Futuresteading

It’s time to get outside and reconnect, rewild and ignite a love of the outdoors in our little people. In fact, this shortie is bursting with fun and creative ideas for all ages!Jade and Catie plate up simple acts and rituals (decorating the dinner table with found objects or making scarecrows, anyone?) to touch and be touched by the seasons. Perfect school holiday fodder.SHOW NOTESWhy rewild our kids?Activities for dextrous little fingers like seed saving and food harvesting.How to make a kids’ nature kit. The value of self-guided activities.The allure of scarecrows for big and little people.Activities that speak to the season and connect you to the here and now.The importance of letting kids free range in their own time, in their own way.Why being a grown-up nature enthusiast will transmit to your kids.Parenting with a long rope.Should we let children extend their own boundaries?How do you balance risk and worry?Getting to know and trust in your kids’ abilities.Letting kids connect to their own needs, surroundings and abilities.Making bee hotels.Reframing winter as a magic time to be outside.LINKS YOU'LL LOVEYour Wild Imagination - Brooke DavisThe Continuum Concept - Jean LiedloffSupport the show

Get around this conversation with Naomi Hogan; National Coordinator of Lock The Gate Alliance and Certified Badass. Naomi hangs out on the frontline of climate instability and concern over the expansion of coal and fracking projects - and makes a ruckus. She has worked tirelessly with regional communities, Traditional Owners and farming groups across Australia to shine a light on inappropriate mining practices and thwart corporate greed. As a result, millions of hectares of Australian land have been spared from gas expansion and drilling. Despite the magnitude of her long-standing commitments, she's a lighthearted, level-headed and hopeful human who will bring ample solidarity and sustenance to your eardrums. Get inspired. SHOW NOTESHer awkward-but-committed younger self, and growing into her sense of social justice and ecological responsibility.Why building the right network is key to empowerment and creative changemaking.Why to seek out a community with a clear vision and purpose that everyone can work together towards.Why dogma doesn’t serve her.The tradeoff between pursuing activism and living in a tiny city apartment.Getting comfortable with life’s chapters and not having it all.How variations in tackling The Big Issues are vital for spreading the load and appealing to different audiences.Her sense of urgency vs. being part of a huge global team working together; noone has to shoulder it alone.The importance of switching off from relentless effort. How time outside balances her inside-centric chapter.How the virtual world can support connection with far flung communities.Her childhood as an airforce kid who moved a lot; accustomed to new places, new communities and finding beauty in those new places.How being connected to her purpose has allowed her to connect with others who share her values.Her vision for a future where we do more with less and have time to prioritise family, health, taking care of each other and revaluing farmers.Simplicity made sexy.Why she has deliberately scaled back: finances, no car and second hand clothes.The allure of returning to a life where you work for money, not passion.The simple action of finding one other person, then two, then 10, to share, learn, debate and grow with, fostering better ideas and confidence to take little steps - which become bigger over time.LINKS YOU'LL LOVELock The Gate AllianceNaomi's TwitterFractured Country: An Unconventional Invasion [documentary]The Bentley Effect [documentary]Support the show

Do we need a little more faith in agriculture? This week we chat to Sallie Jones, cofounder of farmer-owned Gippsland Jersey, about how her faith helps her do good stuff in the world - without a crippling fear of failure. And we reckon there's something in that, considering her immense achievements. You'll learn so much from this champion for dairy farmers, cheerleader for responsible land management, extraordinary businesswoman and mother of three; not least of which, how to live a little more hopefully.Sallie shares her gut-wrenching story of family loss, why we need to talk about mental health on farms (and everywhere for that matter), and offers wise advice for a simpler, more spiritual life; essential listening for anyone who feels a little isolated in striving for a better future (regardless of your belief system).Note: This was recorded at the beginning of April 2020.SHOW NOTESWhy not starting school until Grade Six offered her an unconventional - and rather free - way of thinking.Why and how to side-step helicopter parenting.The value of relying on a wide network of people with varying skills.How story telling and her Dad's reputation have been core to Gippsland Jersey's success.The importance of keeping it real!Her experience of the raw milk movement.How families experience grief in unique ways.Her fundamental trust in her faith.Why leaps of faith require immense courage.Why the gut never lies (and can be relied upon as the right needle for all situations).Why she's a fan of paths-of-less-resistance rather than being relentless.Why community is central to her reason for being.How she stays empathetic without burning out.The importance of perspective to balanced life.Why kindness and giving is good for everyone.Her sense of place as white settlers.LINKS YOU'LL LOVEGippsland Jersey websiteGippsland Jersey InstaSupport the show

