If you are looking for an excellent podcast covering topics in the Permaculture world you need to check out the Permaculture Voices Podcast. Diego Footer has done an outstanding job with this podcast which accompanies you on a journey to dig deep into Permaculture and the people making it happen.

This podcast is associated with the Permaculture Voices Conference that has been held each of the past two years. I (Drew Carlson) attended the conference in February and besides being a much appreciated warm spell (San Diego), it was one of the most powerful events I have experienced.

At times it was overwhelming as I had choose between four or more excellent sessions. The sessions I attended opened my eyes, reinforced my ideas and deepened my understanding of what needs to be done. During the sessions, presentations and activities, I was surrounded by 500 other people who share a deep passion for Permaculture and being the change they wish to see in the world. At night we would share our experiences, visions and discuss strategies on how to move forward.

Check out Episode 109: Building Dams, Ponds, and Rehydrating the Landscape – The Water Retention Landscape with Zach Weiss.

Start with water, your most valuable form of capital, and retain as much of it as possible on the property in order to rehydrate the landscape. We can use efficient landscape design to control the flow of water to slow it, spread it, and sink it allowing the water to infiltrate into the soil, giving the plants water to do their work. Then nature will start building soil and creating microclimates and shade. But none of that will happen without water. Zach Weiss an ecological landscape designer from Montana and a student of Sepp Holzer joins me to talk about creating a water retention landscape. In this episode we will talk more about what he has learned from Sepp and get more into his own ideas on how water retention can have a dramatic effect on the landscape. We touch on everything from building ponds and sealing ponds to catchment used to feed dams to the three zones of any body of water. An episode for designers and homesteaders alike. See videos and other content related to this episode at permaculturevoices.com/109

Zach Weiss of Elemental Ecosystems and Holzer Permaculture was at the conference and I had the pleasure of getting to know him better. Zach gets it. He shows a passion for all aspects of Permaculture: earth care, people care and fair share.

I will be organizing workshops at Strause Family Farm moving forward into the future and I am honored to have Zach leading the first of many. In this first workshop, Sepp Holzer style Earth Stable, participants will learn how to build a Sepp Holzer style earth stable.

The workshop will be $250/person and is happening on August 8th and 9th prior to the convergence. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday and lunch will be provided on Sunday. There will be space available for camping on site and some rooms are available at a local residence (only a few) for those unable to camp. There are also motels and hotels within 15-20 miles from the farm.

For more information regarding the workshop please visit the webpage.