The Agroinnovations Podcast

Episode #131: Spiral Ridge Permaculture

frank — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:30:21 +0000

Frank is joined by Cliff Davis of Spiral Ridge Permaculture. Cliff begins by breaking down the natural history, forest composition, soil types, and topography of his permaculture farm in central Tennessee. The topic then shifts to permacultural strategies for success in this challenging environment, and concludes with a discussion of the political challenges of a establishing a permanent culture in a damaged society.

Spiral Ridge Permaculture

7th Annual Permaculture Design Course in Belize

Episode #130: For the Listeners

frank — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:30:45 +0000

Frank dedicates this episode to the listeners of the podcast for their patience and encouragement over a six month period in which the site agroinnovations.com was broken and no new material was forthcoming. He discusses changes in his personal life that made new installments difficult, and then goes on to discuss the new, streamlined Agroinnovations.com site. He continues with more news on Monsanto’s war against the biosphere, and concludes with a preview of what’s to come in subsequent episodes.

Links mentioned in the show:

Episode #129: Merry Christmas, Monsanto

frank — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:10:29 +0000

Monsanto's Stock Price; Image via Wikipedia

This episode of the Agroinnovations Podcast salutes everybody’s favorite biotechnology company Monsanto by wishing them a Merry Christmas. We begin by noting some of the successes of governments in resisting transgenetic engineering, and continue with a discussion of three key vulnerabilities of the biotech giants; these weaknesses are summarized as labeling policy, agronomic failure, and financial instability. Each is discussed in turn, with concrete examples and formulas for continuing the information war against Monsanto.

Useful links below:

Articles with additional information not mentioned in the podcast:

Monsanto Admittedly Influences Colorado GMO Ban, Launches Phony ‘GMO Co-Existence’ Protests (usapartisan.com)
Monsanto’s GM Corn Linked To Organ Failure (topalternativenews.com)
USDA Approves Monsanto’s Drought Tolerant Corn (treehugger.com)

Episode #128: Biodynamic Agriculture

frank — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:51:14 +0000

We are joined by Hugh Courtney of the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics. We discuss the life and ideas of Rudolph Steiner, the life and practice of Josephine Porter, biodynamic preparations and how they are made, the application of … Continue reading →

Episode #127: Peak Moment Television

frank — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:39:55 +0000

Frank Aragona is joined by Janaia Donaldson, host and producer of Peak Moment Television. Topics of discussion include the production of Peak Moment TV, geodesic domes in Colorado, the strengths and weaknesses of the relocalization movement, Peak Oil as a marginal idea in American society, relocalization as an apolitical phenomenon, and the future of Peak Moment TV.

Peak Moment TV (website)

Peak Moment TV (YouTube)

Episode #126: The Paicines Ranch

frank — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:09:43 +0000

Frank is joined by Sallie Calhoun, Owner/Executive Director of the Paicines Ranch. Sallie is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Holistic Management International, and is a passionate practitioner of and advocate for Holistic Management. Please visit their website at www.holisticmanagement.org.

Topics of discussion include the ecology and wildlife of central California, the invasion of exotic annual grasses to the detriment of native perennials, oak regeneration in California, perceptions and realities of wild pigs, and the need for greater human capital on the North American land base.

The Paicines Ranch (website)

Episode #125: Holistic Management in Saskatchewan

frank — Wed, 25 May 2011 01:50:23 +0000

Frank is joined by Blain Hjertaas, farmer, rancher, and Holistic Management Practitioner in Saskatchewan, Canada. Blain tells what is now the familiar tale of a high input farmer making the transition to low-input, holistic agriculture and seeing vast improvements in land health, farm diversity, income, and quality of life. Topics of discussion include multi-species management, transitioning from grain farmer to animal husbandry, convincing the neighbors, and the future of agriculture in Saskatchewan.

Agroinnovations Podcast Facebook Page

Episode #124: Back in the Saddle

frank — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:39:02 +0000

The Agroinnovations Podcast is back after a hiatus of several weeks. I begin by sharing an article by Tara Lohan entitled Vision: How Small, Mostly Conservative Towns Have Found the Trick to Defeating Corporations. I then continue by sharing listner comments, and conclude by sharing another article by Jill Richardson about farm subsidies and the 2012 Farm Bill.

Vision: How Small, Mostly Conservative Towns Have Found the Trick to Defeating Corporations (By Tara Lohan, via Alternet)

Are All Farm Subsidies Giveaways to Corporate Farmers? (by Jill Richardson, via Alternet)

The Agroinnovations Podcast (Facebook Page)

Episode #123: Vocational Permaculture

frank — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:02:29 +0000

We are joined by Robyn Francis of the Permaculture College of Australia. The conversation begins with a breakdown of how permaculture has become a certified vocation in Australia. We then discuss the curriculum at the Permaculture College, the process of certification, the job market for graduates, local government in Australia embracing permaculture, obstacles to adoption in the United States, and strategies for accelerating the process in local communities.

