Podcast at Off Grid Festival 2016 – exclusive interviews, and workshop recordings

Welcome to the podcast special: a “motherload” of interviews and workshops recorded at this year’s (2016) Off Grid Festival organised by the UK Permaculture Association.

First we catch up with Doug King-Smith from the Hillyfield. You can listen to our initial conversation by clicking THIS LINK. Doug has now received the money from the crowdfunder, which thanks to people like you was successful. Next step: join them next year at the planning hearing! Go to their website for details.

 

Jen from Tinkers Bubble off grid community – no fossil fuel, no electricity, yet producing amazing fruit juices, and preserves (it’s a bad recording, my apologies, first of many in this post)

 

Workshop – Alex Lawrie, Somerset Cooperative Services (again a horrible recording due to a number of kids having fun in the same building on the mezzanine floor. I went upstairs once, saw how much fun they were having, and left them to it. You can suffer, I would not want to be the old fart spoiling the few days of fun these kids had! Having said that, it is a HORRIBLE recording, sorry…). Talking about alternative business structures, funding, and working through ideas presented by the participants.

 

Bob Mehew from the Apricot Centre – learn effective strategies to ensure your project has the support of key groups and individuals. How to start a farm project from scratch. The Apricot Centre has been approached by the Biodynamic Land Trust to develop a permaculture/biodynamic farm in Devon. We were sitting beside a temporary workshop, where offgriders were learning greenwood woodworking, and archery. Also, if you think you can create an off grid system that will provide all utilities to the existing requirements, and fit within the budget of £25000, then contact Bob with your offer.

 

 

Melanie Shaw – Exeter Pound – what is the value of a local currency, what is needed to have one. also, Melanie dropped her lucrative career in the £££ world in London, to become a successful Medical Herbalist – what an inspiring person!

 

Workshop – Nick Read of English Hemp – one of a handful of UK based producers of medicinal hemp oil. Fully licensed, and organic. Nick is very knowledgeable and passionate about not only growing the healthiest crop he can, but also his connection with the natural world, and reducing his impact. He too left a lucrative career, and now lives off grid surrounded by nature.

 

Phil and Lorena – Aquaroots – the company is a vehicle to create income for ALL the crazy, amazing, inspiring adventures that both of them take on! Both of them are PADI diving instructors, Palestine independence activists; honestly my mind was blown! The product – a flat pack aquaponics set has been designed to help teachers in early education to keep children engaged and interested.

 

Your ears will be pleased. This last interview is indoors, and good quality (finally 🙂 ). Sagara from the East Devon Forest Garden – a place as magical as practical in its design. Sagara has clearly poured his artistic soul into this piece of land. He’s a Buddhist, an artist, horticulturist, photographer, permaculture designer and practitioner. He also shares the role multiple sclerosis has played in his life, and the creative way he’s preparing for the debilitating effects it may bring.

Here’s a video I’ve come across with someone else interviewing Sagara, where you can get some visuals of his place

 


Music used: Luxe by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

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This is a fledgeling project, that is taking a considerable amount of time, and a little bit of money. If you found this informative, entertaining, helpful, and think that it could help someone else, please share using the buttons below. Many thanks!

 

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