Hello,
If you have been following The Seeds Will Grow podcast series until now, I hope you’ve enjoyed the interviews. I’ve loved hearing from people all around the world who are finding the show and connecting with some of the themes we’re talking about. This week I’m excited to bring you a conversation with someone who has really shifted the way I look at the world.
Six years ago I picked up a book called Designing Regenerative Cultures by Daniel Christian Wahl. I was deep in climate activism and heading for burnout. I didn’t know it then, but it ended up changing the direction of my life. It got me wondering whether I’d been putting all my energy into fighting what I didn’t want, and what might happen if I put it into building something I did want. That question is a big part of why Juntos Farm exists today.
So sitting down with Daniel for the podcast felt like a full circle moment.
As a biologist, he has a way of making regeneration feel really clear. At one point he reminded me that we are all in a constant process of regeneration. It’s happening inside us all the time, in our stomach lining, in every cell. As Daniel puts it, we are walking ecosystems! Regeneration is not a buzzword or something you need a degree to understand. It’s just what life does, and we can either get in its way or join in. I found that really freeing. He also gives a firm answer for anyone who thinks humans are a cancer on the planet: “We’re not.”
In this episode Daniel gets personal. He talks about growing up with the weight of Germany’s history, and it got me thinking about my own. I’m British, and my ancestors built an empire that did an unimaginable amount of damage. I’d never really connected the dots before, but maybe that’s part of why I’ve thrown myself into regeneration. I can’t undo what came before me. But I’m starting to see that guilt isn’t the point. The real question is what kind of ancestor I want to be.
You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or watch on YouTube. If you know someone who’s been feeling burnt out by it all, send it their way. And if you have a minute, a review really does help.
With love,
Finn