U.S. PDC; Videos; Plant disease; Doggie

Dear Geoff,

1) Some of us here in Greenville, NC (warm-cool-temperate) are wondering whether you have plans to visit the US to conduct a PDC? If not we would love for you to consider it, and please keep us posted if you have an opportunity. Finally if you are able to do so, we would really appreciate having an option to purchase a DVD set of that future course, much like the PDC course we have of you and Bill in Australia from 2005.


2) Your recent farm update video on youtube was wonderful, beautiful, and inspiring; as well as your recent TEDx presentation. Could you please keep making those sorts of videos? Also we wanted to take a moment to say how much we have enjoyed listening to the podcast conversations you have had with Paul and others. We want to encourage you to please continue "talking" with us


3) Do you have any ideas for how to remedy (or view) soil-borne diseases, such as V. wilt, F. wilt, and tobacco mosaic virus? As you know these diseases can reduce lifespan of vegetable plants . Many of us permies are on residential & rural lots that have been previously poisoned with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical warfare agents, including crop dusting. Personally I am now joyfully taking responsibility for the destruction of the soil by previous homeowners that applied these chemicals heavily, and I know of other permies that are taking similar joyful responsibility on larger scale farming operations. Any suggestions for soil rehab?

Conventional organic teaching tells me that some of the practices such as isolation, removal of affected plants, are part of the solution. But I am wondering whether you are aware of "soil first aid" species that could be planted to time-stack the rehabilitation of the soil, to minimize the possibility of future outbreaks? I wonder if inoculated legume species would do the trick? Worms perhaps?

4) An easier question from the dog lovers- In many of your videos there is a lovely black and white dog who looks quite happy. What is your dog's name and what kind of dog is it?

Thanks in advance Geoff.

Joe Pacelli
Greenville, NC
US

Hi Joe
I am a keynote speaker at the Northern California Permaculture Convergence Oct 12-14. (Friday - Sunday) then I am teaching a 5 day workshop in the window from Monday Oct 15 - Friday, Oct 19, 1 day on Patterns & Design, two days on Earthworks and Water, and 2 days on Food Forest systems.

I do not have any other plans for PDC teaching in the US but you never know if the right invitation comes up it could happen. There is a possibility of doing an earthworks implementation course on the ground installing a job in Texas possibly.

I am glad you enjoy the talks, I do too as long as it is helpful then it will feels good at my end too.

Your soil needs to have good compost inoculate, that is very good quality life rich compost with very high numbers and diversity of beneficial soil life. The important ingredients in the compost are fresh green and chopped weeds especially the persistent ones and any prolific introduced plants legume pioneers or even not legume pioneers from the same soil you want to fix up.

http://permaculture.org.au/2005/09/11/fast-compost-soil-permaculture-design-and-maintenance/
http://permaculture.org.au/2008/07/26/18-day-compost-the-appliance-of-science/
http://permaculture.org.au/2006/04/22/compost-miracles/
http://permaculture.org.au/2011/07/20/paul-taylor-on-composting-video/
http://permaculture.org.au/2012/07/11/compost-teas-and-extracts-brewin-and-bubblin-basics/

These links should get you started, and remember to also just keep deep mulching and greatly reduce or possibly stop digging just scratch the soil surface to prepare a seed bed and you will lock up residual toxins, and correct imbalances faster than any other system. The carbon pathway then becomes the carbon lock as producer of a long chain molecular linking mechanism and toxins then become inert.
Good quality compost tea sprayed on the soil will help speed all this it up and give you some initial relief if used as specifically targeted foliage spray (specifically designed compost tea for specific crop), good biochar will help increase the habitat for the beneficial soil micro-organisms. Use earth worms counts per shovel as a good indicator that it is all working.

We have 2 dogs the little black and white one is Jacky and is an Australian Tenterfield Terrier and her job is catching mice and rats, and a larger blue one called Bluey and is an Australian Stumpy Tailed Cattle dog and she is a guard dog, fox excluder, cattle dog and incredible swimmer life guard.

Cheers Geoff Lawton

Check out www.permaculture.org.au/permies

Geoff Lawton wrote:Hi Joe
I am a keynote speaker at the Northern California Permaculture Convergence Oct 12-14. (Friday - Sunday) then I am teaching a 5 day workshop in the window from Monday Oct 15 - Friday, Oct 19, 1 day on Patterns & Design, two days on Earthworks and Water, and 2 days on Food Forest systems.

Geoff, are there seats available for the Oct 15th - 19th work shop? If so where do I go to learn more?

Thanks.