Permaculture College of Australia

The Agroinnovations Podcast on Facebook

Episode #122: Inadvertently Organic

frank — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:28:44 +0000

Rancher and Holistic Management Practitioner Walt Davis joins us to talk about his transition from a high, input technology intensive cattle rancher to an observation-based, ecological holistic manager. Topics of discussion include the economics of input-intensive agriculture, controlling parasites through … Continue reading →

Episode #121: State Banks, Opensource Mythology, and Viralized Transgenics

frank — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:23:54 +0000

This episode of is broken into three parts. First, I am once again joined by Ellen Brown to discuss the state bank of North Dakota. Ellen explains why North Dakota’s state bank is an example for other states in the Union. It provides credit, a social safety net, and economic stability in one of the only states in the US with a budget surplus. Then, I am joined by Willi Paul to discuss open source mythology, Joseph Campbell, and myths in the permaculture age. Finally, I conclude by rejecting the euphemistic term GMO, arguing that Monsanto’s gene-modified crops should be called Viralized Transgenics (VTGs).

Webofdebt.com

Openmythsource.com

Planetshifter.com

We’ve Create a GMOnster (via Alibi.com)

Cannabis, Forgetting, and the Botany of Desire (by Michael Pollan)

Genetic Engineering (via Thinkquest)

Genetically Modified Plant, types (via Wikipedia)

Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

Episode #120: Food Prices

frank — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:59:41 +0000

In this episode of the podcast we are joined by author, attorney, blogger, and activist Ellen Brown. Ellen joined me to talk about the issue of rising food prices. Through the course of the interview, we tackle some tough questions: What does the shadow banking system have to do with rising food prices? How do rising food prices affect the world’s poor? Are rising food prices the result of unintended consequences or part of a more sinister plan? How have Goldman Sachs and other banks manipulated food prices through the futures market?

Episode #119: The National Phenology Network

frank — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:32:26 +0000

On this episode we are joined by Teresa Crimmins of the National Phenology Network (NPN). Phenology is the study of the life cycle changes in plants and animals. Topics of discussion include the importance of phenological data, the mission of the NPN, the monitoring and online database tools made available by the NPN, the use of phenology data in education and land management, and what phenology data may tell us about changes in climate and how they affect plant and animal behavior.

The National Phenology Network

Phenological Grazing Planning Part I

Phenological Grazing Planning Part II

Episode #118: Cowherd Management

frank — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:33:09 +0000

Herder, low stress livestock handler, and cowboy poet Bob Kinford joins us to talk about herding as a strategy for improved grazing planning and management. Topics of discussion include the ecological, economic, wildlife, and animal performance advantages of herding grazing livestock. Also discussed is the use of social media and agricultural entertainers to raise interest and awareness in agriculture.

Visit Bob Kinford’s blog at cowherdmanagement.blogspot.com

Episode #117: Natural Reality

frank — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:14:40 +0000

Scott Russell Sanders joins us once again for a wide ranging discussion of issues in conservation and our relationship with Nature. Topics of discussion include the observance of natural cycles, gardens in schools, our cultural appetite (or lack thereof) for the Truth, and what we can expect to see in the future. This episode is concluded by reading some listener email. Continue reading →

Episode #116: A Conservationist Manifesto

frank — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:25:33 +0000

We are joined by Scott Russell Sanders, who is an author and conservationist, and has written many books, including Hunting For Hope and A Conservationist Manifesto. Topics of discussion include Aldo Leopold, Noah’s Ark as a metaphor for modern catastrophe, … Continue reading →

Episode #115: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation

frank — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:30:10 +0000

We are joined by Daniel Imhoff, editor of the book CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation): The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories. Topics of discussion include images of and conditions in the CAFO, the loss of biological diversity in animal husbandry, … Continue reading →

Episode #114: Land Imprinting

frank — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:07:52 +0000

In this episode of the podcast we are joined by Dr. Robert Dixon of the Imprint Foundation. Dr. Dixon is the inventor of the land imprint machine, a roller with triangle impressions designed to improve the water infiltration capacity of the soil surface. Topics of discussion include the origins of the machine, costs of production and implementation, the results of imprinting, obstacles to technological transfer, land imprinting in the Middle East, and land imprinting as an economic development strategy.

The Imprint Foundation

Episode #113: Temperate Rice Permaculture

frank — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:14:22 +0000

In this episode of the podcast we are joined once again by permaculture designer and entrepreneur Ben Falk. Ben joined me to talk about his experiments with growing rice in paddies in the temperate climate of Vermont. Topics of discussion include the rationale for working with rice, rice as a hydroponic nutrient management system, the role of animals in rice production, the advantages of using cheap oil to build rice terraces, the potential for tree crops, and the challenges of processing rice at the homestead scale.

Photo Gallery via Whole Systems Design website

Episode #112: Planned, Rotational Grazing

frank — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:30:43 +0000

We are joined by Dr. Richard Teague of Texas A&M’s Agrilife Research Center. Dr. Teague joined me for an interview at the Quivira Coalition Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November of 2010. Topics of discussion include rotational vs. continuous grazing, rotational grazing as a strategy for maximizing profitability, the key indicators for land health on rangelands, managing recovery periods in grazing systems, fire as a tool to control brush invasion, and the importance of grazing animals to ecosystem health.

Texas A&M’s Agrilife Research

The Quivira Coalition

Holistic Management Data and Documentation Blog