Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Local community may be one of the most overlooked forms of resilience we have.
In this episode, Geoff, Eric, Ben and Sam discuss how permaculture community groups can help people share skills, grow food locally, support each other through uncertainty and create practical systems that improve everyday life.
From portable food forests and school projects through to local governance, youth engagement and resilient local economies, this conversation explores why rebuilding community might be one of the most important things we can do right now.
Permaculture Community Group Startup Kit:
permaculturefairoaks.org/pfo_startup-kit
Learn More & Join the Community:
🌐 Visit the podcast homepage to listen with your preferred platform: discoverpermaculture.com/podcasts/discover-permaculture-the-podcast
🎓 Explore Geoff's online courses: discoverpermaculture.com
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:24 - 00:05:26: Geoff introduces the idea of local permaculture groups as practical support networks built around food, skills and community resilience.
- 00:05:26 - 00:10:52: Eric shares how starting a local permaculture group transformed an empty urban lot into a growing community food forest project in Sacramento.
- 00:10:52 - 00:13:38: The conversation explores how permaculture projects can reconnect young people with meaningful work, food growing and community participation.
- 00:15:47 - 00:18:30: Sam explains why he originally dismissed gardening as too small-scale before realizing community-based permaculture could drive broader systemic change.
- 00:19:26 - 00:22:00: Eric discusses the challenge of engaging people and why demonstration sites and practical examples matter more than theory alone.
- 00:22:00 - 00:23:35: A discussion on topographic mapping, swales and how practical design tools help people better understand landscapes and water systems.
- 00:24:21 - 00:26:16: Geoff talks about food security, reducing dependence on fragile systems and why local knowledge matters more than ever.
- 00:30:01 - 00:32:29: Geoff explains why permaculture focuses on feeding local communities locally rather than relying on fragile global supply chains.
- 00:33:20 - 00:37:27: Practical discussion about setting up permaculture groups, local education systems, workshops and community-based learning.
- 00:39:15 - 00:40:18: Sam explains why resilience comes from shared skills and local cooperation rather than trying to become completely self-sufficient alone.
- 00:48:01 - 00:55:47: Sam breaks down the community meeting model he used in the Blue Mountains to organize people, prioritize issues and create local action plans.
- 00:56:21 - 00:58:07: Geoff shares plans for rebuilding Permaculture Byron and explains how listeners can start their own local groups using the startup kit.
🌏 Guests
Eric Seider — Eric is a permaculture consultant, designer, and educator since 2008. He has helped communities around the world create resilient systems, working across deserts, forests, and urban landscapes. As the leader of the Permaculture Community Group in Fair Oaks, California, he cultivates a local hub for education, hands-on learning, and collaboration. Eric turns ideas into thriving ecosystems and empowers others to do the same.
🔗 Website: ericseider.com
📸 Instagram: @ericseider
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@EricSeider
📘 Facebook:
facebook.com/ericseider22
🌾 Permaculture Community Group: permaculturefairoaks.org
🌿 Community Facebook: facebook.com/permaculturefairoaks
Ben Missimer — Ben is a regenerative designer and technologist who uses LiDAR, drone imaging, and GIS tools to reveal the hidden patterns of the land. From remote landscapes to urban projects, he transforms terrain data into actionable designs that restore ecosystems. His work combines science, technology, and permaculture principles to guide landscapes from degraded to abundant.
🔗 Website: pearlriverecodesign.com
📸 Instagram: @benmissimer
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@benmissimer/videos
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/PearlRiverEcoDesign
Sam Parker-Davies — Sam is a global permaculture designer, teacher, and consultant with projects spanning deserts, forests, and mountains across 12+ countries. He blends hands-on implementation with deep design thinking, helping communities regenerate both ecosystems and the social systems that depend on them. Sam’s teaching and consulting showcase how practical permaculture can create abundance in even the most challenging environments.
🔗 Website: samparkerdavies.weebly.com
📸 Instagram: @samparkerdavies
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@sam.parkerdavies
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/sam.parkerdavies
#permaculture #communityresilience #foodsecurity #localfood #foodforest #regenerativeagriculture #sustainability #resilience #permaculturedesign #homesteading #localcommunity #growyourownfood #regenerativeliving
Local community may be one of the most overlooked forms of resilience we have.
