They actually use it to feed their island ecosystem. So on up the food chain to the wolves, the eagles. And everyone in the system benefits from this anthropogenic base of calories. And I say anthropogenic, which means manmade. There are ways to touch the Earth that are very kind and very helpful, not just in the feeding of humans, but of other lifeforms as well. Another example I like to give is the Shawnee ancestors of what we now call Kentucky. What we see is in the fossilized pollen if you take soil cores out of the ponds, you can see pollen that is as old as 10,000 years. And you can see what the forest has looked like over the past 10,000 years. And what we find is for a long time, it was just cedar and hemlock dominating the pollen profile. And then about 3,000 years ago, this is before Christ, we see the Shawnee ancestors move in and we see a huge influx of hickory nut, black walnut, chestnut, acorns, sumpweed, goosefoot. All these edible plant species come into the pollen profile. Which means that somebody, presumably the Shawnee, radically transformed the whole cedar and hemlock forest into a dense food forest. What we also see is the influx of fossilized charcoal, which indicates that they managed this food forest with low intensity, gentle, prescribed burns, where you burn the forest floor, which eliminates competing vegetation. It injects nutrient dense ash into the soil, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium. It creates the charcoal which creates little apartment buildings for microbes in the soil. So you make a living soil. And this food forest with the charcoal persisted for 3,000 years, up until about 1830, we see the whole system collapse. All the pollen disappears, all the chestnut disappears. This is an example I like to give to show people how longstanding and how sophisticated Indigenous food systems are. I have also been looking at the Tenochtitlan, which was the original city of Mexico City. They had these incredible waste sanitation systems where they say that human waste was so valuable on Lake Texcoco, way before Columbus was a twinkle in his daddy's eye, that you could actually bring it to the market and trade it. You could trade your own waste for goods and services because they had this waste sanitation system that reinvested all of this so-called waste into their food systems, which were floating gardens they created out of reeds and very special soil systems. Gardens that floated all over Lake Texcoco. So if that's not sophisticated, I don't know what it is. I'm really very impressed by those stories. And one of the things that you made me think of as you were describing the kelp forest in Canada, was that the food sounds like it's part of the spiritual life of the individuals who were raising it, consuming it, protecting it, et cetera. Is that correct? Oh, absolutely. In fact, there's one elder I interviewed from the Amah Mutsun Nation who are the Indigenous peoples of what we now call Santa Cruz, California. And they did a similar forestry management strategy where they used prescribed burns. But he said that it was a ceremony. He said the smoke would go up into the oak trees because they're oak people and those acorns form a very important caloric base for the pre-Columbian peoples of California. They were acorn people through and through. The smoke would go up through the trees and would smudge off the trees. It would bless the trees, he said. They had fire-resistant bark because they had co-evolved with human fire for so many millennia. And this smoke would kill all the weevils and bugs and pests. And so you had a really healthy acorn harvest in the fall. And so it was absolutely not just land management, but it was a prayer and a gift. Sort of like Vandana Shiva from India says. She says, "Nitrogen and potassium and phosphorus...
https://leading-voices-in-food.libsyn.com/e102-lyla-june-on-returning-to-native-american-agricultural-traditions

