Show Notes Episode 21 – Michael Judd

We’ve heard time and again that it isn’t possible for our society to feed the world. ?

However, that’s strictly a “for-profit” view of the world — and not accurate at all — as you’ll hear in Paul’s latest Living 4D conversation with permaculturalist and ecological designer Michael Judd.

Learn more about Michael and his work with the environment at Ecologiadesign.com. For Living 4D listeners, he’s offering 10 percent off his workshops or private consultations. Mention paulchek when booking for your appointment to receive this discount.

If you’re curious about Michael’s book — Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist — you can download it for free as an Amazon Kindle book beginning on April 10 and running through April 12.

Have you always heard about pawpaws and wanted to try them? Receive a 10 percent discount on pawpaw pulp at Integrationacres.com by entering the promo code paulchek at checkout!

Show Notes

  • For a time, Michael lived with the last of the Mayan tribes in the Lacandon Jungle. (2:33)
  • These tribes in Mexico and Central America have been living in the same region off the for more than 500 years. (6:59)
  • “Most of the people listening to this podcast have little or no idea what the rest of the world, particularly the less developed countries, are paying for American consumerism.” (9:54)
  • The loss of arable topsoil is a constant pattern throughout history that’s sped up enormously with the machinery and chemicals multi-national industries use. (18:30)
  • The insecurity of food access is going to hit us sooner than later economically due to a lack of attention to our environment. (19:19)
  • “Modern” agriculture will see the use of human waste become a very valuable resource one day. (24:33)
  • The real harm from NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertilizers. (26:29)
  • We can feed the world, but issues of distribution and market access must be solved. (32:58)
  • The growth of GMO crops creates a greater sense of food insecurity. (36:03)
  • What Michael recommends to create more stability in food security: Planting nut trees. (38:43)
  • A simple definition of permaculture. (40:36)
  • “What we eat on our plate is what our landscapes look like.” (49:04)
  • Paul sings the Dr. Diet song. (50:05)
  • The largest distributor of organic foods in America: Wal-Mart. (51:33)
  • A number of farmers are growing organic crops but not investing in expensive certifications. (52:38)
  • Space is not a limitation in growing your own food. (55:45)
  • Using Silvopastoral agroforestry (58:53)
  • One of Michael’s favorite herbs that people can grow pretty easily: Comfrey. (1:00:42)
  • Another favorite herb Michael recommends: Horsetail. (1:06:42)
  • The benefits of the nettle, an herb you can grow in pots. (1:07:08)
  • Michael reboots his physical health by eating a food forest pesto for three days. (1:08:25)
  • Humus, the organic component of soil, matters a lot. (1:10:12)
  • Swales, a simple way to capture and save our water. (1:14:23)
  • Growing mushrooms is very easy to do. (1:19:50)
  • Cut wood in your yard or your neighbor’s yard while dormant. (1:21:39)
  • “Paul Stamets is the guru. I think he’s part fungi!” (1:25:46)
  • “One of the best bets for regenerating the planet and staying on it is to pair and work with fungi.” (1:26:28)
  • The herb spiral as a classic edible architecture that creates a microclimate of its own. (1:29:18)
  • “[Adding] just a tripod of stones in a garden bed will create a habitat, change the microclimate a little bit and begin to attract moisture.” (1:32:54)
  • “All the problems of the world can be solved in the garden…” (1:40:00)
  • The delightful and powerfully nutritious pawpaw that grows in 26 American states, contains high protein and adapts to many climates. (1:41:09)
  • Michael is working on a book — For The Love of Pawpaws — that will be released this summer. (1:44:16)