
Location:
United States
Genres:
Science Podcasts
Description:
Caring for Earth, Ourselves, and Each Other.
Language:
English
Episodes
Designing a Design Process
2/8/2026
This episode is based on a question I received asking:
What is your design process? (site analysis, implementation, and how you approach a design)
Based on this, I walk through the three phases my design process has evolved through over time: 1. Collecting Everything 2. Refining Focus 3. Educating Clients
Duration:00:08:22
The Hard Work of Permaculture is Boring
11/27/2025
In this episode, I talk about something that we don’t address enough: the hard work of Permaculture is boring. It’s not heroic. It doesn’t make for a great YouTube short or video to add to your story. The pictures that come out of it are rarely art, or something you’d want to post to Instagram. I hope this episode reminds you why we show up day after day, week after week, for the small, routine tasks of permaculture. If you found this helpful, share it with a friend who might be struggling on their journey right now, so it can be a bit of encouragement to keep going, even when it’s tedious.
Until the next time, spend each day showing up and putting in the work, as you care for Earth, yourself, and each other.
Duration:00:05:29
Update: We Bought a House in Cleveland
11/13/2025
An update with a bit of big news: we found, made a winning offer on a house in Cleveland, Ohio! When I decided to relaunch the show, I knew it was going to be a rollercoaster-like adventure, with possible delays, ups, downs, and time spent waiting. Thank you for your patience while we move our lives across state lines. Once the dust settles, things are shaping up to bring you new stories, experiments, and voices, from Cleveland, from Ohio, and from around the world. And if you have ideas for what we should tackle first, I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email: show@thepermaculturepodcast.com or visit thepermaculturepodcast.com, click on contact, and send me a message there. Until the next time, spend each day exploring, enjoying, and building your local community, while taking care of Earth, your self, and each other.
Duration:00:03:47
Q&A: Beginner Mistakes (#1)
10/28/2025
Today, I want to talk about another question from Owen: "What are some common mistakes beginners make in permaculture design, and how can they be avoided?"
The thoughts shared in this episode are only one perspecitve, my own. I'd love to hear other ideas on the need to slow down when practicing permaculture, so reach out if you'd like to share how you would do things differently. Text: 717-827-6266 Send me an email: show@thepermaculturepodcast.com Or stop by thepermaculturepodcast.com, click on Contact, and send me a direct message.
Duration:00:04:38
Moving to a New City
10/16/2025
My family and I are in the process of finding a house in a new city, which will bring a new future for us and the show. Listen to find out more about where we're going and what this means for The Permaculture Podcast.
Duration:00:05:02
Q&A: Putting a Permaculture System to Rest for Winter
10/6/2025
Today's question comes from Owen:
What does it look like to put a permaculture garden to bed for the winter? Mulching / tilling / planting cover crops / none of the above / something else?
Duration:00:08:49
Q&A: Growing a Whole Nutrition Landscape
9/30/2025
The question for this episode is from Geoff:
I'd love to hear your thoughts about how homestead sites can create a "whole nutrition" landscape with permaculture.
What I mean, is that a "healthy balanced diet" typically includes sources for necessary nutrients, calories, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates/starches, etc. Growing the leafy greens, berries, fruit, vegetables is all very well and good -- but if we are seeking to create a 'whole nutrition' landscape, we need to re-evaluate how much area in the gardens are devoted to tubers/roots and protein sources like nuts (hazelnuts) or seeds (sunflower, serviceberry seeds) versus the more typical perennial greens. Ie Maybe way larger portions of the landscape should be devoted to tubers and fast-growing nuts/seeds than is typically seen in Permaculture Designs, for instance for PDC courses?!
Recommended reading to accompany this episode:
Gardening When It Counts by Steve Solomon
Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé
Recipes for a Small Planet by Ellen Buchman Ewald
Duration:00:07:56
Q&A: Bushcrafting - Books for Beginners
8/18/2025
In this episode are resources you can use to learn more about building shelters, creating cordage, creating your first everyday carry, foraging for food, elevating that food to cuisine, and the basics of first-aid if you're ever on your own or with a small group far away from a clinic or hospital. These skills also form the basis for building, or rebuilding, our communities in times of decline or disaster.
