Futuresteading: Recent Episodes

Jade Miles

This is a conversation about the future. About creating a culture that values tomorrow. We reckon a slower, simpler, steadier existence is the first step - one that’s healthier for humans and the planet. We call it Futuresteading. Each month we chat to people prominent and humble in food, farming, health and environment, gathering practical advice and epic solidarity - so we can all nut this thing out together. Join our nitty, gritty, honest and hopeful convo every Monday during our 10 episode seasons.Support the pod by shouting us a cuppa >>> buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading

As a new Mum, living in a new home, having just released a new book and fertilising the idea of reconnecting back to her Vietnamese heritage Tammy Huyhn is a light hearted joy.

This lass knows a thing or two about plants - you may have seen her face on ABC's Gardening Australia and she runs her own hortucultural business Leaf an Impression which delivers garden talks and workshops...she has even been awarded horticulturist of the year!

Todays conversation though, mostly asks "how does gardening bridge us back to our ancestral roots and remind us who we are".

Post recording, Tammy thanked us for the unexpected therapy session - so its a short and sweet ep that still manages to dig beyond the top soil.

We talked about:

How Tammy's Vietnamese heritage influences her gardening practices
Initially pursuing a career in agriculture before transitioning to writing
Troubleshooting plant care effectively.
How Motherhood brings both joy and challenges, impacting identity
The crucial role of Community in sharing gardening knowledge
The power of gardens to connect people across cultures & generations
Starting with one plant can enhance mental well-being.
The value of rest and self acceptance

Loved this? Try another:

Tim Pilgrim - Creating Wild Spaces; The Art Of Natural Design

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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Come with us for a wander through the fertile grounds of possibility with James McLennon, the visionary behind Farm My School. Todays ep unearths how a patch of school soil can become so much more than a playground—it can nourish bodies, minds, and entire communities. From the thriving farm at Bellarine Secondary College to the ripple effects it’s having on students, neighbours, and local food systems, James shares how education and regeneration can thrive side by side. This is a story about reimagining our schools as living, breathing ecosystems—places where compost becomes curriculum and connection becomes the harvest. Tune in for a hopeful glimpse of a future where every school grows food, community, and a deep sense of belonging.

We talked about:

School grounds can become fertile community hubs—places that feed both bellies and belonging
When locals roll up their sleeves together, school gardens become living lessons in connection
Building a farm in a single day can spark a groundswell of hope, pride, and shared purpose
Food production isn’t separate from education—it is education in its most delicious form
Regenerative farming principles can take root in classrooms, teaching care for soil and soul alike
Local food systems are the backbone of resilient communities and thriving futures
When students grow food, they also grow confidence, calm, and mental well-being
Partnering with local growers deepens food diversity and strengthens community ties
The Farm My School model offers a blueprint for rewilding education from the ground up
The vision ahead: a network of school farms growing food, connection, and a future of togetherness

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

Links You'll Love
Farm My School onlineLoved this? Try these:

Jamie Loveday - Sowing Seeds for Food Deserts in the CitySupport the Show
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Jade and Dalee wander through the tender terrain where creativity, womanhood, and everyday life meet. Speaking openly about the way our inner cycles shape what we make and how we show up in the world — and how hard it can be to hold space for both art and livelihood.

Together they explore the slow evolution of Dalee’s creative path, the courage it takes to collaborate, and the quiet emotional work of home-schooling while running a small business. Their chat drifts into community — the messy beauty of shared living in an intentional community, the texture that neurodiversity brings to family life, and the lessons learned from leaning into interdependence.

It’s a conversation about connection — to self, to others, and to place. About boundaries that protect passions, creativity and community so we are reminded of who we each are and what our individual work is to do - within the collective. Today we ask what it means to live a life guided by values — to curate something meaningful, slow, and true.

Buy their co-created perennial Futuresteading calendar

Links You'll LoveDalee Ella Substack

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EP 151, Dani Wolf, Mashing Together Mama Wisdom and Earth Wisdom Support the Show
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We talked about:

Creativity rises and falls with our cycles; honouring them deepens the work

Flat moods are quiet ground where truth takes root

Art reminds us we belong to something vast

Balancing commerce and creation asks for courage and clarity

Our art shifts as we do — mirroring each inner season

Collaboration thrives on bravery, honesty, and deep listening

Homeschooling stirs chaos, wonder, and unexpected insight

When values lead, both life and art hold meaning

Creativity wanders, retreats, and blooms anew

Awareness keeps our creative fires tended

Simplicity and making offer a gentle kind of wealth

Neurodiversity brings texture, colour, and grace to family life

Community living teaches patience, humility, and belonging

Shared spaces grow empathy and reciprocity

Boundaries make tenderness possible

Home reveals itself slowly, like a seed choosing where to root

Living together reminds us how to give and receive with care

Discomfort is the soil where growth begins

Intentional living ripples outward in quiet legacy

A meaningful life is curated through focus and gentle discernment

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In this episode, Demi Lee takes us deep into the story of Eclectica — a movement, a community, and a living expression of embodiment and transformation. Together, we explore how dance becomes a language for healing, how grief can serve as an elder and sacred teacher, and how true empowerment begins with self-responsibility.

Demi shares the evolution of Eclectica from a creative experiment into a profound rite of passage — one that invites people to come home to their bodies, their emotions, and their truth. Through honest reflections on community, relationships, and heart-centered living, this conversation reveals how we can turn life’s challenges into initiations that reconnect us with purpose and love.

It’s an exploration of what it means to live embodied, to honor our inner seasons, and to build communities that hold us through the cycles of becoming.

Key Takeaways:

Grief is not just loss — it’s an initiation into depth, compassion, and the full spectrum of love.
Movement and dance can reconnect us with intuition, release stored emotion, and ground us in presence.
The Power of Community: holding people in the dark.
Self-Responsibility in Relationships: Owning our patterns and triggers allows for more authentic, heart-based connection.
Rites of Passage: rituals that mark transformation.
Choosing love, responsibility, boundaries, and honesty as guiding principles transforms how we show up in the world.
A journey into remembering who you are beneath the noise — embodied, empowered, and whole.

Show Notes

Eclectica - https://www.eclecticahub.com/

Passage of Self Online Course - https://www.eclecticahub.com/passage-of-self

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In this conversation, Jade sits down with Meg Ulman (sadly not in person) — heart led writer, mother, educator, maker & one part of Artists as Family — to unpick what it really means to live on your own terms.

They trace the winding road toward a neo-peasant life — one defined less by nostalgia & more by intention. They talk about living with a fundamental trust in yourself to make decisions, parenting within community & the grit & grace of staying true to your values.

Meg describes herself as cash poor but time rich, together they explore what that trade-off really feels like.

They talk about the ache of impermanence — how everything we love we will lose — what it means to become good at grief rather than trying to outrun it. What it feels like to feel alive, trusting your instinct to survive & holding a desire to be part of that holding — the invisible web that keeps us tethered to one another & to the earth itself.

Meg shares her reflections on solitude, on listening deeply to the land beneath her feet & on the quiet privileges of aging — not as decline, but as initiation. There’s talk of ritual, of story & of the small daily acts that remind us who we are.

It’s a conversation that doesn’t romanticise simplicity but celebrates the beauty & honesty of a life well noticed.

Links You'll Love

Artist As Family You Tube

Loved this? Want More of Meg: Artist as family - rites of passage and grief

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Show notes:

The path to a neo-peasant life begins with tiny, conscious seeds — small shifts that grow into whole new ways of being
To live authentically is to let your values lead, even when the world is shouting for you to do otherwise
Raising kids in a web of real connection builds belonging that no algorithm can match
To feel the full weight of love, we have to make peace with loss — grief is proof that we’ve lived deeply
Parenting (and life) gets easier when we trust the quiet tug of intuition more than the noise of advice
Simple living isn’t always easy — the work is real, but so is the satisfaction
None of us are meant to do this alone; community is the net that catches us
Feeling the whole spectrum — joy, ache, awe — is what it means to be truly alive
Sometimes self-discovery starts with walking away from the script you were handed.
Rites of passage & initiations remind us where we’ve been, and mark who we’re becoming
Listening with your body — not just your head — tunes you into the language of the earth
Solitude isn’t loneliness; it’s the quiet space where truth grows roots
Moving from maiden to elder
Aging is a privilege — each wrinkle a story of survival & grace
Being time-rich beats being time-poor every single day

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What does it really look like to live inside the dream of community? To share walls & gardens, decision-making & dinner tables — & to raise children in a village that actually lives its values?

In this conversation, we sit down with Suzie Brown, long-time advocate for sustainable living & proud resident of the Narara Eco-Village. Suzie opens the gate & lets us wander through the realities of intentional community life — from the joy of shared purpose & spontaneous connection, to the inevitable challenges of governance, regulation & difference.

She shares how Narara’s unique decision-making structures help navigate conflict, why research & planning matter long before the first foundation is laid & what it takes to keep a community diverse, accessible, & truly alive.

This chat is as much about belonging as it is about building — about the quiet power of volunteering, the laughter that spills from community events & the deep satisfaction of knowing you’re part of something larger than yourself.

So settle in & join us as we explore what happens when a group of humans decides to live more lightly — & more together.

Pod Partners Rock:Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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Buy the Books:

Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters

Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about:

How children benefit from growing up in a supportive environment
Sociocracy allows for effective decision-making in communities
Conflict resolution is crucial for the success of eco-villages
Research into successful eco-villages informs best practices
Accessibility and affordability are challenges for eco-village living
Community events help integrate new members into the village
Pets can be a contentious issue in community living
Participating in an eco-village requires active engagement
Community members are joint owners of the cooperative
Building a sustainable community involves significant effort & collaboration
The concept of 'pulsing' allows for shared leadership & energy levels
Joy & fun are essential for community cohesion.
Governance models like sociocracy help manage community dynamics
Financial planning is crucial for the sustainability of eco-villages
Regulatory challenges can hinder the building process in eco-villages
Volunteering is a key aspect of community involvement
Living in an eco-village fosters a deep sense of belonging

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Today we wander into the layered world of Tim Pilgrim—a landscape architect and gardener who sees soil, water, and wildness as teachers. Tim invites us to connect with the land rather than control it, to design gardens that honour both human need and ecological integrity.

Together we explore the art of observation and the quiet discipline of water management, learning how these practices build truly sustainable landscapes. Tim shares how gardens evolve over time, shaped by climate change and by the gentle hands—and sometimes heavy footprints—of people. We tackle the prickly debates too: lawns that demand more than they give, the dance between native and non-native plants, and the cultural stories that every planting choice can tell.

Tim also speaks to the community side of gardening: how diversity—of species, of people, of ideas—creates resilience; how food can slip seamlessly into ornamental spaces; how the rhythm of a gardener’s life becomes a legacy of naturalistic design.

This is a conversation for anyone ready to see gardens not just as pretty spaces but as living narratives—places where history, ecology, and our shared future root down together.

We chatted about:

Landscapes shape the stories we tell & vice versa
A holistic approach to gardening fosters biodiversity
Designing for wildness requires sensitivity & observation.
Gardens should evolve with the needs of their inhabitants
Climate change necessitates adaptable gardening practices
Water management is crucial for sustainable gardening
Human influence can coexist with natural ecosystems
Saying phooey to lawns
"I'm not a purist; I embrace all plants that look good"
Gardens as spaces for community connection
Gardening to build a rhythm that aligns with nature's cycles
Gardens as places that reflect personal & cultural histories
Gardens as inclusive spaces for all living things

Links You'll LoveFind Tim online including his book "Wild By Design"

Loved this? Try another

Shane Simonsen - Taming the apocalypse, exploring a post industrial world & maize making people mad Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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Today we wander into the wild tangle that is Sarah Firth’s world—a place where curiosity is currency and difference is pure gold. Sarah calls herself a polyhuman, and you’ll feel why as she opens up about neurodivergence, the grit and grace of making art, and the small, daily rituals that stitch meaning into our messy lives.

This is a conversation about courage and kindness, about owning our impact while staying tender enough to connect. It’s an invitation to question the systems around us, take responsibility for the ripples we make, and revel in the glorious complexity of being human.

We talked about:

Being a polyhuman & adapting identity based on context
How curiosity drives her interactions, leading to meaningful connections
Neurodivergence has shaped her understanding of herself & her creativity
Why art in all its forms serve as a medium for exploration & expression of complex emotions
Courage is found in embracing differences & challenging mainstream narratives
The creative process is iterative, involving learning from peers & experiences
Humanity is complex, understanding this complexity fosters empathy
Rituals in daily life can create meaning & connection to the world
Finding 'enoughness' involves balancing personal joy with systemic responsibilities.

Pod Partners Rock:

Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

Links You'll LoveEventually Everything Connects - by Sarah FirthSarah Firth Instagram

Loved this ep? Try anotherEmily Ehlers - Hope is a Verb

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Summary

Today we slip into a cosmic campfire chat with Debra Silverman based in Colorado—where psychology shakes hands with the stars & the four elements (wind, earth, fire and water) become our guides. Debra’s journey weaves scepticism with wonder, showing how astrology (despite its esoteric nature can actually ground us in community and help us really see ourselves through practical, lived experience.

Together Jade & Debra dig into the pull of ritual & nature, the strange hum of technology in our relationships, & the quiet wisdom our elders carry. It’s a conversation that asks us to honour the sacred in everyday life while daring to imagine what AI might mean for the humans we’re remembering to be.

Links You'll LoveDebra Silverman online

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Fleur Chamber - Riding the Waves of Life with the Essence of Presence

Cynthia Jurs - The Art of Sacred Activism

We talked about

The power that asserts itself when Astrology & psychology complement each other
The four elements of Earth, Air, Wind & Fire are fundamental to understanding personalities.
How scepticism about astrology can be addressed through practical application
The role of Community in personal growth & learning
The incredible role that Eldership brings to wisdom holding & the sense of responsibility that it entails
Rituals & connection to nature are essential for well-being
Why technology hinders genuine human connection
Navigating change w awareness & adaptability
How her personal growth has been a lifelong journey influenced by astrology
The future of AI if it considers human values & compassion

Pod Partners Rock

Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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In this episode, we welcome Stephen Jenkinson—writer, teacher, storyteller, and founder of the Orphan Wisdom School. Stephen is known for breaking open the marrow of language and returning it in all its poetic weight. His work on elderhood, grief, dying wise, and the making (and unmaking) of culture has touched people all over the world.

His newest book, Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, and the Heart’s Work, takes on what he calls the “mother of a culture”—the wedding. In a time when so many weddings risk becoming performances, spectacles, or non-events, Stephen asks: what would it mean to make a wedding real?

In this conversation we explore:

Why vows are not the same as promises
How families, friends, and communities become witnesses rather than spectators
Why weddings matter in a culture of high divorce rates and discredited rituals
What it means for the union of two people to implicate everyone present
The difference between a ceremony that entertains and a ceremony that truly happens

This is not just a conversation about marriage. It’s about consequence, culture, and what it might take to make our ceremonies—and our lives—real.

Links You'll Love

Orphan Wisdom

Matrimony the Book

Arc + Craft: An Exploration of Creativity and Culture Making Event

Loved this ep? Try this one:

160 Manda Scott - Pondering how we became accidental gods of this land & seeking connection to it with humility not control

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Lets dig into the quiet, radical world of seeds with plant breeder & seed keeper Gregg Muller. Gregg’s journey has been about more than growing food — it’s about safeguarding diversity, resilience & flavour in the face of a changing climate. From his work on the Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Tomato Project to the community breeding groups he champions, Gregg shows how ordinary gardeners can become part of something much bigger: shaping plants that thrive where we live. We talk about the simple, practical steps of saving seed, but also about the deeper shift in perspective — moving away from industrial uniformity & back towards local adaptation, community sharing & seed sovereignty. It’s a conversation that reminds us that resilience starts in our own backyards, one seed at a time

Links You'll Love from Gregg:

Food Security through Biodiversity and Promiscuous Pollination by Joseph Lofthouse
Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and SeedSaving By Carol Deppe
https://goingtoseed.org/
https://osseeds.org/
Central Victorian Adaptive Crop Breeding Project
His online seed shop
https://www.seedsavers.org.au/

Pod Partners Rock:Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Loved this ep? Try this one:

Shane Simonsen - Taming the apocalypse

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

We chatted about:

Saving seeds from homegrown vegetables.
Creating new varieties through cross-pollination.
The Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Tomato Project
Genetic diversity is crucial for resilient crops in changing climates.
Diversity in crops helps ensure food security.
Breeding as a community effort Community, fostering local adaptation & resilience
Genetic diversity is crucial for climate resilience in crops
Modern seed production often limits genetic diversity
Rethinking agricultural practices can lead to better outcomes.
Seed banks play a vital role in food security.
Individuals can take practical steps to save seeds.

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Today we’re pulling up a chair with Angela Clifford — farmer, food activist & founder of Eat New Zealand — to talk about the stuff that really matters: food, culture, community & the future our kids will inherit. Together we wander through big ideas & very real feelings — from the responsibility of feeding a nation to the grief & hope that come with caring deeply for place. Permaculture principles, family dynamics, natural systems & the wisdom that lives beyond humans all get a look-in. This one’s about finding steadiness in uncertain times & remembering that the way we eat, grow & gather can be an anchor for resilience, connection & joy.

Links You'll Love

Eat NZ

The Food Farm

Loved this ep? Try this one:

Osprey Oriel Lake - the story is in our bones

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We chatted about:

It's not just one person's work; it's a collective responsibility.
Feeling a deep sense of obligation for future generations.
Natural systems provide inspiration and strength.
Small changes can shift large systems.
Understanding food systems is crucial for meaningful contributions.
Food citizenship empowers individuals to affect change.
Cultural acknowledgment is essential in a national context.
Permaculture principles guide long-term thinking.
Community sufficiency is prioritized over self-sufficiency.
Navigating family dynamics requires courage and shared values. Community thrives when the community thrives.
In uncertain times, community becomes essential.
Grief can lead to meaningful action.
Natural landscapes offer grounding and wisdom.
Personal experiences shape our understanding of the world.
We can make a difference in our local environments.
Elders can be found in nature, not just in humans.
Facing grief allows for growth and perspective.
Connection to the land is vital for our existence.
We have a role to play in regeneration.

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Spring is peeking through here in Southern Australia, and today we’re heading into the garden — but not just for veggies. We’re going a little wild for the birds, bees, and butterflies. Our guest, Jaclyn Crupi, lifelong gardener and many times author, grew up with her nonna and nonno’s hands-in-the-dirt wisdom. These days, she’s transformed her patch beyond just a productive veggie garden into a thriving sanctuary that welcomes not just humans, but insects, birds, fungi — the whole backyard ecosystem. Whether you’ve got a big block, a small suburban yard, or even just a balcony, Jaclyn’s here to share how messy gardening and even a ‘lizard lounge’ can turn any space into a refuge for wildlife.

We chat about why those with their hands in the dirt are leaving a legacy, telling stories though our gardening & why we need messy gardens now more than ever.

Links to find Jaclyn

https://www.jaclyncrupi.com/

Loved this ep? Try another:

Natasha Morgan shares her oak and Monkey Puzzle life

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We chatted about:

Gardeners leaving legacies for future generations
Embracing messy spaces
Letting go of curation
Transitioning our mindset
Gardens as analogies for life
The importance of biodiversity

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It’s about time Jade Miles takes the mic so we can pick her brain and her heart about ‘huddling’ for the future of all! We chat about what is our ecological work to do, our soul work to do as we come together in all kinds of communities.

We decolonise our minds by moving into our hearts: away from extraction and spectacle, toward opulence of the ordinary- soil under nails, soup shared warm, shared conversations around a fire, singing songs as ritual. We name the practices that bind us: huddle, muddle, cuddle- messy, tender, and profoundly effective.

Jade’s new book, Huddle, is a field guide for this future: small circles doing big things. Gather often. Trade skills. Move through initiation. Tell truer stories. Let the elders speak. Listen deeply. Make a ritual. Define your enoughness. In a time that worships scale, choose closeness. In a culture that fears the muddle, trust in the huddles!.

Because the way we will change the planet is not by shouting across the void but by huddling in, shoulder-to-shoulder, until courage becomes contagious and care becomes the norm.

Links You'll LoveIf Women Rose Rooted - Sharon Blackie -- Duckworth

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We talked about

Huddling is about coming together in community.
Human interactions can be complex due to trauma and ego.
Rituals help fill the gaps in our lives.
Understanding our phases of life can guide our growth.
Eldership and wisdom sharing.
Ancestral connections can deepen our sense of belonging.
Enoughness is crucial in a consumer-driven world.
We must be mindful of our impact on future generations.
Being heart-led creates a different world.

Loved this? Try these:

Jane Hilliard - "Enough-ness" do you have it?

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Ever wondered what lines a deer’s stomach? Or how to turn bark into tincture—or tea into a gateway to your primal self?

Meet Will and Eva: barefoot, leather-clad rewilders who traded ‘normal’ for firelight, foraging, and full-blown nature immersion. I first met them in a smoky tent at the Off Grid Living Festival—tea in hand, bird calls in the air, and stories thick as eucalyptus sap.

Since then, they've taught rewilding workshops at Black Barn Farm and reminded us all just how useless strategic planning feels when someone’s casually tanning a hide next to you.

Will’s a youth worker, Eva braved Alone Australia, and together they run Wild Beings—a living, breathing invitation to reconnect with the wildness written in our bones.

This one’s part campfire, part gut punch, part call to remember. Let's get barefoot!

Links You'll LoveWild beings - Rewilding with Will and Eva

Sand talk - Tyson Yunkaporta

Emergence Magazine Podcast - is the river alive

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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We talked about

Rewilding to live in balance with the ecosystem and for us as humans.

Going bush to slow right down to ensure the pace stays ‘human’

Grounding through crafts, string bags, leather making, hunting, fire lighting

The potency of being fire side to create transformation and to self regulate

Becoming a “Hunter” that practices reverence and honouring of a life by using ALL the pieces

Remembering ancient skills like tanning, hunting, bone broth making,

Seeking knowledge keepers in all the forms and all the places

Will’s love of plants and hunting, Eva’s love of tanning and movement as a catalyst to rewild

Why learning these skills is a never ending journey of learning

Carving independence within their life of togetherness

Why seeing people learn gives eva hope

Sustaining ourselves on this continent with wild meat would provide an opportunity for native species to thrive

Finding a Sit spot

Finding people at the edges

Self directed rights of passage

Loved this? Try these:

Lisa wells - making a life at the end of the world

Billa - the woman at the Wild School

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When did having twin basins and three toilets become the norm? As an architect who bucks the idea of bigger-is-better Jane Hilliard uses the principle of “Enoughness” as a design principle for the built environment. Its better for both the natural environment and the people around us. It allows us to be rich in ways that matter instead of buying into the idea that grandeur will make us happy.
For her 'enough' looks like going out into her backyard supermarket garden picking something and cooking it. Its also having outdoor space & quiet, unstructured time to think. Guided by the principle of “enoughness,” she manages her work load to keep her energy output within her own capacity while meeting her modest need for resources to sustain her family and business.

Links You'll Love

Designful - Janes design agency

Podcast partners ROCK!

Australian Medicinal Herbs

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Show notes

Bringing her love of arts and social justice together
Sidestepping stress and money in the architecture design world.
Ensuring sustainability isn't just an add-on rather than core to design
Why the endless pursuit of “more” and better is relentless and pointless
Asking “what is enough?” starts with your values and how you want to feel.

“I ask myself: What is enough work to sustain me, my creativity, my staff and the financial resources we need to sustain my practice.”

What "enough" looks like for her high-school age children.

“I enjoy causing a bit of a stir…not in a way that’s shaming anyone…but by pushing back on the system, not individuals.”Working a 9 day fortnight
Small rituals like, morning coffee, starting the day outside, growing food, being present with her children.
Normalising messy, lived in homes which change with the seasons and as its occupants get older.
Why central heating has loosened family ties
Living in a smaller space with less resources helps us develop negotiation skills and foster connections.
Simplify life by starting with one thing.
How much are you packing into your week, or your year?

“The more work I take on, the less time and energy I have for all the other projects we have already, and I’ll enjoy them a little less too.”

"We have everything we need to go forward into the future. It's not about gaining new knowledge or new skills or new technology or new tools. It's about stripping things back and getting rid of a lot of stuff."
We need to be grateful for how much the earth gives us and not to take too much.
Our culture is dominated by growth and seeking opportunity. The desire for more can be part of our status and identity.
People are trying to meet their needs with things instead of meaning.
A mentality that “I’ve worked hard and I deserve it” is a strong focus for Jane's clients.
Just because "you've worked hard and deserve it" doesn’t mean you should aim for the biggest and shiniest.
"We stay in tents and shacks when we go away, why can’t we bring this spirit into our own house? How about an outdoor kitchen…why not?"

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Helena Norberg-Hodge is a writer, filmmaker, international speaker and leader of the global localisation movement.

She’s been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than 40 years, and is one of the world’s most treasured environmentalists and visionaries.

Today Helena pulls up an apple crate at the Futuresteading campfire to share stories from Ladakh, lament the madness of globalization and light the way back (and forward) to oneness.

We discuss the true wealth of traditional societies, the dangers of scale and tech solutions, pressure to conform to a consumer monoculture, and the real economy of Mother Gaia.
Oh, she’s brilliant folks. We’re so excited to welcome you into this conversation.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

World Localization Day
Local Futures
Noam Chomsky
Small is Beautiful ~ E F Schumacher
Naomi Klein
Russel Brand
Brian Eno

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

We Talked About

How she ended up on a remote plateau in Tibetan India.
Discovering the healthiest, happiest, most peaceful people she had ever met.
Existing under surveillance in times of political tension.
The true wealth of traditional societies.
Why people everywhere are being pressured to conform to a consumer monoculture.
A need for a deeper dialogue between the west and the global south.
The path of separation; being herded into urban centres and separated from the land.
Instead of being dependent on the land, we became dependent on enormous institutions to meet our needs.
Manufactured scarcity.
The luxury of using more energy per person per capita… is it actually a luxury?
Policy change is needed to make decentralisation possible
Pollies on auto-pilot re. urbanisation. Governments are separating us from the sources of our food, creating unsustainable, toxic, energy-hungry situations in the name of growth.
Why most people are getting poorer despite our obsession with growth.
Towards smaller towns and smaller cities.
When you shorten the distance between farm and table, you have market pressure towards diversity.
What happens when people are replaced by energy and technology.
Stay away from the propaganda that’s saying we need technological fixes.
In Ladakh, everyone grows up with a multi-dimensional knowledge of how to grow, build, make clothes, dance, create.
How modernity negatively affects young people versus radiantly confident youth in Ladakh.
Australia flies food to China to be processed before being flown back again.
The things we aren’t hearing about in the climate movement.
Are people in power totally evil?
Localisation is

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SummaryAkin to a cuppa while flicking through photo albums, this conversation is rich with stories of her lived experiences across every continent & through many decades. This wisdom holder has offered her life in service by knowledge sharing. A much respected permaculture educator, her foundation is science based, heart felt & relational in every way. Her practical generosity has contributed to refugee camps in war torn countries and her commitment to empowering communities without becoming a guru is refreshing.

Links You'll Love

The Earth Restorers Guide - Rosemary MorrowEarth Users Guide - Rosemary Morrow

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Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

We Talked about

Adaptation principles - Observe carefully, backup functions, seeing solutions, being prepared to make change & noticing
Is water more destructive than drought?
Creating a culture where people are comfortable to listen to their intuition
The critical value of eco literacy - taught in childhood but forgotten in adulthood
Building confidence in ourselves to enact change
Operating as a community rather than individuals who are side by side
Looking for change outside of ‘lobby groups’
The power of the collective rather than individual leaders
Intuition is when you know something from a prior sensory input but haven't made it conscious yet - this relies on eco literacy and enables us to come up with solutions
Her Vietnamese experience - connecting traditional knowledge with permaculture principles using the pyramid approach of community teaching
Removing guru’ism by teaching locally and inbuilding principles that ensure the original teacher is no longer needed because the knowledge is in the community
Her scientific background has ensured she is less inclined towards whims, rather its focussed on critical thought
Making people eco literate by starting with a focus on the fundamentals
Why permaculture is not western middle class - it is adaptable to traditional knowledge?
The role of traditional ritual and custom in building community - the Songs of Community
Singing to recognise climate, topography, people, direction, acknowledging the power and might of the natural over humans - keeps us small and in a sense of wonder
Reading plants as secular or sacred
Ritual is acknowledge of our small scope, observation and awe
Seeing permaculture as a jigsaw where we can take the pieces we need for the places we are in
Permaculture is not an armchair discipline - it’s a discipline of service through knowledge sharing
We are all as poor as the poorest person
The power of permaculture in giving individuals agency and the ability to bring change

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We know that Western culture lives excessively, endlessly seeking the newest and shiniest new thing. Its shocking that 40% of our food goes to waste, one third of our building materials are never even used. But this way of life will be short lived and thankfully being wasteful is now on the nose and cool cats like Joost are making waves by making junk UBER COOL. What can we do to create a new way forward in what he describes as the most exciting time in human history?

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book -Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

We Talked About

Keeping family as number one
Keeping it real with family to ensure they are present
His journey through waste which began using other peoples junk
Spending his spare time in junkyards collecting and using other peoples waste
Even the poster boy doesn't get everything right - examples of things that haven't worked
For every project that gets up there are 3 or 4 which didn't - that’s having a go! And through the Process we discover a new way forward
Attracting like minded people to build a community and deliver amazing projects
Showcasing the innovation and vast knowledge that exists in this country
Creating binless hospitality businesses
Curating the message for living waste free so that people understand it.
Considering materials based on their ability to be recycled
Living in the most exciting time in human history
Getting creative to find solutions that allow us to continue our existing lives with minimal compromise
There's something mentally wrong with us when we endlessly chase the next, new, shiny, big thing.
Being properly nourished and connected to the outdoors satiated our desires and replace our desire for STUFF.
Using plants to support our sleep
Reverting to primitive practices to reconnect to ourselves
Starting our day with simple, natural world practices
If we’ve got 3 hours to be on social media, surely we’ve got time to make our everyday actions more intentional.
We feel great after gardening not just because its sensorially beautiful but because you are breathing in microbiomes
Observation is a lost trait we need to rebuild
His fascination with the perfect sized branch for birds
All his buildings are covered in 8 mil rio mesh because it's perfect for the birds
If you really want to understand why he makes the decisions he does then check out his instagram pages

Links You'll Love

The Greenhouse film -

Future Food System Instagram

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This homeschooling mum of three spends her days foraging, growing, swapping & upskilling all in the name of continuing to live her version of normal in an abnormal world where we've lost touch with our food, medicine & the natural world.
After taking her time with her families transition to this way of life, her newfound confidence & conviction ensures she won't be told what to do by big business or have her opinions changed by corporations. Although not all plain sailing-she shares valuable insights into the bumpy but ultimately rewarding path she's been on.
"Living in a cushioned culture is limiting in our ability to share skills & share knowledge"

Links You'll Love

Living the dream permaculture

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We Talked About
Eating meat that you’ve met - being responsible for the whole life cycle
Stepping stones to this way of life - starting small, with what you’ve got
Learning from failure as you scale
The fallacy of being self sufficient
Foraging, bartering & selling excess of what you do grow to access the things you don’t grow
Why being dogmatic isn't always the answer to the long game
Homeschooling - learning happens everywhere, everyday
Being led by kids & their natural interest areas
Building a family rhythm around the personal needs of everyone in the family
Rebuilding normalWhy it’s difficult to be a people pleaser but stay true to yourself
Learning to trust your honesty will be supported & not knocked
It’s hard to live your normal in an abnormal world - the way we eat, shop treat people
Education of self is the first step in shifting towards taking agency
Why food was her on-ramp to understanding how to make her own decisions
Accepting that a shift in our lives will take time - we each need to take it as we are ready
Transitioning via new skills & a new mindset
Letting this way of living be a lifetime of work
Learning one skill and mastering it each year
Using herbs to heal now and in the future
Learning to get used to people not agreeing with how she lives her life
Making mistakes in safe places while you learn
Learning how to manage microclimates
Building an annual seasonal rhythm to ensure balance
450sq m of intensive growing space for a family of five300 sq metres managed by the kids
Water bath canning, dehydration
Collecting food waste every week by salvaging food from mainstream supermarkets to supplement her families food
Why she is opting for a house cow not a house goat
There’s always next year…..
Learning to forgive your short comings
Connecting without belonging
How not going to a school was a disadvantage
While she feels at home she doesn't feel like she belongs
Defying the odds of ‘surviving this life’ & thriving
Finding ways to connect with people who have different ideals
The value of relying on your neighbours - creating a sense of place by calling on your neighbours
Things only move at the speed of trust & a willingness to push through the awkward.
Sta

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Described as 'all striving no arriving…' Sarah thrives in the early stages of a movement - feeling her way into the zeitgeist of now & unpacks in ways that resonate with reality. Ultimately driven by curiosity & shunning growth, she talks about Wild Activism as a responsibility of the current age with agency in tact.

Having less fucks to give about speaking her mind & with a bipolar superpower, she shares how she is unlearning & returning to humanity to navigate out of a spiritual PTSD, simultaneously saving but living the fuck out of life’, and why she is off to Paris

Links You'll Love

This wild and precious life - Sarah Wilson
Helen Lewis interview with Jordan Peterson
Helen Lewis - Difficult Women
First we make the beast beautiful - Sarah Wilson
Steve Jobs - Commencement Speech

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Code: Future5

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Show notes

Taking her cue from International women of strength
Owning her intensity
Has the lucky country become more racist and bigoted?
Why laid back Aussies don’t want their comfort boat rocked by the reality of the less wealthy.
Why Aussie’s are aching to not be the anti intellectual country down South
Feeling into where the pain points are for the humans around her
The story behind donating 100% of the I Quit Sugar profit
Her conscious decision to live rather than take her life by stepping into the option of shedding everything and letting go of ALL the things she was attached to.
Setting a 5 year goal to be content w not being beholden to the endless desire for more.
Trodding her ego into the ground & the outcome thrusting her into growth
Every time she releases her grip & lets the flow of life back in - growth prevails.
Learning to get engaged & enraged about the climate crisis
Turn anxiety into action
We live in a culture where discomfort & inconvenience thrive yet we feel alive when we are on the edge & pushed out of our comfort zone.
Lighting the way back to love
Defining her Dharma
Fostering indigenous children as a respite carer
The responsibility of steadying yourself wh

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Fire has long been a revered force, respected for its ceremonial holding, practical contribution to feeding, sterilising, warming, lighting and yarning around. These days though, few of us interact with fire regularly despite it connecting us to our ancestors and gently reminding us of what it means to be human.

Off the back of tragic circumstances when he was just 16, todays guest Cade Mcconnell, intentionally side stepped the drug fuelled, party filled scene that often lures late teens early 20 year men and instead went in search of what it meant to be a man. He found instead, ceremonial fires, yoga, men's circles, his feelings and what it means to operate in an intentional and sacred way.

He’s built his life around this way of being and in todays conversation we scratch below the mere mention of things like vision quests and sacred weddings and really unpack what it is to move through the world like this.

For Cade - much of this begins with food, where it was grown it, how its prepared, who shares it and he says that by giving himself the git of making food intentional, it has rewritten his story and the rhythm of his life.

As a retreat caterer, who uses claypots for his cooking Cade says this way of preparing food is fundamentally about being in relationship with plants, clay and fire which is also the name of his book.

His mission is to bring a little earth into every kitchen.

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Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

We talked about:

Rites of passage for young men

Claypot cooking

Creating more ceremony in our life

Holding our loved ones to account

Giving ourselves permission to take the time needed to create nourishing, love filled food

Mens circles and how they impact our living patterns

Building sacred communities

The impact of suicide

The value of counselling pre marriage

Why its important to build a strong foundation of trust and love for yourself before you offer this to another in marriage

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"Living as modern humans we are disconnected, out of place and don't belong in the same way as other species"

"If you're feeling called to do something larger than you - you should follow that"

Summary

Todays guest Elspeth Hay experienced a rewriting of all she had known when when one day she was grappling with the frustration that the area she calls home didn't have the ability to create more small scale, localised food systems because they were landlocked by the ocean and surrounded by established Oak forests. Until one day her belief and her story was challenged when she learned that we can eat acorns. From there stories she’d believed her whole life began to unravel. Not just about acorns but about the way humans have pattered ourselves to our current day reality.

This process led her to write a book titled feed us with trees. The journey of the book creation took her on an ancestral tour from New England USA to the UK, introduced her to indigenous wisdom keepers, gave her the courage to challenge the system we know to be true and hold empathy for the courageous wisdom knowledge holders that have kept nature based skills and interaction alive.

Elspeth is a is a wonderful story teller and with this skill alone I'm sure she is one of those humans who we need as the bridge to wherever it is we are headed.

"Our story is totally made up & doesn't follow any natural laws so we can look to other influences to rewrite it'

Loved this? Try thesePod ep: Osprey Oriel Lake - the story is in our bones

Pod ep: Hillary Giovale -becoming a good relative

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbscode: future5

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We talked about:

Her birdwatching childhood that laid the groundwork for her landscape connection
How chronic pain was a catalyst for change
Why changing our story can reframe our patterning and behaviour
Finding connection in the "common lands"
Challenging the 'no farms no food story'
Sidestepping the productivity story
Why our colonisation story began with the desire to control labour
Colonial expansion & the beginning of capitalism
Letting go of the idea that we have ALL the answers
Right story/wrong story
Why this needs to be the work of an entire culture
Basket weaving as her gateway to creating a new story
The magic of song to rebuild a culture
finding ways to connect you to place

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“We’ve lived fantastic lives because we’ve taken for granted the ecological damage we’ve done. Now we owe a debt"

Well respected ecologist Simon Mustoe has written a new book How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature. In its pages there's a definite sense of encouragement because ultimately Simon believes we are already seeing indicators of monumentally important shifts in our relationship with earth.

In todays conversation we tackle the dichotomy between wisdom & knowledge, deciding that “It doesn't necessarily mean how much you know - if you don't have the wisdom to interpret it & you can’t do anything worthwhile with it.

We discover the economic value of a whale when we really unpack what it does for the world & we conclude that the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is one of the most important conservation books of all time.

“Ecosystem complexity makes it abundantly clear that we will NEVER understand everything completely.”

Loved this, try another: Digby Hall or Satyajit Das

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We talked about:

The wider impact of saving wildlife in our own backyards
Government enabling communities to act as custodians & not corporations
How animals make ecosystems work & the impact on our daily lives
“We’re not in control of anything & we lack a comprehensive understanding of what it is we now need to do.”
How 700 koalas were killed by a unilateral decision made behind closed doors.
Valuing the human response to damaged nature.
11 x increase in the amount of funding available in the last decade for nature based solutions
The localised opportunities for people to contribute to the livelihood that they belong to
Bringing the voices of many for co-designed outcomes that leave legacy’s
Environmental accounting; a transitionary solution to us becoming more connected to the ecosystem
“The decline in our loss of species has had a greater economic impact than all the other climate issues combined”.
Community led planning can unlock potential from nature based solutions.
Being in relationship with ourselves, with our landscapes would take us back to the thing we know how to do well and become PART OF the functioning environment

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Have you ever had that moment where you question -but there MUST be another way?

Well in this conversation, Hayley and Matt Defina explore the journey of finding purpose and reprogramming our outdated ways or patterns to reach a more meaningful way of living.

Matt shares the importance of emotional expression in mental health and his personal experiences that led him to create Another Way, a company focused on intentional living. They discuss the societal pressures surrounding purpose, the impact of environment, and the need for self-care amidst life's demands. The conversation emphasises that purpose is not a destination but a continuous process of growth and connection with oneself and the community.

In this conversation, Matthew Defina and Hayley explore the intricate relationship between love, fear, and personal growth. They discuss the importance of confronting inner fears, the balance between being and doing, and the necessity of community in fostering individual growth.

Find Matt Defina:

https://www.anotherway.au/

https://www.instagram.com/mattdefina_/
https://themancave.life/

More Like This:

Nic Warner ep

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Buy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about:

Purpose is an evolving journey rather than a fixed endpoint.
Emotional expression is crucial for mental well-being and finding purpose.
Self-care is essential, even for those with demanding responsibilities.
Belief systems can create barriers to accessing one's true purpose.
Creating space for self-reflection can lead to significant personal growth.
The journey to purpose often involves overcoming fear and resistance.
Community and support play vital roles in the pursuit of purpose.
Intentional living aligns with one's authentic self and nurtures mental health.
Recognising that actions often stem from love, not fear.
Confronting inner fears is essential for personal growth.
Nervous system regulation is foundational for emotional health.
Finding balance between being and doing is crucial.
Giving oneself permission to desire is a significant challenge.
Community plays a vital role in personal healing and growth.
The journey towards purpose often involves confronting limiting beliefs.
Heart-led living requires courage and authenticity.
Creating space for stillness allows for deeper self-awareness.
The journey of self-discovery is ongoing and transformative.

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Do you fancy the idea of growing your own medicinal herbs for tinctures & tea Todays guest Elle from Australian Medicinal Herbs took the plunge following a career sidestep when she was diagnosed with PTSD & replaced a 17 year career in the police force with a seed to packet business that slowly but surely healed her trauma, engaged her girls & now helps people all over Australia. Today she shares her unfolding story & offers practical guidance & wizened encouragement to get growing in order to take agency of your own health through the potency of healing herbs.

“Life is change - all the small steps you take lead you to another door or another window”

"Herbal medicine is slow medicine & our bodies have adapted to this for generations. Our bodies have certain responses to plants that they don’t to other medicines but we need to be connected & not detached"

More Like This:

Jane Stevens Futuresteading ep

Carolyn Parker Futuresteading ep

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Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - Patreon

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about:

From domestic violence policing to medicinal herb tinctures
PTSD diagnosis after 17 years.
Refocusing on her small children & her own health
How permaculture opened her up to a new way of being
Discovering the truth about our long supply chain food system
Herbs paved her path to healing post PTSD
Seeing herbal remedies as MEDICINE
Mullein is her secret love
Tulsi - a regulator which will find balance
Trusting that your body knows what to do with itself to build vitality
“I don’t recognise the person I used to be - if you take steps towards this, you will eventually get there, be brave enough to persist”
Normalising ‘grounding practice’
Pushing back on handing over our health autonomy to doctors
Have we normalised anxiety? What are the natural solutions
Managing the rocks in our trauma backpack so it doesn't thwart us
Methodically building a life that is home based, nourishing & flows in a seasonal rhythm
Connecting to land & place & looking at things as a whole system
Empowering her daughters to live the life they are called to.
Keeping the Futuresteading podcast alive - GRATITUDE!

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Rarely in life do you meet someone who moves through the world in complete service of others, filling their cup through small but regular actions that offer the world gifts of time, seeds, toilet paper, knowledge. Todays guest is just this person, intrinsically generous…even going so far as to say she stores her excess yields in other humans which in turn proliferates the generosity bug & reap returning acts of kindness as gifted lemon slice & moving boxes.

Today we get to the bottom of what it looks like to blend permaculture principles into your life as a lifelong renter & we talk in earnest about the challenges of this prospect too & why its only getting harder to break the housing realities of so many in Australia, UK & the US.

We dive into why its so important to advocate for yourself when you are - in her words ‘neuro spicy’ & of course no conversation with the urban Nanna would be complete without a thorough rundown on all things foraging!!!

This chat coincides with the launch of Annas newly released book “Everyday Permaculture” which might well become one of those books that you find on the shelf in every household - it definitely SHOULD Be!

“Being so deeply steeped in capitalism makes it hard to ask people to become a permie not a consumer”

“I never expect any member of community to be doing better than others - everyone brings something to the table & we need to value that diversity to see all of us thrive”

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Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Loved this, try another:

Anna the Urban Nanna previously

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbsdiscount code: future5

We talked about-

Growing up undiagnosed neuro spicy - “You’re not broken you’re just wired differently”
Being a wisdom keeper
Building confidence for self advocacy despite imposter syndrome
Being accessible, taking small bites
Seeing community as ‘A healthy forest’, messy, live, flourishing, decaying, breathing
Finding ways to connect rather than divide
There’s no room for consumerism in the foragers mindset
Foraging teaches you to ask how much is enough
Catching & storing energy in other people - breeding goodwill & gratitude
The destabilising vagaries of life as a renter- fighting against injustice to have a roof over your head
Housing crisis realities
Creating belonging when you don't have a stable location to call home.
Breaking up with stuff & setting it free by gifting it to others who will use it.
Building neighbourly relations
Being an active part in the betterment of someone else's life
Living with a spirit of generosity
Creating a community corner of offerings for free
Not existing in a monetary society
COMMUNITY

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"We live in a society where uninitiated men grow up"

In this conversation, Hayley and Nick Warner explore the profound themes of transformation, relationships, and the importance of rites of passage in personal growth. They discuss the challenges of authenticity, the journey back to self, and the cost of inauthenticity in life and relationships. Nick shares insights on the significance of responsibility in relationships, the role of fatherhood as a rite of passage, and the necessity of returning to the heart in a society driven by the mind. The dialogue emphasises the importance of community, mentorship, and the healing power of facing one's pain and fears.

Nic Warner is a father, a mentor, a rites of passage facilitator, and an expert in personal growth, he has helped countless individuals unlock their potential, navigate change, and create lives of purpose and fulfillment across the globe. He focuses on work for both the masculine and feminine, a tantric approach, with a particular passion for helping men break through their masks and step into their truest essence.

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs Discount code 'Future5'

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters, Huddle, Creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about

Rites of passage are crucial for personal growth.
Authenticity is often challenged by societal expectations.
The journey back to self requires courage and trust.
Inauthenticity can lead to a life unfulfilled.
Responsibility in relationships is key to healing.
Fatherhood is a significant rite of passage for men.
Community support is essential for transformation.
Pain can be a teacher if we allow it to be.
Fear can guide us towards our true path.
Living in alignment with one's heart leads to fulfillment.

Follow Nic Warner- https://www.nicwarner.com/

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"What would it mean for us to start asking questions via embodied feelings rather than spreadsheets & rational outcomes…turn off our head and turn on our belly."

“You don’t build communities you build relationships - communities build themselves”

Adrian Black is fresh off the plane from 5 weeks of living in an intentional community - a program designed to create a transformative culture. He shares his experience of transferring from being a series of individuals operating in cohesion of each other to operating as a whole via emotional release ceremonies with tears, grief, joy, laughter & dancing.

He normalises 'cortisol crying' - metabolising to release deep emotions & reminds us that we have just two needs: belonging & authenticity. He has learnt to avoid ‘happiness’ & ‘perfectionism’- which are colonial constructs that set us up to fail and he is now focussed on actively bringing people together to celebrate with people, give gratitude & take the energy of the world to focus on something beautiful and worthwhile.

His final advice is to check in regularly on three things - how are your thoughts, your feelings & your body.

References

Ceres
Francis Weller - the Wild Edge of Sorrow
Dr Gabor Mate
Joanna Macey
Glarisegg EDE

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Books -Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Loved this ep, try this one - Charlie Showers

We chatted about:

Live as nature not with nature
Having agency & care in how we make our decisions
Ecovillage Design Education course
Awakening deep memory
Relearning how to functionally live together in community
Unpacking the word community
Focus on Community first, Family second & individual third
The role that grief plays in our world & what it truly means to be alive
When a physical space can hold SO many things & ask nothing in return
Loneliness at an all time high
Accessing the interconnectedness of everything
Being authentic, not performative
Hearts holding the heartbreak of the world around us
What is your fear telling you - be curious
“I don't always need the light, I just need to remember that it will return”
Avoiding polarisation - replace this with “Experience all that is is to be human”
The role of ritual in community
Frustrated by the reductionist view of the most complex system of all time
Why decision making isn't as simple as a list of pro’s & cons
Making the community self aware of how to manage conflict
Non linear decision making
How do I show up in the relationships in my life. holding care, compassion & curiosity

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None

“Those who have descended from the colonisers, we carry privilege but we also suffer the need to apologise”

Landscapes can etch into your very being & create a remembering. Making us feel whole & reminding us that we are just a thread in the complex web of the natural world. While somewhat insignificant your thread has a role to play as a relative to the threads it lies next too. The way we all interact with each other - both human and other than human, will be our making or our undoing.

Hilary Giovale, author of “becoming a good relative” is based in the ponderosa pine forests of Arizona, opposite a reservation & lives next to the sacred mountain of kinship which she now considers to be her most important teacher. This feels like an important conversation to have had - as two white women without indigenous heritage - it feels uncomfortable to have, and we will forever be learning, but Hilary (a 9th generation settler in the United States) begins the process of unpacking what it means to be in right relationship with the people & place that we each call home - pushing past the burden of white fragility to build pathways of robust healing & reconnection to our landscapes - to reconciliation with first peoples.

She shares what it means to create ancestral alters & how to connect with these elders who’s stories she tells us, are still unfolding.

She reminds us that while the work we have to do is exceptionally confronting, grief won’t kill us & that the time to heal in the bosom of natural landscapes is now.

"Elders are always identified by the community, never by the individual - they are usually unwilling but always shows up for the community, is wise, is generous, is funny, is humble, Our communities can guide us to where the elders are."

Loved this? Try another: Indira Naidoo

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Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters, Huddle, Creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about

Being fed a whitewashed mythology that was a narrative constructed to serve the cultivation of industrialisation.

Realising she had been segregated from the truth of her countries culture

Intergenerational task of building right relations - backwards with her parents & forwards with her children

Creating ancestral alters

Eldership

Healing rituals/programs - ritualised apology & forgiveness

The history of settler colonialism has created trauma, damage, theft of knowledge, land & culture.

“Grief won’t kill you”

The relief of grief through letting tears flow

Common threads of wisdom which runs through indigenous cultures regardless of the continent

Going to the land in a reciprocal & respectful way & asking permission to be guided

Asking “how if at all can I help” informs how to be in right relationship

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“How we raise our children is facilitating a denaturing of our human-ness. The opportunity is to be centred within & rebuild our culture”

Dan Kittridge is the bare footed gent who coined the term Nutrient density off the back of his dao-ist strategy to create a life that afforded him the time & space to be at home with his young family, living simply with just 10k per year on the land.

Over the next 20 years he became clear that his role was simply to serve & that it's not his job to know what he's doing or attempt to implement a plan rather to be sensitive to what's shown to him & respond in a way that was lead by love enabling him to get out of his head, get out of the ‘shoulds’ & get into the heart, asking instead, what flows.

The result has been the creation of the bionutrient institute, a global speaking profile & a life long commitment to renaturing which he says sits at the centre of solving the poly-crises we face.

