Futuresteading

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 NOTESBeing a GondwananGrowing 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 LOVEGrowing FarmersFun Fungi EcologyFungi4Land on InstaSupport the show

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 websiteFood Connect in BrisbaneOpen Food NetworkKirsten and Serenity Futuresteading InterviewTivoli Road BakeryHolistic ManagementRiverina Organics Growers GroupShow us you love us!Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesWhy food production is the avenue to create the most significant environmental changeFinding a way to fit into the family farm as the 2nd generation via a stone mill & farmers marketsGetting people to think about their grain consumption as they do their veggies or fruitVenturing onto their own farm in RutherglenDiversifying & de-risking as part of the succession planMaintaining identity in the succession processBuilding a farm business that is totally collaborative & openly shares knowledgeThe importance of transparency in building a movementThe power of open minded, interactive relationshipsBuilding a business via the lens of socio-political factorsLand ownership & its connection to class & race - privilegeFacing the confronting reality of land ownership on unceded landCSA model for grainsCovid experiences of customer demandsOpen Road ProjectEducation about true cost of food & reconciling the inaccessibility of this realityThe journey of creating a path to market from scratchThe value of putting yourself into things regardless of financial return in the short timeHolistic management Collaborating with community is often an opportunity to connect with land, find joy through connection to others & learn from all that’s around usAcknowledging the slow pace of us as humansHow 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 communityRising early to paint - no excuses, no interruptionsDefining business roles in a small family business Being deliberate about the daily decisions to ensure balanceHow her painting complements her businessBookending the day at the dinner tableSupport the show

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 LoveAcres and Acres in CorryongWendell BerryThe GuardianShow us you love us!Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesConnecting the grass roots regen ag movements with top down politicsThe 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 farceThe fragility of financial deregulations, long global supply chains increasing disease, increased drought - how do we as a sovereign nation reassure ourselves of continued prosperityThe potential for rural policy to create the framework that allows smaller scale and regen practices to thriveThe power of the colonial squatacracyHow do we bring policy reform to ag so it has relevance for smaller scale 7 regen practices to thriveThe potential of utilising the “voices for” movement as a model for local food to growWhy 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 directionThe need for strategic water policy to better support us on the driest continent on earthTalking about water, food and skills while we are in times of abundanceWhere does the role of govt need to stop and allow room for community to pick upThe ongoing debate about why we do not yet have drought policy or food policyRefine what you want to change - get organised and get active in the arena from bottom upThe big secret - we are ALL MAKING IT UPHer slow, gradual, accidental path to being a communicator.Her writing approach - just keep writing, push through the creative barriersThe process of sitting down and ordering your thoughts results in a unique Connecting the systemic dots through political reportingThe history of farming and nature controlThe Connectivity of farming to EVERYTHING ELSEAg and environment are different political portfolios - WTFWe cannot have an economy without an environmentThe need for the economy the environment + the desires of the humans involved in farming to be interacting The need to account for ecological resourcesQuestions the fundamental systemsFinding optimism in the work done by othersHaving faith in humanityConnecting people to spark changeSupport the show

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 inconvenienceCook & eat with family oftenConnect to the seasons of your life & the landscapeCreate & share ceremonyUse food as a reconciliation toolBelonging 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 WoodsKarkala instagramLoved this? Try these:Tyson YunkaportaBilla from the Wild SchoolSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe 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 environmentSocietal lack of connection & belongingImperfect allyship - ok to make mistakes but important to maintain connectionMob 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 onIt’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 jarsBeing a proud cook - not a chefHaving friends apply for masterchef on her behalfDebunking the myth of Australian food being meat pies & sausage rollsAsking what is Australia's cuisine & exploring culture through foodEating foods from our landscape, they belong here, are highly nutritious & are abundantMoving into eldership as wisdom holders - not an age but a readinessWhen you’re taking care of country you're taking care of mob & community tooThe privilege of taking on responsibility for cultural teachingsWhen 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 wayStanding 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"Support the show

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 LoveThe Farmers Wife Helen Rebanks bookThe Sheppard's wife Insta handleLoved this? Try these:Ep 54 Mara from Orto farm Ep 121 Nat Wilmott Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe 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 placeReasons 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 tableTomatoes on toast or scrambled eggs IS DINNERThe 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.Support the show

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 ParkerThe Cottage HerbalistLoved this ep? Try these:Anthea Koullouros Perma PixieSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe 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 bravadoI 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 & confidentDrawing daydream gardensDiscovering you can be a herbalist later in lifeBeing 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 solutionTeaching her patients skills rather than selling them potionsLeading patients to veggie gardens, kimchi pots, community & settled adrenalsWearing fun clothes & sporting dirty fingernails at the same timePicking outfits like her dinner, according to colourAward winning tea blends - making tea since big enough to be trusted with a kettleStarting her tea caravanNot being nostalgicThe importance of being connected to peopleStop moving the goal posts without appreciating what you've achievedSupport the show

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 &exist 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 LoveAny Human Power - Manda ScottAccidental Gods - Manda Scott program & podcast Right story, Wrong story - Tyson YunkaportaSand talk - Tyson YunkaportaMans search for meaning - Victor FrankelFrancis Weller - The Wild Edge of SorrowLoved this? Try these:Tyson YunkaportaDamon GameauSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Learning to live as functioning members of the earth communityWhy she writes fiction not non fictionReceiving shamanic instructionHow to be in connection with the web of life in all its complexityBeing born into a trauma culture rather than an initiation cultureWhy 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 sayingReturning 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 ideasSit 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 deathWe live in a dopamine culture - addicted to turning oil into adrenalineYearning for a serotonin mesh of connection of meaning & purposeThe four stages of AdulthoodUndoing our head mind dominanceOffering yourself in service and waiting for your path. The chaos of our culture is that we think we can plan aheadWe live in an insane world & ourselves its saneOne of the key measures of adulthood is being prepared to walk against the tideSupport the show