In this episode, Geoff, Eric, Ben and Sam discuss how permaculture community groups can help people share skills, grow food locally, support each other through uncertainty and create practical systems that improve everyday life.
From portable food forests and school projects through to local governance, youth engagement and resilient local economies, this conversation explores why rebuilding community might be one of the most important things we can do right now.
Permaculture Community Group Startup Kit:
permaculturefairoaks.org/pfo_startup-kit
Learn More & Join the Community:
🌐 Visit the podcast homepage to listen with your preferred platform: discoverpermaculture.com/podcasts/discover-permaculture-the-podcast
🎓 Explore Geoff's online courses: discoverpermaculture.com
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:24 - 00:05:26: Geoff introduces the idea of local permaculture groups as practical support networks built around food, skills and community resilience.
- 00:05:26 - 00:10:52: Eric shares how starting a local permaculture group transformed an empty urban lot into a growing community food forest project in Sacramento.
- 00:10:52 - 00:13:38: The conversation explores how permaculture projects can reconnect young people with meaningful work, food growing and community participation.
- 00:15:47 - 00:18:30: Sam explains why he originally dismissed gardening as too small-scale before realizing community-based permaculture could drive broader systemic change.
- 00:19:26 - 00:22:00: Eric discusses the challenge of engaging people and why demonstration sites and practical examples matter more than theory alone.
- 00:22:00 - 00:23:35: A discussion on topographic mapping, swales and how practical design tools help people better understand landscapes and water systems.
- 00:24:21 - 00:26:16: Geoff talks about food security, reducing dependence on fragile systems and why local knowledge matters more than ever.
- 00:30:01 - 00:32:29: Geoff explains why permaculture focuses on feeding local communities locally rather than relying on fragile global supply chains.
- 00:33:20 - 00:37:27: Practical discussion about setting up permaculture groups, local education systems, workshops and community-based learning.
- 00:39:15 - 00:40:18: Sam explains why resilience comes from shared skills and local cooperation rather than trying to become completely self-sufficient alone.
- 00:48:01 - 00:55:47: Sam breaks down the community meeting model he used in the Blue Mountains to organize people, prioritize issues and create local action plans.
- 00:56:21 - 00:58:07: Geoff shares plans for rebuilding Permaculture Byron and explains how listeners can start their own local groups using the startup kit.
🌏 Guests
Eric Seider — Eric is a permaculture consultant, designer, and educator since 2008. He has helped communities around the world create resilient systems, working across deserts, forests, and urban landscapes. As the leader of the Permaculture Community Group in Fair Oaks, California, he cultivates a local hub for education, hands-on learning, and collaboration. Eric turns ideas into thriving ecosystems and empowers others to do the same.
🔗 Website: ericseider.com
📸 Instagram: @ericseider
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@EricSeider
📘 Facebook:
facebook.com/ericseider22
🌾 Permaculture Community Group: permaculturefairoaks.org
🌿 Community Facebook: facebook.com/permaculturefairoaks
Ben Missimer — Ben is a regenerative designer and technologist who uses LiDAR, drone imaging, and GIS tools to reveal the hidden patterns of the land. From remote landscapes to urban projects, he transforms terrain data into actionable designs that restore ecosystems. His work combines science, technology, and permaculture principles to guide landscapes from degraded to abundant.
🔗 Website: pearlriverecodesign.com
📸 Instagram: @benmissimer
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@benmissimer/videos
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/PearlRiverEcoDesign
Sam Parker-Davies — Sam is a global permaculture designer, teacher, and consultant with projects spanning deserts, forests, and mountains across 12+ countries. He blends hands-on implementation with deep design thinking, helping communities regenerate both ecosystems and the social systems that depend on them. Sam’s teaching and consulting showcase how practical permaculture can create abundance in even the most challenging environments.
🔗 Website: samparkerdavies.weebly.com
📸 Instagram: @samparkerdavies
▶️ Youtube: youtube.com/@sam.parkerdavies
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/sam.parkerdavies
#permaculture #communityresilience #foodsecurity #localfood #foodforest #regenerativeagriculture #sustainability #resilience #permaculturedesign #homesteading #localcommunity #growyourownfood #regenerativeliving
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