How does a family of five go from 'regular' consumption to producing just one minuscule jar of waste in a year? Find out in this chat with Lauren and Oberon Carter -- founders of Zero Waste Families , authors of A Family Guide to Waste Free Living and the brains behind Spiral Garden . These deliciously non-dogmatic Tasmanians treat us to a personal account of financial, professional and psychological transition, how they reduced their energy consumption by a massive 60%, what they're doing to en...
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Could jam be your gateway to lost skills? It was for Anna, aka The Urban Nanna , who started making jams and preserves as an act of self care, only to end up inspiring thousands of people to reclaim forgotten skills of frugality and everyday resourcefulness. Anna's greatest joy is watching those around her experience aha! moments, and has a guiding belief that change comes from a strong and recognised personal intent. If anyone can get you excited to exercise practical skills and community build...
Dec 13, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Take a walk in nature or find the nearest hammock to enjoy this deeply complex and moving conversation with Meg and Patrick Ulman of Artist as Family . This family of four live a largely non-monetary existence on a quarter-acre permaculture plot on Djaara peoples' country/Daylesford. They describe themselves as neopeasants, defined by the gardens and forests they tend, the resources they glean and grow, the community they're part of and the technologies they both use and refuse. They practice pe...
Dec 06, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 10
It isn't magic that food grows in our backyard?! And Joel Orchard is just the gent to encourage the farmer in all of us. Joel is the founder of Young Farmers Connect and the Australian/New Zealand CSA Network; a fair food advocate, educator and a passionate agricultural networker. He's super calm, absurdly inspiring and imparts hard truths about our world with intense kindness. Wrap your ears around this episode and be reminded that through farming, we can be social and environmental activists, ...
Nov 29, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 9
For all the fad diets, juice fasts and dogma out there, few health advocates keep it as real as Anthia Koullouros. Anthia is one of Sydney's original nose-to-tail, soil-to-plate, no-BS Naturopaths who was questioning supplements and sipping bone broth before it was cool. She's an author, speaker, educator and Apothecarius (listen in to see what that brilliant term entails) who weaves science, spirituality, feminism and self care like an absolute master -- yet never takes herself too seriously. T...
Nov 22, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Diego Bonetto, aka. The Weedy One , grew up on a dairy farm in northern Italy where it was still common practice to collect the wild bounty of the land. After moving to Australia in the 90s, Diego found that his practical foraging knowledge and weedy know-how was actually pretty rare. He lamented our modern approach to "weeds" -- a battle waged with poisons rather than a loving relationship that respects the valuable, nutrition and wisdom of the plants all around us. So he became a weed advocate...
Nov 15, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Rebecca Scott of STREAT is a socially-responsible and refreshingly quirky role model for our times. A self proclaimed 'hustler’ since childhood, Bec sees the value in everyone and everything. What's more, she knows how to bolt it all together to build an egalitarian vision that contributes to the social betterment of our world. With 11 social enterprises under the STREAT banner, Bec's quest to provide a sense of belonging and hope to our youth -- catalysed by the simple question “whose problem i...
Nov 08, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 ...
Nov 01, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Kirsten Larsen + Serenity Hill are proof that two minds are better than one. As the founders of Open Food Network , a game-changing open source technology at the centre of building valued and fair food chains, they think globally, act locally and are actively encouraging a culture where whole-self is present in the workplace. Hear how these two values-aligned women brought their shared vision for fairer local food systems to life -- and why the rest of the world is excited. *keep it rolling righ...
Oct 25, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 4
With front line activism on his resume and a concerted effort to diverge from his familial farming and retail heritage, Chris Ennis embarked on a path of his own only to find himself at the front of the socially progressive 10 acre urban farming, retail and educational enterprise CERES Fair Food and now CERES Fair Wood in Melbourne's North. As you guessed it, an urban farm and retailer. Seems you can't escape what's in your blood... but you can reframe it to suit our times and cultural needs whi...
Oct 18, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Warning: this episode with Rob Greenfield might make you want to do something crazy - like sell all your material possessions, set off on an adventure with only a backpack and faith in human kindness, or build a tiny home from reclaimed materials with your mates. Rob is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable, just and equal world. He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. His work has been co...
Oct 11, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 2
If there's a human who represents the quintessential qualities of living like tomorrow matters, it just might be Hannah Maloney. A former front line picketer, Hannah transitioned to a more sustainable approach to advocacy for climate action and First Nations justice when she founded Good Life Permaculture and is now based in Tassie on Muwinina country where days of voluntary simplicity provide time for her community which she collaborates with to teach, design and live with love. Hannah is a rad...
