My guest this episode of the urban agriculture series is Paul West - a legend in the gardening world - co-founder of Grow it Local with over 30,000 members around the country, and partnering with hundreds of councils to bring monthly workshops of how to grow food in your backyard! (I've been delighted to contribute sessions) Paul is an author, broadcaster, chef, surfer and master grower. You might also know him from the TV show ' River Cottage Australia'. He’s on a mission to help...
Nov 08, 2023•52 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast This month is Urban Agriculture Month, so I'm speaking with the amazing Bjorn Low - creator and director of the Edible Garden City project in Singapore. We talk about everything from the context of urban farming in Singapore to connecting with indigenous food systems and supporting small-scale, closed loop systems. A proud recipient of the 2021 President's Award for the Environment , Edible Garden City is an urban farming phenomenon, transforming Singaporeans' relationship with fo...
Nov 01, 2023•59 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I have the pleasure to chat with my dear friend and collaborator, Christie Wilson . Christie is a clinical psychotherapist, climate activist and facilitator, working with people at the frontlines of the climate emergency. She wrote the Extinction Rebellion's Regenerative Culture Handbook , and has co-authored a recently published journal article on ' How to Become a Climate-Aware Counsellor: Supporting Ourselves, Clients and Communities '. Hosting events with Psyc...
Oct 24, 2023•56 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast This particular episode has been painful to edit. I've been sitting on it for over a year. Just before I was going to share it with you in 2022, Dan Palmer passed away aged 47. It has taken me this long to pluck up the courage to revisit our conversation - and it is now with love and respect for my dear friend Dan that I release this conversation. This week his film Reading Landscape is also going live - sharing the observational design practices of permaculture founder David Holmgren. Dan ...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast This episode, I catch up with Charlie MGee in my lounge room to chat about his latest album, Microbiome , and his journey into permaculture songwriting! Charlie is not only an amazing permaculturalist, but also a pedagogic creative, educator award winning, songwriter extraordinaire, and a genius of sharing permaculture with the world through his music - both as a solo artist and with his band, the Formidable Vegetable Sound System . My family has been listening to Charlie's songs for years ...
Oct 10, 2023•47 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, inspirational author and market gardener Perrine Hervé-Gruyer . When Perrine turned 30, she radically changed lanes from a career as an international lawyer working with the High Commissioner for Refugees, to becoming a small scale farmer using permaculture and bio-intensive methods in Normandy. From finding permaculture in search of meaning to new frameworks for growing food, Perrine's practical approach has flipped the idea that only bigger farms can make a living - small...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast Tune in this week for a conversation with amazing permaculture educator, practitioner, gardener and travelling filmmaker Andrew Millison from the United States. Andrew's passion is travelling the world documenting epic permaculture projects to share inspiration of what's possible. He's filmed in places such as India, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, and throughout the United States. When I spoke to him, he was about to jump on a plane to head off to Senegal! In this episode, we chat about eve...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast Join me this week for a Permaculture Writer's special in conversation with amazing permaculture educator and doer, author and grower Kirsten Bradley from Milkwood Permaculture . As this podcast is going live, Kirsten has just released her new book -> ' The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook: Habits for Hope in a Changing World '. You can find it in your local library, bookstore, online and maybe even in your street library! It was so great to catch up with Kirsten, chatting ...
Sep 19, 2023•39 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Hello and welcome to the Sense-making in a Changing World podcast. I’m Morag Gamble and this show is hosted by the Permaculture Education Institute . Join me each week in conversation with leading ecological thinkers, activists, authors, designers and practitioners to explore 'What Now?' What IS the kind of thinking we need to navigate a positive and regenerative way forward, to myceliate possibilities, to explore what a thriving one-planet way of life could look like. My guests offer ...
