Carol Deppe, author of The Resilient Gardener, suggests how to grow food crops for these times of less stable weather.
Peak Moment – Pine Mountain Ranch – Where the Buffalo Roam
Join Alan Rousseau on a tour through the paddocks on his ranch in eastern Oregon. You'll learn how buffalo and other animals (including yaks!) enrich the fertility of the soil while providing meat and other products. You’ll also learn about herd behavior, as the bulls protect the females and calves from us, the visiting videographers!
Peak Moment – Bringing the Wealth Home – Intelligent Design at InishOge Farm
"We had a different notion of real wealth…we converted [our paper money] wealth into this land and home," says Steve Unger. Mary Coll adds that they're storing wealth in their knowledge, and by building a low-tech handmade house with no need for outside "experts" for maintenance. With their children Chloe and Finn, we tour the cob house under construction at Inishoge Farm in Sooke, BC, Canada. On the south side, heat from the summer sun is stored in rocks underground, which release heat slowly through winter (called annualized geo-solar heating). On the north side, walls are insulated to prevent heat loss, and there's even a cool room (like a cold cellar). Chloe and Finn show us the cob oven and their favorite under-the-stairs room. Watch the whole episode to enjoy the blooper at the end!
Peak Moment – Beautiful Money – Salt Spring Island’s Community Currency
An island near Vancouver, B.C. has designed its own form of currency. Salt Spring Island's paper dollars and coins look and feel beautiful. For the Island’s tourists, they’re genuine souvenirs. Michael Contardi, President of the Salt Spring Island Monetary Foundation, explains that they’re widely accepted by local businesses and banks, and easily redeemed. They’re purchased using national (Canadian) dollars and are spent at many businesses which accept them, including grocery and hardware stores. Michael shows us the intricately-designed multi-color bills featuring local artists’ work on the back, and historical figures and wise quotations on the front. He explains different models of local currency, as well as Bitcoin, an emerging revolutionary decentralized, non-politicized approach to money.
Peak Moment – Homeschooling with Heart
“I don’t know if you can teach creativity…it’s some connection within ourselves,” says Mark Mendonca. “Wherever those ideas come from, it’s not taught. So you have to allow it. That’s our philosophy in terms of their education: finding their interests and allowing these things to happen… I know that when I watch a child, they’re incredibly curious, creative…” As performing artists themselves, dancers Veronica and Mark exemplify the unteachable magic of creativity. Wanting to nurture this in twins Kaoli and Maceo, they decided to homeschool rather than pressure them with the stresses of school. How has the twins’ creativity been expressed? We’ve included their 2013 video “Summer” (all their own music, lyrics, acting, dance, and videography). Where has it evolved? Maceo’s 2018 video “Quick” is one example. Enjoy!