S5E6: Mulberries in the Rain - Growing Plants, Cultivating Belonging with Ryan Blosser

What if the way we grow food could teach us how to build community — and even bridge our deepest divides? In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Morenike sits down with Ryan Blosser, farmer, educator, mental health professional, and co-founder of Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, to explore the living intersection of land, belonging, and human connection.

Ryan is the co-author (with Trevor Pearsall) of Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship — a book that weaves personal story, practical plant wisdom, and a deeply relational philosophy of sustainability. This episode is one in From the Ground Up permaculture miniseries and it might be the most human one yet.

From Division I basketball to Hawaii surfboards to food forests in the Shenandoah Valley, Ryan's journey is a masterclass in following the hard path toward what truly matters — and discovering that community is not built in a moment, but grown, slowly, through rupture and repair. In This Episode ​The origin story behind Mulberries in the Rain and why approachability matters in permaculture ​Ryan's surprising path: from Division I basketball to surfing in Hawaii to discovering Bill Mollison and permaculture ​Why plants become characters in our lives — and what deep relationship with a single plant can teach us about commitment ​The concept of the 'human sector' in permaculture design and why 98% of permaculture project failures trace back to it ​Guilds in permaculture: anchor plants, barrier plants, dynamic accumulators, pest confusers, beneficial attractors, and nitrogen fixers ​The biggest misconceptions about permaculture (hint: it's not a technique — it's a design system) ​Why community building is hard — and why that's not a reason to stop. ​Permaculture's most urgent principle for our current political moment: integrate, don't segregate ​Honoring indigenous ecological knowledge — and moving beyond acknowledgment to action ​How to start your permaculture journey (spoiler: don't buy land yet) Resources Mentioned ​ Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship by Ryan Blosser & Trevor Pearsall ​Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta — recommended by Ryan for indigenous ecological knowledge ​Deakin University / Tyson Yunkaporta's Indigenous Technologies Lab document on respectful use of IEK ​Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier's work on permaculture design and guilds ​Wendell Berry poem: 'Be joyful, even though you have considered all the facts' Website: ​Shenandoah Permaculture Institute (SPI) — courses offered spring & fall; 2 scholarships available per cohort ​Upcoming SPI courses: University of Richmond area (spring) | University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg (fall) Instagram: Facebook: Enjoying Elevating Good Podcast?

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