“Having the right to land to provide adequate housing & food for every family should be a foundational right. The land cannot be sold but you have access to it sufficient for a simple life.”

"As long as we engage with a colonised mind of separation/fear/division, we will not be able to engage with an indigenous mind of love/flow & unity"

“As long as the structure of our lives require us to work jobs for money that are separating us from nature, we are paddling upstream. It becomes difficult to tune into the flow of nature.”

Loved this? Try these:

Manda Scott - Becoming accidental gods

Damon Gameau - A call to arms for storytellers

Pod Partners Rock:Australian Medicinal Herbs - discount code Future5

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Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
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Buy the Books - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters & Huddle Creating a tomorrow of togetherness

We talked about:

“We are not the body we are carrying around we are effectively individual consciousness that has physical attributes. Accepting this changes the way we interact with each other.”

What is a soul - is it ecological? Or is it transcendent love?

Getting ourselves into right relationship requires a serious restructure of our way of being

Beginning to decolonise starts during early childhood

The money vs time equation

The rule of law is a paradox of control that can be equally exasperating & supportive

Understanding that there is a greater order & you don't have to control everything - you just have to be receptive to what is shown to you.

Using nature to model ourselves- symbiosis. Be your own brilliant unique system & then add mycelium to connect others brilliance

The role that feelings have in the way we make decisions

We dont need to KNOW anything - we are already wired with the knowledge we need

If we just work with nature - we will remember who we are and what we are supposed to do.

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"I could live a lifetime here and still be learning - it’s a relationship - the greatest relationship of my life"

Alice Irene Whitaker lives in a small cabin in the woods, is a mother of three, an author of the book “Homing" and host of the 'Reseed podcast, which is about rebuilding our relationship with nature.

Surrounded by creek, meadow, and forest, Alice Irene began a new lifelong journey of repairing her fractured relationship with both herself and the natural world. Dismantling a history of anorexia, obsessiveness, and workaholism, she decided to stop taking and start caretaking.

She shares how taking the leap to a life in a small cabin in the woods where seasons are apparent, repetition is a daily mantra and a shedding of her previous identity onto the forest floor has given her an opportunity to live a lifetime in her new landscape and still be learning from the outside world every day - she sees her surrounds as a relationship-the greatest relationship of her life.

Loved this? Try another one:

Ep 122 Nat Wilmott - Living her dream

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

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We talked about:

Shifting from an extractive life to a regenerative one

Falling in love with a landscape & experiencing the feeling of every cell in her body opening up.

Seeking treescapes

Acknowledging her body is built for creativity, rest & beauty not just output.

Listening to our own stories above the noise of the modern world

Rewriting our stories in the presence of the natural world rather than the presence of accolades, work & job promotions

Being a baby on her journey towards humanity

Justifying working like a machine because you are doing “burnout for good”

The paradox of finding rest despite being needed for the cause

When you take your growth mindset into the “for purpose” space - needing to unpack this.

Creating care and caretakers in our world.

Why care is not soft” and easy to dismiss but is as important as the wheels of industry

Motherhood transformation - the drama of opening up & cracking open to the idea of what is kept and what is left behind

Being oriented on suffering of others or peace for us all. Children have helped her enjoy the act of love & making it personal and care

Quote - “we are all mothers here” it’s not just about giving birth but is needed for all of us and mother earth

What does it mean to go beyond the mothering of our own small household and relate this to

The power of repetition and observing the things which change and the things that stay the same.

Building relationships with both humans and non-human

Becoming child like when you sit & observe moss

Building networks of people who are interested in your niche areas of interest.

Natural world muse.

Being inspired by the tiny hummingbird

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"We need to cultivate a culture of listening in society." But what does it truly mean to listen?

In this episode, we delve into the profound impact that sound can have on our lives as we speak with renowned sound recordist Andrew Skeoch. With his expertise in capturing the essence of nature through sound, Andrew shares his journey of deep listening, the importance of empathetic listening, and how it connects us to the natural world and one another.

Andrew, the author of Deep Listening, records breathtaking natural habitats from across the globe which have gained worldwide attention, with albums that attract tens of thousands of weekly streams on Spotify. His work has also featured in major films like Rabbit Proof Fence, The Jungle Book (2016), and the upcoming Force of Nature starring Eric Bana.

Our conversation delves into the evolution of a heart-centered society that values cooperation over unhealthy competition. Andrew highlights the importance of understanding nature as an ongoing process and discusses how human sensitivity plays a crucial role in shaping our societal values.

Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

Code for Discount: future5

Andrew's Website: https://listeningearth.com/andrewskeoch/

We talked about:

How to deeply listen, slow down and be present.
Empathetic listening to nature and what we can learn by other species.
Cooperation in nature often occurs across diverse species.
Listening helps us connect with our inner selves and the environment.
Nature's evolution shapes behaviors that benefit living systems.
Listening is a powerful tool for social and political change.
We need to cultivate a culture of listening in society.
Nature teaches us that cooperation is more beneficial than competition.
Human sensitivity varies, impacting societal values and interactions.
We must learn from nature to create inclusive social structures.
Practical applications of nature's principles are necessary for societal change.
Understanding our evolutionary past can inform our future interactions.

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Claire is a multi generational Scottish beef farmer who says 'Ag has potency and potential to be a catalyst on the front line of climate catastrophe'.

As a Nuffield scholar 'exploring the scrutiny being placed on agriculture and how perceptions are changing', she embarked on a world research tour. While travelling, she fell in love with an Australian lad & now finds herself living in rural NSW. So after establishing a strong journalism career steeped in trust & long held relationships on home turf, she now finds herself on this wide brown land in the heat of summer without her networks & a need to rebuild a new life with people who she tells us are more laid back, more inclined to use humour dripping in sarcasm to navigate hard things & are exceptionally resilient.

“Leave judgements at the door & come without bias in order to communicate which is both talking but equally listening, we’ve all got to be prepared to change our mindsets”

“First gen farmers are more daring to have hard conversations & to really listen - they can be brave."

"For progress we need to think outside ag - and not just speak to ourselves."

"When will people other than farmers step into the food system & support the much needed potential for farming to be the potent ecological change making piece it is . Farmers cannot be all the things, they are best to be the land stewards but others need to take up the roles of advocating, supply chain development, consumer education, policy change & story telling"

Links You'll Love
Claire Taylor Linked in

Nuffield Scholarship program

Loved this? Try these:
Gab Chan - building political clout for ag

Helen Rebanks - in honor of the farmers wife

Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

Code for Discount: future5

We talked about:

The politics of agriculture - overshadowed by a growing disconnect between politicians in the cities & farmers in the country

Echo chambers are one of the biggest challenges in Ag. Its so important to look up & out to glean perspective on what's happening

We need more patience and understanding in ag because there are deep cultural beliefs & values that will need to shift before practice change can occur

Why its time for farmers to build trust for those who are telling their stories & playing other roles in the food system so we can broaden the scope for support

Ripping the bandaid off & beginning a new life in another country.

Settling her body into a new landscape]

Learning how to say yes to invitations

Learning to be vulnerable with new families and friends

Asking a new friend on a date - you’ll have different friendships at differnt times

The things we do for love - taken in by the boss’s girlfriend

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"Creativity is a life force - the universe is inherently creative - once we realise it's not ours - it takes the ego out of it & encourages all of us to utilise it as a gift for the greater good"

Fleur Chambers is a best selling author, mama, philanthropist & of course a master meditator. Actually she is the creator of the free meditation app: The Happy Habit.

Her post partum experience was the catalyst for seeking another way of being in the world & now she positions meditation as something much larger than just supporting the individuals need as a circuit breaker & asks us to get curious about leaning into an emergent way of being & exploring our intentions without a sense of control and striving. We unpack the deep wisdoms of the inner voice - the voice of nature, of the earth, of our body.

We chat about the potency of parenting as an endless source of learning -importantly the value of dropping the expectation on everyone and replacing it with the essence of presence, learning to trust our own inner voice, opening the door on our potential & realising that growth is not about adding on but about peeling back & letting go.

She shares her theory that Creativity is an energy that doesn’t belong to us and is simply a gift to the world at that moment in time

In this conversation she encourages us to unlearn & relearn towards a new story...

"Its time for a new story - where self esteem & confidence is no longer a patriarchal, corporate, growth dominated paradigm…instead the ease comes from learning to listen, acknowledging traumas, shared humanity, cherish, protect & preserve"'

Links You'll LoveAll things Fleur Chambers: books, courses

Nate Hagens and Bill Plotkin podcast

Loved this ep, try another:

Ep 83 - Naturally Well with Jo

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Buy the Books - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Huddle - Creating a tomorrow of togetherness

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"The deepest trauma is disconnection from country."

What does it truly mean to heal? How can we reclaim our ancestral wisdom and break free from patterns of diseased thinking?

In this episode, we sit down with Valerie Ringland, a powerful voice in the world of Indigenous healing and restorative justice. Born on traditional Shawnee land in the U.S. and now living on Yuin Country in far southern NSW, Valerie brings a unique blend of Indigenous knowledge, and Western healing practices to her work. She’s the author of the transformative book "Healing Through Indigenous Wisdom," which offers 52 weeks of profound exercises designed to help us reconnect with ourselves, our land, and our lineage.

Valerie challenges us to reimagine cultural expression, confront our wounds head on, and see trauma not as a life sentence but as a spiritual calling. She invites us to explore shame, grief, and belonging as essential parts of our journey toward wholeness.

In this episode you will learn:

The role of rituals, ceremonies, and ancestral connection in emotional well-being
How Indigenous wisdom offers powerful tools for self-discovery and community healing
And why "never enoughness" is a modern disease—and how to break free from it

Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that will challenge your perspectives, touch the deepest parts of your heart, and inspire you to reconnect with your true essence.

Connect with Valerie:

🌍 Website: Earth Ethos
📘 Facebook: Valerie Ringland
▶️ YouTube: Earth Ethos

Join Valerie at Her Upcoming Events (March 2025):

📍 Retreat Series | Far South Coast, NSW (Yuin Country)
March 28 @ 5PM | Tilba, NSW

📍 Author Talks – International Women's Day (Melbourne, VIC):
🗓️ March 8 @ 11AM | Qi Crystals, Caulfield
🗓️ March 8 @ 3:30PM | Theosophical Society, Melbourne

📍 Author Talks – Far South Coast, NSW:
📖 March 13 @ 3-4PM | Tura Marrang Library, Tura Beach
📖 March 24 @ 10:30AM | Bermagui Library, Bermagui

💫 If today's episode resonates with you, explore Valerie's retreats and author talks through her website Earth Ethos.

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Megan has made it her life work to bring the voice of the feminine into our stories, workplaces, communities & ultimately our culture. Ensuring they are heard & have agency to do what we do so well - be women with feminine traits which are celebrated & valued. You'll be delighted to hear its not about minimising the power of men but allowing women to meet them in a place that they have long relished and together they can create a world no longer dominated by the patriachy.

Navigating a hard fought journey of finding her purpose & then having the courage to lean into it, Megan, now in her early 50s is committed to a life that enables women to rise. Author, single mum, business owner & now completing her PHD in women's spirituality - she is taking her leadership role to new heights.

In this conversation she talks about the seasons of life & places the idea that 'what is for you will never pass you'. She shares why change comes from the ground up in democratic environments, she offers tools for male allyship and insights into how & why women are rising. For such a powerhouse, it's reassuring to hear that her 'Enough' is what it is - and having peace in that.

Links you’ll love

Women Rising - Mary Dalla Camina
Menergy - Mens gathering
Jeremy Lent - patterning instincts

Loved this ep? Try this one:

Ep 84 - Naturally well with Jo - being an intuitive generalist and being real about what is possible

Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Books - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters, Huddle - Creating a tomorrow of togetherness

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

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Its not every day you talk with a flaming locked, beard faced wizard. This one sees through the illusions of modernity & revels in an oscillating state of making progress through decay while genuinely attuning to the living systems in order to see our dire reality.

He attempts to embody our meta crises & seeks insights outside of mere numbers by going into the woods to 'just be'...and perhaps along the way he will experience a physiological quickening that offers hope.

He sees an undercurrent of people returning to ambiguity - warm provocations with room for textured, life filling conversation & he is building a relationship with dusk where in the liminal, he opens himself up to other intelligences & wisdoms, animacy & more than the human world.

He laments our loss of seasonal attunement & encourages us all to re-member (become a member of the earth) to reignite our presence & acuity to notice the small, more than the rational.

This wizard is indeed a wise orator & his words dance through the conversation like twinkling lights, sprinkling provocation that you may need to hear more than once.

Links You'll Love

How to lead a quest - Fox Wizard
The emerald podcast
Daniel Schucktenberger - metacrises expert
Tyson Yunkaporta - Sand Talk
Nate Hagens - the great simplification podcast
Hospicing Modernity - Vanessa Andretti
Sue Dennett - Meliodora
Catie Payne - Reskillience podcast
Natures apprentice
Regenerative Leader Program

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Books - Futuresteading & Huddle

Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs

Loved it? Try this:

Helena Norberg-Hodge - charts a path between systemic healing & oneness

We talked about:

"Most people would rather see the world destroyed than face their grief of seeing the world destroyed".
Mass produced distraction is not nourishing us.
Living in an adolescent culture
Finding ways to build relationships with our landscapes
Not adding too much structure to an emerging community
Relationality
The beautiful normalisation of listening to the body & responding to what it really needs.

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Meet Hayley - the whizz who usually sits in the editing suite of the Futuresteading pod is in the hot seat today...and a few other days actually...todays episode is the chance to get to know the voice behind a mini series within this season of the futuresteading pod we are calling Stories from the heart. Hayley has been the producer on the pod for the last 6 seasons and now we are introducing her to this side of mic. You'll love her!

From remote Alaskan cottages to inner city haunts, Hayley Jessup has been learning to live from the heart. Her journey has been visceral, gut led and has tapped a curiosity from deep inside her that she unpacks in todays conversation. It’s not just about earth shattering love, it’s about sliding into a comfortable place that stays true to you, your reason to be here and being sure of the work that is yours to do. Because you can and its right.

Loved this? Try these:

Ep 104 Tanya Massy - Can love create unison of head, hands and heart

Ep 69 Lisa Wells - Making a life at the end of the world

Ep 51 Brooke McAlary on the farce of multitasking and the power of slow

Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Pod Partners Rock:

Australian Medicinal Herbs

We talked about:

Living life in transition

her experience as a naturally curious question asker

Making decisions by intuition

Learning to be heart led

Giving yourself space to be who you need to be.

Her experience living in a remote Alaskan cottage

Her plans for the mini series "from the heart" in this seasons pod.

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Tyson Yunkaporta is an Apalech man who is an academic, researcher arts critic & father. He is also the author of Sand Talk, an extraordinary reading experience. Like many of Australia’s First Peoples, he has a complex identity and history but it's this that gives him authority to write and speak in a way which connects the wisdom of the past to the needs of the future.

The way he thinks demands a longer term perspective. He is both philosophical and practical, compassionate yet realistic. He is filled with an other-worldly understanding of humanity. In this conversation he urges us to consider the non linear complexity of the world.

He challenges our expectations, points out cultural shortcomings and invites us to recognise indigenous concepts and their history. Importantly he shows how these patterns have the potential to be incorporated into our non indigenous thinking which builds hope and possibility to benefit us all.

“I don’t have answers but I know that stories connect us to country. Country knows the answers. Notice it and be a custodian".

Episode SummaryMinimising abstractions between lore and land
The illusion of the environment which is hidden by siloed systems
Let’s look like dickheads for a minute while we work out the path forward
Looking for seasonal signs and responding to them
Lore carries recipes for how to live our lives with story and pattern
Coming back into rhythm with the natural world
Running out of time - the time to reconnect with country is now
The dominating authoritarianism in the western world demands people are disconnected from the landscape
Mutual aid activism - not about throwing bombs but making sure everyone is fed.
Self determination being thwarted by authoritarianism
Stop looking at things and look at structures, systems and patterns instead
Quietly getting on with it - syndicate your neighbourhood with the next neighbourhood
The bullshit of nation building is key in the decimation of connection to country.
Activism is an industry
Positive and negative feedback loops to understand how symbioses interlock with others
Story, ceremony and ritual for real thinking and real meaning making
Until art became capital it was something that every human did every day to understand their place in the world
How do we find a way of storytelling without reducing it to words
"Image, dance, song - can all portray story but they have no depth of meaning if they don't have place"
The lore is in the land
"Leave those who are pecking over the carcass of the earth to their dying beliefs and the rest of us can get on with rebuilding relationships, stories, knowledge and place. Quietly and with people"
Why we need to stop self flagellating acknowledgments of country and start building relationships

References

Viktor Stefanson - fire country management
Sand Talk - Tyson Yunkaporta
The other others - podcast.

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Shout out to the rockstars who smooth the sound Open Door Studios

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Following the shocking & heartbreaking death of her younger sister Indira leant into grief with the help of the natural world. She formed a deep friendship with a tree, learnt the power of self trust & became conscious of death in a way that led her to see puddles as portals into another world.
Despite the genesis, this conversation is joyful & powerful.

Show Notes

Forced to be present - the pressure is off
Living the now is how the body and mind forces you to be in grief
"The ‘now’ is not muddied by the past or the expectation of the future"
Tackling the big topics and being prepared to sit with loss, grief and unexplained emotions
Discovering that the answers to all the questions sit within you if you're prepared to lean into the discomfort
Discovering it's possible to feel closer to people in death than in life
The forgiveness that comes with death
Deliberately seeking the wondrous memories to overcome the sadness
Becoming much more contented and grateful in the face of grief
Live while you are alive and don’t die until you are dead - suck the marrow out of life
Why the fuzziness has been taken out of life - she is rarely not sure anymore
Learning to listen to herself
Learning to make your backyard your world
Why her tree is her favourite place on earth
Waiting for a generation before we see the impact of our actions
By being still you realise you're not separate from nature but part of it.
Why she no longer sees where her skin ends and the bark on the tree begins
Let’s go fly a kite together
Reminding people to seek healing capacity through nature
Finding ways to create a sense of boundless space
Understanding the impact of the colour green
Allow yourself to be where you are
Trust how you’re feeling, what makes you feel better
The varied faces of grief
Why acceptance wasn’t enough - seeking meaning is the next phase
Learning we are in ‘the line’
Becoming livened by the idea that death won’t elude any of us
Discovering how much knowledge is already in your DNA - but learning how to unlock it
Unlearning ‘being the one with all the answers’
Spending time with people who are “experts in life”
Stepping away from manufacturing experiences
Discovering intoxication by being aware of the nature around me rather than the addition of stimulants
The power of observation
Becoming conscious of the subtle nuances in life
Being drawn to the force of a tree
Baby steps to bring change NOW to open a crack of light in life
Find the time to build magic into your life

References

The Space Between the Stars - Indira Naidoo

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - Patreon

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If climate reports and dystopian vibes are getting you down, this conversation with Meg Berryman might just lift you (gently) from the tiles.

Meg is the host of the Regenerative Life podcast, where she holds activating and catalysing conversations about social change, sustainable business, holistic wellbeing, personal development and regeneration, creating ripples of change from the inside out.

She’s not only a brilliant interviewer, meeting mighty minds like Tyson Yunkaporta and Claire Dunn for the kinds of intellectual-yet-accessible chats that leave listeners awestruck, but a formidable thinker herself.

We’re stoked to welcome Meg for a wide-ranging convo that covers nervous system care, sitting in the magic dark, tending survival energy and watering the seeds of discontent. We discuss the perils of trying to make a positive impact out there if it’s having a negative impact on you and your people. And how to go about satisfying that deep primal yearning to reconnect with self, earth and other beings.

Right now, in this time of grief, confusion + frustration, Meg Berryman is pure medicine. Listen in.

SHOW NOTES

The inspiration behind the Regenerative Life podcast
An unlearning journey of dropping the postures and dropping into true self.
Finding the balance between the unknown + the five year plan.
Challenging domesticity with wildness
Regeneration is an embodied experience; but it’s not as easy as we’ve been sold.
The things we’ve sold as making us happy aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. The agitation and restlessness we’re feeling as feedback is not anything wrong with us! The lie of capitalism is that it’s your problem, you need to buy something to fix you.
The seeds of discontent are also the seeds of regeneration
Homeostatic flux: ecosystems are constantly recalibrating according to feedback.
How to reconsider + reevaluate what a good life is.
We have a deep primal yearning to reconnect with ourselves, the earth, other being. That urge is continually being overidden because on some level, we assume there’s something wrong with us.
"It’s not that I’m allergic to life, I’m allergic to the ways we’ve organised society and systems that are so removed from those basic primal instincts of being connected and belonging."
Wisdom birthed from the bathroom floor.
Epic burnout led to total breakdown led to epic recalibration.
Is sheer willpower the only way to get shit done?
Reframing breakdown as a period of magic dark.
We’ve had a health and wellness paradigm for 20 years that’s focussed on DOING things. But that keeps us in survival mode; it’s not sustainable or regenerative.
We need a whole lot of people to be regulated enough, for long enough, to make life giving decisions and make a dent in these systems.
Being in conversation with questions.
How do we come back to ourselves, and is that enough?
Getting out of hustle culture in business.
Everyone is saying, "we can’t slow down because x, y, z….” It’s the courageous soul chooses to interrogate that.
If you’re making impact out there, but that work is having a negative effect on your people in here, it’s a net zero. It’s not regenerative.
The best gift you can give other beings is the gift of a settled system.
Avoiding the one-two punch of shame and guilt.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

My Grandmother's Hands -- Resmaa Menakem

Support the show

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Catie chats with Dr. Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, an ecologist with a special interest in biodiversity conservation, particularly macrofungi and mosses.

Sapphire is a renowned scientific researcher, speaker, teacher and author with a knack for communicating fungi’s vital ecological roles — and why we should all pay a lot more attention to these remarkable, all-connecting entities.

She's is also a pretty radical member of the community here in Naarm/Melbourne, who last year let Catie + George transform her suburban backyard into a market garden through the Growing Farmers program.

Wise, lively and friend of the fungi, enjoy this cracking convo with Sapphire McMullan-Fisher.

SHOW NOTES

Being a Gondwanan
Growing up in a mining town in the Pilbara.
From saving African animals to fungi fascination.
A fire and fungi pHD in Tasmania.
Overcoming dyslexia in academia.
Ecosystems need fungi!
Decomposition + partners of plants.
Why to leave the tree debris be.
Journey back to the Carboniferous period when all the coal and oil was formed.
Fungi eats wood, invertebrates eat fungi, birds eat invertebrates... hey presto!
Life goes on. (Even though we’re seriously messing with systems.)
How an understanding of matter recycling gives an appreciation of post-humous existence.
Patterns + process + life = wow.
Where do humans fit in the bigger picture? Should we just hurry up and extinct ourselves, or…?
Making space + food in your garden for other organisms who deserve to be here in the landscape.
How mindfulness of observing nature increase your understanding of it.
Find the things that make your curiosity pop.
Ask: what is it? How do I found out more about it?
Re-activating our patterning brain.
Curiosity as a practice.
Being on the spectrum as a superpower.
Growing up thinking you’re not clever.
Absorbing information in tiny little bites.
Expanding communicating styles so that everyone gets it.
How expectations shape your view of self.
Looking to ecosystems to confirm our need for diversity.
Allowing ourselves to learn and love learning.
Biology is not a soft science!
How a car accident changed everything.
Having trust that humans won’t be assholes.
They say you need a village to raise a child… I need a village just to survive!
The impossibility of going life alone.
How do you learn to ask people for help?
Letting people self select in how they help.
Ways to be be radical and resist the status quo.
Being sustainable within your limits.
What’s the #1 priority in taking action for the world?
Letting your inner child guide us towards more fulfilling life and work.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Growing Farmers
Fun Fungi Ecology
Fungi4Land on Insta

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Do you know where your grain comes from... the farmers name... how they grow it? Woodstock flour are doing their level best to change the last frontier via the power of building relationships and connecting. Join Jade and Courtenay as they get gritty on grains and hear why we need to value its diversity and regionality just like we do wine or cheese.

Links You'll Love!Woodstock flour website
Food Connect in Brisbane
Open Food Network
Kirsten and Serenity Futuresteading Interview
Tivoli Road Bakery
Holistic Management
Riverina Organics Growers Group

Show us you love us!Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - Patreon Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Show Notes

Why food production is the avenue to create the most significant environmental change
Finding a way to fit into the family farm as the 2nd generation via a stone mill & farmers markets
Getting people to think about their grain consumption as they do their veggies or fruit
Venturing onto their own farm in Rutherglen
Diversifying & de-risking as part of the succession plan
Maintaining identity in the succession process
Building a farm business that is totally collaborative & openly shares knowledge
The importance of transparency in building a movement
The power of open minded, interactive relationships
Building a business via the lens of socio-political factors
Land ownership & its connection to class & race - privilege
Facing the confronting reality of land ownership on unceded land
CSA model for grains
Covid experiences of customer demands
Open Road Project
Education about true cost of food & reconciling the inaccessibility of this reality
The journey of creating a path to market from scratch
The value of putting yourself into things regardless of financial return in the short time
Holistic management
Collaborating with community is often an opportunity to connect with land, find joy through connection to others & learn from all that’s around us
Acknowledging the slow pace of us as humans
How do we get the next generation interested in food production?
The beauty of rural communities being accepting of each others ways & thinking
Finding solidarity in the wine growing community
Rising early to paint - no excuses, no interruptions
Defining business roles in a small family business
Being deliberate about the daily decisions to ensure balance
How her painting complements her business
Bookending the day at the dinner table

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Recorded just days after the Federal election, Gabrielle Chan doesn't mince words - even when bone tired. A celebrated journalist with the Guardian, outspoken advocate for rural Australia and encourager of individual agency. "Our system has been made up by people and it can be rewritten by people". Lets not wait for Government to bring change but get active and organised now during times of abundance.

Links You'll Love
Acres and Acres in Corryong
Wendell Berry
The Guardian

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Show NotesConnecting the grass roots regen ag movements with top down politics
The need for change in our food, water, land management policies
“We export a lot of sausage sandwiches - beef and wheat”
Why it’s time to change the narrative around Australia's ag sector
Why ‘level playing fields’ are a farce
The fragility of financial deregulations, long global supply chains increasing disease, increased drought - how do we as a sovereign nation reassure ourselves of continued prosperity
The potential for rural policy to create the framework that allows smaller scale and regen practices to thrive
The power of the colonial squatacracy
How do we bring policy reform to ag so it has relevance for smaller scale 7 regen practices to thrive
The potential of utilising the “voices for” movement as a model for local food to grow
Why we need to re-engage with politics
The thing that only Govt does is set the ground rules for how we conduct our business.
People need to be involved in politics to influence its direction
The need for strategic water policy to better support us on the driest continent on earth
Talking about water, food and skills while we are in times of abundance
Where does the role of govt need to stop and allow room for community to pick up
The ongoing debate about why we do not yet have drought policy or food policy
Refine what you want to change - get organised and get active in the arena from bottom up
The big secret - we are ALL MAKING IT UP
Her slow, gradual, accidental path to being a communicator.
Her writing approach - just keep writing, push through the creative barriers
The process of sitting down and ordering your thoughts results in a unique
Connecting the systemic dots through political reporting
The history of farming and nature control
The Connectivity of farming to EVERYTHING ELSE
Ag and environment are different political portfolios - WTF
We cannot have an economy without an environment
The need for the economy the environment + the desires of the humans involved in farming to be interacting
The need to account for ecological resources

Questions the fundamental systems
Finding optimism in the work done by others
Having faith in humanity
Connecting people to spark change

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Sign out of 2024 with this lively mastermind who suggests we take country into our body ! How?
Build routine around food,
Go barefoot to boost immunity,
Stop seeing food as an inconvenience
Cook & eat with family often
Connect to the seasons of your life & the landscape
Create & share ceremony
Use food as a reconciliation tool

Belonging to a matriarchal community has unlocked knowledge handed down by oral stories, dance & art where kinship is more than human to human. Knowing your spirit belongs here is a gift we can all tap but with belonging comes responsibility - one to mother earth, but also to sisterhood, eldership and to being part of the greater whole.

Links You'll LoveKarkala book by Mindy Woods
Karkala instagram

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We talked about:

Living by 6 local seasons
"Being part of the greater whole - we are one of the parts of many, it’s not us & them but all of us as one contributing to our country in some way we can maintain balance"
Caring for her totems goanna, echidna & wollomi pine via broader care of her environment
Societal lack of connection & belonging
Imperfect allyship - ok to make mistakes but important to maintain connection
Mob love a yarn - connect, be quiet, shut your mouth, open your listening & be there in respectful observation. Get curious about native food landscapes,
Knowledge is the sacred part, the fundamental core of culture & treated with great reverence despite it not being written down, its taken seriously when its shared on
It’s not transactional, it’s about relationships & allows us all to slow down to a pace that humans should actually move at.
Childhood memories on country with family - eating oysters out of jam jars
Being a proud cook - not a chef
Having friends apply for masterchef on her behalf
Debunking the myth of Australian food being meat pies & sausage rolls
Asking what is Australia's cuisine & exploring culture through food
Eating foods from our landscape, they belong here, are highly nutritious & are abundant
Moving into eldership as wisdom holders - not an age but a readiness
When you’re taking care of country you're taking care of mob & community too
The privilege of taking on responsibility for cultural teachings
When women are in charge it creates a great balance - women's wishes are always community based & they are thinking about country community & culture".
You can’t be what you can’t see - be the one to lead the way
Standing loud & proud in sisterhood - uniting.
"The privilege to eat food that you’ve grown & understand the value of: local, seasonal, country gives you what you need at the right times in abundance - feeding the old people & the young people before feeding the well ones"

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What started as a throw away title while supporting her husband James Rebanks on his book tours, Helen Rebanks now proudly refers to herself as the farmers wife - a title that has very much become her identity & set in her a burning desire to write her own book about invisible women who’s stories are not told. As a mother of four & the backbone for their farming ventures in the Lakes District in the UK, Helen declares that the only people who work harder than farmers are farmers wives. I reckon she's right! She is a small in stature, large in capability kind of woman who truly loves her daily reason to get out of bed & nurture her family. hold the many threads of keeping a family going, setting the pace and rhythm. She speaks of honouring our capability to be in service with love, empathy compassion & a regular roast on the dinner table not just on Sundays. Through this lens she is bringing her own kind of approach to combatting corporate greed, multi national farmland ownership & returning us to localised food systems.

Food that’s made with love & care says “I’m nourished & looked after” - imagine being the person in the house that provides this service”
This story is about speaking up for those who hold families together, hold communities together. We need small farm futures with local food systems. Knowing where our food comes from & being able to ask the questions.

Join us at her at her kitchen table.

Links You'll Love
The Farmers Wife Helen Rebanks book
The Sheppard's wife Insta handle

Loved this? Try these:
Ep 54 Mara from Orto farm
Ep 121 Nat Wilmott

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We talked about:Speaking up for the women who sit behind the regenerative family farmers life.
Thinking holistically about life on the land - It's WHOLE!
The farmers table as a gathering place
Reasons for transitioning into regenerative practices.
Sharing her farming stories to help others transition their on earth practices
"If I’ve ever felt minimised in the work I do its not been by me or my family"
Living small & living local rather than chasing a celebrity culture is what she strives for.
Our deep disconnection to our food.
The power of a meal around the table
Tomatoes on toast or scrambled eggs IS DINNER
The role of motherhood taught her to become a voice for the process of becoming a mother. We can suffer in silence or talk to each other & learn.
Sharing very vulnerable things in the hope it helps others.

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SummaryAs a super quiet, observing kid, Carolyn often had her head in a book or went adventuring on her own. As an adult this lead to naturally hermitty behaviour before she actively decided to show others that shy characters can do bold & hard things too - especially if they take tea wherever they go. Now, woven into a well connected community she is more or less living her daydream of tea caravans, herbal gardens, her very own herbal medicine book & a throng of good folks around her.
She reveals that growing herbs was her gateway to herbalism & that we can all know their potency by incorporating them into every day life & not just turning to them when we're sick. But to do this we must get to know them. The best way to become intimate is to grow them, dry them, taste them, smell them, feel how they moves through your body.
Join us on a magical herbal love-affair!

Links You'll LoveThe Medicine Garden - Carolyn Parker
The Cottage Herbalist

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Perma Pixie

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We talked about:Her seasonal daily rhythm
“It was a daydream of mine not to wake up to an alarm but to wake up with the sunshine”
Being a poly-jobist: business woman, gardener, herbalist
"I’m an evolved that-way sort of person - I straddle between being a list maker & a meanderer".
Being the kid who wasn’t ultra conversational & actively moving through the discomfort of it & learning to have conversations & a little false bravado
I want to show other reserved/shy people that you can o scary things
“I think we are hard wired for comfort but this doesn't allow us to reach our potential”
Taking herself off to a boxing gym to learn how to be assertive & confident
Drawing daydream gardens
Discovering you can be a herbalist later in life
Being a naturopath is so much more than a job - enabling the patient to undertake holistic change is really where the opportunity to change is.
Viewing it more as a lifestyle is part of the solution
Teaching her patients skills rather than selling them potions
Leading patients to veggie gardens, kimchi pots, community & settled adrenals
Wearing fun clothes & sporting dirty fingernails at the same time
Picking outfits like her dinner, according to colour
Award winning tea blends - making tea since big enough to be trusted with a kettle
Starting her tea caravan
Not being nostalgic
The importance of being connected to people
Stop moving the goal posts without appreciating what you've achieved

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SummaryIf we are going to lay the foundations of a world we are proud to leave as a legacy we need to be comfortable to move into elderhood - for Manda Scott this is about getting comfortable with emergence and asking the living web “what is mine to do”.
We’ve created a world where separation, anxiety & powerlessness have become the underlying defaults instead of a world of security, belonging & agency. We are addicted to dopamine ∃ in a world of trauma rather than initiation so how are we to rewrite these patterns?
By listening to the heart-mind - its very shy & quiet but the head mind will whisper if it needs you to really listen. Links You'll Love
Any Human Power - Manda Scott
Accidental Gods - Manda Scott program & podcast
Right story, Wrong story - Tyson Yunkaporta
Sand talk - Tyson Yunkaporta
Mans search for meaning - Victor Frankel
Francis Weller - The Wild Edge of Sorrow

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Damon Gameau Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
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We talked about:Learning to live as functioning members of the earth community
Why she writes fiction not non fiction
Receiving shamanic instruction
How to be in connection with the web of life in all its complexity
Being born into a trauma culture rather than an initiation culture
Why seeing truth without self projection is hard.
Her decades of shamanic teaching - still learning to discern the difference between what her ego is saying and what the energy is saying
Returning to a sit spot to receive instructions to write a book
“Skin Listening” - an ability to be felt with all your senses without pre conceived ideas
Sit spots - what can I see, what can I feel, what does my heart say
Why some languages say “I am other” and some say “I am intrinsically part of what is happening.
Initiation culture is capable of holding contained encounters with death
We live in a dopamine culture - addicted to turning oil into adrenaline
Yearning for a serotonin mesh of connection of meaning & purpose
The four stages of Adulthood
Undoing our head mind dominance
Offering yourself in service and waiting for your path.
The chaos of our culture is that we think we can plan ahead
We live in an insane world & ourselves its sane
One of the key measures of adulthood is being prepared to walk against the tide

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Hungry? How bout a salad…trust me, after todays convo, you’re going to want to eat salad for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Not just the limp lettuce & store bought dressing kind of salad but one that tickles all your gastronomic senses. Once you've been satiated the convo settle into really chewing on the realities of this high energy lass' day to day existence: her rituals, her challenge to find the gaps to do the quiet things, learning to really be in the moment & finding her path to enoughness.

Alice Zaslavski has chatted with us on the pod before but since then her OTT love for food, food education & food appreciation has exploded into the stratosphere with another 3 cookbooks, her own radio segment on Saturday mornings & now her own cooking show on the ABC, you’ll still find her exuberance filling the pages of papers & magazines nationwide & for today you’ll her convincing you to serve salad for your every meal.

The pace of this human is dizzy-ing so its a strap in & hang tight kind of episode.

Links You'll LoveA bite to eat with Alice - ABC
Salad Days - Alice Zaslavski
Phenomenom - Free Lessons via the lense of food

Loved this? Try these:Alice on Futuresteading previously

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We talked about:Being a talker on paper
Her latest adventures in gastronomic pleasures
Listening to your body to understand what you need at the time.
Food as medicine deserves to be understood by all
Her ‘vegetable-forward’ food, centric Georgian heritage
Sharing a common vision but not always sharing the same timing ambitions
Movement has power - just start & collectively the energies come together
Breaking our daily fast with vegetables
Be ready & willing to adapt the recipes to suit yourself
The real life day to day juggle of such a busy busy life
Having a ‘wife’ in her ‘husband’
Learning to say a hard NO
Prioritising her health as the most important part of her job
Being lit up by all that you do so it doesn't feel like working a day of your life
Time to update the vision board
The soma response to birthing a new project
Building an enabling network to get into flow
Enabling others to be their most magic version of themselves
Being an extroverted extrovert - learning how to absorb human energy via a screen
Learning to speak English with Big Ted on Playschool
Wishing for more time with community
Making time for reading
Saying yes to the opportunities that ground you.

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This is a pour-a-cuppa kinda convo - Matilda Brown is a rare kind-of open book where nothing is off limits and despite not actually being her friend you get the distinct feeling that you must be.

Flipping a childhood acting career for a regnerative food business wasn’t part of her plan - actually nothing really is, this breath of fresh air claims to be “bumbling around with life, filling in time until she dies.” But her bumble is joyful & hopeful in the best way possible.

She & her husband Scott Gooding are the brains & brawn behind the Good Farm pre prepared meals range & they’ve just released a cook book with the same name - its as delightful as she is - This is her story!

Links You'll LoveThe Good Farm Shop
the Good Farm Cookbook
Provinir
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We talked about:

Being an oversharer & wanting to know the details without any shame
Going through the world giving more than taking
Boobs peaking at 14
Fad diets of her teenage years without an understanding of nutrition
From actor to foodie
Life epiphanies via parenthood
Believing that the universe has your back & the lessons you are being served are necessary
Stumbling into a regenerative path
Creating Cow shares until they realised there was a hole in their bucket
The challenge of building a business around the true cost of a whole animal outside of the industrial food system
Creating a regenerative food business nuancing as they went.
Combining a regen story with convenience
Sharing more than just the business news in this nosey world…navigating sharing of personal stories
Avoiding a thick skin so you keep ‘feeling’
I have so much to learn as a spiritual being in a humans body, on a ride in a world that can’t be controlled or predicted.
Magic sits in the bumbling, rats & mice & problem children
Appreciating the things that money can’t buy
The value of being relational - shunning the online solution
The need to squeeze your closest folk
How many ‘no’s’ do you need before you get to the YES
Even when things are hard they can still be heart filling and they can make you FEEL so alive! This is living, side stepping numbness is when you feel your most alive.

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Summary
Life is impermanent. Precious but not entitled to length. The past is behind us, the future is unknown & all we have is this moment. Our role is to meet the moment.
Being overwhelmed with the assignment of bringing healing & protection to the earth, todays guest looked to Gaia as the source of guidance towards effortless harmony. Easier said than done but she found that our cultural inclination to constant self referencing & focussing on I, Me, Mine was the limitation.
Looking beyond the veil into another dimension & awakening her relationship to the earth allowed her to thread humility into all her actions & remembering that we are part of & conspiring with gaia in every living moment gave her the space to take a breath before acting.
She meditated
She took the radical act of pausing to gain clarity
She had the courage to step out of the old patterns
She undertook pilgrimages
She built global networks of healing & peace
She honoured those who are maintaining the ceremonies, prayers & connections that keep us all in balance.
She filled Earth Treasure vases and built a global mandala as her offering of 'sacred activism'.
This is her story.

Links You'll LoveJoanna Macey - the work that reconnects
Charles Eisenstein - new and ancient story podcast
Cynthia Jurs Book - Summoned by the Earth
Gaiamandala.net global healing community

Loved this ep? Try these:E138 Osprey Oriel Lake
E105 Rosemary Morrow Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
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We talked about:
Buddhism tradition of earth treasure vases - holy vessels with purpose
Being prepared within yourself before succumbing to a summoning
Bringing the earth back into balance
Filling small clay pots with prayers, offerings, traditions & intentions as a symbolic measure for healing & balance
Clay pots are kind of like living beings - they come alive in your hands
The clay includes many sacred substances linking them to ancestral lineages Allowing ancient practices to become relevant to the world today & to the people that are participating in the offering process
The capacity for different cultures, communities & lands to accept without assumption
Making offerings to the earth & the unseen-beings-without-a-voice that we know we need to keep in balance
Becoming a vessel but not imposing your own ideas & self importance on what you think is best for the world.
Getting down on her knees and opening her heart and asking for support from the unseen energy.
Our own true nature is so much a part of the nature of Gaia

“ When I learned how to get myself out of the way, form an intention, but allow that intention to unfold on its own without trying so hard to make it happen, things started to unfold in a very different way - in ways I never could have predicted"

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None

SummaryThe age of short termism now dominates - Todays guest however takes long termism the way we all take breakfast (those not on a fasting regime anyway) Apparently he was born this way.

In his recently released book Taming the Apocalypse he states that the only remaining sustainable resources after industrialisation runs its course will be biology & culture. To prepare for this time, Shane Simonsen has an exceptionally original approach to zero input, large scale farming & has committed his life's plan of living long enough to connect varieties of crops that have been separated by 60 million years of evolution by creating plant hybridisation at scale - his seed collection rivals Svalbard the Global Seed Vault.

His thesis so far:
-The shortcoming of science is that it wants all organisms to behave like machines.
-If we have 1000 farmers over 1000 years doing this, we would see a miracle - not a machine.
- Now is the moment for sacrificial offerings of research & time for the sake of learning for future generations
- Putting seeds in the dirt NOT a seed bank is the best path to build genetic diversity Links You'll LoveShane Simonsen substack

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We talked about:

Learning to think long term
Zero input large scale, experimental farming
Changing career direction away from complex & fragile systems
From hunter gatherer culture to industrial ag with nothing in between
Culture gaps and skills gaps
Biological systems are complicated, networked & chaotic
Why Bunya nuts were his starting place
Humans have the capacity to recognise the uniqueness & value of something in the eco system & support it to become an ongoing part of our food future.
Why biology is the unexpected miracle.
Rebuilding culture so we can accept slow, magical outcomes
You don't need many people like Shane to create real change - seed sharing, experimentation, desire to create new things
The defense chemicals of our food
Why humans are really bad at imagining things that gradually change our base line
Opting out from resource intensive lives - creeping off into the margins to exist
Spending months of hand farming to grow $20 worth of grain
Rebuilding trust & re-forming collectivism
Beginning your own hybridisation program with vegetables
Almost all the vegetable seed you buy originated in hot houses in Holland
Australia is on the end of supply lines so it’s likely we will experience a supply shock - this might be just the wake up call to realise the vulnerable state we are in.
Can we get our politicians to fly the permaculture flag?
Taming elephants to hybridise them

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SummaryIn a world dominated by a striving for endless growth, it can be hard to see that while a drive towards money and individualism is great for the economy, it is fundamentally destructive for humanity, community & ecology. This conversation tackles us relearning our ability to grow our environment with each other & to meet our own needs rather than outsourcing to those who will make the divisions based on profit. It asks us to opt for less transactions & more relationships, it addresses the epidemic of loneliness and it settles on the idea that a little bit of debt is a good thing - relational debt that is.
The time to navigate difficult & complex divisions to make us anti fragile is now but it requires us to heal our hurt hearts so we can do the work we need to do in our current system.
Degrowth is the salve, held by love that is the container for our path forward as humanity.
Links You'll Love
Tools for Conviviality - Ivan Illich
National Degrowth Network
The Overstory - Richard Powers

Loved this? Try these:Ep 125 Jane Hilliard - Enoughness
Ep 120 Just Collapse
Ep 77 Tammi Jonas

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We talked about:Poverty is political
Building action into your everyday existence
Seeking inspiration from socialist countries
Building an obsession with nature
Composting as a gateway drug
Evolving from being individuals to being change making huddles
Making academic theories approachable & practical
Finding collective inspiration for criticising growth
Creating coalitions of the unlikely by side stepping black & white
Creating containers for people who are looking to connect despite the inevitable conflicts that will arise
We need more spaces to hold respected disagreements
Despite relationships being thorny, we are going to have to work this out.
The hardest skills of all are the soft skills of really working wth humans - meeting people with what they need to unpack the complexity
Being part of groups where the hard stuff can be held
Building the ‘neighbourhood’ - learning the name of the person next door, even when they are different to you
Being materially dependent on one another is a good thing
Our mobility has meant we are avoiding our ability to learn to manage conflict.
Why cleverness is disarming
The role of grief & gratitude in this journey
Slow is smooth & smooth is fast
Instead of air conditioners - lets have an afternoon nap
Returning us to our natural cycles & building our life around it
Side stepping linear, capitalist striving.
Connection to the earth is not lost on us - it’s in our ancestral knowledge, but we need to sit still, reskill & really want to relearn
Learning to be comfortable with a lack of control

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Tools for Conviviality

As a food grower, lover of the natural world, cook and wizened plant expert, todays conversation meanders between the veggie patch & the kitchen, the garden shed & the pickling shelf.
A reverence for the food we eat was planted deep inside Paulette's young mind by a mother who shared her skills and passion which then carried her onto this trajectory of life where she experiences the world through her garden.
As founder and owner of Provenance Growers and now author she tells the story of where our food comes from, how it was grown and what nutrients it might share with us in our interwoven way of existence with the natural world.

Links you’ll love:Provenance growers
Broccoli and other love stories Loved this? Try these:Similar themes but of course wonderfully different stories.
Ep 134 Jane Stevens who is a herbalist & astrologer in the US
Ep 121 Nat Wilmott who shares her story of homesteading, homeschooling & living simply in the West Gippsland Hills
Ep 53 Simeon Ash from Spoke and Spade market garden.

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We talked about:Learning lessons outside with her Mum
Seeing a process evolve from environmental impact to food
Tapping back into her childhood skills to step away from the pressure to sell things
Changing careers in her mid 20’s & landing in horticulture
Making people feel happy & safe with what we do with our hands
The many uses of flowers for culinary, health & horticulture
Her addiction to seeds - especially spring loaded ones
Tips for managing cross pollination for seed saving
Her caffeine supported daily routine
The cycle of paddock/soil management
Her love of perennial edibles for ease of management & health of soil
Creating plants that are hardy & weather beaten that thrive when planted
Kids pulling away from their parents
Being a reluctant elder
Market gardening as an ideal job for a human low in confidence & introverted
Her ADHD diagnosis
Her husband is the doer & she is the wanderer
Storytelling as a tool for knowledge sharing
Following the rhythm of her brain as a pattern to writing her book
The freedom of knowing you can hold more than one idea at once
The beautiful cyclical nature of observing & interacting
Lean model of market gardening
Managing failure - easier to do when you are safe & have your basics met
Avoiding waste from the outset

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This gent who goes by the name of Das is eccentric, passionate, articulate & intelligent so strap in for this fast paced, heady conversation framed through the lens of equal rights for species other than humans to the very resources we are destroying. His voice grins, setting a positive tone & his true love of the natural world is just a tad intoxicating.

We leap from the truth that adaptability trumps strength for resilience. We quip about how the finance sector is filled with animals, we both agree that animals are more sensible than human beings - they don’t go about destroying the landscape that keeps them alive & we ponder how we came to be a culture that thinks we can click our way out of the quandary we find ourselves in. We ask if you're suffering from 'Prognostic Miopia' where you are so focussed on the near term things you don’t connect with the real long term consequences of our actions. We suspect the very culture we all swim in, means we all suffer & rather than feeling the weight of this, taking the approach of finding our own, individual ways to swim out of it.
It covers a lots and its a cracker!

Links You’ll LoveAldo Leopold - The Sand County Almanac
Wild Quests by Das
Barry Lopez - Arctic Dreams

Loved this Ep….Listen to:
- Damon Gameau
- Dan Palmer
- Helena Norberg Hodge

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Show NotesDefining what it means to be human through studying animals
Coming face to face with a grizzly bear in Alaska
Failing our natural world as its guardian
Our need for 1.7 earths
"Human eyes need more pixels than there are in the universe to capture the beauty of some animals"
Going to the root cause of the problems rather than bandaid-ing
Human beings as mere hosts for bacteria & viruses
The danger of our reliance on tech
"Humans address every problem with Paleolithic emotions, medievil institutions & godlike technology - a dangerous recipe
Reading your landscape
Entering the phase of populism for answers
Moving our problems into the future
"Ultimately the worth of our species will be measured by our acceptance of our true role within the complex web that is life"

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Meet Jades husband - Charlie Showers. Perched at the kitchen table, this conversation is steered by questions received from listeners. For an oft reserved gent, Charlie emotionally opens the doors about why he leans into the 'uncomfortable' to realise his humanity, to the grief of facing his own mortality, taking his boys through rites of passage and why regenerative farming has been the perfect laboratory to spur his curiosity about systems, our connection to biological processes and being brave enough to do the opposite of what the mainstream insist on when fighting for a life of perpetuity for humanity.
Learn what 'exudate' means and how it could be the chance for all of us to leave life instead of destruction behind us and what he want's done with his teeth when he dies.

Links You'll LovePandoras Seed Support the Show:Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

We chatted about:
Sharing a common vision but not always sharing the same timing ambitions
Movement has power - just start & collectively the energies come together
The value of being a curious poly-jobist
Why bringing a dream to fruition is impatience filled when the vision is so clear
His experience of taking his boys through rites of passage
Where he wants to be buried
Numbing yourself with the anaesthetic of netflix
Relishing the chance to build deeper ritual in his life
Embracing discomfort
Being a morning person through & through
His enough: a daily reflection - what's enough for him spiritually & to be who he truly is
Also asking - what will I strip away but what do I need more of: cultural depth,
His desire to explore an extremely simple existence - stripping back his farming 'needs'
Moving away from the word 'farming' - becoming hyper experimental in the way he produces food on country
Moving away from the loaded word of 'farming'
Exploring the edges of the system we are all ensconced in
What the landscape he stewards evokes in him & being a proud contributor to the Alpine Valleys of North East Victoria.
"I'm yearning to be surrounded by people who are connected to place not just for the sake of it but because its important to living in a deep
The intimate beauty of hosting on farm Wwoofers (volunteers)
Composting op shop shirts when they literally fall off his back
Being a banjo playing hack, brewing moonshine, anti authoritarian
Collecting Teeth
Storytelling: An important part of sharing culture. Digesting complex information
The complexity of being the partner of someone who has such a strong calling
Cultural anaesthetics
The journeys he has left in him - entwined in an exploration of self and elderhood
Inner work for the benefit of then serving his community around him
Modifying Black Barn Farm so it becomes a much more community space
Building a community of practice where the sum of the parts are greater than the whole.
Exudate: providing things for the benefit of other things.
You can go through life and the exhaust that comes out of the back of you does not have to be waste, rather than a product that contributes to the building of more life.

