Homestead Paradise: got barren land, boosted it at a profit
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- čas přidán 26. 03. 2021
- In the early 90s, Mark and Jen Shepard bought a degraded corn farm in Viola, Wisconsin, and began to slowly convert it from row-crops back to a native oak savanna that would become one of the most productive perennial farms in the country.
After 8 years of homesteading in Alaska (arriving just as the Homestead Act was expiring) where they had been forced by low-paying jobs to discover “which trees, shrubs, bushes, and vines we could get food from”, they arrived in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin ready to apply their knowledge of permaculture (“permanent agriculture”).
Over the past nearly three decades, Mark has planted an estimated 250,000 trees on the 106-acre farm. The main agroforestry crops are chestnuts, hazelnuts, and apples, followed by walnut, hickory, cherry, and pine (for the nuts). For short-term income, the couple planted annual crops, like grains and asparagus, in alleys between the fruit-and-nut-bearing trees. Cattle, pigs, lambs, turkeys, and chickens act as pest control and free composters as they roam the savannas of the farm.
Not content to rely on commercially-produced seeds, Mark does his own breeding to find the best-adapted trees to his region using the method he’s dubbed STUN (Sheer Total Utter Neglect). He plants trees at a higher density than recommended and with as much diversity as possible (at one point they were farming 219 varieties of apples) and then lets pests and disease run their course. He fells diseased trees or those that don’t bear enough, or early enough, fruit. The result is orchards hardy enough to survive even Chestnut Blight.
As more and more of the alley crops have been replaced with trees and pocket ponds to help manage water on the farm, the land here has returned to the native savannas where the mastodon once grazed 12,000 years ago (in 1898 bones were discovered 5 miles down the road).
New Forest Farm has inspired many other perennial farms, especially chestnut farmers in the region, and Mark hopes that every schoolchild will plant their own apple seeds (and perhaps subject them to STUN) and that every family can plant a backyard food forest.
Mark's restoring agriculture course: bit.ly/TheEcologyOfRestoration...
New Forest Farm: newforestfarm.us/
Mark’s book “Restoration Agriculture": www.restorationag.com/product/...
*German subtitles kindly provided by Jochen Schilk. Danke!
On *faircompanes: faircompanies.com/videos/rest... - Jak na to + styl
We should make this guy the Secretary of the U.S. Dept of Agriculture! He can feed us healthy food and protect the environment!
It would still take a few years to wean ourselves(society as a whole) unless we want mass starvation,but as long as he knows that.(I am only about halfway through the video at the time of comment so maybe he mentions that)
We start this by having him crowd fund then open a school of not really new/original farming. Then teach people that this is how we should be farming all land an this would assist the fixing of the climate, factory farming, bee population, amounst other things simultaneously.
dont think big ag n big chem would allow it
Im sure that job would kill him.
And deal with starvation in large scale
As an agronomist I can confirm this gentleman is a genius, him and all those who helped.
I could listen to him for hours.
God bless this man. ..... he definitely hasn't succumbed to the progressive mind virus
If I knew farming could look like this, I would have gone into it instead of programming. That's a beautiful farm.
You still can, save your money and do it. It's my dream as well.
Never too late!
As a programmer, I'm seriously considering buying land...
Dont do it, its full of bugs
do both.
They did that in 23 years, so we're 1 generation away from having this all over the world, if that's what we choose. Think about how much carbon it stores and how few chemicals it needs!
Plus, people that own a garden can turn their gardens into something biodiverse instead of dead lawns.
I know!!!!!! Motivated me to keep going with our restorative homestead
Zero chemicals needed.
Start. In your back yard, by a window sill, on your roof top. Start.
@@jollyjokress3852 very true
The amount of knowledge per minute (kpm) from this gentleman is staggering
2 weeks ago, somebody hinted Kirsten had edited a video with "low information" to make it last artificially or something on those lines. I didn't forget to go back to that original thread and invite that person over to watch this one video. The funny thing is: those who complain vehemently about one video because of the topic or the information/interest "lack" don't come to comment when videos are perceived positively by most commenters. What I'm implying is that we see there are commenters who say what they think without caring about the "ambient" in the section, and those others who join and follow whatever is the prevalent sentiment on the main 20 comments. There's low noise in this video and it's mostly because of Mark and Kirsten. Mark delivered, and Kirsten told the story.
@@nicolasboullosa i find more permaculture everywhere, and I do keep looking, it's the one thing that gives me hope in this terribly painful and hate filled world we are living in right now. Thank you for taking me away from that world for 53 minutes.! God Bless you and keep you and may your knowledge be spread as far as the four winds.
Hahaha! KPM for the win!
"Knowledge per minute" deserves to be held as an official hallmark of competence, surely...
Thank you for that, Bruno. Apart from being a truthfull statement, that made me laugh. 😊 Where do you live?
@@mourlyvold7655 Hi, I live in Switzerland, but I'm Portuguese... passionate about rural living, sustainability, Architecture and doing things with my own hands :)
@@brunojulio I'm from the Netherlands. Gathered a lot of practice in building (carpentry mainly), bio (dynamic) agriculture and permaculture in the last decades and have been broiling on my 'perfect' design for 1 acre regenerative plot. I saved ( and stumbled upon) a modest som of money and am now trying to decide between Bulgaria and... Portugal (with a focus on the mid west). I'm 57, have to move...
You made me laugh, man. And you seem to have the right set of skills to be working in this field. Architects are much needed in permaculture! I have been working on a truly passive, low tech-high physics greenhouse for a long time. Can't wait to get my own piece of land. Do you have your own?
Greetings.
This is the most beautiful area we have here in WI. I was not aware this type of farming was taking place. For the last 16 years, I've lived across the road from 150 acres I've only seen planted with corn and beans. Beginning this year, I will be planting agroforestry crops on my 2 little acres. Thank you for this education.
