Mark Shepard - Restoration Agriculture (Part 2)

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My guest for this episode is Mark Shepard, owner of New Forest Farm and author of Restoration Agriculture. This is the second of three pieces that Mark and I recorded together to talk about Restoration Agricultural practices and to answer listener questions. In this episode we discuss four topics based around listener questions.

1. Mark’s nursery techniques.
2. Grafting vs. Seeding.
3. What tools and infrastructure are needed to start a nursery project?
4. How Mr. Shepard markets his tree crops locally or otherwise.

We also discuss the importance for each of us, that means you and me, to be growing, selecting, and breeding our own plants from seed. To make this easier Mark shares his STUN method of seeing what plants are best. What does STUN stand for? Sheer Total Utter Neglect. After listening to this episode, even if you don’t have a green thumb, there’s no reason to not be playing with plants on a variety of scales. Here is another discussion about how to bring profit and entrepreneurship into permaculture. It is something I continue to work on and struggle with at times, but it is something we can do. As Mark said, we do this and then ask other systems to try and keep up with us as we create a better world now and for the future. This is not a game or something we play at, but real work to make a difference. We can do it. To support that, I have some interviews that will come out over the coming months with people like Ethan Roland to discuss the Eight Forms of Capital and Regenerative Enterprise and how we can apply permaculture to business. Then Carol Sanford joins me to discuss how we can apply business to permaculture, find the essence of our entrepreneurial work, and grow what it is we are doing to bring functional permaculture models into the mainstream.

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Going on the Road:

The show is going on the road so that I can go report on events of interest to the growing movements to build a better world, and to continue to spread the word of this wonderful system of design we call Permaculture.

Next up I’ll be going to CHABA-Con, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on October 11th, 2014 where Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute will be the keynote speaker for a day of lectures, discussions, and tours on how to transform the world we live in.

The last of the currently planned trips is to Roanoke, Virginia, from October 20th-22nd, interviewing farmers and local permaculture practitioners. I am also delivering a presentation, “Permaculture: Creating a Better World by Design” on 630PM on October 21st, 2014, at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op at Grandin Village. If you’re in the area I’d love to see you there or at any of these other events.

Contact: The Permaculture Podcast

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