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Dani Wolff is a roll-your-sleeves-up-&-get-shit-done kinda girl who oozes earth wisdom and mama wisdom but most of all she personifies what it means to be collaborative.From her years in an intentional community to her globe trotting earth building projects and now her multi fingered prongs in collaborations that take her from veggie gardens to matriessence mentoring she shares a bagful of insights into how we can bring some of the ideological ideas to life in a way that can work for each of us wherever we live.

Links You’ll Love:Earthed to birth
Johno Futuresteading episode (her husband)

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We talked about:
Natural rhythms of each year
Earth building design is not about the building, its about the people & the relationships
Being drawn to communities & their dynamics - people care
Her trip to Scotland for a the Gaia led course in organisational design
Creating an intentional community with 25 other people using gut led decisions
Holding shame when reflecting on previous experiences
Teaching social permaculture
The complexity of ownership & agency
Living without comforts &with so many people took its toll & resulted in emotional exhaustion
Communities work when there are different types of people
Reflection is a really important part of the cycle
Her earth building experiences
Falling pregnant changed how she lives - pulling back from constant travel & constantly being in community
Reframing who you are as part of matriessesnce - it was really hard to let go of her preconceived ideas of who she was and how she would live
The new rhythm that motherhood brings
300sq metres is the perfect size for 6 families (23 people altogether). Using everything they grow & swapping the value added goodies with each other
Being collaborative is in our DNA but that doesn’t make it easyIt takes a lot to make the leap into working collaboratively & requires conversation & check ins to be sure everyone still feels valued & recompensed
There’s an inner knowing that we feel better when we work with others
How a greater driver can be the reason to connect
The importance of sharing our parenting challenges honestly
Being mothers & women who can share, assures us that we are good parent
Wanting to breastfeed forever
Do people carry the weight of their babies early birthing trauma
What can we do differently to encourage others to build their own tools & not just rely on organisers to make things happen - create independent groups for themselves
Seek mothers groups or activities & be brave enough to put yourself out there
Consistently showing up is so important for community groups to build momentum
Persistence is required to get things off the ground
Ask "What's your why - do you want to learn skills, do you want support, where are your vulnerabilities
Mind mapping & getting clear on what your wants/hopes are to fill a void
Her huddle word is NOURISHMENT

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No-one else is coming in to solve the human induced problems & it's not about us anymore - we all have a responsibility to do something for the generations still to come
Digby Hall reckons that if joined together we have wisdom, integrity & immense power to bring change but we must learn how to self manage the whiplash of constantly changing environments because its a forever 'whole' game, so this is our new normal and we have to be able to sustain our role in it.
Fundamentally climate change & climate action is a human issue but we don't have much living memory about how to work deeply in community & this leads us to divided & siloed communities. Todays conversation asks "how do we 'humanly solve these challenges by the way we make our daily decisions"

Links You'll LoveLancet report - planetary dietary guidelines
Digbys tedx talk Support the show:Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
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Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

We talked aboutWhat’s the decision making process for a regular family to make plans for a life that is climate resilient?
Giving people tools they can use to make their own decisions rather than providing the answers
Nothing is linear - planning for a climate impacted future really depends on your future of choice
When planning for 7 generations it changes the first step you will take today.
First Nations thinking and caring for country is becoming a critical part of the way we design for climate i.e the way we manage water
Which water catchment are you in, how does your water get to the tap, how do you interact with your water, who manages your water
Functioning on the edge of our system - constantly challenging how we are doing our work
A “huddle” is the difference between light and dark, life & death.
"There are so many more of us in this change tribe than there are in the opposing camp of climate change disbelievers but it’s critical that we find where we all are and how we transcend our ever so slightly different lenses which might not overly 100%"
The importance of being in relationships with people who might be slightly different but ultimately want the same thing
2 ways to be an activist 1 is to do things actively and 2, where do you spend your money i.e superannuation funds hold immense power yet most of us are apathetic about it.
He looks for the levers that trigger the flow of everything else
A design rule he always puts in place - "if we did nothing else but made sure that every occupant using this building is within 8 metres of the outside world. This then solves lots of other things"
We have to have both art & science to solve problems of the magnitude we are facing
Why he chose Tassie; grassroots initiatives, community of life long learners
The power of the yarn in local communities
His food decision making tree
Thinking about where you shop - Shorten the supply chain at every opportunity
Reconnecting with place & the environment through the food we eat.
We know how to do what must be done but we’ve been distracted by the lure of convenience
The risks of self sufficiency & the vibrancy of community sufficiency
"You don't have the right to do things now that will ultimately harm the greater good. We have a responsibility & we each need to do the best we can to make a difference"

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MILK…despite the fact that 6 billion people on the planet drink it and we have been for 10,00 years, most of us rarely give it a moments thought. Todays conversation with Matthew Evans takes us swimming in vats of the stuff.

Milk looms large in our culture and it's complex, layered, nutritionally interesting and culturally rich. Milk doesn't just feed us - it affects the very way our DNA behaves, feeds your microbiome, speaks to brain health, beneficial to heart health. Fascinatingly, there's a two way communication between a mother and her baby which is passed through the milk.

Far from innocuous milk is in fact an extraordinarily complex social, political, ethical, environmental, scientific and fashionable elixir. So make yourself a milky coffee and settle in with Matthew while he unpacks all of this with his trademark capability to weave a story while teaching us fascinating things.

Links You'll Love
Bruny Island Cheese
Milk - Matthew Evans

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We talked about:

Mammals giving birth is wonderful but traumatic and fraught
The intimate relationship you have with your milking cow - you’re the midwife, boss, trusted friend, child
We began to milk animals about the same time as we started planting grain
10,000 years worth of accumulated knowledge and reciprocity from an animal
Milking animals take the things a human can’t eat and turn it into high quality protein that we CAN use = the original alchemy
Humans have thrived quite well with dairy in our life.
Why milk ended up at the end of a political and public beating stick
When we expect to buy one of the most complex lipid fat substances at less than bottled water - we’ve lost our way.
It’s fashionable to put the boot into milk but 98% of Australians have cow dairy in their fridge
The Whitlam years of 300ml milk bottles at playlunch ruined a generation of potential milk drinkers
There’s not actually much to say about plant milks - they are ultra processed, nutritionally minimal and our bodies have not evolved to recognise any nutritional benefits. A fan of the tim-tam - but this is how you should think about MYLK - it’s a sometimes food that offers little value.
Homogenisation and pasteurised processing and the impact it has on how we digest it - faster and earlier in the gut’ despite knowing that this is not beneficial to humans
The disservice the dairy industry has done to itself with the introduction of skim milk - deconstructing the amazing product that it actually is. Losing quality
Hippie nirvana of reintroducing us back to our local dairies - its incomparable with anything you can buy in the shops
1 in four farmers in the world have a dairy cow
Raw Milk - forbidden in Australia, it requires licenced dairy processor permits.
When you kill the bad bacteria you also kill the good bacteria.
Cheesmakers will always choose unpasteurised milk
Raw milk is the new moonshine
Think of raw milk as a living thing
Raw milk swaps in a McDonalds carpark for baristas
Transformation of dairy into everything it becomes
Whey makes a great antifungal and puts ALL the resources to use.
He now looks at a bottle of fresh milk diff

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How do you create community and influence people? Hannah Churton made friends over bucketloads of kitchen scraps and believes that compost can salve climate anxiety? It’s not simply the creation of black gold that returns the goods - it’s the strength and power in the community that has been built around it. Much like a warm cuddle - just like this convo!

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References from our chat
War on waste ABC

We Talked About

Living in a zoom world - building communities from both ‘unreal worlds’ and those in your own literal backyard.
Beginning a community compost hub during a pandemic
“Of course the people came - it was a beautiful surprise that so many people were interested in engaging - was it a product of the time where people were seeking interaction or were they genuinely interested in composting and food waste"
The courage it takes to set something like this up - nothing to lose was her reason to do it.
Inviting people to participate by creating an easy-to-engage-in process that anyone could access
The importance of making change as simple as possible so there was not a single barrier to participating.
Weighing everything that comes through to incentivise participants - documented on a blackboard so people can see how much they have recovered from landfill.
Building pride in the collective effort
The street now knows each other really well
Using community compost to build verge gardens that community members can use.
Rewarding the community with a bucket of
Evolving from composting, to verge gardens to food swaps.
Creating a passive “Hub” that invites everyone but doesn’t require hand holding. So everyone can be an active participant.
Foundational educational opportunity with open days and tours so they can see what actually happens
I didn’t know I had a deep need to thrive with connection and community until I put systems in place genuinely access people.
Reflecting on the difference between altitudes and where transition can take hold.
Compost has salved climate anxiety
Collectivising efforts
‘Success’ - changed immeasurably in the last few years since having children.
Doing away with her old version of success.
Reinventing herself: Success is broadening her impact, and that can be as simple as others observing different ways of living, a softer footprint on the planet
From a career in community development on a global scale compared to her street scale success.
“Look what can be achieved on such a small scale”
Creating hundreds and thousands of same-same but different versions of simple, local replicable projects
Shifting our value towards things that are small, localised, practical and do-able
Teaching your kids to tell the story of your ways to look after the planet
Building communities with a collective knowledge level
Learning names over compost and thinking communally
“We think about ourselves as ‘the street’ over the individual households”
She’s gone full nerd on her food waste with a PHD
All the things that can be made from food that’s hasn’t been eaten

“Just get your hands dirty and you'll be rewarded - starting will lead you down a beautiful path whatever it is”.
“Fear really is what stops people from starting. You will fail so learn to accept that its the pathway to success.
"Composting is a meditation on regeneration"

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"When did we start othering earth to be overused & under-respected"?
We humans are the younger brother & sister of other beings who have been here for longer than us & have more experience. Now it's time for humans to have humility, unlearn & relearn from those who haven't been so lured by the lux.
Storytelling stepping stones will help us move to that place but a good storyteller also requires a good listener & it can be hard to hear the trees over the noise. Words can also fail us when the emotion of what we are losing is greater than words alone can capture - so seeking many forms of adaptation will require all the grit we've got!
Leah isn't 'doing career' any more, she is simply doing what she loves & seeking the nexus of all that she loves - "that's where the power comes from in each of us...perhaps it's as simple as seeing the beauty in a cut cabbage" References:
Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos
Friends of Silence
Church of the Wild Two Rivers,
Kiss the ground
The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
Robyn Wall Kimmera - Braiding Sweet Grass

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Show Notes:Rebuilding a new life via tomatoes
The inside word on her cohousing community of small homes
Beginning her local movements “save our soil” & “lawns for life”,
"We have two journeys - one is heart & soul: what is mine to do, the outward journey is how do I connect with all the living world around me. Of course the trick is connecting the two.
Leading pilgrimages throughout America “the places really lead the pilgrimage”
Transition can be painful because we think we need to know where we're going
"How do we live more fully alive, deeply connected, balanced on the edge and in a way that is together? This is the conversation we could be in for the rest of our lives"
Building trust by telling the truth about our reality.
We keep trying to figure it out by using our head - we gotta have a heart journey
Avoiding solutions that are wrapped up in a bow.
"We are living in a time on a threshold - we cannot go back to the world we knew and while the story is not clear, our role is to plant the trees for future generations"

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As the host of the the 'regen-narration podcast, listening, learning and storytelling is this mans lens. Join us in getting comfortable sitting in silence while we wait for the insights
With an intent for working collaboratively and creating a community of care, this conversation is flowing and abstract, reflecting on our life of fat, comfort and ease while we need to embrace the discomforts of our future - learning new skills to navigate a world without rose coloured glasses while maintaining action and hope that is meaningful and uplifting.

Show Notes

Why his podcast is its own entity
Why he is as curious and hopeful as all heck
Meta narratives of the regeneration movement
How communities are used as political pawns and divided when actually we are stronger when united
What he imagines life will be in 50 years
Why he believes our future is not yet written
Elite structures are the abstractions blocking all of us from connection to country
What he is doing to get around the colonial abstractions
Finding what it is you can bring to others and offering it with generosity
How can we all implement the things we are learning to the way we live our lives
Building a community of people
Navigating the complexities of human-ness in our efforts to rebuild our communities
Creating a Community of care
Prioritising the living systems - not just supplanting the current paradigm solutions
Owning and claiming your own storytelling narrative - be in it, share it, connect with it
Removing binary thinking
Revelling in the space of head/heart truth
Our mind (the way we think) is based in biological reality and so is the way we feel - how can we chart a holistic, intuitive, experiential way forward
More of us are going to feel the sharp edges of climate impact
The power of the in-between
While we’re nothing on our own we are magnificent as a sum of the parts
Minimising intellectual explanation and leaving room for a felt experience
It’s time to come together across cultures, across words, across knowledge barriers
Our divisions are usually accentuated by the powers that be

References
Regennarration podcast
Kim Ngyuan - Conversations with coalminers about climate change
Amanda Cahil - the Next Economy
Paul Hawken
Damon Gameau - Regenerate Australia
Tyson Yunkaporta - futuresteading interview
King Stingray - indigenous band

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Bugger off dogmatic rules - who wrote those anyway. Push off unfaltering sustainable existence - you're leave us feeling guilty. Shhhh up incessant Instagram perfection - it's not real! Tune in to this fire cracker of fresh air to recalibrate your judgment beacon and give yourself a break while you learn to a make a difference in a way that works for you. Could that be quiet food related activism or perhaps sharing practical skills in your community, or waking up to the plastic explosion in our lives and actively curbing your contribution. Perhaps its pickling...everything in sight! What ever your path, Alex is unwaveringly supportive of anyone having a go at even the smallest of things & her final word of advice ' slow down, don't peak too soon...its a long path & its not getting any easier'

Links You'll Love
Cornersmith - Use it allCornersmith - Food Savers Guide A-Z

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Show Notes
Growing up in a share house that loved to cook in her formative years
Creating community around the share plate
Being ok with fish fingers and frozen peas
Letting judgement go to make a difference while being accepting
Education to build hope & practical skills during this climate emergency
The exhausting weight of being sustainable 24/7
Wanting to help people fall in love with their kitchens again without ideology
Beginning a business with her husband despite limited experience
Discovering pickling when her kids were tiny & she was losing her mind
Pickling as an onramp to a simpler sustainable life
Lying awake thinking about wasting cumquats
Putting community abundance to good use in a pickling jar
Crossing language barriers to learn food preservation methods from her neighbourhood
Taking twists & turns in business
Why now is the time to stand up & shout really loudly
No person can avoid having to make regenerative choices
Getting bolder with age
Trading with locals who swap backyard produce for coffee
Navigating a food business through covid
Avoiding being black and white
Making spaces where its simple for people to make a contribution
Choosing her favourite pickle
You don’t have to make mega batches of food to make a contribution
Eating and using what you’ve got to reduce food waste
Choose one thing, while you build your habits and reframe your practices
Do we all need to be a little uncomfortable in order to make us all think and create other solutions,
Wake up and stop being passive, owning your decisions or solutions
Using scraps from the bin to create magic
If it can be used - use it
Saving money by using every single part of every single thing
Lucky dip cupboard - food without labels
The process of writing a cook book
Replacing the guilt with creativity in the kitchen
The disservice of instagram perpetuating perfection
Pearl of wisdom - going slower in our change journey to ensure longevity

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Our most downloaded backyard adventurer is chatting with us again but this time with better sound and more sleep under his belt so we are witness to a more true version of this humorous, odd character. A self titled 'polyjobist; a generalist at many things, he shares the challenge of writing a book after a decade in academia, worrying about breaking the law to make films and shares why he took up his granddads wood chopping axes despite his mediochre capability.
Our conversation is all 'Miles' - it follows tangents, is really personal and stays true to his advice giving allergy.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE
The Backyard Adventurer
Beau Miles You Tube
Beauisms - Instagram
Casey Nistadt - New York story teller

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Show Notes

Falling short on expectations and promises
Fear of being sued - breaking the law to film documentaries
Reframing your view of the world from your child-like baseline
“Bad River” - soon to be released film series
‘I don’t like being a negative storyteller but the time for me to have an opinion is here
I suppose I love attention but I’ve got hermit written all over me
A really quiet kid that began to bust out into his physicality which helped define him
Was he an undiagnosed dyslexic kid? Is that formative in creating who he is?
Learning maths by building things
Why he took up grandads ax’s to become a wood chopper
Being the mouth piece for those who you surround yourself with
Storytelling via various mediums: Film, book
Being Beau - thinking in tangents, following abstract thoughts, speaking in first person, finding your voice
My greatest skill in life is being a hard worker
Why recording his book as an audio book taught him where his writing faults are
Phenomonology - crating definition and essences out of subjectivity
The challenges of being a story teller
Our life is about defining our essences
While being attracted to individualism - life is simply just better when lived with others
Being watered down as an individual by becoming a parent
Why community is defined by doing the dishes
Reducing moving parts - from film making to doing dishes
Island foods - planning a trip with Paul West, Jade Miles and Beau Miles and three basic foods
Describing himself in three words: Hardy, Resilient, Odd
I think we are all odd but I'm just willing to say it
His allergy to advice giving
If a story teller is doing their job, there will be a million outcomes as others interpret the insights. This is desirable rather than a singular outcome
Living like tomorrow matters MUST look different for every single one of us -that's where the magic sits
Living life with an intentional unknowingness
As a film maker he doesn’t want to know what the outcomes will be, he wants a surprise and that raw, honest reality of one day at a time.
His hopefulness comes from where he lives

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Charlie Mgee -- permaculture troubadour and Formidable Vegetable frontman -- composes swingin' tunes on a ukulele that address climate change, food security and regenerative sustainable living.

From 'energy-descent electroswing' to 'post-apocalypso', his unforgettable music provides permaculture earworms that entertain and educate. Maybe you're humming one right now?

In this energetic convo, we quiz Charlie about the role of art and creativity in changemaking; how music has a knack for bridging gaps and delivering powerful messages through melody. Charlie talks about his childhood in the bush, his wandering spirit, what it's like living in a tiny house at Melliodora with Brenna Quinlan, and his vision for a more beautiful world.

Now you can support the show by shouting us a cuppa! Click here to check it out.

SHOW NOTES

Hight energy artistic life in a tiny house with Brenna Quinlan
Stories from permie childhood
Why chickens are a gateway drug into alternative living
Finding ways of synthesising complex concepts and making them accessible
All pervasive gratitude
A pledge to stop flying & touring Australia in biodiesel converted van
Coping with covid by understanding joy and grief are two sides of the same coin
Acknowledging the hard stuff to build the good stuff
Individual vision post covid lockdown
Daily life at Melliodora
Pushing against the treadmill to move towards intentional simplicity
Being OK to be a bit different
Managing multiple communities in your life
The accidental creation of an annual festival
Yearning for a deeper connection to place
Avoiding tribalism
Staying open minded to ensure a rounded world view
Seeing all of life as equal to oneself
Listening more and talking less
The risk of being interpreted as a dogmatic idealist who will show us all the way
Think global, act local
How music and the arts is the ultimate universal language
Why he doesn’t copyright his music
The power of regenerative creativity - how we imagine the world
Go hug a tree!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Formidable Vegetable on Instagram
Formidable Vegetable online
Melliodora
David Holmgren's Retrosuburbia
Brenna Quinlan on Instagram
Charles Eisenstein - The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
The Patterning Instinct - Jeremy Lent
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What would it be like to rely solely on yourself, lean into ecological literacy, to really notice the changing patterns of the season & offer yourself the time it genuinely takes to live intimately with the earth . Claire tells of her pathway to following a calling to initiation - a need to let her social identity rot away on the forest floor & go into a place of deep introspection. Spurred by a primal knowledge that we are living in a world with a deficit in: nature, elders, community, ritual & skills, Claire is rewriting her story & rebuilding the culture around her to become one of eco awakening - it starts with something as basic as an intentional 'wander' or journaling & accepting awkwardness as we relearn the art of village building using pan cultural tools like rhythm, percussion, scent, song, body movement, repetition, nature noticing,

Links You'll LoveNatures apprentice My year without matchesRewilding the urban soulJoanna Macy - Active hope

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Show Notes
Spending a year off grid, alone, connecting to her human identity
To do what I could to be a voice for the voiceless
Her psyche turned towards a deep interconnectedness which heals the rift between the human soul & nature
The constant flow of the forest sees an intruding human as a benign presence
Rewriting her patterns of productivity, structure,
Growing from a solo wolf into a community being
Why she never felt lonely when in the bush
Learning the art of community generated & self designed ceremony which links nature & culture
Vision quests - multiple days along in a wild place. A way to mark a transition that's already happening. A strong ceremony with an element of ordeal which humbles us & marks us porous to some of the quieter conversations.
Deep adaptation is what we’re needing. How can I live well on the land, in community with a thriving culture with wisdom around the journey of adolescence to adulthood. Reclaiming what we've lost, what we've buried but reclaiming culture in a contemporary setting.
Hunter gatherers challenge - eating only what you grow, forage or bartered
Feasting on community through intention, dedication, time, conflict, conversations
Grief as a community builder
Sparking ourselves through rewilding - a full expression of our animus being - creativity, love, vision, vitality, quiet, deep attuned listening,
Removing abstractions from our ability to connect to our life support systems - our embeddedness with the web of life
“Don't ask what the world needs of us, ask what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs most right now is a population of people who are alive”

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Today Jade sits down with one of those luminous beings who’s living like tomorrow matters with deep intention and integrity.

Mara of Village Dreaming and ORTO Farm near Daylesford shares stories from her slow food life and lyrical observations (to the tune of ‘riding a bike to work in the city is like experiencing a musical’) that’ll linger long after this convo wraps up.

Mara describes her Italian roots and being a waste renegade, the magic of WWOOFing and running a cooking school, wildlife corridors and messages to her 20 year old self.

It’s better than a big bowl of Bolognese with hot-buttered garlic bread and it's yours for the devouring.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE
Mara + Village Dreaming on Instagram
Village Dreaming + ORTO Farm online
The Red Tent ~ Anita Diamant

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SHOW NOTES

Sharing our lives on social media
Why there should be more shame in waste
Building adventure through salvaging waste
Diverting waste as a human rights and social issue
Being an eco-renegade
Her Italian heritage that provides a foundation for living with heart
Being surrounded by love has allowed her to be a lover in return
Being 110% herself
Naming her farm to reflect a circular and loving village
Hand building a home that is the culmination of a 20 year journey in community building/love of food
The Magic of WWOOFing; refilling hearts, rebuilding skills and recreating rhythms
Her desire to be the archetypal mother
Running a cooking school in your own home with heart, song and dance
Having a partner who is as warm, delicious and inviting as ricotta
Creating ORTO farm: berries, olives, wildlife corridors, orchards and one-day pigs on pasture
Messages to her 20 year old self - well done!
Years of searching for like minded individuals
Why the music industry interrupted her need to be ‘home for dinner’
Discovering permaculture
Her pure love of cycling
The privilege of building her own straw bale house using ‘light earth'
Adding a greenhouse on the northern side of her house = revolutionary outcome
The work needed to retrofit housing stock in this country
Why ENOUGH is reflected in the health of relationships
Being part of a world that actively manages the impacts of climate change
Managing the ‘daunt’ of educating our kids without them experiencing dread and fear
Giving kids rope to make their own decisions
Struggling to say “life is going to get harder” (but knowing it’s the truth)
The power of bringing disparate groups together to effect real change! We re more alike than not.
Removing judgement and expectations from transition
Seeing glints in peoples eyes when they consider their homes as life havens
The nasty cycle of fiscal domination

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This episode is akin to being a fly on the wall as you overhear a convo… a warm, convivial, personal conversation to round out season nine.
Listening back, while editing - with the Sunday roast cooking - it felt intimate to be part of this natter between Sadie and Jade which was recorded in late Spring art the end of their respective days. They poured themselves a glass of wine and hit the recording button. Neither were in the mood to touch on doom-dom so they intentionally avoided consumerism, capitalism and colonialism, but unpacked many a worthwhile morsel to help us in our huddles - why do we all have our own white goods?
Join the chat for a little snapshot capture of two farming women who've created public facing businesses while they share what this experience has been like and where it might go to next...perhaps a school, perhaps a space for the community to activate, perhaps a collaboration of good folk bringing their best selves, hopes n dreams to the table to create a homegrown hundreds and thousands solution to land management.

References:Fat Pig farm
Wife Drought - Annabel Crabb
Milk - Matthew Evans

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Show NotesChecking in on our promise to invite a complete stranger for a cuppa
Being ballsy enough to open yourself to strangers & invite them in
The weight of creating an experience that people become very familiar with & in time take a place of personal connection.
The pressure of having to deliver when you are someone's bucket list
The pressure of being part of someone's integral nostalgia & memory
Moving away from being a restaurateur & stepping into full time farming & parenting
The importance of the person that holds all the pieces of a community, to drive, listen & manage cohesion
Are the answers going to be found in the weeds
Could they run a high school stream on fat pig farm covering everything from science to economics?
Collecting people & bringing them in to her place of nurturing
Why she isn’t the power behind the throne but a partner in crime to live her best life
Removing gender from the way we define our best selves
Walking in step with many, even when those many aren’t necessarily the ones you would select if given a choice
The long hard process of defining your no-go zones
Our greatest capability is to find solutions from within our community
Creating bioregional strengths that creates a culture
How do we get people off social media where the sound bite lives and the complexity gets lost
Complexity needs to be celebrated and continued - keep it alive and be ok with that

SAFE and HELD - is her one word that reflects HUDDLES

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How do we become a life enhancing species?
How do we remember in our bones our earth lineage?
Osprey asks us to consider 'How are we each ‘efforting’ towards a different way of being?
If you said Together...SNAP.
While acknowledging that we're each complicit in living & swimming in an extractive economy & extractive world - its about the way we navigate it. In dismantling old oppressive systems that harm life instead of nurture it, we first need to acknowledge our diluted collective understanding that we're living relative and connected to the web of life and that we are not separate or orphaned from it. That being on the land, in our body and away from intellectual focus provides the more dominant societies to become humbled and more engaged with our hearts and minds. When operating in this way, we change our story and ultimately change our way of being in a world that is gasping for us to interact differently.
As a female leader, she beats to a different drum but we all might learn a thing or two from her approach.

Conversation ReferencesWECANThe story is in our bones - Osprey Oriel Lake Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

We talked aboutHer role asfounder of the Women's Earth & Climate Action Network WECAN
Leading an organisation with heart led decision making - feminine leadership differs to mainstream narrative
Divesting away from destructive projects is a powerful act
The power of storytelling in creating change
Heart to heart human connection has resulted in banks divesting millions of dollars
Bringing our whole selves to show up and talk to people we don't agree with, share stories & work on moving hearts and minds
Talking to people in positions of wealth and influence to enact change
We need an ecosystem with projects and campaigns at all tiers - the challenge is when we don't work together
Knitting ecosystems together- Collective power comes from together-ness
Organisations who have money need to be bridgebuilders for those who don't
Mentorship from indigenous leaders woven throughout her life experiences
Its time to compost the modern day ideologies and create new soils….its is going to stop as nature will make us stop
We need to connect with the earth and each other to reconfirm our identities in relationship with the land
Building our community
We can't rely on soundbites to make a decision
Why she doesn't travel for vacations - only for work
How are we utilising our privilege to lift up others, and make choices
Being willing to be in uncomfortable situations and then being quiet enough to listen to others especially not white wealthy people so we can keep creating more equity and balance
We are in a time where we are unpacking racism patriarchy and colonisation - observations
Sidestepping division
How worldviews and climate justice can reframe our climate crisis
We are dealing with crises about identify and trauma which leads to violence, division and an inability to look inwards
How do you live in a system which you are trying to transform
Her one word - RELATIVES with each other, the air, water, trees, we are all in relationship.

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Jane Stevens is passing on the knowledge from her lifelong poly passions of gardening, herbalism, astrology and moon cycles as a gift to the world in the from of a book (one that carries a Chelsea green publishers mark on the spine & a Rosemary Gladstar forward no less). This Wisconsin based wealth of other-worldly wisdom shares why writing a book in her mid 60s is the perfect time of pass such earthly wisdoms. She speaks of planting seeds according to the moon cycles - are you familiar with the moon cycles? Creating gardens according to the 7 body chakras, the pattern of herbalists always being shunted to the side & why she quit watching the news to focus instead on the plants in her garden which leaves her feeling more empowered & less fearful.

Things we chat about
Four elements herbal creams
Earth and Soul - Leah Rampy
Celestial garden - Jane Stevens
Dr Jill Stansbury - Herbalist and Author

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Conversation Points

Grandmotherly inspiration to become a herbalist at five that set a feeling of awe in her heart - “I just knew that I needed to be with the plants
A Wisconsin tradition of planting a Peony from your mothers farm on your own farm
Gardening by the moon to create a practical rhythm
Letting nature be more in control and being more of a partner
Start by following the quarters of the 28 day moon cycle
Week one: The new moon rises at dawn & sets at dusk (the time to be starting projects including seeds which have their seeds outside the fruit - lettuce, broccoli)
Week Two: The first quarter rises at midday & sets at midnight (plant seeds that hold their seeds inside the fruit such as cucumbers and tomatoes)
Week Three: The full moon rises at dusk & sets at dawn (the soil moisture is pulling down so its the perfect time to plant root vegetables)
Week Four: The last quarter rises at midnight and sets at noon (time of rest, planning, setting traps, weeding)
Being multi disciplinary has meant she chartered her own path
Her astrology points to brave leadership
Teaching is a gentle role
Turning their farm into a ‘public garden’ - a childhood dream
Planting a garden based on the 7 chakra system to build mental and bodily strength
Plants are seductive
Herbalists in history have forever been dogged by the system - pushed out by design
Seduction begins by teaching children to be engaged in nature - they get excited and teach their parents
The need for us to build our own skills and herbal medical kits in order to side step the system that shuts it down
Access to deep knowledge of Chinese, ayurvedic and native herbalism - now is the time to act
Participate in herb walks in your local area
Integration - layering meditation, astrology, herbalism
Being brave enough to use the space and skills of our young people.
What does enough look like - Health, loving relationships, all your bills being paid, gratitude, humility.
One word - Gratitude - for a seed that was planted in me to work with plants, that I was educated, have a career outdoors, finding the love of my life - these gifts have kept me humble.

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Sarah Andrews has this way of stripping back the noise & replacing hustle with humility. A gentle woman, who describes herself as '90% introvert', she has crated beautiful spaces by considering them her palette to tell stories & then inviting in a global community of folk to share her special space.

The key, she says, to creating spaces that are warm, nurturing and supportive of the community they are designed to hold, is to be sure that “beautiful is not the ‘budget”.
“My plan was to teach a few what I knew and then go sailing but it didn't happen like that because what was being taught was so special & it really did what it said on the box”
Today the futuresteading pod invites you to open the box and learn ways to create spaces that nurture togetherness.

Things we talked about:
Hosting masterclass - Sarahs online program
The Poetry of Spaces - Sarah Andrews
Captains Rest - Sarah's Accommodation

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Show Notes
How a tumultuous life has lead her to creating spaces that make her feel safe
Spaces that make you feel the way you want to feel & be the best we can
Finding your medium to create stories - art, verbal words, design, written words,
Walking the line of being a hermit that is alone but not wanting to be alone
Understanding her ratio for a happy life - for her its 90% introverted
Attracting people together but without the obligation of having to hold them all.
“I’d found an internal happiness as a host and wanted to gift that to others”
“Hosting & creating spaces is a science which can be broken down into a process?
Frustration with the creative world using words that don't have meaningful measure.
Building tools that could be taught to people who don't think they're creative.
It’s easy to copy something if you've got a big budget but if you’re creating something that’s creative & individual then the real beauty is uncovered
“For many reasons captains rest should not have been a success but when it was I was inundated with people asking me to help them do the same for them”
Humility in creating a global network of minded individuals
"I don’t have the energy for it to be all about me so it’s lovely to see a community of people connecting from the comfort of my couch"
Every year I just do what I can - which is different every year - there’s no strategy but it feels good & works for me.
Enough is not about doing more, having more, seeing more, it’s about how much you can give to the world.
Building a meaningful community of people she loves & trusts
I’m a three friend type of person - they’ve seen me through every part of my life
Being part of a community that is protective of one another & generous
Inner huddles & outer huddles
Our community is a success because it’s genuine - it’s not a side hustle or a business venture - I’d be doing it anyway.
The thing that always links to success is ‘realness’ - when it lights up people’s eyes you know it's true. It’s those who have the bravery to follow that
A better way of being a community of people interacting with one another is when we sidestep division.
Being led by kindness - one of the hardest but most rewarding things about being alive.

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Summary: In a world of consumption & content this chat ponders which containers for connection are going to hold us in relationships that are strong enough to navigate sickness &health, vitality & misery & how we build bridges to thread our significant worlds into one place so we can be ‘whole’. Over & above the individual, we ask ‘how do we build cultures where ‘welcome’ is the default & division is not normalised.

Casper TerKuile is an articulate, poetic communicator who believes that ritual holds the key for much of this transition work. Where we buck the system, going beyond the prioritising of comfort at the expense of belonging. Casper lyrically leads us through making everyday things deeply intentional, shared moments of magic that change our attitude to the mundane & bring magic to the small threads of potential delight.

In a desire to move beyond the morass of 'MEH' we consider that whatever the problem - community is the answer & how we might build bridges to connect everyone's efforts to create the necessary structures. What ever they are - you can’t treat community like a shopping centre - waiting to serve your every whim but with nothing offered in return.

In an unexpected twist we ask: How would someone farm humans? - a lot more singing & dancing & a lot less sitting behind a desk

We Chatted About:Power of Ritual - Casper ter Kuille - rhymes with Smile
Nearness Project
The Overstory - Richard Powers
A Paradise Built in Hell - Rebecca Solnit

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Show Notes:How are community & spirituality changing
Less than half the population now consider themselves religious - lowest in history
How can we connect more deeply with the people who matter
Exploring spirituality
Creating pathways to build deeper relationships & bonds
Creating collaborative covenants - Professional relationships as defined by the way ‘we want to be together’.
Sacred reading - one of the most profound reading practices - as much about how you are reading as what you are reading
“I may not be guilty but we are all responsible”
Potluck dinners to build communities of warmth
Is your “place” where the trees look like they should?
Does placeless-ness contribute to a sense of cosmic loneliness?
Seeing the best of people in tough times - it calls for the best in people
We were once born into a ‘role’ and way of being
Making our day to day decisions through the framework of regeneration that results in life.
Anti elite vitriol in rural USA emphasised and polarised by social media companies
Relational cohesion
Nose to tail eating…meat eaten with reverence. Honouring the beast that gave its life
The value of policy makers in our period of transition
I went to graduate school on divinity and public politics
Why change makers need to find homes at all tiers of system change

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Illustrator extraordinaire is back to chat! Brenna's talent lies in taking hairy, complex systemic issues and distilling them into bite-sized, actionable messages using just her pencil (& of course her magnificent capacity for critical thought). We check in with her latest updates from life on the road with her partner Charlie McGee touring with his band and they're latest project, building a strawbale small home in Denmark Western Australia.
We unpack why being a purpose-led creative who's her own boss can be tough but shine a light on the delight of living a life that is cobbled together with many small magic opportunities.
We get the low down on what life is like in an intentional community - “By being consistently kind and loving, the soul of my community is full of gifting, generosity and a vibrant sharing economy”

We lamented the state of deep division we're all experiencing and talked frankly about how she's breaking down these divisions in her own world by finding a higher goal to focus on which allows you to set aside your ideological and ethical differences, focusing on the overlap areas instead.
There is often truth on both sides of peoples belief coins - deep valid beliefs that justify both sides of the coin.
It's a winding conversation - join us!

Things we chatted about:

Formidable Vegetable - latest albumDopelganger - Naomi KleinBrenna Quinlan online

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Show Notes:
Being on the road gives energy and fresh ideas but 1.5 years was too long
Home to build a straw bale tiny home
Learning to switch off as a freelancer - a unique occupational hazard in the gig economy
Triple edged sword of being a freelancer, a creative and purpose driven
Having some structure in an unstructured life has meant life feels happier
Leaning on her community to carry her through the grief of her Dad
Covid fractured the global permaculture movement but the permaculture convergence was a magnificent opportunity to heal the Australian contingent of the permaculture movement. It was about inclusivity.
Respectful, inclusive and joyful interaction allows for permaculture to be the peoples movement
I’m not the permaculture police but she has been able to maintain relationships with people who have different beliefs to her in the interest of maintaining conversation so everybody has the ability to reach out to somebody
The Left in general has been fractured by extremism and also by an inability for us to accept a belief that differs
Its ok to feel comfortable with someone’s belief that differs to you
Communities can teach us how to ask for help
If you have a profile - go to a funeral - it perks the grieving up no end - Three cheers for costa who showed up for her dads funeral
Her word - Warmth - like an energetic blanket being worn around during the dark days, their love can be felt

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SHOW SUMMARYJoin Billa, co founder of the Wild School, as we navigate back into our custodial selves. Where we use head, hands & heart to rebuild the connective processes that help us become deeply connected people to place & each other. This process requires us to not only think but to really feel, 'It needs to be remembered in the body at a cellular level. “In our bones as women we have generations of wisdom & the sisterhood brings this to life”
'We are designed to live in tribal sized groups & to take care of country but we lack the skills so it's time to unlearn & relearn.'
The right environment will trigger the hard wired settings to make us what we are designed to be & the process of relearning how to live together will be more than just building houses & spaces or owning land.
Billa & her husband Chief have been doing this earth connection & village making work their entire lives & she is measuring her experiences against something in her bones. She is doing this via 5 sacred pathways - these being food as medicine, nature connection, ceremony & ritual, village making & art is medicine. A pedagogy you cannot be schooled on, you need to embody them through experience.
The most potent experience of all she says is to have gratitude for the mother. Us two-legged humans form a story - “we are merely the current fruiting mushroom of the ancestral mycelium”. its time to be reminded of this in our modern day story.
Things we chatted aboutWildschool
Gaia University
8 shields movement - Jon Young
Tyson Yinkaporta - right story, wrong story

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Show Notes:
Moving towards a life that moves in circles rather than being square & rigid - finding the sisterhood, herbal medicine, permaculture.
Women need women but we specifically need sisterhood where we share wisdom & DO together - craft, learn, share,
DIY-ing her own home at 24
Intentional communities - are they a study in failure or can we really do this?
Permaculture has been foundational alongside womens wisdom
Being alive ‘in village’
Finding our way back through the cultural repair journey via the 8 shields movement & the 64 cultural elements
Connecting to country to continue as a species
Reconciling our history is foundational to rebuilding culture
You can’t ground community without the land but you can’t just buy land & assume the community will come - the truth of the land needs to be reconciled.
What we eat is our relationship to the earth mother - it plugs us back in
Rebuilding deep connection requires all five sacred pathways to be present
Are we existing in captivity
Decolonising our body through food
Building next level connection with our ancestors
We’ve stopped knowing our bodies
What else comes with your DNA? More than height or eyes colour
The humble shall inherit the earth
Check in with what your ‘baseline’ is - very high in western culture
Taking care of the baseline & being able to appreciate it is freeing because you can let go of the noisy material things which takes up all the space & consume you.
White privilege blinkers - question what was taken in order for us to have this

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The majority of us are living in cities, and the sad truth is that these highly inhabited hubs are food deserts. Places where food certainty is uncertain and what we do have available is a rapidly homogenising food landscape. The Food Lab is a program based in Sydney and designed to find ways to bring people closer to the soil that grows our food. Creating networks that cross disciplinary boundaries and support the birthing of language and connection points for the influx of migrants unable to translate our food culture.

We chat about ways of introducing people from communities who have different cultural backgrounds. Finding catalysts to move outside of their communities to share knowledge, culture and business capability.

At the foundation of all of this food culture building is TRUST. Jamie says 'You can’t go and eat at someone’s table without trust". TRUST is at the centre of everything. When someone cooks a meal for you, you build trust. You can’t love someone without trust first.

"I have the faith that my brother loves me when he cooks for me"

Finally, his key advice is 'If you aren’t blessed with enough resources to travel, consider connecting to the cultural pockets in your own city". Things we talked aboutFood Lab
Beau Miles: Cook River episode on You Tube
Bread and butter project

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Show NOTES
A lotta rockiness along the way but it grew & evolved with the participants needs
Particularly focussed on female, migrant communities
Marginalised communities using food to connect with one another
Building the diversity of the food landscape in Sydney
Food is something that can be offered even when life is filled with utter newness
Eliminating the potential of putting too much debt at the outset of a business
“Assets are power in hospitality”
The food scene is in danger of becoming homogenised due to the cost of establishment
The power of mentorship to avoid the loneliness of business
The chicken and egg of being small and not well resourced but being flooded with applications for support
Providing a strong stepping stone to graduate people to their own kitchens
Impact multipliers - equipping people to support others
100% of the people will employ 4-7 people in the next 3 years
Why our urban centres are food deserts
Pomegranate molasses as a way to connect cultural groups
Normalising enough and not needing to be ‘excessive’
The power of sharing a meaningful recipe
There’s something in recipes that lead people back to independence - Food speaks to our identities, holds our stories, this cant be taken away from someone
As soon as you remove language you remove culture. When food is a language, it can’t be taken from you.
Everyone has a recipe they just want to share
What does it look like to belong to a huddle in a city -
You don't realise how rich culture is until you bust out of your safety zone and look in as an outsider
He feels shame for growing up in such a place of privilege which buffered him from the realities of other pockets in exactly the same city but with much less privilege.
“I grew up with a lack of multiculturalism but food can bridge that and connect you to communities you mightn't have had access to”

Singular word - TRUST

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Maria Konecsky refers often to her ancestral memory. For her the way back to those who came before her has been through food. She says “Our food lines, hold our story, no matter what it is, whether its pretty or ugly, grand or humble it holds richness and grit and love and loss” It’s such a beautiful way to unpack our heritage - through food, in her case it’s sometimes ugly food made with love by her OMA who instilled equal part ritual and boredom into her childhood in just the right doses.

Wherever you are right now, I encourage you to find the thread that links you to your own heritage and give it a tug - dive deeply to understand how the patterns of the past are influencing the behaviours of today to form our own individual stories as part of the collective.

Referenced in our chatKindred - the book she wrote with her sister
Gewuzhaus - their shared spice store

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Show Notes
Food is an alternative language to the written or spoken word. Care love and power flows through our hands and into our creation
Food as opposed to ingredients are special
We have to keep showing up to cook - especially as mothers - even when its hard
The magnificence of sharing a business with family - always a process, it takes
To the nurturers, mothers, keepers of ritual
Her one word: HOME - connects her to her grandmothers.
Her kin: why writing a book was an opportunity to delve deeper into her ancestral lines, from all over Europe to ultimately coalesce in Germany
The importance of ritual, rhythm and routine in a life with young families - ritual helps to ground us and find commonality that we all understand.
The rituals of her childhood (Christmas in Germany)
Out of boredom came an ingrained and repetitious focus and love on food. Embedded in their DNA
A 12 layered Dobosh - spectacular creation to mark special times across the year “more than just making a cake, it was a channelling of my ancestors into the cake to be there for those who need them”
Mushrooming in Autumn, Winter citrus - balls of colour during the wet grey months, Rituals remind us that life is full of cycles
Opening Gewurzhaus as a nod to her love of food
How a can do attitude has been foundational to their willingness to get stuck in and have a go at things that might fill others with fear
Letting your taste and senses take over to lead you on your next adventure
Spending 6 months cooking to really learn how spices work
Kraut holds her story - a much loved ritual that she only does alone - grounds and connects her to her food lines
Getting her 3 year old to drink kraut juice
Embracing ugly meat - frugal, hardworking, industrious individuals,
Chicken broth as an analogy
How grandmas habits which used to gross her out as a child now form tha backbone of her adult rituals.
Coming back to getting squeamish and getting past the complex to better understand each other, our food and how we eat it.
Overcoming the disconnect of where our food comes from - the value of tending life and then taking life.
Nurturing a shrooming culture via an annual mushroom hunt for mothers day

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Join Jade and the tall, smiling pink haired gem as she ponders the many right ways of doing things - when care, intellect & heart goes into the building of skills, earth care & people care we need to honour the effort which is more important than the approach taken.
Learn why she actively puts herself in front of opportunities & why she uses her platform as an extension to her duty of care - "Its not about me its about the issue”

"While I have sadness in me about the heartbreaks happening across the world I choose to actively come back to radical hope. If you care for each other and the world we live in there’s no other option but to weave love and joy into life and weave hope into every single day"

References in the convo
ABC Gardening Australia
Gardening Australia Junior program
The Good Life - Hannahs first book
Good Life Growing - how to grow fruit and veg in any climate in Australia
Dan Palmer futuresteading conversation

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Show Notes:

The juggle is real - relying on friends to help us
Not doing all the things all the time
Why it’s harder to ask than it is to help
Take time to build deep relationships. Communities hold us through good & not so good
Finding people with common interests as the starting place to build a huddle
Building people care into property design - human behaviours & human nature
Good permaculture design based on the individuals who are living & stewarding the landscape
Dan Palmer transformative for the Australian Permaculture community. He challenged & elevated it.
Bringing people along in challenging conversations at challenging times
Conversations which build community - “I don’t see the difference between hardened farmers and inner city hipsters” all I see is people who are enthusiastically food growing
The elusive ‘balance’ - “its doesn’t exist but she is getting better at scheduling so actively builds slots of quiet time to counter balance the external
The power of a routine
Putting yourself in the way of opportunities so you can deepen your impact
Every type of activism is needed but Hannah is best suited to solution orientated activism.
Don't underestimate the feeling inside you as your accurate guide
Ikigai formula
Creating a goat share
We don’t have to be self sufficient but doing things with intention & love - living towards your values
Seed saving magnificence - I’ve got the power
Energetically connecting to people
Life in front of the camera for ABC gardening Australia
Ulitising the tools & opportunities available to us in our modern world
Sometimes it’s about doing the things that are unnecessary (like dying your hair pink) to nurture our psyche
Learning in public - transparency about openly making mistakes to avoid being pigeonholed
I hope that in a decade I can publicly admit that I've been wrong about things.
She is happiest when she is IN the work - not about her but about the shining of light on things that matter to her…it’s just a tool to open a door to talk to people
Her singular word - LOVE and ACTION

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Dr Kate Luckins asks what shade of green are you? The answer is of little consequence and will most certainly ebb with the hokey poke of life - finding your own shade, in your own way is the secret…along with an audit or two of your cupboards, sheds, fridge and mind.

With a doctorate in sustainability, this Dr knows a thing or two about how we can climb aboard the bandwagon and STAY ON, ultimately resulting in us living "More with Less (which is the name of her new new book) - as our own shade of green.

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Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters Buy Kates Book - Live more with Less Pod References:War on WasteUrban NannaWell Nourished Georgia Harding naturopathST ethical eating guides

Show Notes
Even when you mean well - life is very busy so its really hard to bring this way of life to the front line
Crisis fatigue - why the looming Armageddon can cripple us.
Empathy for our parents managing teenagers who want to create the landfill of tomorrow
Experimenting with a clothing exchange
Awakening the consumer in her with the birth of her baby
Bring unapologetically medium green
Not doing all the things at once
A medium, life friendly shade of green which maintains momentum
Building new habits that are awkward and unfamiliar slowly becoming part of your flow.
Smug stock stash being built in the freezer
1 in every 5 bags of shopping is incidentally wasted
Getting sucked into every foodie, fashion and fun fad
Life audits - fridge, wardrobe, third drawer down,
Filling the gap between our concerns and our reality.
Our cultural issue isn’t what to do its about how we make decisions in the weeds - what should our self expectation be.
Keeping the paralysis of eco fear at bay
Finding the times in your life that are well suited to bringing in more change
Treat yourself like you would a friend who is doing their best
Its not the people in govt who feel the most powerful its the every day eco heroes who feel enthusiastic and the actions they are taking. Unofficial authorities in their own communities
Leading by example is the most powerful way to bring systems change
Diagnosing our reality and changing our language because of it.
Why the sustainability movement needs a theme song
More connection, more time, more community, less, consumption, less waste,
Finding your on ramp to get into this way of being
Start where your interests lie and don't worry about it being perfect or big”
The value of the imperfect
We often buy because we are compensating or obliged to buy…
Seeding the idea of ‘buying less and valuing it well’
Why its so bloody hard to raise kids today to be mini ecowarriors
Buy less and live more in a society that is structurally designed to create waste and
Find your door in - start with the things that interest you and your energy will be infectious - don't underestimate the ripple effect of
Rewrite the normal - to include lifestyle upgrades like showering in dams

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Kirsten Bradley is one half of permacultures favourite educators MILKWOOD and she joins us as our opening night (very early morning actually) star in the spectacular line up of season nine guests.

We've had her in our ears before but not since she crossed Bass Straight to set up home and release her new book. The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook

We delve into how she has built her Huddle in the southern most state and how she contributes to the mycelium of community that will form what is ultimately needed in the coming 100 years of skilled up, earth connected, community first folk who just keep showing up - which is easier said than done.

She talks about our duty of care to the commons and why we need to be comfortable as the receiver and giver in your local soup kitchen.

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Show Notes:
Building a new life in Tasmania - here we are!
The forest school that runs along democratic lines with kiddos making decisions (but still have to do maths)
Teenagers marinating in different ideas and different thinking
Being confident to let your small human build their own vision and values
Upskilling FAST: Growing food, making bread, sewing, community connections
Rebooting our civic duty to be relational with each other
Changing the world, one habit at a time with her latest book: the Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook
Engaging in the commons - taking responsibility for the things which are held in common-wealth (beaches, waters, parks) scraps of land that are worth taking care of and starting a relationship with.
Using your privilege for purpose - even if limited - use them to help those who don’t have them
Start by identifying your privileges and call out those who behave in a way that limits rather than supports others
The value of clever, open, respectful communication with those who don't align with your values
“No one is in anybody else's shoes so we don’t have the knowledge or the right to make judgments”
“Whether you’re the soup giver or the soup taker - in times of need, we all need each other and finding the common ground to be on either side of the table is a pillar of how we’ll live in the next 100 years”
Building partnerships in coalitions of the unlikely
Mutual aid in her backyard, not just in times of crises but a community way of being
Making sure you’ve got some really big pots in your pantry to fire up a huge pot of soup if needed
The million ways to contribute to the community care systems we all need
Sharing your skills far and wide
How she’s made online learning as practical and useful as possible
Do one thing, make it a habit then choose one more thing
Threading the various communities together to create a dynamic non 9-5 existence
Compassion speaks to creating futures with other people despite the overlapping crises
Holding peoples hopes, fears and making sense of that as a huddle.

