Discover Permaculture - The Podcast

About Discover Permaculture - The Podcast

Host Geoff Lawton & guests discuss how to fight back against ecological collapse not with fear or hostility, but with design, community, and purpose. This podcast explores permaculture design solutions for every climate and at every scale. Real stories. Real designs. Real hope.

Publisher

Discover Permaculture

Category

leisure · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Dec 2025

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Is Regenerative Agriculture Enough?

   What does “regenerative agriculture” actually mean and is improving industrial agriculture enough? Geoff, Ben, Eric and Sam explore soil, scale, water, biodiversity, technology and the need to redesign food systems around landscapes, ecosystems and local communities. From large-scale agriculture to the simple act of growing food at home, this conversation asks what genuine regeneration could look like and where we start. Watch the video episode here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Y34MI5cFY) Key Takeaways: 00:01:15: What does regenerative agriculture actually mean? Regeneration goes beyond reducing damage and asks whether farming systems are actively rebuilding soil, biodiversity and ecosystem function. 00:05:48: Scale is a major part of regenerative agriculture. Large industrial systems still depend heavily on machinery, fuel, long supply chains and simplified landscapes. 00:11:39: Ecological succession can help repair degraded land. Weeds and reactive species can play a role in rebuilding carbon, soil cover and biological activity. 00:15:36: Traditional food systems can reveal better landscape patterns. The Hungary example shows how aquaculture, food forests and riparian systems can work together around water and terrain. 00:18:25: Appropriate technology can support regeneration. Technology becomes more useful when it is matched to the right scale, climate and landscape pattern. 00:20:40: Contour, water flow and diversity matter. Agricultural layouts that ignore slope and water movement can increase erosion, while diversified systems can slow water and rebuild soil. 00:24:41: Regenerative agriculture must address water as well as soil. Aquifers, irrigation, water harvesting and groundwater recharge are central to long-term food production. 00:37:59: Local and bioregional food systems can build resilience. Smaller, regionally adapted systems reduce reliance on fragile long-distance supply chains. 00:39:08: Modern technology can be redirected toward regeneration. Machinery, satellites, AI and information systems can all support more regenerative land management when used differently. 00:45:04: Regeneration requires action on the ground. Information can spread quickly online, but resilient systems still depend on people working together in real landscapes and communities. 00:46:55: Start with practical food resilience. Grow food, make compost, learn soil biology, save seed, support regenerative growers and build local food networks. 00:48:37: Permaculture design is about patterns, not isolated techniques. Good design connects soil, water, plants, terrain and human needs into a functioning whole. 00:51:22: Food autonomy is used as a provocative challenge. The discussion pushes viewers to question dependence on industrial food systems and think about local production, sharing and access to food.

2. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Geoengineering, Climate & Living Systems

   Geoff and the panel sit down with Dane Wigington to discuss geoengineering, weather modification and the living systems we depend on. The conversation explores atmospheric intervention, rainfall and water cycles, soil and forest health, climate feedbacks, and what individuals can do to build more resilient systems on the ground. Watch the video episode here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCn74xAx8E) Key Takeaways 00:02:44: Solar radiation management and stratospheric aerosol injection introduce the wider discussion around attempts to influence climate and incoming solar radiation. 00:09:59: Dane distinguishes small-scale cloud-seeding operations from the much broader climate-engineering systems he believes are affecting the global hydrological cycle. 00:24:19: The conversation turns to bioavailable aluminum, soil pH and how changes in soil chemistry can affect biological systems. 00:31:40: Geoff brings the discussion back to permaculture and the potential for food forests, regeneration and highly diverse living systems to help repair damaged landscapes. 00:41:10: Practical resilience starts with water, including rainwater storage, independent pumping systems and building greater security around essential resources. 00:47:20: The discussion explores major climate feedbacks including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Arctic sea ice and methane. 00:56:12: Dane reflects on his background in forestry and habitat restoration and explains the personal motivation behind his environmental work. 00:58:16: Geoff closes by returning to the practical response: collect rainwater, rethink supply systems, observe carefully and continue building living systems that can regenerate land and communities.

3. 

   23 Aug 2026

   Climate Change, Weather & Permaculture Design

   How do we design for climate when weather patterns are increasingly variable and difficult to predict? Geoff, Ben, Eric and Sam explore climate, weather, resilience and the practical role permaculture can play in building stronger local food systems, soils and communities. Watch the video episode here. (https://youtu.be/iW1k-DaX6Iw?si=95FirLbyfV5E1E4R) Key Takeaways: 00:31: What do we really mean by climate change, and how do we separate long-term climate patterns from short-term weather and natural variability? 03:37: Designing for resilience starts with choosing crops, trees and perennial vegetables that can tolerate a wider range of climatic conditions. 06:05: Understanding your local weather history is essential, because unusual events can be mistaken for unprecedented change when long-term observations are missing. 14:57: Focusing on tangible indicators such as clean water, healthy topsoil, biodiversity and soil organic matter can make ecological change easier to observe and act on. 17:11: Increasing tree cover can help moderate local conditions, reduce frost impacts and create more stable microclimates. 18:08: Measuring soil carbon, soil building and biomass can provide a more tangible way to assess whether restoration efforts are actually working. 19:46: Large-scale landscape restoration works best when ecological repair is combined with practical support and viable livelihoods for the people living on the land. 24:08: Whatever people believe about climate change, clean water, healthy soil, good food and resilient ecosystems remain practical goals worth working toward. 25:40: Shifting more food production toward perennial trees, shrubs and herbs can strengthen ecosystems and help moderate local climate over time. 27:22: Bioregional design connects individual properties with local skills, resources, livelihoods and communities to build greater regional resilience. 36:39: Designing for uncertainty means working with natural systems, choosing robust crops and building living systems that can adapt as conditions change. 41:09: Careful observation, local experimentation and greater diversity become increasingly important as conditions become less predictable.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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