If you've ever dreamed of trying your hand at farming (or other earthy project), programs like WWOOF could be for you. In return for your time and energy, WWOOFing hosts offer accomodation, vittles and wisdom - sidestepping cash and capitalising on pure human exchange.Like a smorgasbord of life’s options, WWOOF (or HelpX or Workaway) represent the perfect way to meet new folks, test drive a vast array of lifestyles and get enmeshed in the lives of others quickly and meaningfully. You'll make friends, learn new skills, live like a local, broaden your worldview and travel at very low cost.As you can guess, Jade and Catie are both big fans of this exchange and bring you 20 minutes of lived experience, from both the host's and helper's perspective.We hope that if you haven't already, you'll place a farm exchange on your to-do list: young or old, with or without a family, you can gain so much for stepping boldly into the agricultural unknown, getting front row seats to our food system and first hand-experience in the soil.SHOW NOTESCatie's volunteering rite-of-passage.WWOOFing as a wonderful way to cram diversity into your life.Avoiding tourist traps and getting a VIP pass to real life.Why to relish the experience - even it's a little uncomfortable. It's about the story.How it works as a host: the day in/day out routine.How it encourages cultural sharing, illuminating how humans and communities are shaped.How it creates a mini-village, with many hands participating in daily life.The importance of vetting - for both volunteers and hosts.Why having an open mind and acceptance of the unknown is critical.Why to always pack warm and dirt-proof clothes!LINKS YOU'LL LOVEWWOOF AustraliaHelpXWorkawaySupport the show

Kirsten Bradley has dedicated the last 13 years (in cahoots with partner Nick Ritar and a host of thinkers and doers) to helping people learn permaculture skills for living like it matters.We’re referring to Milkwood, of course. And today we get a backstage pass to the brain of its co-creator; a joyous conversation indeed.Kirsten has a knack for distilling big ideas into bite size words of wisdom, bringing decades of lived experience to our cuppa-tea-with-a-mate interview that will leave you feeling affirmed and hopeful.She shares her trajectory from inner-city artist to iconic permaculture educator, author and champion of back-to-basics living. Her thoughts on long-term renting, community sufficiency, ways of stewarding land (that don’t necessarily involve buying a massive property), how to bypass hypocrisy and why to get comfy with shades of grey.Post-episode, you’ll probably want to knock on your neighbour’s door and offer them surplus garden greens - because, according to Kirsten, community connection is the bedrock of a better life (and planet). Listen, absorb, enjoy.SHOW NOTESLiving in Tassie - autonomy and community sufficiency. Insights from their trials of different ways of living (including family farming, community living, homesteading, share houses).Where and how their shift from inner city artists to sharers of skills came aboutAlternative ways to steward land (other than ownership)Actions to consider now foro a better future: 1. Growing food, anywhere/anyhow. 2. Community involvement - get enmeshed, get involved. 3. Figure out your greatest skills and what you can contribute to and learn from your community.Reframing life towards what mattersWhy helping people reclaim lost skills is the most incredible life path she could have chosen.Bypassing the guilt of hypocrisy and embracing good habits.The value of seeking out ‘wild spaces’.Why getting to know your ecosystem is fundamental to living a good life (your watershed, the First Nations title for the land you reside on, your climate, your seasons)The evolution of thought and practical outcomes which has come from living in different environments and communities.Accepting shades of grey over black and white.Stepping past the one family/one house concept.The tension between tenancy, tenure, community values, land use/management and ownership.How disasters crystallise community bedrock.Why they'd rather steward less land, not more.LINKS YOU'LL LOVERebecca Solnit - “Hope In The Dark”Melliodora PublishingMilkwood - Real Skills for Down-To-Earth LivingSupport the show

