete soils that will stand up to pressure

• being trustworthy and above board in all business practices

• dealing with childhood & personal wounds so you are whole as a person

• a call to work at these aspects as you interact with others, and in your work

Lessons Learned from Mother Nature

• Nicole has developed a feel for soil over time, while being ready with facts to persuade the skeptical

• the interconnectedness of everything

• water movement through a landscape

• aligning more closely to how things would have been naturally

• shifting from feeling out of control to feeling happy, excited about working with nature and what might be possible

• see weeds as an indicator of something happening, an opportunity to address an imbalance, rather than something to be killed outright

• cover crops as a step into regenerative agriculture

Change for the Future

• voting with your dollars: buy clean foods, ring to let companies know you won’t buy non-clean food

• Nicole believes this is the way to make clean food production go mainstream

• producers respond to consumer demand

• being willing to pay a premium for nutrient-dense food, which you need less of to feed yourself

• conversation on these topics happening on every level

Closing Thoughts

• consider the “underground workforce”: how am I support the microbiology within my soil?

• refractometer is a good investment, quick key to checking nutrient density

• carbon is the currency of the planet, and our soil has been running low on it

• food actually does taste less sweet than it used to due to lack of soil nutrients

• make those greens sweet and tasty again, that’s how to get the younger generation excited about this

• “Dirt in your Skirt” podcast

• currently writing about doing triage on soil, Nicole’s step-by-step process

• www.integritysoils.co.nz - get the newsletter!

View Details

In this episode we explore the research that’s going on pertaining to the microbiome as we talk with Jack Gilbert. He is one of the leading scientists in the area of microbial ecology. If you have done any reading about the microbiome online, you’ve probably come across his name.

Jack has been involved in many research projects, and has published studies which relate to many areas of microbial ecology. He shares with us a bit of his story and we cover a lot of ground relating to all things microbial, but the theme that stood out to me is how we are all connected, how we need to steward our environment wherever we are, and how we need to use our brains to critically evaluate the information presented to us.

Jack does a great job communicating these concepts and ideas, and I really enjoyed chatting to him.

If you also get some value out of this show we’d appreciate if you’d take two minuets to give us a rating and review. This is a simple way of supporting us to keep doing what we’re doing what we’re doing.

If your business wants to partner with the Probiotic Life, we’re still looking for some strategic sponsorships. We’re also doing some more collaborations to get things moving, so if you’d like to collaborate, reach out and connect!

Here are some ways to find out more about Dr. Jack Gilbert:

Lab Website

Google Scholar

Twitter

Show Notes

• faculty director of The Microbiome Centre

• professor at the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago

• senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory

• co-author of Dirt Is Good (with Rob Knight)

• learned microbiology & physical chemistry in many different fields

• spent time in Antartica studying bacterial proteins

• got interested in understanding how microbes reacted & adapted to their environments in the world

• this became his new passion

• over the last ten years has become involved with human microbiome research

• came to view the human body is simply another ecosystem seeking equilibrium, much like the sea/soil/plants, and we can treat it as such

What Aspect of Research is Jack Excited About Currently?

• systems biology: viewing the world in a very connected way

• how do microbes affect everything else in their environment?

• capturing the complexity of these connections, so it can be predicted and adjusted

Gaps & Progress in Modern Research

• concept of “one health”, the health of humans and all ecosystems are intrinsically linked

• discussion of microbial environments in Amish and Hutterite communities

• what are the associations between people and their disease, and other issues?

• research is suggesting that consequences of severing ourselves from our environment could be much more severe than the risks of interacting with that environment

• interact with your environment while still using common sense, e.g. wash your hands after petting animals

• some authorities say they must give blanket statements regarding possible exposure to pathogens, in case of people not using common sense

• you may be saving lives by doing this, but what is the cost to people’s quality of life and potential to develop lifelong health complications?

• what product could be created to provide to people who don’t have access to a natural environment, to help their immune systems develop?

Making Changes

• for specialised information to become actionable to people who don’t know that field, it must be put in a form that people can understand

• Jack goes out and talks to many groups of people, because for change to happen, popular opinion needs to be swayed

• finding a balance between letting the public know scientists are working on solutions to help them, but discouraging them from taking the untested research into their own hands

Context is Everything

• in a public bathroom, hot soapy water for cleaning is fine, sterilising the floor does little to prevent someone catching infectious illness

• however, where someone is immunocompromised or with open wounds, e.g. a hospital, sterilisation is more beneficial

• gearing public statements of what the public should be doing are geared towards protecting the most vulnerable in our society; unfortunately, this could potentially have negative impact on those who are not so vulnerable

• listen to your doctor, be informed, and critically evaluate whatever you are told

Current Projects

• boosting children’s immune systems, immunology

• ways to make plants more resilient to stress and disease

• ways to negate use of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides

• all these contribute to the “one health” mandate

Closing Thoughts

• examining the role by which the world around us can be leveraged to impact health positively

• being more engaged with the world around us, cultivating and interacting with a more biodiverse environment

• Jack’s book “Dirt Is Good” is a guide, with all the questions Jack’s ever been asked about how the microbiome relates to our health; the decisions we can make with the information we currently have

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Today we’re going to be talking to Carly Smith. She is a lover of all things fermenting…

I got connected with her when I was reaching out to sponsors one day. She works at cultures for health. and no, this is not an infomercial episode… they decided not to become a sponsor, but I thought it would be fun to interview someone who works in a fermentation company, and just have a good chat about fermenting in general.

I consider Carly to be an everyday hero spreading the message of the probiotic life through fermentation.

Join us as Carly shares her story, and we both share a few fermentation stories.

Also, what did you think of Confiture’s music? do you want to hear more of it on the podcast?

-The transition music in this episode is from their debut album… check it out at confitureband.com

I’m super excited to announce that it’s confirmed we’ll be having Jack Gilbert of the Gilbert Lab on the show soon. He is one of the leading researchers of the microbiome and how it interacts with the urban environment. Stay tuned for that episode!

Check out where Carly works at culturesforhealth.com based in North Carolina.

Also, if you are enjoying this content, will you take a minute to give us a rating and review on whatever platform you listen to us on.

SHOW NOTES

Background in Fermentation

• Carley works at Cultures For Health

• fell in love with Sandor Ellix Katz’s Fermentation book

• started experimenting with fermentation on her own

• discussion of cooking with seasonal produce

Love For Cooking

• grew up with meals cooked from scratch every night by her mum

• learned gardening from her dad

• these created an appreciation for food from scratch and fresh produce

• missing these led her to teach herself to cook

• the camaraderie of sharing food with others inspired her to make it her career

• before that, studied environmental conservation, but was put off by the approach to using the forest as a utility instead of restoring it to its original state

Carley’s Fermentation Adventures

• making sauerkraut with red & white cabbage, carrying on family tradition

• made kombucha, yoghurt, viili (Scandinavian yoghurt)

• koji, tempeh, naaco: all Japanese ferments

• corned venison

Cultures For Health

• they sell water kefir, milk kefir, kombucha, gluten-free sourdough

• discussion of watching these cultures grow

• works with lots of people who have little to no experience with fermentation

• people who have health issues and want to get more cultures into their diet

• sharing a largely lost art, bringing to back a wide audience

• giving good info without overwhelming people

Fermenting at Home

• discussion of dehydrating and rehydrating scobys and grains

• discussion of making kombucha

• alcoholic ferments: mango cider!