My First Bushcrafting Book, Bushcraft by Richard Graves (Thriftbooks): https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/bushcraft-a-serious-guide-to-survival-and-camping_richard-h-graves/279713/item/1100554/
Stop the Bleed Online Class: https://www.stopthebleed.org/get-trained/online-course/ Where to Buy a C-A-T Tourniquet: https://www.narescue.com/combat-application-tourniquet-c-a-t.html Interviews With Sam Thayer (2013): https://thepermaculturepodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-1345-foraging-with-sam-thayer/ Sara Bir (2018): https://thepermaculturepodcast.podbean.com/e/1822-the-fruit-forager-s-companion/ Dina Falconi: https://thepermaculturepodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-1516-foraging-and-feasting-with-dina-falconi/ Pascal Baudar (2016) - The New Wildcrafted Cuisine: https://thepermaculturepodcast.podbean.com/e/1625-the-new-wildcrafted-cuisine-with-pascal-baudar/ Pascal Baudar (2018) - The Wildcrafting Brewer: https://thepermaculturepodcast.podbean.com/e/1825-the-wildcrafting-brewer-with-pascal-baudar/
Duration:00:07:34
What to do when the world is on fire
7/21/2025
Thoughts from a conversation with my friend Nathan, on how we can act in a world on fire, when we know we're not able to protest or be in the streets. Question: What causes and organizations do you support with your time and resources?
Duration:00:05:30
Designing Out the Designer
7/14/2025
A response to Geoff's comment about designing out the designer, from my recent episode about my design process. What I'm Reading: People and Permaculture What I'm Listening To (Music Video): Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads
Getting to Know One Another: What song(s) or musical artist(s) defined your life, now or when you were growing up?
Duration:00:07:26
Q&A: Client-Centered Design
6/16/2025
In the first of the new, Q&A episodes, Owen asks: "What is your design process? (site analysis, implementation, and how you approach a design)"
Duration:00:13:52
Holistic Management with Allan Savory
5/16/2025
If you’re new to the world of permaculture, you may not be familiar with the work of Dan Palmer, who passed away in 2022, as his website and podcast don’t circulate or get mentioned as often as they used to. His website, makingpermaculturestronger.net, is still available, where you can explore his archives. I recommend taking the time to do so, as it’s worth the journey. It’s because of Dan, as the host of this episode, that I reshare this interview. With his gentle nature, his desire to go deeper into what made design and implementation more effective, and how he synthesized all that knowledge into something actionable, Dan was a positive voice for change to so many, including myself. Enjoy this interview, originally released in 2020.
Support the Show
patreon.com/permaculturepodcast paypal.me/permaculturepodcastthepermaculturepodcast.com/meandering
Duration:01:19:00
The Permaculture Podcast is Back!
5/12/2025
The world is on fire and needs us, all of us, to care and show up. Each of us needs permaculture, so here I am, back at it again, sharing more from beneath this big, beautiful umbrella of philosophy, design, and implementation.
In this episode, I share a bit about where things are at, what the show will look like moving forward, and what to expect from here. Support the Show
patreon.com/permaculturepodcast paypal.me/permaculturepodcastthepermaculturepodcast.com/meandering Contact the Show
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this episode, have ideas for types of episodes to try, questions I can answer on air, or want to contact me about a potential collaboration, you can reach me by:
thepermaculturepodcast.comshow@thepermaculturepodcast.com
Duration:00:07:53
Relaunching The Permaculture Podcast?
3/27/2025
Should I relaunch the podcast later this year in a new format? Your opinion matters! Let me know!
Duration:00:01:55
Agroforestry and Food Forests with Byron Birss
8/25/2024
In this episode, Byron Birss speaks with Mary and Andrew as they talk about Byron’s transformation from someone with no knowledge of permaculture or gardening into a professional designer and food forest aficionado in just a few years. Growing up in the United States, Byron moved to New Zealand nearly a decade ago for a change of life that wound up being a life-changing experience.
Resources Backyard Paradise Byron Grows (YouTube) Byron Grows (Instagram)
Larry Santoyo - Exploring Permaculture
Duration:00:48:49
Replay: Annie Raser-Rowland - The Art of Frugal Hedonism
8/19/2024
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Want to listen to more conversations about Permaculture? Browse the extensive archives of the show.
Can you live an enjoyable, self-indulgent life while remaining thrifty and at the same time not overtaxing Earth's resources? To have all of that sounds too good to be true.
If you follow what Annie Raser-Rowland suggested in her book The Art of Frugal Hedonism, however, the answer rings out as a resounding Yes!