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Remember this beautiful human? She spent some time in your ears way back in series one & two before heading off for a life of adventure & learning in the intellectual home of permaculture. Catie Payne is a courageous one-of-a-kind character full of love and laughter who challenges 'normal' and beats to her own drum.Join us for this joyful, 'been-too-long-catchup between Jade & Catie & delve into the last two years of Catie's artistic, rewilding, permaculture filled days.

Show notes

Catie now lives at Melliodora permaculture working in exchange for food and accommodation - what is this really like?

Completed a re-wilding leadership course with Claire Dunne taught her so much about herself and our culture.
Why storytelling has been an important learning for her and what she now plans to do with this.

Hiking on a sacred songline in Nitmiluk National Park near Katherine NT, led by the Jaywoyn traditional owners.

Connecting to nature through sit-spots and wandering in the bush.

To guide our kids she suggests “rights of passage” rewildling programs that give a reference point to a more grounded, wild and connected life.

Current reads for Jade and Catie

Reactivating her love of medicinal weeds through a monthly community herb circle

Building a vision for women to reclaim the role of natural healers in their communities.

As the Futuresteading podcast takes an extended break. Catie and Jade relish the many characters and conversations they have shared through the pod.
Learning that just asking a question unfolds a whole conversation and opportunity to see things from a different perspective.

Thank you to everyone who has popped Futuresteading in your ears, all of the comments, the tears, the shared knowledge and camaraderie.

References

“Plants - Past Present and Future” by Zena Cumpston, Michael Fletcher, Lesley Head

: https://store.holmgren.com.au/product/plants-past-present-and-future/

“Wilder, a journey back to life” by Meg Berryman: https://www.megberryman.com/

“Rewildling the Urban Soul” by Claire Dunne: https://www.naturesapprentice.com.au/

Ntimiluk Adventures: https://www.nitmiluktours.com.au/

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Nutrisoil

Wwoof Australia

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Summary
"We’ve never been sicker as a species, we've never experienced such high levels of extinction and its time to look past the ‘machine that’s working’ and actively choose not to contribute to it. Instead, its time to share ancestral knowledge, naturopathy, movement & earth based skills with each other & the next generation and nod to our ancestors by learning the ways, diets and nutritional needs of our bodies. Let us experience deep sorrow ahead of rejecting the mainstream colonised and capitalistic system and lets walk away from being a machine centred society so that it supports humans first"

Show notesLife in a commune which is 60% indigenous and 60% queer
Sharing her ancestorial voice given to her by her mother and her family lineage
Building on generations prior to build fierceness yet peace in her
Birthing an event called ‘the gathering’ to fulfil her own need to create a space that was not dominated by whiteness or privilege
The biggest and greatest job we have on this planet is to raise well and connected children
Focussing her efforts on marginalised communities
We cannot be strong female leaders unless we are bringing everyone along with us
Stepping into a woman centred world
Why the current system is failing all of us to live long, strong, healthy existences
Living in deep loving connection with each other & the natural world
People have never seen intuitive spirituality as fact but its a feminine and necessary path
Feminine cycle of 28 days, men cycling on 28 hour cycles
Creating a feminine vision quest
Women are the wisdom keepers, communicators,
Shifting away from operating up and out from our body and actively coming back into our bodies which creates a down regulation of our nervous system
Coming into ONE conscious moment each week
Growing up with fragmented culture because of colonisation
Rewriting new paradigms with indigenous culture at the heart
Actively desiring a small but mighty charitable organisation - without desire for becoming national or global
The power of localisation
Coming to “rest” on country
Rest in the knowing that she is walking on the same country that her blood has walked on in her ancestral linage
Encouragement to take a pilgrimage to the “homeland” of your ancestors
Once upon a time there was a well and connected ancestor living and thriving
Finding our own indiginaity
Lore created by country and culture
We are but a minuscule piece of a puzzle made up by the thousands of ancestors who came before us
Allowing feminine power breathe by openly accepting pain and working through trauma
Rather than changing the way we work, live, and be in the world we are now relying on abstractions to be the catchall
Let us return to a religion where water is our god again

References

It takes courage to tell the truth - Book
The returning - Annual event
Reclaim your kin and decolonise your mind - Course

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When did having twin basins and three toilets become the norm? As an architect who bucks the idea of bigger-is-better Jane Hilliard uses the principle of “Enoughness” as a design principle for the built environment. Its better for both the natural environment and the people around us. It allows us to be rich in ways that matter instead of buying into the idea that grandeur will make us happy.
For her 'enough' looks like going out into her backyard supermarket garden picking something and cooking it. Its also having outdoor space & quiet, unstructured time to think. Guided by the principle of “enoughness,” she manages her work load to keep her energy output within her own capacity while meeting her modest need for resources to sustain her family and business.

Show notes

Bringing her love of arts and social justice together
Sidestepping stress and money in the architecture design world.
Ensuring sustainability isn't just an add-on rather than core to design
Why the endless pursuit of “more” and better is relentless and pointless
Asking “what is enough?” starts with your values and how you want to feel.

“I ask myself: What is enough work to sustain me, my creativity, my staff and the financial resources we need to sustain my practice.”

What "enough" looks like for her high-school age children.

“I enjoy causing a bit of a stir…not in a way that’s shaming anyone…but by pushing back on the system, not individuals.”Working a 9 day fortnight
Small rituals like, morning coffee, starting the day outside, growing food, being present with her children.
Normalising messy, lived in homes which change with the seasons and as its occupants get older.
Why central heating has loosened family ties
Living in a smaller space with less resources helps us develop negotiation skills and foster connections.
Simplify life by starting with one thing.
How much are you packing into your week, or your year?

“The more work I take on, the less time and energy I have for all the other projects we have already, and I’ll enjoy them a little less too.”

"We have everything we need to go forward into the future. It's not about gaining new knowledge or new skills or new technology or new tools. It's about stripping things back and getting rid of a lot of stuff."
We need to be grateful for how much the earth gives us and not to take too much.
Our culture is dominated by growth and seeking opportunity. The desire for more can be part of our status and identity.
People are trying to meet their needs with things instead of meaning.
A mentality that “I’ve worked hard and I deserve it” is a strong focus for Jane's clients.
Just because "you've worked hard and deserve it" doesn’t mean you should aim for the biggest and shiniest.
"We stay in tents and shacks when we go away, why can’t we bring this spirit into our own house? How about an outdoor kitchen…why not?"

References

Designful - Janes design agency

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"Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze" and what's the point in that. Life as a shepherd in Vermont USA can be lonely but farm time provides opportunity for reflection & cup filling so there's more energy to give to community. "Although I don’t say no to help - I don’t let no help stop me" is the can-do attitude Tammy exudes not only for her sheep breeding but also her natural yarn dying & her intentional life which is deeply committed to her place in Southern Vermont where she likes to beat to her own drum at a scale that works for her. Listen in as she speaks of a life that's lived with purpose, unrushed, in collaboration and in deep trust that the natural world will teach the skills needed at the right time.

Big thoughts to save the world began as a child
Seeking more colour beyond numbers
Learning to smell, feel and hear the seasons on her walk to school
Her winding path to becoming a single woman farmer
Learning to natural dye
Not feeling able to beat the drum until she walks the talk herself
She never thinks that her farming scale minimises her importance
Her accidental ownership of black nose valais sheep
Letting time and nature do much of the work passively
I’m not in a rush - I’m being responsible so if that’s slower then so be it. Its also a teaching opportunity
The teaching message is so much greater than just the product.
Being in a deficit of living with intention
Discovering the limitless appetite for homesteading skills
She might be an intense teacher
Apple Pies served with cheese…it’s a thing
Sour Pickle, maple syrup and doughnuts - Vermont traditions
Shepherding can be lonely but it provides time to reset and regroup and fill her tank
Her desire to see others as happy as she is
Lift up rather than commiserate
Planning to run the bingo games when she's in a nursing home
You learn so much when you're in community
Becoming accustomed to letting it be not picture perfect
You cannot go inwards when bad things happen on the farm or you will always be inwards
Never turn your back on your ideals and trust your heart - really listen to what matters for you
Sincerely imagining what you are committed to and go with that

References

Wing and a Prayer Farm Podcast partners ROCK!NutrisoilWwoof Australia

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The talented Megan Grant bought the futuresteading book to life with her vibrant depictions of a seasonal, intentional and ritual rich life. After a year of being asked, this introvert who dreams and thinks in colours and pictures finally said yes to being interviewed. We chat about her intuitive approach to creativity, her deep need to keep trying despite making plenty of work that doesn't make her happy and how a magnificent collaboration with clothing brand Gormon came about - but why she rarely wears the pieces herself.

Show notes

Making art her life by intuition
She thinks and dreams in pictures
Why picture making is her language to connect to other people
Developing her style via lots of work that doesn’t make her happy until the ones that make her happy appear
Her love of children's art more than anything - tapping back into the innocence of children art - her main goal when she paints she has two brains that are in conflict which each other
Finding the balance between art that is intellectualised and art that is intuitive
Letting accidents happen and feeling her way through them
In art it’s important to make terrible work over and over again
The value of sleeping on things to clarify perspective
Being reflective to ensure evolution
Being happy for her work to represent her
The story of her involvement in the futuresteading book
Collborating with Gormon clothing
Being the kids of creative parents
Art becoming part of your DNA when you’re the child of an artist
Being prolific in your creativity
The balance of being an artist that needs to fit ‘normal’ life into it
The financial compromise of being a full time artist. Part by design and part by necessity
The life long sacrifice of being an artist despite the reward of being able to create freely
Creating commission pieces
Setting out with blind faith and hope
Despite a 20 year career, she is ‘only just getting started’
The breathtaking discovery that you could ‘paint for a living’
Tapping into art for arts sake
Why art is an important part of simply being alive
Art brings peace, purpose and the bleeding obvious through interpretation
Why artists are the provocateurs of our community
Feeling fortunate to have an endless source of hope and optimism because she has art in her life
Painting for mental health
Self containment that comes from her creativity
Grappling with the need to use art as a statement maker
Beauty is its own reason for being
Why art is culturally soothing
Noticing the weeds at the service station
Advice for her daughter
We have to go and make the inspiration happen by doing
Finding a drive, style and direction in your own time
“You can’t wait for the inspiration to come”

References

Fenton and Fenton
Megan Grant Instagram
Gormon clothing
Gary Miles Art

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SUMMARY
We need an economic system based on values and trust to see genuine change in this critical decade. This intuition led powerhouse is collaboratively leading the thinking for philanthropy & impact investment to shift away from reductionist outcomes to a 'relationship first' approach where she believes the place to begin is with inner work to determine 'who you are', 'what makes you brave' and 'where your voice strongest'

We’ve got the solutions but the human capacity to make this change is what needs to begin first.

SUMMARY
Why its harder to give money away with meaning than you might think
Wanting to be more than not just a cheque book
Asking where humans fit into ecosystems
Her awakening to disconnection
Finding people who were also asking questions
Moving into sustainable ag and food security
Connecting the environmental crisis & what we eat
Her appetite to move beyond greenwashing to transformation
The value of slowing down
Wanting people to think of her as a broke NGO leader not a rich philanthropist
Getting her ego out of the way
Embracing the world she was trying to push away
What is philanthropy - the skill of giving money away
Moving assets away from the extractive economic system
How investment can change systems
Understanding systems & the levers that need to be pulled to expedite change
The importance of mass decentralisation & taking a place based approach to bring change
Starting a relationship with open, honest transparency & an opportunity to co-create solutions
Relationship requires a number
Moving at the speed of trust
Looking for replication not endless growth
Using compassionate debt as a solution to building relationships that can enable change
Creating opportunity for replication over scale
Building models that allow relationships to be at the core
Rich relationships are paramount
Understanding connection to country - bringing gentleness from the land into her everyday
Daily spiritual practice to set the days intentions
Whatever you resist persists
Daily practice of staying mindful and present - maintenance
The danger of defining yourself as “resilient” which doesn’t allow you to be fragile
Developing a hardiness by sitting in your discomfort
Keeping the ego in check
Gleaning joy from rich conversations
Cocreating a new language that releases our stuckness in the current paradigm
Discovering how we all contribute in a way that meets our super power
If its too easy then it must be in the current paradigm and we need to ask, is there another way to do this?
Stepping around colonialism by being present & really listening
Being uncomfortable with the new to serve a changed world in the future
Self sustainability is the piece that often gets left behind
How can philanthropists play their part
Finding strength & bravery when you have your people by your side

ReferencesImpact sustainability - her business
Sustainable Table
Sentient Impact group

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This homeschooling mum of three spends her days foraging, growing, swapping & upskilling all in the name of continuing to live her version of normal in an abnormal world where we've lost touch with our food, medicine & the natural world.
After taking her time with her families transition to this way of life, her newfound confidence & conviction ensures she won't be told what to do by big business or have her opinions changed by corporations. Although not all plain sailing-she shares valuable insights into the bumpy but ultimately rewarding path she's been on.
"Living in a cushioned culture is limiting in our ability to share skills & share knowledge"

SHOW NOTES
Eating meat that you’ve met - being responsible for the whole life cycle
Stepping stones to this way of life - starting small, with what you’ve got
Learning from failure as you scale
The fallacy of being self sufficient
Foraging, bartering & selling excess of what you do grow to access the things you don’t grow
Why being dogmatic isn't always the answer to the long game
Homeschooling - learning happens everywhere, everyday
Being led by kids & their natural interest areas
Building a family rhythm around the personal needs of everyone in the family
Rebuilding normalWhy it’s difficult to be a people pleaser but stay true to yourself
Learning to trust your honesty will be supported & not knocked
It’s hard to live your normal in an abnormal world - the way we eat, shop treat people
Education of self is the first step in shifting towards taking agency
Why food was her on-ramp to understanding how to make her own decisions
Accepting that a shift in our lives will take time - we each need to take it as we are ready
Transitioning via new skills & a new mindset
Letting this way of living be a lifetime of work
Learning one skill and mastering it each year
Using herbs to heal now and in the future
Learning to get used to people not agreeing with how she lives her life
Making mistakes in safe places while you learn
Learning how to manage microclimates
Building an annual seasonal rhythm to ensure balance
450sq m of intensive growing space for a family of five300 sq metres managed by the kids
Water bath canning, dehydration
Collecting food waste every week by salvaging food from mainstream supermarkets to supplement her families food
Why she is opting for a house cow not a house goat
There’s always next year…..
Learning to forgive your short comings
Connecting without belonging
How not going to a school was a disadvantage
While she feels at home she doesn't feel like she belongs
Defying the odds of ‘surviving this life’ & thriving
Finding ways to connect with people who have different ideals
The value of relying on your neighbours - creating a sense of place by calling on your neighbours
Things only move at the speed of trust & a willingness to push through the awkward.
Start where you are with what you’ve got
Relying on the building blocks of experience

References

Living the dream permaculture

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This conversation is difficult to process but important to hear. It asks: "How does Socioecological justice prevail in the face of an irreversible collapse"?

Its time to accept that infinite growth on a finite planet will be short lived and that those who have agency & privilege have much to do - in big or small ways
It’s hard to really accept collapse when we have a comfortable lifestyle but let's consider preparing while we still have abundance in our system.

Show notes

A new form of activism - possibilities to make the world a better place
Why climate activism is the most important issue of focus
The shift in activism following covid
Introducing disruption to activism
Socioecological justice
Justice can only be relative
Creating a collapse community to help relieve anxieties of reality & locate ourselves
Putting differences aside to open the door to building localised communities
Acknowledging how difficult it can be to create community in the individualised society of the affluent west.
As we ratchet back, our community will be where we physically are.
Having faith that we can rely on each other
Consciously connecting is inevitably in train and we will be pushed together
Relearning to connect, compromise and communicate
Its unhelpful to create utopian or romanticised ideals
Insurgent planning - actively creating a plan of readiness to this inevitable collapse
Being led by the greater group with place based solutions
Why there is no prescription to future solutions - we need to figure that out for ourselves based on our understanding of the soil, water, culture we are working within
Breaking down individualisation & risks: outrageous debts & our reliance on fossil fuels

talkcollapse - linking people to plant the seeds of a different and just future

Planting seeds physically and metaphorically for a socioecological collapse
Talking collapse is not about converting those who don't want to hear it
The emotional reality of procesing climate grief - face it, expereince it and let is sit behind you with echoes
Depression goes with the territory but its not a reason to avoid reality
Ecological awareness as the foundation to discovering more
Understanding the fragility of the world while also being a ‘doer’
What a cyclical grief process looks like and feels like
Cognitive dissonance of having endless choice and capacity to purchase while simultaneously being aware that collapse is inevitable
The myth of progress being perpetuated by every message around us
The need to decomplexify
Building solidarity via social media
Being sure to remind yourself of how wondrous the world actually is
Supporting mental wellbeing with various tools
It’s so important in this point in history to embrace life in whatever form

References

Limits to growth - Club of RomeJust Collapse

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Described as 'all striving no arriving…' Sarah thrives in the early stages of a movement - feeling her way into the zeitgeist of now & unpacks in ways that resonate with reality. Ultimately driven by curiosity & shunning growth, she talks about Wild Activism as a responsibility of the current age with agency in tact.

Having less fucks to give about speaking her mind & with a bipolar superpower, she shares how she is unlearning & returning to humanity to navigate out of a spiritual PTSD, simulteneously saving but living the fuck out of life’, and why she is off to Paris

Show notes

Taking her cue from International women of strength
Owning her intensity
Has the lucky country become more racist and bigoted?
Why laid back Aussies don’t want their comfort boat rocked by the reality of the less wealthy.
Why Aussie’s are aching to not be the anti intellectual country down South
Feeling into where the pain points are for the humans around her
The story behind donating 100% of the I Quit Sugar profit
Her conscious decision to live rather than take her life by stepping into the option of shedding everything and letting go of ALL the things she was attached to.
Setting a 5 year goal to be content w not being beholden to the endless desire for more.
Trodding her ego into the ground & the outcome thrusting her into growth
Every time she releases her grip & lets the flow of life back in - growth prevails.
Learning to get engaged & enraged about the climate crisis
Turn anxiety into action
We live in a culture where discomfort & inconvenience thrive yet we feel alive when we are on the edge & pushed out of our comfort zone.
Lighting the way back to love
Defining her Dharma
Fostering indigenous children as a respite carer
The responsibility of steadying yourself when living with anxiety
Anxiety can be a super power - hyper vigilant, hyper sensitive
The evolutionary purpose of anxiety
The rebellious act of bucking the growth paradigm

References

This wild and precious life - Sarah Wilson
Helen Lewis interview with Jordan Peterson
Helen Lewis - Difficult Women
First we make the beast beautiful - Sarah Wilson
Steve Jobs - Commencement Speech

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What if all the memories you made as a kid had been replaced by screens? When an aha moment makes you realise that its time to reframe childhood and embrace an analogue life - one that stimulates creativity, imagination and experiences that instill a need to fight for the natural world over technification. With a biological need for at least 3 hours outside every day...the time to replace screen time with green time is now.

Show notes

Feeling like she was failing as a mum
Breaking the cycle of raising children on full schedules
“Kids are supposed to be outside for 4-6 hours a day when the weather is good” - Charlotte Mason
Her first good day as a mum was spent outside as part of a challenge in order to make friends.
How outdoor play enhances every development for children which gives lifelong benefits
Setting our kids up for success simply by spending time outside
Busting screen time statistics
On average kids are on screens for 7 hours a day but only outside for 7 minutes
1200 hours a year outside creating rather than on screen
3 hours of outdoor play for kids of all ages
Keeping children balanced
Rescheduling early childhood
Raising kids who were ruddy, tough, sleeping better
Outdoor play enhances childhood developing in every sense = cognitive, sensorial, emotional
Laying the groundwork so they keep it up
Play that stretches their body and teaches them to trust their bodies and builds endurance, stamina, alertness
Filling our life with the important things first and push out the time that's left over for screens
It’s never easy to make this your committed approach but it’s worth it
Creating rituals that are intentional
The benefits of being uncomfortable
Why time slows down when you are doing something new and your senses wake up
Building identity via time in the outdoors
If they don’t love an analogue life, they won’t fight for it
Building a foundation in kids that they can resist the tech pull
Success is living a fulfilling life that is balanced, connected, maintained ground on values and illusions but grounded and taken day by day
If we live well today then tomorrow will take care of itself
Clothes for the season: Wonders of wool to enable the kids to play for so much longer
Passing down the things = less stuff
Imagination over screens
Nature is enough - it meets us all at the stage we are at
Start right now and be happy to bloom at your own pace which follows your instinct
Trust your kids to create their own path

References

1000 hours outside- book, podcast

Charlotte Mason - Childhood educator

Balanced and barefoot - Angela Hanson

Rewilding the urban soul - Claire Dunn

The Comfort Crisis - Michael Easter

The singularity is near - Ray Curswhile

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Nutrisoil

Wwoof Australia

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Summary

We know that Western culture lives excessively, endlessly seeking the newest and shiniest new thing. Its shocking that 40% of our food goes to waste, one third of our building materials are never even used. But this way of life will be short lived and thankfully being wasteful is now on the nose and cool cats like Joost are making waves by making junk UBER COOL. What can we do to create a new way forward in what he describes as the most exciting time in human history?

Show notes

Keeping family as number one
Keeping it real with family to ensure they are present
His journey through waste which began using other peoples junk
Spending his spare time in junkyards collecting and using other peoples waste
Even the poster boy doesn't get everything right - examples of things that haven't worked
For every project that gets up there are 3 or 4 which didn't - that’s having a go! And through the Process we discover a new way forward
Attracting like minded people to build a community and deliver amazing projects
Showcasing the innovation and vast knowledge that exists in this country
Creating binless hospitality businesses
Curating the message for living waste free so that people understand it.
Considering materials based on their ability to be recycled
Living in the most exciting time in human history
Getting creative to find solutions that allow us to continue our existing lives with minimal compromise
There's something mentally wrong with us when we endlessly chase the next, new, shiny, big thing.
Being properly nourished and connected to the outdoors satiated our desires and replace our desire for STUFF.
Using plants to support our sleep
Reverting to primitive practices to reconnect to ourselves
Starting our day with simple, natural world practices
If we’ve got 3 hours to be on social media, surely we’ve got time to make our everyday actions more intentional.
We feel great after gardening not just because its sensorially beautiful but because you are breathing in microbiomes
Observation is a lost trait we need to rebuild
His fascination with the perfect sized branch for birds
All his buildings are covered in 8 mil rio mesh because it's perfect for the birds
If you really want to understand why he makes the decisions he does then check out his instagram pages

References

The Greenhouse film -

Future Food System Instagram

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If you're yet to hear Mitch perform 'You're the voice", I beg you to head to the link at the bottom and listen.
Carrying the message of unification, love and kindness. Culture is not foreign to Mitch who imbeds a celebration of it into every facet of life as tools to build identity and a strong sense of place. For him living and breathing culture is the start middle and end of it.
An articulate, straight talker he sheds light on why everyone deserves a chance to not only survive but to thrive. His super-power-story-telling ability notches up a few ranks when on stage and over the last few years he has found a platform for passing on knowledge through song and dance.

Nerves and awe aside, Jade manages to dig a little into the psyche of this incredible individual, who without question shows us why the first nations people of this country were not hunters and gatherers but the most purposeful people to have ever walked.

Show Notes

Ma-wollagoolabah - self, family, community
Falling in love with his identity and eagerly celebrating this in a respectful and authentic way
The value of being raised by a strong single mother
Publicly honoring women to the point of reverence
Being relentless in our desire to keep talking to convey a message of transparency
Circle people - we are connected to everything and everything is connected to us
Can song and dance as mediums take their place as a much needed storytelling tools
Emojis are an ancient format
Humans disconnection from spirit, soul and heart
Being the most connected and the most disconnected simultaneously
Holidays = connection to the natural world. Do we love holidays or do we love the opportunity to unconsciously connect to our evolutionary place
Building an understanding of the spirit in the land
Opening yourself up to ‘feel’
Honoring our ancestors, offering a rightful seat at the decision table and acknowledging the knowledge held by indigenous people
"We're not hunters and gatherers, we’re the most purposeful people to have ever walked
There are so many conversations to be had - we need to keep talking
His mob cared for the land to co-exist not to be captured or controlled
Walking together and healing so we can get to where we need to get to
The first people of a land MUST be heard first
If your hearts in the right place you can only do the best you can with what you've got to ‘level’ up’
Stradling the reality of living an urban life with intent and purpose while knowing how powerful a childhood on country can be
Self perception vs how others perceive you
Instilling identity, belonging and connection through ritual
Living and breathing culture as part of every day life
Avoiding the traps of fame by staying focussed on his purpose
Staying grounded by knowing that he is just a vessel with a message who is part of something so much bigger than him
Starting with self love - heal, educate
Conditioning that has bred fear of difference
Coming together with an intent to heal, love and listen.
Having real conversations which are birthed out of truth

Mitch Tambo Instagram
Mitch Tambo - You're the Voice

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This heart led Mumma of three has been luring us with images of a dreamy, bloom filled life on her Daylesford apple orchard & words of equal romance via her craft blog for over a decade. She laughs easily, has found balance in being real & makes the simplest of thoughts feel like genuine aha moments. Kate Ulman is wrenchingly honest about the reality of farm life with young children, turning inwards when self care is needed & whether her babies will return to life on the land. Although not at her kitchen table, the intimacy of this conversation feels very personal & will leave your cup full & your heart nourished.

Episode notes

Seeing your home the way others do
Realising she is driven by making, creating & beauty
Taking an ugly foundation & making it ‘beautiful’ slowly & sure
The essence of a creative soul raising more creative beings
Evolving with our children who are becoming the people they are going to be
Creating a ‘place’ for our children
The impact of an early childhood experience on a kibbutz
Learning to farm at 30 & retrospectively being amazed they could do it
Growing things organically was our religion but we actually didn’t know how
Life before social media - 10 years of ‘ugliness’ because we could afford the beautiful
Sharing the raw truth of life on the land with a small family
Expectation vs reality
Seasonal appreciation
“Every season is another chance to get last years mistakes better”
The annual pre Winter crises & assessment of reality
Pre farming life as a crafter & blogger
Acknowledging there's a time & place for everything
Filing your soul with the small &simple things but being realistic about doing whats possible
Being kind about expectations
“Being a martyr & running yourself ragged is NOT the solution but being aware & keeping it joyful means you can do it forever”
Saying “I don't know” comfortably
When we take our actions so seriously that it puts other people including the next generation off ever wanting to participate in something worth doing
Letting go of the little things like baking bread for the sake of the bigger picture
Actively engaging with community wherever a snippet can be garnered
Putting her energies into writing a book
Taking back her families story so it wasn’t available to the world online
Rediscovering herself post early childhood mother-dom
Being the complete opposite of organised
Creating a plan for ‘older life’ so the love of the farming life continues
Why bigger is not better. The active vision to make things simpler
Why her mum is her greatest inspiration for her approach to motherhood
How she became the encourager of creativity
Daily exclamation marks of ritual elude her because she follows inspiration instead
Why her good intentions for ritual get forgotten
Why deep diving quickly into real conversations is important to her
Her definition of success as living her truth & being filled with honesty, creativity, availability to the things she cares about
Having the confidence to live from your heart
Gifting your future self by thinking ahead

References

Fox’s Lane

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Strap in for a fast paced chat with this natural born story teller. From the heady heights of top restaurants, starring in his own reality tv program and radio shows to his definition of “enough” - which begins with rude health and healthy kids before settling with sovereignty of time and community belonging.

As practical and grounded as he is charismatic with a touch of aussie larrikin, ‘Westy’ is whip cracking fast making it easy to listen and laugh at his tales - like serving uncooked rice as his first attempt at cooking.

This high energy human wraps up the season for us with insights and stories that are endearing and inspiring in equal measure.

Episode notes

Choosing your island foods

Are you an eater or a foodie ?- Westie grew up as an eater until he was 17 before becoming a foodie

Embalmed cats above the fresh food aisles at the local supermarket

Moving from his first out-of-home cooked meal: Raw rice, frozen peas, ham and soy sauce to cheffing in lofty places

His first wwoofing experience that sowed the seeds for his ‘NOW’ life:

Witnessing the loftiest ideal for human life as life on the land growing food, connecting to community, physical work

His winding but whip fast hospitality adventure

Using the age good food guide as a way to get a job and crash landing into Vu De Monde to cut his teeth

Turning his back on fine dining cuisine to return to the roots of growing food.

A yearning desire to really understand the rhythms of food

How fatherhood changed him, from self to selfless. Why he never wanted to be a ‘phone in’ dad

Reframing his expectations of fatherhood for him, his kids and his wife.

Creating patterns to set up our kids for the rest of their lives and using food as the central guide for this

The virtues of tapping into the primal human nature.

Transitioning from kitchen to farm grew his understanding of long standing ecological needs.

River Cottage - the inside scoop on the steep learning curves and truth behind producing a reality TV program. The juggle of actually living a 365 day farm life but needing to fit in the production of a stage production alongside.

The hard work of farming! Far from white clothed lunches under a tree

The repetition needed for growing

Now living a life that's the amalgamation of his previous lives

Creating a life of belonging in a village across generations

The perfect combo of small-house big block.

Building ritual around food markers, what the gardens providing, when the crayfish and oysters are harvesting,

Making an effort to observe the natural spectacles and building ritual around it

His ENOUGH

References:

Aftertaste ABC Series
River Cottage Australia SBS on demand series
The Edible Garden Cookbook and Growing Guide - Paul West 2013

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Sharing her evolution from academic keyboard warrior to her current reality of being an agroecological pork and beef farmer who's pretty darned handy with the butchers knife and equally as sharp of mind in her contributions to the UN small scale farming policy initiatives.

Tammi Jonas is indeed a force of the natural world, never backwards in coming forwards but mellowing with every decade and sharing her successes and failures for the sake of thousands who are following in her footsteps towards a life of farming democracy.

Episode Summary

We dive right into how she fits it all in
Leadership - her style of leading from the front with doggedness and squared soldiers
Research and UN food systems mobilisation
Credibility that comes out of the dirt
Her commitment to food sovereignty across aaaalllllll the tiers of the movement
The brain breaking need to relate local practices to global policy
Linking good global initiatives to local practices
Applying food sovereignty thinking to general consumption issues
Taking power back one skill at a time
We can’t buy ourselves out of this mess - we literally need to joyfully work competently through the upskilling and sharing of
The illusion of choice when you see thousands of items for sale in a supermarket is not a place to genuinely begin
Why she considers herself an “agroecological” farmer (political, social, Agroecological theory of change is considered a science, social movement and practical - dedicated to circular bio economies rather than a purchasing of inputs. Agroecology rejects capitalism but values labour over yield.
‘Benefaction’ - enabling the farm to do their tasks joyfully
The rich reality of running internship programs - who are welcomed with the knowledge that they are becoming food sovereignty warriors
AFSA - first-peoples-first initiative
Solidarity - garnering unexplained wholeness but remembering we are all here for each other
Why there's value in building a new system rather than creating one from the ashes of the old one.
Why the rise and fall of farms and community orgs is part and parcel of the movement and should be encouraged
Being comfortable to share the successes AND the failures as a gift for the greater good
Building a de-growth mentality to avoid the ruthless capitalist system
Creating small scale farming businesses that are FUN rather than slaves to growth
Keeping her eye on the end game dilutes her need to be binary and rage filled
Why the States are not actually similar to the Australian culture - they are wedded to a growth mentality that we don't have so we have an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
Why it’s ok to scale back from the initial vision
Framing ‘enough’ as being disentangled from the capitalist system - seeing the sky, feeding her community and others and being ok to go slow when needed.

References

Jonai Farms
Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms
Farming democracy
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Thanks to our podcast partners:
Wwoof Australia
Nutrisoil

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Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms

Brooke McAlary has built a life and brand around slow. She's the author of three books, the co-host of The Slow Home podcast and the voice of a movement that says, "Dear Joneses, I'm opting out of the rat race."

But hey, that doesn't mean she's exempt from overwhelm. This convo opens with Brooke and Jade swapping stories of exhaustion. File that under honesty.

So join us on the couch as we define our zone zero, get our inner turmoil sorted before facing the outer chaos, and discuss a potential inner care deficit.

We talk packaged up versions of “balance” “slow” and “simple” and why “tilting” may be more useful; leaning into the most pressing issue of the moment.

Why multi tasking is a farce but barefoot bushwalking creates a heady sense of lightness, wonder and awe that just might hold the answers.

Say no to fast and yes to slow living with Brooke McAlary.

SHOW NOTES

Why her books and pod are basically talking to herself to maintain a slower pace
Being diagnosed with severe postnatal depression
Googling in search of solutions
Letting go of the relentless ‘keep up’ approach to life
Stabilising mental health and finding a deeper sense of contentment
Living life with no buffer
Operating at 70% capacity to ensure there’s room for unplanned
Defining and protecting zone zero
Getting the inner turmoil sorted before facing the outer chaos
Avoiding an inner care deficit
The intrinsic link between inward care and capacity to give
Why the words 'balance', 'simple' and 'slow' are all fraught
The endless wrestle of living counter culturally
Learning to “tilt” rather than “balance”
The fraudulence of multi tasking
Experiencing a loss of connection, celebration and grieving as a result of covid
Facing into the need for ‘unlearning’ to build a brave new non-consumerist world
Building your tribe without preaching
Equating simple with ‘ease’ not ‘easy’
Why simplicity lives in the process of finding ease
Noticing = gratitude
Family rituals that offer hope
Barefoot bushwalking on a bliss wave
A designated slow room
Reconciling the footprint of travel by embracing her local area
Vision Quests
Why small actions of care, purpose and values are creating powerful ripples
Rebuilding rites of passage for our youth to test and expand resilience and tap into the wisdom from older generations
Writing a letter to your younger self
Jump starting our memory making function

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

ZenHabits
Slow - Brooke McAlary
Destination Simple - Brooke McAlary
Care - Brooke McAlary
Rites of passage institute
Alone - SBS series
Vision Quest Challenges

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Damon Gameau - A call to arms for storytellers!

It's time to shine the spotlight on our story tellers; the creatives, film makers, artists, poets, chefs, writers and musicians. "If our storytellers cannot find a way then the way cannot be found". Join Jade & Damon in this conversation about defying the attention economy, ways to avoid being numbed but the inertia of the system (which is not actually our friend - despite it being dressed up that way) and why rites of passage could be the answer to rebuilding our culture .
Finally, we ask the big question - how do you define ENOUGH.
If you've loved Damon's films 2040 & That Sugar Film you're in for one exceptionally powerful convo with this captivating & clever creative.

Episode Summary

People are seeking leadership that doesn’t use language without humanisation
So much of the story we are told now is dictated by extraction, competition, rivalry,
The shift from humans with animus beliefs to industrialised beliefs
Defining our collective stories through the feedback from our creative & soul stirring storytellers
Defying the attention economy by stepping away from the barraging information torrent to allow for conscious decisions
Finding your place in action
Choosing to understand rather than polarising
Slowing our judgement despite the push for pace - let a slowly defined opinion be yours Acknowledging we agree on a desire for community, healthy children, access to food….and we are not actually divided
Taking responsibility of our own individual actions and teach our children to listen & to understand
Why its NOT human nature to be greedy & selfish, because we've evolved through a deeply cooperative, symbiotic spirit.
Rewrite our culture away from competitive nature & highlight our dependency on each other Finding your path of individualism within the collective
Deradicalising the truth of what we need to do
Considering context when storytelling to shift the needle
Building a less fragile system
Why it’s not a nationalist sentiment if you want sovereignty of independence
Shifting from being a consumer to being a citizen
Building wings that will allow us to fly high and thrive with our culture providing the wind
Manifesting creativity and ingenuity by working with our kids
Shaping, creating and changing culture through coexistence, lateral thinking and practical skills - starting with the education of our children
The dance between peril and possibility
Turning emerging science into magical stories to captivate kids imaginations
Prison inmates in the States spend more time outdoors than our children
The ongoing process of unlearning as flawed humans
Deciding what’s enough. Do you keep working beyond your enough to go slower or do you keep going to give to others.
Rites of passage as a pathway to regeneration
Ayahuasca ceremonies, breath work
Taking a glimpse into the “other” to fill the gap left by a crises of meaning

References“Surviving the future, culture, carnival and capital” - David Flemming
Rites of Passage Institute
Recapture the Rapture - rethinking god, sex and death in a world that's lost its mind - Jamie Wheal
2040 Film - Directed by Damon
That Sugar Film - Directed by Damon

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Annie Raser-Rowland is the co-author of two of our most treasured books; The Weed Forager’s Handbook and The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More. Annie is an artist, horticulturalist and adventurer who has a knack for thwacking you with the truth -- in the best possible way.

If you don't know this marvellous lass, that's probably because she keeps a pretty low profile online, preferring to spend her days in a state of sensuous connection with the world, pursuing everything money can't buy. And she has some excellent tips for helping you do the same.

Annie and Catie cover a lot of ground in this convo, from hitchhiking adventures and weed foraging to chronic conditions, choosing life over career and controversial acts in the face of climate change. We know we say this every time... but this one's a goodie!

SHOW NOTES

Single parent family taught her to be independent, responsible, frugal.
Epic hitchhiking journeys around Australia.
Discovering different ways of having fun that don’t cost money.
When hitchhiking becomes a form of talk therapy.
Attention as a practise.
What to do when Monkey Mind takes over and you stop seeing the beauty in the everyday.
Humans as story-addicted creatures.
Solistalgia — when you’re nostalgic for where you are.
The rate of change in modern society and how that disrupts a sense of place, belonging.
How to plant yourself in new places.
The sensory pleasure of the weather.
Weather makes landscape and landscape makes culture.
The origins of her love of weeds.
Plant-filtering laser eyeballs that seek out food.
There’s food you can eat that has zero environmental impact, beyond homegrown veggies.
Writing a novel in celebration of non-utilitarian, fruity, hyper-abundant language.
How a cancelled hike led to a quirky storyline.
How to orchestrate a life in which time and adventures are plentiful.
The beauty of turning down requests (even when they’re super impressive).
The conscious choice not to have children.
Giving work the flick in favour of life.
How a chronic health condition has affirmed her choices and priorities.
"I’d rather not eat out, not buy new clothes, and spend lots of my time at the beach (which is what I’m currently doing)."
Dealing with guilt about working less.
Why keep trying to accrue more money more once you have enough?
Protestant work ethic upbringing needs to be questioned right now.
The ‘work’ of being a low-consumer is valid too.
“I believe in the pattern of a society that these frugal habits are part of… and I want to perpetuate that.”
Controversial tips for changing the world.
Amazement as a tool for appreciating ordinary objects; being less wasteful.
It’s a novel time. The rules are now different. Having children being the norm can no longer be part of the status quo.
Drive less! Use your car if you would hire a car to do that thing, otherwise, find a different way.
Good times with human beings is not something to be lazy about.
Cultivating the skill of conversation.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Weed Forager's Handbook ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb
The Art of Frugal Hedonism ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb

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This family of four live a largely non-monetary existence on a quarter-acre permaculture plot on Djaara peoples' country/Daylesford. They describe themselves as neopeasants, defined by the gardens & forests they tend, the resources they glean & grow, the community they're part of and the technologies they both use & refuse.

They practice permapoesis, which simply means permanent making or regenerative living -an antidote to disposable culture - & show us what's possible when creativity, reverence & reciprocity is placed at the heart of human existence.

SHOW NOTES

A frugal background + time on a kibbutz
Early skills in propagation and a deep desire to grow things
An attraction to counter culture & eternal questioning of injustices
Finding peace by the Mittagong creek
Working as a couple to overcome grief over the dominant culture
Growing a new story out of the old story -- about community, not just one idea
The holistic awakening of permaculture
Moving from clock time to ecological time
Daily connection to the natural world; chanting, observing, meditating
Creating an art practice that is not separate from everyday life
Avoiding monotonous and tedious work through neopeasantry
Why Covid has helped us register our collective exhaustion
Giving up cars and moving at an ecological pace
Being cash poor yet time rich in frugal abundance
Time offline allows a songful, interconnected, wildness that is about observation and interaction
The importance of rites of passage -- how do we bring them back?
Recognising the value of the child-to-adult process and parent/child separation
Grief circles -- “for crying out loud”. Sharing, howling, laughing, storytelling and bearing witness to each other.
Giving back to the forest via humanure, menstrual blood, tears
How fire has held our stories since the beginning of time
Daily gratitude ritual of naming the inputs needed for each meal
Growing layers and building gifts to share with our community by accepting ourselves
Getting the dance right between consciousness and overwhelm
Why being aware of ideology is important
Why activism and politics need complexity
A brief history of patriarchal dominance, removing feminine power in the popular culture

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Artist as Family -- YouTube, Instagram + blog
How Goats are Regenerating a Forest and Protecting This Town from Bushfire -- Happen Films
A Branch From the Lightning Tree - Martin Shaw
The Wild Edge of Sorrow - Francis Weller
The Invention of Capitalism - Michael Perelman

Podcast partners ROCK!

NutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Bugger off dogmatic rules - who wrote those anyway. Push off unfaltering sustainable existence - you're leave us feeling guilty. Shhhh up incessant Instagram perfection - its not real! Tune in to this fire cracker of fresh air to recalibrate your judgment beacon and give yourself a break while you learn to a make a difference in a way that works for you. Could that be quiet food related activism or perhaps sharing practical skills in your community, or waking up to the plastic explosion in our lives and actively curbing your contribution. Perhaps its pickling...everything in sight! What ever your path, Alex is unwaveringly supportive of anyone having a go at even the smallest of things & her final word of advice ' slow down, don't peak too soon...its a long path & its not getting any easier'

Growing up in a share house that loved to cook in her formative years
Creating community around the share plate
Being ok with fish fingers and frozen peas
Letting judgement go to make a difference while being accepting
Education to build hope & practical skills during this climate emergency
The exhausting weight of being sustainable 24/7
Wanting to help people fall in love with their kitchens again without ideology
Beginning a business with her husband despite limited experience
Discovering pickling when her kids were tiny & she was losing her mind
Pickling as an onramp to a simpler sustainable life
Lying awake thinking about wasting cumquats
Putting community abundance to good use in a pickling jar
Crossing language barriers to learn food preservation methods from her neighbourhood
Taking twists & turns in business
Why now is the time to stand up & shout really loudly
No person can avoid having to make regenerative choices
Getting bolder with age
Trading with locals who swap backyard produce for coffee
Navigating a food business through covid
Avoiding being black and white
Making spaces where its simple for people to make a contribution
Choosing her favourite pickle
You don’t have to make mega batches of food to make a contribution
Eating and using what you’ve got to reduce food waste
Choose one thing, while you build your habits and reframe your practices
Do we all need to be a little uncomfortable in order to make us all think and create other solutions,
Wake up and stop being passive, owning your decisions or solutions
Using scraps from the bin to create magic
If it can be used - use it
Saving money by using every single part of every single thing
Lucky dip cupboard - food without labels
The process of writing a cook book
Replacing the guilt with creativity in the kitchen
The disservice of instagram perpetuating perfection
Pearl of wisdom - going slower in our change journey to ensure longevity

References

Cornersmith - Use it allCornersmith - Food Savers Guide A-Z

Podcast partners ROCK!Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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From your balcony to the nature strip, citizen science to observing recolionising birds - however you interact with the outside world, there are so many reasons and so many opportunities to do so every, single day!

As the co-author of the recently published book "A guide to the creatures in your neighbourhood" Diette encourages us in this conversation to reignite our childhood curiosity of the natural world by working harder to find the extraordinary in the ordinary - not just looking and seeing but asking WHY and taking the leap to contribute in some small way.

SUMMARY
Getting interested in ‘nearby nature’
Not just telling people about nature but offering ideas for action and activities
Working collaboratively and managing dynamics,
Being intrigued by the combative nature of nature
The role of creativity in science
It's not so much about the facts but the way this knowledge is shared
Learning to have public conversations about science to allow difficult conversations to unfold
Amusing ourselves at ‘A’ rather than endlessly going from A to B
The value of learning through codesign and collaboration
The value of citizen science as a gateway to connecting with nature
Storytelling as part of our intuitive human condition
Wellbeing benefits of nature and all the reasons to get involved
Accepting the way the younger generation learn
We know so little about so much
Reinstating rituals in urban environments for our young people
Genuinely listening to the kids to understand their perspective and their needs
Kids capacity to be resilient is being impacted by over connection
Giving kids agency of their journey
The adolescence dip in their connection with nature in whatever path interests them
Practicing what he preaches - learning new things every day - relax, watch and observe
Not just looking and seeing but asking WHY
Did you know worker ants and bees are all females
The pros and cons of personification of natural world elements
Creating mindful moments in nature without the need to be an ‘expert’
What the the parts of the everyday that we should be talking more about?
Our dependency on pollinators for our food security

References

Field guide to creatures in your neighbourhood - Diette Hochuli

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea

Nutrisoil

Wwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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When was your moment of realisation that life, including our own, is finite & that the climate will impact our way of life. How are you processing this? Claire asks, ‘how are you using your skills, networks & privilege to add your weight to the climate movement & shares the value of processing our individual climate grief & collective efforts.

Processing climate grief
Catalysing change within your own community
You can’t work on any part of nature without understanding and working on climate
Cognitive dissonance of our every day existence
Becoming clear & present in the reality of what life will be for her later years & her children lives
Climate grief results in exhaustion, sadness, overwhelm,
Its ok to feel frustrated, distressed, anxious - things are NOT normal, we are collectively experiencing trauma
There are rising levels of pre traumatic distress due to the climate realities
It’s emcombant on me as a person in a position of privilege to share my skills and knowledge with those who have less agency
Coming to terms with the fact that life is finite
Stepping outside the western paradigm of endless productivity
Learning from first nations people
Using acceptance and commitment therapy as a way to move forward
Minimising ebbs and flows of grief with the agency that comes from action
Shunning a Pollyanna view of the world - there’s no hero coming to save us. We all have a role to contribute to our collective efforts and leverage existing relationships
We can all make a choice about fighting or flighting - being consructuve or active or distructive and dismissive is our choice alone
Acceptance of the inevitability that fossil fuels are on the way out
We are in the middle of an epidemic of loneliness - especially 19-25 years olds, this can spiral our community connection and collective
The value of participating without having to be the expert
Creating ancestral totems
Building gratitude practice into your every day via living creatures that connect us all to our ancestors
The way behaviour change flows through networks via those on the edge of multiple networks - this is often ‘everyday’ folks
Climate deniers are a very small percentage of Australians
Reframing success to celebrate the spirit of co-operation
Showing politicians that we want to be connected and interrelated will be transformational for politicians to see
Taking kids on this journey
Go where your interest is strongest and the need is greatest
We have to enjoy the world we are in otherwise whats the point in fighting for it
Imperfection is the beauty of human nature and imperfect is most liely to be the journey we go on as we decarbonise
Action on climete means more of the things we love (like the sun comig up) but less of the things we actually cant maintain (consumables)

References

Together we can - Claire O'Rourke
Carol Sandford
Climateactionstartshere.com
Australianparentsforclimateaction

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea
Nutrisoil
Wwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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SummaryAkin to a cuppa while flicking through photo albums, this conversation is rich with stories of her lived experiences across every continent & through many decades. This wisdom holder has offered her life in service by knowledge sharing. A much respected permaculture educator, her foundation is science based, heart felt & relational in every way. Her practical generosity has contributed to refugee camps in war torn countries and her commitment to empowering communities without becoming a guru is refreshing.

Show Notes

Adaptation principles - Observe carefully, backup functions, seeing solutions, being prepared to make change & noticing
Is water more destructive than drought?
Creating a culture where people are comfortable to listen to their intuition
The critical value of eco literacy - taught in childhood but forgotten in adulthood
Building confidence in ourselves to enact change
Operating as a community rather than individuals who are side by side
Looking for change outside of ‘lobby groups’
The power of the collective rather than individual leaders
Intuition is when you know something from a prior sensory input but haven't made it conscious yet - this relies on eco literacy and enables us to come up with solutions
Her Vietnamese experience - connecting traditional knowledge with permaculture principles using the pyramid approach of community teaching
Removing guru’ism by teaching locally and inbuilding principles that ensure the original teacher is no longer needed because the knowledge is in the community
Her scientific background has ensured she is less inclined towards whims, rather its focussed on critical thought
Making people eco literate by starting with a focus on the fundamentals
Why permaculture is not western middle class - it is adaptable to traditional knowledge?
The role of traditional ritual and custom in building community - the Songs of Community
Singing to recognise climate, topography, people, direction, acknowledging the power and might of the natural over humans - keeps us small and in a sense of wonder
Reading plants as secular or sacred
Ritual is acknowledge of our small scope, observation and awe
Seeing permaculture as a jigsaw where we can take the pieces we need for the places we are in
Permaculture is not an armchair discipline - it’s a discipline of service through knowledge sharing
We are all as poor as the poorest person
The power of permaculture in giving individuals agency and the ability to bring change
Why waving $500 each week and a vibrant garden is enough

References

The Earth Restorers Guide - Rosemary MorrowEarth Users Guide - Rosemary Morrow

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show

Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee

Regular Support - Patreon

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Spending time in wild places has taught this 5th generation farmer to quietly find ways to listen to others, those who often don't have a voice but have so much to teach the rest of us. The challenge is in finding ways to give them their own way of being deeply heard.