• putting beetroot in kimchi

• social aspect of fermentation: share with people around you, everyone gets a variety & helps nourish each other

• discussion of WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms)

• traveling was a great way of exchanging info, learning farming techniques

• discussion of fermenting mishaps

Carley’s Future in Fermentation

• strong interest in fungi, their medicinal and environmental uses

• discussion of Paul Stamets’ books

Final Comments

• check out all the stuff available on culturesforhealth.com

• can get access to free ebooks, recipes, instructions, and background info

• can buy cultures & fermenting equipment

View Details

This episode is a bit of a different one, as mentioned in last episode. It’s a behind the scenes -or behind the headphones- chat. This is where my wife Moraig and I share about how we’ve came to this place, and she gets a chance to interview me.

If you’ve listened to more than one or two episodes, this will help you put the podcast into context, and help you to get to know us a bit better. That’s the idea, to connect with you on a personal level.

I did hesitate to release this, I procrastinated a few days, because it is our journey, and a necessary part of our journey to share with you all. But it requires me to be vulnerable, which is a journey in itself.

If you vibe with what we talk about, if it resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you, and hear a bit of your story.

Part of the vision I have for the Probiotic Life is to collaborate with folks, to really cross pollinate ideas and inspiration. So to start it off I’ve asked my friend Phil who is a musician and producer if I can support his project by showcasing his music on here.

His band is Confiture and they just released their self-titled debut album. As Phil describes it: Confiture delivers some soulful cool-jazz vibes characterised by strong bass lines, delightfully syncopated breaks, and dreamy seventies-tinted melodies.

So check out their website confitureband.com and if you like their stuff, support them!

Theres a few samples on this episode, and at the end is the song titled: Shadows.

A big thank you to all who are on this journey with us, now join me as we hear some cool tunes, and go behind the scenes of The Probiotic Life.

Check out Confiture!

confitureband.com

Facebook

Spotify

iTunes

View Details

Anne is a biologist, an author and an avid gardener. She co-wrote The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health with her husband David Montgomery, who was our guest in the previous episode. Her interests and expertise have led her into environmental planning, public health and watershed restoration.

Join us as Anne shares a bit of her journey, and the insights she’s gained from building soil in her garden. She shares about her case of “plant lust” and how she’s started noticing the diversity of insects in her garden.

Though Anne touches on the immune system briefly, we focus on gardening in this episode, mostly because I’m also a fanatical gardener. I may have acquired a case of the “gardeners high” Anne refers to just by talking about gardening…

Enjoy this delightful conversation with Anne Biklé.

Links

Website: dig2grow.com

Twitter: @dig2grow

Facebook: dig2growbooks

SHOW NOTES

Early Life

• developed a case of “plant lust” in childhood, viewed green things growing as magical

• both of her parents had an interest in putting in landscape that was tailored to the Colorado climate

Love for Nature

• “biophilia”, term coined by EO Wilson, meaning: we have an innate need to connect with nature, innately know that to harm nature is wrong

• Anne decided to grow food for insects, to see what kinds she could draw into her garden

• observing a mini-ecosystem within your own backyard

• all life forms are connected to each other; when we forget this, we begin to allow ourselves to do harmful things

Educational Background

• studied Natural History, a branch of biology

• later developed an interest in microbial biology

Perceptions of Nature

• Anne aims to draw biology in around her in her everyday life as much as possible

• “gardener’s high”, losing track of time when around plants

• there is mystery to explore behind the natural forces and elements e.g. soil

• soil is dark coloured, which has negative connotations for many people

• we also can’t see the life in the soil at a glance so it appears dead to the naked eye

• soil is the land equivalent of the sea; most life on earth dwells in the soil

• there’s evidence for a bacterium in healthy soil that can affect our mood positively

At Anne’s Place

• they had some terrible soil

• laid wood chips on top of the garden beds

• scattered lots of coffee grounds into the soil

• Anne & David realised that you can make soil, you don’t need to import it in

• anyone can make soil, if you have the inclination and the materials

Bokashi Compost & the Immune System

• soil has a metabolism, just like our gut

• Bokashi can be made full of things that make the soil a bad place for pathogens to survive

• our immune system is made up of many specialised cells (that become immune tissue) that live right next to our stomach & intestines - especially our large intestine

• a person with gut problems likely also has an issue with their immune system

• if the microbiome takes a hit, the immune system doesn’t have the info it needs to know how to look after the person, and may start seeing problems where there isn’t one = autoimmune conditions

• your gut and soil are very similar & both need to be “mulched”

• the microbiome is made up of trillions of organisms that are alive and need to be fed

• eating a diverse diet, especially diverse plant foods, feeds the maximum amount of your microbiota, and keeps the diversity in your gut alive

Website: dig2grow.com

Twitter: @dig2grow

Facebook: dig2growbooks

View Details

Dr. David R. Montgomery is a professor of geomorphology in the department of Earth & Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. In this episode David shares a bit of his story, and we delve into the details of building healthy soil, and how it’s connected to our own health. He does a great job of communicating the science, and explaining these details. I had a great time interviewing him.

Thanks to everyone who supports us in some way shape or form. We always love hearing how you’re living a probiotic life.

Links

Website: dig2grow.com

Twitter: @dig2grow

Facebook: dig2growbooks

SHOW NOTES

Geomorphology

• study of topography

• soil erosion

• works on the here and now of geography

• looks at sustainability, long term perspective

Geology & the Human Element

• David wanted to learn about the world

• took geology, “competing against [their] lack of knowledge”

• saw how ecosystems & farming impact soil erosion

• wrote a book about how religious thought & geological science have historically affected each other

• wrote a book with his wife about how microbial life influences health of plants, people, farms

Formative Influences

• spent lots of time playing outside as a kid

• his wife Anne (a biologist) had a similar experience

Humans Have a Lot to Learn

• when it comes to modern impact on natural age, humans are in the driver’s seat

• we are still figuring out the blueprint of how this earth works

Soil & Geology

• takes lots of micronutrients to grow a healthy plant

• the vast majority of these come from the ground

• need to get rocks broken down and their minerals released into the soil

• this is mostly done by microbes

• soil is a grand recycling system, that takes organic material and returns it to the ground to feed new life

• earth is the only planet we know of currently where this is the case

Soil Around the World

• discussion of specific places in the world, where availability of different mineral elements has greatly impacted the botanical world

• most soils around the world have the basic sets of minerals needed for plant growth, but they are often locked up in the soil unreleased

• it’s possible to add the nutrients needed to the soil

• we need to bring the biology back to the soil

The Soil & Our Gut

• aha! moment while writing The Hidden Half of Nature”

• striking similarities between soil system and human gut

• inflammation is a very important part of immune function, goes to fix problems

• we don’t want to be constantly in inflammation

• what you are feeding your microbes has a direct impact on your immune system function