I highly recommend looking into permaculture if you can! Super important. Also biochar! Definitely look into biochar, it's so amazing for both plants and the planet!
You should look into Geoff Lawton's YT channel and Happen Films' YT channel. Especially Happen Films' video "Amazing 23-Year-Old Permaculture Food Forest - An Invitation for Wildness."
@@vikigirl14997 biochar is for very dry sandy soil. It is pointless where the soil is already good.
@@PiecesOfNature I respectfully disagree. Its ability to sequester CO2 in a twofold process makes it incredibly necessary wherever it can be used, which is in many different soil types as it is a soil amendment that you use alongside compost to help boost your plants' growth and nutrient capacity.
@@ajmentel2453 that's one of my favorite permaculture videos I've ever seen on YT, fantastic recommendation
Vast, extreme and in-depth knowledge. This man is a treasure. Let’s put him in charge of forestry and natural resources
God bless this man
No. When asked about possibly running for president, Neil deGrasse Tyson answered that his mission was to teach the politicians. If he changed roles, who then would teach?
I loved when he said “We have ENOUGH”. So many farmers (and Ag companies) want or need more, more, more. If more growers could do this with “enough” we could save the planet, grow healthier food (vegetables, grains AND livestock) and have a more beautiful life. And, as he states, we can do it by working less, but smarter. And the trees will be stronger and healthier to increase longevity. What a beautiful concept, and imminently workable and easy to replicate almost everywhere.
Yeah, no. Just enough is not good enough. Lets say a family eats $20k of food a year and he makes $500k worth of food a year to "just get by". He is only feeding 25 families. You want 1/25 people wasting their time working in agriculture?
You just gave me chills! How elegant yet straight to the point! We will hire you as under secretary to agriculture! 🤗🤗😁😁
@@zedzed5276 Why is 1/25 people working in agriculture such a bad thing? Do you find it a job that deserves less merit? I've been working customer service jobs all my life and they're all absolute bullshit jobs that are not needed, and a big majority of people work in those.
@@filibbensaid1617 society is at a point where many people are useless. they need to be given busy work jobs, and those jobs should lower the the burden of thwir existence on society. An office job reduces their possibility for injury, but may promote unhealthy lifestyle. farming could increase their chance of injury and maybe skin cancer. I think a good job for people would be fitness influencer.
@@zedzed5276 🤡🤦♂️like you’re pontificating ☝️ “useless”
So, he is developing a commercially viable hunter gatherer system within a farm. Brilliant. Seriously Brilliant.
It is not commercially viable. It is viable for podcasts and documentaries...
@@enderwhitekey7238 based on what? Mark pays the bills off the farm, he does the other stuff to spread the word, not out of any fiscal need.
New Forest Farm is more commercially viable than commercial farms propped up on government subsidies lol
@@enderwhitekey7238 I get what you mean, but back in the 80's and 90's farmers were a little too quick to replant and fertilize land, so you ended up with that situation of "grow 800K today, lose 2 million tomorrow". This guy might be doing some hippy dippy stuff, but long term you need to cycle farms to keep the soil good. You can't just auto farm all the good land, you've gotta plan out your seasons and seasonal cycles out at least 5 years, which they weren't doing. Even Tobacco farms in the Carolinas roll soy and some other crops to keep the soil fertile.
@@Ray-tx2ls I agree with the aims and intent of Mark, he inspired me greatly. I now own 100ac in part because of his inspiration, among others... I am pushing back against the claim made that this is "commercially viable". It is not, it will never be. He has done this work at great sacrifice to himself and his family and wife (who financially supported him for many years).
Just like the natives did before. Controlling the forest for food. Then along came whitey
He has spread risks and made the land more fertile. I'll bet those cattle and pigs taste so good too after eating all that fruit and nuts! Well done farmer.
He's talked in other videos about how he can get better prices for his meat because they're nut-finished. Honestly genius. Land management and higher meat value in one!
@@BasementRuthie Wise man we need more farmers like him.
Read about iberico hogs. Being done in TX now under live oaks. Would be interesting to learn how this terroir would change the taste and quality. Like another fine wine.
I had the good fortune to grow up on a large plot of land where my grandparents used to farm. They turned it into a golf course 60 years ago but kept many of the perennials. The course made the cash, the plants fed the extended family and community. We had a few apple orchards, mulberries, black berries, ras berries, blue berries, pears, peaches, buckeyes, cherries, fish, ducks, geese, wild deer & turkey, and a small traditional vegetable patch every summer. The whole thing was designed to work in conjunction with the business. Very few if any chemicals. Just pruning, watering, and fertilizer. Many wild sections throughout our property. We were surrounded by farms that were all failing and being sold off. When the business took a turn in 08', long story, we were forced to sell. The property is now cheaply built cookie cutter housing. The contractors had no idea they cut down a 80yo apple orchard that supplied the local market. I fully appreciate what my family was attempting to do. The ponds and lakes weren't just decorations. They fed the land. The wild unkept areas were there to preserve the land. Granted we were not nearly on the scale that these people have achieved but along the same path. This sort of farming is possible and profitable.
So why were they forced to sell?
@@korganrivera4659 it could have been many things. Infighting among relatives, the golf course loosing money etc.
@@korganrivera4659 i think the govt-cleptocracy is mostly the reason...that's why the uni-party is for open borders, higher property taxes, complex tax codes and virtue signalling billionaires like omaha fatz who's never met a bunch of heirs with a big tax bill due that he couldn't convince to sell their land/mfg biz etc ...all the while calling for HIGHER inheritance taxes...nice biz plan....but, it beats starting wars and blowing up buildings.
Golf-courses I don't like.
That's a tragedy :(
Imagine all farmers being this ambitious, knowledgeable and curious.
It's been a depressing few years around me, lot's of farms bulldozing fencerows of shrubs and trees, just for a couple more acres of corn or soy. The importance of folks like Mark and Jen can't be overstated.