Engaging in relationships with local traditional owners is the beginning of her journey of uncovering history and rebuilding the path forward. To make this possible, Tanya leans on love, not the 'sugarised' popular culture version, but the kind that asks us to step into harder, more complicated challenges where climate is creating environments which are anti life. Tanyas 'tomorrow' is focussed on growing her heart big enough to lean into the challenges we all need to confront.
"Despite it feeling vulnerable - we need big love to stay committed to our people, place and the challenges faced by humanity. Show Notes

Navigating succession planning on the family farm
Why she farms
Her love of music took her to Tenant Creek and taught her how to listen
Wilderness School in the USA
Success = love for and from others, love for place, love for land
Reckoning with the truth of farming land that was colonised by her family and never ceded
Love for the visceral raw beauty of the country she calls home
Doing the work required to repair the damage done.
Using ‘invisibility’ to navigate a male dominated farming sector
Her dads support to be what she wanted to be despite being female
Identifying with women who were not ‘visible’ but were still offering valuable contribution
Finding maturity and strength in your own way and time
Being part of a team on family farms
Deeply listening
Exploring solo, observing the outside world until the connection with self is seamless
Letting the outside wash over questions you are wrestling with
The formative experience of living with indigenous Australians on country
Experiencing what it feels like to be a white minority - a necessary unsettling experience to gain profound perspective and humility
Diversifying her farming to incorporate horticulture as well as livestock
Actively seeking time in community where collective efforts were her salve to city life
Using community dance to release unspoken tensions
Her love of music and dance since very early childhood - fluid, joyful, embodied wonder that gets us out of our heads - she now dances in the paddock with her sheep
Breaking into song with her gran in her last week of life
The power of community to dissipate grief
Leaning into grief with open emotion and active presence while we celebrate and harvest memories
Grieving collectively
Being reassured by the sense of their being a collective effort
Her freelance for Wonderground
Being apprenticed to country as a way of caring

ReferencesDavid Org - Ecological LiteracyWonderground Journal

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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Nestled in a multi hundred year old barn in Vermont, USA, is Luke Larsen, his wife & children. Creating art with 600 year old timber is no mean feat, especially when it’s the wood which leads the way with a language that takes a lifetime to learn. As an analogy to the way we could all interact with the natural world, Luke's love affair with this way of life is absolute and pretty darned compelling when you hear him explain how he discovered it, why he continues it and what his community looks like within it.

Show NotesWalking a mile through the woods to his grandfather's woodshop
Gratitude for his team who are as committed to ancient skills and community as he is.
Marvelling at the walls of the barns which housed people, animals and creatures of all kinds
Discovering 1870’s account ledgers - a window into a past way of existence
One of 8 children with thoughtful, open, practical parents who sowed the seeds
The onsite processing facility his parents built on their family owned, community scale dairy farm
Hand tools offer an opportunity to learn the nature of individual trees and working WITH nature
Right from the get go timber framing is about understanding how the timber will evolve over the coming 200 hundred years
Woodworking teaches him to understand his place in the ecosystem - listening
Accepting you are forever a student of the wood not the other way around
Riving - the Scandinavian process of reading the timber to build boats by listening to the song that its singing
What made him say yes to being on a television series
Keeping Vermont's built culture alive and shared
The plus’s and minus’s of having a modern day datasystem available to us. Ensuring this doesn’t replace face to face and generation to generation interactions
His intentional approach to how he lives his life as students who are intentionally pursuing a lifestyle that he is in love with.
His community encyclopedia of knowledge which becomes more available as trust is built and relationships are forged
Raising his own barn with his community around him
Translating the lessons he learns from trees to other spheres of the natural world.
Rituals of barn raising
Timber frames cannot be made alone - they require a team and this is part of its magic
Ritualising the teams safety - taking the mundane and bringing reverence to it.
Using the dark, quiet moments to maintain his hand tools and honour them
Marvelling at the aesthetic touches of days gone by - why did they value these small touches when life was easily as busy as our modern day.
Gratitude for his grandfather who allowed him to lean on his workbench
Staying intentionally small
Balancing business with the need to give back to community
Why teaching 60 school kids in using hand tools and listening to the nature of wood has been the highlight of his career
How centring it can be to hold and listen to wood. Learn from the tree.

Reference:

Green Mountain timberframes - blog

Podcast partners ROCK!Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea - 10% discount when you quote 'Futuresteading'NutrisoilWwoof AustraliaBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Beginning with gratitude, listening to her desire to be of service, seeking challenges and not seeing obstacles is the approach Ronnie Khan takes to keep her work nourishing. Her advice...do something, little things, every day. Even though the fire is so big, each and every one of us can use a teaspoon , if millions of us use a teaspoon , we can put the fire out through everyday actions that make a difference.

Her calling was in food relief, what's yours?

SHOW NOTES

How her destiny has led her to a purposeful life
The influence of a childhood in an apartheid South Africa
When you see inequality visibly before your eyes, it’s very hard not to feel defensive of it
The whiplash of moving from apartheid to a socialism centric kibbutz - You work according to your ability & get what you need.
Why moving to Australia allowed her to find her destiny in the last 20 years of her life
She felt Australia was home the moment she arrived.
She would hate for someone to feel that you cannot find your destiny unless you have a deep connection to place.
Why finding your calling is not LUCK - gratitude is the key
Being 50 before discovering her calling
Creating solutions not problems
Empowering people to be food literate and nourish themselves with food
Nurturing volunteers in the way they ought to be
Why not everybody needs to start a charity but to find their empowerment to be themselves
Her reasons to write a book - an ordinary person who ended up doing something that is extraordinary, a practical lesson for others to learn from.
Mixing family and business
Our options to address calamity - teaspoons are one way of putting the fire out.
Why she gifts a teaspoon with each of her books
Why there's nothing prescriptive on the path to change.
Look in the mirror and you will see the joy & your purpose - you can’t buy purpose
What brought you the most joy
Her purpose does not waver because it is way bigger than her - her purpose is to serve.
4000 volunteers and still onboarding. People love their energy and love that they listen and value their most previous commodity (time)
Free supermarket - take what you need and give if you can
Oz Harvest cannot operate without magnificent people
Finding ways to build volunteer retention
Community is the new Immunity - we need connection and more value for more people
Covid has lifted a veil - removed a mask for the potential for who we could be
We had become human doings and not human beings - how do we be, on this planet, honor nature and stop destroying the things that keep us alive.
The more you can see you can do
Being able to use your voice
Don’t ever underestimate the power of you as an individual and the actions you can take.

References:

A repurposed life - Ronni Kahn
Oz Harvest

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea
Nutrisoil
Wwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Discovering the value of craft in her early 20's led Harriet towards the natural dye revolution, forming her pathway into weaving. “I took a one day class in basketry & haven't had another job since ” As a talented weaver, Harriet now believes everyone can & should be creative. She shares the joys & challenges of delineating between a job and a creative passion and talks of our primal attraction to hand made things because of the energy &^ essence the otherwise inanimate object has. Join us in this conversation of 'communal remembering of weavery' and perhaps you too will make "can you pull over" your most said phrase.

Show notesHer first heartbreak when they had to leave her childhood home
Rebuilding her identity
Building a ‘good life’ as renters
Contemplation of life on the trading cycle rather than a money oriented one
Falling in love with fabrics and traditional village life
Buying beanies as their first enterprise
Her early adult years running an ethical trade business
Iconography stories in weavings
Weaving - a really easy way to be connected to nature
Foraging, connecting to seasons, learning the way of the land and getting her hands in it
“It’s a long relationship you have with your creativity, it ebbs and flows, it comes with you, sometimes it’s working but sometimes it's incredibly challenging”
Mastering something is a fraught concept - there are always more angles to be explored.
Honoring her Dad by using materials from a fallen tree on his property to create a table for her family.
Passing objects of meaning from one generation to the next along with knowledge
Why her ‘voice’ is defined by her creativity
A drive towards beauty for beauty's sake gives her hope.
Her Dads curiosity - “can this beauty be an accident or is there something more powerful than all of us.
Why art is a disciplined practice
The practice of weaving is an ancient memory - before agriculture even. It had a functional purpose
Her ache to sit at the feet of those who are willing to teach the scholarship of basketry
The communal remembering of basket weavery
The double edged sword of using technology to share traditional skills
The magic of weaving to crack open emotional connectedness and vulnerability
Workshop junkies who adore the emotional release of the artExploring the potential of a new material; hairy panic is her latest material
The tactility of weaving - you can’t imagine it into being you have to get your hands in
It opens your eyes to the seasons and the changes in the landscape
Planting a weaving garden or a dye garden
The hypocrisy of travelling
Rewriting factory production by buying direct from fair trade craftsman
There's no machine to make a basket - if its cheap, what were the conditions of the person who made it.
Every decision you make requires us to be awake to the impact that decision has.
Try not to buy things just because they are cheap
Mutual reciprocity and obligation
Hosting a street party in rural communities

ReferencesHarriet Goodall

Podcast partners ROCK!Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea
Nutrisoil
Wwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live like tomorrow matters

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Author of Practicing Simplicity, Jodi Wilson faced a fear of complacently which grew bigger than her fear of change and it prompted her to pack her 4 young chillins into a caravan for a life on the road and the building of a whole new rhythm. Over the coming years, they got comfortable in the discomfort of change, uncertainty and discovered that the ritual of stirring porridge shouldn’t be underestimated, nor should the remarkability of the ordinary. She encourages us all to take small steps and make brave choices. We need to step outside our front doors, go for a walk and chat to our neighbours.

*Recorded pre federal election

Deciding, on a whim to take her 4 children around Australia in a caravan
Letting her intuition dominate her decisions towards a leap of faith
Consciously close mental tabs
Unravelling the sense of obligation to time frames and social norms
If we are privileged enough to make choice, we have a responsibility to make change
Why it’s important we don't get stuck in our bell jar
How a life on the road in a caravan with 6 people helped refine what we really need in our life.
Making conscious decisions
Sustainability as humans - constantly running,
Creating a life she believed in not one she was wedged into
Intuition led - heart and gut. If it doesn't feel right it can’t be continued
Why she cant access her intuition or gut instinct if she is anxious
Spending time in nature, barefoot on sand, in deserts,
Finding a sense of belonging and connection in ancestral landscapes
Making major decisions via a woven path of experiences
The romance of a roadtrip was appealing but the reality was that I had to get dirty
You carry the dirt of your travels are carried in the crevices of your skin
Reminiscent stories of they’re 2.5 years on the road
Settling in Tassie in a 1950’s bungalow
Defining what it is you DO WANT
Creating ritual and time for self while on the road
Looking at the stars and basking in the silence of the night
Creating more time in your life because of the choices we’ve made
Simplicity starts where you are with what you have - simplicity is an attitude and a mindset
Simplicity ebbs and flows with the demands of our lives
Collective heartache and collective exhaustion
We haven't evolved from the primal beings we are but we have been distracted.
Nothing gets done unless you take small steps towards it
Replacing the perfectionist hurdles of ‘shoulda’ with the compassionate reality of “I will when I can”
Feeling like a local when the neighbours stop for a chat and the shop owners know your name
Living with little and raising her kids to see this gives her hope

References

Practicing Simplicity - book, blog and socials of Jodi Wilson
Kirsten Bradley Futuresteading conversation
Radical Hope Club

Podcast partners ROCK!
Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the sea
Nutrisoil
Wwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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We have lost a giant! Dan Palmers death has left many of us feeling not only shocked and deeply saddened but dismayed and destabilised. He was an individual who embraced his role as a 'challenger' of the accepted, he leaned into the hard questions and held the hand of a movement which was all the better for his efforts to make it stronger through open and honest conversation. He pushed his comrades to seek more, made us comfortable in the uncomfortable, offered us tools to navigate this and was beating the drum for all of us to transition our paradigm as quickly as we could manage. His trademark wit, disarming knack of bringing the personal into the professional and forever returning to the 'human' was a talent.

I've no words to reconcile our collective reality in having lost such a beautiful man and important voice - its hardly believable. But mustering your people, genuinely checking in on each others mental health and remembering we are mere humans who are fundamentally collective beings is an important place to begin.
Go gently, be kind and love openly.

In honour of an incredible individual - enjoy his wise words. x

LINKS YOU’LL LOVE

Making Permaculture Stronger
Permablitz
Landed
Holistic Decision Making
Very Edible Gardens
Allan Savory
Brian Goodwin
Charles Eisenstein

Podcast partners ROCK!
Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia
Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Recorded just days after the Federal election, Gabrielle Chan doesn't mince words - even when bone tired. A celebrated journalist with the Guardian, outspoken advocate for rural Australia and encourager of individual agency. "Our system has been made up buy people and it can be rewritten by people". Lets not wait for Government to bring change but get active and organised now during times of abundance.

Show NotesConnecting the grass roots regen ag movements with top down politics
The need for change in our food, water, land management policies
“We export a lot of sausage sandwiches - beef and wheat”
Why it’s time to change the narrative around Australia's ag sector
Why ‘level playing fields’ are a farce
The fragility of financial deregulations, long global supply chains increasing disease, increased drought - how do we as a sovereign nation reassure ourselves of continued prosperity
The potential for rural policy to create the framework that allows smaller scale and regen practices to thrive
The power of the colonial squatacracy
How do we bring policy reform to ag so it has relevance for smaller scale 7 regen practices to thrive
The potential of utilising the “voices for” movement as a model for local food to grow
Why we need to re-engage with politics
The thing that only Govt does is set the ground rules for how we conduct our business.
People need to be involved in politics to influence its direction
The need for strategic water policy to better support us on the driest continent on earth
Talking about water, food and skills while we are in times of abundance
Where does the role of govt need to stop and allow room for community to pick up
The ongoing debate about why we do not yet have drought policy or food policy
Refine what you want to change - get organised and get active in the arena from bottom up
The big secret - we are ALL MAKING IT UP
Her slow, gradual, accidental path to being a communicator.
Her writing approach - just keep writing, push through the creative barriers
The process of sitting down and ordering your thoughts results in a unique
Connecting the systemic dots through political reporting
The history of farming and nature control
The Connectivity of farming to EVERYTHING ELSE
Ag and environment are different political portfolios - WTF
We cannot have an economy without an environment
The need for the economy the environment + the desires of the humans involved in farming to be interacting
The need to account for ecological resources

Questions the fundamental systems
Finding optimism in the work done by others
Having faith in humanity
Connecting people to spark change

References

Acres and Acres in CorryongWendell Berry The Guardian Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Summary

What can weddings teach us? To be intentional, to build ritual, to connect with our community, to co-create celebration, to build co-relational practices. Weddings are the perfect ‘on ramp’ for people to consider their long term shift for the way they live their life - its feel good activism that's fun, love filled and purposeful.

Show Notes

Creating a wedding carbon calculator
Her aha moment on the ground in Malawi
The average western wedding costs $35k
Incorporating more giving into our weddings
Using weddings as a chance to give back
The fundamental lack of sustainability mindsets in the wedding sphere
Creating a day that represents peoples truth
Rewriting wedding culture
Covid weddings - smaller, simpler and more meaningful
Reverse the wedding plan design to build from the basics up
A midday nap = success
Enough is living a life where I can look after myself, my family and my mental health
Learning to be satisfied with who we are within ourselves
The more grateful you are the more generous you are
Building your community through your wedding
Wedding rituals
Coregulating by placing a hand on each others heart and breathing together
Cocreating the wedding with your community
Slowing down and honouring the ceremony
Repeating the wedding rituals with a small group of special people
Weddings are one of our very last traditions and this means it carries much weighty expectation
The smaller weddings are more intimate and allow more room for open emotional vulnerability
Weddings that don’t follow the rules but create their own patterns
Ensuring that you are awake and heard by each other not just on your wedding day but for a lifetime
The way you celebrate your wedding day is the foundation for the way you will spend your life together
If the wedding planning is all driven by the bride does this set the tone for the relationship
Having the hard questions about values alignment before you get to the altar
Reframing value and reconnecting multi generations - yearning to recreate traditional connections
Shared stories across generations
Using our privilege to share knowledge and action resilience
Reducing travel and guest size is the single greatest way to reduce a wedding footprint
Avoid imported flowers opt instead for ‘slow flowers’
Not letting pinterest be the guide but the seasons
Think about every decision you make as something that can regenerate, sustain or degenerate something or someone
Small weddings are more relaxed
Defining a united vision and purpose of something thats greater than yourself

References

Less stuff, more meaning
Wedding footprint calculator

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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As the host of the the 'regen-narration podcast, listening, learning and storytelling is this mans lens. Join us in getting comfortable sitting in silence while we wait for the insights
With an intent for working collaboratively and creating a community of care, this conversation is flowing and abstract, reflecting on our life of fat, comfort and ease while we need to to embrace the discomforts of our future - learning new skills to navigate a world without rose coloured glasses while maintaining action and hope that is meaningful and uplifting.

Show Notes

Why his podcast is its own entity
Why he is as curious and hopeful as all heck
Meta narratives of the regeneration movement
How communities are used as political pawns and divided when actually we are stronger when united
What he imagines life will be in 50 years
Why he believes our future is not yet written
Elite structures are the abstractions blocking all of us from connection to country
What he is doing to get around the colonial abstractions
Finding what it is you can bring to others and offering it with generosity
How can we all implement the things we are learning to the way we live our lives
Building a community of people
Navigating the complexities of human-ness in our efforts to rebuild our communities
Creating a Community of care
Prioritising the living systems - not just supplanting the current paradigm solutions
Owning and claiming your own storytelling narrative - be in it, share it, connect with it
Removing binary thinking
Revelling in the space of head/heart truth
Our mind (the way we think) is based in biological reality and so is the way we feel - how can we chart a holistic, intuitive, experiential way forward
More of us are going to feel the sharp edges of climate impact
The power of the in-between
While we’re nothing on our own we are magnificent as a sum of the parts
Minimising intellectual explanation and leaving room for a felt experience
It’s time to come together across cultures, across words, across knowledge barriers
Our divisions are usually accentuated by the powers that be

References
Regennarration podcast
Kim Ngyuan - Conversations with coalminers about climate change
Amanda Cahil - the Next Economy
Paul Hawken
Damon Gameau - Regenerate Australia
Tyson Yunkaporta - futuresteading interview
King Stingray - indigenous band

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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Sustainability is not just what you consume. It's a deeply fulfilling way to be in the world. We ask why we can’t just build arks & sail away with a few privileged like minded people & instead define value in seeking a sensorial life w a connection to place & community. Since moving to Indonesia Kristine has learnt that you can’t count in minutes & hours the value of what you produce, she has watched her little boy learn to read nature & that when you unlearn some things it gives you space to learn new things.

Author of Anti Trend. Kristine is a Dane now living in Bali, with a long and celebrated career in Design Tech. Her research focuses on sustainable product design, philosophical aesthetics, aesthetic nourishment and above all else the social and ecological responsibility of the design world.

Show Notes

Throwing it all in & moving to Bali for a new family life
Recalibrating from a design first approach to a minimalist existence
So many discarded things in our world - deems things valueless
Focussing on permanence rather than short termism
Starting by understanding your aesthetic & pleasure preferences
Avoiding dogma and rules for evolution towards regeneration
Looking to designers to take responsibility for what they put into the world
How life altering it is to be outside all the time in her tropical life
How going barefoot & being out-of-doors connects you to your surroundings
Convenience is the biggest sinner in the face of a sustainable existence
Embracing friction & rawness. Avoid smoothness & convenience
Choosing a path that is not just ‘saving ourselves’
Preserving ancient traditions
Seeking craft made over mass produced
Building rhythms that nourish you
The value of journaling & repetition of actions
Passing skills of slowness onto the next generation
Seeking out the challenges & avoiding the instantaneous
Seeking richness that ritual brings without being labelled with terms like woke
Finding products that are charged by the hands that hold them rather than the machines that spew them out
Following intuition to make big decisions
Eeking space in order to let creativity flourish
Having to unlearn in order to embrace a subsistence existence
Reframing the industrial paradigm for a life with meaning
Working 9-5 is not suited to the majority of humans.
Unlearning a work ethic & finding peace with being active but not focussed on ‘output;
Seeking a sensorial existence
Ceremony - Full moon, new moon, harvest, take on a more indigenous way of navigating life
Physiological response to the broader happenings
Her little boys ability to read nature
When you unlearn some things it gives you space to learn new things

References
Anti Trend
Green School
Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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What would it be like to rely solely on yourself, lean into ecological literacy, to really notice the changing patterns of the season & offer yourself the time it genuinely takes to live intimately with the earth . Claire tells of her pathway to following a calling to initiation - a need to let her social identity rot away on the forest floor & go into a place of deep introspection. Spurred by a primal knowledge that we are living in a world with a deficit in: nature, elders, community, ritual & skills, Claire is rewriting her story & rebuilding the culture around her to become one of eco awakening - it starts with something as basic as an intentional 'wander' or journaling & accepting awkwardness as we relearn the art of village building using pan cultural tools like rhythm, percussion, scent, song, body movement, repetition, nature noticing,

Show Notes
Spending a year off grid, alone, connecting to her human identity
To do what I could to be a voice for the voiceless
Her psyche turned towards a deep interconnectedness which heals the rift between the human soul & nature
The constant flow of the forest sees an intruding human as a benign presence
Rewriting her patterns of productivity, structure,
Growing from a solo wolf into a community being
Why she never felt lonely when in the bush
Learning the art of community generated & self designed ceremony which links nature & culture
Vision quests - multiple days along in a wild place. A way to mark a transition that's already happening. A strong ceremony with an element of ordeal which humbles us & marks us porous to some of the quieter conversations.
Deep adaptation is what we’re needing. How can I live well on the land, in community with a thriving culture with wisdom around the journey of adolescence to adulthood. Reclaiming what we've lost, what we've buried but reclaiming culture in a contemporary setting.
Hunter gatherers challenge - eating only what you grow, forage or bartered
Feasting on community through intention, dedication, time, conflict, conversations
Grief as a community builder
Sparking ourselves through rewilding - a full expression of our animus being - creativity, love, vision, vitality, quiet, deep attuned listening,
Removing abstractions from our ability to connect to our life support systems - our embeddedness with the web of life
“Don't ask what the world needs of us, ask what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs most right now is a population of people who are alive”

ReferencesNatures apprentice My year without matchesRewilding the urban soulJoanna Macy - Active hope

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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Do you know where your grain comes from... the farmers name... how they grow it? Woodstock flour are doing their level best to change the last frontier via the power of building relationships and connecting. Join Jade and Courtenay as they get gritty on grains and hear why we need to value its diversity and regionality just like we do wine or cheese.

Show Notes

Why food production is the avenue to create the most significant environmental change
Finding a way to fit into the family farm as the 2nd generation via a stone mill & farmers markets
Getting people to think about their grain consumption as they do their veggies or fruit
Venturing onto their own farm in Rutherglen
Diversifying & de-risking as part of the succession plan
Maintaining identity in the succession process
Building a farm business that is totally collaborative & openly shares knowledge
The importance of transparency in building a movement
The power of open minded, interactive relationships
Building a business via the lens of socio-political factors
Land ownership & its connection to class & race - privilege
Facing the confronting reality of land ownership on unceded land
CSA model for grains
Covid experiences of customer demands
Open Road Project
Education about true cost of food & reconciling the inaccessibility of this reality
The journey of creating a path to market from scratch
The value of putting yourself into things regardless of financial return in the short time
Holistic management
Collaborating with community is often an opportunity to connect with land, find joy through connection to others & learn from all that’s around us
Acknowledging the slow pace of us as humans
How do we get the next generation interested in food production?
The beauty of rural communities being accepting of each others ways & thinking
Finding solidarity in the wine growing community
Rising early to paint - no excuses, no interruptions
Defining business roles in a small family business
Being deliberate about the daily decisions to ensure balance
How her painting complements her business
Bookending the day at the dinner table

ReferencesWoodstock flour websiteFood Connect in BrisbaneOpen Food NetworkKirsten and Serenity Futuresteading InterviewTivoli Road BakeryHolistic Management Riverina Organics Growers Group

Podcast partners ROCK!Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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Following the shocking & heartbreaking death of her younger sister Indira leant into grief with the help of the natural world. She formed a deep friendship with a tree, learnt the power of self trust & became conscious of death in a way that led her to see puddles as portals into another world.
Despite the genesis, this conversation is joyful & powerful.

Show Notes

Forced to be present - the pressure is off
Living the now is how the body and mind forces you to be in grief
"The ‘now’ is not muddied by the past or the expectation of the future"
Tackling the big topics and being prepared to sit with loss, grief and unexplained emotions
Discovering that the answers to all the questions sit within you if you're prepared to lean into the discomfort
Discovering it's possible to feel closer to people in death than in life
The forgiveness that comes with death
Deliberately seeking the wondrous memories to overcome the sadness
Becoming much more contented and grateful in the face of grief
Live while you are alive and don’t die until you are dead - suck the marrow out of life
Why the fuzziness has been taken out of life - she is rarely not sure anymore
Learning to listen to herself
Learning to make your backyard your world
Why her tree is her favourite place on earth
Waiting for a generation before we see the impact of our actions
By being still you realise you're not separate from nature but part of it.
Why she no longer sees where her skin ends and the bark on the tree begins
Let’s go fly a kite together
Reminding people to seek healing capacity through nature
Finding ways to create a sense of boundless space
Understanding the impact of the colour green
Allow yourself to be where you are
Trust how you’re feeling, what makes you feel better
The varied faces of grief
Why acceptance wasn’t enough - seeking meaning is the next phase
Learning we are in ‘the line’
Becoming livened by the idea that death won’t elude any of us
Discovering how much knowledge is already in your DNA - but learning how to unlock it
Unlearning ‘being the one with all the answers’
Spending time with people who are “experts in life”
Stepping away from manufacturing experiences
Discovering intoxication by being aware of the nature around me rather than the addition of stimulants
The power of observation
Becoming conscious of the subtle nuances in life
Being drawn to the force of a tree
Baby steps to bring change NOW to open a crack of light in life
Find the time to build magic into your life

References

The Space Between the Stars - Indira Naidoo

Podcast partners ROCK!

Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof Australia

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A Coffee Regular Support - Patreon

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Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

If there's a human who represents the quintessential qualities of living like tomorrow matters, it just might be Hannah Maloney.

A former front line picketer, Hannah transitioned to a more sustainable approach to advocacy for climate action and First Nations justice when she founded Good Life Permaculture and is now based in Tassie on Muwinina country where days of voluntary simplicity provide time for her community which she collaborates with to teach, design and live with love.

Hannah is a radical homemaker who has just released a book, blogs her knowledge for all to learn from and has recently forayed into the world of television presenting on Gardening Australia.

SHOW NOTES

Hannah's transition from frontline activism to a more sustainable pace to avoid burnout
Why a simple life can be a hard life but when infused with joy, a wonderful life
Following your Shen energy
Choosing to sit on the edge of comfort and forcing yourself to cope with discomfort where often the greatest outcome is achieved
Showing up despite adversity, for the sake of the individual AND self assurance
Discovering the wonders of planting, food flowers and fibre
Going to bed in a state of love every day
Practical ideas for swapping resources with our neighbours like your vacuum
Seeking ways to be more useful
Avoiding dogma for self and others
Loving people unconditionally where they’re at
Why she wakes at 4am each day
Preserving her natural energy
Radical Hope - it's not what you might suspect
The power of imagination

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Good Life Permaculture
Hannahs New Book - The Good Life
“From What Is To What If” - Rob Hopkins

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

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Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

Get to know the wild, wise and wonderful Steph Phillips (aka Green and Growing Things) who's living the simple life in rural Tassie.

Steph shares her four year transition from “Stiletto Steph” to “Simple Steph”, now raising three nature-loving wildlings in a frugal, seasonal and rhythmic fashion that's our kind of inspirational.

In this slow paced and honest convo, Steph talks about everything from making paint from foraged materials to self-compassion, community bonds and her love/hate relationship with social media.

One of those positive and affirming conversations that'll make you feel a whole lot better about the world. Listen in.

SHOW NOTES

Raising wildlings
From having a purpose-built shoe wardrobe to her current life
The influence of Sir David Attenborough in kicking off her life changes
Bedding down small changes before you leap to the next change
The importance of hibernation time: read, think, sit in order to gain strength for the busy times
Helping kids fall in love with the earth
Avoiding comparison-itis with really strong boundaries on social media
Why we need to stay connected to self, our surrounds, the natural world
The ‘say and do gap’. The power of leading by example and sitting in your crap.
Guiding children with the mantra: “Use your manners and trust your heart.”
Moving to Tassie four years ago
A day in the life of a family of five who are living intentionally and simply
Creating a farm of ‘pets’
Natural activities for kids: foraging, paint-making, collections
Forcing yourself to see the beauty in things; to stop, observe and give them the reverence they deserve.
The delight of writing a book that fosters creativity and curiosity
Being kind to ourselves despite feeling the weight of hypocrisy
Participating in things that are out of our comfort zones; womens circles, chanting groups
Everyone has a story
Treating your phone like the inanimate object that it is
Making water colour paints from foraged finds

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Green and Growing Things on Instagram + Online

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

Warning: this episode with Rob Greenfield might make you want to do something crazy - like sell all your material possessions, set off on an adventure with only a backpack and faith in human kindness, or build a tiny home from reclaimed materials with your mates.

Rob is an activist & humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable, just & equal world.

He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues & inspire positive change.

Rob’s life is an embodiment of Gandhi’s philosophy, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” He believes that our actions really do matter & that as individuals and communities we have the power to improve the world around us. Rob donates 100% of his media earnings to grassroots nonprofits and has committed to living simply and responsibly for life.

This conversation strikes the balance between inspiration & groundedness, & will leave you feeling both comforted & courageous.

SHOW NOTES

From shining his car on Sundays at age 25 with dollar signs in his eyes to dumpster diving over 2,000 times and being a beacon for radical change around the world.
The decision to transform his life so he stopped destroying the earth
Making one positive change every single week for two years
Intersectional environmentalism - deeply intertwined problems and their solutions
Building feedback loops towards empowerment and a sustainable foundation
Holistic decision making
Travelling the world for the same price as the annual cost of a car
Building freedom by avoiding the minimum monthly repayment trap
Living a life that's not so 'protected’ or ‘insured’
The truth: a quality existence takes time, travel, eating, learning, conversing.
Spreading excess when you have it so life is more equitable - from those who have enough to those who have too little.
Demonetising life relies on more human kindness
The illusion that money makes us independent
Teaching our kids critical thinking and about relationships to thrive in a post carbon economy
Skill sharing
The power of needing each other
The problems with convenience
The psychology of change
The value of minimising judgement and enhancing compassion and understanding
Starting with the things which excite you the most

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Rob's website
Rob's Instagram

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

Have you spent much time in the bush on your own?
Do you listen to your heart when making life's big decisions?
What about social media - ever given it the flick?

This conversation with Tricia Hogbin of little eco footprints might inspire you to do more of all three.

Tricia lives with her husband and daughter in a downscaled shipping container, and while her “husband earns the money, she earns their resilience”.

She takes her cues from Mother Nature and the moon, and knows the power of taking a breather, slowing down and seeking answers by turning inwards.

With a good dose of open and healthy conversation about the life stages of women , all things moon cycles, shamanic witchcraft and spending time alone in the bush, this might just be the conversation all women need to hear to inspire that curious path of listening to one's heart.

SHOW NOTES

Avoiding the debt trap
Childhood commitment to protecting nature
Obscene naive materialism where consumption is dictating our choices
Nature connection gatherings for women, focus on slowing down, tuning into inner self, ritual
Barefoot bushwalking, women’s circles
Living a life by the cycles of the moon
Experiencing a wilderness solo
Stepping away from the grip of social media & taking a six month sabbatical
Having the same rules for online communications as we do in the real world
Raising children who are resilient, creative and courageous
Shamanic Womancraft: reconnecting with the earth seasons and the lunar cycles. “A way to facilitate healing by reclaiming our feminine knowledge.”
Facing menopause
Pre Menstural Supervision
Maiden, Mother, Maga, Crone
“The deeper the journey, the more inwards I face and the smoother the road out in front.”
Seeking time with wise elders
Taking time in the forest for wild solitude to create a clear vision and gift yourself time
The beauty of being uncomfortable and inconvenienced
Turning the volume of others down so we can listen to our wise hearts

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Wildcraft Australia
School of Shamanic Womancraft • Come Home to Your Wild Self
The Wisdom of Menopause - Christiane Northrup
The Power Of Menopause with Jane Hardwicke Collings
Little Eco Footprints - Website + Instagram

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

Kirsten Bradley has dedicated the last 13 years (in cahoots with partner Nick Ritar and a host of thinkers and doers) to helping people learn permaculture skills for living like it matters.

We’re referring to Milkwood, of course. And today we get a backstage pass to the brain of its co-creator; a joyous conversation indeed.

Kirsten has a knack for distilling big ideas into bite size words of wisdom, bringing decades of lived experience to our cuppa-tea-with-a-mate interview that will leave you feeling affirmed and hopeful.

She shares her trajectory from inner-city artist to iconic permaculture educator, author and champion of back-to-basics living. Her thoughts on long-term renting, community sufficiency, ways of stewarding land (that don’t necessarily involve buying a massive property), how to bypass hypocrisy and why to get comfy with shades of grey.

Post-episode, you’ll probably want to knock on your neighbour’s door and offer them surplus garden greens - because, according to Kirsten, community connection is the bedrock of a better life (and planet). Listen, absorb, enjoy.

SHOW NOTES

Living in Tassie - autonomy and community sufficiency.
Insights from their trials of different ways of living (including family farming, community living, homesteading, share houses).
Alternative ways to steward land (other than ownership)
Actions to consider now foro a better future: 1. Growing food, anywhere/anyhow. 2. Community involvement - get enmeshed, get involved. 3. Figure out your greatest skills and what you can contribute to and learn from your community.
Reframing life towards what matters
Why helping people reclaim lost skills is the most incredible life path she could have chosen.
Bypassing the guilt of hypocrisy and embracing good habits.
The value of seeking out ‘wild spaces’.
Why getting to know your ecosystem is fundamental to living a good life (your watershed, the First Nations title for the land you reside on, your climate, your seasons)
The evolution of thought and practical outcomes which has come from living in different environments and communities.
Accepting shades of grey over black and white.
Stepping past the one family/one house concept.
The tension between tenancy, tenure, community values, land use/management and ownership.
How disasters crystallise community bedrock.
Why they'd rather steward less land, not more.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Rebecca Solnit - “Hope In The Dark”
Melliodora Publishing
Milkwood - Real Skills for Down-To-Earth Living

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Summer is for going slow with your people. We're making the most of this too here at FS HQ. But don't worry, we've created a short & sexy summer season of thought provocation by delving into the archives & reloading some of the best conversations we've recorded over the last two years.

This week, Sadie Chrestman that beautiful soul from Fat Pig Farm shares her story of moving to Tassie with partner Matthew Evans to start a new, rural life - in her forties. We ask her what it’s like being ‘that famous treechanger’, why she’s obsessed with the soil, about her pledge to drink tea with strangers, and how she discovered her dream job at 50.

Her humble, level-headed wisdom is the antidote to overwhelm and an inspiration for anyone wanting to radically change their life - one pig at a time.

SHOW NOTES

Sadie’s unconventional childhood in India and Indonesia.
The impacts of COVID-19 on Fat Pig Farm’s long table lunches.
Pros and cons of homesteading (in covid times)
Why you can’t isolate yourself from your community (even if you’re pursuing self-sufficiency).
Why to knock on your neighbour’s door and say hello - even if you live in the city.
How to stop worrying so much about what people think.
The beauty of finding something in common with a complete stranger.
A pledge to connect at the school bus stop.
Why growing food and replenishing the soil helps reassure her in a time of climate emergency.
How you can generate your own sense of place - even if you’re a long way from home.
Words of encouragement for first generation or “older” farmers.
The simple ways we can all begin a transitional path to a better tomorrow.
Has Sadie ever doubted the path she’s on?
Sadie’s one piece of advice for a better tomorrow.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Good Life: What Makes A Life Worth Living? - Hugh Mackay,
Farming Democracy - Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance
On Eating Meat; The Real Food Companion; The Dirty Chef; The Commons - Matthew Evans
Gourmet Farmer - SBS Series
Fat Pig Farm + @fatpigfarm

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The rockstars who smooth the sound: Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Much has changed since we last spoke with this illustrating educator. She shares the ins & outs of life in a house truck, seeking ‘normalcy’ while building her new home in WA & her lived experience of life in intentional communities all over the world. She delights at her recent discovery of sociocracy as a tool for empowering and engaging individuals and we delve into her efforts to stay kind, creative and connected in this time of great transition.

Episode Summary

Becoming comfortable with really big changes
Her tick boxes for the place she is happy to live in
Life in their vegetable oil truck - big red bev
Creating her own vision with partner Charlie McGee
Sourcing her food without having a place to grow it herself
Creating a life that is less transitory
Land ownership was always an elusive idea
Finding safe places to live by trading social capital
Building a long term home
Coming to terms with a forever home and think long term - building soil, growing perennial crops,
Using legacy thinking to make your decisions
Throwing her creative energies behind making change
New Year ceremony - writing a recap of previous year and hopes for the coming year
Animals really tie us to the deep ancestral seasonal existence, sun up, sun down
Moonthly cycle - celebrating every full moon with your people
The fund and games of building your own home
Living in a 2 x 3 metre truck
Breaking the cycle of the endless to-do list
The nitty gritty of life in an intentional community Peace Street community
Her lived experiences of life in intentional communities all over the world
Sociocracy - details of this process in action
Dividing into working groups for action and accountability
Defining your roles in a new social environment
Designing her home using permaculture design thinking
Moments of reflection are an investment in a future work life balance.
”Sometime by taking a step back allows different and new ideas to flourish that take more than one step forward”
Tuning into creativity when things are quiet
Why hope sits in action
The main thing we need right now if for everybody who can - to do something, no matter how small
Seeking feedback loops which connect you to the issues surrounding us
Sourdough isn't going to save the world but if it connects all the middle class people in the world to do something then this is where the awakening will occur.
Observing how differently people approach the art of creating ripples.
We’re in this for the long haul - there isn't time for weekend activism
The role of the arts in making sense of the challenges and our response to it.
“Soupie” a community gathering excuse
Kindness for humanity lessons from around the globe
Finding ways to be happy with not much
Most of the world lives with so much less than what Australians call normal
If we have privilege and we live lives of abundance, the least we can do is actively contribute to our community.

References

Transition towns

Australian Food Sovereignty alliance

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof Australia

Nutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Shout out to the rockstars who smooth the sound

Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Tyson Yunkaporta is an Apalech man who is an academic, researcher arts critic & father. He is also the author of Sand Talk, an extraordinary reading experience. Like many of Australia’s First Peoples, he has a complex identity and history but it's this that gives him authority to write and speak in a way which connects the wisdom of the past to the needs of the future.

The way he thinks demands a longer term perspective. He is both philosophical and practical, compassionate yet realistic. He is filled with an other-worldly understanding of humanity. In this conversation he urges us to consider the non linear complexity of the world.

He challenges our expectations, points out cultural shortcomings and invites us to recognise indigenous concepts and their history. Importantly he shows how these patterns have the potential to be incorporated into our non indigenous thinking which builds hope and possibility to benefit us all.

“I don’t have answers but I know that stories connect us to country. Country knows the answers. Notice it and be a custodian".

Episode SummaryMinimising abstractions between lore and land
The illusion of the environment which is hidden by siloed systems
Let’s look like dickheads for a minute while we work out the path forward
Looking for seasonal signs and responding to them
Lore carries recipes for how to live our lives with story and pattern
Coming back into rhythm with the natural world
Running out of time - the time to reconnect with country is now
The dominating authoritarianism in the western world demands people are disconnected from the landscape
Mutual aid activism - not about throwing bombs but making sure everyone is fed.
Self determination being thwarted by authoritarianism
Stop looking at things and look at structures, systems and patterns instead
Quietly getting on with it - syndicate your neighbourhood with the next neighbourhood
The bullshit of nation building is key in the decimation of connection to country.
Activism is an industry
Positive and negative feedback loops to understand how symbioses interlock with others
Story, ceremony and ritual for real thinking and real meaning making
Until art became capital it was something that every human did every day to understand their place in the world
How do we find a way of storytelling without reducing it to words
"Image, dance, song - can all portray story but they have no depth of meaning if they don't have place"
The lore is in the land
"Leave those who are pecking over the carcass of the earth to their dying beliefs and the rest of us can get on with rebuilding relationships, stories, knowledge and place. Quietly and with people"
Why we need to stop self flagellating acknowledgments of country and start building relationships

References

Viktor Stefanson - fire country management
Sand Talk - Tyson Yunkaporta
The other others - podcast.

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Shout out to the rockstars who smooth the sound Open Door Studios

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Jo Smith is a self proclaimed generalist who juggles life as a twin mama, market gardener, yoga therapist and active contributor to her tiny Tasmanian community on Bruny Island. Jade and Jo shoot the breeze about farming life & decide that despite the hardships, she wouldn't trade it for the world - even the wind. Join them for tangents and truths of this beautiful, grounded, physical and dirty existence at the bottom of the world.

Episode SummaryGrowing food for others and to navigate mental health

Being a twin mama, type A, vata personality

Finding solace in the garden letting mother earth heal

The endless lessons that are taught by gardening

Learning to surrender to the reality that there’s no control

If we nurture mother nature she nurtures us and then we can nurture others

Seeing gardening as being a nutritionist

From no knowledge about growing food to feeling deeply connected to land

Keep growing food no matter what the success or failures

Learning from others regardless of fundamental beliefs

Considering water, wind, soil type and access to markets before going into farming/growing

The truth of country life - it’s bloody hard

Farming is the LONG game - Don't get into farming if you’re seeking instant gratification

10 years to build up the soil as a no dig garden

Wanting to grow food rather than go to the shops

Prioritising self care; daily meditation, nightly restorative yoga, excellent diet,

Starting with 2.5 x 2.5 metres to learn the art of gardening before expanding into market scale

Reminding ourselves that we can’t do it all

Having $ to set up a farm and juggling that balance

Sharing the farming experience honestly,

Hope driven by the increasing enthusiasm from people who want to be part of the change

Identifying and sharing the ‘WHY’ behind our lives

It took a couple of years to recalibrate her pace and become comfortable with the quiet

The art of entertaining yourself - taking ownership of our leisure time

Yogic Dharma - your life purpose

Reconnecting back to self

Building self belief and learning to really listen

Circular reciprocity

Living naturally and sharing with others as her way to offer service

We make change by creating communities of sharing wisdom and knowledge and playing the part that we are supposed to.

Living in community requires incredible patience, tolerance and open mindedness

Embracing identity as ALL the things that we are not just the curated brand

Being YOU

Becoming adept at adapting

Being an intuitive generalist rather than an academic specialist

Not pretending - Finding your flow

Leaning on community

Re establishing our culture to acknowledge those around us

References

Bruny Island Wild

Bruny Island Coop

Naturally well with Jo

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof Australia

Nutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Shout out to the rockstars who smooth the sound

Open Door Studios

-----------------------------------

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Absorb permaculture wisdom from an elder who encourages us to look up to the sky and then act out across the earth, in unison with others and with dirt beneath our bare feet. Su Dennett lives at Meliodora a 2.25 acre, 35 year old permaculture demonstration property she has established with her partner David Holmgren. She is a force - as strong as she is soothing. This conversation pushes us to connect with self, place & community & to create a life that is small, localised, abundantly rich and with community shared responsibility for the village.

Summary

Women being in their power
Growing up just after the war more or less self sufficient as her life foundation
The value of learning through adversity
Her journey to living a ‘feeling’ ‘human’ life
Lessons learnt while living in Europe - growing food and connecting to the earth
Going lateral rather than climbing to the top which is futile and disconnecting
Buying marginal land in the country rather than a city block to avoid a mortgage
Letting kids learn by ‘osmosis’ through doing rather than ‘teaching’
The limitations of the school system
learning about nature and the patterns of life before we learn about everything else
While there are limits to a seasonal life, this does not have to be limiting
Our focus needs to be on the limitless growth areas of community
Learning to be alongside those who think differently
Being alienated from nature requires a pathway to get back in - family and household economies are the baseline for that
Even the village fool had a role to play
The intellectual is only one part of us
Avoiding a sanitised world for the sake of a diverse gut health
Living expansively
Begin with bare feet - stop isolating ourselves from the earth
Lockdown silver linings
Removing the back fence to create community
Sharing your excess as a stepping stone to relationships
Looking for the positives in what otherwise felt like negatives - bikes over cars, simple peasant foods, seed sharing,
Discovering a happier state with simplicity
Exploring ONE thing at a time
A lateral existence
Respecting earth, water, air by actively considering them and slowing down
Womens place is in the home but so is mens and childrens
How much is enough? Why don't we sit on the floor more, live in smaller spaces,
White mans burden of ownership - but how we transition away from it is the challenge
Learning about our own cultural heritage in order to understand our first nations heritage
Respecting elder wisdom
Reintroducing rites of passage to honour all stages of life
Building support networks for our youth
Avoiding sanitisation from food to ideas
You cannot become a well grounded individual if you don't suffer adversity - endless happiness is farcical
Fulfilment is about being valued, thinking laterally, be an individual.

References

MelliodoraTransition towns movementRetrosuburbiaArtists as Family

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoi

Buy the BookFuturesteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

A story teller for change, voice for young people and founder of Humiform. Megan became a professional dancer at 14, a fair fashion advocate who walked across South East Asia to share stories of good in her early 20’s and now has turned her efforts to working with kids in a way that gives them agency and a connection to the outside world. She speaks not only from her lived experience but also from a place of realness that is easily relatable and that kids gravitate towards. She asks ‘what if’, and walks her talk.

Episode Summary

Changing her view of the world through the lens of passionate social and environmental activist kids
Giving kids the chance to drive their own projects
Do screens change our kids worlds
Having parents who trusted her 100%
Starting a full time dance career at 14 until she was 27
Cruise ships are a microcosm of the real world where inequality is prevalent and impossible to ignore
Leaving cruise ships once she realised her white privilege
Why it’s so hard to live your values when the systems are set up to maintain status quo.
The difficulty in finding time to appreciate nuances especially in the fashion industry
The inconvenience of nuances in marketing
Looking to nature for the diverse solutions and embracing it
Young people are the way forward because they JUST GET IT
Young people are powerful. They see the interconnectedness of the world
The future our children face is vastly different to the world we faced
Coming to terms with knowing that the world is going to change and there will be loss
Acknowledging that change has always happened and being ok to be part of the adaptation
Building a business as a force for good
Businesses taking action where the government is not to create deep change
Businesses need to give back to the world rather than just taking
The loneliness of being an edge dweller in the things she chooses to do
The education system is a dinosaur
Avoiding projects that perpetuate the white saviour mentality
Walk Sew Good - her walk across South East Asia to share stories about people creating good fashion stories
15k kg of clothing goes to landfill every 10 minutes in Australia
If we were as connected to our clothing as the people she met on her walk it could change the world.
Creating a space for kids that have no rules
Her vision of an education system
We don’t know what the world is going to look like in the future so who are we to dictate what our kids should be learning
We need to ask “what is the purpose for education in our time”
Be obsessed with not knowing things and let your thinking be challenged

References

The good place - Netflix series.

Humiform

Walk Sew Good

What if- Rob Hopkins

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof Australia

Nutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Hannah Maloney: Our fave IT girl is back in your ears to share her message of radical hope, living a life of joy and pushing past the overwhelm at the state of the world despite being furious at current politics. In her usual effervescent manner, we chat about all the hard things including her 'unlearning journey' and the power of self reflection.
As charismatic and breathtaking as she is accessible-girl-next-door, listen in to this convo with Hannah Maloney for a little taste of the good life ... but don't expect it to be the easy life.

Episode Summary

Released her first book recently.

Radical Hope: how to have active hope.

Code red for humanity. IPCC report.

How to deal with sadness of the state of the world?

Being furious at current politics and industry leaders.

The climate conversation is everyone’s conversation. We need to connect through open-minded, honest conversation. How do you have those conversations on the divide? How are you expressing your deepest concerns without being more divisive?

Start normalising the hard conversations without the fear of stuffing it up, without the fear of offending or misunderstanding the topics and indigenous knowledge.

Creating a cultural revolution where we rebuilt what success looks like
Our individual sense of enough in a society that heavily relies on intellect, academia and consumption.

Talk about social justice and how the death of her mother at a young age strengtheneddesire making to make it a part of your identity.

Family relations: Having a healthy distance in family. In our culture we have this assumption that you have to be close to family and can rely on support from them but that is not always the case for us.

Talk about unlearning all sorts of things! unlearn to dislike the traditional education system and capitalist approach and fear of speaking up.

The importance of reflecting on our own response and to pay attention to our internal landscape. Our capacity to heal ourselves is important in our capacity to heal our environment.

The Hot Box Hack...

Living your best life living below the poverty line.

Here’s to hope!

References

The Good Life - Hannah Maloney
Concept of radical hope: Rebecca Solnit IPCC report: wg1Steiner EducationCharles Eisenstein podcast - A new and ancient storyThe Art of Frugal HedonismBlack Barn Farm

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof AustraliaNutrisoil

Buy the Book

Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Clare is so much more than her MS diagnosis but when she contacted us, eager to share how living like tomorrow matters plays out after a diagnosis, we realised we'd never considered her perspective on the show and in that, our privilege became acutely apparent.
40% of Australians have a chronic illness yet so often it goes unacknowledged. With a pod of her own and a young family she is building awareness by sharing her every day reality while building solidarity for those in similar shoes. This is her story.

Show NotesSuburban childhood that was filled with camping and hiking trips that set her up for an outdoor life
Finding her people at Wollangarra
What is Wollangarra and how it defined her life
Getting a diagnosis of MS
Taking multiple years to accept her diagnosis
Needing more words for pain to describe what life with MS is like
Living like tomorrow matters for those with a life long health diagnosis
Why its not always possible to make big moves on sustainability actions
"If I can grow and eat a tomato plant from seed - that’s a huge achievement"
Getting a teaching degree for the single reason to work at falls creek primary school
Redefining herself as someone with a diagnosis
"I’m still the same person I was, I just have another chapter"
Women are more likely to be diagnosed so the way MS is communicated is very story-like
Looking after yourself with MS is a full time job Not having the luxury of ignoring self care needs Fitting in the necessary exercises around the every day needs
Embracing being in the cold - swimming every day in the Melbourne bay
Being hopeful because of the way her son responds to the world around you
Success sits in daily satisfaction and making a difference to all things big and small, moment to moment
The value of giving yourself a break - Go gently
Take one step - you don’t have to do all the things
The open arms of the MS community which encourages conversation, open grief and removing shame
40% of the population have a chronic illness but we are so shamed by this that we don’t talk about it publicly
People with disabilities are not necessarily ignored but they are often not seen
Planning her days around her health but not wanting to live like its all there is

References

Wollangarra

MS understood

Thanks to our podcast partners:

Wwoof Australia
Nutrisoil

Buy the Book
Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Our most downloaded backyard adventurer is chatting with us again but this time with better sound and more sleep under his belt so we are witness to a more true version of this humorous, odd character. A self titled 'polyjobist; a generalist at many things, he shares the challenge of writing a book after a decade in academia, worrying about breaking the law to make films and shares why he took up his granddads wood chopping axes despite his mediochre capability.
Our conversation is all 'Miles' - it follows tangents, is really personal and stays true to his advice giving allergy.