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 - ABCSalad Days - Alice ZaslavskiPhenomenom - Free Lessons via the lense of food Loved this? Try these:Alice on Futuresteading previouslySupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe 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 allHer ‘vegetable-forward’ food, centric Georgian heritage Sharing a common vision but not always sharing the same timing ambitionsMovement has power - just start & collectively the energies come togetherBreaking our daily fast with vegetablesBe ready & willing to adapt the recipes to suit yourselfThe real life day to day juggle of such a busy busy life Having a ‘wife’ in her ‘husband’Learning to say a hard NOPrioritising her health as the most important part of her jobBeing lit up by all that you do so it doesn't feel like working a day of your lifeTime to update the vision boardThe soma response to birthing a new projectBuilding an enabling network to get into flowEnabling others to be their most magic version of themselvesBeing an extroverted extrovert - learning how to absorb human energy via a screenLearning to speak English with Big Ted on PlayschoolWishing for more time with communityMaking time for readingSaying yes to the opportunities that ground you.Support the show

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 Shopthe Good Farm CookbookProvinirLoved this? Try these eps:Alex from CornersmithLaura from Feather & boneSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Being an oversharer & wanting to know the details without any shameGoing through the world giving more than takingBoobs peaking at 14Fad diets of her teenage years without an understanding of nutritionFrom actor to foodieLife epiphanies via parenthoodBelieving that the universe has your back & the lessons you are being served are necessaryStumbling into a regenerative pathCreating Cow shares until they realised there was a hole in their bucketThe challenge of building a business around the true cost of a whole animal outside of the industrial food systemCreating a regenerative food business nuancing as they went.Combining a regen story with convenienceSharing more than just the business news in this nosey world…navigating sharing of personal storiesAvoiding 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 childrenAppreciating the things that money can’t buy The value of being relational - shunning the online solutionThe need to squeeze your closest folkHow many ‘no’s’ do you need before you get to the YESEven 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.Support the show

SummaryLife 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 meditatedShe took the radical act of pausing to gain clarityShe had the courage to step out of the old patterns She undertook pilgrimagesShe built global networks of healing & peaceShe 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 reconnectsCharles Eisenstein - new and ancient story podcastCynthia Jurs Book - Summoned by the EarthGaiamandala.net global healing communityLoved this ep? Try these:E138 Osprey Oriel LakeE105 Rosemary MorrowSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Buddhism tradition of earth treasure vases - holy vessels with purposeBeing prepared within yourself before succumbing to a summoningBringing the earth back into balanceFilling small clay pots with prayers, offerings, traditions & intentions as a symbolic measure for healing & balanceClay pots are kind of like living beings - they come alive in your handsThe 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 processThe capacity for different cultures, communities & lands to accept without assumptionMaking offerings to the earth & the unseen-beings-without-a-voice that we know we need to keep in balanceBecoming 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"Support the show

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 diversityLinks You'll LoveShane Simonsen substackLoved this? Try this:Artists as family episodeSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Learning to think long termZero input large scale, experimental farmingChanging career direction away from complex & fragile systemsFrom hunter gatherer culture to industrial ag with nothing in betweenCulture gaps and skills gapsBiological systems are complicated, networked & chaotic Why Bunya nuts were his starting placeHumans 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 thingsThe defense chemicals of our food Why humans are really bad at imagining things that gradually change our base lineOpting out from resource intensive lives - creeping off into the margins to existSpending months of hand farming to grow $20 worth of grainRebuilding trust & re-forming collectivismBeginning your own hybridisation program with vegetables Almost all the vegetable seed you buy originated in hot houses in HollandAustralia 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 themSupport the show

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 LoveTools for Conviviality - Ivan IllichNational Degrowth NetworkThe Overstory - Richard PowersLoved this? Try these:Ep 125 Jane Hilliard - EnoughnessEp 120 Just CollapseEp 77 Tammi JonasSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Poverty is political Building action into your everyday existenceSeeking inspiration from socialist countriesBuilding an obsession with nature Composting as a gateway drug Evolving from being individuals to being change making huddlesMaking academic theories approachable & practicalFinding collective inspiration for criticising growthCreating coalitions of the unlikely by side stepping black & white Creating containers for people who are looking to connect despite the inevitable conflicts that will ariseWe need more spaces to hold respected disagreementsDespite 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 heldBuilding the ‘neighbourhood’ - learning the name of the person next door, even when they are different to youBeing materially dependent on one another is a good thingOur mobility has meant we are avoiding our ability to learn to manage conflict.Why cleverness is disarmingThe role of grief & gratitude in this journeySlow is smooth & smooth is fastInstead of air conditioners - lets have an afternoon napReturning us to our natural cycles & building our life around itSide 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 controlSupport the show

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 growersBroccoli and other love storiesLoved this? Try these:Similar themes but of course wonderfully different stories.Ep 134 Jane Stevens who is a herbalist & astrologer in the USEp 121 Nat Wilmott who shares her story of homesteading, homeschooling & living simply in the West Gippsland HillsEp 53 Simeon Ash from Spoke and Spade market garden.Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like Tomorrow MattersWe talked about:Learning lessons outside with her MumSeeing a process evolve from environmental impact to food Tapping back into her childhood skills to step away from the pressure to sell thingsChanging careers in her mid 20’s & landing in horticultureMaking people feel happy & safe with what we do with our handsThe many uses of flowers for culinary, health & horticultureHer addiction to seeds - especially spring loaded onesTips for managing cross pollination for seed savingHer caffeine supported daily routine The cycle of paddock/soil management Her love of perennial edibles for ease of management & health of soilCreating plants that are hardy & weather beaten that thrive when plantedKids pulling away from their parentsBeing a reluctant elderMarket gardening as an ideal job for a human low in confidence & introvertedHer ADHD diagnosisHer husband is the doer & she is the wandererStorytelling as a tool for knowledge sharingFollowing the rhythm of her brain as a pattern to writing her bookThe freedom of knowing you can hold more than one idea at onceThe beautiful cyclical nature of observing & interactingLean model of market gardeningManaging failure - easier to do when you are safe & have your basics metAvoiding waste from the outsetSupport the show

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 AlmanacWild Quests by DasBarry Lopez - Arctic DreamsLoved this Ep….Listen to:- Damon Gameau - Dan Palmer - Helena Norberg Hodge Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesDefining what it means to be human through studying animals Coming face to face with a grizzly bear in AlaskaFailing our natural world as its guardianOur 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-ingHuman beings as mere hosts for bacteria & virusesThe danger of our reliance on tech"Humans address every problem with Paleolithic emotions, medievil institutions & godlike technology - a dangerous recipeReading your landscapeEntering the phase of populism for answersMoving 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"Support the show