Aug 31, 2023•56 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to the Sense-Making in a Changing World podcast. This episode is part of our special permaculture writer's series. My name is Morag Gamble . I am speaking with Devon based herbal practitioner and herb grower, educator, author and founder of the Herbal History Research Network Dr Anne Stobart. Anne has two books available through Permanent Publications , The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (2020 ), and coming out this year, Trees and Shrubs That Heal: Reconnecting with the Medicinal...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I am speaking with Churchill Fellow , Community Food Forester, Community Gardens Australia - QLD Coordinator, muliti-award-winning Landscape Architect and Permaculture Educator, Gavin Hardy - based not far from me in Meanjin Brisbane. Gav and I go way back - to the early days of setting up Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane, where he is now the education coordinator. In 2020 Gav was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate the potential of community food forests and orchar...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast In Episode 100 of the Sense-Making in a Changing World, I am delighted to be speaking with STEPHANIE HAFFERTY who is based on a half-acre no-dig permaculture farm in Lampeter, Wales. From the Half Acre Homestead, Stephanie explains how to grow year round using climate friendly regenerative organic gardening methods for abundant harvests and fewer weeds, working harmoniously with wildlife, and what to do with your harvests, from seasonal meals to preserving, homemade body, home and garden care, r...
Jul 26, 2023•55 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World I am delighted to be speaking with Erik Ohlsen - a well-known, successful and much-loved Sonoma-based ecological designer, permaculture practitioner, educator, author, regenerative entrepreneur who runs multiple companies deeply grounded in a love of nature and based on permaculture ethics and principles. Eric is one of those wonderful people who gets stuff done!!! In this conversation I ask him about how he has grown his wildly successful Perm...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I am delighted to be speaking with pivotal figure in the world of deep ecology - a concept I came into contact with at Schumacher College in 1992 when I studied with Arne Naess - the Norwegian mountaineer and philosopher who coined the term Deep Ecology. My guest today is deep ecologist, rainforest activist and author JOHN SEED - a fellow ecovillager. He’s based at Narara Ecovillage in NSW and I'm at Crystal Waters on Gubbi Gubbi Country, QLD. John is the founder and directo...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast How do we tend to land and culture at the same time? This episode was a conversation of hope for me, exploring the concept and practice social forestry with Tomi Hazel Vaarde - everything from ancient indigenous knowledge to stories of forests. Also Tomi reflects on design - avoiding it being an imposition, but something that emerges from connection with place and community - an incredibly important distinction for a permaculture designer. Social forestry is the Tomi's big picture thinking,...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Sense-making in a Changing World I am delighted to be speaking with Jasmine Dale - permaculture author, designer and educator as part of our special permaculture writers series. Jasmine's book is the Permaculture Design Companion: A practical workbook for integrating people and places - a step by step guide to applying permaculture in your own life, in any context. It combines creative and analytical activities with self reflection and observation. Published by Permanent ...
May 18, 2023•57 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast The Sense-Making in a Changing World podcast, hosted by Morag Gamble is an initiative of the Permaculture Education Institute . We teach permaculture teachers around the world, and host global permaculture conversations and learning communities. Our Permaculture Life is our permaculture gardening Youtube channel with hundreds of helpful videos. I am joined here by the wonderful Pippa Chapman - author, permaculture designer, forest gardener and mother - based in Yorkshire, who has been gardening ...
May 09, 2023•58 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World, I am so delighted to be speaking about financial dimensions of permaculture and the new economy with renegade economist and permaculture educator Della Duncan . Like me, Della has also spent a lot of time at Schumacher College (she completed her MA in Economics for Transition) and she works closely too with Fritjof Capra and his course, the Systems View of Life . Della also podcasts - her show is Upstream Podcast - check it out in the show not...
May 01, 2023•57 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast " What gives me hope is people who have the guts to stand up … like you!" " There’s an urgency. The earth is in the intensive care unit - acutely ill. We’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain from speaking up." This episode takes me to the essence of why I do what I do and why I speak up - the peace movement, my love of this planet, the political precariousness in which we dwell and my deep concern for our common future. Dr Helen Caldicott (from Melbourne near where ...
Apr 06, 2023•38 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast How to teach permaculture? This is a very special episode - my way of celebrating the late Graham Bell - a tribute to a permaculture elder, pioneer, forest gardener, teacher, mentor, author, father, husband, friend. Graham died in early March 2023 after a brief illness. I join the permaculture community around the world in acknowledging his enormous contribution to the field of permaculture, and to teaching permaculture teachers. I send my deepest condolences to his family. Our focus here at the...