Show Notes

Falling short on expectations and promises
Fear of being sued - breaking the law to film documentaries
Reframing your view of the world from your child-like baseline
“Bad River” - soon to be released film series
‘I don’t like being a negative storyteller but the time for me to have an opinion is here
I suppose I love attention but I’ve got hermit written all over me
A really quiet kid that began to bust out into his physicality which helped define him
Was he an undiagnosed dyslexic kid? Is that formative in creating who he is?
Learning maths by building things
Why he took up grandads ax’s to become a wood chopper
Being the mouth piece for those who you surround yourself with
Storytelling via various mediums: Film, book
Being Beau - thinking in tangents, following abstract thoughts, speaking in first person, finding your voice
My greatest skill in life is being a hard worker
Why recording his book as an audio book taught him where his writing faults are
Phenomonology - crating definition and essences out of subjectivity
The challenges of being a story teller
Our life is about defining our essences
While being attracted to individualism - life is simply just better when lived with others
Being watered down as an individual by becoming a parent
Why community is defined by doing the dishes
Reducing moving parts - from film making to doing dishes
Island foods - planning a trip with Paul West, Jade Miles and Beau Miles and three basic foods
Describing himself in three words: Hardy, Resilient, Odd
I think we are all odd but I'm just willing to say it
His allergy to advice giving
If a story teller is doing their job, there will be a million outcomes as others interpret the insights. This is desirable rather than a singular outcome
Living like tomorrow matters MUST look different for every single one of us -that's where the magic sits
Living life with an intentional unknowingness
As a film maker he doesn’t want to know what the outcomes will be, he wants a surprise and that raw, honest reality of one day at a time.
His hopefulness comes from where he lives

References

The Backyard Adventurer
Beau Miles You Tube
Beauisms - Instagram
Casey Nistadt - New York story teller

Thanks to our podcast partners:
Wwoof Australia
Nutrisoil

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Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Sharing her evolution from academic keyboard warrior to her current reality of being an agroecological pork and beef farmer who's pretty darned handy with the butchers knife and equally as sharp of mind in her contributions to the UN small scale farming policy initiatives.

Tammi Jonas is indeed a force of the natural world, never backwards in coming forwards but mellowing with every decade and sharing her successes and failures for the sake of thousands who are following in her footsteps towards a life of farming democracy.

Episode Summary

We dive right into how she fits it all in
Leadership - her style of leading from the front with doggedness and squared soldiers
Research and UN food systems mobilisation
Credibility that comes out of the dirt
Her commitment to food sovereignty across aaaalllllll the tiers of the movement
The brain breaking need to relate local practices to global policy
Linking good global initiatives to local practices
Applying food sovereignty thinking to general consumption issues
Taking power back one skill at a time
We can’t buy ourselves out of this mess - we literally need to joyfully work competently through the upskilling and sharing of
The illusion of choice when you see thousands of items for sale in a supermarket is not a place to genuinely begin
Why she considers herself an “agroecological” farmer (political, social, Agroecological theory of change is considered a science, social movement and practical - dedicated to circular bio economies rather than a purchasing of inputs. Agroecology rejects capitalism but values labour over yield.
‘Benefaction’ - enabling the farm to do their tasks joyfully
The rich reality of running internship programs - who are welcomed with the knowledge that they are becoming food sovereignty warriors
AFSA - first-peoples-first initiative
Solidarity - garnering unexplained wholeness but remembering we are all here for each other
Why there's value in building a new system rather than creating one from the ashes of the old one.
Why the rise and fall of farms and community orgs is part and parcel of the movement and should be encouraged
Being comfortable to share the successes AND the failures as a gift for the greater good
Building a de-growth mentality to avoid the ruthless capitalist system
Creating small scale farming businesses that are FUN rather than slaves to growth
Keeping her eye on the end game dilutes her need to be binary and rage filled
Why the States are not actually similar to the Australian culture - they are wedded to a growth mentality that we don't have so we have an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
Why it’s ok to scale back from the initial vision
Framing ‘enough’ as being disentangled from the capitalist system - seeing the sky, feeding her community and others and being ok to go slow when needed.

References

Jonai Farms
Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms
Farming democracy
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Thanks to our podcast partners:
Wwoof Australia
Nutrisoil

Buy the Book
Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters

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Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms

You might remember this pocket rocket from Masterchef, perhaps you've heard her on the wireless, has she entertained you at a conference or was she the genius who convinced your kids to love their veggies via 'phenom-e-nom '.

Alice-in-frames loves life and doesn’t take herself too seriously but definitely has multi dimensional attributes. A poly-math who's mischevious pixie like-grin and twinkling eyes defy her hard working focus on reaching her singular goal of 'getting us all to love food - fresh food - especially kids.

Her self proclaimed super power is seeing everyone else's gold and connecting people to create an outcome of alchemy. If her best selling book 'In praise of Veg is anything to go by, this dynamo is on a ticket to success - What a gift to those in the kitchen...and the farm...and the classroom...and the family dinner table!

SUMMARY
Her current lockdown project - writing a new book and launching tumami
Eating more plants as a self care mechanism
Recalibrate your resolution in Spring
Teaching skills is in her wheelhouse - reconnecting kids to their food
Harnessing pester power for good and allowing kids an agency to share
Talking about food from a place of curiosity and open hearted kindness
Seeing kids more like a garden than like a piece of wood - soft, evolving, in the moment
Pandemic acceleration of people valuing food
Creating food markets that are direct to consumer
Going without other things to ensure food is her priority
Food empowers people to connect in a sensual way
Tumami is the everything spread - what actually is it though? 40 days of two ingredients
Being a poly math because its fun and it adds value to her community
Why she wears a lot of hats and a lot of frames
Being a chameleon in the way she presents
Four eyes and proud! Her self proclaimed myopic ambassador role
Powered by people - plugged into a battery and flying high
Her legacy vision - changing the way we speak about food to kids, getting them to love veg
Why she can’t meditate but can lose hours potting broad beans
Futureproofing the relationship that the next generation has with food
Coming at projects from a place of hopefulness and seeking allies
Food is the hook to engage kids early and teach them everything from there
'Phenomenom' - a free resource for everyone to engage kids in knowing their
Enough is a feeling, its a spark, connection, growth, fulfilment, my family.
She wants to finish every single day and feel like she's squeezed the bejesus out of it.
Super power: seeing the super powers of others and connecting people. Contagious enthusiasm, she's been gifted a voice that people listen to and find comforting

References

In Praise of Veg - Alice ZaslavskiThe Gardener and the CarpenterTumami paste - the everything spreadPhenomenom - free website resource to teach kids about foodAlice in frames - website

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Next season will kick off next Monday but in the meantime, we are satisfying your insatiable hunger with throwbacks to our fave episodes from season 1. Enjoy these wonderous humans and all their brilliance.

Before you ask, yes this is Charlie Showers of Black Barn Farm - Jade's other half.

Charlie is a fair food advocate, holistic orchardist, landscape scientist and insatiable reader, with an appetite for knowledge that sees him getting up before the birds to devour scientific papers, books and teachings, before putting it into practice at Black Barn Farm.

In this conversation, he shares decades of wisdom with his trademark patience, clarity and intellect. He covers the power of community and regional pride, a new way to frame our 'hypocrisy' in this time of transition, the reality of first generation farming and a sugar-free account of a 'working marriage' and unified vision. You'll get to hear Jade's answers too ;)

No hopium, all clarity in this complex interview that inspires action!

SHOW NOTES

Sitting with the contradiction inherent in your morals and lifestyle
Reconciling hypocrisy in your everyday existence
Being self aware without it becoming unbearable
His childhood role-modelling of ‘family statesmen’ who committed to the needs of their community equally with their own
Maintaining curiosity about our system, culture and economy to impart change
Why farming is the best place for him to share knowledge at a community level and make meaningful change
Why showing rather than telling is the most powerful way to inspire
Being exposed to those who have a different way of being, whirrs the thinking cogs
The importance of self time to recuperate and maintain balance when you’re an introvert
Why endless hope is not always helpful, and hopium is a recipe for ignorance
What a new future might look like
The raw reality of starting up a long-game farming enterprise
The potency of creating a dream together
Undertaking change journeys as a couple
Ideas to ‘blow your mind’
Living examples of how systems interact with and impact on each other
Awe of the Indigenous Australian cultural understanding of the complex web of the world
Making ‘complexity science’ more mainstream for the betterment of all
His evolution of changemaking from panicked urgency to slow and steady solutions
Why being more settled will make his children better change makers
The evolution and personal nature of success
Importance of a ‘solutions based mindset’

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Black Barn Farm website & Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Buy the Book: Futuresteading, live like tomorrow matters

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Next season goes live Monday 11th October. Until then we've selected four of our faves to share with you again - they are just SOOOOO good, they're worth hearing again so enjoy having these wonderous humans back in your ears!

If you've never met a Perma Pixie, prepare to be delighted.

Taj, aka. The Perma Pixie, is bringing a little old school witchcraft and spades of permaculture wisdom to Melbourne - and now, to you.

This chick beats to a drum of ‘reciprocity’, a philosophy that acknowledges that we’re part of a cycle that should give as much as it takes.

She’s been delivering permaculture education courses for over a decade (not bad for a young sprout!) and has recently started clinical work as a qualified herbalist. Social patterns and interactions are her greatest love, equal to her fascination with plants and their healing capacity.

This conversation is a must for anyone interested in natural medicine, staying grounded in the fray, the freedoms - and struggles - of running a small business, how to balance impassioned action with self care, and how to be regenerative within a culture programmed to run us dry.

Her deeply felt connection to the seasons, and life steeped in reciprocity and relationship, will either resonate deeply or sow seeds in the garden of your mind.

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES

How her early ADHD diagnosis encouraged her to seek calm in the natural world.
Taking a circular approach to living in reciprocity with nature.
The power of seasonal acknowledgement; combining the ‘doing’ with the ‘sensing’.
Having the courage to trust your instincts to follow the path of the heart.
Finding balance in the juxtaposition of being an anti-capitalist while running a small business.
Reframing financial stability.
How being an extrovert has enabled her to build a network of nourishers.
Ways to create nurturing community hubs and nodes, which in turn create valid community connection.
Why it's worth summoning the gumption to talk to total strangers and be open to spontaneous interactions.
The fundamental need to have a relationship with our own bodies to take ownership and responsibility of our most important asset - and avoid being a ‘baseline’ human.
Actively avoiding a sedentary body and mind.
Her permaculture and herbal medicine journey - and how it led her to the plants which nourish her.
Why a world filled with sharing is better than a life lived alone.
How she calms the voice urging her to "do more".
Finding balance as a one-woman show when her greatest desire is to be outside - not behind a screen.
Why to do a "needs analysis": What are your needs and what can you offer?
Why relationships are what fundamentally give her hope.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Website: The Perma Pixie/Insta: @thepermapixie
Visit: CERES Community Environment Park
Movie: The Craft

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Buy the Book Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters

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Next season kicks off on Monday 11th October - until then, enjoy having these humans of wonder back in your ears!

ARCHIVE 2 of 4
Dan Palmer is co-founder of Permablitz, Landed, Holistic Decision Making, Making Permaculture Stronger and Very Edible Gardens. He has a PhD in systems thinking and contagious levels of enthusiasm for supporting the journeys of others. He recently moved with his wife and two daughters back to New Zealand.

We hear Dan’s thoughts on consciously shaping a vibrant and beautiful life, getting paid for your passion, how to be vulnerable and cut to the chase (rather than participating in superficial BS), the deception of ideas, the illusion of separation from the natural world and why to ask better questions.

SHOW NOTES

Away from reductionist thinking and towards a holistic framework.
Discovering holistic management and the influence of Allan Savory.
How to uncover the deeper intention beneath the goal or dream.
What are the core ingredients of a fulfilling life?
How linear thinking sustains our industrialised society.
Why you can’t just ‘join your life back up’ to create a whole - you need to go right back to the DNA of your values and beliefs.
How to tap into deep harmony and coherence.
Why life can’t be like a knitted jumper.
“Deciding your way” towards the life you want.
Why self work isn’t selfish - it’s a precursor to genuine altruism.
Honouring the need for financial security in a world that hinges on money.
An uncompromising approach to making profit from your passion.
Having hard conversations vs. modern ‘communities’ that stroke our egos.
Why Dan’s excited to be alive at this time in history.
Sending positive ripples into space and time.
The gnarly question of how to instil hope, buoyancy and knowledge in your kids.
Approaching each day as a living whole.
Our obligation to contribute to the beauty of the universe.
How we’ve been hijacked by the idea that the world is a machine.
How to lead with feeling and back up with thinking.
“The intellect is too crude a net to catch the whole” - Christopher Alexander
Why we don’t need to “reconnect” with nature - we have never been separate.
How to relax back into underlying non-separateness.
Understanding “life sheds” rather than arbitrary borders.
Why advice and “answers” can disempower people.
How can we ask better questions?

LINKS YOU’LL LOVE

Making Permaculture Stronger
Permablitz
Landed
Holistic Decision Making
Very Edible Gardens
Allan Savory
Brian Goodwin
Charles Eisenstein

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)Buy the Book! Futuresteading - Live like tomorrow matters

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So we don't leave you twiddling your braincells while we record the next season, we've done you the favour of going waaaaaaaay back into the archives of season one and dusting off four our our faves for you to stick in your ears for your weekly dose of inspiration.
Next season kicks off on Monday 11th October - until then, enjoy these humans of wonder!

ARCHIVE 1 of 4
If you’re looking for reasons to be hopeful, this conversation with Brenna Quinlan provides a lifetime’s worth.

You probably know her as “that permaculture illustrator” - and boy, can she communicate complex environmental and social ideas with a few deft flicks of her paintbrush!

Although she now lives in WA with her permie partner in crime Charlie McGee, at the time we chatted with Brenna she was a tiny-hut-dwelling resident of Melliodora and she shares what life looks like day in day out when living with the co founder of permaculture.

Brenna is a breath of fresh air and optimism, with oodles to share about where humanity’s headed - and how we can make the transition altogether more joyful.

Listen in. Smile big. Draw a (hopeful) picture.

SHOW NOTES

Brenna’s early love of art and “crashing” adult art classes.
Her story of riding across the Americans in her early 20s, learning about farming and community.
How she was “the right sized piece of the puzzle” when she fell into illustrating Retrosuburbia... and making creativity her career.
Why she didn't stress about "using her uni degrees" and instead let creativity and opportunities germinate where they may.
How and why to be part of a greater movement, rather than going it alone.
The importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
Her simple daily rituals and joyful pleasures featuring: goats, uphill bike rides, library books.
Why cycles of day and night, the seasons and and end-of-day gratitude practice are essential parts of her existence.
Why ‘alternative living’ is an opportunity to connect more with others, rather than persisting with unfettered individualism (the death of community?).
How her life at Mellidora works: rent for work exchange, living alongside others, zero waste, a permie bubble.
Why taking a leap of faith into a different life = nothing to lose.
How she channels her environmental grief into positive forward motion.
How to find what makes you come alive - and go for it!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Website: Brenna Quinlan @brenna_quinlan
Book:Retrosuburbia: The Downshifters Guide to a Resilient Future- David Holmgren
Book: On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal - Naomi Klein

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Buy the Book! Futuresteading - Live like tomorrow matters

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Strap in for a fast paced chat with this natural born story teller. From the heady heights of top restaurants, starring in his own reality tv program and radio shows to his definition of “enough” - which begins with rude health and healthy kids before settling with sovereignty of time and community belonging.

As practical and grounded as he is charismatic with a touch of aussie larrikin, ‘Westy’ is whip cracking fast making it easy to listen and laugh at his tales - like serving uncooked rice as his first attempt at cooking.

This high energy human wraps up the season for us with insights and stories that are endearing and inspiring in equal measure.

Episode notes

Choosing your island foods

Are you an eater or a foodie ?- Westie grew up as an eater until he was 17 before becoming a foodie

Embalmed cats above the fresh food aisles at the local supermarket

Moving from his first out-of-home cooked meal: Raw rice, frozen peas, ham and soy sauce to cheffing in lofty places

His first wwoofing experience that sowed the seeds for his ‘NOW’ life:

Witnessing the loftiest ideal for human life as life on the land growing food, connecting to community, physical work

His winding but whip fast hospitality adventure

Using the age good food guide as a way to get a job and crash landing into Vu De Monde to cut his teeth

Turning his back on fine dining cuisine to return to the roots of growing food.

A yearning desire to really understand the rhythms of food

How fatherhood changed him, from self to selfless. Why he never wanted to be a ‘phone in’ dad

Reframing his expectations of fatherhood for him, his kids and his wife.

Creating patterns to set up our kids for the rest of their lives and using food as the central guide for this

The virtues of tapping into the primal human nature.

Transitioning from kitchen to farm grew his understanding of long standing ecological needs.

River Cottage - the inside scoop on the steep learning curves and truth behind producing a reality TV program. The juggle of actually living a 365 day farm life but needing to fit in the production of a stage production alongside.

The hard work of farming! Far from white clothed lunches under a tree

The repetition needed for growing

Now living a life that's the amalgamation of his previous lives

Creating a life of belonging in a village across generations

The perfect combo of small-house big block.

Building ritual around food markers, what the gardens providing, when the crayfish and oysters are harvesting,

Making an effort to observe the natural spectacles and building ritual around it

His ENOUGH

References:

Aftertaste ABC Series
River Cottage Australia SBS on demand series
The Edible Garden Cookbook and Growing Guide - Paul West 2013

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Bec Shann (who you might know from Think Big Live Simply) used to lead a pretty conventional life working in science, making rational decisions, and following the prescribed path towards success.

But then she saw an ad for Milkwood Permaculture's Design Course -- and the rest, as they say, is compost.

From taking on a commercial-scale market garden with no prior experience, to building a humble abode on the side of a hill and steeping herself in the home economy, Bec’s thoughtful and honest approach to simple living will have you breathing a sigh of relief. Because it's imperfect by design -- and starts the minute you articulate your values.

SHOW NOTES

The boring truth about meditation.
Discovering permaculture by accident through an ad.
The gifts of redundancy!
Rational vs. corporeal decision-making
Taking an adult gap year
How to know when you should completely change your life?
Taking on a market garden with zero experience
Work/life balance -- simple living style.
The positive feedback loop of a frugal home economy.
Work to live or working to outsource the living?
There is no magical ‘anti-consumer’ switch.
If we can create more space between the system and the marketing and rushing we can tap back into knowing we have enough.
Dealing with part-time work guilt
A bee works its entire life for your sweet cuppa tea!
Community isn’t an easy and instantaneous thing.
Intentional Instagram usage.
The first step in simple living = articulating your values.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Bec's blog + Insta
Milkwood Permaculture
James Clear ~ Atomic Habits
Dan Palmer ~ Holistic Decision Making

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Emily Ehlers describes herself as an illustrator, writer, environmentalist + very bad dancer.

We know her as the lass whose witty and poignant pieces combine art and activism in the greatest possible way.

Today Em speaks with Jade about writing a book about hope as a self-proclaimed anxious person, humour as a tool for resilience, mental health truths, value stacking and all kinds of good stuff that’ll, with any luck, lift you in this time of uncertainty.

Em has a new book out called Hope Is A Verb, so be sure to check it out if you like what you hear!

SHOW NOTES

Writing a book about hope as an anxious person
Finding reassurance in the doing
Becoming a lighthouse that attracts like minded people
Being aware of confirmation bias; actively being open to those you disagree with
Using family to trial how you manage differing opinions
Seeking to understand and then be understood
Being more radical than the angle you present publicly for the sake of shifting the needle
Providing tools that allow people to ‘enter the arena’
Humour as a tool for resilience
Fuelling our psyche with hope
Hope isn't a stagnant thing, what it needs to be is ‘active hope’
Having self compassion and understanding that we're human
The things that make us most human are also the things which make us our most magnificent
Going off antidepressants in order to write a book about hope and feeling the feelings
Getting kids to know their values and to live within them
Giving kids more credit than we do
Value stacking
Being aware of your marinade
Inoculating yourself against regret
Learning to unlearn takes balls, gumption and desire
Acknowledging that we are in the system that dominates us and we just need to do our best with what we have
Gently shifting narrative so that people want to join you not run from you
Rebuilding culture
Thinking of self like a veggie patch: seasonal, phased, nurtured from the ground up
Just start. Pick a thing. Stop over analysing and just do.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Em Ehlers on Instagram
Hope is a Verb ~ Emily Ehlers
Brenna Quinlan on Instagram
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober ~ Catherine Grey
Paul Hawken
Sir Ken Robinson ~ Do schools kill creativity?

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Jade speaks with Lisa Wells, award-winning poet, essayist and author.

In her new book, Believers: Making A Life At The End of the World, Lisa seeks out and learns from trailblazers and outliers around the world who are pursuing radically hopeful lifestyles -- even in the face of climate despair.

There's so much to glean from this conversation: stories and lessons from those living the change, the treasures that await outside the norm, the beauty of bird language, the mess and wonder of non-tech-mediated human relationships and how to sow a fruitful future.

As Lisa puts it, it can take a lifetime to learn how to live -- but hearing from others who have made an art and science of living like tomorrow matters sure helps speed up the process.

SHOW NOTES

It's not her first writing rodeo but it's definitely her first book; it took six years!
She interviewed those who were on the absolute edge of convention. What can we learn from them?
Do human beings have an innate capacity to be beneficial contributors?
Growing up in a DIY sensibility
Finishing her education at wilderness school
Transformation inevitability
Reckoning with the reality that we need to make significant change
Pushing back on binary perspectives and stake-out positions
Making our transformation more attractive: Living in community, re-wilding, growing, trial and error
The physical intimacy of being on her knees in the dirt for the sake of future generations
Recognising that we are just creatures on the planet with a very short lifespan
Wilderness school: becoming rooted in her bioregion
Learning birdsong as a foreign language
Dismantling domestication
Owning what it means to be in relation to others who you are reliant on
Playing the role of translator for the 'outsiders'
Managing balance as an empathetic person
If you want to be in relationship, you need to be willing to throw some chips on the table
Her vision of a fruitful future (without devices and with a whole lotta mess)
Why it takes a lifetime to learn how to live
Being freaked out by being immortal

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The underground history of American education ~ John Taylor Gatto
End Game ~ Derrick Jensen
A paradise built in hell ~ Rebecca Solnit

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Damon Gameau - A call to arms for storytellers!

It's time to shine the spotlight on our story tellers; the creatives, film makers, artists, poets, chefs, writers and musicians. "If our storytellers cannot find a way then the way cannot be found". Join Jade & Damon in this conversation about defying the attention economy, ways to avoid being numbed but the inertia of the system (which is not actually our friend - despite it being dressed up that way) and why rites of passage could be the answer to rebuilding our culture .
Finally, we ask the big question - how do you define ENOUGH.
If you've loved Damon's films 2040 & That Sugar Film you're in for one exceptionally powerful convo with this captivating & clever creative.

Episode Summary

People are seeking leadership that doesn’t use language without humanisation
So much of the story we are told now is dictated by extraction, competition, rivalry,
The shift from humans with animus beliefs to industrialised beliefs
Defining our collective stories through the feedback from our creative & soul stirring storytellers
Defying the attention economy by stepping away from the barraging information torrent to allow for conscious decisions
Finding your place in action
Choosing to understand rather than polarising
Slowing our judgement despite the push for pace - let a slowly defined opinion be yours Acknowledging we agree on a desire for community, healthy children, access to food….and we are not actually divided
Taking responsibility of our own individual actions and teach our children to listen & to understand
Why its NOT human nature to be greedy & selfish, because we've evolved through a deeply cooperative, symbiotic spirit.
Rewrite our culture away from competitive nature & highlight our dependency on each other Finding your path of individualism within the collective
Deradicalising the truth of what we need to do
Considering context when storytelling to shift the needle
Building a less fragile system
Why it’s not a nationalist sentiment if you want sovereignty of independence
Shifting from being a consumer to being a citizen
Building wings that will allow us to fly high and thrive with our culture providing the wind
Manifesting creativity and ingenuity by working with our kids
Shaping, creating and changing culture through coexistence, lateral thinking and practical skills - starting with the education of our children
The dance between peril and possibility
Turning emerging science into magical stories to captivate kids imaginations
Prison inmates in the States spend more time outdoors than our children
The ongoing process of unlearning as flawed humans
Deciding what’s enough. Do you keep working beyond your enough to go slower or do you keep going to give to others.
Rites of passage as a pathway to regeneration
Ayahuasca ceremonies, breath work
Taking a glimpse into the “other” to fill the gap left by a crises of meaning

References“Surviving the future, culture, carnival and capital” - David Flemming
Rites of Passage Institute
Recapture the Rapture - rethinking god, sex and death in a world that's lost its mind - Jamie Wheal
2040 Film - Directed by Damon
That Sugar Film - Directed by Damon

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If climate reports and dystopian vibes are getting you down, this conversation with Meg Berryman might just lift you (gently) from the tiles.

Meg is the host of the Regenerative Life podcast, where she holds activating and catalysing conversations about social change, sustainable business, holistic wellbeing, personal development and regeneration, creating ripples of change from the inside out.

She’s not only a brilliant interviewer, meeting mighty minds like Tyson Yunkaporta and Claire Dunn for the kinds of intellectual-yet-accessible chats that leave listeners awestruck, but a formidable thinker herself.

We’re stoked to welcome Meg for a wide-ranging convo that covers nervous system care, sitting in the magic dark, tending survival energy and watering the seeds of discontent. We discuss the perils of trying to make a positive impact out there if it’s having a negative impact on you and your people. And how to go about satisfying that deep primal yearning to reconnect with self, earth and other beings.

Right now, in this time of grief, confusion + frustration, Meg Berryman is pure medicine. Listen in.

SHOW NOTES

The inspiration behind the Regenerative Life podcast
An unlearning journey of dropping the postures and dropping into true self.
Finding the balance between the unknown + the five year plan.
Challenging domesticity with wildness
Regeneration is an embodied experience; but it’s not as easy as we’ve been sold.
The things we’ve sold as making us happy aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. The agitation and restlessness we’re feeling as feedback is not anything wrong with us! The lie of capitalism is that it’s your problem, you need to buy something to fix you.
The seeds of discontent are also the seeds of regeneration
Homeostatic flux: ecosystems are constantly recalibrating according to feedback.
How to reconsider + reevaluate what a good life is.
We have a deep primal yearning to reconnect with ourselves, the earth, other being. That urge is continually being overidden because on some level, we assume there’s something wrong with us.
"It’s not that I’m allergic to life, I’m allergic to the ways we’ve organised society and systems that are so removed from those basic primal instincts of being connected and belonging."
Wisdom birthed from the bathroom floor.
Epic burnout led to total breakdown led to epic recalibration.
Is sheer willpower the only way to get shit done?
Reframing breakdown as a period of magic dark.
We’ve had a health and wellness paradigm for 20 years that’s focussed on DOING things. But that keeps us in survival mode; it’s not sustainable or regenerative.
We need a whole lot of people to be regulated enough, for long enough, to make life giving decisions and make a dent in these systems.
Being in conversation with questions.
How do we come back to ourselves, and is that enough?
Getting out of hustle culture in business.
Everyone is saying, "we can’t slow down because x, y, z….” It’s the courageous soul chooses to interrogate that.
If you’re making impact out there, but that work is having a negative effect on your people in here, it’s a net zero. It’s not regenerative.
The best gift you can give other beings is the gift of a settled system.
Avoiding the one-two punch of shame and guilt.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

My Grandmother's Hands -- Resmaa Menakem

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If you're yet to hear Mitch perform 'You're the voice", I beg you to head to the link at the bottom and listen.
Carrying the message of unification, love and kindness. Culture is not foreign to Mitch who imbeds a celebration of it into every facet of life as tools to build identity and a strong sense of place. For him living and breathing culture is the start middle and end of it.
An articulate, straight talker he sheds light on why everyone deserves a chance to not only survive but to thrive. His super-power-story-telling ability notches up a few ranks when on stage and over the last few years he has found a platform for passing on knowledge through song and dance.

Nerves and awe aside, Jade manages to dig a little into the psyche of this incredible individual, who without question shows us why the first nations people of this country were not hunters and gatherers but the most purposeful people to have ever walked.

Show Notes

Ma-wollagoolabah - self, family, community
Falling in love with his identity and eagerly celebrating this in a respectful and authentic way
The value of being raised by a strong single mother
Publicly honoring women to the point of reverence
Being relentless in our desire to keep talking to convey a message of transparency
Circle people - we are connected to everything and everything is connected to us
Can song and dance as mediums take their place as a much needed storytelling tools
Emojis are an ancient format
Humans disconnection from spirit, soul and heart
Being the most connected and the most disconnected simultaneously
Holidays = connection to the natural world. Do we love holidays or do we love the opportunity to unconsciously connect to our evolutionary place
Building an understanding of the spirit in the land
Opening yourself up to ‘feel’
Honoring our ancestors, offering a rightful seat at the decision table and acknowledging the knowledge held by indigenous people
"We're not hunters and gatherers, we’re the most purposeful people to have ever walked
There are so many conversations to be had - we need to keep talking
His mob cared for the land to co-exist not to be captured or controlled
Walking together and healing so we can get to where we need to get to
The first people of a land MUST be heard first
If your hearts in the right place you can only do the best you can with what you've got to ‘level’ up’
Stradling the reality of living an urban life with intent and purpose while knowing how powerful a childhood on country can be
Self perception vs how others perceive you
Instilling identity, belonging and connection through ritual
Living and breathing culture as part of every day life
Avoiding the traps of fame by staying focussed on his purpose
Staying grounded by knowing that he is just a vessel with a message who is part of something so much bigger than him
Starting with self love - heal, educate
Conditioning that has bred fear of difference
Coming together with an intent to heal, love and listen.
Having real conversations which are birthed out of truth

Mitch Tambo Instagram
Mitch Tambo - You're the Voice

Keen to buy the Futuresteading book? Its now available at all good bookstores or you can order online here.

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This heart led Mumma of three has been luring us with images of a dreamy, bloom filled life on her Daylesford apple orchard & words of equal romance via her craft blog for over a decade. She laughs easily, has found balance in being real & makes the simplest of thoughts feel like genuine aha moments. Kate Ulman is wrenchingly honest about the reality of farm life with young children, turning inwards when self care is needed & whether her babies will return to life on the land. Although not at her kitchen table, the intimacy of this conversation feels very personal & will leave your cup full & your heart nourished.

Episode notes

Seeing your home the way others do
Realising she is driven by making, creating & beauty
Taking an ugly foundation & making it ‘beautiful’ slowly & sure
The essence of a creative soul raising more creative beings
Evolving with our children who are becoming the people they are going to be
Creating a ‘place’ for our children
The impact of an early childhood experience on a kibbutz
Learning to farm at 30 & retrospectively being amazed they could do it
Growing things organically was our religion but we actually didn’t know how
Life before social media - 10 years of ‘ugliness’ because we could afford the beautiful
Sharing the raw truth of life on the land with a small family
Expectation vs reality
Seasonal appreciation
“Every season is another chance to get last years mistakes better”
The annual pre Winter crises & assessment of reality
Pre farming life as a crafter & blogger
Acknowledging there's a time & place for everything
Filing your soul with the small &simple things but being realistic about doing whats possible
Being kind about expectations
“Being a martyr & running yourself ragged is NOT the solution but being aware & keeping it joyful means you can do it forever”
Saying “I don't know” comfortably
When we take our actions so seriously that it puts other people including the next generation off ever wanting to participate in something worth doing
Letting go of the little things like baking bread for the sake of the bigger picture
Actively engaging with community wherever a snippet can be garnered
Putting her energies into writing a book
Taking back her families story so it wasn’t available to the world online
Rediscovering herself post early childhood mother-dom
Being the complete opposite of organised
Creating a plan for ‘older life’ so the love of the farming life continues
Why bigger is not better. The active vision to make things simpler
Why her mum is her greatest inspiration for her approach to motherhood
How she became the encourager of creativity
Daily exclamation marks of ritual elude her because she follows inspiration instead
Why her good intentions for ritual get forgotten
Why deep diving quickly into real conversations is important to her
Her definition of success as living her truth & being filled with honesty, creativity, availability to the things she cares about
Having the confidence to live from your heart
Gifting your future self by thinking ahead

References

Fox’s Lane

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While the path has been somewhat short, this enigmatic & curious chic sees life through a different set of goggles making her excited about all the things she’s yet to learn. Trusting herself & letting faith hold her has made her the queen of the pivot, from culinary school to fireside cooking, cookbooks to online workshops, who knows what tomorrow looks like...for any of us. For now though she is living in Florida, working with the next generation of creatives & taking it one day at a time.

She’ll boost your gumption & perhaps light a fire that sends YOU in a new direction too.

Spontaneously moving back to Florida mid pandemic
How fire catering became her thing
Her winding & unexpected education path
Why her collaboration with Louisa Brimble to create her cookbook series was ‘Art in the making’
Being thankful for longer journeys
Her artististic heritage & homeschooling childhood
Creative Sarah meandered via small business ventures & fell on her bum a few times
Finding the balance between passion & monetised practicality
Putting a price on your work as a creative who still needs to feed yourself
The fear of failure in business, overcome by being humble & owning her foibles
Taking wise counsel from our elders - finding mentors
Growing up in the church resulted in an openness to receiving advice
Pay for the help you need o cover the skills you don’t have or don’t enjoy
Guilding her clan - family first
Separating business from personal
Actively seeking mentorship as a key life pillar - creating a safe, trusted environment to grow.
Rituals to reset & recalibrate; surfing, running, movement + reading, journaling, spiritual recheck
Managing a balanced head + heart life
The silver linings of making mistakes
Losing ‘sarah’ in the busy-ness
Following her intuition to make the big decisions - taking a leap of faith
Removing “stinking thinking” from your world
Embracing WILD
Talking to the next generation to inspire, upskill and connect
The power of curiosity and endlessly asking questions
Seeing with a new set of goggles and getting creative
Seeking the pivot as an opportunity to quench thirst & seek more knowledge
Trusting & taking the first step in the direction of your dreams - just start!

References

WILD cookbookSarah Glover - Instagram

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Catie chats with Dr. Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, an ecologist with a special interest in biodiversity conservation, particularly macrofungi and mosses.

Sapphire is a renowned scientific researcher, speaker, teacher and author with a knack for communicating fungi’s vital ecological roles — and why we should all pay a lot more attention to these remarkable, all-connecting entities.

She's is also a pretty radical member of the community here in Naarm/Melbourne, who last year let Catie + George transform her suburban backyard into a market garden through the Growing Farmers program.

Wise, lively and friend of the fungi, enjoy this cracking convo with Sapphire McMullan-Fisher.

SHOW NOTES

Being a Gondwanan
Growing up in a mining town in the Pilbara.
From saving African animals to fungi fascination.
A fire and fungi pHD in Tasmania.
Overcoming dyslexia in academia.
Ecosystems need fungi!
Decomposition + partners of plants.
Why to leave the tree debris be.
Journey back to the Carboniferous period when all the coal and oil was formed.
Fungi eats wood, invertebrates eat fungi, birds eat invertebrates... hey presto!
Life goes on. (Even though we’re seriously messing with systems.)
How an understanding of matter recycling gives an appreciation of post-humous existence.
Patterns + process + life = wow.
Where do humans fit in the bigger picture? Should we just hurry up and extinct ourselves, or…?
Making space + food in your garden for other organisms who deserve to be here in the landscape.
How mindfulness of observing nature increase your understanding of it.
Find the things that make your curiosity pop.
Ask: what is it? How do I found out more about it?
Re-activating our patterning brain.
Curiosity as a practice.
Being on the spectrum as a superpower.
Growing up thinking you’re not clever.
Absorbing information in tiny little bites.
Expanding communicating styles so that everyone gets it.
How expectations shape your view of self.
Looking to ecosystems to confirm our need for diversity.
Allowing ourselves to learn and love learning.
Biology is not a soft science!
How a car accident changed everything.
Having trust that humans won’t be assholes.
They say you need a village to raise a child… I need a village just to survive!
The impossibility of going life alone.
How do you learn to ask people for help?
Letting people self select in how they help.
Ways to be be radical and resist the status quo.
Being sustainable within your limits.
What’s the #1 priority in taking action for the world?
Letting your inner child guide us towards more fulfilling life and work.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Growing Farmers
Fun Fungi Ecology
Fungi4Land on Insta

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Todays conversation (and the book he just wrote) is for anyone who eats. This much loved, story-telling fat pig farmer shares in very human terms why caring about soil is caring for the future of humanity. And we feel sure that by end you too will be tapping a dance in support of our single greatest foundation for life. He takes a complex topic and makes us all want to fight for it from wherever we are, balconies, veggie patches, community gardens, small acreage or large scale farms. From gut biome and mental health to food production and climate change his words will remind us why humility is needed when it comes to dealing with the ecosystem which feeds us.

Episode Summary

Is soil science impenetrable? He wanted to make it accessible.
Overcoming the identity crisis of soil via storytelling to activate imagination
“ If we just think about soil as the stuff that gets between me and mashed potato then it will never get the attention it really deserves
We have to make everyone care - and get as excited about it as the foundation
The farming movement which is as interested in what happens below the soil as above
98% of all our calories come from topsoil
Australia's agricultural land has lost half of its topsoil in the last 200years
Topsoil feeds us and we need to arrest the loss and cherish the change
Why finding soil builders is more helpful than feeling fear
It takes about 1000 years for nature to create 1cm of topsoil so we need to find a way to make it faster
Finding those who are growing topsoil faster, learning from them and leap frogging
Super big brained soil scientists combined with ancient wisdom is demystifying and reassuring
The super power of solidarity and sharing
Being comfortable with your “work in progress” as temporary custodians
We are only one very small part of a long time scale
Home gardener super heroes not to be underestimated
Every bit of soil matters; pot plants, lawn, vegie garden, community gardens
Small domestic gardens feed 1 billion people globally. 70% of food grown in the world is grown in domestic environments
Most of where we live is former food growing land but can we reignite it for food production again
Bringing our children up to value soil and farming while being engaged in a world that is interesting to them.
Honest insights into parenthood as a farmer
How to bring a relentlessly stimulated culture on a slow and gentle journey
The 'Old Friends and hygiene' hypothesis'
Embracing a world which is dominated from bacteria - accepting we are PART of it and healthier when entrenched in it.
The interconnectedness of how we exist in the world
We haven't been humble enough to recognise that the thing which feeds us properly needs to be allowed to do its thing properly.
The miracle of watching seeds grow.
Nature’s on our side but we have to give it a chance.
Caring about soil is caring about the future of humanity. We really all need to care about its fate and currently we don't.
Fat Pig Farm
Soil

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Annie Raser-Rowland is the co-author of two of our most treasured books; The Weed Forager’s Handbook and The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More. Annie is an artist, horticulturalist and adventurer who has a knack for thwacking you with the truth -- in the best possible way.

If you don't know this marvellous lass, that's probably because she keeps a pretty low profile online, preferring to spend her days in a state of sensuous connection with the world, pursuing everything money can't buy. And she has some excellent tips for helping you do the same.

Annie and Catie cover a lot of ground in this convo, from hitchhiking adventures and weed foraging to chronic conditions, choosing life over career and controversial acts in the face of climate change. We know we say this every time... but this one's a goodie!

SHOW NOTES

Single parent family taught her to be independent, responsible, frugal.
Epic hitchhiking journeys around Australia.
Discovering different ways of having fun that don’t cost money.
When hitchhiking becomes a form of talk therapy.
Attention as a practise.
What to do when Monkey Mind takes over and you stop seeing the beauty in the everyday.
Humans as story-addicted creatures.
Solistalgia — when you’re nostalgic for where you are.
The rate of change in modern society and how that disrupts a sense of place, belonging.
How to plant yourself in new places.
The sensory pleasure of the weather.
Weather makes landscape and landscape makes culture.
The origins of her love of weeds.
Plant-filtering laser eyeballs that seek out food.
There’s food you can eat that has zero environmental impact, beyond homegrown veggies.
Writing a novel in celebration of non-utilitarian, fruity, hyper-abundant language.
How a cancelled hike led to a quirky storyline.
How to orchestrate a life in which time and adventures are plentiful.
The beauty of turning down requests (even when they’re super impressive).
The conscious choice not to have children.
Giving work the flick in favour of life.
How a chronic health condition has affirmed her choices and priorities.
"I’d rather not eat out, not buy new clothes, and spend lots of my time at the beach (which is what I’m currently doing)."
Dealing with guilt about working less.
Why keep trying to accrue more money more once you have enough?
Protestant work ethic upbringing needs to be questioned right now.
The ‘work’ of being a low-consumer is valid too.
“I believe in the pattern of a society that these frugal habits are part of… and I want to perpetuate that.”
Controversial tips for changing the world.
Amazement as a tool for appreciating ordinary objects; being less wasteful.
It’s a novel time. The rules are now different. Having children being the norm can no longer be part of the status quo.
Drive less! Use your car if you would hire a car to do that thing, otherwise, find a different way.
Good times with human beings is not something to be lazy about.
Cultivating the skill of conversation.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Weed Forager's Handbook ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb
The Art of Frugal Hedonism ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb

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From confident whizz kid to suffering imposter syndrome - heck haven’t we all - this accomplished millennial spokeswoman and now author shares her tales of covid motherhood, the power of stories to ground us and working through the bravado to pop out at her truth.

We like to call her Pacey Stacey-June, she thinks, speaks and acts at a cracking rate but despite this, has a gentle, soulful sense of wisdom and refreshing honesty.

SHOW NOTES

Her 2020 reality: Editing a book, having a baby and living life in lockdown
Beating one beat ahead of her surroundings
Lockdown lessons - thriving in ISO
Reasons to ‘get real’ fast
The difference between the medium of audio and the medium of written words
What gave her Imposter syndrome and how storytelling reassured her
The truth of writing and rewriting a manuscript BEFORE you send it to the editor
Working through the bravado and digging to the truth of not knowing everything
The confronting challenge of embracing shortcomings
The broken nature of our education system which creates self doubt and builds walls
Owning “Author-dom”
Learning to have a better conversation with your intuition and trusting your instinct
Why she things there’s really only a handful of feelings
Transitioning from passionate, ambitious and self focused pre motherhood to being humbled by a new born which has taught me the most epic lessons of my life.
Redefining her values following motherhood
Her curiosity for other womens stories and why she honors them to rebut the patriarchy
Having to hunt out stories of people who represented her
The bullshit theory that all women in the sisterhood should get along but acknowledging that a feminine energy connects us and gives us strength
“Women have more in common than not and if we could just get past the bullshit then we could definitely build a sisterhood that holds us”
The difference between community and having a lot of people in our life
Getting past shallow connections, demanding we give more of ourselves in return for a robust community to be wrapped around us
How motherhood helps you to build a community
Building self through repetitive practices
Finding quiet so her inner voice will speak to her rather than her speaking to it.
Giving her intuition a name “my divine”
Honouring anxiety by giving it enough quiet time
The value of creating flexible plans rather than rules so you don’t feel like you’ve broken an agreement
The difference between her public and her private profile
The value of protecting her intimate self by taking a deep breath before oversharing in a public realm.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Self care club

Single Pringle - Stacey June

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None

As publisher of Dumbo Feather & Co-owner of Small Giants, Berry is one heck of a leader who doesn’t shy away from wearing her heart, beliefs and the paradox of life on her sleeve. In her own words she is ‘living with meaning in this one wild & precious life’ & as a master of language this interview will challenge you, pave the road for asking questions & fill you with fierce hope.SHOW NOTES

Being a good ancestor by leaving a legacy
Adulting = knowing your decisions leave an impact
Being shocked into asking essential questions
Sitting in the uncomfortable truth to work things out owning your identity & bringing weight to your beliefs
Activism & violence is correlative - group think thrives in this environment
The grandchild of holocaust survivors, the daughter of a refugee entrepreneur - her intergenerational trauma gives her strength to take an opinion
Her interest in the moderate centre for a radical shift
Navigating her kids through the complexity of being culturally different
Being proximate to the issues we need to put our efforts into
Why we need to have opinions despite living in a world of cancel culture
Rehumanise, relocalise & embrace hard conversations respectfully
The value of finding wisdom without action
Bringing the three dimensional view of hands, head and hard to the table with kindness & generosity.
Creating online communities which are nourishing & useful not toxic and depleting
Pulsing so you can continue to show up
Building touchstones of people who are conscious, emotionally intelligent, empathetic
Minimising the obsession with the ego. Why the hero’s journey is a false narrative
Shit gets interesting when we are awake to the beauty of this incredible planet
The subtle shift of changing your thoughts from things happening ‘to’ me to things happening ‘for’ me
We can all own a regenerative, restorative future but we need to do this together
The fraught promise of collaboration
Ownership means nothing but everything
Become an elder by taking ownership of actions
Why context matters
Using AND instead of BUT so you don’t negate everything you’ve already said so you can hold multiplicity & not be reductionist
Living meaningfully in this one wild & precious life.
Being inspired by language - the most incredible technology we’ve invented

QUOTES

“If you keep things in, you project things out, the shadows can haunt you”
“It’s easier to have a broad tent of acceptance when those you are engaging are proximate”
“If I haven’t metabolised my story, I can't be of use to the future”
“Australians weren’t born into hatred of the “other”

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Dumbo Feather - publication
Small Giants - Academy
An inconvenient truth - film
Nature and the human soul - Bill Plotkin
Donut Economics - Kate Raworth
Regen Melbourne - Small Giants

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Jade takes a peek inside the clever, creative and quietly brilliant world of Natasha Morgan.

Natasha is, in her own words, a landscape architect and urban designer byprofession, and a multi-disciplinary creative collaborator by natural inclination. Anyone who’s been to Natasha’s design hub and home, Oak and Monkey Puzzle, can attest to that.

After throwing career caution to the wind and enrolling herself in the school of life, Natasha and family embarked on a major tree-change from Melbourne to a five acre property in rural Victoria, learning to live with the seasons, grow and gather, preserve, make and embed themselves in place.

This honest and passionate conversation reveals what it’s like to relinquish international renown and kindle a simple existence in partnership with nature. Clairvoyant chooks included.

SHOW NOTES

Blooming independence that came from her childhood
Her mum's immigration story
A childhood love of getting in the dirt to grow things
Architecture to landscape architecture and then urban design and place making.
“During my times of greatest challenge, I gardened my way through it.”
How people connect with places and the stories of the landscape
“My real curiosity about people developed as I developed curiosity about myself.”
Creating immediacy with her endeavours
A desire to build a life via the disparate threads of interests she had.
Despite managing a 17 million dollar project, she couldn't get her child to sleep
How a humble chalkboard was the catalyst to create an entirely new life
The complexity and celebration that comes with collaboration.
Seeking solace and inspiration in your surroundings
“I’ve never in my life had such a deep respect for soil, sun and water - they've become my currency.”
“While I can’t change the world around me, I can change this five acre plot.”
Coming to peace with the severity of seasonality and the cyclical nature of growing food
“The seasons are like old friends - they bring a reverence for what’s around us.”
The role of chickens in settling a 10 year old autistic mind
Creating an immersive life with kids so their imaginations can thrive
Acknowledging the grief that comes with an autism diagnosis
While neuro-diversity is ‘bloody hard’ it’s also an incredible gift
Reconnecting with the inner - “No amount of accolades could give me the joy I get from seeing my children find the first pine mushroom of the season."
Making space for experiences rather than things.
Transitioning slowly and intentionally via storytelling
How sharing a dream bought bigger ideas to fruition incrementally
You don't need a lot to do something, but being curious is the first step.
Changing your life within your areas of influence.
"I let gardening be the one thing in my life that I didn't have to be in control of. It gave me permission to make mistakes."

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Natasha + Oak and Monkey Puzzle on Insta
The Peace of Wild Things ~ Wendell Berry
Milkwood Permaculture

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Helena Norberg-Hodge is a writer, filmmaker, international speaker and leader of the global localisation movement.

She’s been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than 40 years, and is one of the world’s most treasured environmentalists and visionaries.

Today Helena pulls up an apple crate at the Futuresteading campfire to share stories from Ladakh, lament the madness of globalization and light the way back (and forward) to oneness.

We discuss the true wealth of traditional societies, the dangers of scale and tech solutions, pressure to conform to a consumer monoculture, and the real economy of Mother Gaia.

Oh, she’s brilliant folks. We’re so excited to welcome you into this conversation.

SHOW NOTES

How she ended up on a remote plateau in Tibetan India.
Discovering the healthiest, happiest, most peaceful people she had ever met.
Existing under surveillance in times of political tension.
The true wealth of traditional societies.
Why people everywhere are being pressured to conform to a consumer monoculture.
A need for a deeper dialogue between the west and the global south.
The path of separation; being herded into urban centres and separated from the land.
Instead of being dependent on the land, we became dependent on enormous institutions to meet our needs.
Manufactured scarcity.
The luxury of using more energy per person per capita… is it actually a luxury?
Policy change is needed to make decentralisation possible
Pollies on auto-pilot re. urbanisation. Governments are separating us from the sources of our food, creating unsustainable, toxic, energy-hungry situations in the name of growth.
Why most people are getting poorer despite our obsession with growth.
Towards smaller towns and smaller cities.
When you shorten the distance between farm and table, you have market pressure towards diversity.
What happens when people are replaced by energy and technology.
Stay away from the propaganda that’s saying we need technological fixes.
In Ladakh, everyone grows up with a multi-dimensional knowledge of how to grow, build, make clothes, dance, create.
How modernity negatively affects young people versus radiantly confident youth in Ladakh.
Australia flies food to China to be processed before being flown back again.
The things we aren’t hearing about in the climate movement.
Are people in power totally evil?
Localisation is a clear path towards systemic healing.
Simple policy changes can catalyse radical change.
Why there is no distinction between human and non-human life.
There is a huge awakening happening!
The real economy is Mother Gaia.
We aren’t so greedy after all.
What happens when we create human-scale interventions.
Experiencing oneness and the fabric of interdependence via localisation.
World Localization Day! What it’s about and how you can get involved.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

World Localization Day
Local Futures
Noam Chomsky
Small is Beautiful ~ E F Schumacher
Naomi Klein
Russel Brand
Brian Eno

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If you consider yourself multipassionate, someone who entertains a vast array of interests (while regularly feeling overwhelmed), then we have the role model for you!

Fiona Weir Walmsley of Buena Vista Farm in Gerringong, NSW, has walked a quirky and colourful path, embodying the diversity and adaptability we so desperately need for a resilient future.