• we need to eat fibre for our gut function, to feed our microbes

• what we eat and how we treat the soil really does matter

• probiotics are the microbes; prebiotics are what we feed the microbes

Restoration of Farmland

• discussion of restoring farmland

• 3 principles in common shared by farms where soil was restored quickly

• 1) no-till or minimum-till farming

• 2) keep the land covered with cover crops to act as green manure

• 3) plant a diversity of crops

• these all promote the growth of beneficial microbial life

• these are all against modern conventional agriculture

• the places that used the conservation agriculture made the land even better than nature had it in the first place

• the future of biodiversity is tied to the future of agriculture

• on all markers, these regenerative farming techniques are a win

Final Thoughts

• American indigenous agriculture: they were practising crop diversity on their planting

• all of the people David & wife Anne interviewed shared a common desire to rebuild the land’s fertility, as the foundation of our civilisation

• past civilisations stopped their soil to their societies’ detriment

• if we can change these practices in our current century, that would alter the arc of history, and we need to get it right this time

• David’s books: 1) Growing A Revolution: Bring Our Soil Back To Life;

2) The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health;

3) Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations

• books available wherever books are sold

Links

Website: dig2grow.com

Twitter: @dig2grow

Facebook: dig2growbooks

View Details

John D. Liu is passionate about ecosystem restoration, and has been championing the solutions and associated philosophies for more than thirty years. Join us as we explore our inextricable connections to nature through John’s eyes.

Prepared to be inspired and challenged as John shares some of his journey. We go into the thinking behind the degenerative systems, how they came to be, and what he sees as the necessary evolution of human consciousness to move into regenerative systems.

He is currently the Ecosystem Ambassador for the Commonland Foundation, and a visiting research fellow at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Links:

Commonland Foundation

Ecosystem Restoration Camps

ERC Facebook Page

Published works - Academia page

A few of John’s documentaries:

Green Gold

Hope In A Changing Climate

SHOW NOTES

Background

• background in journalism, camera work, television & radio

• saw a lot of ego and hubris

• realised that contributing to environmental healing was much more meaningful

• changed to ecological research

• began lecturing and speaking on his research

• came to believe knowledge is a right, not a commodity

• hopeful that future generations will carry this shift in thinking

John’s Message

• discussion of the Loess plateau, its ecological destruction and subsequent restoration

• it is not inevitable that humans degrade their environment

• we have looted the earth

• by contrast, in nature there is no waste

• nature accumulates each generation

• a human collective consciousness is needed, not just experts

• felt like a detective figuring out what had gone wrong in barren places

• living separated from each other and our environment = the result is deserts, wars, etc

• there is no need for us to destroy our natural systems

The Impact of Modern Agriculture

• humans have spent a lot of time decreasing biodiversity

• modern agriculture is only 10-12,000 years old

• there are no exposed soils in natural systems (with a few exceptions)

• monoculture: human ancestors spread certain kinds of plant while killing many others

Hope For The Future

• Commonland is working on the principle of “4 returns”

• return 1: inspiration

• return 2: social capital - jobs, happiness, normal relationships

• return 3: natural capital

• return 4: return on investment, financial

• many people are beginning to be aware

• idea of ecological restoration live-in camps

• holistic view of life experience & development

Making Changes

• our descendants’ quality of life will be determined by what we learn, and how much we understand

• we have it in our power to restore paradise

• if our intention is to restore the earth, we will do it

• John believes this is our duty to do so

• what is the result of consciousness and generosity

• it’s necessary to move to the next level of consciousness

• not just a meme or a catchphrase, but a true understanding of our symbiotic relationship with the natural world

Final Thoughts

• collaborative learning

• not institutions that will accomplish it, but people

• this work needs to be done from an ecological standpoint, but also with a view to living together in peace

• these go hand in hand

View Details

When Austin Durant is not busy fermenting he runs Fermenters Club. He also organises the annual San Diego Fermentation Festival, and the Oregon Fermentation Festival.

Join us as Austin shares a bit about his journey, and how he went from fermenting at home, to starting the Fermenters Club, to organising fermentation festivals.

Fermentersclub.com has a mission to improve the overall health of the human population by teaching and encouraging people to make and share their own living, probiotic foods, thereby fostering communities that are "connected through their guts."

Be inspired to ferment and put this episode on while you are making some sauerkraut or kimchi!!!

Check out all the links here for some great value:

http://www.fermentersclub.com/

https://www.facebook.com/fermenters/

http://youtube.com/fermentersclub

http://twitter.com/fermentersclub

http://instagram.com/fermentersclub/

http://pinterest.com/fermentersclub

Show Notes

Austin’s Background

• a few years ago he made sauerkraut and it “lit him up”, reminded him of what his grandfather fed him when he was young

• this inspired him to get serious about fermented foods

• started a journey to learn about the food system & food history

• began to meet with his friends, all sharing what they had made themselves

• creating community through food

• this led to online blogging & public speaking

• reconnecting people to this ancient way of making food

• this led to organising festivals, as the next logical step

What’s Next

• creating online content

• Austin’s Youtube channel: http://youtube.com/fermentersclub

• what he is teaching publicly he is also learning personally: his work is much more effective and far-reaching when he is open to community helping him, allowing others to contribute

Getting Into Fermentation

• Austin always has at least sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha on the go

• keffir-based ice cream

• plays with putting different flavours together: salty, sweet, etc

• Sandor Katz is his go-to resource

• check online for how others do it

• then try your own variations

• farming & growing your own food goes hand in hand with fermentation

• discussion about growing food conditions in different parts of the world

• fermentation is something of a lost art

• restoring a symbiotic relationship with the earth

Relationship Between Probiotics and Nature

• modern science is catching up with traditional wisdom

• how can we use this info to heal ourselves?

• feed the microbiome within us so it can look after us

• what’s going on in the jar, & in the soil, is very similar to what’s going on inside our gut

Creating Community

• allows for people with different skills to all contribute their part

• Austin runs bi-monthly chapter meetings, working on making these scalable

• coming together and geeking out!

Flavouring Ferments

• fruit trees in your yard

• chili peppers

• length of time letting ferments sit changes the flavour

More Upcoming From Austin

• soon to release a comprehensive video on fish sauce

Austin’s Message

• fermentation is nothing to fear

• wants to integrate people who don’t get it yet, with people who do

• fermentation is easy and safe

• total vilification of all bacteria is starting to come to an end

Final Thoughts

• more discussion of different kinds/flavours of ferment

• trust your senses

• be genuinely curious, question everything

• magic happens when you stop projecting & start taking in new ideas

View Details

Darren Hey is a nutrition expert and a teacher of Natural Living. His studies include the philosophies of natural hygiene, nature cure, and biogenics

We talk about these philosophies, about nutrition, about the gut, and more. He has a great way of communicating this, and tying it all into the Probiotic life.