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 & why regenerative farming has been the perfect laboratory to spur his curiosity about systems, our connection to biological processes & 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 & how it could be the chance for all of us to leave life instead of destruction behind us + what he want's done with his teeth when he dies. Links You'll LovePandoras SeedBlack Barn FarmSupport the Show:Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe chatted about:Sharing a common vision but not always sharing the same timing ambitionsMovement has power - just start & collectively the energies come togetherThe value of being a curious poly-jobistWhy bringing a dream to fruition is impatience filled when the vision is so clearHis experience of taking his boys through rites of passageWhere he wants to be buriedNumbing yourself with the anaesthetic of netflixRelishing the chance to build deeper ritual in his lifeEmbracing discomfortBeing a morning person through & throughHis enough: a daily reflection - what's enough for him spiritually & to be who he truly isAlso 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 countryMoving away from the loaded word of 'farming'Exploring the edges of the system we are all ensconced inWhat 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 backBeing a banjo playing hack, brewing moonshine, anti authoritarianCollecting TeethStorytelling: An important part of sharing culture. The complexity of being the partner of someone who has such a strong callingCultural anaestheticsThe journeys he has left in him - entwined in an exploration of self & elderhoodInner work for the benefit of then serving his community around himModifying Black Barn Farm so it becomes a much more community space 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 & the exhaust that comes out of the back of you does not have to be waste, rather a product that contributes to the building of more life.Support the show

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 birthJohno Futuresteading episode (her husband)Support the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked about:Natural rhythms of each yearEarth building design is not about the building, its about the people & the relationshipsBeing drawn to communities & their dynamics - people careHer trip to Scotland for a the Gaia led course in organisational designCreating an intentional community with 25 other people using gut led decisionsHolding shame when reflecting on previous experiencesTeaching social permaculture The complexity of ownership & agencyLiving without comforts &with so many people took its toll & resulted in emotional exhaustion Communities work when there are different types of peopleReflection is a really important part of the cycleHer earth building experiencesFalling pregnant changed how she lives - pulling back from constant travel & constantly being in communityReframing 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 brings300sq metres is the perfect size for 6 families (23 people altogether). Using everything they grow & swapping the value added goodies with each otherBeing 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 & recompensedThere’s an inner knowing that we feel better when we work with othersHow a greater driver can be the reason to connectThe importance of sharing our parenting challenges honestlyBeing mothers & women who can share, assures us that we are good parentWanting to breastfeed foreverDo people carry the weight of their babies early birthing traumaWhat 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 themselvesSeek mothers groups or activities & be brave enough to put yourself out thereConsistently showing up is so important for community groups to build momentumPersistence is required to get things off the groundAsk "What's your why - do you want to learn skills, do you want support, where are your vulnerabilitiesMind mapping & getting clear on what your wants/hopes are to fill a void Her huddle word is NOURISHMENTSupport the show

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 comeDigby 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 guidelinesDigbys tedx talkSupport the show:Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe 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 answersNothing is linear - planning for a climate impacted future really depends on your future of choiceWhen 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 waterFunctioning on the edge of our system - constantly challenging how we are doing our workA “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 thing2 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 elseA 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 facingWhy he chose Tassie; grassroots initiatives, community of life long learnersThe power of the yarn in local communitiesHis food decision making tree Thinking about where you shop - Shorten the supply chain at every opportunityReconnecting 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"Support the show

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 LoveBruny Island CheeseMilk - Matthew EvansSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matterWe 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 grain10,000 years worth of accumulated knowledge and reciprocity from an animalMilking animals take the things a human can’t eat and turn it into high quality protein that we CAN use = the original alchemyHumans have thrived quite well with dairy in our life.Why milk ended up at the end of a political and public beating stickWhen 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 fridgeThe Whitlam years of 300ml milk bottles at playlunch ruined a generation of potential milk drinkersThere’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 humansThe disservice the dairy industry has done to itself with the introduction of skim milk - deconstructing the amazing product that it actually is. Losing qualityHippie nirvana of reintroducing us back to our local dairies - its incomparable with anything you can buy in the shops1 in four farmers in the world have a dairy cowRaw 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 milkRaw milk is the new moonshineThink of raw milk as a living thingRaw milk swaps in a McDonalds carpark for baristas Transformation of dairy into everything it becomesWhey makes a great antifungal and puts ALL the resources to use.He now looks at a bottle of fresh milk diffSupport the show

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!Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersReferences from our chatWar on waste ABCWe Talked AboutLiving 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 accessThe 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 effortThe street now knows each other really wellUsing 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 happensI 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 anxietyCollectivising 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 planetFrom 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 projectsShifting 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 planetBuilding communities with a collective knowledge levelLearning 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 PHDAll 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"Support the show

"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 SilenceChurch of the Wild Two Rivers,Kiss the ground The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders Shalem Institute for Spiritual FormationRobyn Wall Kimmera - Braiding Sweet GrassSupport the Show:Casual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters 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"Support the show