Same in France here where I live...it seems to be getting worse and worse
@@alliecravulz the farmers want quick money and don't have time to wait.
@@infowazz Not all of us farmers! This has been a Great learning curve for this old farm gal!
@Joske Vermeulen makes you dependent on the gov't and the economy, which makes you easier to organize and control.
Around me all the horse pasture is getting developed into millionaire homes
This guy is a genius. He should be teaching agriculture courses at a university.
Nah, he should be teaching it hands-on on his property.
Permaculture is genius. His implementation methods are very well thought out - typical of an engineer. I wish I had seen information like this twenty years ago.
yes, Dolores you are quite right. Permaculture began in Australia with Bill Mollison, who taught it at University level in the late seventies into the eighties i believe. From there it has spread all around the world. Some of the most amazing Permaculture ''land reclamation'' is happening in India. Very inspiring transformation.
24:30 he explains about Permaculture and bill Mollison's pioneering work
Agreed! Well put, too...I mean he is inspiring!
Im going to do this. I don't know how or when or if it is possible for me but I yearn with my whole being to do something like this. I'm 22, and I suffer from depression and I'm lost and directionless and pretty near destitute. Lately I've been struggling to even see the point in being a part of society, but seeing these people and people like this who are making a change has really lit something up inside me. Like it's possible to make a difference even if it's small. If everyone followed that little thread in them then the world would be a beautiful place. Thanks so much for sharing these videos Kirsten.
Anyone with depression should go on gaps diet and reconnect to God Almighty your life will improve God willing
This man talked for an hour almost non-stop and I was hooked on every word.
Wow! I am restoring an oak savanna just a few miles from these people! They are in a much flatter area, our land varies by over 120 feet with 35 acres. Small world 😊
Way to go. As one commenter already said, it can feel like a “Lone Ranger” type of project. But the outcome is positive in so many ways. Good luck, keep us updated if you like.
You should go visit !
@@kirstendirksen Thanks Kirsten, Ill do that!
@@yodafannie I'm going to see if I can recognize the area. There aren't many roads around because of the terrain, here so it shouldn't be too hard. 😊
I really enjoyed what this guy and you, Planet Mojo, are doing with your land.
This entire video is DENSE with this man's wisdom from a lifetime of living doing permaculture. This is a gem
This is truly a paradise.
Permaculture at its best.
Blessed!
This is the most inspiring movie I've seen in as long as I can remember. These are the most inspiring people! I want everyone to watch this, I want it to go viral, even play at halftime. I think the thing that I feel, even though I'm nervous to allow it completely, is HOPE.
I wish this was the view of America we got in the rest of the world, not that of gun-crazed ecocidal maniacs.
Well-said!!! Play this at halftime! Your thoughts and feelings resonate with mine.
@@csgowoes6319 I wish this was the view we got of America IN America instead of the gun crazed ecocidal maniacs too, who are supposed to be so normal to us that we don't bat an eye when those people are described as simply a "voting block"
@@triny201 What a wonderful comment to get on this platform! you remind me that humans want so much to resonate with other humans. Even in comment sections. thank you for bringing that here.
yes!
I called my whole family together to watch this. Thank you so much for producing it. I struggle for words to describe how moving this couple's life-work is. Well done.
I couldn’t agree more, Aiden.
This is easily in my top 5 favorite YT videos ever made. I’ve been religiously watching videos now since 2007 and this is as good as it gets.
We should call all America to watch it.
@@sambassil7825 Absolutely. Hey - we're up to 1.27 million views now, so only ....328 million left to go maybe we'll get there if we share it with friends and family.
Now THAT is Paradise to me!😊 Your movie should be shown in school classes.
school won't solve anything. it's only built to produce employees NOT entrepreneurs or financially educated citizenry
We need to educate our children _despite_ the schools. There’s such a wealth of fantastic (Soil-)Regenerative Agriculture videos on CZcams, that we could build up our kids’ brains so that they have a deeper understanding of how to regenerate and maintain soil, for themselves and future generations. If we could start by teaching them to call soil “soil”, rather than “dirt”, that’d be a great start!
They don’t want self sufficient beings
The world a stage 哈💔哈💛 哈❤哈
@@aloevera7422 I've actually implemented things like this into my biology and environmental science curriculum. Next week we're going over mycoremediation and the benefits of fungi as well. I wouldn't be so quick to lump all of education together as only trying to build employees. I definitely understand where you are coming from, though.
27:59 "instead of knowing everything, we just jumped right in"
Love this sentence, often in our society we are way lost in technicalities, iper specialization, chasing perfection... All good but they are proving that most things are doable in easier ways, and above all, independently from the government boundaries
What USDA growing zone is this land in? Has buckthorn been a problem? What kind of trees are the mushrooms growing on?
Mark studied Ecology and his work is based on lots of good science, from the knowledge of ecosystems from thousands of years ago (Paleobotany research), the genetic selection experiments (Evolutionary biology), forest ecology (the concepts of Ecological Successions, Perturbation Regimens, and so on). This work wouldn't be possible without all that specialist scientific research ;)
And learn fast.
Out of all the homesteading videos I've watched for the last 3 years, THIS has been the most informative and the best I have ever seen! Thank you to all!
Mark Shepard is a national treasure. Wow, thank you for taking the opportunity to walk and speak with him.
He’s a teacher, a leader let’s give him what he deserves. He can change America and the world.
Sometimes the University of CZcams is overwhelming with information that time is no longer a factor. The information that this man is giving us should be put into every School curriculum Globally for generations to come. I have lived in Canada almost all of my life and now situated in the Philippines and I cannot believe the total lack of birds in both countries. As a child in Canada birds were everywhere in cities and in the country . Not any more. The small farms that use to dot all over Canada need to be encouraged to return back into our society . Preventative erosion needs to be taught in Countries like the Philippines. I simply feel we need to step back a generation or two and blend our new knowledge with the older ways to create better new ways to sustain ourselves. This video is more than just inspiring ......