From running a medieval catering company to earning her marketing stripes, living ‘from scratch’ and leading women in local food, keeping bees, tending goats and, gosh, writing a book while she’s at it… Fiona is our kind of renaissance farmer!

Hear how Fiona and her family have created a super diverse existence on 18 acres (think goats, chooks, cows, veggies, cheese, cut flowers + cooking school) -- and enjoyed the kind of riches money will never buy.

SHOW NOTES

She is writing a book! Cooking food from scratch.
Her “from scratch” life.
A background in commercial cookery, medieval history and marketing.
Why she locked the front door for this interview…
Buena Vista biscuits built a local presence
Transitioning back to her family farm
Farming succession planning: five generations of dairy farmers
Discovering Joel Salatin
Building a commercial kitchen to kick off cash flow
“We swore to ourselves we would never take being given a farm for granted.”
Diversifying to be financially viable: bees, chickens, goats, market gardening, cooking school, book writing.
“Sometimes our heads feel like they're going to fall off and my brains will come out of my ears.”
Creating a community of WWOOFers and watching them go on to do incredible things.
Getting practical with support from online apps to stay on top of everything.
Transitioning her market garden to cut flowers.
Ebbing and flowing the various business arms depending on who has the energy, what season it is, what the greater market forces are doing.
Her ‘farm native’ babies
Getting a local, weekly farmers market off the ground.
“When farmers markets are weekly, it changes peoples food buying habits.”
Actively participating in a female led, food-centric community.
Is her life photoshopped? How real is the grid?
The pain in the arse truth about sourdough.
Finding solidarity with others who have a collaborative vision.
Helping younger people get a leg up into regen ag.
Sourdough was the first “SLOW FOOD”.
Living this way is never going to make sense financially; you have to uncouple your thinking from capitalism ways and instead see the rewards as non-fiscal.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Buena Vista Farm
SAGE farmer's market
Joel Salatin + Polyface Farm
Deep Winter Agrarian Gathering
Gerringong farmer's market

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Today Jade sits down with one of those luminous beings who’s living like tomorrow matters with deep intention and integrity.

Mara of Village Dreaming and ORTO Farm near Daylesford shares stories from her slow food life and lyrical observations (to the tune of ‘riding a bike to work in the city is like experiencing a musical’) that’ll linger long after this convo wraps up.

Mara describes her Italian roots and being a waste renegade, the magic of WWOOFing and running a cooking school, wildlife corridors and messages to her 20 year old self.

It’s better than a big bowl of bolognese with hot-buttered garlic bread and it's yours for the devouring.

SHOW NOTES

Sharing our lives on social media
Why there should be more shame in waste
Building adventure through salvaging waste
Diverting waste as a human rights and social issue
Being an eco-renegade
Her Italian heritage that provides a foundation for living with heart
Being surrounded by love has allowed her to be a lover in return
Being 110% herself
Naming her farm to reflect a circular and loving village
Hand building a home that is the culmination of a 20 year journey in community building/love of food
The Magic of WWOOFing; refilling hearts, rebuilding skills and recreating rhythms
Her desire to be the archetypal mother
Running a cooking school in your own home with heart, song and dance
Having a partner who is as warm, delicious and inviting as ricotta
Creating ORTO farm: berries, olives, wildlife corridors, orchards and one-day pigs on pasture
Messages to her 20 year old self - well done!
Years of searching for like minded individuals
Why the music industry interrupted her need to be ‘home for dinner’
Discovering permaculture
Her pure love of cycling
The privilege of building her own straw bale house using ‘light earth'
Adding a greenhouse on the northern side of her house = revolutionary outcome
The work needed to retrofit housing stock in this country
Why ENOUGH is reflected in the health of relationships
Being part of a world that actively manages the impacts of climate change
Managing the ‘daunt’ of educating our kids without them experiencing dread and fear
Giving kids rope to make their own decisions
Struggling to say “life is going to get harder” (but knowing it’s the truth)
The power of bringing disparate groups together to effect real change! We re more alike than not.
Removing judgement and expectations from transition
Seeing glints in peoples eyes when they consider their homes as life havens
The nasty cycle of fiscal domination

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Mara + Village Dreaming on Instagram
Village Dreaming + ORTO Farm online
The Red Tent ~ Anita Diamant

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

This week, Catie sits down with Alice Crowe in her plant-filled Melbourne home for a chat over tea and marmalade toast.

Alice is a Botanist, kitchen gardener at Heide Museum of Modern Art, founder of The Lush Forest, president of Growing Farmers and former litigation lawyer who underwent a pretty radical life pivot -- ample inspiration for anyone who’s ever wanted to ‘just quit everything’ to see what happens next.

We talk: pulling the pin on conventional success, the primal energy of the rainforest, boring habits (that make for a beautiful life), can backyard farming feed the world? and things you can’t go to your grave without knowing.

SHOW NOTES

The journey from litigation lawyer to botany nerd.
The perils and pure distraction of perpetual busy-ness.
When your body says NUP.
When external metrics of success don’t align with your internal compass.
Quitting a corporate career without a plan.
Taking three months off to do who-knows-what.
How quickly wellness returns when you Just Stop.
How a short horticulture course at Burnley College became a Master of Science (Botany).
Idolising people who wear secateurs on their belt.
Approaching nurseries as a mature-age assistant with no skills and no experience.
The joy of pottering around watering geraniums.
Realising that the simple, non-intellectual stuff is where it’s at for happiness.
An epiphany thanks to Ficus elastica.
How to honour what your heart wants when that’s not necessarily what the world wants.
Less noise during the pandemic = more clarity.
Boring habits that facilitate contentment, peacefulness.
Why being in a tropical rainforest is a primeval, sensory experience.
Brain explosion! How did we get these amazing plants and universe?
Things you can’t go to your grave not knowing.
The delight in the mundane and the magic of dumb questions.
Why everyone should look at something through a microscope once daily!
Photosynthesis = SORCERY.
The story of plant evolution is the story of the earth.
Why we need more scientific literacy to fight misinformation that hobbles climate action.
The folly of mental striving. We’ve got what we’ve got.
The paradox of changemaking: Is it more effective when you’re not out to succeed?
Rebecca Solnit.
The garden of your mental health.
Meditation as foundation.
Why true acceptance is truly courageous.
The myth of the individual, self-sufficient unit.
No individual can fight a system. How to get on the systems waves with others!
How Growing Farmers began and how it’s transforming backyards, local food systems, new farmer opportunities and (with any luck) the planet.
Building non-transactional community relationships.
Will we go down the tech farming or agroecology road?
Why all the academic arguments in the world aren’t a substitute for just giving it a go.
Why shifting our current paradigm and lifestyle is terrifying!
Practising new systems while things are relatively ‘stable’.
Talking to kids who are scared about climate change.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Alice on Insta
The Lush Forest
Heide Museum of Modern Art
Growing Farmers
Rebecca Solnit
Jonathan Lear -- Radical Hope

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Catie goes free range with her mic to interview one of Melbourne’s best loved urban farmers: Simeon Ash from Spoke & Spade and Collingwood Children's Farm.

Sit with us on a wooden bench in Sim’s city plot, freshly planted with broad beans, garlic and greens, as we chat about the realities of small-scale farming in Australia’s second largest city. (Don’t mind the occasional plane or magpie serenade.)

Sim has been leading the charge in urban ag for years, better known as ‘that guy who turned the front yard of his rental into a market garden’ following a Curtis Stone-style approach.

Without owning any land himself, Sim has tended numerous backyard farms in inner-suburban Melbourne, offering CSA veggie boxes (delivered by electric bike!) to his local community, plus a heckload of inspiration to aspiring growers.

We talk educational pathways, finances, unexpected pests (and their excrement) and the power of surrounding yourself with a believable solution to the impossible issues of our time.

SHOW NOTES

Why backyard growing is so much more than food production
Compost as the gateway to the interconnectedness of nature and human systems
Completing a permaculture design course to 'join the dots’ on systems
Finding good people who have already done what you want to do - then copying them.
Setting yourself up as an urban micro farmer ain't straightforward!
Striking relationships with people who have spare space and are eager to see it productive.
Making the business viable via a CSA model
Trawling google maps to find unused empty blocks and hitting up the landlords for a dual relationships.
How food is as political as it is connective.
Front yards > backyards
Seeking permission to use rental properties for micro businesses .
Setting up a farmgate on your verge
Going to the ‘dark side’ of facebook to engage his community
Making crust with values intact - honest insights into the financial reality of urban farming.
Simplicity as the baseline for this life.
Acknowledging his ‘underserved position of privilege’.
A vision of Melbourne being a leading hub of urban agriculture.
Minimum viability scale of 2 hectares
How life aspirations change with experience and time.
Pests and poo in food production spaces
Why time is your greatest asset as a market gardener
Repeated existential crisis that lead to farming as his way of ‘doing something and being part of something that is positive'.
We are at a time in history where we could sacrifice a little more
"I’m 30 and Id like to see a future where I wont be so mad at myself for not doing anything."
Being a human scale change-maker.
Taking a leap which makes the leap for the next person less of a jump.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Spoke & Spade on Instagram + Web
Curtis Stone -- The Urban Farmer
The NEIS scheme
Milkwood PDC

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

“Meat is hard” as Laura Dalrymple (of Feather and Bone fame) knows only too well. But this ethical meat mistress also knows that demonising meat is a distraction from the much bigger and much more urgent issues of our time.

Taking the hard questions head on is what Laura does best with an eloquence and warmth that makes you wonder what was so problematic in the first place.

In this hour of conversation we discuss taking ownership of our own actions by tapping into our own moral scales to find a balance that’s right for each of us. And feeling solidarity in the knowledge that, “Food is the universal connector that is a powerful political, social, economic and cultural force that we need right now”.

SHOW NOTES

Tackling the food system issues via ethical meat
Engaging people emotionally and intellectually to transform the food system
Taking actions to shorten the supply chain
Retelling core myths in new ways
The genesis of her book “The Ethical Omnivore’
The insane juggle of raising a family while running a business and writing a book
Why optimism is important in these times of change
Arresting eco anxiety
Facing hypocrisy daily
Restoring cultural landscapes in short time frames
Managing the frustration of the “say/do gap”
Why change is slow and hard but worth the journey
Why a food system needs more than just farmers; it also needs storytellers and eaters and wholesalers, community builders
We don’t have time to be precious about our values position or our patch; we face serious issues and we need open hearted, respectful and non-judgemental togetherness to enact change.
Being vigilant about doing the “best you can” rather than “the best there is”.
Food is the universal connector that that unlocks change in a powerful way
Jade's story of rebuilding a community through the lens of her new knowledge
Being capable of straddling multiple ideals
The power of wholistic thinking rather than silo mentality
The magnetic process that occurs where you move into the orbits of the people who have similar ideals
The demonisation of meat in recent years which seem to distract from the issues at hand
Writing a book that's an embodiment of transparency
Talking about slaughter is the kiss of death but it's critical to talk about it or it will become a dark opaque corner of the universe that everyone ignores.
Answering the most asked, most confronting question: “How did the animal die?"
Realising our role in the ecosystem of life
Not being a killjoy with overzealous passion.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Feather and Bone online
The Ethical Omnivore ~ Laura Dalrymple and Grant Hilliard
Sydney University ~ Charles Perkins Centre

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Brooke McAlary has built a life and brand around slow. She's the author of three books, the co-host of The Slow Home podcast and the voice of a movement that says, "Dear Joneses, I'm opting out of the rat race."

But hey, that doesn't mean she's exempt from overwhelm. This convo opens with Brooke and Jade swapping stories of exhaustion. File that under honesty.

So join us on the couch as we define our zone zero, get our inner turmoil sorted before facing the outer chaos, and discuss a potential inner care deficit.

We talk packaged up versions of “balance” “slow” and “simple” and why “tilting” may be more useful; leaning into the most pressing issue of the moment.

Why multi tasking is a farce but barefoot bushwalking creates a heady sense of lightness, wonder and awe that just might hold the answers.

Say no to fast and yes to slow living with Brooke McAlary.

SHOW NOTES

Why her books and pod are basically talking to herself to maintain a slower pace
Being diagnosed with severe postnatal depression
Googling in search of solutions
Letting go of the relentless ‘keep up’ approach to life
Stabilising mental health and finding a deeper sense of contentment
Living life with no buffer
Operating at 70% capacity to ensure there’s room for unplanned
Defining and protecting zone zero
Getting the inner turmoil sorted before facing the outer chaos
Avoiding an inner care deficit
The intrinsic link between inward care and capacity to give
Why the words 'balance', 'simple' and 'slow' are all fraught
The endless wrestle of living counter culturally
Learning to “tilt” rather than “balance”
The fraudulence of multi tasking
Experiencing a loss of connection, celebration and grieving as a result of covid
Facing into the need for ‘unlearning’ to build a brave new non-consumerist world
Building your tribe without preaching
Equating simple with ‘ease’ not ‘easy’
Why simplicity lives in the process of finding ease
Noticing = gratitude
Family rituals that offer hope
Barefoot bushwalking on a bliss wave
A designated slow room
Reconciling the footprint of travel by embracing her local area
Vision Quests
Why small actions of care, purpose and values are creating powerful ripples
Rebuilding rites of passage for our youth to test and expand resilience and tap into the wisdom from older generations
Writing a letter to your younger self
Jump starting our memory making function

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

ZenHabits
Slow - Brooke McAlary
Destination Simple - Brooke McAlary
Care - Brooke McAlary
Rites of passage institute
Alone - SBS series
Vision Quest Challenges

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Having just moved back to her childhood home in Tasmania, Pip Lincolne is celebrating the launch of her latest book “Days Like These” while giving herself time and space to etch her place in a new community. And of course, create for the love of it.

This conversation speaks to the value of taking a temperature check on your feelings, asking consent before giving advice, having ‘enough’ rather than excess, and why success lies in the simplest of things -- not least of which is an insatiable love of books.

SHOW NOTES

Writing books that are heart on sleeve
The creative journey of meet me at mikes
Life with clinical depression and chronic anxiety and turning it into something worthwhile for others
If mums are not ok then no-one else is ok
The collaborative journey of writing a book
Building friendship and community groups through creativity
Taking the gloss off and replacing it with grit in the way we tell our stories
Being true and sincere for the sake of empowering others
Making the move to Tassie following a covid job loss
“When you return to the place you grew up in, it's like you’ve left pieces of your DNA there and your body knows that this is where you belong."
Taking the time to narrow ideas rather than taking on too much
The joy of being a cog in the wheel and falling in behind others
The creative doing is what matters most, not the end result.
Taking time to unwind our minds with daydreams, procrastination
Valuing the ‘middle-of-the-night’ interruptions
Hot tip for mums to change the lens of insomnia to avoid the anxiety spiral
Advice for giving advice - seek permission and offer to listen first
Acknowledging that a person in crisis doesn’t want to be processed and managed rather “heard” and trusted
Success is about having close bonds with your kids, a few close friends, supportive family, a cosy home and enough money to get by.
Keeping her desires for MORE focussed on the non material things.
A day in the life of a writer
If you’re ever stuck, “take it to the back fence, the answers are there”

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Craft for the Soul -- Pip Lincolne
When Life is not Peachy -- Pip Lincolne
Days Like These -- Pip Lincolne

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Kate (aka. Compostable Kate) has a thing for decomposition.

This inner city mother of three is the self-appointed Compost Queen who single-handedly collects scraps from her neighbours and local cafes to reduce food waste and produce garden gold.

As well as being an activist on the ground, she’s also a compost influencer in the ether. Kate is gaining thousands of followers on Instagram who love her catchy content and colourful tutorials on making grade-A hot compost. What's more, her stats are translating into action.

In this convo, Kate shares the story of her potted street garden on the pavement in inner city Sydney, the cooling power of greenery in urban spaces, how she's using social media for good, and strategies for Insta-stalking local MPs to agitate for change.

Upbeat, down-to-earth, anything-is-possible stuff from her Right Royal Highness of Compost.

SHOW NOTES

Why composting is her number one focus!
Being a share waste user
Composting in a tiny inner city terrace
Being a crazy urban bowerbird
Creating a composting ‘mothership' to service her ‘compost hungry’ needs
Compost wars with her mum
Creating a potted street garden for her community
Inviting neighbours to join her on this quest
Swapping and sharing
Permaculture wars in the suburbs
Extending friendships beyond a sprig of mint
Hoarding behaviour during covid
Why it’s important to have fun when encouraging change
The potency but potential poison of social media
Making compost a happy and exciting message via memes, music and comedy
Channeling eco-activism between kids' naps
Encouraging second hand presents
Protecting the childhood years of wonder
Rising children who are empowered by their ability to action
Finding your ONE thing!
Food waste as a catalyst for climate impact
Focussing on local letter writing and agitation to bring about change
Making the most of opportunities on our verges
Change can really happen in the tiny strips of soil between roads and footpaths
The power of green in a city is amplified against the black bitumen
Using movable pots in a rental to change the use of the streetscape
Urban sprawl by way of potted plants rather than houses
Use of signage and lights to activate your street pot garden
Being at peace if anything is stolen
Getting resource savvy with the things you can find rather than always buying new
COMPOST HOW TO

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

ShareWaste app
Michael Mobbs (creator of regenerative city verges in Chippendale)
Retrosuburbia
Uno's Garden - Graeme Base
Bower - Reuse + Repair programs

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Come with us to a homesteading, homeschooling farmhouse in Pennsylvania where the days start early and the blessings are abundant.

Grab a yellow chair on the porch (to the tune of morning crickets) and meet Sarah Stutzman, the down-to-earth powerhouse behind Wellfolk Revival, a place to meet belly to belly and up-skill yourself, your kids and your community.

This is one of those rocking chair chats that offers a glimpse into someone else's world; their daily habits and ways of thinking. Their challenges and triumphs. Their personal paradigm.

And even if you don't aspire to be a modern day homesteader, this convo could very well revive whatever latent life dreams you've got hiding in there. Time to action them?

SHOW NOTES

Raising kids in a “new normal”
The value of community sufficiency
What is homesteading?
Her childhood on a Christmas tree farm surrounded by exotic animals before moving to life in a subdivision
Accidentally homesteading via a desire to know where her food came from
Using skills to teach people how to start a garden, grow their food and take baby steps
Building community
Resources needed for up-skilling
Craving community
Bringing people around the table to learn
Pivoting business around Covid
Eating organ meats and head cheese
Embracing the chaos and imperfection
Blowing the romance perception and keeping it real
Be the ripple effect by inviting people to your real house (messy and all) at any time and encouraging them to share their new skills with others
Getting the kids involved so the foundations to hold them during the rebellion phase are strong
Letting kids feel their own way and encouraging them to learn through mistakes
Getting past our own failures, focus on our successes
Integrating with the local Amish, traditional farmers and new wave of micro farms
Connecting!
Reconciling the process of taking life to sustain our own nutritional needs
Counting the things on your plate that you have a connection to
Avoiding the throw away mentality
Using the ENTIRE animal to honour the WHOLE and not just the best parts
Looking for the blessings in between the constant hard work
Nourishing our bodies with good food and our minds with beautiful things
Stopping and embracing the simple moments as a measure of success
Seeing success through the eyes of a child
The power of pulling out other people's gifts and talents
Avoiding the overwhelm of the emergency by doing the small things every day
Haste makes waste so just make pace

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Wellfolk Revival online + on Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Does activism always have to be so serious? Nup, says Emma-Kate Rose. Lighten up and let your hair down, let’s face our collective challenges in lycra!

It was fitting that Emma-Kate was on her way to No Lights No Lycra as we recorded this convo, because her radical approach to balancing work and play is probably the most refreshing thing you’ll hear all day.

After quitting her career in criminology inspired by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Emma-Kate went on to crowdfund $2 million for Brissy Food Connect’s community hub with partner Rob Pekin. Impressive stuff. She’s also a mother, social entrepreneur, community builder, risk taker, intuition-follower, and big fan of ‘sticking to your knitting’.

Emma-Kate shares her transition from avid consumer to climate activist, unexpected ways to mobilise community, how indigenous epistemology infuses Food Connect, creating careholders not shareholders, bleeding days, part time work and food sovereignty. Look, it's a pretty frivolous conversation ;)

Get snacks and press play on the wonderful Emma-Kate Rose!

SHOW NOTES

An urban start in Sydney
The cycle of boom and bust in her own childhood home led to questioning “why people do bad things”.
Her career in criminology before taking on the food system
Being hit with the “tonne of bricks that is climate change”.
Starting a local climate action group
Starting a car sharing business
Selling the cars and putting the family on public transport and bicycles.
Encouraging various economies to embrace de-carbonisation.
Accidentally crowd funding $2 million to keep the wheels of Brisbane Food Connect turning and in the hands of community ownership.
Manifesting intentions and creating visions despite having no money and no idea how.
Questioning enough to move the needle rather than settling for business as usual solutions.
Food Connect as a social enterprise that provides a platform for multiple values aligned businesses a chance to incubate into a supported environment.
Offering office space to social entrepreneurs who need affordable access to office space.
Incorporating indigenous epistemology into their business
Creating careholders not share holders
Fun over ideology
Why we're ready to have a national conversation about embracing Indigenous culture
Reassessing our sense of time and urgency -- “Act now is required but do we do that at the expense of our relationships with our fellow human beings?"
Walking the talk and building a life that really honours a balanced life: work, community contribution, joy.
Whats a bleeding day?
Escaping the trap of being earnest in your activism
Making the most of bringing people together while we can

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Food Connect Brisbane
Indigenous Epistemology: Descent Into the Womb of Decolonised Research Methodologies - Marcus Waters and Marva McClean
Dark Emu - Bruce Pascoe
The Next Economy

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Plug in, listen up and let your imagination run 100 000 years into the future.

Joshua Gilbert is a Worimi man, farmer, entrepreneur, environmental advocate and truth teller with a vision for a sustainable future -- and boy is it beautiful.

We chat with Josh about the 60 000 years of agricultural history in his bones, why ‘Indigenous farming’ isn’t some separate and immutable thing, what the 26th of January means to him and why asking daft questions is all part of the process.

Oh, and he’s optimistic that humanity will 'make it'... it just might require a little more respect for the past, deep self inquiry and a few less fences.

It's a good day to be your ears.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Joshua Gilbert online + Instagram
Bruce Pascoe ~ Dark Emu
Bill Gammage ~ The Biggest Estate on Earth

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Hey multi-passionate peeps! Here's a chick who's notorious for turning every hobby into a jobbie and doing it pretty darn brilliantly.

Harriet Birrell, aka. Natural Harry, is a serial entrepreneur who specialises in healthy, conscious, creative businesses with heart -- and today we're quizzing her about her process.

Harry shares her intuitive approach to business and life, maintaining a flexible schedule that allows for creativity, evolving projects to align with her values (even if that means shutting them down) and finding success despite 'not having a business brain'.

This open-water-swimming, tiny-house-dwelling, deliciously-self-deprecating woman is a breath of fresh air in a world of slick brands and brazen confidence. Down-to-earth all the way.

SHOW NOTES

Her free range farm childhood with veggie gardens, camping trips, paddock picnics
Maintaining complexity in creative avenues rather than falling into simplicity
Never wanting to be boxed by one career choice
The struggle of defining what you do
The value of a morning routine
Box breathing to reset overwhelm
Acknowledging your future self when building your day
The power of self depreciation and putting your imperfections on show
The hypocrisy of owning a retail shop despite it being an ethical purchase
The value of keeping high quality things in circulation rather than perpetuating consumption
Not being the expert
Sharing her knowledge and asking others to make it their own
Creating her books and then using them like everyone else who buys them
The short termism of fulfilling ourselves with anything other than deep personal satisfaction
Daily habits: dry body brushing
Judgement: do it less!
Collaboration is key. Even as an entity in your own right, we need others around us to make it all come to life.
Tales of her three businesses
Living close to the ocean and surrounded by nature
Building community connections; how, why and what
Lassooing her entrepreneurial spirit
Taking risks by accident; finding success without a business brain
The bad habit of turning her hobbies into a business
Celebrating the wins to maintain motivation

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Natural Harry online + Instagram
Nikole Ramsay photography
Zeitgeist (film series)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If living in a permaculture village piques your interest, listen up!

Global permaculture leader Morag Gamble joins us today from her home in Crystal Waters, one of Australia’s best known eco villages, sharing her wisdom on all things intentional communities, human cooperation, non-human relationships and permaculture ethics.

Morag is candid about financials, telling us about how she’s achieved her debt-free set up while exploring alternative pathways for those who don’t have the means to ‘buy’ their utopia.

A truly inspiring, long-form convo with one of Australia’s greatest holistic thinkers.

SHOW NOTES

Her life in the Southern Queensland eco village, Crystal Waters
Living surrounded by the ‘commons’
Cohabitating with wildlife
Designing water systems, community, mutual aid, electricity systems
Her transition from the suburbs to a life of permaculture practice via her eco pilgrimage which included: Gaia Ecology, localism and living a sustainable life in Ladakh India.
Unschooling herself so she could homeschool her children
The secondary impact of Covid on developing nations
Working with refugee settlements to build permaculture skills and resilience
How young women in refugee settlements are being impacted by Covid
Beginning women's cooperatives to supply the basics; soap, sanitary pads, clothes, seed saving.
Earth care, people care, fair share
How much is enough and how much could we share with others?
Creating ripple effects
The sheer practivism of permaculture
Why “they" is "we”
Accepting the constant evolution of your role within your community
Giving yourself permission to become an ambassador for the change you want to see
Personal growth - if you find yourself in a lot of goop, perhaps its time to assess how you interact with people?
How she got her start financially
Purposefully building her house in small, affordable pods using discounted timber to avoid ever borrowing and allow for adaptation
The freedom of having no debt
Collective economies that generate shared ownership and responsibility
How a “poverty” filled community can live as though they are incredibly “rich" by a simple change of lens
Breaking the consumption pattern by considering how resources can be accessed alternatively
The global stronghold of permaculture which is rarely seen by the mainstream media
Spreading permaculture ambassadors across the world to ensure this gentler existence can spread far and wide fast and then coming back.
“The difference that makes a difference.”
Defining success by being energised by what you do.
Creating boundaries to ensure the bills are paid and balance can be achieved
Abundance mentality.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Nora Bateson - Warm Data
Fritjof Capra
Schumacher College
Helena Norberg Hodge -- Local Futures
Permaculture Education Institute
Permayouth
Morag Gamble - Website + YouTube

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Have you spent much time in the bush on your own?

Do you listen to your heart when making life's big decisions?

What about social media -- ever given it the flick?

This conversation with Tricia Hogbin of little eco footprints might inspire you to do more of all three.

Tricia lives with her husband and daughter in a downscaled shipping container, and while her “husband earns the money, she earns their resilience”.

She takes her cues from Mother Nature and the moon, and knows the power of taking a breather, slowing down and seeking answers by turning inwards.

With a good dose of open and healthy conversation about the life stages of women , all things moon cycles, shamanic witchcraft and spending time alone in the bush, this might just be the conversation all women need to hear to inspire that curious path of listening to one's heart.

SHOW NOTES

Avoiding the debt trap
Childhood commitment to protecting nature
Obscene naive materialism where consumption is dictating our choices
Nature connection gatherings for women, focus on slowing down, tuning into inner self, ritual
Barefoot bushwalking, women’s circles
Living a life by the cycles of the moon
Experiencing a wilderness solo
Throwing others opinions to the wind
Stepping away from the grip of social media & taking a six month sabbatical
Having the same rules for online communications as we do in the real world
Avoiding eco anxiety in kids
Raising children who are resilient, creative and courageous
Reframing hypocrisy as an opportunity for change
Shamanic Womancraft: reconnecting with the earth seasons and the lunar cycles. “A way to facilitate healing by reclaiming our feminine knowledge.”
Taking a midlife gap year
Facing menopause
Pre Menstural Supervision
Maiden, Mother, Maga, Crone
“The deeper the journey, the more inwards I face and the smoother the road out in front.”
Seeking time with wise elders
Taking time in the forrest for wild solitude to create a clear vision and gift yourself time
The beauty of being uncomfortable and inconvenienced
Turning the volume of others down so we can listen to our wise hearts

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Wildcraft Australia
School of Shamanic Womancraft • Come Home to Your Wild Self
The Wisdom of Menopause - Christiane Northrup
The Power Of Menopause with Jane Hardwicke Collings
Little Eco Footprints - Website + Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Charlie Arnott is an eighth generation Aussie farmer, educator, regenerative ag advocate, podcast host, wellness dude and pretty darn enlightened dad in his spare time.

For all that, there was a time Charlie wasn’t such a conscious operator. His early farming career was characterised by all the conventional stuff; synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, a high input/output model, and a bitter ongoing battle against nature.

Today, he shares the epiphanies that led him to where he is today -- an award-winning biodynamic farmer who lives and breathes regenerative principles -- plus a veritable polyculture of stories, struggles and holistic thinking. A thought-provoking conversation with a visionary fella.

SHOW NOTES

A blessed country childhood with a high bar for work ethic and a deep appreciation of farming
Back on the farm from 1997, questioning the congruence of his values with his farming practices
Interrogating chemical use, increased understanding in human health.
“Once you’ve learned other ways of doing things, you can’t unlearn them, and I was searching for something to “go towards”. I had a new set of KPIS including ecology, well being, sense of purpose."
Building a new community of intuitive, curious land managers.
Changing the paddock between your ears!
Why people are mean when they are scared.
If you don’t have a few enemies, you're not having a good go.
Making decisions through the lens of seven generations.
Making the legacy attractive enough for the next generation to see it as desirable.
“My sense of compassion and gratitude for the paddocks in my care is immense.”
Practices that are ritualistic and foster a sense of reverence for our surroundings
Engaging with the essence of our biome.
Why we need to keep our food coming from places that are as close to the natural world as possible.
Accepting those with different filters and ethics.
Are plants sentient beings?
Why using your credit card to abdicate responsibility for your actions isn't enough.
The joy of not being an expert.
Why it's OK to judge your former self but never others.
A day in the life of Charlie Arnott
Journaling for clarity and gratitude
“Success is the confluence of preparation and opportunity”.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVECharlie Arnott -- Website, Instagram, Podcast
Sacred Cow: The case for (better) meat -- Documentary
The Secret Life of Trees -- Peter Wohlleben

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Get to know the wild, wise and wonderful Steph Phillips (aka Green and Growing Things) who's living the simple life in rural Tassie.

Steph shares her four year transition from “Stiletto Steph” to “Simple Steph”, now raising three nature-loving wildlings in a frugal, seasonal and rhythmic fashion that's our kind of inspirational.

In this slow paced and honest convo, Steph talks about everything from making paint from foraged materials to self-compassion, community bonds and her love/hate relationship with social media.

One of those positive and affirming conversations that'll make you feel a whole lot better about the world. Listen in.

SHOW NOTES

Raising wildlings
From having a purpose-built shoe wardrobe to her current life
The influence of Sir David Attenborough in kicking off her life changes
Bedding down small changes before you leap to the next change
The importance of hibernation time: read, think, sit in order to gain strength for the busy times
Helping kids fall in love with the earth
Avoiding comparison-itis with really strong boundaries on social media
Why we need to stay connected to self, our surrounds, the natural world
The ‘say and do gap’. The power of leading by example and sitting in your crap.
Guiding children with the mantra: “Use your manners and trust your heart.”
Moving to Tassie four years ago
A day in the life of a family of five who are living intentionally and simply
Creating a farm of ‘pets’
Natural activities for kids: foraging, paint-making, collections
Forcing yourself to see the beauty in things; to stop, observe and give them the reverence they deserve.
The delight of writing a book that fosters creativity and curiosity
Being kind to ourselves despite feeling the weight of hypocrisy
Participating in things that are out of our comfort zones; womens circles, chanting groups
Everyone has a story
Treating your phone like the inanimate object that it is
Making water colour paints from foraged finds

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Green and Growing Things on Instagram + Online

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Even though Jess Scully is Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, that doesn't stop her using emojis in official communications or wearing Converse sneakers to important meetings.

That's why we love her. She's a bit of a rebel, and makes a helluva lot of sense.

Jess is a pollie on a mission to encourage agency of thought and diverse voices that are heard in all their humanness. She cheers for inclusivity and creativity, sustainability and community. All things Futuresteading.

As a published author, mother, politician and relentless advocate for creating a better world, she's quick to acknowledge her ‘invisible’ supporters and vulnerabilities with words that are strong, true and fair.

While politics doesn't always attract such visionary empaths, Sydneysiders are lucky to have Jess on their side. Listen in for her deliciously actionable advice on how to be a force for good in your local community.

SHOW NOTES

Her optimistic childhood filled with wonder
Growing up with the idea that she deserved to have her voice heard
Why she thought local government might be something she did in retirement but why the time was suddenly NOW
Using emojis in official communication
Contributing to a more representative, inclusive community
Bringing a human lens that doesn’t exclude people to politics
How do we bring other voices to the table?
Speaking to governments in a way that gets heard
Working with the system to bring change via feedback
The power of supporting initiatives; not just endlessly knocking efforts
Building invisible support infrastructures
Transformative helpers on the sidelines
The toxic adversarial nature of political life which makes it harder to build a fairer world
Sharing vulnerabilities and being honest
The amazing people who fill her with hope via their commitment to positive change
Standing up for the elements of our culture which are critical but not always economically viable
Avoiding arguments that end up back at economics rather than the truly valuable stuff
The constant tussle between the things that are the guts of society and the daily references to GDP
Why her utopia is a place that values and includes everyone
Universal basic services says “let's fund things people need such as transport, housing education -- in a way that speaks to individual regions”
Creating “enabling” architecture
Creating a culture of inclusivity
Not living our lives as though we are disempowered and disconnected, but present and with agency

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Glimpses of Utopia -- Jess Scully
Sydney -- Your Say

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Some people are born storytellers. And some of those people have magical, lyrical voices that transport you instantly.

Such is Alexx Stuart. You might already know her as the wellness maven and recipe Queen behind Low Tox Life, but this convo takes the story further -- back to childhood, right to the heart of who she is, and everything she's learned about life as a changemaker.

Alexx shares how her city-based life growing food on her balcony and making consciously considered choices has led to social success. In her words: “Social success is about doing more for the world than what it gives to us. Deeply held success really comes when it’s not just about looking after yourself but when you’ve committed to something bigger."

Join us in this convo about questioning authority, building community, supporting mental health and making change in joyous, positive and peaceful ways.

SHOW NOTES

The influence of her dynamic, empowered french mum
The 80s convenience culture was actually code for “make us profit, make us money”
Music taught her social justice and inspired a connection to things bigger than herself
Avoiding a “desperate anger” and instead creating justice peacefully
Never being afraid to take yourself into a healthy, respectful debate - debate smart
Listening to different points of view
The strong moral compass of artists who feel the pain of humanity
How sickness kickstarted her journey
The impact of a hyper developed and adapted food system
The value of challenging authorities and becoming a system changer positively
“I just couldn’t believe how many aspects of our life are not set up for us to thrive”
Why looking after your mental health is a great place to start
Why change is a lifelong journey and there are no medals
A low tox life is about Food, Body, Mind and Home
“Every time I make it a fight, I want to retract it. For me it has to be a peaceful way forward.”
Working in the overlaps
Setting boundaries
Leading from the front with optimistic joyfulness
A week in the life of Alexx Stuart
Setting your compass
Channeling a “feeling” for the day
Doing one thing you’d be disappointed not to complete each day, first.
The gene snip that thwarts your body from mounting an immune response to black mould spores
How chronic inflammation has resulted in chronic illness and heightened by electro magnetics
Setting a low bar to ensure self compassion
Being tuned into something bigger than ourselves to maintain momentum
Identifying the change maker within
Constructing your life in the city that feels more villagey
Taking your shoes off and reactivating your mental and physical health
Rewriting success from within, connecting to a deep sense of gratitude

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Low Tox Life
Michael Pollan
The Regenerative Journey podcast with Charlie Arnott
Brené Brown
The Edible Balcony -- Indira Naidoo
Share Waste app

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

How does a family of five go from 'regular' consumption to producing just one minuscule jar of waste in a year?

Find out in this chat with Lauren and Oberon Carter -- founders of Zero Waste Families , authors of A Family Guide to Waste Free Living and the brains behind Spiral Garden.

These deliciously non-dogmatic Tasmanians treat us to a personal account of financial, professional and psychological transition, how they reduced their energy consumption by a massive 60%, what they're doing to engage their street and community, and why to have hope in the next generation of considerate and creative human beings.

SHOW NOTESTapping into kids' smarts to solve the problems in front of us

Building friendship networks that appreciate your values and support your efforts

Waste free gift ideas

Building a waste-free mindset and habits

Taking a fast leap rather than a slow limp; doing it all at once with clear intention

Why the permaculture principle of “produce no waste” is the most accessible

Doing a climate impact survey

The difference between recycling and downcycling

The burden of “the system”: the role of government vs. the role of individuals to make lifestyle changes

Why it’s important that those of us in positions of affluence take the responsibility and make change to our lifestyle.

Adopting lifestyle choices that buck the norm: homeschooling, homebirthing, food production, second hand clothing.

Avoiding burnout from community commitment

Engaging people across socio-economic lines; keeping things small, achievable and gentle.

The power of conversations

Reframing success away from ‘bigness’ and towards smaller measures that reflect day to day existence

Learning how to forage, holiday simply, buy second hand, live away from consumptive past times

52climatesolutions

Seeking joy by being in the bush, appreciating the diversity in nature, seeing small and slowing down and observing

Being part of rather than apart from the natural world

Seasonal ritual; observation, festivals, food, celebration, foraging

Coming to terms with hypocrisy in your everyday; petrol fuelled car, working for the government

Letting go of the urge to control how everything looks

The importance of finding hobbies that are NOT related to the cause

Understanding the intricacies of others is more important than preaching the ‘solution’

LINKS YOU'LL LOVEA Family Guide to Waste-Free Living -- Lauren and Oberon CarterFamily Living Zero Waste -- Happen Films

Assess your carbon footprint

Zero Waste Tasmania group

Spiral Garden online & Instagram

Retrosuburbia -- David Holmgren

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Could jam be your gateway to lost skills? It was for Anna, aka The Urban Nanna, who started making jams and preserves as an act of self care, only to end up inspiring thousands of people to reclaim forgotten skills of frugality and everyday resourcefulness.

Anna's greatest joy is watching those around her experience aha! moments, and has a guiding belief that change comes from a strong and recognised personal intent.

If anyone can get you excited to exercise practical skills and community building -- even in the smallest city rental -- it's Anna, with her upfront honesty and acceptance of mistakes.

So join us in this raucous chat with a truly kindred futuresteader, where you'll gain serious solidarity and life smarts between peals of laughter.

SHOW NOTES

The oral tradition of passing on skills that we used to know intuitively.
Why aha! moments are solid rewards for someone who loves to teach.
Jam as the gateway to rediscovering lost skills.
Life with Asperger's -- and why it's probably a superpower.
How to get over the fear factor and embrace mistakes.
Futuresteading in a rental. What’s your style? Being honest about your needs and the art of having an upfront conversation with your landlord.
Creating community where you are: fostering relationships via sharing, groundedness and kindness.
Creating a community corner that people clamber to connect with.
Creating a glut of giving. Sharing the abundance, sharing toys, sharing books.
Foraging in your own neighbourhood. Putting otherwise wasted food to good use and sharing it with the community.
The importance of thinking about your place in the broader natural context.
The biological imperative for success is to survive, thrive and reproduce.
Pulling away from the socially acceptable view of success.
Reawakening the inner child.
Thinking hard about what you believe in and making changes to align with it.
Discovering what drives you.
Where do you begin? Starting something because it honestly interests you.
Anna's happy place as a bird nerd and connecting with wild beaches or calm meadows.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Urban Nanna blog
The Urban Nanna Instagram
Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts -- Alex Langlands
The Art of Fermentation -- Sandor Katz
Holistic Decision Making -- Dan Palmer

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Take a walk in nature or find the nearest hammock to enjoy this deeply complex and moving conversation with Meg and Patrick Ulman of Artist as Family.

This family of four live a largely non-monetary existence on a quarter-acre permaculture plot on Djaara peoples' country/Daylesford. They describe themselves as neopeasants, defined by the gardens and forests they tend, the resources they glean and grow, the community they're part of and the technologies they both use and refuse.

They practice permapoesis, which simply means permanent making or regenerative living -– an antidote to disposable culture -- and show us what's possible when creativity, reverence and reciprocity is placed at the heart of human existence.

SHOW NOTES

A frugal background and time on a kibbutz
Early skills in propagation and a deep desire to grow things
An attraction to counter culture and eternal questioning of injustices
Finding peace by the Mittagong creek
Working as a couple to overcome grief over the dominant culture
Growing a new story out of the old story -- about community, not just one idea
The holistic awakening of permaculture
Moving from clock time to ecological time
Daily connection to the natural world; chanting, observing, meditating
Creating an art practice that is not separate from everyday life
Avoiding monotonous and tedious work through neopeasantry
Why Covid has helped us register our collective exhaustion
Giving up cars and moving at an ecological pace
Being cash poor yet time rich in frugal abundance
Time offline allows a songful, interconnected, wildness that is about observation and interaction
The importance of rites of passage -- how do we bring them back?
Recognising the value of the child-to-adult process and parent/child separation
Grief circles -- “for crying out loud”. Sharing, howling, laughing, storytelling and bearing witness to each other.
Giving back to the forest via humanure, menstrual blood, tears
How fire has held our stories since the beginning of time
Daily gratitude ritual of naming the inputs needed for each meal
Growing layers and building gifts to share with our community by accepting ourselves
Getting the dance right between consciousness and overwhelm
Why being aware of ideology is important
Why activism and politics need complexity
A brief history of patriarchal dominance, removing feminine power in the popular culture

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Artist as Family -- YouTube, Instagram + blog
How Goats are Regenerating a Forest and Protecting This Town from Bushfire -- Happen Films
A Branch From the Lightning Tree -- Martin Shaw
The Wild Edge of Sorrow -- Francis Weller
Martin Prechtell
Tyson Yunkaporta
David Holmgren
The Invention of Capitalism -- Michael Perelman

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

It isn't magic that food grows in our backyard?! And Joel Orchard is just the gent to encourage the farmer in all of us.

Joel is the founder of Young Farmers Connect and the Australian/New Zealand CSA Network; a fair food advocate, educator and a passionate agricultural networker. He's super calm, absurdly inspiring and imparts hard truths about our world with intense kindness.

Wrap your ears around this episode and be reminded that through farming, we can be social and environmental activists, impacting cultural change. And simply getting to know where your food comes from is a profound way to make a difference.

SHOW NOTES

Recorded on Bunjalung country in the Northern Rivers
Despite being surrounded by progressive thinkers, there are still boundaries to small scale regenerative food production
Why language builds boxes that can limit opportunity
The difficulty in making small scale farming work: Cost, land access, paths to market
What the new face of farming looks like
Changing the narrative about the reality of a successful small scale farming business
Why it’s not necessary to be a full time farmer
The young professionals who are moving into agriculture
Diversification of on farm/off farm existence
Identifying the structural concerns that make eating consciously difficult
Why farming is the most meaningful way to “walk-the-talk”
Creating a circular economy, no waste, mushroom business
Why it’s important we all continue to share and learn together
Cultivating networks where we feel “safe” to learn. Peer-support learning.
What does ‘CSA’ mean? And creative paths to market.
Shortening supply chains for our food is critical in creating a genuine shift away from nationalised, commodified growing practices
Ensuring fortified perpetuity for the small scale farming sector
The strength in collectivisation
Why beauty matters
Finding ways to slow down and observe the small things
The importance of telling the complete and imperfect realities of farming to remove the cultural elitism -- not just bucolic, romantic images
How do we make sure everyone can access local food?
The true cost of food -- mother nature is already paying the bills for us
Supporting each other to ensure those who are pushing envelopes can continue
Creating spaces and places for safe support, development and solidarity
Shifting the scarcity mindset to a sharing/collaborative mindset
Working with kids -- the next gen farmers
Demystifying farming -- it isn't magic that food grows in your backyard
Bringing life back to a place that limits over stimulation
Revelling in repetitive tasks that use your body
What is a locavore? Why should be all eat local
Shake the hand of the person who grows your food

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Call of the Reed Warbler - Charles Massey
Farming Democracy - Food Sovereignty Alliance
Foodies Guide to Capitalism - Eric Holt-Giménez
Young Farmers Connect Network
Prom Coast Food Collective
Open Food Network
RECO Hubs (Qld)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

For all the fad diets, juice fasts and dogma out there, few health advocates keep it as real as Anthia Koullouros.

Anthia is one of Sydney's original nose-to-tail, soil-to-plate, no-BS Naturopaths who was questioning supplements and sipping bone broth before it was cool. She's an author, speaker, educator and Apothecarius (listen in to see what that brilliant term entails) who weaves science, spirituality, feminism and self care like an absolute master -- yet never takes herself too seriously.

This chat with Anthia was particularly timely, catching her right on the cusp of big business and life changes which she was gracious enough to share with us.

You'll leave this convo feeling like you've received a big, warm bear hug from a wise woman who just gets it.

SHOW NOTES

Her instinctive herbalism spurred by Cypriot ancestors
Her apothecary origins where women could be healers
Her attraction to the humble weed and the essence of healing wholly
Breaking into naturopathy when it was a ‘fringe alternative’
Why we should be applying our food seasonality sensibility to herbs and opting for the real deal rather than pharmaceuticals
Her concerns that holistic medicine is becoming more like western medicine in how it is used and expected to perform
The growth in holistic health since covid
The role ritual plays in recentering and reconnecting with yourself and community
Why she shuts the door at work between 4 and 4.30
Taking care of herself as the ‘bow and arrow’ foundation of self
Creating a symbiotic relationship with the natural world
The value of reconnecting with the nervous system before making decisions
The spontaneous desire to autocorrect
The difference between head and heart decisions
Tools to get out of ourselves so we can get into ourselves
Why the natural world has a place in everyone's healing path
Craving simplicity and reducing over-complication
Normalising ritual - especially for women
Having the discipline to NOT get on your screen to fill in the gaps
Actively doing things differently in business
Why she is here to be of service - to bring clarity, to unscramble the confusion, at human scale
Why success is in the sublimely simple; connecting, longevity, belonging, the beauty of truth
Avoiding groundhog day
Moving into new chapters without feeling overwhelmed
Cooking weed pie

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

How to Get Well -- Paavo Airola
Anthia on Instagram
Apotheca by Anthia
Anthia online

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Diego Bonetto, aka. The Weedy One, grew up on a dairy farm in northern Italy where it was still common practice to collect the wild bounty of the land.

After moving to Australia in the 90s, Diego found that his practical foraging knowledge and weedy know-how was actually pretty rare. He lamented our modern approach to "weeds" -- a battle waged with poisons rather than a loving relationship that respects the valuable, nutrition and wisdom of the plants all around us.

So he became a weed advocate and educator, harking back to the dandelions, nettles, mulberries and edible mushrooms of his childhood and sharing their stories with those longing to return to their roots.

Diego's enthusiasm will inspire and move you, as it has done for the thousands of people who have attended his public and private workshops, events and weed walks. This conversation about belonging, sustainability, agency and food is just a glimpse of Diego's immense knowledge, and we encourage you to connect with him online or better still, in person!

SHOW NOTES

Collecting wild plants, fungi, grains and berries as a child to supply seasonal produce to his family larder.
Empowering people to recall childhood memories ; mulberries as lipstick, daisy chains to overcome fear and find confidence.
Foraging does more than just give us free food; it’s our chance to experience gratitude, connect to ecology, anchor us all to the now. It cuts away our entitlement to resources and encourages us to engage in the gifts of the natural world.
How to create steps to build foraging confidence, even in urban spaces.
Basic rules of foraging.
Foraging is not survival, it's establishing relationships of care-taking.
Ocean foraging.
The vast majority of foraging is handfuls for tasting rather than buckets of food.
Are plants a living, conscious, feeling things?
Why we should be up in arms about factory farming which is enslavement into a system of yield rather than being a wild species which fetches its own minerals and grows of its own accord.
We are part of a system where we eat and can be eaten.
Foraging foundation of being still, staying put and becoming part of a specific cycle so you can build knowledge.
Stepping from observer to stakeholder to caretaker.
Why “weeds” is an arbitrary term.
The importance of acknowledging the services that plants play.
Backyard medicine is the result of coevolution.
Calling on the knowledge of our wisdom holders to maintain self care.
Why mulberries and blackberries are wonderful foraging teacher species and part of our ecological symbiotic contract to eat the species.
Putting humans back in the cycle of life.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Diego Bonetto on Instagram @theweedyone
Diego Bonetto online

Photo credit -- Aimee Crouch

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Rebecca Scott of STREAT is a socially-responsible and refreshingly quirky role model for our times. A self proclaimed 'hustler’ since childhood, Bec sees the value in everyone and everything. What's more, she knows how to bolt it all together to build an egalitarian vision that contributes to the social betterment of our world.

With 11 social enterprises under the STREAT banner, Bec's quest to provide a sense of belonging and hope to our youth -- catalysed by the simple question “whose problem is that really?” -- will inspire and challenge you in equal measure.

Language warning: one or two f-bombs dropped.

SHOW NOTES

STREAT has fed over 3 million people since opening in 2010
Why her school teachers aren't surprised that she's become a ‘social entrepreneur’
Harnessing collaborative energy, social capital, political capital
A working class kid with a talent for “hustling” - not bossy but capable
An intrinsic sense of egalitarianism - everyone in a community can add value
Using creativity to solve problems and affect change
The joy of co-founding a social enterprise with her 10 year old son
What is a social enterprise?
Using the margins to stimulate the creative process - in line with other random collaborators
Taking years to connect dots of systems thinking using creativity and visual prompts
Her aversion to creating projects on her own - co creation makes sparks fly and reality happen
For every one idea that happens, 100 don’t come to fruition. That’s ok.
The queen of side projects
Following the path of the energy flow
Moving on if a project comes up against inertia
Managing her phenomenal restlessness
Inhabiting 2050 in her mind
Why she looks like a “messy innovator”
Connecting all her projects without being linear
Spotting patterns through the noise
Valuing latent potential
Needing pace and slowness simultaneously
Being the equal master of the small and fast, the quiet and loud
Don’t give up your day job and still make a difference
Have you assessed your environmental footprint?
Why we must stop externalising slavery
Why corporate companies are just an extension of our individual buying habits
The power of arming yourself with knowledge and building a likeminded tribe
Seeking humans who inspire through gentle humility
Belonging and social inclusion is the secret sauce for homeless youth
Whose problem are the homeless?
The beauty of a new bud
Everything worthwhile starts with a simple conversation

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

STREAT
Chicken Soup for the Soul

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Charlie Mgee -- permaculture troubadour and Formidable Vegetable frontman -- composes swingin' tunes on a ukulele that address climate change, food security and regenerative sustainable living.