“Adventure doesn’t require new places. It can be cultivated by exploring our immediate lives with greater curiosity.”Should we try to lead virtuous, principled lives… or do what feels good? Beau Miles makes a strong case for taking ourselves a little less seriously and having a lot more local fun.This backyard adventurer and wildly popular filmmaker (most often found up a tree, running a midnight marathon or eating his bodyweight in beans) reckons he doesn’t know much about anything. But beneath the self-deprecation, Beau is a wealth of ecological wisdom and a master storyteller, taking us right to the heart of what really matters in life. Get into this philosophical, tangential, slightly mad and marvellously contrarian conversation - then get out there. SHOW NOTESThe beauty of honing your powers of observation and the necessity of coffee.Building a seasonal map.Why it's important to have a personal relationship with the landscape.The value of seeking knowledge from places outside your comfort zone.Autoethnography as a valuable avenue for knowledge seeking and sharing.The liberation of going back to basics.The importance of knowing our own strengths, and respecting the strengths of others.How to reconnect to our latent understanding of the land.The art of reigning in intensity to maintain sustainability.Why to push boundaries and be comfortable in your own skin.Getting off your high horse.Why fear of death is a fundamental human driver.LINKS YOU'LL LOVEBeau Miles on YouTubeBeau Miles onlineGaia Theory - James LovelockTim Winton - AuthorSupport the show

Together, we’ve got this. But we’ve also gotta make it happen, grabbing the moment by the short n curlys and becoming everyday changemakers.This week we break our own rules of sticking to 20 minutes and blow out to 40. But we think it’s worth it, and hope there are ideas within that pique your curiosity and propel you to action.We yak about a stack of ways to make change that each and every one of us can bring to fruition pretty much immediately. All simple, doable, impactful.Again, we apologise for the odd audio crackle. This pod-via-distance thing isn’t ideal but we’ll get the band back together as soon as we can! Thanks for understanding.SHOW NOTESWhat can you change? Here are 20 easy-as ideas (for people who like lists)1. Divest your superannuation away from coal industry supportive funds.2. Join your local food co op & continue to actively participate (being willing to roll with the inconvenience of things sometimes being unavailable).3. Stop using single use plastic.4. Grow your own food and swap what you can't grow.5. Make your own presents.6. Buy less shit.7. Drive less (“do I really need to go into town?”)8. Always think local: holidays, presents, food.9. Reframe 'luxury' as drinking fresh milk not visiting a spa.10. Go slow: play with your kids, grow from seed, swim in rivers, make from scratch, draw, nana nap, write letters not emails, cloud watch, picnic, hand water.11. Write to leaders demanding change: local, state & federal.12. Teach your kids to be practical not digital: build, grow, create, learn.13. Really live in the season: food, activities, clothing,14. Connect more deeply with the natural world: seasonality, camping, bushwalking, river swims, bare feet.15. Support the second hand economy .16. Celebrate simple: actively seek simplicity over complexity17. Share your knowledge: seek skills from the elderly and teach children your skills. 18. Redesign your house renovation to be smaller: less is more19. Veto your work: actively seek projects that align with your beliefs20. Commit to & value a home based lifeLINKSTo watch: War On WasteSupport the show