That’s it, we need to keep what we have learned, but observe and adjust. If you imagine our planet to be a forest garden, then we see that we have focussed too much on short term exploitation and cared too little about the long term parameters and resources of the system as a whole.
CO2 levels are too high, ecosystems are out of balance, biodiversity is too low, etc.. But we can learn and adjust our ways. We always have. We have come a long way to reduce poverty, disease, famine, war and we can now use te benefits of mass production, international trade, global education, logistics and the internet in ways that were never possible before.
But we need to completely change our economies, making them sustainable, change our interaction with nature (plants, animals, fungi, fish, etc.). We just need one more revolution. And it’s happening. Slowly but surely it will be realised.
We should not be distracted by stupid unimportant things like race, gender or religion. Those quarrels are just holding us back from reaching our true potential as one united species. The guardians of the planet.
@@SanderBessels The biggest threat is overpopulation exploiting the natural world. Have a look at the population figures and projected growth especially in Africa, and the destruction that more people wanting Western lifestyles will want and what that will and is doing to the natural world.
@@linmal2242 Many people think like that, but I tend to disagree. First of all, the reason of the overpopulation is that in previous decades, many extremely poor people decided to have a number of children based on high child mortality rates, that they were used to from their own experience. Child mortality is a problem that was very effectively solved by making basic medial care accessible to even the poorest people. Especially Africa currently has a very young population that will grow older and stay alive longer in the coming decades. Development aid has payed of enormously.
People nowadays already have fewer children, also in poor countries. We are expected to achieve “peak child” within the next decade and that means on the long term our population will stabilise.
Second, it’s not the amount of people, but the average environmental pressure per person that is the biggest problem. And as this film shows, it is largely possible to have zero or even positive impact on the planet as a human being.
Seeing the existence and welfare of fellow human beings as a problem is not only a very grim and negative view on life, it’s also a way to redirect responsibility: it’s a lot of “thems” that cause the problem.
A better world starts with you. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Please look at some CZcams content from Jane Goodall. A great inspiration and a rare source of hope.
We can collaborate in the Philippines, Ray
Birds need tree's and shrubbery. Without those, no birds. There used to be beautiful, what seemed like ancient tree's, outside of my home. These tree's were home to birds and wildlife of all kind. Most importantly, migratory birds. It's sad to see the birds come to this place and not have the shelter/shade/food source they have depended on for eons. They still show up after several years, but their appearance has dwindled. Honestly, there's nothing better than listening to birds congregate in the mornings just as dawn breaks; or seeing real wildlife, like birds of prey, when it decides to make an appearance, or watching squirrel pairs play tag across the branches. This is a luxury it seems.
Just stepping onto this land, you can see the beauty. Everything is lush and green, even though it has been designed and planted. The air must be so fresh and apparently it's cheaper and easier, and better for the planet? Sign me up! Or better yet, pass a bill that rewards this kind of agriculture!
Okay he seems so cool and this is amazing. He's keeping nature while growing and supplying actual healthy foods. This looks so great 😊
I like it when he says he has enough. He doesn't farm through greed but through love of the planet. Thank you for this inspiring film.
106 acres ~ 40 hectares? Man, that's a lot of land. What great stewards they are.
I don't know why, but when he started talking about sustainable meat my eyes legit started to tear up. The passion in his voice and the truth of what he's saying--our beautiful planet and beautiful created bodies need us to wake up and develop economies built on wellness and compassion.
Me starting to watch this: I don't want to watch nearly an hour of this....
Me 5 minutes in: This is ok. I like his voice.
Me 15 minutes in: This is great! He's pretty cool.
Me 50 minutes in: I need to plant some trees in my backyard.
Me by the end: *Desire for rural agroforestry village intensifies*
👍
Bought a .23 acre Pdx OR plot with 5 trees on it: 10 years in and it's now 68 trees, mainly paired and quaded prunus trees, not including olive and pomegranate "shrubs"
We just bought a large plot that's been allowed to run wild for at least 20 years. This is giving me ideas of how to manage it!
@@Nphen I just sent this to all of my friends and family who have been talking about starting farms.
Him: "It might not look that impressive"
Me: **is impressed**
maybe because people have lost their closeness to nature :)
@@clauswichmann1490 Which is by design, to keep people debt-enslaved.
@@SapioiT If he lived in New York instead of Wisconsin, he'd find that he'd sink and lose his farm because taxes are sky-high, such that farmers cannot experiment like he could. So sad when grasping regimes keep everyone in poverty, and barely hanging on - and so prevent good farming practices! You can't have such good things in places like New York.
@@redhouse1002 Yeah, overtaxing is one of the many reasons USA is already considered by many other countries a third-world country. Globally speaking, the only thing USA has is the biggest army, otherwise they'd probably already be "liberated" by other countries.
@@SapioiT "liberated", good thing you used sarcastic quotation marks. You can expect genocide on the level of the USSR, at a minimum, if that ever happens. Fortunately that can't every happen as long as we still have "a gun behind every blade of grass".
This program should be mandatory viewing in primary and secondary schools for posterity's sake.
Better yet, mandatory viewing for everyone. That way, everyone would be on the same page.
This was excellent. Thank you for sharing it. And thanks to the gentleman who paved the way by his vision. 🙏💜
Shepard has been a huge advocate of the permaculture method of agriculture for a long time. It’s good to see he is still around and doing well.
Who would have thought that a tour of Mark and Jen's farm with its oak, walnut and apple trees, ponds and tadpoles could be so exciting?! Its wonderful how knowledgable he is, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Really impressive. Thank you, Kirsten, and of course Mark and Jen.
He talks too much. A true sign of a know-it-all. I couldn't watch. Or listen any longer.