..."Those are elements in a periodic table "from a Eurocentric point of view." She said, "But to us, these are sacred elements "that we give as an offering to the Earth. "We offer these nutrients to the soil "as a spiritual offering to Mother Earth." I'm struck as you're discussing these conversations you've had with elders that they must be an invaluable source of information. And your discussions with them must be incredibly interesting, but they also must be very deeply moving, I assume. Oh yes, absolutely, because we don't have many of these elders left. And many of our elders don't know this information because America very deliberately expunged this knowledge through the boarding school system. My grandparents, for example, full-blooded Navajo, full-blooded Dine, they don't really know this type of knowledge. They were heavily Christianized as children in the boarding schools. They were heavily indoctrinated into this idea that white is right and brown is wrong. And the more like a white American you can be, then the more civilized you are, the more intelligent you are, the more holy and clean you are, which is absolutely what they taught Native children in the boarding schools. And it's just ironic that our food systems were actually very, very intelligent, and very, very advanced. The work that you're doing including your doctoral work is an effort to protect this information, to preserve it, to communicate it, to amplify it. Are there a lot of other efforts around to do the same sort of thing? Yes, I am one of many, many, many. It's a beautiful thing that I don't have to do this alone because Indigenous food systems as a movement is really burgeoning right now. For instance, you have a lot of eco-linguistic revitalization. The first Indigenous eco-village ever has sprung up in the South, the Muskogee Eco-Village. And they are a language immersion eco-village. So if you go there, everybody's speaking Muskogee. And they understand that in order to revitalize their food ways, they must revitalize their language. And conversely, in order to revitalize their language, they must revitalize their food ways because their language talks about a certain world. And unless you recreate that world, there's nothing to talk about. If that makes sense. There's also a wonderful film that just came out called "Gather" and it's available on, I think, iTunes and Amazon. And it's all about the fight to revitalize Native food ways. It's really well done, and has a lot of Indigenous speakers leading the charge. There's the Indigenous Food Systems Network, indigenousfoodsystems.org that is really bringing together a number of players in this broad-based movement. There's also this really interesting phenomenon popping up, the popularization of Indigenous culinary arts. For instance, you have The Sioux Chef, which I imagine many of you have heard of. He's a Lakota chef, and Sioux is spelled S-I-O-U-X, which is one of the names for Lakota. So The Sioux Chef has written a book called, "The Sioux Chef's Kitchen," all about natural Indigenous-based dishes that you can make. There's also Taste of Native Cuisine, Carlos Baca, based out of Southwest Colorado, who has his own farm. And he's been foraging and creating these amazing culinary dishes, like top-notch, five-star, but he's bringing all of that to the people. And he's been bringing food boxes to people on the Navajo Reservation during the COVID crisis to give them real medicine, not just food, but also plant, different medicines to help. And then there's Yazzie The Chef was a Dine, a Navajo chef who's really been talking up our food ways. Rowan White, who's based in Northern California, but she's a Mohawk woman. She is leading the effort in seed rematriation, and she calls it rematriation instead of repatriation, kind of as a feminist take on all of that.
https://leading-voices-in-food.libsyn.com/e102-lyla-june-on-returning-to-native-american-agricultural-traditions

But what she does is she gets all of these Indigenous seeds and she grows them, and replicates them, and proliferates them on her property. Everything from heirloom corn to heirloom amaranth to heirloom squashes and different Indigenous sage, tobacco. She builds up this seed bank, and then she gives it back to the Reservations. She gives all the seeds back to the people. So she's doing incredibly important work to preserve the genetic integrity of our food systems by saving and proliferating the seeds. Those are really interesting examples. And it's inspiring to hear about all the activity in this area, and gives us some hope for the future that we can learn from the past. So let's turn back to your doctoral work. Tell us a little bit more about what you're doing in the context of your doctoral work. I just finished my last course. So I'm now embarking on the dissertation writing and sort of taking the writing I've already done and synthesizing it and getting it ready. I won't claim to have an answer of what my dissertation is exactly. I'm kind of right in the middle of the process. But what I'm thinking is really taking all of these different case studies, which include the Heiltsuk, the Shawnee, the Amah Mutsun, ancestors of Tenochtitlan, the Menominee Tribal Enterprises where they have this amazing Indigenous forestry program where they've managed a forest for a hundred years and logged to the forest for a hundred year, and yet it has increased its biomass. And I'm hoping to generate some theory out of that, to do grounded theory, you know, where you look at what you see. You find commonalities. You find common denominators among all of these food systems and you develop some characteristics of Indigenous food systems. You develop some basic foundational principles. So that's my current strategy for now. I just went to some land in Kentucky, and we're thinking of actually recreating some of these food forests. And that's my ultimate goal. Whether it's a part of the dissertation or not, we're absolutely going to be putting all this knowledge into practice, because as I said, control enough land to change the way people think about food and water. My task, I feel, is to create these models, and have them be living, breathing systems that people can come and visit, and see, and taste, and feel, and say, "Hey, another way of food is absolutely possible. "Let's do it." You know, one that is not monoculture. One that not just honors biodiversity, but cultivates biodiversity. One that recharges the soil instead of depleting it. One that really honors the ceremonial aspect of food. One that doesn't call it food anymore because food is like a lifeless object, but honors the fact that it's a living, breathing being that gave its life so that we can live. You know, that's what food really is. One of the common denominators among all these food systems which I find incredibly fascinating is the construction of habitat. That is what a lot of our food systems seem to be about, where we actually construct an environment that is hospitable to certain species that we eat. And then those species come to us. Lyla, let me ask you one final question. This has been a fascinating discussion by the way. So one argument that you hear in defense of industrial agriculture practices is that they can be done to scale. And so the traditional practices that you're describing, people might support even in principle, but say you just can't do enough of it to feed the world. What is your reaction to that idea? It's a little bit contradictory because the more you create monoculture industrial agriculture at scale. The more you deplete the soils. The more you compromise the genetic integrity of the plants and animals. Because if you have all monoculture then you have narrowed the genetic pool. And that all has a whole cascade of negative consequences. So you might say it's scalable, right? But at what costs and for how long? https://leading-voices-in-food.libsyn.com/e102-lyla-june-on-returning-to-native-american-agricultural-traditions