Oct 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Dan Palmer is co-founder of Permablitz , Landed , Holistic Decision Making , Making Permaculture Stronger and Very Edible Gardens . He has a PhD in systems thinking and contagious levels of enthusiasm for supporting the journeys of others. He currently lives with his wife and two daughters in a small home in Castlemaine, Victoria. We hear Dan’s thoughts on consciously shaping a vibrant and beautiful life, getting paid for your passion, how to be vulnerable and cut to the chase (rather than parti...
Sep 13, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 25
If changing the world over breakfast sounds like your kind of activism, you’ll love this conversation with Cassie Duncan; a woman who took her passion for a fairer food system and plated it up as an accessible, digestible and inspiring not-for-profit: Sustainable Table. Cassie co-founded Sustainable Table in 2009 as a way to help more Aussies make ethical choices about what they eat. Through beautifully written articles, educational events and innovative campaigns that connect eaters with farmer...
Sep 06, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Before you ask, yes this is Charlie Showers of Black Barn Farm - Jade's other half. Charlie is a fair food advocate, holistic orchardist, landscape scientist and insatiable reader, with an appetite for knowledge that sees him getting up before the birds to devour scientific papers, books and teachings, before putting it into practice at Black Barn Farm. In this conversation, he shares decades of wisdom with his trademark patience, clarity and intellect. He covers the power of community and regio...
Aug 30, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Need some lockdown solidarity? Here’s 20 minutes of it, with a real and honest chat about our experiences, and insights, from the ongoing Victorian lockdown. Jade’s juggling kids on the farm in Stage 3 while Catie is chucking tanties at her laptop in Melbourne’s Stage 4. We hope this little small glimpse into our everyday is akin to a virtual hug. Caveat: There's no one experience of lockdown, nor prescription for doing it right. We acknowledge our relative good fortune while honouring the tough...
Aug 23, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Join us for a calming conversation about how to make a difference without the overwhelm. In true surfie style, Robyn Rosenfeldt is laid back - despite riding a wave of daily to-dos and permaculture reporting as the founder of Pip Magazine . (Not already all over Pip ? It’s a dedicated Aussie permaculture mag with everything from foraging tips to renegade urban gardeners, seed saving, waste-busting, soil building and good old fashioned storytelling.) Robyn started Pip from scratch, so of course, ...
Aug 16, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Johno heads up Conscious Ground Organics in Byron Bay, an earth school that produces changemaking humans and delicious food in equal measure. On this working organic farm, Johno and his team have created a world class agri-educational facility, mentoring people through earth care and regeneration, people care and leadership training, and all kinds of skills like driving tractors to thinking holistically about life. Johno is one of those humans whose grit, determination and practicality will insp...
Aug 09, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 20
We spend an hour looking through the lens of anthropology, nutrition and vitalism with Cyndi O’Meara , author of ‘Changing Habits, Changing Lives’ (once just a book, now an entire movement). Cyndi's wisdom is born of deep scientific research and understanding, coupled with a refreshing awe for the body's innate healing potential. We journey back to her childhood (where seeds of big pharma skepticism were sown), talk all things success (and being an anti-statistic), how she embraces the Japanese ...
Aug 02, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 19
“Herbs aren’t drugs, and we shouldn’t expect them to perform like drugs. They’re food. They work with the human body in intuitive ways we can’t yet explain.” So, Catie is a trained naturopath! We dig into her “brown bottle” education and go deep into her love of medicinal plants as culinary healers, esoteric friends and nourishing allies for life. This shortie focuses on the simplest ways you can build relationships with our green community and tap into the powerful benefits of backyard herbalis...
Jul 26, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 18
How do you live your beliefs while earning enough to eat? This is the question we put to ORICoop founder and fair farming advocate Carolyn Suggate (amongst other conundrums). It’s a curly one, but Carolyn comes to the party with passion and insight aplenty. She shares why she pursues her principles over financial gain, how she makes it work with her partner and family, tips for raising conscious kids (without being pushy or puritanical), her unexpected foray into olympic rifle shooting, and why ...
Jul 19, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 17
A woman with generosity in spades, Sophie Hansen has turned her background in publishing into a force for good. For the last decade, she’s been plating up important messages about slow living, local produce and reverence for farmers (disguised as lip smacking seasonal recipes) on her exceedingly popular blog: Local Is Lovely . Sophie takes us backstage to life on a deer farm, her city-to-rural transition, raising contented kids, sharing with abandon and letting her love of great food take her in...
Jul 12, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 16
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 NOTES Why rewild our kids? Activities for dextrous little fingers like seed saving and food harvesting. How to make a ...
Jul 05, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 15
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...
Jun 28, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 14
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 mor...
Jun 21, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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 f...
Jun 14, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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 ...
Jun 07, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 11
“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 benea...
May 31, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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 apolog...
May 24, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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 websi...
May 17, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 8