I agree, very impressive! The time flew by, it was enjoyable listening to his extensive knowledge.
@@richardharrison7961 after half a century, he actually DOES know something. Quite a few things actually.
@@richardharrison7961 The true sign of a know-it-all: someone who is too impatient to listen and learn from someone who really knows his stuff.
@@chezmoi42 no i agree he was exaggerating the negatives of his neighbors, it was just irritating to hear that, but mostly it was interesting.
Mark is the best, I've been following him for years. I've modeled my own farm after his though with tight finances it is going slower than I would like. I've planted ~2000 trees on 20ac in the last five years though so I'm trying!
Eric : you've planted over 2000 trees in 5 years along with ALL of the other chores ?! That's not exactly moving slow !
You're doing good work; don't give up! I read Restoration Agriculture a few years ago, and I've been dreaming of a farm ever since. I did give a copy to my sister-in-law's family, and they started planting trees in their cattle pasture!
That's beautiful,
You're being creative with your land making it work for not just you but for many little creatures!
Living life with love!
Bravo!
Awesome!
WOW. Just a fantastic farm and presentation. As someone who's been working on a tiny version of this in my yard for many years I'm always dissatisfied with what goes for "permaculture". This is the real deal.
Ah, Wisconsin, I knew it. He brought back a long forgotten memory for me. When I was very young, K-2nd grade, I lived 2 blocks away from a fantastic mastodon display. My best friend and I would ride our little bikes over to Wheaton college so we could press the button and watch it rotate, showing one side all done up with muscles and hair, and the other side bare skeleton, while the narrated story played through the speaker. Wow, I haven't thought about that in so long! I wonder if it's as grand as I remember...
If only more farmers could have such a progressive insight our future would be much brighter. It's time for the Monsanto's of the world to be shown what they really are & be crushed till they're gone. Thank you for this. 👍
They need to be taught these ways. For way too long they were taught the destructive way to farm and ranch! I'm so impressed I'm about to obsess about this way of farming!
They know these ways & do it the opposite (commercial) on purpose, way way more profit & control, while destroying people & nature (free wealth for the people). Win win for Monsanto, every day taking from the regular folk & pushing it all up the ladder, aka big corporations.
As soon as I saw his hat, I said this is Mark Shepard! I have been learning agroforestry from Mark's vjdeos for a while along with Martin Crawford of Uk now and it amazes me how a man/woman can feed many creatures with one wise decision. My grandfather was carrying the legacy of his Turkish ancestors who loved and cared for their trees and I'm so glad there are still people who care for trees, wildlife and real human food. Definitely a must watch video.
Hey Zerrin, glad you can relate to what you saw in Turkey in earlier generations. I can also relate to my grandparents in Spain. There's so much wisdom I never fully appreciated growing up. It almost a curse to get to travel and read, and then come back to appreciate what you already had in front of you (my grandfather had some takes that you could include in a book by Hermann Hesse or by Aldo Leopold). I'm not idealizing the past by any means, we just need to get to some best practices we already had that can boost some modern techniques.
@@nicolasboullosa I totally agree on taking the best practices. I remember my grandfather with a cut on his hand or on his nose almost all the time as he was always managing his willow trees... and my grandmother showed me how to sow "one sweet corn seed and 3 bean seeds around it ,later to be completed with some courgettes around them which is known as 3 sisters by native American people. It is so amazing that my Turkish grandmother shared the same wisdom (which she had seen from her ancestors) with some wise people on a different continent. I love how we are improving in technology and information today but I also feel the big responsibility to remember and use the best that our elders showed us.
@@zerrinekinci9219 yes true wisdom is timeless and exists independent of boundaries drawn on maps
@@zerrinekinci9219 That's a great story. As an interesting fact, there are 3 volcanic peaks in Oregon aligned along the Cascade Volcanic Range, named the "three sisters". It's a wonderful high desert landscape fully visible from the hills of Bend. BTW, are you familiar with the Swiss writer Nicolas Bouvier? In his travel book "L'usage du monde", a trip from Geneva to India going through the Balkans, Anatolia, Persia, and Afganistan in the 50s. As he crosses Anatolia to the East with a Friend in a Fiat Gordini, he gets amazed about self-sustained, complex gardens inside little depressions that contrasted with higher, more arid level. It's a remarkable book overall.
@@nicolasboullosa I didn't know that book but I am definitely going to find it. So interesting! And thank you.
Such a wealth of forestry and individual tree-knowledge! His wisdom has to be worth a few thousand years of inherited experience, minimum. Definitely worth rewatching.
I only made it 15 minutes in before I had to stop it to tell you that what you're doing, & sharing with us all, is giving me hope for the future! I've already sent the link to my daughter & our extended "chosen" family . They're sending it to their networks of family, friends, & coworkers who will be watching your vid too.
Thank you for making this!
Wish I can give million likes for this story and millions more to this gentleman and his thoughtful, natural and efficient process
Watching this wonderful story made me realize what I really love about this channel.
Your presence it's almost silent, I would say organic, you allow full immersion into these worlds.
Even thou you never express a point of view, you are able to deliver a much more powerful message through style.
Basically this is what journalism should be, or at least it was meant to be.
I always feel like I'm really getting something valuable from your videos, so thank you.
It's true!
Very much agreed on that! Indeed!
I agree!
Yes that is a nice way to express this feeling I have too🙏
👍👍
No glim glam here. Pure hard work and real world knowledge. Amazing to witness such a steward of the land. Truly incredible.
I bought 25 hazelnut nut bushes from Mark's nursery and can tell you they arrived in great condition, none died. I planted chestnuts about 5 years ago and I got about a 5 gallon bucket of chestnuts per tree this year. My wife is from Mexico and we make fresh tortillas out of chestnuts it also make good bread and cornbread. My permaculture property is progressing nicely and one day I hope it looks similar to Mark's setup. I only have 3 acres but that is enough for my family's caloric needs. We have fruit trees, nut trees, chickens, goats a small pond with fish and a garden. Thanks Mark for the information you put out there to help people like me.