From 'energy-descent electroswing' to 'post-apocalypso', his unforgettable music provides permaculture earworms that entertain and educate. Maybe you're humming one right now?

In this energetic convo, we quiz Charlie about the role of art and creativity in changemaking; how music has a knack for bridging gaps and delivering powerful messages through melody. Charlie talks about his childhood in the bush, his wandering spirit, what it's like living in a tiny house at Melliodora with Brenna Quinlan, and his vision for a more beautiful world.

Now you can support the show by shouting us a cuppa! Click here to check it out.

SHOW NOTES

Hight energy artistic life in a tiny house with Brenna Quinlan
Stories from permie childhood
Why chickens are a gateway drug into alternative living
Finding ways of synthesising complex concepts and making them accessible
All pervasive gratitude
A pledge to stop flying & touring Australia in biodiesel converted van
Coping with covid by understanding joy and grief are two sides of the same coin
Acknowledging the hard stuff to build the good stuff
Individual vision post covid lockdown
Daily life at Melliodora
Pushing against the treadmill to move towards intentional simplicity
Being OK to be a bit different
Managing multiple communities in your life
The accidental creation of an annual festival
Yearning for a deeper connection to place
Avoiding tribalism
Staying open minded to ensure a rounded world view
Seeing all of life as equal to oneself
Listening more and talking less
The risk of being interpreted as a dogmatic idealist who will show us all the way
Think global, act local
How music and the arts is the ultimate universal language
Why he doesn’t copyright his music
The power of regenerative creativity - how we imagine the world
Go hug a tree!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Formidable Vegetable on Instagram
Formidable Vegetable online
Melliodora
David Holmgren's Retrosuburbia
Brenna Quinlan on Instagram
Charles Eisenstein - The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
The Patterning Instinct - Jeremy Lent
Support this podcast by shouting us a cuppa

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Kirsten Larsen + Serenity Hill are proof that two minds are better than one.

As the founders of Open Food Network, a game-changing open source technology at the centre of building valued and fair food chains, they think globally, act locally and are actively encouraging a culture where whole-self is present in the workplace.

Hear how these two values-aligned women brought their shared vision for fairer local food systems to life -- and why the rest of the world is excited.

keep it rolling right till the end for Futuresteading listener shout outs

SHOW NOTES

Social justice from an early age
The impact of ‘coming out’
The freedom of the natural world
The value of independent thinking as a central value
Having the tools and empowerment to challenge the system
The power of knowing you were loved as a child
A desire for purpose is in every one of us
From a broken state of deep ecology to a place of believing in the power of conscious capability
Identifying technology as the missing piece for connecting eaters with growers
Learning how to unlock problems by listening to the needs and filling a gap
Structuring things to disable centralisation of power
The critical role of aggregators/food hubs in a local food system that are locally relevant and transparent
The power of collaboration for efficiency, capital ownership, accessibility, logistics
The myriad of ways that all tiers of the food chain can embark on change
The value of “open source” as a language which is not constrained in its ability to adapt and leapfrog
Offering opportunity for knowledge commons
The privilege of having the psychological knowledge that you have ‘back up’
Transvestment - recognising that you are drawing money from the old economy and placing it into the ideological vision of a new future
Getting to a point where work that conflicts with ideology is no longer needed
Building space for others to step into positions of influence where they may not have previously had a voice
Having a baby to ‘turn off’ from ideological responsibilities
Consciously creating a culture where people bring their whole selves to the work place
Creation of a ‘heart channel’ in the workplace for frank, open, personal story telling
Being honest with kids about the truth of the world
Evoking joy and aliveness in the next generation
Nature based education as a central cog in our communities

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Open Food Network
CERES
Food Connect Brisbane
Joanna Macy
Deep Green Resistance - Derrick Jensen, Aric McBay, Lierre Keith
Treading Lightly - Karl Erik Sveiby, Tex Skuthorpe

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

With front line activism on his resume and a concerted effort to diverge from his familial farming and retail heritage, Chris Ennis embarked on a path of his own only to find himself at the front of the socially progressive 10 acre urban farming, retail and educational enterprise CERES Fair Food and now CERES Fair Wood in Melbourne's North. As you guessed it, an urban farm and retailer. Seems you can't escape what's in your blood... but you can reframe it to suit our times and cultural needs which is exactly what Chris has done as a social entrepreneur.

SHOW NOTES

What is a social entrepreneur? Caring about all the parts of business that aren't about money
Enterprise stacking = an ecosystem of diverse enterprises that fit together
Make up the rules of business! You can decide what the workplace looks like and how that fits with your life
Different ways of being a farmer even in the city
Having faith in kids to take their seeded habits and make them bounce in later life
From fair food to fair wood and possibly fair anything
Stacking diversity in life to ensure multi-purpose uses
Not subscribing to traditional channels of business or being pigeon holed
Why he refers to ‘founders’ as weeds
Planning for business succession with the right types of people
The long game versus short-term-ism
The importance of seeing the pathway as having value
The value of generational knowledge in business
Yearning for indigenous wisdom
Being comfortable to ask uncomfortable questions
Embedding ritual as the social fabric of life
Practical positive activism is nourishing and fulfilling
Aim for deeper change, it’s more potent than flashy shallow initiatives
If in doubt - go out!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Prom Coast Food Collective
Baw Baw Food Hub
Beechworth Food Co op
Retrosuburbia - David Holmgren
The Social Dilemma
Ubie - NSW based social enterprise
Green Connect South Sydney
CERES Fair Wood
CERES Fair Food
Dark Emu - Bruce Pascoe

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Warning: this episode with Rob Greenfield might make you want to do something crazy - like sell all your material possessions, set off on an adventure with only a backpack and faith in human kindness, or build a tiny home from reclaimed materials with your mates.

Rob is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable, just and equal world.

He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. His work has been covered by media worldwide including National Geographic and he’s been named “The Robin Hood of modern times” by France 2 TV.

Rob’s life is an embodiment of Gandhi’s philosophy, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” He believes that our actions really do matter and that as individuals and communities we have the power to improve the world around us. Rob donates 100% of his media earnings to grassroots nonprofits and has committed to living simply and responsibly for life.

This conversation strikes the balance between inspiration and groundedness, and will leave you feeling both comforted and courageous.

SHOW NOTES

From shining his car on Sundays at age 25 with dollar signs in his eyes to dumpster diving over 2,000 times and being a beacon for radical change around the world.
The decision to transform his life so he stopped destroying the earth
Making one positive change every single week for two years
Intersectional environmentalism - deeply intertwined problems and their solutions
Building feedback loops towards empowerment and a sustainable foundation
Learning skills to stand strong against the sweeping tide of consumption
Finding alternatives for the things you think you need
Holistic decision making
Travelling the world for the same price as the annual cost of a car
Building freedom by avoiding the minimum monthly repayment trap
Living a life that's not so 'protected’ or ‘insured’
The truth: a quality existence takes time, travel, eating, learning, conversing.
Spreading excess when you have it so life is more equitable - from those who have enough to those who have too little.
Demonetising life relies on more human kindness
The illusion that money makes us independent
Teaching our kids critical thinking and about relationships to thrive in a post carbon economy
Skill sharing
The power of needing each other
The problems with convenience
The psychology of change
The value of minimising judgement and enhancing compassion and understanding
Starting with the things which excite you the most

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Rob's website
Rob's Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If there's a human who represents the quintessential qualities of living like tomorrow matters, it just might be Hannah Maloney.

A former front line picketer, Hannah transitioned to a more sustainable approach to advocacy for climate action and First Nations justice when she founded Good Life Permaculture and is now based in Tassie on Muwinina country where days of voluntary simplicity provide time for her community which she collaborates with to teach, design and live with love.

Hannah is a radical homemaker who is currently writing a book, blogging her knowledge for all to learn from and has recently forayed into the world of television presenting on Gardening Australia.

SHOW NOTES

Hannah's transition from frontline activism to a more sustainable pace to avoid burnout
Why a simple life can be a hard life but when infused with joy, a wonderful life
Following your Shen energy
Choosing to sit on the edge of comfort and forcing yourself to cope with discomfort where often the greatest outcome is achieved
Showing up despite adversity, for the sake of the individual AND self assurance
Discovering the wonders of planting, food flowers and fibre
Going to bed in a state of love every day
Practical ideas for swapping resources with our neighbours like your vacuum
Seeking ways to be more useful
Avoiding dogma for self and others
Loving people unconditionally where they’re at
Why she wakes at 4am each day
Preserving her natural energy
Radical Hope - it's not what you might suspect
The power of imagination

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Good Life Permaculture
[musician] Briggs
[musician] Thelma Plumm
[musician] Mama Kin
“From What Is To What If” - Rob Hopkins

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Dan Palmer is co-founder of Permablitz, Landed, Holistic Decision Making, Making Permaculture Stronger and Very Edible Gardens. He has a PhD in systems thinking and contagious levels of enthusiasm for supporting the journeys of others. He currently lives with his wife and two daughters in a small home in Castlemaine, Victoria.

We hear Dan’s thoughts on consciously shaping a vibrant and beautiful life, getting paid for your passion, how to be vulnerable and cut to the chase (rather than participating in superficial BS), the deception of ideas, the illusion of separation from the natural world and why to ask better questions.

SHOW NOTES

How Dan moved away from reductionist thinking and towards a holistic framework.
Discovering holistic management and the influence of Allan Savory.
How to uncover the deeper intention beneath the goal or dream.
What are the core ingredients of a fulfilling life?
How linear thinking sustains our industrialised society.
Why you can’t just ‘join your life back up’ to create a whole - you need to go right back to the DNA of your values and beliefs.
How to tap into deep harmony and coherence.
Why life can’t be like a knitted jumper.
“Deciding your way” towards the life you want.
Why self work isn’t selfish - it’s a precursor to genuine altruism.
Honouring the need for financial security in a world that hinges on money.
An uncompromising approach to making profit from your passion.
From hobby to Patreon; a by-donation model of asking for financial support.
How to avoid fake bullshit conversations and go deeper.
Having hard conversations vs. modern ‘communities’ that stroke our egos.
Why Dan’s excited to be alive at this time in history.
Sending positive ripples into space and time.
How to enjoy the ride and make peace with everything you can’t change.
The gnarly question of how to instil hope, buoyancy and knowledge in your kids.
The ritual of ‘roses and thorns’ at dinner time.
Why to se the 'shape' of your life.
Waking up and approaching each day as a living whole that you can make as vibrant and alive as possible - versus a to-do list of frenzied actions.
Our obligation to contribute to the beauty of the universe.
How we’ve been hijacked by the idea that the world is a machine.
How to lead with feeling and back up with thinking.
“The intellect is too crude a net to catch the whole” - Christopher Alexander
Why we don’t need to “reconnect” with nature - we have never been separate.
How to relax back into underlying non-separateness.
Understanding “life sheds” rather than arbitrary borders.
Why advice and “answers” can disempower people.
How can we ask better questions?

LINKS YOU’LL LOVE

Making Permaculture Stronger
Permablitz
Landed
Holistic Decision Making
Very Edible Gardens
Allan Savory
Brian Goodwin
Charles Eisenstein

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If changing the world over breakfast sounds like your kind of activism, you’ll love this conversation with Cassie Duncan; a woman who took her passion for a fairer food system and plated it up as an accessible, digestible and inspiring not-for-profit: Sustainable Table.

Cassie co-founded Sustainable Table in 2009 as a way to help more Aussies make ethical choices about what they eat. Through beautifully written articles, educational events and innovative campaigns that connect eaters with farmers in deeply emotional (and motivating) ways, Sustainable Table taps into the most powerful change agent of all: story.

Today, we hear Cassie’s; how she became the ethical food enthusiast she is today, why we need to humanise our food system, what our eating choices can change (hint: everything), how she overcame imposter syndrome and why it’s impossible to be the perfect parent.

Enjoy ample wisdom and solidarity in this free-wheeling conversation with one of our favourite guests so far. Dig in.

SHOW NOTES

Her long standing love of food.
How her mother's fierce sense of social justice and standing up for the underdog has made her what she is.
Why the loss of her mum at 21 forced a deep reflection of self.
Food is friendly and positive and we connect to it, but in truth it's deeply destructive.
Applying ethics to the food we choose to buy.
Why starting the conversation with food is a gateway to bigger issues.
How Australians identify with fairness, and yet we haven't translated this fairness to farmers.
How to tell your story honestly until corporations listen and make change.
Her paralysis and overwhelm before finding a way to engage personally.
The importance of having people with different skills, interests, communication styles and audiences.
Managing imposter syndrome.
Why living your truest life influences others like nothing else.
Farmers market family rituals.
Doing the everyday stuff in a way that makes it purposeful.
Taking the time to discover your community.
The gift of building a financially viable life around your values.
Why people will stop buying a product and instead buy into a way of life.
Raising considered, awake kids.
Top tips: Start with what you can control, honour your strengths and skills, connect and communicate with each other.
Growing “gritty” kids by not over-protecting them.
The surprising benefits of asking others for help.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Sustainable Table website
Sustainable Table Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Before you ask, yes this is Charlie Showers of Black Barn Farm - Jade's other half.

Charlie is a fair food advocate, holistic orchardist, landscape scientist and insatiable reader, with an appetite for knowledge that sees him getting up before the birds to devour scientific papers, books and teachings, before putting it into practice at Black Barn Farm.

In this conversation, he shares decades of wisdom with his trademark patience, clarity and intellect. He covers the power of community and regional pride, a new way to frame our 'hypocrisy' in this time of transition, the reality of first generation farming and a sugar-free account of a 'working marriage' and unified vision. You'll get to hear Jade's answers too ;)

No hopium, all clarity in this complex interview that inspires action!

SHOW NOTES

Sitting with the contradiction inherent in your morals and lifestyle
Reconciling hypocrisy in your everyday existence
Being self aware without it becoming unbearable
His childhood role-modelling of ‘family statesmen’ who committed to the needs of their community equally with their own
Maintaining curiosity about our system, culture and economy to impart change
Why farming is the best place for him to share knowledge at a community level and make meaningful change
Why showing rather than telling is the most powerful way to inspire
Being exposed to those who have a different way of being, whirrs the thinking cogs
The importance of self time to recuperate and maintain balance when you’re an introvert
Why endless hope is not always helpful, and hopium is a recipe for ignorance
What a new future might look like
The raw reality of starting up a long-game farming enterprise
The potency of creating a dream together
Undertaking change journeys as a couple
Ideas to ‘blow your mind’
Living examples of how systems interact with and impact on each other
Awe of the Indigenous Australian cultural understanding of the complex web of the world
Making ‘complexity science’ more mainstream for the betterment of all
His evolution of changemaking from panicked urgency to slow and steady solutions
Why being more settled will make his children better change makers
The evolution and personal nature of success
Importance of a ‘solutions based mindset’

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Black Barn Farm website & Instagram

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Need some lockdown solidarity? Here’s 20 minutes of it, with a real and honest chat about our experiences, and insights, from the ongoing Victorian lockdown.

Jade’s juggling kids on the farm in Stage 3 while Catie is chucking tanties at her laptop in Melbourne’s Stage 4. We hope this little small glimpse into our everyday is akin to a virtual hug.

Caveat: There's no one experience of lockdown, nor prescription for doing it right. We acknowledge our relative good fortune while honouring the tougher-than-tough reality of so many others.

SHOW NOTES

Why Catie's brain is like wet cake
Long funky days at home with kids
Wired brains and screen-impacted sleep
Solidarity!
Finding daily patterns for consistency and reassurance
Why this enforced localisation is giving us the chance to take a microscopic view of our local turf
Sharing a daily lunch with family - snack plates + kids
The value of accepting this period of wartime-like grief
Seeing a psychologist is a mental multivitamin
We are experiencing acute instability
Grief/joy/love are combining to create empathy for others
Human adaptability
At least there's no FOMO!
Willingness to be vulnerable; we are all in this together
The value of maintaining perspective
The value of repetition and order
Diving into abstract, artistic, creative concepts and classic literature
Loving those at home
Letting joy be your compass - harking back to our childhood loves
Why we don't have to have a picture of the new world we want. Nature is emergent; let's be open to unfolding solutions
Seeing the beauty in the immediate

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Dumbo Feather Magazine
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
Sand Talk - Tyson Yunkaporta

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Join us for a calming conversation about how to make a difference without the overwhelm. In true surfie style, Robyn Rosenfeldt is laid back - despite riding a wave of daily to-dos and permaculture reporting as the founder of Pip Magazine.

(Not already all over Pip? It’s a dedicated Aussie permaculture mag with everything from foraging tips to renegade urban gardeners, seed saving, waste-busting, soil building and good old fashioned storytelling.)

Robyn started Pip from scratch, so of course, we were itching to get inside her mind and understand the process of turning passion into print, beliefs into features, change making into this beautiful, uplifting, shareable thing you can hold in your hands.

And with her refreshingly realistic advice and natural optimism, you just might find yourself taking small steps in the direction of your dreams in about an hour’s time.

SHOW NOTES

Rebelling against her middle class suburban upbringing.
On being a doer who doesn't wait for others to make it happen.
Her interest in alternatives from an very early age.
Why taking on less is more powerful.
The driver behind PIP magazine.
Why not everyone can do everything (and shouldn't try).
Natural optimism.
Avoiding the comparison trap.
What makes a community with heart and soul
How she followed her intuition in founding Pip.
Why to just give things a go.
Starting small and letting things grow slowly.
Her love of surfing for perspective and balance.
Creating ritual with kids.
Making financial ends meet by being happy with ‘enough’.
Life in Pambula on the NSW South coast.
Role modelling hopefulness and optimism for her kids.
Adapting to our changing world.
The recalibration of life in times of a pandemic
Her one piece of advice.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Pip Magazine
Pip has a podcast!

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Johno heads up Conscious Ground Organics in Byron Bay, an earth school that produces changemaking humans and delicious food in equal measure.

On this working organic farm, Johno and his team have created a world class agri-educational facility, mentoring people through earth care and regeneration, people care and leadership training, and all kinds of skills like driving tractors to thinking holistically about life.

Johno is one of those humans whose grit, determination and practicality will inspire you to keep it real and put a little strategy around your dreams (in fact, he's sometimes called the 'Dream Assassin', injecting much-needed reality into those rosy ideals).

You’ll hear about his dislike of school, his incredible father and role model, his methods of self-reflection and values-realignment, and the ritualistic structure of his everyday.

Enjoy this tangible, practical and actionable conversation with a certified organic legend.

SHOW NOTES

A childhood as one of nine kids raised by their dad on his own.
Why he takes his gift of connecting people to their place very responsibly.
What ‘place’ means to him.
The gift of offering knowledge without needing anything in return.
The expectation that everyone around him should soon be capable of superseding him in their knowledge.
Why mentors matter.
Why a practical, hands-on approach rather than academic strength has led him to where he is today.
His full circle career path back to the land.
Why he will never compromise on his values.
Why parenting and farming are the hardest jobs on earth.
How to maintain balance between ideology and long-term sustainability.
How he became known as the Dream Assassin.
The value of being brutally honest.
What Conscious Ground is here to do.
Why support and clear expectations make a vision come to life.
The value of building rituals.
The excitement of teaching skills to the next generation.
What is “enough”?
Why to celebrate accomplishments no matter how small.
SCRUM - A project management framework where all heads are moving in a united direction for a short time.
Why have a dance party in the green house?

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Conscious Ground Online

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

We spend an hour looking through the lens of anthropology, nutrition and vitalism with Cyndi O’Meara, author of ‘Changing Habits, Changing Lives’ (once just a book, now an entire movement).

Cyndi's wisdom is born of deep scientific research and understanding, coupled with a refreshing awe for the body's innate healing potential.

We journey back to her childhood (where seeds of big pharma skepticism were sown), talk all things success (and being an anti-statistic), how she embraces the Japanese concept of Ikigai, and why becoming a farmer at age 50 was a peak-fulfilment moment.

Cyndi’s unwavering commitment to human health - and the rich, juicy life it facilitates - makes this conversation a feel-good reminder of your own innate strength.

Listen. Absorb. Enjoy.

SHOW NOTES

Cyndi’s childhood in a household that shunned western medicine and looked to food, chiropractors, physical activity and the outdoors for health. No vaccinations, no antibiotics, no painkillers.
Why having a family of haemophiliacs set her up to question Big Pharma.
Her sense of following a path which was intended for her.
How studying chiropractic reinvigorated her love of nutrition and vitalism.
She shares a beautiful story about a farmer who transitioned to organic growing techniques (but took a little longer to apply this philosophy to his body).
Her experience growing abundant food harvests in pots.
Her ritualistic habits of picking fresh herbs, doing the daily crossword and preparing a breakfast from scratch.
Her CADA start to the day.
Why she questioned her beliefs while parenting.
Her tips for packing food for travel.
Why food is her only focus as a consumer, rather than fashion or home renovations.
Becoming a farmer in her 50’s, a long held dream for a food bowl and retreat.
Parenting by example and not following trends.
Why raising a close-knit family of conscious humans is her greatest achievement.
The philosophy of vitalistic consciousness as opposed to mechanism.
The power of community.
How to boost immune function to boost health to boost resilience.
Her definition of success.
The power of science blended with history.
What is Ikigai, and how can it help shape a meaningful life?

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Changing Habits, Changing Lives - Cyndi O'Meara
Cyndi O'Meara Online
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
The Japanese philosophy of Ikigai

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

“Herbs aren’t drugs, and we shouldn’t expect them to perform like drugs. They’re food. They work with the human body in intuitive ways we can’t yet explain.”

So, Catie is a trained naturopath! We dig into her “brown bottle” education and go deep into her love of medicinal plants as culinary healers, esoteric friends and nourishing allies for life.

This shortie focuses on the simplest ways you can build relationships with our green community and tap into the powerful benefits of backyard herbalism. We hope it inspires you to get out there and have a yarn with a rosemary bush!

SHOW NOTES

The power of dried herbs.
Herbs as symbols and archetypes - Ma’am Rosemary, Pioneer Dandelion, Stoic Sage.
How to head into the garden and tap into the herbal wisdom you need.
Why food/herb pairings are everyday herbal medicine.
The power of herbal infusions.
Volatile oils, aromatic teas and nourishing herbs.
Great herbal references and books!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

[Books & knowledge]
Root to Bloom: A Modern Guide to Whole Plant Use - Jocelyn Cross and Mat Pember
Wild Food - Roger Phillips
Chelsea Green Publishing
The Herbalist’s Way : The Art and Practice of Healing with Plants - Nancy Phillips
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use - Rosemary Gladstar
Botany In A Day -Thomas J. Elpel
Weed Forager's Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia - Adam Grubb & Annie Raser-Rowland
[Herbal Teachers]
Susun Weed
Taj The Perma Pixie
[Great Aussie Suppliers]
Highland Herbs
Austral Herbs

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

How do you live your beliefs while earning enough to eat?

This is the question we put to ORICoop founder and fair farming advocate Carolyn Suggate (amongst other conundrums). It’s a curly one, but Carolyn comes to the party with passion and insight aplenty.

She shares why she pursues her principles over financial gain, how she makes it work with her partner and family, tips for raising conscious kids (without being pushy or puritanical), her unexpected foray into olympic rifle shooting, and why we should put farmers at the top of the food chain.

Enjoy this conversation with a big-picture food-systems thinker and down-to-earth proponent of simple pleasures.

SHOW NOTES

Carolyn’s accidental olympic rifle shooting career.
Why she rebelled against conventional farming.
Her 20 year journey back to farming.
The on/off-farm income balancing act.
Why she follows fulfillment, not financial rewards.
A call to end the cycle of undervaluing farmers.
Noticing that our children emulate our values.
How farming systems are reverting back to pre 1950’s practices where we encourage diversity and seasonal observation.
How adversity builds character.
Why we need our tribe to stay on course.
How to raise changemaking kids.
The pitfalls of being puritanical about organic farming.
How the industrial mentality of incessant production and high yields is hurting farmers.
Why our financial system thwarts our ability to be nimble with nature.
Her no-rule Sundays.
The value of seasonal connection.
Empowering our children to call out racism, sexism, culturalism.
Thinking further back than our colonial roots.
Why we should be supporting farmers, not eaters.
Has community evolved as a concept? Can we still create the tight-knit communities of yesteryear?
Why we can’t forget that nature is in control.
Her advice to “start early - it’s a long road and you need the right people.”
Her experience of supportive-yet-stifling rural communities.
Is tourism good for communities?

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Barossa Coop
ORICoop
Prom Coast Food Collective
CERES

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

A woman with generosity in spades, Sophie Hansen has turned her background in publishing into a force for good.

For the last decade, she’s been plating up important messages about slow living, local produce and reverence for farmers (disguised as lip smacking seasonal recipes) on her exceedingly popular blog: Local Is Lovely.

Sophie takes us backstage to life on a deer farm, her city-to-rural transition, raising contented kids, sharing with abandon and letting her love of great food take her in all manner of delicious directions.

This chat is satisfying listening for anyone who thinks a better world starts with the simple act of coming together over food.

SHOW NOTES

How she nearly ended up as a news journalist before getting distracted by food.
What she learned at Australian Table magazine.
Her Slow Food internship in Italy.
Why and how she started Local Is Lovely after moving to rural NSW and craving a creative outlet.
How she turned her existing skills into a career that fit her life.
The beauty of an unpredictable life path.
The launch of her third cookbook.
Trusting your path when venturing out as a freelancer.
Managing imposter syndrome.
Her 'Rules of Engagement' for social media.
Why diversifying her freelance work means spreading risk.
Her approach to kids: helping them stay curious, open minded and confident to ask the hard questions.
Her early bird daily rhythm and preferred work schedule.
Balancing living generously without running out of time.
The importance of putting down the smart phone.
Life on her community-filled country lane.
Why she oscillates between sheer panic and the realisation she's doing her best.
Her advice to take baby steps and start by thinking about where your food comes from.
The value of making a fuss at meal times.
Why to make an effort to create daily rituals.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Recipe & Food Inspo:
Michael Pollan
Midnight Chicken - Ella Risbridger
Nigel Slater
Nigella Lawson
Diana Henry
Podcasts:
The High Low
The Daily - NTY
Radio Cherry Bombe
7AM
Desert Island Discs
Instagram favourites:
@sue_singingmagpicproduce
@anjadunk

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

It’s time to get outside and reconnect, rewild and ignite a love of the outdoors in our little people. In fact, this shortie is bursting with fun and creative ideas for all ages!

Jade and Catie plate up simple acts and rituals (decorating the dinner table with found objects or making scarecrows, anyone?) to touch and be touched by the seasons. Perfect school holiday fodder.

SHOW NOTES

Why rewild our kids?
Activities for dextrous little fingers like seed saving and food harvesting.
How to make a kids’ nature kit.
The value of self-guided activities.
The allure of scarecrows for big and little people.
Activities that speak to the season and connect you to the here and now.
The importance of letting kids free range in their own time, in their own way.
Why being a grown-up nature enthusiast will transmit to your kids.
Parenting with a long rope.
Should we let children extend their own boundaries?
How do you balance risk and worry?
Getting to know and trust in your kids’ abilities.
Letting kids connect to their own needs, surroundings and abilities.
Making bee hotels.
Reframing winter as a magic time to be outside.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Your Wild Imagination - Brooke Davis
The Continuum Concept - Jean Liedloff

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

The Continuum Concept

Get around this conversation with Naomi Hogan; National Coordinator of Lock The Gate Alliance and Certified Badass.

Naomi hangs out on the frontline of climate instability and concern over the expansion of coal and fracking projects - and makes a ruckus.

She has worked tirelessly with regional communities, Traditional Owners and farming groups across Australia to shine a light on inappropriate mining practices and thwart corporate greed. As a result, millions of hectares of Australian land have been spared from gas expansion and drilling.

Despite the magnitude of her long-standing commitments, she's a lighthearted, level-headed and hopeful human who will bring ample solidarity and sustenance to your eardrums. Get inspired.

SHOW NOTES

Her awkward-but-committed younger self, and growing into her sense of social justice and ecological responsibility.
Why building the right network is key to empowerment and creative changemaking.
Why to seek out a community with a clear vision and purpose that everyone can work together towards.
Why dogma doesn’t serve her.
The tradeoff between pursuing activism and living in a tiny city apartment.
Getting comfortable with life’s chapters and not having it all.
How variations in tackling The Big Issues are vital for spreading the load and appealing to different audiences.
Her sense of urgency vs. being part of a huge global team working together; noone has to shoulder it alone.
The importance of switching off from relentless effort.
How time outside balances her inside-centric chapter.
How the virtual world can support connection with far flung communities.
Her childhood as an airforce kid who moved a lot; accustomed to new places, new communities and finding beauty in those new places.
How being connected to her purpose has allowed her to connect with others who share her values.
Her vision for a future where we do more with less and have time to prioritise family, health, taking care of each other and revaluing farmers.
Simplicity made sexy.
Why she has deliberately scaled back: finances, no car and second hand clothes.
The allure of returning to a life where you work for money, not passion.
The simple action of finding one other person, then two, then 10, to share, learn, debate and grow with, fostering better ideas and confidence to take little steps - which become bigger over time.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Lock The Gate Alliance
Naomi's Twitter
Fractured Country: An Unconventional Invasion [documentary]
The Bentley Effect [documentary]

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Do we need a little more faith in agriculture?

This week we chat to Sallie Jones, cofounder of farmer-owned Gippsland Jersey, about how her faith helps her do good stuff in the world - without a crippling fear of failure.

And we reckon there's something in that, considering her immense achievements.

You'll learn so much from this champion for dairy farmers, cheerleader for responsible land management, extraordinary businesswoman and mother of three; not least of which, how to live a little more hopefully.

Sallie shares her gut-wrenching story of family loss, why we need to talk about mental health on farms (and everywhere for that matter), and offers wise advice for a simpler, more spiritual life; essential listening for anyone who feels a little isolated in striving for a better future (regardless of your belief system).

Note: This was recorded at the beginning of April 2020.

SHOW NOTES

Why not starting school until Grade Six offered her an unconventional - and rather free - way of thinking.
Why and how to side-step helicopter parenting.
The value of relying on a wide network of people with varying skills.
How story telling and her Dad's reputation have been core to Gippsland Jersey's success.
The importance of keeping it real!
Her experience of the raw milk movement.
How families experience grief in unique ways.
Her fundamental trust in her faith.
Why leaps of faith require immense courage.
Why the gut never lies (and can be relied upon as the right needle for all situations).
Why she's a fan of paths-of-less-resistance rather than being relentless.
Why community is central to her reason for being.
How she stays empathetic without burning out.
The importance of perspective to balanced life.
Why kindness and giving is good for everyone.
Her sense of place as white settlers.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Gippsland Jersey website
Gippsland Jersey Insta

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If you've ever dreamed of trying your hand at farming (or other earthy project), programs like WWOOF could be for you.

In return for your time and energy, WWOOFing hosts offer accomodation, vittles and wisdom - sidestepping cash and capitalising on pure human exchange.

Like a smorgasbord of life’s options, WWOOF (or HelpX or Workaway) represent the perfect way to meet new folks, test drive a vast array of lifestyles and get enmeshed in the lives of others quickly and meaningfully. You'll make friends, learn new skills, live like a local, broaden your worldview and travel at very low cost.

As you can guess, Jade and Catie are both big fans of this exchange and bring you 20 minutes of lived experience, from both the host's and helper's perspective.

We hope that if you haven't already, you'll place a farm exchange on your to-do list: young or old, with or without a family, you can gain so much for stepping boldly into the agricultural unknown, getting front row seats to our food system and first hand-experience in the soil.

SHOW NOTES

Catie's volunteering rite-of-passage.
WWOOFing as a wonderful way to cram diversity into your life.
Avoiding tourist traps and getting a VIP pass to real life.
Why to relish the experience - even it's a little uncomfortable. It's about the story.
How it works as a host: the day in/day out routine.
How it encourages cultural sharing, illuminating how humans and communities are shaped.
How it creates a mini-village, with many hands participating in daily life.
The importance of vetting - for both volunteers and hosts.
Why having an open mind and acceptance of the unknown is critical.
Why to always pack warm and dirt-proof clothes!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

WWOOF Australia
HelpX
Workaway

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Kirsten Bradley has dedicated the last 13 years (in cahoots with partner Nick Ritar and a host of thinkers and doers) to helping people learn permaculture skills for living like it matters.

We’re referring to Milkwood, of course. And today we get a backstage pass to the brain of its co-creator; a joyous conversation indeed.

Kirsten has a knack for distilling big ideas into bite size words of wisdom, bringing decades of lived experience to our cuppa-tea-with-a-mate interview that will leave you feeling affirmed and hopeful.

She shares her trajectory from inner-city artist to iconic permaculture educator, author and champion of back-to-basics living. Her thoughts on long-term renting, community sufficiency, ways of stewarding land (that don’t necessarily involve buying a massive property), how to bypass hypocrisy and why to get comfy with shades of grey.

Post-episode, you’ll probably want to knock on your neighbour’s door and offer them surplus garden greens - because, according to Kirsten, community connection is the bedrock of a better life (and planet). Listen, absorb, enjoy.

SHOW NOTES

Living in Tassie - autonomy and community sufficiency.
Insights from their trials of different ways of living (including family farming, community living, homesteading, share houses).
Where and how their shift from inner city artists to sharers of skills came about
Alternative ways to steward land (other than ownership)
Actions to consider now foro a better future: 1. Growing food, anywhere/anyhow. 2. Community involvement - get enmeshed, get involved. 3. Figure out your greatest skills and what you can contribute to and learn from your community.
Reframing life towards what matters
Why helping people reclaim lost skills is the most incredible life path she could have chosen.
Bypassing the guilt of hypocrisy and embracing good habits.
The value of seeking out ‘wild spaces’.
Why getting to know your ecosystem is fundamental to living a good life (your watershed, the First Nations title for the land you reside on, your climate, your seasons)
The evolution of thought and practical outcomes which has come from living in different environments and communities.
Accepting shades of grey over black and white.
Stepping past the one family/one house concept.
The tension between tenancy, tenure, community values, land use/management and ownership.
How disasters crystallise community bedrock.
Why they'd rather steward less land, not more.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Rebecca Solnit - “Hope In The Dark”
Melliodora Publishing
Milkwood - Real Skills for Down-To-Earth Living

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

“Adventure doesn’t require new places. It can be cultivated by exploring our immediate lives with greater curiosity.”

Should we try to lead virtuous, principled lives… or do what feels good?

Beau Miles makes a strong case for taking ourselves a little less seriously and having a lot more local fun.

This backyard adventurer and wildly popular filmmaker (most often found up a tree, running a midnight marathon or eating his bodyweight in beans) reckons he doesn’t know much about anything.

But beneath the self-deprecation, Beau is a wealth of ecological wisdom and a master storyteller, taking us right to the heart of what really matters in life.

Get into this philosophical, tangential, slightly mad and marvellously contrarian conversation - then get out there.

SHOW NOTES

The beauty of honing your powers of observation and the necessity of coffee.
Building a seasonal map.
Why it's important to have a personal relationship with the landscape.
The value of seeking knowledge from places outside your comfort zone.
Autoethnography as a valuable avenue for knowledge seeking and sharing.
The liberation of going back to basics.
The importance of knowing our own strengths, and respecting the strengths of others.
How to reconnect to our latent understanding of the land.
The art of reigning in intensity to maintain sustainability.
Why to push boundaries and be comfortable in your own skin.
Getting off your high horse.
Why fear of death is a fundamental human driver.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Beau Miles on YouTube
Beau Miles online
Gaia Theory - James Lovelock
Tim Winton - Author

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Together, we’ve got this.

But we’ve also gotta make it happen, grabbing the moment by the short n curlys and becoming everyday changemakers.

This week we break our own rules of sticking to 20 minutes and blow out to 40. But we think it’s worth it, and hope there are ideas within that pique your curiosity and propel you to action.

We yak about a stack of ways to make change that each and every one of us can bring to fruition pretty much immediately. All simple, doable, impactful.

Again, we apologise for the odd audio crackle. This pod-via-distance thing isn’t ideal but we’ll get the band back together as soon as we can! Thanks for understanding.

SHOW NOTESWhat can you change? Here are 20 easy-as ideas (for people who like lists)

Divest your superannuation away from coal industry supportive funds.
Join your local food co op & continue to actively participate (being willing to roll with the inconvenience of things sometimes being unavailable).
Stop using single use plastic.
Grow your own food and swap what you can't grow.
Make your own presents.
Buy less shit.
Drive less (“do I really need to go into town?”)
Always think local: holidays, presents, food.
Reframe 'luxury' as drinking fresh milk not visiting a spa.
Go slow: play with your kids, grow from seed, swim in rivers, make from scratch, draw, nana nap, write letters not emails, cloud watch, picnic, hand water.
Write to leaders demanding change: local, state & federal.
Teach your kids to be practical not digital: build, grow, create, learn.
Really live in the season: food, activities, clothing,
Connect more deeply with the natural world: seasonality, camping, bushwalking, river swims, bare feet.
Support the second hand economy .
Celebrate simple: actively seek simplicity over complexity
Share your knowledge: seek skills from the elderly and teach children your skills.
Redesign your house renovation to be smaller: less is more
Veto your work: actively seek projects that align with your beliefs
Commit to & value a home based life

LINKS

To watch: War On Waste

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Maybe you’ve done this before: typed into Google, “Where can I buy glass bottle milk?” or “What local butchers will accept my battered tupperware?”. If you have, it’s likely you’ve stumbled upon The Rogue Ginger.

Erin Rhoads is a proud red head whose simple question, “Why is the world filled with plastic?”, changed the course of her life.

Since 2013, this down-to-earth mum from Melbourne has been blogging about how to reduce plastic and waste, and live a more eco-friendly existence. On her website you’ll find years worth of zero-waste resources, amazingly curated lists on where to shop waste-free and wildly practical information about making the change - with a notable absence of dogma.

Our conversation with Erin goes beyond waste reduction to encompass the psychology of change, on-boarding friends and family with your belief system (or not), localism vs. globalism and what true wealth looks like.

It’s a laid back, tea-with-a-friend style chat that’ll leave you with a warm sense of solidarity - and renewed enthusiasm for making positive change.

SHOW NOTES

Erin highlights the importance of sharing our stories of joy and contradictions while we embark on change - so it doesn't feel impossible for others to follow.
Finding ways to create uplifting and engaging challenges for individuals (rather than dutiful misery).
As consumers, our voices are loud. Erin gives us ideas for sharing our thoughts about how companies can do better (in ways that are actually effective).
Practical ideas for actioning your beliefs.
The merits of Localism vs. Globalism.
Why it’s worth developing a sense of obligation within our communities to bring about lasting change.
How giving people tools (particularly kids) is a great way to engender hope and positive action: food growing, seed saving, fire lighting and cooking are as important as maths.
Connecting with your local council is a great starting point for blossoming changemakers.
Why it’s time for communities to lead rather than waiting for governments to fill the gap.
Have Australians ever faced real challenges collectively? This might impact our understanding (and appreciation) of community initiatives.
The power of third parties like films, music, books and docos when trying to influence change in friends.
How life as a new mother opened up a can of worms on her plastic-free mission.
Ideas for overcoming the cyclical phases of new initiatives that sees initial traction followed by a dip in interest and engagement.
‘Gamification’ as a possible way to incentivise community engagement.
The value of initiatives that are easy to set up and participate in - but have far-reaching outcomes such as nature strip gardens and free food pantries.

LINKS

ABC’s War on Waste
Plastic Free July
The Clean Bin Project [documentary]
An Inconvenient Truth [documentary]
Bag It [documentary]
“How to save the world” - Katie Patrick

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

It's another Shortie with Jade and Catie!

This week, we plate up an assortment of our favourite books, films and thinkers.

In the spirit of sharing life-changing and mind-altering resources (books > drugs), we chat about our bibles of regenerative living, homesteading, futuresteading, farming and thinking - that we reckon you'll love, too.

Oh, and having a buddy to read along with is a powerful way to absorb and discuss the merits of new knowledge, solidify it, and develop a shared mental library.

The audio is a little scratchy in parts thanks to recording in two separate locations, but we know you'll understand! Social distancing and all that.

And one book we didn't mention - which was totally remiss but rectifiable right here, right now - is “The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction To Natural Farming" by Masanobu Fukuoka. It's a foundational must-read for anyone wanting to live like tomorrow matters. It teaches you to think. Not what to think but to think in the first place, and that's a bloody grand spot to begin.

Find links below to everything mentioned. We’d love to hear your favourite resources over on Insta or Facebook.

GET YOUR TEETH INTO:

Charles Eisenstein - Author, Speaker, Thinker (Catie's faves: "Climate - A New Story" and "The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible")
David Fleming - Author (in particular, “Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy”)
Grown & Gathered - Matt & Lentil Purbrick
The Village - Matt & Lentil Purbrick
Milkwood : Real Skills for Down to Earth Living - Kirsten Bradley and Nick Rittar
Low Tox Life - Alexx Stuart
The Biggest Estate on Earth - Bill Gammage
Dark Emu - Bruce Pascoe
Doctor Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World - Mudrooroo Nyoongah
The Holistic Orchard - Michael Phillips
Mycorrhizal Planet - Michael Phillips
The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier
The Bio Integrated Farm - Shawn Jadrnicek
Chelsea Green Publishing - Facebook and Website
The Soil and Health - Sir Albert Howard
The Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan
Retrosuburb

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If you've never met a Perma Pixie, prepare to be delighted.

Taj, aka. The Perma Pixie, is bringing a little old school witchcraft and spades of permaculture wisdom to Melbourne - and now, to you.

This chick beats to a drum of ‘reciprocity’, a philosophy that acknowledges that we’re part of a cycle that should give as much as it takes.

She’s been delivering permaculture education courses for over a decade (not bad for a young sprout!) and has recently started clinical work as a qualified herbalist. Social patterns and interactions are her greatest love, equal to her fascination with plants and their healing capacity.

This conversation is a must for anyone interested in natural medicine, staying grounded in the fray, the freedoms - and struggles - of running a small business, how to balance impassioned action with self care, and how to be regenerative within a culture programmed to run us dry.

Her deeply felt connection to the seasons, and life steeped in reciprocity and relationship, will either resonate deeply or sow seeds in the garden of your mind.

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES

How her early ADHD diagnosis encouraged her to seek calm in the natural world.
Taking a circular approach to living in reciprocity with nature.
The power of seasonal acknowledgement; combining the ‘doing’ with the ‘sensing’.
Having the courage to trust your instincts to follow the path of the heart.
Finding balance in the juxtaposition of being an anti-capitalist while running a small business.
Reframing financial stability.
How being an extrovert has enabled her to build a network of nourishers.
Ways to create nurturing community hubs and nodes, which in turn create valid community connection.
Why it's worth summoning the gumption to talk to total strangers and be open to spontaneous interactions.
The fundamental need to have a relationship with our own bodies to take ownership and responsibility of our most important asset - and avoid being a ‘baseline’ human.
Actively avoiding a sedentary body and mind.
Her permaculture and herbal medicine journey - and how it led her to the plants which nourish her.
Why a world filled with sharing is better than a life lived alone.
How she calms the voice urging her to "do more".
Finding balance as a one-woman show when her greatest desire is to be outside - not behind a screen.
Why to do a "needs analysis": What are your needs and what can you offer?
Why relationships are what fundamentally give her hope.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Website: The Perma Pixie/Insta: @thepermapixie
Visit: CERES Community Environment Park
Movie: The Craft

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

What are your moments of joy? What makes you feel at home? Where's the "best" place to live with respect for the future?

Join Jade and Catie for a Futuresteading Shortie: a bite-sized convo where we share our everyday moments of joy, why to put roots down, what makes us guffaw and where the "best" place to live really is.

This wee episode is the perfect accompaniment to pulling weeds, shelling walnuts, wandering up the street or sunning your legs on the verandah.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

If you’re looking for reasons to be hopeful, this conversation with Brenna Quinlan will provide a lifetime’s worth.

You probably know her as “that permaculture illustrator” - and boy, can she communicate complex environmental and social ideas with a few deft flicks of her paintbrush!

But did you know that Brenna is also a brilliant thinker, permaculture educator and tiny-hut-dwelling resident of Melliodora?

Yep. Brenna is a breath of fresh air and optimism, with oodles (of positive stuff!) to share about where humanity’s headed - and how we can make the transition altogether more joyful.

Listen in. Smile big. Draw a (hopeful) picture.

SHOW NOTES

Brenna’s early love of art and “crashing” adult art classes.
Her story of riding across the Americans in her early 20s, learning about farming and community.
How she was “the right sized piece of the puzzle” when she fell into illustrating Retrosuburbia... and making creativity her career.
Why she didn't stress about "using her uni degrees" and instead let creativity and opportunities germinate where they may.
How and why to be part of a greater movement, rather than going it alone.
The importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
Her simple daily rituals and joyful pleasures featuring: goats, uphill bike rides, library books.
Why cycles of day and night, the seasons and and end-of-day gratitude practice are essential parts of her existence.
Why ‘alternative living’ is an opportunity to connect more with others, rather than persisting with unfettered individualism (the death of community?).
How her life at Mellidora works: rent for work exchange, living alongside others, zero waste, a permie bubble.
Why taking a leap of faith into a different life = nothing to lose.
How she channels her environmental grief into positive forward motion.
How to find what makes you come alive - and go for it!

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

Website: Brenna Quinlan @brenna_quinlan
Book:Retrosuburbia: The Downshifters Guide to a Resilient Future- David Holmgren
Book: On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal - Naomi Klein

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Listen to our elders. Listen to the earth. That’s what Rebecca Sullivan aka. Granny Skills urges us all to do.

This fast-paced conversation delves into Rebecca's commitment to local food systems, regenerative agriculture and Warndu, the Indigenous food farm and educational business she concocted with her hubby in South Australia's North West.

With a son on the way, Rebecca shares how she plans to help him - and all youngsters - avoid eco-anxiety: listen, ask questions, act without fear and always be kind - to yourself, to others, to mother earth.

We reckon you’ll love this mama-to-be, regen farmer and food educator’s sound advice, vast experience, incredible life story and infinite warmth just as much as we did.

Let’s hear it for Granny Skills!

SHOW NOTES

Rebecca chats about her formative years, early entrepreneurship and audacity to sell tampons to Santa Claus.
How she came to appreciate the influence and importance of our elders.
Her experience of tree and soil farming, and hopes to leave a land legacy.
How she strikes a balance between urgency and legacy in her work.
Her approach to being an ambassador (i.e not selling out to get free shit)
How she’s slowly learning to build daily rituals.
Why the seasons scare her.
How she brings people on her journey.
How we can build more native food forests.
How she’s taken her brand Warndu, an Australian native plant food business, to the world - as a white girl.
How to redefine success by listening and adapting to the bigger power out there.
Why her contribution to society is valid and important - everyone’s is!
The importance of embracing failure.
How to find pleasure in the simplest of things.
Letting joy come from lessons learned.
How to manage eco anxiety to ensure we can still feel hope.
Helping people break habits and form better ones.
Why food is a powerful tool to discover more about Aboriginal culture.
The power of childlike curiosity, asking questions and listening.

LINKS YOU'll LOVE

Rebecca Sullivan
Books: “The art of Natural Beauty”, “The art of Natural Cleaning”, “The art of herbs for health”, “The art of edible flowers", “Warndu Mai, Good Food”
Insta: Granny Skills + Warndu

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

It’s never too late to start farming.

This week, Sadie Chrestman from Fat Pig Farm shares her story of moving to Tassie with partner Matthew Evans to start a new, rural life - in her forties.

We ask her what it’s like being ‘that famous treechanger’, why she’s obsessed with the soil, about her pledge to drink tea with strangers, and how she discovered her dream job aged 50.

Her humble, level-headed wisdom is the antidote to overwhelm and an inspiration for anyone wanting to radically change their life - one pig at a time.

SHOW NOTES

Sadie’s unconventional childhood in India and Indonesia.
How do we acknowledge and act on our privilege?
The impacts of COVID-19 on Fat Pig Farm’s long table lunches.
Pros and cons of homesteading (in the time of COVD-19).
Why you can’t isolate yourself from your community (even if you’re pursuing self-sufficiency).
Has the concept of community evolved in the last 20 years? What is Sadie’s experience of community in Tasmania?
Why it’s OK not to get along with all of your neighbours.
Why to knock on your neighbour’s door and say hello - even if you live in the city.
How to stop worrying so much about what people think.
Social media as a tool for business and advocacy, rather than a bare-all window into life.
The beauty of finding something in common with a complete stranger.
Sadie’s pledge to connect at the school bus stop.
Simple moments of joy on the farm.
Why she revels in her role as head gardener (without a degree in horticulture!).
Why growing food and replenishing the soil helps reassure her in a time of climate emergency.
How the Powers That Be have shifted the blame onto the individual - rather than acknowledging the bigger picture.
Sadie’s moments of hypocrisy.
Sadie’s op-shop gardening attire.
How you can generate your own sense of place - even if you’re a long way from home.
Words of encouragement for first generation or “older” farmers.
How they started small and grew organically - rather than diving in headfirst.
The simple ways we can all begin a transitional path to a better tomorrow.
Has Sadie ever doubted the path she’s on?
How cooking someone a meal constitutes profound human kindness.
The beauty (and phases) of vulnerability.
Sadie’s one piece of advice for a better tomorrow.

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Good Life: What Makes A Life Worth Living? - Hugh Mackay,
Farming Democracy - Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance
On Eating Meat; The Real Food Companion; The Dirty Chef; The Commons - Matthew Evans
Gourmet Farmer - SBS Series
Fat Pig Farm + @fatpigfarm

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)

Grab a hot brew and sit down with hosts Jade and Catie for a short, sweet and personal conversation.

We share who we are, what we believe in, what the heck “Futuresteading” means - as well as some juicy series spoilers.

Pleased to meet you!

SHOW NOTES

Who are Jade & Catie?
What is Futuresteading?
What perspectives will we each bring to the podcast series?
Key emerging themes of the Futuresteading podcast series one, like community, upbringing, living with less, redefining success, cultural shift, what it is to be human, how to just do something, how to bring change by showing - not badgering.

LINKS YOU'll LOVE

Framework: Holistic Decision Making with Dan Palmer
Pod: Making Permaculture Stronger - Dan Palmer
Pod: Team Human - David Rushkoff
Film: 2040 - David Gameau

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/futuresteading)