Maybe you’ve done this before: typed into Google, “Where can I buy glass bottle milk?” or “What local butchers will accept my battered tupperware?”. If you have, it’s likely you’ve stumbled upon The Rogue Ginger.Erin Rhoads is a proud red head whose simple question, “Why is the world filled with plastic?”, changed the course of her life.Since 2013, this down-to-earth mum from Melbourne has been blogging about how to reduce plastic and waste, and live a more eco-friendly existence. On her website you’ll find years worth of zero-waste resources, amazingly curated lists on where to shop waste-free and wildly practical information about making the change - with a notable absence of dogma. Our conversation with Erin goes beyond waste reduction to encompass the psychology of change, on-boarding friends and family with your belief system (or not), localism vs. globalism and what true wealth looks like. It’s a laid back, tea-with-a-friend style chat that’ll leave you with a warm sense of solidarity - and renewed enthusiasm for making positive change. SHOW NOTESErin highlights the importance of sharing our stories of joy and contradictions while we embark on change - so it doesn't feel impossible for others to follow.Finding ways to create uplifting and engaging challenges for individuals (rather than dutiful misery).As consumers, our voices are loud. Erin gives us ideas for sharing our thoughts about how companies can do better (in ways that are actually effective).Practical ideas for actioning your beliefs.The merits of Localism vs. Globalism.Why it’s worth developing a sense of obligation within our communities to bring about lasting change.How giving people tools (particularly kids) is a great way to engender hope and positive action: food growing, seed saving, fire lighting and cooking are as important as maths.Connecting with your local council is a great starting point for blossoming changemakers.Why it’s time for communities to lead rather than waiting for governments to fill the gap.Have Australians ever faced real challenges collectively? This might impact our understanding (and appreciation) of community initiatives.The power of third parties like films, music, books and docos when trying to influence change in friends.How life as a new mother opened up a can of worms on her plastic-free mission.Ideas for overcoming the cyclical phases of new initiatives that sees initial traction followed by a dip in interest and engagement.‘Gamification’ as a possible way to incentivise community engagement.The value of initiatives that are easy to set up and participate in - but have far-reaching outcomes such as nature strip gardens and free food pantries.LINKS ABC’s War on Waste Plastic Free July The Clean Bin Project [documentary]An Inconvenient Truth [documentary]Bag It [documentary]“How to save the world” - Katie PatrickSupport the show

It's another Shortie with Jade and Catie!This week, we plate up an assortment of our favourite books, films and thinkers. In the spirit of sharing life-changing and mind-altering resources (books > drugs), we chat about our bibles of regenerative living, homesteading, futuresteading, farming and thinking - that we reckon you'll love, too.Oh, and having a buddy to read along with is a powerful way to absorb and discuss the merits of new knowledge, solidify it, and develop a shared mental library.The audio is a little scratchy in parts thanks to recording in two separate locations, but we know you'll understand! Social distancing and all that.And one book we didn't mention - which was totally remiss but rectifiable right here, right now - is “The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction To Natural Farming" by Masanobu Fukuoka. It's a foundational must-read for anyone wanting to live like tomorrow matters. It teaches you to think. Not what to think but to think in the first place, and that's a bloody grand spot to begin. Find links below to everything mentioned. We’d love to hear your favourite resources over on Insta or Facebook.GET YOUR TEETH INTO:Charles Eisenstein - Author, Speaker, Thinker (Catie's faves: "Climate - A New Story" and "The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible")David Fleming - Author (in particular, “Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy”)Grown & Gathered - Matt & Lentil Purbrick The Village - Matt & Lentil PurbrickMilkwood : Real Skills for Down to Earth Living - Kirsten Bradley and Nick RittarLow Tox Life - Alexx StuartThe Biggest Estate on Earth - Bill GammageDark Emu - Bruce PascoeDoctor Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World - Mudrooroo NyoongahThe Holistic Orchard - Michael PhillipsMycorrhizal Planet - Michael PhillipsThe Carbon Farming Solution - Eric ToensmeierThe Bio Integrated Farm - Shawn JadrnicekChelsea Green Publishing - Facebook and WebsiteThe Soil and Health - Sir Albert HowardThe Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael PollanRetrosuburbia : The Downshifter's Guide To A ResilSupport the show