Mar 20, 2023•2 hr 44 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Our housing system is broken, but where do we look for different ways forward and a theory of change? Come and join me with economist Karl Fitzgerald from Grounded the new Community Land Trust Advocacy (and formerly of Prosper Australia ). Karl advocates that a saner future awaits when we focus on a community land housing solution that moves us away from the speculative drive and sprawl. He is dedicated to creating and sharing new models and developing housing futures that are intertwined with t...
Feb 28, 2023•59 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to this Permaculture Writer's Club episode of the Sense-making in a Changing World Podcast hosted Morag Gamble. This series is a chance to explore different forms of permaculture writing and speak with a range of authors and publishers. Morag is joined here in this conversation by Robyn Rosenfeldt, founding editor and publisher of Pip Magazine . Come behind the scenes of PIP Magazine - Australia's permaculture magazine, learn what makes a good article or story, what magazine ed...
Jan 10, 2023•49 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to a special Permaculture Writer's Club episode of the Sense-making in a Changing World podcast. I am joined by the wonderful permaculture grower, forest gardener, youtuber and author, Liz Zorab who runs Byther Farm with Mr J - to live a self sufficient, eco friendly life. . She is author of the best-selling book Grounded : A Gardener’s journey to abundance and self-sufficency - put out by Permanent Publications and is finishing up her second book - the Seasoned Gardener - due out s...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wanted to become a permaculture writer? Listen in to learn the niches waiting for permaculture writers and insights from our guest's decades of permaculture writing, editing and publishing. I am delighted to welcome you to a the first of our special Permaculture Writer's Club series on the Sense-making in a Changing World podcast. This podcast is an initiative of the Permaculture Education Institute . We teach permaculture teachers around the world and host global permacu...
Jan 04, 2023•54 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast In the new episode of Morag Gamble’s podcast, Michael Mobbs shares insights from his 50 + years experience living and breathing environmentalism and sustainability. Starting out as Australia’s first environmental lawyer in 1978, Michael went on to create an off-grid home for his family in the 1990s – right in the heart of Sydney. His passion for sustainability led him to write two books: Sustainable House, and, Sustainable Food. Michael’s off-grid home is featured in Zac Efron’s latest season of...
Dec 14, 2022•31 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World is the final of our 5 part Urban Agriculture series released during Urban Agriculture Month in November 2022. Here, Morag Gamble is joined by Chris Smyth, a coordinator of Community Gardens Australia (WA). They talk about the gardens he co-founded on the Murdoch University Campus, as well as the community gardening movement around the country. Chris, a retired Assoc. Professor and Dean of the School of Media Communication & Culture at Murdoch ...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World, host Morag Gamble speaks with Buttons Testa - the creator of The Mushroomery - a micro mushroom farm she set up in her Brunswick backyard in Naarm (Melbourne) in a 10m2 growing space. The little farm supplies two restaurants and a farm gate from time to time with tasty oyster mushrooms. She is influenced by the ethics and principles of permaculture. She is working on closing multiple loops of waste within her farm. Being a massive foodie she i...
Nov 22, 2022•42 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Landscape Architect and urban farmer, Hilary Hoggett - President of Fawkner Food Bowls in Naarm (Melbourne) - takes us on a journey into hyper local food systems. This is part 3 of our 5 part Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022) Fawkner Food Bowls is a community market garden which grows herbs, vegetables, and seedlings for their very local area. They work with volunteers and community members providing culturally relevant food in a thriving growing spa...
Nov 15, 2022•33 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is all about keeping bees in our backyards. This is part of our 5 part Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022). My guest today is Amanda Collins of Ballarat Backyard Beehives and member of the Ballarat Permaculture Guild. Amanda and her partner Scott became accidental beekeepers ten years ago after being gifted a hive and falling in love with the bees. Since then, their passion for beekeeping has grown into a small apiary of 80 hives, deliveri...
Nov 08, 2022•48 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to this special Urban Agriculture podcast series celebrating Urban Agriculture Month (Nov 2022). My first guest is Jacqui Besgrove of Pocket City Farms in central Sydney. Back in 2015, they began the transformation of a disused bowling green into a wonderfully thriving community food hub, and they want to contribute to urban farming becoming a normal part of our society and urban fabric. Local sustainable food production close to where the bulk of our population live - and can connect wi...
Nov 01, 2022•41 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
