Designing Outdoor Spaces That People Actually Use: From Deck to Meadow to Family Garden

Jonathan Clay: Regenerative Leadership, Permaculture Principles, and Local Food Systems

Jonathan Clay built The Kalos Project to close Houston's local food gap using permaculture design. The same principles guide how he leads his team. In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark sit down with Jonathan and explore how permaculture's closed-loop principles translate to team leadership, what it takes to create a safe container for conflict on a job site, and the platform Jonathan is building to transform Houston's local food economy. Chapters: 00:00 Start 00:34 Meet Jonathan Clay 04:05 Handling Conflict On Teams 07:37 Boundaries And Timing 10:19 Making Space For Quiet Voices 16:50 Permaculture As Leadership 21:05 Team Goals And KPIs 25:59 Right Fit For The Role 28:14 Ground Zero Resources 29:06 Profitability Not Woo Woo 31:44 Why Kalos Project 33:02 Volunteer Powered Food Hubs 35:16 How To Follow Kalos 35:57 Closing Thoughts References: - The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz - The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer Follow Jonathan: Website: https://kalosproject.earth/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalosproject.earth Follow Land Language: Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/ Connect with Us: Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together. About Land Language: Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Building to Last: Business Succession, Legacy, and the Future of the Trades with David Hori

$14 trillion in small business assets will change hands in the next decade. If you own a trades business, this conversation is for you. David Hori has spent his career where people and business overlap. From HR to startup operations to building and exiting pro.com (acquired by Opendoor), he now coaches business owners on how to build, prepare, and thoughtfully pass on what they've created. Brit and Bethany talk with David about what it actually means to build a healthy business, whether you're planning to sell or not. Chapters: 00:00 Start 00:34 Meet David 02:48 Why He Buys 06:02 Retention Playbook 11:12 Building To Sell 13:22 Red Flags Green Flags 14:29 First Buyer Call 16:32 What Makes Buyable 18:29 Sustainable Growth 22:29 Local Legacy Mission 24:08 Coaching Owners 26:13 Culture Needs Weeding 26:58 Loyalty Versus Fit 28:22 KPIs With Compassion 32:11 Incentives Beyond Pay 35:01 Stewardship Over Recklessness 38:04 Coaching That Drives Change 41:52 AI Agents For Leads 44:28 Using AI To Free Time 46:36 Closing Thoughts Brit and Bethany help bring in the regenerative lens. A business with 90% of its revenue in one customer is like a landscape with 90% of one species. One bad season and it's gone. This conversation goes where most business podcasts don't: into what it means to care for what you've built, and leave it better than you found it. Follow David: Web: toplineops.com [toplineops.com ] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iamdavidhori [linkedin.com/in/iamdavidhori ] Instagram: @thedavidhori [https://www.instagram.com/thedavidhori] Follow Land Language: Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/ [https://www.landlanguage.org/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/ [https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/] Connect with Us: Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together. About Land Language: Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Designing Outdoor Spaces That People Actually Use: From Deck to Meadow to Family Garden

The landscape industry is still building its catalog of case studies for regenerative work. Every project that gets built is an example. Every conversation that shifts a client's understanding is a seed. We're all relearning methods of cultivation that were once just daily life, and we're doing it together. In this episode: * Why the first question in any deck project isn't about materials, it's about purpose * Extruded aluminum framing + juniper decking as the most ecologically sound Pacific Northwest deck choice * The lifetime cost of cheap composite vs. the permanence of a well-built deck * How to bring a client from lawn loyalty to meadow conviction: root depth, carbon, wildlife, morning routines * A real 2025 Portland front yard: native garden, willow play structure, brass auto-shutoff faucet, reflecting bowl, wildlife habitat directory * Designing for children from toddlers to teenagers: splash zones, nooks, and getaways This is the season wrap. Season 2 is coming soon. Follow Land Language: Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/ Connect with Us: Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together. About Land Language: Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Creating Educational Outdoor Spaces: Nature-based Learning and Environmental Stewardship with Marc Boucher-Colbert