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 insightsWith 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 heckMeta narratives of the regeneration movementHow communities are used as political pawns and divided when actually we are stronger when unitedWhat he imagines life will be in 50 yearsWhy he believes our future is not yet written Elite structures are the abstractions blocking all of us from connection to countryWhat he is doing to get around the colonial abstractionsFinding what it is you can bring to others and offering it with generosityHow can we all implement the things we are learning to the way we live our livesBuilding a community of people Navigating the complexities of human-ness in our efforts to rebuild our communitiesCreating a Community of carePrioritising the living systems - not just supplanting the current paradigm solutionsOwning and claiming your own storytelling narrative - be in it, share it, connect with itRemoving binary thinkingRevelling in the space of head/heart truthOur 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 forwardMore of us are going to feel the sharp edges of climate impactThe power of the in-betweenWhile we’re nothing on our own we are magnificent as a sum of the partsMinimising intellectual explanation and leaving room for a felt experienceIt’s time to come together across cultures, across words, across knowledge barriersOur divisions are usually accentuated by the powers that beReferencesRegennarration podcastKim Ngyuan - Conversations with coalminers about climate changeAmanda Cahil - the Next EconomyPaul HawkenDamon Gameau - Regenerate AustraliaTyson Yunkaporta - futuresteading interviewKing Stingray - indigenous bandPodcast partners ROCK!Hidden Sea - Wine that saves the seaNutrisoilWwoof AustraliaBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 LoveCornersmith - Use it allCornersmith - Food Savers Guide A-ZSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesGrowing up in a share house that loved to cook in her formative yearsCreating community around the share plateBeing ok with fish fingers and frozen peasLetting judgement go to make a difference while being acceptingEducation to build hope & practical skills during this climate emergencyThe exhausting weight of being sustainable 24/7Wanting to help people fall in love with their kitchens again without ideologyBeginning a business with her husband despite limited experienceDiscovering pickling when her kids were tiny & she was losing her mindPickling as an onramp to a simpler sustainable lifeLying awake thinking about wasting cumquatsPutting community abundance to good use in a pickling jarCrossing language barriers to learn food preservation methods from her neighbourhoodTaking twists & turns in businessWhy now is the time to stand up & shout really loudlyNo person can avoid having to make regenerative choicesGetting bolder with ageTrading with locals who swap backyard produce for coffeeNavigating a food business through covidAvoiding being black and whiteMaking spaces where its simple for people to make a contributionChoosing her favourite pickleYou don’t have to make mega batches of food to make a contributionEating and using what you’ve got to reduce food wasteChoose one thing, while you build your habits and reframe your practicesDo 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 solutionsUsing scraps from the bin to create magicIf it can be used - use itSaving money by using every single part of every single thingLucky dip cupboard - food without labelsThe process of writing a cook bookReplacing the guilt with creativity in the kitchenThe disservice of instagram perpetuating perfectionPearl of wisdom - going slower in our change journey to ensure longevitySupport the show

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 LOVEThe Backyard AdventurerBeau Miles You TubeBeauisms - InstagramCasey Nistadt - New York story tellerSUPPORT THE SHOWCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesFalling short on expectations and promisesFear of being sued - breaking the law to film documentariesReframing 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 hereI suppose I love attention but I’ve got hermit written all over meA really quiet kid that began to bust out into his physicality which helped define himWas 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 chopperBeing the mouth piece for those who you surround yourself withStorytelling via various mediums: Film, book Being Beau - thinking in tangents, following abstract thoughts, speaking in first person, finding your voiceMy greatest skill in life is being a hard workerWhy recording his book as an audio book taught him where his writing faults arePhenomonology - crating definition and essences out of subjectivityThe challenges of being a story teller Our life is about defining our essencesWhile being attracted to individualism - life is simply just better when lived with othersBeing watered down as an individual by becoming a parentWhy community is defined by doing the dishesReducing moving parts - from film making to doing dishesIsland foods - planning a trip with Paul West, Jade Miles and Beau Miles and three basic foodsDescribing himself in three words: Hardy, Resilient, OddI think we are all odd but I'm just willing to say itHis allergy to advice givingIf 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 outcomeLiving like tomorrow matters MUST look different for every single one of us -that's where the magic sitsLiving life with an intentional unknowingnessAs 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 livesSupport the show

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 NOTESHight energy artistic life in a tiny house with Brenna QuinlanStories from permie childhood Why chickens are a gateway drug into alternative livingFinding ways of synthesising complex concepts and making them accessible All pervasive gratitude A pledge to stop flying & touring Australia in biodiesel converted vanCoping with covid by understanding joy and grief are two sides of the same coinAcknowledging the hard stuff to build the good stuffIndividual vision post covid lockdown Daily life at MelliodoraPushing against the treadmill to move towards intentional simplicityBeing OK to be a bit different Managing multiple communities in your lifeThe accidental creation of an annual festivalYearning for a deeper connection to placeAvoiding tribalism Staying open minded to ensure a rounded world viewSeeing all of life as equal to oneselfListening more and talking lessThe risk of being interpreted as a dogmatic idealist who will show us all the wayThink global, act localHow music and the arts is the ultimate universal language Why he doesn’t copyright his musicThe power of regenerative creativity - how we imagine the worldGo hug a tree! LINKS YOU'LL LOVEFormidable Vegetable on InstagramFormidable Vegetable onlineMelliodoraDavid Holmgren's RetrosuburbiaBrenna Quinlan on InstagramCharles Eisenstein - The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is PossibleThe Patterning Instinct - Jeremy LentSupport this podcast by shouting us a cuppaSupport the Show.Support the show

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 apprenticeMy year without matchesRewilding the urban soulJoanna Macy - Active hopeSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesSpending a year off grid, alone, connecting to her human identityTo do what I could to be a voice for the voicelessHer psyche turned towards a deep interconnectedness which heals the rift between the human soul & natureThe constant flow of the forest sees an intruding human as a benign presenceRewriting her patterns of productivity, structure, Growing from a solo wolf into a community beingWhy she never felt lonely when in the bushLearning the art of community generated & self designed ceremony which links nature & cultureVision 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 barteredFeasting on community through intention, dedication, time, conflict, conversationsGrief 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”Support the show

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 LOVEMara + Village Dreaming on InstagramVillage Dreaming + ORTO Farm onlineThe Red Tent ~ Anita DiamantSUPPORT THE SHOWCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSHOW NOTESSharing our lives on social mediaWhy there should be more shame in wasteBuilding adventure through salvaging wasteDiverting waste as a human rights and social issueBeing an eco-renegade Her Italian heritage that provides a foundation for living with heartBeing surrounded by love has allowed her to be a lover in returnBeing 110% herselfNaming her farm to reflect a circular and loving villageHand building a home that is the culmination of a 20 year journey in community building/love of foodThe Magic of WWOOFing; refilling hearts, rebuilding skills and recreating rhythmsHer desire to be the archetypal mother Running a cooking school in your own home with heart, song and danceHaving a partner who is as warm, delicious and inviting as ricottaCreating 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 individualsWhy the music industry interrupted her need to be ‘home for dinner’Discovering permacultureHer 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 outcomeThe work needed to retrofit housing stock in this countryWhy ENOUGH is reflected in the health of relationshipsBeing part of a world that actively manages the impacts of climate changeManaging the ‘daunt’ of educating our kids without them experiencing dread and fear Giving kids rope to make their own decisionsStruggling 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 transitionSeeing glints in peoples eyes when they consider their homes as life havensThe nasty cycle of fiscal dominationSupport the show

