Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this wide-ranging and deeply human conversation, Geoff, Ben, Eric and Sam explore nationalism, immigration, borders and belonging through a permaculture lens. Drawing on Bill Mollison’s definition of a nation as a shared ethic — not a geographic boundary — the discussion reframes global challenges around scarcity, migration, labor and wealth. This is not a political debate. It’s a systems conversation about ethics, ecology and what it really means to belong.
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 – 01:21 - The episode sets the stage by questioning modern nationalism and its confusion with patriotism.
- 01:38 – 02:15 - A nation is redefined through permaculture as a shared ethic and worldview, not borders or race.
- 02:15 – 03:07 - Ethnic nationalism is unpacked as a historical and dangerous distortion of identity.
- 03:09 – 06:29 - Economic stress, immigration, and labor exploitation are explored as systemic issues rather than moral failures.
- 06:30 – 08:21 - Modern borders and immigration are revealed as recent constructs that ignore historic movement and trade.
- 08:46 – 10:29 - Blame is shifted away from immigrants and toward concentrated wealth, power, and policy decisions.
- 10:29 – 12:41 - Survival instinct, territory, and human behavior are examined through both ecological and social lenses.
- 13:19 – 15:27 - Passport privilege highlights global inequality and the uneven experience of “freedom of movement.”
- 16:05 – 17:55 - Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset becomes a central theme, tying directly into permaculture ethics.
- 18:38 – 20:50 - Resource-rich nations suffering poverty reveal how systems, not nature, create deprivation.
- 21:26 – 22:41 - Geoff introduces the idea of a “permaculture nation” — a global identity rooted in care and action.
- 22:41 – 27:37 - Immigration reframed as an opportunity for land repair, skill-building, and eventual regeneration at home.
- 27:37 – 30:19 - Personal responsibility, consumer choices, and voting with time and labor are emphasized.
- 31:27 – 33:08 - Wealth is redefined as food, water, air, community, and resilience — not money.
- 33:08 – 35:13 - Local action and community engagement are positioned as real power outside financial systems.
- 35:13 – End - The episode closes by questioning unchecked systems while affirming permaculture as a practical, hopeful path forward.
🌏 Guests
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
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
#permaculture #permaculturenation #abundancemindset #systemschange #regenerativefuture #carefortheearth #careforpeople #beyondborders #ecologicalthinking #foodsovereignty #communityresilience
In this wide-ranging and deeply human conversation, Geoff, Ben, Eric and Sam explore nationalism, immigration, borders and belonging through a permaculture lens. Drawing on Bill Mollison’s definition of a nation as a shared ethic — not a geographic boundary — the discussion reframes global challenges around scarcity, migration, labor and wealth. This is not a political debate. It’s a systems conversation about ethics, ecology and what it really means to belong.
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 – 01:21 - The episode sets the stage by questioning modern nationalism and its confusion with patriotism.
- 01:38 – 02:15 - A nation is redefined through permaculture as a shared ethic and worldview, not borders or race.
- 02:15 – 03:07 - Ethnic nationalism is unpacked as a historical and dangerous distortion of identity.
- 03:09 – 06:29 - Economic stress, immigration, and labor exploitation are explored as systemic issues rather than moral failures.
- 06:30 – 08:21 - Modern borders and immigration are revealed as recent constructs that ignore historic movement and trade.
- 08:46 – 10:29 - Blame is shifted away from immigrants and toward concentrated wealth, power, and policy decisions.
- 10:29 – 12:41 - Survival instinct, territory, and human behavior are examined through both ecological and social lenses.
- 13:19 – 15:27 - Passport privilege highlights global inequality and the uneven experience of “freedom of movement.”
- 16:05 – 17:55 - Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset becomes a central theme, tying directly into permaculture ethics.
- 18:38 – 20:50 - Resource-rich nations suffering poverty reveal how systems, not nature, create deprivation.
- 21:26 – 22:41 - Geoff introduces the idea of a “permaculture nation” — a global identity rooted in care and action.
- 22:41 – 27:37 - Immigration reframed as an opportunity for land repair, skill-building, and eventual regeneration at home.
- 27:37 – 30:19 - Personal responsibility, consumer choices, and voting with time and labor are emphasized.
- 31:27 – 33:08 - Wealth is redefined as food, water, air, community, and resilience — not money.
- 33:08 – 35:13 - Local action and community engagement are positioned as real power outside financial systems.
- 35:13 – End - The episode closes by questioning unchecked systems while affirming permaculture as a practical, hopeful path forward.
🌏 Guests
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
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
#permaculture #permaculturenation #abundancemindset #systemschange #regenerativefuture #carefortheearth #careforpeople #beyondborders #ecologicalthinking #foodsovereignty #communityresilience
