AHR 20: How to Become a Sacred Gardener and Sow the Seeds of Co-Creative Agriculture with Steven Martyn

Ancestral Health Radio

Episode Breakdown

• The disillusionment of our culture and where Steven believes many of us begin our search

• The story and connection between Steven and his grandfather (hint: grafting)

• Steven mentions a few of his inspirations and resources from living in the woods

• Steven discusses what brought him out of the bush

• Steven talks about age and the illusion of choice

• Steven’s introduction to wild or sacred gardening and warrior-king culture

• James and Steven talk about our lack of story and participation and co-creation with the land

• How to build a secular relationship with the Earth

• Why being “green” isn’t enough

• Steven explains the reciprocal relationship between the land and animals and hunter, fisherman, or gardener and the animals and land

• James shares a resource where you can live and learn from organic farming

• Both Steven and James want you to become a craftsman (or woman!)

• Ways Steven says you can give back to the land or wild places you take from

• The problem with nuclear families and the abandonment of eldership

• How to respect the land that you steward through sacred communication

• Steven explains what he calls “industrial ruts” and how easily it is to fall into them

• Why we want to find a place and grow our roots into the ground

• Benefits and differences of maple water and why you shouldn’t buy maple water products you see on store shelves

• Why harvesting root vegetables in the spring produces more natural sugars

• Steven mentions that he healed himself of Lyme disease with herbs

• Steven’s parting words

Questions I Ask

1. “Can you open that up for us and tell give us some of your background as to kind’ve where you got to where you are today?”

2. “You grew up with some of this knowledge?”

3. “What exactly is grafting?”

4. “What exactly made you feel like you needed to be living in the woods? What type of lifestyle were you living?”

5. “Whose teachings did you latch onto in the beginning, then?”

6. “How do we start fostering a more conscious relationship with the land?”

7. “Is having a plot of land going to hold us down?”