The Poor Prole’s Almanac

Last week we spoke with Vijay Kumar Thallam to discuss the development of Andhra Pradesh's natural farming movement to feed 50 million people in a few short years; in this episode we're joined by two of the women who are part of this movement. We’re...

In this episode, we're joined by Vijay Kumar Thallam, a farm leader in the Andhra Pradesh region of India. What does it look like to rely on biology, fermentation, and place-based resources to feed people at scale? This seems to be the million dolla...

In this episode, we dive into traditional farming practices that span across India as they're framed in Vedic texts. What can we extrapolate from these traditional practices, and what does the science say about then?   This episode was originally sup...

In this episode, we're joined by Brandon Rust, founder of Bokashi Earthworks and known for his extensive expertise in cannabis growing. Brandon's work walks the tight rope between understanding conventional agricultural practices and how to maximize ...

In this episode, we explore the traditional practice of bokashi. Fermenting waste instead of composting offers a number of benefits and comes with its own set of rules on what this practice needs. Bokashi is particularly beneficial for indoor growers...

We're joined by the Denver Compost Collective to discuss the concept of urban composting and utilizing compost as a tool for building community. How can we leverage our mutual understanding of the importance of soil health and local, healthy food to ...

In this episode, we highlight the fundamentals of compost. What's actually going on in your compost pile, and how does that influence the decisions you make to keep your compost pile healthy? Why does compost sometimes seem to be beneficial and somet...

In this episode, we're joined by Kathleen Draper, the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. We chat about the past 3 decades of biochar research, its limitations, and its potential. While biochar gets most of its attention around build...

Everyone who has spent time on homesteader youtube has heard about biochar, but what exactly is it, is it actually that good for your soil, and most importantly, do you actually need it? Well, that's what we we're here to discuss! What does the resea...

Note: We discuss a fermented tea from poison ivy-- the french word 'ortie', is actually stinging nettle tea. Ferns are also common for a fermented soil amendment in the region. Thanks to Edible Earth for the translation help!   We return to the conce...