That's the real question. People think that there weren't that many Native Americans here in North America. Well, we densely populated the land, and we managed the land extensively with these food forests, My point is, if we have these food systems, right? These food forests, for example, they actually strengthen the ability of other food systems to exist. Diversity creates diversity. So they're not just scalable, it's actually required to scale up in order for there to be a complex, multi-bioregion ecosystem. You need to start building up these polyculture food systems. You need to start building up the biodiversity. So to answer your question, not only are Indigenous food systems scalable, but they're the only thing that's scalable. They're the only thing that's going to last. Bio Lyla June is an Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages. Her dynamic, multi-genre presentation style has engaged audiences across the globe towards personal, collective and ecological healing. She blends studies in Human Ecology at Stanford, graduate work in Indigenous Pedagogy, and the traditional worldview she grew up with to inform her music, perspectives and solutions. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree, focusing on Indigenous food systems revitalization.
https://leading-voices-in-food.libsyn.com/e102-lyla-june-on-returning-to-native-american-agricultural-traditions

E102: Lyla June on Returning to Native American Agricultural Traditions

12/15/20 by Hosted by Kelly Brownell

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/117084628
Episode: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/leading-voices-in-food/Lyla-June-Returning_to_Native_American_Agricultural_Foodways.mp3?dest-id=860036

https://leading-voices-in-food.libsyn.com/e102-lyla-june-on-returning-to-native-american-agricultural-traditions

9. 20210613-073444 Intuitive Audacity Volume To 13 https://anchor.fm/intuitive/episodes/9--20210613-073444-Intuitive-Audacity-Volume-To-13-e12mcq4 https://t.me/IntuitivePublicRadio/8103 https://t.me/s/IntuitivePublicRadio/8103

The Forest Garden: Restoration Agriculture In Your Backyard

1/7/21 by Elspeth Hay

https://www.capeandislands.org/in-this-place/2021-01-07/the-forest-garden-restoration-agriculture-in-your-backyard

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/62182012
Episode: https://cpa.ds.npr.org/wcai/audio/2019/01/LFR_011719.mp3

I’m standing on the edge of about an eighth acre covered in wood chips and newly planted trees and shrubs at Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary. It doesn’t look like much now, but Sanctuary Director Ian Ives and volunteer Cara Wilking say the idea is to highlight native and edible plants in an interactive exhibit.

Natalie Ross with a Channeled Message from Ants on Being Small But Mighty [episode 52]

6/17/21

https://dreamfreedombeauty.libsyn.com/natalie-ross-with-a-channeled-message-from-ants-on-being-small-but-mighty-episode-51

Episode: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dreamfreedombeauty/EarthSpeak-podcast-051-NatalieRoss-AntChanneledMessage.mp3?dest-id=689964