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 farmWife Drought - Annabel CrabbMilk - Matthew EvansSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesChecking in on our promise to invite a complete stranger for a cuppaBeing ballsy enough to open yourself to strangers & invite them inThe 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 & memoryMoving away from being a restaurateur & stepping into full time farming & parentingThe 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 weedsCould 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 nurturingWhy she isn’t the power behind the throne but a partner in crime to live her best lifeRemoving gender from the way we define our best selvesWalking 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 zonesOur greatest capability is to find solutions from within our communityCreating bioregional strengths that creates a culture How do we get people off social media where the sound bite lives and the complexity gets lostComplexity needs to be celebrated and continued - keep it alive and be ok with thatSAFE and HELD - is her one word that reflects HUDDLESSupport the show

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 LakeSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersWe talked aboutHer role as founder of the Women's Earth & Climate Action Network WECANLeading an organisation with heart led decision making - feminine leadership differs to mainstream narrativeDivesting away from destructive projects is a powerful actThe power of storytelling in creating changeHeart to heart human connection has resulted in banks divesting millions of dollarsBringing our whole selves to show up and talk to people we don't agree with, share stories & work on moving hearts and mindsTalking to people in positions of wealth and influence to enact changeWe 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-nessOrganisations who have money need to be bridgebuilders for those who don'tMentorship from indigenous leaders woven throughout her life experiencesIts time to compost the modern day ideologies and create new soils….its is going to stop as nature will make us stopWe need to connect with the earth and each other to reconfirm our identities in relationship with the landBuilding our communityWe can't rely on soundbites to make a decisionWhy she doesn't travel for vacations - only for workHow are we utilising our privilege to lift up others, and make choicesBeing 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 balanceWe are in a time where we are unpacking racism patriarchy and colonisation - observations Sidestepping divisionHow worldviews and climate justice can reframe our climate crisisWe 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 transformHer one word - RELATIVES with each other, the air, water, trees, we are all in relationship.Support the show

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 RampyCelestial garden - Jane StevensDr Jill Stansbury - Herbalist and AuthorSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersConversation PointsGrandmotherly 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 plantsA Wisconsin tradition of planting a Peony from your mothers farm on your own farmGardening by the moon to create a practical rhythmLetting nature be more in control and being more of a partnerStart by following the quarters of the 28 day moon cycleWeek 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 pathHer astrology points to brave leadershipTeaching is a gentle roleTurning their farm into a ‘public garden’ - a childhood dreamPlanting a garden based on the 7 chakra system to build mental and bodily strengthPlants are seductiveHerbalists in history have forever been dogged by the system - pushed out by designSeduction begins by teaching children to be engaged in nature - they get excited and teach their parentsThe need for us to build our own skills and herbal medical kits in order to side step the system that shuts it downAccess to deep knowledge of Chinese, ayurvedic and native herbalism - now is the time to actParticipate in herb walks in your local areaIntegration - layering meditation, astrology, herbalismBeing 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.Support the show

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 programThe Poetry of Spaces - Sarah AndrewsCaptains Rest - Sarah's AccommodationSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesHow a tumultuous life has lead her to creating spaces that make her feel safeSpaces that make you feel the way you want to feel & be the best we canFinding 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 aloneUnderstanding her ratio for a happy life - for her its 90% introvertedAttracting 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 & trustsI’m a three friend type of person - they’ve seen me through every part of my lifeBeing part of a community that is protective of one another & generousInner huddles & outer huddlesOur 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 thatA 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.Support the show

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 deskWe Chatted About:Power of Ritual - Casper ter Kuille - rhymes with SmileNearness ProjectThe Overstory - Richard PowersA Paradise Built in Hell - Rebecca SolnitSupport the ShowBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonShow Notes:How are community & spirituality changing Less than half the population now consider themselves religious - lowest in historyHow can we connect more deeply with the people who matter Exploring spiritualityCreating 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 warmthIs 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 peopleWe 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 companiesRelational cohesionNose to tail eating…meat eaten with reverence. Honouring the beast that gave its lifeThe value of policy makers in our period of transitionI went to graduate school on divinity and public politicsWhy change makers need to find homes at all tiers of system change Support the show

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 onlineSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow Notes:Being on the road gives energy and fresh ideas but 1.5 years was too longHome to build a straw bale tiny homeLearning to switch off as a freelancer - a unique occupational hazard in the gig economyTriple edged sword of being a freelancer, a creative and purpose driven Having some structure in an unstructured life has meant life feels happierLeaning 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 movementI’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 somebodyThe Left in general has been fractured by extremism and also by an inability for us to accept a belief that differsIts ok to feel comfortable with someone’s belief that differs to youCommunities can teach us how to ask for helpIf 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 funeralHer word - Warmth - like an energetic blanket being worn around during the dark days, their love can be feltSupport the show

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 aboutWildschoolGaia University8 shields movement - Jon YoungTyson Yinkaporta - right story, wrong storySupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow 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 24Intentional communities - are they a study in failure or can we really do this?Permaculture has been foundational alongside womens wisdomBeing alive ‘in village’Finding our way back through the cultural repair journey via the 8 shields movement & the 64 cultural elementsConnecting to country to continue as a speciesReconciling our history is foundational to rebuilding cultureYou 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 inRebuilding deep connection requires all five sacred pathways to be presentAre we existing in captivityDecolonising our body through food Building next level connection with our ancestors We’ve stopped knowing our bodiesWhat else comes with your DNA? More than height or eyes colourThe humble shall inherit the earthCheck in with what your ‘baseline’ is - very high in western cultureTaking 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 thisSupport the show