If you've never met a Perma Pixie, prepare to be delighted. Taj, aka. The Perma Pixie, is bringing a little old school witchcraft and spades of permaculture wisdom to Melbourne - and now, to you.This chick beats to a drum of ‘reciprocity’, a philosophy that acknowledges that we’re part of a cycle that should give as much as it takes. She’s been delivering permaculture education courses for over a decade (not bad for a young sprout!) and has recently started clinical work as a qualified herbalist. Social patterns and interactions are her greatest love, equal to her fascination with plants and their healing capacity. This conversation is a must for anyone interested in natural medicine, staying grounded in the fray, the freedoms - and struggles - of running a small business, how to balance impassioned action with self care, and how to be regenerative within a culture programmed to run us dry.Her deeply felt connection to the seasons, and life steeped in reciprocity and relationship, will either resonate deeply or sow seeds in the garden of your mind. Enjoy! SHOW NOTESHow her early ADHD diagnosis encouraged her to seek calm in the natural world.Taking a circular approach to living in reciprocity with nature.The power of seasonal acknowledgement; combining the ‘doing’ with the ‘sensing’.Having the courage to trust your instincts to follow the path of the heart.Finding balance in the juxtaposition of being an anti-capitalist while running a small business.Reframing financial stability.How being an extrovert has enabled her to build a network of nourishers.Ways to create nurturing community hubs and nodes, which in turn create valid community connection.Why it's worth summoning the gumption to talk to total strangers and be open to spontaneous interactions.The fundamental need to have a relationship with our own bodies to take ownership and responsibility of our most important asset - and avoid being a ‘baseline’ human.Actively avoiding a sedentary body and mind. Her permaculture and herbal medicine journey - and how it led her to the plants which nourish her.Why a world filled with sharing is better than a life lived alone. How she calms the voice urging her to "do more".Finding balance as a one-woman show when her greatest desire is to be outside - not behind a screen.Why to do a "needs analysis": What are your needs and what can you offer?Why relationships are what fundamentally give her hope.LINKS YOU'LL LOVEWebsite: The Perma Pixie/Insta: @thepermapixieVisit: CERES Community Environment ParkMovie: The CraftSupport the show

What are your moments of joy? What makes you feel at home? Where's the "best" place to live with respect for the future?Join Jade and Catie for a Futuresteading Shortie: a bite-sized convo where we share our everyday moments of joy, why to put roots down, what makes us guffaw and where the "best" place to live really is. This wee episode is the perfect accompaniment to pulling weeds, shelling walnuts, wandering up the street or sunning your legs on the verandah.Thanks so much for joining us.Support the show

If you’re looking for reasons to be hopeful, this conversation with Brenna Quinlan will provide a lifetime’s worth. You probably know her as “that permaculture illustrator” - and boy, can she communicate complex environmental and social ideas with a few deft flicks of her paintbrush!But did you know that Brenna is also a brilliant thinker, permaculture educator and tiny-hut-dwelling resident of Melliodora?Yep. Brenna is a breath of fresh air and optimism, with oodles (of positive stuff!) to share about where humanity’s headed - and how we can make the transition altogether more joyful. Listen in. Smile big. Draw a (hopeful) picture. SHOW NOTESBrenna’s early love of art and “crashing” adult art classes.Her story of riding across the Americans in her early 20s, learning about farming and community.How she was “the right sized piece of the puzzle” when she fell into illustrating Retrosuburbia... and making creativity her career.Why she didn't stress about "using her uni degrees" and instead let creativity and opportunities germinate where they may.How and why to be part of a greater movement, rather than going it alone. The importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.Her simple daily rituals and joyful pleasures featuring: goats, uphill bike rides, library books.Why cycles of day and night, the seasons and and end-of-day gratitude practice are essential parts of her existence.Why ‘alternative living’ is an opportunity to connect more with others, rather than persisting with unfettered individualism (the death of community?).How her life at Mellidora works: rent for work exchange, living alongside others, zero waste, a permie bubble. Why taking a leap of faith into a different life = nothing to lose. How she channels her environmental grief into positive forward motion.How to find what makes you come alive - and go for it!LINKS YOU'LL LOVEWebsite: Brenna Quinlan @brenna_quinlanBook: Retrosuburbia: The Downshifters Guide to a Resilient Future - David HolmgrenBook: On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal - Naomi KleinSupport the show

