Episode 2, The Permaculture Journey: Health, Apples, Fiber and Alpacas with Samantha Graves

Today’s guest is Samantha Graves of Healing Tree Farm at the historic DeYoungs farm in Northern Michigan. There, Samantha and her family are planting a Permaculture orchard and have had livestock like chickens, sheep and alpacas and are getting involved in fiber production. Their farm actually neighbors my families farm, and we’ve been working together for a few years now. I love Samantha’s story, and how she allowed her experiences to shape her and give her direction. Despite some really hard hits along the way, She has humbly, even gratefully received the lessons and moved forward, while passing on what she’s learned so that others don’t venture down the same treacherous route along their journey. Make sure you buckle up your ‘Pacas! She has taught me the value of understanding our historical context, not only from the big picture, which I tend to focus on, but also our local history, and the history of the land that we take it upon ourselves to steward and heal. There’s much to learn from those who came before us. Samantha also studies the history of her trade, Fiber, in order to discover the best methods from each time period and use them to create a beautiful new synthesis. And of course her love for the animals and plants that she tends shines through in her words. To learn more about Samantha’s work and keep posted on their progress, check out HealingTreeFarm.org. Thank you again for listening in. We’ve got many more great stories to share with you, here on the Permaculture Realized Podcast.