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 LabBeau Miles: Cook River episode on You TubeBread and butter project Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NOTESA lotta rockiness along the way but it grew & evolved with the participants needsParticularly focussed on female, migrant communitiesMarginalised communities using food to connect with one another Building the diversity of the food landscape in SydneyFood is something that can be offered even when life is filled with utter newnessEliminating 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 establishmentThe power of mentorship to avoid the loneliness of businessThe chicken and egg of being small and not well resourced but being flooded with applications for supportProviding a strong stepping stone to graduate people to their own kitchensImpact multipliers - equipping people to support others100% of the people will employ 4-7 people in the next 3 yearsWhy our urban centres are food desertsPomegranate molasses as a way to connect cultural groupsNormalising 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 someoneAs 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 shareWhat 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 outsiderHe 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 - TRUSTSupport the show

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 storeSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow NotesFood is an alternative language to the written or spoken word. Care love and power flows through our hands and into our creationFood as opposed to ingredients are special We have to keep showing up to cook - especially as mothers - even when its hardThe magnificence of sharing a business with family - always a process, it takes To the nurturers, mothers, keepers of ritualHer 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 GermanyThe 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 DNAA 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 cyclesOpening Gewurzhaus as a nod to her love of foodHow 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 fearLetting your taste and senses take over to lead you on your next adventureSpending 6 months cooking to really learn how spices workKraut holds her story - a much loved ritual that she only does alone - grounds and connects her to her food linesGetting her 3 year old to drink kraut juiceEmbracing 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 daySupport the show

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 convoABC Gardening AustraliaGardening Australia Junior programThe Good Life - Hannahs first bookGood Life Growing - how to grow fruit and veg in any climate in AustraliaDan Palmer futuresteading conversationSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow Notes:The juggle is real - relying on friends to help usNot doing all the things all the timeWhy it’s harder to ask than it is to helpTake time to build deep relationships. Communities hold us through good & not so goodFinding people with common interests as the starting place to build a huddleBuilding people care into property design - human behaviours & human nature Good permaculture design based on the individuals who are living & stewarding the landscapeDan Palmer transformative for the Australian Permaculture community. He challenged & elevated it.Bringing people along in challenging conversations at challenging timesConversations 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 growingThe elusive ‘balance’ - “its doesn’t exist but she is getting better at scheduling so actively builds slots of quiet time to counter balance the externalThe power of a routinePutting yourself in the way of opportunities so you can deepen your impactEvery type of activism is needed but Hannah is best suited to solution orientated activism.Don't underestimate the feeling inside you as your accurate guideIkigai formulaCreating 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 powerEnergetically connecting to peopleLife in front of the camera for ABC gardening AustraliaUlitising the tools & opportunities available to us in our modern worldSometimes it’s about doing the things that are unnecessary (like dying your hair pink) to nurture our psycheLearning in public - transparency about openly making mistakes to avoid being pigeonholedI 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 ACTIONSupport the show

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.Love to Listen? ...Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersBuy Kates Book - Live more with LessPod References:War on WasteUrban NannaWell Nourished Georgia Harding naturopathST ethical eating guidesShow NotesEven when you mean well - life is very busy so its really hard to bring this way of life to the front lineCrisis fatigue - why the looming Armageddon can cripple us.Empathy for our parents managing teenagers who want to create the landfill of tomorrowExperimenting with a clothing exchange Awakening the consumer in her with the birth of her babyBring unapologetically medium greenNot doing all the things at onceA medium, life friendly shade of green which maintains momentumBuilding new habits that are awkward and unfamiliar slowly becoming part of your flow.Smug stock stash being built in the freezer1 in every 5 bags of shopping is incidentally wastedGetting sucked into every foodie, fashion and fun fadLife 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 bayFinding the times in your life that are well suited to bringing in more changeTreat yourself like you would a friend who is doing their bestIts 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 songMore connection, more time, more community, less, consumption, less waste,Finding your on ramp to get into this way of beingStart where your interests lie and don't worry about it being perfect or big”The value of the imperfectWe 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 damsSupport the show

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 HandbookWe 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.Love what you hear? Support the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersShow 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 thinkingBeing confident to let your small human build their own vision and valuesUpskilling FAST: Growing food, making bread, sewing, community connectionsRebooting our civic duty to be relational with each otherChanging the world, one habit at a time with her latest book: the Milkwood Permaculture Living HandbookEngaging 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 themStart by identifying your privileges and call out those who behave in a way that limits rather than supports othersThe 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 beingMaking sure you’ve got some really big pots in your pantry to fire up a huge pot of soup if neededThe million ways to contribute to the community care systems we all needSharing your skills far and wideHow she’s made online learning as practical and useful as possibleDo one thing, make it a habit then choose one more thing Threading the various communities together to create a dynamic non 9-5 existenceCompassion speaks to creating futures with other people despite the overlapping crisesHolding peoples hopes, fears and making sense of that as a huddle.Support the show

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 notesCatie 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 CatieReactivating 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/Podcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 lineageBuilding 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 privilegeThe biggest and greatest job we have on this planet is to raise well and connected childrenFocussing her efforts on marginalised communities We cannot be strong female leaders unless we are bringing everyone along with usStepping into a woman centred worldWhy the current system is failing all of us to live long, strong, healthy existencesLiving in deep loving connection with each other & the natural world People have never seen intuitive spirituality as fact but its a feminine and necessary pathFeminine cycle of 28 days, men cycling on 28 hour cyclesCreating a feminine vision questWomen 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 systemComing into ONE conscious moment each weekGrowing up with fragmented culture because of colonisationRewriting new paradigms with indigenous culture at the heart Actively desiring a small but mighty charitable organisation - without desire for becoming national or globalThe power of localisationComing to “rest” on countryRest in the knowing that she is walking on the same country that her blood has walked on in her ancestral linageEncouragement to take a pilgrimage to the “homeland” of your ancestorsOnce upon a time there was a well and connected ancestor living and thriving Finding our own indiginaityLore created by country and cultureWe are but a minuscule piece of a puzzle made up by the thousands of ancestors who came before usAllowing feminine power breathe by openly accepting pain and working through traumaRather than changing the way we work, live, and be in the world we are now relying on abstractions to be the catchallLet us return to a religion where water is our god againReferencesIt takes courage to tell the truth - BookThe returning - Annual eventReclaim your kin and decolonise your mind - CoursePodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 notesBringing her love of arts and social justice togetherSidestepping stress and money in the architecture design world.Ensuring sustainability isn't just an add-on rather than core to designWhy the endless pursuit of “more” and better is relentless and pointlessAsking “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 fortnightSmall 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?"ReferencesDesignful - Janes design agencyPodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