If you want to reach out to him, check out his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/darrenhey6

Show Notes

Background

• very diverse career background

• all types of work have been some form of training his body to make it stronger and fitter

• this made him realise you need to nourish your body well

• philosophies of natural living: the body is self healing when you align with life conditions

• 3 streams of philosophy: natural hygiene, nature cure, biogenics

• became an educator in natural living and healing

• Q of how do you get/grow high quality food? led him to permaculture

• recently completed apprenticeship with Geoff Lawton

• teaches on true health science, not info pushed by corporate dogma

Natural Hygiene & Nature Cure

• cleanliness inside and outside

• cleanliness does not mean sterility, which is devoid of life

• looks at health holistically

• when you provide your cells with what they need in the right ratio they are effectively immortal

• cells require: energy, nutrient, the removal of waste product

• nature cure is very similar, but uses fasting a little bit differently

Biogenics

• biogenics: came from teaching of ancient sacred society of Essenes, as deciphered by scholar Edmond Bordeaux Szekely

• Essenes lived in accordance with natural law, how to align yourself with beneficial forces

• natural forces (such as water) have memory and energy flow; water will die if you interrupt its natural flow

• water behaves as if it is frozen inside our bodies, to facilitate energy & information along our nervous tissue

Steps Along Darren’s Path

• found mainstream perception of life dry and unfulfilling

• went on a search for meaning, for answers

• intuitively sensed there was something more

• experience in army of how easily info can be manipulated, where the public receives incorrect or incomplete info

• truth has become his highest value

• as many others, reaching a point of breakdown and injury, caused him to reevaluate

• began to ask how he brought himself to that point, develop awareness of his own responsibility

• high value for self-actualisation

• people not knowing or outright ignoring their own health is the cause of chronic illness & mental health crisis

Lessons learned from Nature

• nature provides everything that we need

• life is working for us, not against us

• how can we work with the living forces around us?

• this gives you your greatest chance for wellbeing

• also reveals which parts of you sees life as an antagonist: this creates opportunity for emotional & mental healing

The Disrupting of Nature

• water seeks 4 degrees Celsius and retreats from warmth, which creates the cycle of how water moves around the earth

• by interrupting and polluting nature, you destroy the habitat water requires

• life is seeking homeostasis, in all the trillions of processes happening at every moment in your body

• physical symptoms are messages that something is out of balance

• treating the symptoms instead of finding the cause interrupts our bodies’ attempts to self-heal

• this shuts off our opportunity to get back in balance and heal naturally

Getting Back In Alignment

• nature within us, nature around us, and our own nature

• we are not meant to live separated from natural processes

• we need technology that frees humanity, is earth-friendly, obeys natural law

• law of energy conservation: don’t push life beyond its ability to recuperate, or it will die

• get familiar with the laws of nature operating within us, learning what your senses are telling you

• willingness to face the truth

• take responsibility for your journey, self-education

• surrender to life’s prerogative in your body, that it is out of your control and has its own laws

Illness, Bacteria, and Healing

• your body will tell you the truth about what is happening in your consciousness

• illness and injury come from spirit & mind attempting to heal the body, or spirit & body attempting to heal the mind

• energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed

• you can transform it to your benefit or to your detriment

• the monomorphic idea of germs = disease, kill bacteria = cure disease is not quite correct

• when illness manifests, bacteria are the last thing to show up; disease was already well on its way before that

• if you keep creating toxic conditions in your body, the bacteria will keep transforming and coming back

• infection is the body attempting to clean house

• “the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything”

• waging war on bacteria is a sure route to destroying higher life forms, while the bacteria will survive

Final Thoughts

• soil food web inside you as well as your garden

• for high quality food pay attention to the biology of the soil

• permaculture is by design, food growing conditions that work in harmony with the laws of nature

• many organisms that live in soil also live in our bodies

• these benefit serotonin production within our bodies, boost natural immunity & detoxification, help with nutrient assimilation

• the seat of our physical mind is in our gut, modern science verifies this

• your ability to think clearly and powerfully depends on your gut

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Today we talk to Finian Makepeace, a Co-Founder of Kiss The Ground. He is a recording artist, activist and self-taught soil advocate who has a passion to change the world. He strives to make the world a more peaceful and harmonious place for humans and all of nature. Join us as he shares a bit about his background, and why he is passionate about advocating for regenerative agriculture and building soil carbon.

He shares with us about how healthy soil creates delicious and nutritious food, and how composting is a simple way to get started in building soil carbon.

Check out Kiss the Ground online:

www.kisstheground.com

www.facebook.com/kissthegroundCA/

www.instagram.com/kisstheground/

For the speaker training Finian mentions:

Contact Michelle via Email at speakertraining@kisstheground.com

Show Notes

Background

• there are things in our lives that set us up for our big epiphanies

• grew up with lots of exposure to the natural world, mother was an avid gardener

• considered himself in the top bracket of people in level of understanding climate change

• influenced by hearing Graham Sait speak & share much he didn’t know

• concluded that if he didn’t know, that most people would know even less

• resolved that he (along with others) would get the message out to people, and thus Kiss the Ground was born

• Finian’s parents encouraged critical thought, gave him the chance to find answers for himself

• his schooling (home-based, then heavily nature-focused) favoured gaining experiential knowledge, which gave him confidence as an adult to become a self-taught soil scientist

Kiss the Ground

• director of storytelling, media, and communications at Kiss the Ground

• brand new speaker training course happening now, wanted to help other people become advocates also

• course is about 70% content, 30% training on speaking

• giving people the tools to articulate the Big Idea

• the Big Idea: the difference between degenerative, sustainable, and regenerative

• this is NOT a sustainability movement, it’s a regenerative movement

• a new way of interacting with nature in all arenas of life

Sustainability vs Regeneration

• sustainability = cessation of harm to the world, while regeneration is far more than that = makes everything better

• you don’t need to make people feel bad about doing harm (sustainability) before introducing them to regeneration

• help them see how much better everything will work in their favour through regenerative practices

• people are motivated ultimately by pleasure, so show them that and they will move towards it

Current Projects

• Kiss The Ground book came out in November 2017

• Kiss The Ground movie coming out soon, with Exec. Producer Leonardo DiCaprio. Woody Harrelson as narrator.

• launched a new blog, looking for writers to contribute.

• speaker training with Kiss The Ground.

Our Microbiome & the Soil

• our taste buds are designed to increase our consumption of things that are really good for us

• in the last 150 years, we’ve had access to whatever we want, and fake flavours that trick our taste buds into eating more

• good news: research is showing that food that tastes better has better content for us, and is most likely grown using better soil practices

• rhizosphere : the tip of plant root systems, where sugars are leaked out to feed microbial communities, and in that process, the plant is getting to take those minerals and fortify itself

• reverse this process, and you basically have the human gut

• as if we have roots inside us, or plants have a stomach under the ground!

• number-wise, we have many more microbes than human cells in our bodies

• who’s actually in charge: us, the plant, or the microbes??