This man should be an advisor to the US Agriculture department. This man knows what he is doing. Wow!!!! 😱😳💛💛💛
@Donny T yes this man and many others around the world are benefiting from the pioneering work of Bill Mollison, of Australia. Bill came up with the Permaculture design methods, now used all around the world!
@@pipfox7834 - While I find Mollison work quite remarkable. I guess putting it like that. Simply erase thousands of years of history! Mollison work is one step, among so many others. That in particular took a tremendous advantage from the age of information!
As a simple example, balanced and perfectly integrated silvo-pasture environment as been a staple in my country, literally, for thousands of years!
Think way before the Romans occupation! And that alone, was more than 2000 years ago! So be careful with generalizations! He didn't pop out of the blue! ;-)
Healthy as hell this gentleman is wicked smart yeah there is also his buckets of experience and he’s motivating to everyone under the sun who sick to death of shit Safeway Food. Thanks Kristen for being brave enough to go off the design path.
Hear Hear!
Off the beaten path and custom homesteading is Kirsten’s jam!
One of the best episodes right here - and it did not feel as long as it was. Fantastic!
But it is design!
what do you mean healthy as hell they are both overweight carrying so much fat, not healthy at all. surprising after listening to him,
Permaculture, it is the one and only solution on short, mid and long term for anything food and nature wise. Awesome how this guy not only talks about it but actually does it... well let me refrain that, he lets nature do it for us. BIG thumbs up
Seems like hard work, but so satisfying.
Love chestnuts, asparagus,greens, cherries, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds. Apples, berries.
Such a brilliant system, let the strong survive... Forget commercial pesticides fertilizers!!
Legacy trees, and new babes.
This is a happy man. He’s passionate about the life he is living.
Best video you've made so far. This man has it figured out. This is what the earth is meant to look like. A garden of eden, guided gently by human hands into bounty rather than plowed into submission or neglected entirely.
@Forever Masterless yes he has figured out a way using the basic design tools supplied by Bill Mollison (Australia), who pioneered Permaculture. Bill has sadly passed on now, Permaculture is his gift to the world.
I've been reading Mark's books and love his philosophy. Looking around at the wild places in the Midwest, I can almost see the mastodons browsing through the scrubby grasslands! Thanks for this interview.
Another mind-blowing regenerative agriculture video revealing comprehensive ways to keep humans living on this planet in harmony.
Can this man run the nation's agriculture please. Astonishing information and inspiration. Perhaps the most important message ever given.
You got jokes right? lol expecting Corporatists to understand Real People issues...Dont need "their" Permission to do for self...
Along with Joel Salatin and few others ...
@@msway836 great point. I was looking to governmental reform to make large-scale impactful change. You are correct, we all need to make these permacultures in our own backyard. To hope for more is silly on my part.
@@shelleynobleart No problem, that is the hope that they would work for the interest of the people, but we all fall for that fallacy from time to time...
He has over 100 acres & he can just pay his bills. How does this model translate to feeding 400 million people?
It's like the "Garden of Eden" in the midst of GMO cornfields! What a beautiful, fascinating homestead! Love your work, Kirsten!
This guy knows his stuff. Never had a break in his words. It so awesome what he’s doing.
Dear Kirsten, you’ve opened my eyes to something truly magnificent. Thank you.
"All the problems of the world can be solved in a garden." -- Geoff Lawton (I think)
Yup, Geoff Lawton: “All the World's Problems Can Be Solved in a Garden”
If you don't eat the Lectins and grains. Just look at his gut
@@TJintheVI Visceral fat = high fructose corn syrup?
Yeah except ignore the problems or white supremacy and capitalism first before you decide all is alright
@@KcarlMarXs can't except a good idea? Slow down get out of the cities.
The entire midwest once looked like this, and we will make it that way again.
Just like Mao did to the Chinese farmers and also the entire people?
@@r.guerreiro140 No uncle Biden is planning to do it for you or for us. He plans on returning 30% of US lands into conservatorship and they plan on acquiring that land on the backs of small farmers like this man. Also a nice little bit of information Bill Gates is the largest owner of farmland in the United States and he plans on feeding us synthesized shit, And no you won’t get a choice in the matter because by then they’ll have seized all private property, and the population will be beholden to the socialist communist country via UBI and healthcare. freaking communists.
@@juliemunoz2762 I'm even surprised if Mr Biden are willing to pay for that land at all
Communists usually have no sense of private property
@@juliemunoz2762
I’m not American, but if Bill Gates, a private citizen, owns the most farmland, how is that compatible with as you say ending private ownership?
@@MrCalls1 Bill Gates does not own it in his name. He owns it through one of his personal corporations. He gets all the benefits and has full control. LLCs are the loophole he exploits.
A very well thought-out permaculture "farm"! The difference between his farm and his neighbors' is STARK.
I grew up in farm country, northeast Louisiana. Mile after mile of flat treeless land planted in corn, cotton, beans. This is the perfect place to live. The most interesting program I've ever seen.
If one in every thousand people is like this man, the Earth wouldn't have to die its slow death.
it's not dying a slow death it's purposely being slaughtered in the name of progress to raise toxic "nutrition" to slaughter the population ! We are not only supporting eugenics we are willingly euthanizing our selves ! the ideology of corporations does not support or promote life ,
"Health care" does not support health , it's chemical treatments that manage illnesses caused by chemicals promoted by chemical manufacturers ( Big Pharma ) educates Doctors to push it's products , when was the last time you visited a Doctor with a health condition and he asked you what you are eating and drinking ? This is the only Question he should be asking because you literally are what you eat , my rule is .... if its manmade dont eat it ! Food manufacturing corporations work deliberately to support the pharmaceutical industries ! One of the leading causes of death in humanity is medication ......Fact ! food = illnesses, medications = slow death! Currently human beings are the sickest most endangered species on the earth !
