David Kim

Introducing or encouraging native grasses from the Brazilian Cerrado (although not truly native to the semi-arid region, or maybe they're already part of it in a much smaller scale than in the grasslands) to grow might cause less impact on the local ecology than African grasses. The region is probably drier now due to human presence than it was just a few hundred years ago. Goats might not benefit much from grasses, but there's a host of other animals that will. Humans will, too. The aridness of the region causes people to migrate to other regions, carrying along their ecological footprint wherever they go.

Hi. I'm new to permaculture, and most of the knowledge I have comes from Paul's podcasts. I got the book Paul recommends for beginners (Square-foot Gardening), which is not yet permaculture, and I find the information there so repetitive that it's taking me forever to get to anything new. I've been saving to get some more books. I'd love to get Aranya's. I'll get to it eventually.

I use a cotton sock filter for my coffee. You can buy those at any farmer's market around here. They're incredibly cheap (about 4 Reais, or 2,5 Dollars) and I probably don't take as much energy to produce as metal strainers. You can even make one yourself with a piece of metal wire and some cotton fabric (mine was like good T-shirt fabric when I bought it). It makes the best tasting coffee, because you never use any soap to wash it (want something greener than not using soap?). Just rinse and squeeze the excess water, then let it sun-dry. Over time, it will become stained with the oils setting on it, and they'll give coffee a more complex taste. If it's for domestic use, you won't have to worry about bacteria, just like you don't worry about wood spoons. Just soak it in some baking soda once in a while.
As for coffee brewing, I also take time on it. Instead of one big pour of water, I'll get the grounds just wet the first time, then pour some more water and wait, and repeat it. That way I'll get a richer and stronger coffee, fitting to our Brazilian palate.

Congratulations, Paul! Your influence goes beyond the US. I'm from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I'm new to permaculture, and your podcasts have been a great introduction to it. I've listened to all of them up to #150 so far. All I can do now is experiment in my tiny urban garden, but I'm dreaming and planning to move out to the country side to do it bigger. Thanks for making this world a better place.