Other Influences & Inspirations

• David Montgomery’s book: The Hidden Half of Nature

• his wife -Anne Biklé built soil in their backyard, we can build soil much quicker than used to be commonly thought

• in the 70s, Carl Sagan’s ex-wife -Lynn Margulis was doing research on mutualism: two things coming together, and both becoming better as a result

• in the U.S., this mutualism research opposed by “competitive theory” i.e. survival of the fittest

• Dr Alan Williams: soil building research

Getting Practical

• compost at home

• watch 2 Youtube videos and become an expert on home composting, it’s not rocket science

• keep compost container in your freezer: eliminates stinkiness, mess, and fruit flies

• want an equal nitrogen to carbon ratio

• food scraps are very high in nitrogen

• keep a browns bin right next to your compost bin: leaves, newspaper, other carbon-based materials

• intersperse browns with your frozen compost scraps, shuffle together, water twice a month

• because scraps are frozen, it’s not gross at all

• become a first time parent to epic compost!

• look for ways to source products made using regenerative practices

• ask farmers their practices

• ask local chefs where they get their produce: best growing practices equals best-tasting food

Final Thoughts

• nature wants to be regenerative

• instead of just doing less harm, we can actively restore vitality

• life is designed to move in the direction of regeneration, and it’s not that much work to help it and watch it grow exponentially

• being probiotic = living regeneratively

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In more of a how to episode, Drake joins us again to share with us some of the preparations of Korean Natural Farming. We talk about the how to, but also delve into how we can use these preparations for our plants, our animals, and how we can use them to boost the helth of our own microbiome.

Drake's Links:

http://naturalfarminghawaii.net/

http://whogrew.com/

Drake's Facebook

Korean Natural Farming Facebook Group

Show Notes

Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) As Baths

• IMO pile: nutrients with indigenous organisms, added carbohydrates, fats, and oils

• you can have a dry bath in IMO

• creates an artificial fever in your body, raises temp like a sauna

• cooks pathogens & parasites out of your body

• opens pores to let good microbes back in

• microbes reduce in number in every successive generation living in cities

• IMO baths can restore those lost microbes

• these restored microbes are now present in your body to fight off disease like armour

• good for humans and livestock both

Nutrient Cycle Theory

• how do you know when your plant is a teenager?

• learning to diagnose the changeover period in plants, and what they need

• nutrient cycle theory: 3 stages in a plant’s life

• 1) accumulative growth - growing leaves, 2) changeover growth - flowering, 3) reproductive growth - fruiting

• to recognise changeover period: look for “yellowing”, plant looking pale - it’s having “morning sickness”

• feed it the right food, help it have an easier transition between flowering and fruiting, just like a pregnant woman

• give it calcium phosphate to help grow the “bones” of the plant in this stage

More About IMO

• 2 branches of KNF: microbes and foods

• IMO comes under microbes branch

• gather indigenous microbes from the dankest part of the forest

• IMO start to build soil structure

Master Cho

• was almost killed for not charging money for his farming

• faith in humanity, vision for restoration through farming

• knows land so well he has developed intuition about what’s happening with it

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

• literally “green juice from heaven” in Korean, food for plants and humans

• how to make: can use food material that would otherwise have been discarded, mix with sugar

• Drake used rambutan peels and seeds, not much fruit

• could also use things like palm tree or milkweed, readily available plant materials

• it’s the hormones and enzymes in the plant that make a medicine

• it’s immediately bioavailable into your body as it’s already “digested”, so your body can absorb it as a pure food

• picking tips of plants before dawn to FPJ, as they contain maximum enzymes and hormones for plant growth at that time

• for human consumption: use a food safe container, make it where you would make your other food

• use common sense, pick plants that are known to be safe for eating

On Drake’s Farm

• WhoGrew Farms www.whogrew.com

• OH Makai field 1

• if you check out these links, you can see Drake’s gardens, follow the schedule of looking after his plants, using KNF methods, and see the impact they have

• make your product with enough care that you would drink it, then you can be sure it will be good for your plants

• they use their homemade Fish Amino Acid as flavouring in kimchi

• Drake has not gotten sick from eating his homemade products, in fact he is healthier now

Advice for those wanting to learn KNF

• go learn from someone already using the methods

• some people have made deals where they can use other people’s land to try out these farming practices

• make a variety of FPJs from available materials, keep them in your fridge to use in drinks, desserts, etc

• making water soluble calcium: toast chicken eggshell, dissolve in vinegar

• use your nose: if it smells funky, or it has mould, don’t eat it

• health is diversity: give your body diverse microbes

Final Thoughts

• Drake would like to create tech programs to help people understand natural farming

• returning to older style of eating: keeping microbes in the food instead of trying to kill them all

• discussion of how Ben started out making FPJ and other products

• could we ferment jellyfish?

• may the beneficial microbes be with you

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Righting the Wrongs: Ecological Responsibility

Nick Mahmood and family run Green Source Gardens, which is a legal cannabis farm in Southern Oregon. They are committed to creating rich diversity in their soils, and growing the highest quality medicine possible. They promote agricultural practices that not only provide results, but also heal and build soil.

They commit to not disturbing the soil in order to achieve a healthy and thriving biological soil ecosystem. They focus on poly-culture gardens where diverse plant species work in collaboration with one another.

Their methods are rooted in experience and influenced by research, including but not limited to the growing styles dictated by Bio-dynamics, Permaculture, indigenous agriculture, and love.

Join us as Nick shares some of his story and philosophy of how the earth and cosmos create everlasting abundance. We talk about bio-remediation and ecological responsibility.

Green Source Gardens

https://greensourcegardens.com/

Instagram

Facebook

NOTES

Green Source Gardens

• legal commercial cannabis garden in Southern Oregon

• exemplifying biological remediation practices

• Living Soil Symposium - check it out here https://www.livingsoilssymposium.com/

Nick’s background & mindset

• felt a lifelong connection to the natural world

• attended alternate school that nourished the desire to be outside

• mother gave him freedom to explore and to find out who he was a person, gave him responsibility without micromanaging

• went walkabout after graduating college, explored the world

• these experiences fuelled his passion for his love of nature

Cannabis discussion

• Nick believes we ascribe too much power to it, both negative and positive

• he sees it as a plant like any other, part of the entire bigger work on planet earth

• part of the bio-remediation team, helpful with water filtration

Agricultural remediation

• building systems for our planet to function in the future

• empowering people to know they don’t need the shops to grow things

On Nick’s Farm

• Nick finds “farm” a loaded word, as it’s associated with a monocultural crop growing, production-based model

• farms of the future will be a much more integrated model

• focus on cleaning the water & replenishing the water table

• their gardens are giant digestion chambers, keep feeding organic matter back to the ground to break down

• build carbon in the ground, create space for biological diversity to flourish

• practice with the intention to become regenerative, right the wrongs to the earth

Ecological responsibility

• encourages people discern between companies when buying, don’t choose those who are damaging the environment

• do research before you buy

• if we treat financial gain as more important than ecological responsibility, we end up making a lot of sacrifices that damage our future

What does regenerative living look like for Nick?

• virtual walkthrough of Nick’s farm

• completely dependent on the organic matter (mostly from animals) that they gather

• building bio-swales

• “Hugel culture” or hill culture

• working towards a system that doesn’t require a lot of people to manage

• less energy-intensive growing practices, working with the existing climate, instead of trying to control the climate

Advice to buyers

• look for markers that this grower’s practices resonate with your values

• is there evidence of biodiversity?

• are they working with the existing ecology or against it?

