About this episode

The episode explores how permaculture and ideological diversity are reshaping food production and community resilience.

How patient design and ideological diversity are reshaping food production Ashley sits down with Ryan Blosser and Trevor Piersol, co-founders of Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and authors of Mulberries in the Rain, to explore permaculture beyond the stereotype of backyard herb spirals. We discuss what sets permaculture apart from regenerative agriculture, the evolving demographics of people drawn to food production, and how ideological diversity from left-wing environmentalists to conservative land stewards strengthens the movement. We dive into the practicalities of perennial systems, why comfrey matters more than you might think, and the often-overlooked messiness of annual vegetable farming. Ryan and Trevor challenge permaculture dogma around native plants and invasive species, sharing our own experiences with bamboo and autumn olive. We also discuss Ryan's innovative farm-based education program that integrates Virginia's K-12 curriculum standards with food production and how it's showing promising results for student achievement while producing thousands of pounds of organic food for the community. As the discussion turns philosophical, we explore what "doomer…

People in this episode

Host: Ashley

Guests: Ryan Blosser, Trevor Piersol

Topics covered

• permaculture
• food systems
• sustainable living
• ideological diversity
• education
• community resilience

Keywords

• permaculture
• food production
• sustainable agriculture
• community resilience
• education
• organic food

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shenandoah Permaculture Institute

Books & works: Mulberries in the Rain

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