Food Forest Podcast

Peter Bane, permaculture elder and founder of Permaculture Activist, shares 30+ years of experience building eco-villages and intentional communities across North America. He explores the real-life challenges of communal living – from finances and conflict to intergenerational collaboration – and why permaculture works best when people and place come first.

In this episode, host Louis De Jaeger speaks with Pippa Chapman, RHS-trained gardener and permaculture designer, about her journey from conventional, manicured gardens to wild, productive food forests. Pippa explains how permaculture gardens can stay resilient in drought, what it’s like to design forest gardens on private estates, and how awards and recognition have helped her share regenerative ideas more widely. She also talks about balancing beauty, productivity, play, and family life in real gardens – and how a hopeful vision, plus a willingness to learn from mistakes, can transform both landscapes and communities.

In this episode, host Louis De Jaeger speaks with Alpha Lo, a leading expert in water cycle restoration, about the deep connection between trees, rainfall, and climate resilience. Alpha explains how restoring the water cycle alongside carbon management is essential for addressing climate change, and how food forests and agroforestry systems can support healthier ecosystems and communities. They also discuss water strategies for the hospitality sector, community-led restoration projects, and the urgent need for collective action in the face of a global water crisis.

In this episode, Laurie and Dan share the story behind Freedom Food Forest, their permaculture project in the UK, and how it has transformed their relationship, their health, and their understanding of freedom. They talk about leaving behind conventional expectations, travelling and learning from indigenous cultures, and slowly building an off-grid, largely self-sufficient lifestyle.
Along the way, they reflect on growing up, healing, and finding purpose through working with the land. Their goal of producing around 80% of their own food becomes a doorway into deeper questions about community, mental health, and what it really means to live freely in today’s world.

In this episode, host Louis De Jaeger sits down with Andy Dibben, head grower at Abbey Home Farm, to explore what a truly community-focused farm looks like in practice. Andy shares how the farm supplies fresh food for around 800 people every week, integrates trees into vegetable production, and uses agroforestry to build climate-resilient systems.
They talk about the realities behind the numbers – the wins, the risks, and the ongoing experimentation needed to keep both land and business healthy. From biodiversity and perennial crops to wildlife-friendly fields and evolving systems, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful roadmap for farmers and eaters who want a more sustainable food future.