• living and buying with mindfulness

Reflections on regeneration

• Japanese idea of “shinrin yoku”: going into nature and using all the senses to imbibe the microbes, the air, the freshness, be present and mindful

• reflection on indigenous ideas of natural world and returning to “earth worship”

• learning to look at the landscape, see what’s not working and find remediative solutions

• maintaining integrity until business practices surrounding crop growth become ecologically sustainable

• putting money into businesses that are ecologically oriented

• making whatever sacrifices that means so the next generations don’t suffer

Creating life wherever you are

• understanding that the earth IS us

• if you want to look after yourself, look after our environment

• abundant life happens when we start to honour the earth

• how things are going to play out depends on the choices we make now

• wake up and do good things!

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Microbes Run The World:

And Why You Can Make It Work In Your Favour

Embriette is one of those attractively enviable people who have figured out how to combine multiple passions for a living. For her, these passions are writing and science. She holds a PhD in Integrative and Molecular Biomedical Science and has spent years on the cutting edge of research on the microbiome. Grab your kombucha, and settle in with Ben and Embriette, as she shares insights into how the microbiome touches every aspect of our lives.

Twitter: @EmbrietteHyde

Website: drhydenotjekyll.com

Email: embriette@drhydenotjekyll.com

Medium Blog: https://medium.com/@embriette

NOTES

Investigative Research

• research on the microbiome (PhD)

• looking at changes in microbiome in an area - what cause some to flourish instead of others

• healthy people vs sick people

• she thinks of the microbiome like looking up at the galaxy: multitudes more bacteria just in our own bodies than stars you can see

• became interested in communicating science to the public

• how the microbiome in your mouth helps you with cardiovascular health

• forensics aspect, how microbes help break our bodies down after we die

A Developing Direction

• Embriette asked: what can I do, to make people understand my work more?

• citizen science microbiome project

• now writing full-time to meet goal of better public & broader community education on the microbiome

• always loved writing, kept journals growing up

• got 102% on a science test despite being in a period of depression

• occurred to her that maybe she should be doing science!

• now combining her passions for science and writing

Engaging With Current Research

• loves citizen science, because it gives people a chance to engage as well as understand how and why scientific trials take time

• wants to help find a balance between educating the public & generating excitement about scientific investigation, and reporting about it responsibly and giving the research the time it needs to be verified

• advises people to seek out the source about any research you read in articles

Medicine and the Microbiome

• discussion of specific bacteria and fungi that are helping us

• for many diseases, there are specific probiotics that help

• anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria

• the idea is to keep everything in balance

• creating an environment for life to thrive

• she is excited about the concept of precision medicine, that takes into account everyone’s individuality

• one size does NOT fit all with treatment

• individualised approach, considering your microbiome and many other factors

Ongoing Research Projects

• The Earth Microbiome Project: catalogue the microbiome of every single environment on earth

www.earthmicrobiome.org/

• The American Gut Project is its daughter project

www.americangut.org/

• Embriette has been involved in both of these

• collaboration is necessary to make sense of this much data!

Links Between Brain & Gut

• your brain and your gut affect each other, mainly through hormones

• researching links between microbiome and various common illnesses e.g. depression

• depression is linked to inflammation, and imbalances in your microbe communities can cause inflammation

• eating to keep your brain & microbiome healthy could also result in feeling happier

Shifting Your Lifestyle

• your microbes are what you eat

• eating foods that are high in micro-accessible carbohydrates

• getting creative with veggies, nuts & seeds, fermented foods

• eat the rainbow, foods of various colours

• being pro-biotic = pro-life, in every aspect of how you live your life: make the lives of your little microbes better, and you will make your own life better

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Joel Salatin is a farmer, author, and storyteller. He is a leading voice in regenerative agriculture, and has a unique perspective on many aspects of life. If you haven’t heard him talk before, you’re in for a treat!

Join us on this episode as Joel and I talk about a paradigm shift.

We talk about carbon sequestration, farming, and taking action, whether farmer or urbanite. The underlying theme is really that nature wants to work with us in the abundance of life.

You can find out all about him, his farms, and his books at:

www.polyfacefarms.com

SHOW NOTES

Polyface farms, Virginia. “Most famous farmer in the world”.

Sequestering Carbon

• historically, mainline agriculture has led to depletion of carbon in the soil

• we need to be doing the opposite, putting carbon back into the soil

Background

• came to US in 1961, Joel was 1 year old, bought a farm

• learned about organic farming from magazines

• felt sense of abundance with grandfather’s garden

• developed a desire to participate in that abundance

• very little soil on his parents’ farm, so his father got onto the managed grazing idea, migratory choreography of herbivorous populations using electric fences

• sharp contrast between his parents’ farm & grandfather’s garden

• through his teen years saw the land heal on his family’s farm, experienced that he could participate in ecological healing

The Abundance of Nature

• the “womb” of nature wants to provide abundance

• contrasting world views: many people’s opinion that the nature’s default position is scarcity and sickness, Joel believes earth’s natural state is abundance and wellness

• nature is a benevolent lover

• our job is to ask humbly of nature: how can I best help you do what you already want to do?

• over 60 years his farm has gone from barren, to the most productive, verdant farm in the whole region

• affirming nature’s template, that if it is nurtured, it will flourish

• this has been done without pesticides and chemical fertilisers, and hardly any seed-planting

Nature: Mechanical or Biological?

• orthodoxy of our age: we see life as fundamentally mechanical, see plants and animals as machines

• nobody seems to be asking: how can I make a happy animal/plant?

• quite materialistic and dispassionate view

• in Joel and likeminded others’ view, life is fundamentally biological, not mechanical

• mechanical things cannot heal; biological things can, they have a built-in desire for resilience & are responsive

• the ecosystem as an “underground cafe” of interactive weird organisms, like the cantina scene in Star Wars

• this changes the way we interact with nature, and the questions we ask of it

Historical Influences On Agricultural Thought

• in 1837, Austrian chemist Justus von Liebig presented idea that all life was a combination of 3 chemicals, a mechanical answer to biological questions

• world wars furthered this worldview that then impacted agriculture in a big way

• in 1943, Sir Albert Howard, “godfather” of modern scientific composting, released his book “An Agricultural Testament”, viewed as the start of sustainable agriculture

• Howard spoke about “artificial fertilisers” leading to an artificially sustained society: could be seen as prophetic regarding modern “healthcare” and pharmaceutical industry

Into the Soil

• best & deepest soils on the planet are under grasses

• grasses are more efficient as converting sunlight into biomass than any other plant

• this is due to its high metabolism, rapid growth & death cycle

• role of herbivores is to prune plant life, to send it back into green biomass production cycle

• seasons keep herbivores moving across the landscape

• this is the way nature builds soil, how carbon sequestration takes place

Making it Work On a Modern Farm

• use electric fence: cheap & effective

• steer a herd of “pruners” around a landscape as precisely as a mower

• supporting cast: portable shade (shade cloth, etc) and water

• 3 elements to make it all work: shelter, water, and control

• simulate what happens in nature, on a small scale farm

• by mimicking nature’s pattern over time, the landscape comes alive

• “pulsing of the pasture”, the land will rest, then exercise, and repeat

• water retention increases exponentially

• all of this reverses desertification

Landscape healing in Australia

• Australia is on the cutting-edge of bringing innovative land healing technology to the world