"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 childSeeking more colour beyond numbersLearning to smell, feel and hear the seasons on her walk to schoolHer winding path to becoming a single woman farmerLearning to natural dyeNot feeling able to beat the drum until she walks the talk herselfShe never thinks that her farming scale minimises her importanceHer accidental ownership of black nose valais sheepLetting 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 opportunityThe teaching message is so much greater than just the product.Being in a deficit of living with intentionDiscovering the limitless appetite for homesteading skillsShe might be an intense teacherApple Pies served with cheese…it’s a thingSour Pickle, maple syrup and doughnuts - Vermont traditionsShepherding can be lonely but it provides time to reset and regroup and fill her tankHer desire to see others as happy as she isLift up rather than commiseratePlanning to run the bingo games when she's in a nursing homeYou learn so much when you're in communityBecoming accustomed to letting it be not picture perfectYou 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 youSincerely imagining what you are committed to and go with thatReferencesWing and a Prayer FarmPodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 notesMaking art her life by intuition She thinks and dreams in picturesWhy picture making is her language to connect to other peopleDeveloping her style via lots of work that doesn’t make her happy until the ones that make her happy appearHer 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 otherFinding the balance between art that is intellectualised and art that is intuitiveLetting accidents happen and feeling her way through themIn art it’s important to make terrible work over and over againThe value of sleeping on things to clarify perspectiveBeing reflective to ensure evolutionBeing happy for her work to represent herThe story of her involvement in the futuresteading bookCollborating with Gormon clothingBeing the kids of creative parents Art becoming part of your DNA when you’re the child of an artistBeing prolific in your creativityThe balance of being an artist that needs to fit ‘normal’ life into itThe financial compromise of being a full time artist. Part by design and part by necessityThe life long sacrifice of being an artist despite the reward of being able to create freelyCreating commission piecesSetting out with blind faith and hopeDespite 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 sakeWhy art is an important part of simply being aliveArt brings peace, purpose and the bleeding obvious through interpretationWhy artists are the provocateurs of our communityFeeling fortunate to have an endless source of hope and optimism because she has art in her lifePainting for mental healthSelf containment that comes from her creativityGrappling with the need to use art as a statement makerBeauty is its own reason for beingWhy art is culturally soothingNoticing the weeds at the service stationAdvice for her daughter We have to go and make the inspiration happen by doingFinding a drive, style and direction in your own time“You can’t wait for the inspiration to come”ReferencesFenton and FentonMegan Grant InstagramGormon clothingGary Miles ArtPodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

SUMMARYWe 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. SUMMARYWhy its harder to give money away with meaning than you might thinkWanting to be more than not just a cheque bookAsking where humans fit into ecosystemsHer awakening to disconnectionFinding people who were also asking questionsMoving into sustainable ag and food securityConnecting the environmental crisis & what we eatHer appetite to move beyond greenwashing to transformationThe value of slowing downWanting people to think of her as a broke NGO leader not a rich philanthropistGetting her ego out of the wayEmbracing the world she was trying to push awayWhat is philanthropy - the skill of giving money awayMoving assets away from the extractive economic systemHow investment can change systemsUnderstanding systems & the levers that need to be pulled to expedite changeThe importance of mass decentralisation & taking a place based approach to bring changeStarting a relationship with open, honest transparency & an opportunity to co-create solutions Relationship requires a numberMoving at the speed of trustLooking for replication not endless growthUsing compassionate debt as a solution to building relationships that can enable changeCreating opportunity for replication over scaleBuilding models that allow relationships to be at the core Rich relationships are paramountUnderstanding connection to country - bringing gentleness from the land into her everydayDaily spiritual practice to set the days intentions Whatever you resist persistsDaily practice of staying mindful and present - maintenanceThe danger of defining yourself as “resilient” which doesn’t allow you to be fragileDeveloping a hardiness by sitting in your discomfortKeeping the ego in checkGleaning joy from rich conversationsCocreating a new language that releases our stuckness in the current paradigmDiscovering how we all contribute in a way that meets our super powerIf 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 listeningBeing uncomfortable with the new to serve a changed world in the futureSelf sustainability is the piece that often gets left behindHow can philanthropists play their partFinding strength & bravery when you have your people by your sideReferencesImpact sustainability - her businessSustainable TableSentient Impact groupPodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 NOTESEating meat that you’ve met - being responsible for the whole life cycleStepping stones to this way of life - starting small, with what you’ve gotLearning from failure as you scaleThe fallacy of being self sufficientForaging, bartering & selling excess of what you do grow to access the things you don’t growWhy being dogmatic isn't always the answer to the long gameHomeschooling - learning happens everywhere, everydayBeing led by kids & their natural interest areasBuilding a family rhythm around the personal needs of everyone in the familyRebuilding normalWhy it’s difficult to be a people pleaser but stay true to yourself Learning to trust your honesty will be supported & not knockedIt’s hard to live your normal in an abnormal world - the way we eat, shop treat peopleEducation of self is the first step in shifting towards taking agencyWhy food was her on-ramp to understanding how to make her own decisionsAccepting that a shift in our lives will take time - we each need to take it as we are readyTransitioning via new skills & a new mindsetLetting this way of living be a lifetime of workLearning one skill and mastering it each yearUsing herbs to heal now and in the futureLearning to get used to people not agreeing with how she lives her lifeMaking mistakes in safe places while you learnLearning how to manage microclimatesBuilding an annual seasonal rhythm to ensure balance 450sq m of intensive growing space for a family of five300 sq metres managed by the kidsWater bath canning, dehydrationCollecting food waste every week by salvaging food from mainstream supermarkets to supplement her families foodWhy she is opting for a house cow not a house goatThere’s always next year…..Learning to forgive your short comingsConnecting without belongingHow not going to a school was a disadvantageWhile she feels at home she doesn't feel like she belongsDefying the odds of ‘surviving this life’ & thrivingFinding ways to connect with people who have different idealsThe value of relying on your neighbours - creating a sense of place by calling on your neighboursThings only move at the speed of trust & a willingness to push through the awkward.Start where you are with what you’ve gotRelying on the building blocks of experienceReferencesLiving the dream permaculture Podast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 notesA new form of activism - possibilities to make the world a better placeWhy climate activism is the most important issue of focusThe shift in activism following covidIntroducing disruption to activism Socioecological justiceJustice can only be relative Creating a collapse community to help relieve anxieties of reality & locate ourselvesPutting differences aside to open the door to building localised communitiesAcknowledging 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 togetherRelearning to connect, compromise and communicateIts unhelpful to create utopian or romanticised ideals Insurgent planning - actively creating a plan of readiness to this inevitable collapseBeing led by the greater group with place based solutionsWhy 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 withinBreaking down individualisation & risks: outrageous debts & our reliance on fossil fuels#talkcollapse - linking people to plant the seeds of a different and just futurePlanting seeds physically and metaphorically for a socioecological collapseTalking 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 echoesDepression goes with the territory but its not a reason to avoid realityEcological awareness as the foundation to discovering moreUnderstanding the fragility of the world while also being a ‘doer’What a cyclical grief process looks like and feels likeCognitive dissonance of having endless choice and capacity to purchase while simultaneously being aware that collapse is inevitableThe myth of progress being perpetuated by every message around usThe need to decomplexify Building solidarity via social mediaBeing sure to remind yourself of how wondrous the world actually isSupporting mental wellbeing with various toolsIt’s so important in this point in history to embrace life in whatever formReferencesLimits to growth - Club of RomeJust CollapsePodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 ParisShow notes Taking her cue from International women of strengthOwning her intensityHas 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 SouthFeeling into where the pain points are for the humans around herThe story behind donating 100% of the I Quit Sugar profitHer 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 actionWe 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 loveDefining her DharmaFostering indigenous children as a respite carerThe responsibility of steadying yourself when living with anxietyAnxiety can be a super power - hyper vigilant, hyper sensitiveThe evolutionary purpose of anxietyThe rebellious act of bucking the growth paradigmReferencesThis wild and precious life - Sarah WilsonHelen Lewis interview with Jordan PetersonHelen Lewis - Difficult WomenFirst we make the beast beautiful - Sarah WilsonSteve Jobs - Commencement SpeechBuy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the showCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonSupport the show