Learn More
Duration:00:46:28
Natural Resources Conservation Service with Rebecca Anderson
8/10/2024
Rebecca Anderson joins Mary and Andrew to discuss her work with National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and government body under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Steeped in Permaculture, with a degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management, and time as a Woofer, Rebecca shares what the NRCS provides and what she does in her job to support anyone interested in conserving soil, water, and other natural resources with technical and financial support. As a permaculture practitioner, I recommend listening to this conversation because assistance from NRCS is free and isn’t just for farmers and it’s easy to start the process. All you need to do is contact your local NRCS office.
Resources
Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): Environmental Quality Incentives Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
National Payment Schedules: Payment Schedules | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov). Recommend navigating to individual states and choosing the EQIP link. Definitely overwhelming regarding choices for each practice, which is why working with a local planner is super key.
NRCS Service Center Locator: Service Center Locator | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)
NRCS Solutions for Small-Scale Farms Fact Sheets: Solutions for Small-Scale Farms | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) Additional National Funding Sources
AgWest Farm Credit New Producer Grant: https://agwestfc.com/about/community-engagement/grants/new-producer-grant
American Farmland Trust Brighter Future Fund: https://farmland.org/brighter-future/
Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Programs: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/index
Farm Service Agency Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/noninsured-crop-disaster-assistance/index
National Young Farmer Coalition Young Farmer Program: https://www.youngfarmers.org/young-farmer-grants/
Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants: https://cig.sc.egov.usda.gov/
RAFI FOCN Infrastructure Fund Grants: https://www.rafiusa.org/programs/farmers-of-color-network/farmers-of-color-network-infrastructure-fund-grants/
Rodale BIPOC Famer Micro Grants: https://rodaleinstitute.org/education/bipoc-farmer-micro-grants/
Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program (REAP):Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants | Rural Development (usda.gov)
Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/value-added-producer-grants
USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants: https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/grants
USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Partners for Fish and Wildlife | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)
Additional Washington State Funding Sources
Tilth Organic & Sustainable Farming Grant: https://tilthalliance.org/our-work/wa-farming-agriculture/washington-state-organic-sustainable-farming-fund/
Western WA Food Systems Partnership Project Accelerator: https://wwfsp.org/food-systems-project-accelerator/
Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC) Grant Programs: Grant Programs (wa.gov)
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Farm to School Program: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/farm-to-school/wsda-farm-to-school-program
WSDA Local Infrastructure Grant: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/small-farm/infrastructure-grant. Note: Most states will have a state department of agriculture that funds programs like this whether it’s for infrastructure, beginning farmers, etc.
Duration:00:55:26
Introducing Andrew Tuttle
7/27/2024
In this episode, Andrew Tuttle sits down with Mary Marshall as she draws out his story: what brought him to Permaculture and why this work matters; what he’s up to currently, and what he sees in the months and years ahead. Throughout, we hear his stories, directly, in his own, unique voice. Find out more about Andrew and his design and educational work at EdgePerma.com, and our new community at skool.com/thepermaculturecollective. Listen to his initial interviews on The Permaculture Podcast, sitting with Mary Marshall as his co-host, using the links below. Creating a Permaculture Life and Livelihood with Michael Judd Functional Hedgerows with Jude Hobbs Exploring Global Permaculture with Andrew Millison Inspiration Farm with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King
Duration:01:02:33
Introducing Mary Marshall
7/24/2024
In this episode, Mary Marshall sits down with Andrew Tuttle to talk about her history, what brought her to Permaculture and design, and Mary’s thoughts about the future. Along the way, they share the stories from their time together, over many years, as partners in many aspects of life traveling, living, and creating with one another.
Find out more about Mary and her design work with Andrew at EdgePerma.com, and our new community at skool.com/thepermaculturecollective. Resources Interviews from Mary and Andrew Creating a Permaculture Life and Livelihood with Michael Judd Functional Hedgerows with Jude Hobbs Exploring Global Permaculture with Andrew Millison Inspiration Farm with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King
Duration:00:48:34
Podcast Update: July 2024
7/22/2024
Welcome to the Podcast Update for July 2024. In this episode, I’ll let you know about the future of the show as it currently stands including: - How things are going with the co-hosts Mary and Andrew of Edge Perma. - Plans for new episodes. - Welcoming you to our new, free community. - An update on my personal recovery. Resources The Permaculture Collective Interviews from Mary and Andrew Creating a Permaculture Life and Livelihood with Michael Judd Functional Hedgerows with Jude Hobbs Exploring Global Permaculture with Andrew Millison Inspiration Farm with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King
Duration:00:04:30