In this episode of Land Language, Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Marc Boucher-Colbert, longtime garden educator and urban farming advocate, about how outdoor spaces can nurture curiosity, resilience, and ecological literacy in children. Marc shares his decades of experience developing school gardens and edible landscapes—from composting and crop rotations to integrated pest management (IPM) and soil health. Together, they explore how to turn kids from consumers into producers, how to adapt regenerative design principles for schools, and how simple gestures like container gardening can spark lifelong relationships with the living world. Chapters: 00:00 Start 00:33 Meet Mark Boucher 02:10 From Compost to Farming 04:05 Urban Bounty Origins 04:34 School Garden Career 07:08 Montessori Outdoors 08:46 Cooking and Harvesting 10:50 Roaming and Curiosity 13:27 Science by Age Group 15:03 Experimenting with Soil 17:30 Loose Materials Play 19:23 Designing Kid Spaces 19:53 Tree Fort Favorites 23:13 Forts and Privacy 25:29 Lawns and Maintenance 28:30 Design for Your Child 31:10 Boulders and Water 32:27 Nature for Adults Too 35:54 Public School Challenges 38:15 School Reform Barriers 38:51 Healing Gardens Proof 40:00 Edible Schoolyard Model 40:59 Afterschool Garden Freedom 43:33 Food Equity Reality Check 44:57 Home vs School Cooking 47:38 Micro Community Leadership 49:46 Slow Down With Nature 52:12 Family Food Memories 54:17 IPM Basics Explained 01:05:47 Soil Health Over Inputs 01:07:47 Start Small Grow Something 01:10:27 Books Club And Resources 01:11:59 Design Your Eden Cards 01:17:51 Closing Thoughts - Follow Marc: Website: https://www.designyoureden.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designyoureden Follow Land Language: Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/ Connect with Us: Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together. About Marc: Marc Boucher-Colbert is a garden educator, urban farmer, and sustainability advocate with over two decades of experience teaching children to connect with the land. He helped establish Zenger Farm in Portland, founded the rooftop garden at Noble Rot, and currently serves as the gardening specialist at the Franciscan Montessori Earth School, where he integrates science, ecology, and food systems into daily learning. His work blends hands-on experimentation with a deep belief in regenerative, community-driven landscapes. About Land Language: Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

How to Build Healthy Soil: Compost, Mycorrhizae & Carbon Sequestration with Nick Tomasini

Soil health is the backbone of regenerative landscape design. In this episode, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with Nick Tomasini, soil consultant, microbiology specialist, and founder of Humankind Oregon, about the real science behind soil structure, compaction, microbial activity, and soil amendments that actually work. Nick explains soil chemistry vs. biology, how to choose the right soil test, what mineral balancing actually means, and why compost extract often outperforms compost tea. He also shares cautionary insight on biochar, how to properly inoculate with mycorrhizae, and why fungal networks are essential for long-term plant health. LISTEN IF YOU: • Work with compacted soils or post-construction landscapes • Want a clear approach to soil testing & diagnostics • Are trying to reduce herbicide use • Want practical, regenerative solutions backed by soil science Chapters: 00:00 Start 01:26 Nick’s Origin Story 02:58 Two Decades of Change 07:00 Clients and Soil Awareness 11:41 Compaction and No Till 13:46 Soil Chemistry Testing 17:18 Carbon and Haney Test 19:38 Microbiology Test Options 24:06 Disturbance and Diversity 26:18 Raised Bed Soil Blends 29:33 Testing Compost Inputs 30:32 Remediation and Biochar 33:28 Charging Biochar Basics 34:39 Surface Area Hype Check 35:42 Micronized Biochar Cautionary Tale 36:20 Trials and Less Is More 37:02 Wood Chips for Remediation 38:44 Heavy Metals Remobilization Risk 42:05 Residential Soil Health Priorities 44:56 Mycorrhizae Endo vs Ecto 46:28 Compost Tea Reality Check 48:53 Compost Extract How To 54:36 Root Dips and Contractor Buy In 58:04 Weed Control Without Herbicides 01:02:05 Pelletized Wool Wild Card 01:04:00 Phytoremediation Rabbit Hole 01:04:45 Closing Thoughts Follow Nick: Website: https://www.humankindoregon.com/ Humankind Oregon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humankindoregon/ Follow Land Language: Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/ Connect with Us: Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together. About Land Language: Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.