• severe ecological stress, paired with unparalleled capital wealth = the ability to innovate in healing design

On Joel’s Farm

• built numerous ponds on high ground

• gravity feed the water down

• move livestock every day

• following nature’s pattern of symbiosis

• birds follow herbivores, they are nature’s way of dispensing with waste & insects

• portable chicken houses moved to follow cows, increase fertilisation, sanitise the paddocks

• chickens are well-fed and produce eggs = another product to sell

• meat chickens also moved daily, fresh food & clean environment

• tree chips used as bedding for animals, who turn it from anaerobic matter into aerobic compost

• greatly increases income

• also greatly increases biodiversity, which mimics the biodiversity of wild places

• leveraging every aspect of the farm for maximum benefit to all

Closing Thoughts

• when you shift paradigm from looking at problems (e.g. pathogens & pests), to a more nature-respectful viewpoint, most of these problems solve themselves

• moving from a reactive approach to a proactive approach

• these systems become self-perpetuating

• get in your kitchen: build awareness of & connect with food, develop skill around what good food looks and tastes like

• do something yourself to viscerally participate in life: food scraps for worms, keep bees or chickens, tomato pot plants on your patio

• locate your local food treasures

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Sandra Tuszynska is a microbiologist, with a specialisation in mycology. She can be found pursuing her passion for fungi and all living things at Woodfordia, home of the Woodford Folk Festival, in Queensland, Australia.

Join Ben & Sandra as they dig deep into her journey through the wilds of microbiological research, her deep affinity for all forms of life, and how that love has led her to her current passion projects. Share her wisdom on the power of mushrooms to create life in every situation, including our own internal worlds, and get some expert tips on how you too can get neck-deep in glorious fungi from your own kitchen or backyard.

Find Sandra on her Facebook page, where she would be delighted to have you share your adventures in citizen science:

Myco-Mania

SHOW NOTES

Background

• studied agricultural science

• any life form - she’s into it!

• got a shock learning about food industry: cruelty to animals, antibiotics, and pesticides

• turned vegan

• wrote book on how we can survive on fruit - Fruitful Nutrition

• wanted to be part of reversing the damage

Developing interest in microbiology & mycology

• microbes at a cellular level

• how they can break down toxins (heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides)

• possibilities of remediating damaged landscapes

• using fungi from Germany and Poland to research

• deep cellular structure, how organelles are affected

• saw her work as one part of the puzzle, adding to the full picture

Potential for research to be applied

• her research was lab-based, not so much applied as yet

• she now has confidence in her results that they can be used to remediate the environment

• there are projects happening where people are doing so, some in Western Australia

• big possibility now of cleaning up entire landscapes, e.g. open mines leaching metals

• long-term dream of getting communities working on this, not relying on governments & companies

Current work

• environmental projects officer at Woodfordia, home of Woodford Folk Festival

• many projects on the go

• collaboration, raising awareness

• soil remediation using mycelium

• repairing erosion from dairy farming

• creating fungi gardens

Love in her work

• sensitive to life forms: animals, nature, children

• passionate about watching life happen

• most excited about mycelium

• being present in the moment

• connecting to yourself & the world

• teaching us to connect to each other as humans

• our bodies are made up mostly of microbial life

• loving ourselves as a living colony

• the beauty of the support system we have

Restoring balance

• nature is designed to restore balance, always

• using the logic of nature to break down some of the harshest man-made chemicals, because they all came from nature to start with

• mycelium devouring nutrients in plastic

• possibility of growing food out of plastic because of fungi

• more research needed

• show a new generation the possibilities, how quickly things could be reversed

Making it accessible

• Book: Peter McCoy - Radical Mycology

• basics that anyone can do

• mycology was taken out of universities in Australia a long time ago

• Sandra would love to see more courses, workshops, conferences

• pooling of ideas

• before you know it, we’re all doing a bit to restore the environment

• Book: Paul Stamets - Mycelium Running

• Phil Ross - building the world’s strongest bricks out of mycelium

Woodfordia

• 500 acres

• former dairy farm, cycads killed to protect cattle

• vegetation & tree cover being replaced

• rainforest species being regenerated

• platform of education, workshops

• not-for-profit

• much work done by volunteers (tree-huggers!)

• tree-planting festivals

• caregivers of the land

• food festivals, all organic materials composted

• “closing the loops” as an example to society

Citizen science for listeners

• soil regeneration: put all your organic material directly onto soil, cover with mulch, monitor the soil

• watch the mycelium grow & observe the broader impact

• can use human waste also - Sandra is a big fan of poo!

• just do one experiment for 6 months

• every life form requires food, water, and shelter: if you give it these, you can’t go wrong

• not just creating life but also creating habitats for that life

• Sandra has a Facebook page where she would be happy to see your citizen science projects.

Healing through fungi

• Paul Stamets magic mushroom experience

• went from being a forester to preserving forests because of that experience

• not all benefits of mycology can be scientifically quantified

• psychiatry article: cases of micro-doses of psyllocibin to treat mental illnesses, makes us childlike and therefore emotionally connected to ourselves, and allows for healing

• the experience cured Paul Stamets stutter

• becoming a scientifically studied process

• starts with personal experiences, which is why citizen science is so important

Discussion of further projects

• Ben: countertop system - air filtration through plants

• Sandra: growing bowls / cups of oyster mushrooms, feeding it wood-chips / sugar cane mulch/coffee

• possibilities of mycelium growing replacements for many common products e.g. styrofoam, leather

• experiments in making a filter out of mushroom mycelium to absorb oil spills

• cleansing environments so next generation are not born with diseases caused by toxins

• Sandra believes this will happen through citizens doing their part, not waiting for governments

• experiment in your own backyard & your own kitchen, and pass it onto a friend!

Closing remarks

• be open to experience, like a child approaches the world with an open heart

• pursue your passion, whatever it is, because life is first created inside of each of us

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Kristina Campbell is a science writer specifically in the area of the microbiome. She’s authored a book called The Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook, and recently co-wrote a textbook on gut microbiota.

Today Kristina and I talk about probiotics, the microbiome, communicating science, women in journalism, and family and fermentation among other things.

Check out her website

bykriscampbell.com

And follow her on Twitter

@bykriscampbell

And Facebook

@intestinalgardener

Check out the FPJ Giveaway! See website for official rules.