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 notesFeeling like she was failing as a mumBreaking 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 MasonHer 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 benefitsSetting our kids up for success simply by spending time outsideBusting screen time statisticsOn average kids are on screens for 7 hours a day but only outside for 7 minutes1200 hours a year outside creating rather than on screen 3 hours of outdoor play for kids of all ages Keeping children balancedRescheduling early childhoodRaising kids who were ruddy, tough, sleeping betterOutdoor play enhances childhood developing in every sense = cognitive, sensorial, emotionalLaying the groundwork so they keep it upPlay that stretches their body and teaches them to trust their bodies and builds endurance, stamina, alertnessFilling our life with the important things first and push out the time that's left over for screensIt’s never easy to make this your committed approach but it’s worth itCreating rituals that are intentionalThe benefits of being uncomfortableWhy time slows down when you are doing something new and your senses wake upBuilding identity via time in the outdoorsIf they don’t love an analogue life, they won’t fight for itBuilding a foundation in kids that they can resist the tech pullSuccess is living a fulfilling life that is balanced, connected, maintained ground on values and illusions but grounded and taken day by dayIf we live well today then tomorrow will take care of itselfClothes for the season: Wonders of wool to enable the kids to play for so much longerPassing down the things = less stuffImagination over screensNature 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 instinctTrust your kids to create their own pathReferences1000 hours outside- book, podcastCharlotte Mason - Childhood educatorBalanced and barefoot - Angela HansonRewilding the urban soul - Claire DunnThe Comfort Crisis - Michael EasterThe singularity is near - Ray CurswhilePodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof AustSupport the show

SummaryWe 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 notesKeeping family as number one Keeping it real with family to ensure they are presentHis journey through waste which began using other peoples junkSpending his spare time in junkyards collecting and using other peoples wasteEven the poster boy doesn't get everything right - examples of things that haven't workedFor 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 forwardAttracting like minded people to build a community and deliver amazing projectsShowcasing the innovation and vast knowledge that exists in this countryCreating binless hospitality businessesCurating the message for living waste free so that people understand it.Considering materials based on their ability to be recycledLiving in the most exciting time in human historyGetting creative to find solutions that allow us to continue our existing lives with minimal compromiseThere'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 sleepReverting to primitive practices to reconnect to ourselvesStarting our day with simple, natural world practicesIf 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 microbiomesObservation is a lost trait we need to rebuildHis fascination with the perfect sized branch for birdsAll his buildings are covered in 8 mil rio mesh because it's perfect for the birdsIf you really want to understand why he makes the decisions he does then check out his instagram pagesReferencesThe Greenhouse film - Future Food System InstagramPodcast partners ROCK!Nutrisoil Wwoof Australia Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow mattersSupport the show

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 NotesMa-wollagoolabah - self, family, communityFalling in love with his identity and eagerly celebrating this in a respectful and authentic wayThe value of being raised by a strong single motherPublicly honoring women to the point of reverenceBeing relentless in our desire to keep talking to convey a message of transparencyCircle people - we are connected to everything and everything is connected to usCan song and dance as mediums take their place as a much needed storytelling toolsEmojis are an ancient format Humans disconnection from spirit, soul and heartBeing the most connected and the most disconnected simultaneouslyHolidays = connection to the natural world. Do we love holidays or do we love the opportunity to unconsciously connect to our evolutionary placeBuilding an understanding of the spirit in the landOpening 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 walkedThere are so many conversations to be had - we need to keep talkingHis 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 toThe 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 beSelf perception vs how others perceive youInstilling identity, belonging and connection through ritualLiving and breathing culture as part of every day lifeAvoiding the traps of fame by staying focussed on his purposeStaying grounded by knowing that he is just a vessel with a message who is part of something so much bigger than himStarting with self love - heal, educateConditioning that has bred fear of differenceComing together with an intent to heal, love and listen. Having real conversations which are birthed out of truthMitch Tambo InstagramMitch Tambo - You're the VoiceKeen to buy the Futuresteading book? Its now available at all good bookstores or you can order online here.Support the showSupport the show