This is similar if not precisely Indigenous agriculture. If the settlers didn’t perpetuate genocide against them, and implement capitalism, the entirety of what is known as the United States would be in this good condition.
@@brainclerk4431 Absolutely! Please keep telling people. We live inside this corporate paradigm and most people don't realize how blind we really are to it all, having been raised with it. We're against corporate greed and corruption, but we don't understand that the entire thing is a death trap.
@@LadyIarConnacht My voice is an energy weapon against this lie-f !
@@brainclerk4431 Good Job Brian if only those of us able to comprehend thus would take action more often. Even if its to raise the moral of your fellow compatriot.
This is mind blowingly inspiring. So much hope for Humanity and a harmonious, peaceful and abundant future. Mega gratitude from a follower in South Africa. This needs to be seen, heard, absorbed and applied by millions Globally. We hope and pray - from our lips to Gods ears ..
I love Mark’s explanation of his planting and growing methods and philosophies. And I love that he calls it the STUN method = Sheer Total Utter Neglect, so that only the hardiest plants survive.
I love that frogs are his pest control, and that his habitat is thriving and safe for wildlife.
May I suggest Masanobu Fukuoka the author of "do nothing farming" a great follow up to this vid.
No need to spend thousands of dollars on university
Most people in this lifestyle are more than happy to share there knowledge for free
I worry about snakes 😥
@@potatopotatoeOG You're allowing the disease of paranoia to harm your life. Besides, pigs eat snakes.
"There's a lot of planet out there..." Yep. What a great episode! One of the things he's not telling you (or has asked you _not_ to tell us about) is that hazelnuts and chestnuts are great host plants for all sorts of truffles. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts this guy has truffles as a hefty yearly crop that probably makes a lot of profit too. Be safe out there!
and hes got the pigs to sniff them out, he shrewd
Truffels need very specific climate conditions, at least the edible ones. Prairie climate usually is not condusive to their growth.
Good idea. They even have knowledge of mushrooms lol
One of my favorite oils to cook with discovered a few years ago is white truffle oil. :)
This farm is the product of 30 years of observing and interacting with nature. So inspiring.
"Draw me the line between where conservation is happening, where agriculture is happening"
Damn! That was a powerful sentence!
Brilliant work, you guys! I really hope more and more people adopt this mindset and projects like that start popping everywhere until we achieve harmony with the planet!
Yes, This is amazing information!
really powerful shot of him looking out from the trees over the barbed wire at the cornfield
It is! I actually pauzed the film for a minute there to allow for the train of thoughts welling up from that image. Well noticed!
This is QUITE close to where I live, (in N. central IL).... I'M IMPRESSED AT THE SUCCESS OF THIS PERMACULTURE, FOREST FARMING SYSTEM!!!... WAY COOL!!!
WOW!!!! Thanks for posting this!!!! BRAVO!!!! to Mark, Jen, and Kirsten!!!
Kirsten Dirksen, this is the second or third of your films I've watched, I love your focus in on sustainable growing, using our intiative and intuition to find a better way of living in harmony with the planet - it's not poetry it's utterly practical and real and I love your films, thankyou.
It's really interesting around 39:30 to see the difference that a small amount of human intervention can make in the quality of nature.
The totally "natural" gets strangled by invasive species which prevents the growth of the forest, but the slight human intervention just a minutes walk away causes the forest to flourish. When humans live in alignment with nature and put forth effort to improve their surroundings everyone wins.
I like how he explained it. He speedrunned the forest. What he got in 20 years would take the natural forest 600 years to eventually delicately settle on.
Absolutely, the best relationship we can have with our planet is to be its good stewards. We owe it at least that much.
He was so excited to see a duck's nest, and it was interesting to see how they lay their eggs in the tall grass. His farm is so lovely. Like him I also love birdsong. He cares about things worth caring about - caring for the land. Lovely. Thanks for making this Kirsten. You put so much good information out into the world.
Hell yes! I second your words.
Perhaps I should get into this kinda life, it's exactly how I would react.
Something similar has been done in South Alabama and South Georgia since the 1930's...
Old played out cotton land was planted in pecan trees and cattle run under them. The land produced nuts and beef. Now, 90+ years later, the land can also produce furniture grade pecan lumber through thinning and replanting the process continues.
Beautiful, wonderful, fantastic. I'm IN!!! So much to learn and do. While most people are talking about sports and the latest binge watched shows.... Let us turn our hearts and minds to the beautiful world around us. This is truly how to live!
Amen!
There should be a degree course in universities for this type of knowledge. This is beyond awesome. This is a whole different level. I wish I could replicate this in the 0.5 acre yard in the burbs.
You can grow a few fruit and nut trees and make a pond under the trees. Around the pond plant asparagus or other edible bushes or perennials.
It already is a degree it’s called ecology like he said but I do agree with you this should be taught more I wish it became a trade school tho so that it will be cheaper n can spread the knowledge faster
Right? I'm thinking, "should I go for the Ag degree, no. Wait. He said he studied ecology but when he talks it's like both"
Check out Angelo Eliades here on youtube, he created an amazing food forest in his backyard smaller than 1/2 acre =) Also check out the permaculture design course, thats where all the knowledge is at for doing this sort of thing big or small ;)
@@judikurre7711 Ecology is the Ag without the greed.
FANTASTIC , this is such a sensible way to have land to not only grow food, but grow it without chemicals, that pollute air, soil and water, love this video ! They are so lucky to get to walk this property and hear all the sounds of nature !
Agreed. It’s informative and inspirational. ❤️
Agreed, and if enough of us use our purchasing power to buy from places like this, it makes a world of difference and change will happen faster.