Natalie Ross, Earth Speak cofounder, shares a channeled message from ants. Listen to attune to the energy of ants, hear what they had to say, and get inspired by nature’s small but mighty insects. ► Never feel alone again on your path of Earth magic and intuitive awakening. Join the Earth Speak Collective community to learn, grow, and connect with people who get you at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Links: Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Connect with Natalie on Instagram @natalie.alexandra.ross // www.instagram.com/natalie.alexandra.ross Connect with Earth Speak on Instagram @earthspeak // www.instagram.com/earthspeak Explore the Earth Speak YouTube channel Get the secret episodes at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret ► Leave us a written review on iTunes, and get shouted out on the show! Theme music is “It’s Easier” by Scarlet Crow http://www.scarletcrow.org/ and “Meeting Again” by Emily Sprague https://mlesprg.info/ ► Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective

A Fairy Food Forest

2/4/21 by Patrick Delvecchio

https://anchor.fm/patrick-delvecchio/episodes/A-Fairy-Food-Forest-epu8qu

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/124493360
Episode: https://anchor.fm/s/18503f6c/podcast/play/26206494/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2021-02-04%2F9959a5c52a856c5f565df86a867d8770.m4a

The snow has created a blank canvas to imagine new gardens. I discuss how I incorporate magic and spirit into the design of my garden to deepen my souls connection to place. Specifically the ancient tradition of leaving wild space for fairies and how it creates a resilient ecosystem.

593: Exploring the Seven Layers of a Food Forest

4/23/21 by Urban Farm Podcast

https://urbanfarm.libsyn.com/593-farmer-friday

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/122180117
Episode: https://chtbl.com/track/971D33/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/urbanfarm/593_Farmer_Friday.mp3?dest-id=314504

Gardening tips, tricks, and advice in short, bite-size episodes. In This Brief Bite: Greg invites Crystal Stevens on our show to illustrate the seven dense layers of a food forest and the important role each layer provides to an ecosystem. From the top canopy layer to the microbes under the soil, Crystal points out how each layer is an interrelated network that optimizes nutrient uptake at each level. She closes with the importance of dynamic accumulators, an underestimated aspect for creating healthy soil.
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or visit UrbanFarm.Org/podcast Do you ever wish you could catch those tidbits of wisdom that some people throw out without warning?
Well, in our new Farmer Friday episodes - Farmer Greg shares quick thoughts, revelations, tips, and general farming advice in bite-sized and fun episodes. Sometimes it might be Greg just sharing a thought that hit him while working in the yard, or a really cool inspiration from the garden, and occasionally he’ll answer some listener questions. Other times he will catch a moment with a farming friend or podcast guest to share educational farming tidbits. This quick podcast episode is designed to be brief and not take up your day. So… listen in and enjoy this Garden snack… Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/podcast-titles listed under Farmer Friday's for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library! Exploring the Seven Layers of a Food Forest.

Berry basics: strawberries

6/17/21 by Patrick Delvecchio

https://anchor.fm/patrick-delvecchio/episodes/Berry-basics-strawberries-e12vjuf

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/124595926
Episode: https://anchor.fm/s/18503f6c/podcast/play/35687823/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2021-06-17%2F6a58f52bbc68b7773e48d2ceb892931e.m4a

The how to basics of growing strawberries. Their history, junebearing vs everbearing, and wisdom I have glwaned from the strawberry spirits.

🔊 Intuitive Social Songwriter • Intuitive Public Radio • IPR • https://t.me/joinchat/Rs6Amud-0-R-vDK4 •••

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Tomato Pruning Explained Once and For All

6/20/21

https://epicgardening.libsyn.com/tomato-pruning-explained-once-and-for-all

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/124667201
Episode: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/epicgardening/06_Tomato_Pruning_Explained_Once_and_For_All_Edit_2021.mp3?dest-id=498535

To prune tomato suckers or not to prune...that is the question. Today Craig demystifies the confusing world of pruning tomatoes. Connect with Craig LeHoullier Craig's Website The Dwarf Tomato Project Buy Craig's Book Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 5% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look absolutely amazing. Click here to shop Birdies Garden Beds Buy My Book My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is a beginners guide to growing food in small spaces, covering 6 different methods and offering rock-solid fundamental gardening knowledge: Order on Amazon Order a signed copy Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group

Alfalfa and broccoli sprouts, red bell, seaweed sauerkraut, mixed greens

Organizing food access for everyone who wishes. Contact with one another and commensal nourishment is so important. On my mind, all the time. ---@maxmorris