SHOW NOTES

Writes for gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com

Her story

-family all had gut issues

-tried fermented foods

Two published books

-passion for writing about the microbiome

-take the science and then do the best you can to implement it your everyday life

-cookbook is the science turned practical

-her aim is to communicate where science ends and where speculation begins

-what is the ‘jumping off point’

Dr. Rob Night

-American Gut Project

-Global FoodOmics Project

-led by Dr. Julia Gauglitz

Definition of a probiotic

-Colin Hill and colleagues

-wrote a paper on the definition of probiotic

-proven benefit for host health

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2014.66

-live cultures

-live microorganisms

-may or may not be specifically contributing to health

Having children and probiotics

-being aware of diet and health

-vaganal seeding

-microbiome of c-section and vaganal birth babies are different

Health professionals collaborating

Book by Dr. Brett Finlay and Marie Claire Arrieta

Let Them Eat Dirt

-exposure to germs can be good for children

-provides good guidelines

-low risk environments to get dirty

-get to know bacteria

-learn more about them

The Earth Microbiome Project

-Rob Knight

-microbes and animals

-microbes and agriculture

Journalism science and women

-discussion of disproportionate number of voices are male

-challenge assumptions we’ve had

Family culture

-co-educating each other

Fermented food cultures connect us

-get a culture from a friend

-microbes passed on

The Probiotic Life for Kristina

-Life of living in the moment

-fermented foods help her live in the moment

-let microbes teach you how to slow down

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Climate Change, Compost, and Nutrition

Graeme Sait is an internationally acclaimed author and educator who co-founded Nutri-Tech Solutions. He is a powerful presenter who speaks at conferences and seminars around the world.

Join us as we delve into how building organic matter can mitigate climate change, what humus is and why it’s important. Then we explore nutrients and the microbiome, and pre & pro biotics.

Check out his websites:

ntshealth.com.au

nutri-tech.com.au

And here’s a TED talk Graeme did from 2013:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q1VnwcpW7E

SHOW NOTES

-Climate change

-Prof. Guy McPherson

-Prof. James Hansen of NASA

-Paris climate conference

• 4 in 1000 www.4p1000.org/

-Cutting emissions

-Building organic matter

-Composting

-Ron Nichols of USDA

-Plant exudes glucose

-Cellulose digesting fungi

-Active humus and stabilised humus

-Mycorrhizal fungi

-Dr Sarah Wright - discovered glomalin

-Beneficial anaerobic microbes

-Benefit of earthworms

-Trial by Department of Primary Industries Queensland comparing 7 types of compost

-Connection between soil and health

-Home garden is the ultimate wellness tool

-Bioaccumulation

-Water treatment

-Uv light in water -ozone plus hydrogen peroxide -oxygen radicals -peroxone

-Puricare water treatment

-Building humus with plants

-Learn from nature

-Mob grazing

-Professor Christine Jones

-National bank & csiro -what determines profitability? Dominant driver was % of organic matter

-Nutrient density in crops is governed by humus

-Digestive system

-Microbiome

-10x more microbial cells in us than our human cells

-Fecal transplants

-Food grade stabilisers

-Antibiotics

-Longevity and lacto-fermented food

-Rainbow sauerkraut

-Colour pigments in veggies are antioxidants

-Prebiotics

-Peruvian apple - yacon

-Fructooligosaccharide & inulin

-Trial with 90,000 people: one spring onion a day reduced all forms of cancer by 71%

-Medical cannabis

-Neale Donald Walsch

-Conversations with God

-Glyphosate

-Shikimate pathway

-Cover crops

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Dr Elaine Ingham is regarded as one of the leading soil microbiologists world wide, and is known for her enthusiastic communication about soil biology, compost, and compost teas.

Join us as Elaine and I talk about life in the soil and explore how living soil cleans water, nourishes plants, and is the genesis of our own microbiome. If you haven’t heard her talk before, you might want to get that notepad ready! 

Her website is:

soilfoodweb.com

If you want to take her online classes:

lifeinthesoilclasses.com

The research farm she is currently doing trials on:

environmentcelebration.com

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This episode Ben announces the plan to take the Probiotic Life to ‘Phase II.’

Check out the GoFundMe Campaign!

Dan Kitteridge is a farmer by trade, and is founder of the Bionutrient Food Association.

Join us as Dan shares a bit about his journey, what he’s learned, and what he’s up to these days. We talk about eating food that tastes good, why that is important, and some of the principals of bio-nutrient food. Again, we talk about the connection between soil health and human health, and discuss the connection humans have to nature in different cultures and times.

The Bionutrient Food Association's website: www.Bionutrient.org

Click HERE to go straight to their library of resources.

Click HERE to go to the 2016 High Bionutrient Crop Production Course (video)

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Wonder what’s so good about fermentation? Join us as Sandor shares on how he came to write ‘The Art of Fermentation’ and some of the benefits of fermented foods. We talk about the microbiome, and some of the recent discoveries in science regarding microbes. Join us for this delicious conversation on the Probiotic Life.

Sandor’s Website wildfermentation.com

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In this interview with Chris, he shares the story about how his family converted 800 acres of macadamia trees over to Korean Natural Farming methods from conventional petrochemical agriculture. We dive into the philosophy behind his farming techniques, and how it ties in with traditional Hawaiian culture. Enjoy this conversation with a man who is creating life, and living a probiotic life.

Christrump.com

Youtube

Instagram

Korean Natural Farming Facebook Page

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In this episode I interview Jessica. She is at University of California, Davis, and is currently working on her PHD. Jessica shares her story about her journey from pharmaceutical sales rep. to becoming a soil scientist. In this information packed interview, we talk soil carbon and the interactions between soil health and human health.

She is working on a science communication platform called Soil Life. Check it out on Facebook and Instagram

Hope you enjoy!

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheSoilLife/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/soil.life/?hl=en

California Soil Resource Lab https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/

Soil Microbial Ecology Lab http://scowlab.lawr.ucdavis.edu/

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In this episode I interview Drake Weinert. He is a teacher and farmer in Hawaii. He shares a bit about his story, and what led him on this path. We mainly talk about Korean Natural Farming and how it is used as probiotics for soil, plants, and humans! This method of farming is quickly becoming known in the regenerative agriculture movement, and is widely used in South-East Asia. Drake shares with us how everybody is a farmer of microbes.

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I interview Dr Paul Barber in this episode. Founder of Arbor Carbon and a specialist in forrest pathology, Paul works internationally to advise on tree health in various environments. We talk about trees, fungi, and the connection to human health as Paul shares a bit of his story and how his work takes him round the globe to care for these vital lifeforms in our ecosystem.

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In this episode I talk with Chris Ferreira about stewardship of the land, environment and resources as we tour around his garden. We chat about landcare philosophy as well as practical actions that can be implemented in your own yard.

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In this episode I talk with Tim about his journey from chef to fermentation artist to urban farmer. Tim has some great insights into the food industry, and shares a bit on how his philosophy has evolved from his experiences. We talk food, health, and lifestyle in this conversational and contemplative interview.

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This show is about bugs and the ecosystems around our gardens; specifically Faye's garden. Faye is a gardener extrordinaire and loves creating habitat for bugs in her garden. We talk about the specific insects and ecosystems here in Western Australia, as well as ways to attract diversity in your garden. We also cover recycling, repurposing, and creating. We also touch on connecting, sharing, and inspiring the people around you and your community.

Here's the first ever interview on The Probiotic Life.

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Here is a bit about what my idea of the podcast is, and could be. I'd love for you to have a listen, think about, and share any ideas you have! If you're on of the first to subscribe, you can have a real impact on what content will be curated, and the style of the podcast. Cheers to the probiotic life!

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The first episode; letting you know who I am and what I'm doing here.