I’m usually a carnivore and I hate vegetables. I started eating more plant based foods after seeing how animals are treated in farms. I still eat animal products but I try to minimize and if I can source from places like this farm, then I’ll feel better about what I eat.
@@jrize3228 by farms I assume you mean corporate farms, they are vastly different from the family farm, which they are still trying to push out.
@@zarroth correct assumption, corporate farms. It’s hard to find family run farms nowadays but seems like that movement is growing.
The best CZcams video yet on this platform. Thank you for sharing. This man speaks pure truth. It is moving, inspiring and he is a visionary.
Incredible. I'll watch again. Please learn from all their knowledge and experience. This is how God planned for us to live with nature. Thank-you for sharing their story.
Came for a tiny house, got a biodiversity lecture tour instead. Well done.
Omg. Me too
Yeah really!! Talk about information overload. I’d need to listen 3 more times to get it all at minimum.
24:30 he mentions the person who pioneered the Permaculture technique used here, and now used all around the world. Bill Mollison, of Australia is that pioneer.
😂😂😂I watched this twice♡♡
Gotta ask because of your user name: do you watch "You Suck At Cooking"?
They have 'Oreo' cows! It's an old breed- heritage farming at it's best. Love this set-up, so happy he's leading the way by example
In Texas we call them Buelingos.
Belted Galloways I think, a Scottish breed
How beautiful. Reminds me of the Normandy of my childhood. Hazelnuts and cherries and blackberries. Heaven on earth. I had so much ASMR there as a child, listening to birdsong and feeling the breeze and watching the sky through the tree canopy. Know I know to call it ASMR. When I was a child I thought it was God kissing me. Maybe ASMR is God kissing us after all.
15:54 Fully-native AMERICAN Chestnuts? :o
18:53 Well also, when trees have to grow through tall grass or scrub out in the wild...they will naturally grow leggier and taller on their own before branching out in order to reach sunlight. As opposed to in a buzzcut lawn where there is no need to.
20:10 To allow grass to grow tall to save effort, provide habitat for ground-nesting birds, and slow down growth of long, juicy whips on fruit trees susceptible to sapsuckers...is brilliant!!!
If just 1/10 of the nations farmers used such a wonderfully logical and simple Permaculture system we could start to build back the topsoil, filter water clean again and create habitat for our disappearing wildlife . This is incredibly inspiring to see ! Thank you for making video!!!
THANK YOU KIRSTEN,
This is the kind of gardening the whole world should be doing. Mark is totally dead on with what he's saying. I hope to in the next few years have land that I will homestead with my wife and family and do nearly the exact same thing as Mark and Jen are doing. I'm going to share this video with some others here on CZcams that I know are planning Permaculture gardening in the Philippines where my wife is from.
I hope you and your family are doing great and that you are all safe.
Matt - Toronto, Canada
I can think of nothing more important for our planet than this kind of mindset ❤❤❤❤
How beautiful a farm can be! I wish this man's knowledge was universal
It's remarkable to see such a similar farming method in practice to what I was taught as a child. My neighbors think I'm crazy to grow native perennials in massive diversity over the traditional victory garden-style garden. I can attest that the food grown more naturally, like he shows, tastes far better than any produce you'll find in grocery stores and most farmer's markets.
That is wonderful you are doing this! I bet it brings such joy to your life!
Beautiful homestead, very educational, and excellent information. New Forest Farm is doing amazing work in the world, thank you for the years of energy and research.
Edit: I read Mark's book, highly recommended.
I LOVE this man's passion for what he does to restore our planet his a ecological hero and a success...This Earth needs billions of people like this amazing man...GOD bless him to the moon and back...This is such a fascinating video a chock full of education and such VALUABLE information!!!!
I have watched this at least three times and have shown it to so many friends! Mark Shepard has such an amazing vision. Love it!
I LOVE THIS!!!
Permaculture-permanent agriculture designed in accordance with nature-will be the salvation of the world's food supply. It should be incentivized on the large scale.
"Where's the money in that?" You just know they'll say it!
@@SMC01ful True, corporate farms want to make their profits each and every year.
@@josephfydenkevez2129 Alley cropping can be done with no loss of production.
The problem is the cost of land, how do you pay the bills to feed the family till it's productive, thats always the problem and what brought people to cross an ocean to America, cheap land, sad so much of the country is still so expensive, looked at land in AZ and best you can find is $1,000 bucks for an acre of desert, you need a lot more to get things started.
Partnering with nature is how we can be good stewards of the land. Thank you for sharing! It's so inspiring.
I'm in awe of this man. Smart man.
He reminds me of the herbalist and the highlands of Jamaica. His ideas are from our ancestors and I freaking love it. He's so cool
Very interesting indeed! Thanks for share. This channel show an hidden side of US.
What a difference between the two properties, one seems a paradise the other only a boring desert of crop.
I like when the farmer says they could produce more but they have enough.
I originally hesitated to watch this video because it’s so long, but I did because Kirsten always makes the most interesting films. It actually gave me hope to see someone blazing the trails towards a sustainable future. And I loved the tree frogs! I’d even watch this again.
Right! I've been putting it off but I'm glad i made the time for it today. I'm grateful
I saved it for myself. I love this kind of stuff!
@Nick Lang you can also check out Bill Mollison's Permaculture Courses directly, there are books etc. I wish they had put that acknowledgement in the title of the video, Bill has passed on now - permaculture is his gift to the world.
I love this video! It has all the awesome things: Agroforestry, permaculture, rainwater harvesting, North American Oak Savannah, a diy house, amphibians, ducks, birdsong, biodiversity, pigs providing pest control, joyously healthy trees, and more! 😍😍😍
We need to turn all suburban lawns into this type of food producing landscape.
I admire his knowledge and dedication! We need more humans like him
Great philosophy! This is how small farming should be done, in harmony with the naturally evolved environment.