Listen to our elders. Listen to the earth. That’s what Rebecca Sullivan aka. Granny Skills urges us all to do.This fast-paced conversation delves into Rebecca's commitment to local food systems, regenerative agriculture and Warndu, the Indigenous food farm and educational business she concocted with her hubby in South Australia's North West.With a son on the way, Rebecca shares how she plans to help him - and all youngsters - avoid eco-anxiety: listen, ask questions, act without fear and always be kind - to yourself, to others, to mother earth. We reckon you’ll love this mama-to-be, regen farmer and food educator’s sound advice, vast experience, incredible life story and infinite warmth just as much as we did. Let’s hear it for Granny Skills!SHOW NOTESRebecca chats about her formative years, early entrepreneurship and audacity to sell tampons to Santa Claus. How she came to appreciate the influence and importance of our elders. Her experience of tree and soil farming, and hopes to leave a land legacy.How she strikes a balance between urgency and legacy in her work.Her approach to being an ambassador (i.e not selling out to get free shit)How she’s slowly learning to build daily rituals.Why the seasons scare her.How she brings people on her journey.How we can build more native food forests.How she’s taken her brand Warndu, an Australian native plant food business, to the world - as a white girl.How to redefine success by listening and adapting to the bigger power out there.Why her contribution to society is valid and important - everyone’s is! The importance of embracing failure.How to find pleasure in the simplest of things.Letting joy come from lessons learned.How to manage eco anxiety to ensure we can still feel hope.Helping people break habits and form better ones.Why food is a powerful tool to discover more about Aboriginal culture.The power of childlike curiosity, asking questions and listening.LINKS YOU'll LOVERebecca SullivanBooks: “The art of Natural Beauty”, “The art of Natural Cleaning”, “The art of herbs for health”, “The art of edible flowers", “Warndu Mai, Good Food”Insta: Granny Skills + WarnduSupport the show

It’s never too late to start farming. This week, Sadie Chrestman from Fat Pig Farm shares her story of moving to Tassie with partner Matthew Evans to start a new, rural life - in her forties. We ask her what it’s like being ‘that famous treechanger’, why she’s obsessed with the soil, about her pledge to drink tea with strangers, and how she discovered her dream job aged 50. Her humble, level-headed wisdom is the antidote to overwhelm and an inspiration for anyone wanting to radically change their life - one pig at a time. SHOW NOTESSadie’s unconventional childhood in India and Indonesia.How do we acknowledge and act on our privilege? The impacts of COVID-19 on Fat Pig Farm’s long table lunches. Pros and cons of homesteading (in the time of COVD-19). Why you can’t isolate yourself from your community (even if you’re pursuing self-sufficiency). Has the concept of community evolved in the last 20 years? What is Sadie’s experience of community in Tasmania? Why it’s OK not to get along with all of your neighbours. Why to knock on your neighbour’s door and say hello - even if you live in the city. How to stop worrying so much about what people think. Social media as a tool for business and advocacy, rather than a bare-all window into life.The beauty of finding something in common with a complete stranger. Sadie’s pledge to connect at the school bus stop. Simple moments of joy on the farm.Why she revels in her role as head gardener (without a degree in horticulture!). Why growing food and replenishing the soil helps reassure her in a time of climate emergency.How the Powers That Be have shifted the blame onto the individual - rather than acknowledging the bigger picture. Sadie’s moments of hypocrisy.Sadie’s op-shop gardening attire. How you can generate your own sense of place - even if you’re a long way from home. Words of encouragement for first generation or “older” farmers. How they started small and grew organically - rather than diving in headfirst. The simple ways we can all begin a transitional path to a better tomorrow. Has Sadie ever doubted the path she’s on? How cooking someone a meal constitutes profound human kindness.The beauty (and phases) of vulnerability. Sadie’s one piece of advice for a better tomorrow. LINKS YOU'LL LOVEThe Good Life: What Makes A Life Worth Living? - Hugh Mackay, Farming Democracy - Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance On Eating Meat; The Real Food Companion; The Dirty Chef; The Commons - Matthew EvansGourmet Farmer - SBS Series Fat Pig Farm + @fatpigfarmSupport the show

Grab a hot brew and sit down with hosts Jade and Catie for a short, sweet and personal conversation. We share who we are, what we believe in, what the heck “Futuresteading” means - as well as some juicy series spoilers. Pleased to meet you!SHOW NOTESWho are Jade & Catie?What is Futuresteading?What perspectives will we each bring to the podcast series?Key emerging themes of the Futuresteading podcast series one, like community, upbringing, living with less, redefining success, cultural shift, what it is to be human, how to just do something, how to bring change by showing - not badgering.LINKS YOU'll LOVEFramework: Holistic Decision Making with Dan PalmerPod: Making Permaculture Stronger - Dan PalmerPod: Team Human - David RushkoffFilm: 2040 - David GameauSupport the show