Best Traditional Folk Skills Podcasts (2024)

1
Suzanne Ciani Buchla Concert At Galeria Bonino New York April 1974 (Excerpt) 2:16

2M ago2:16

2:16

The very first Buchla synthesiser performance by revolutionary composer Suzanne Ciani finally makes its fifty year journey from its switch-on New York art gallery to its long deserved and discerning global phonographic audience.With this previously unheard vinyl pressing, Finders Keepers Records are proud to present an archival project of ‘art musi…

1
Culture Making with Tad Hargrave 1:11:39

5M ago1:11:39

1:11:39

As a prequel to my upcoming tour of British Columbia I speak with Tad Hargrave, best known for his Marketing for Hippies movement, but also eloquent in culture making and something of a storyteller, improv actor and street magician. You want this guy at your party! In our conversation we touch upon his own path to discover of the richness of his Ce…

1
Ep12. Wise fools with Dan Serridge 1:28:06

7M ago1:28:06

1:28:06

In this episode I discuss 'applied storytelling' as well as performance with Glasgow based storyteller Dan Serridge. We dive into story as a tool for community engagement and how it can break down barriers. Dan shares his experience of walking the border between England and Scotland, whilst musing the classic tale of Thomas the Rhymer, and his own …

1
Ep11. Wild Awake with Lucy O'Hagan 1:08:51

8M ago1:08:51

1:08:51

In this episode I catch up with Lucy O'Hagan about her wilderness programmes in Ireland. We range from local myths of Lugh and Balor of the evil eye, to the Belfast Punk scene, snow shelters in Norway, cave dwelling in Dordogne, and the teepee outside Galway where we met. To find out more about Lucy's work: https://www.wildawake.ie/ To stay tuned f…

1
Ep 10. The Witches of Kintail live at SISF 41:36

11M ago41:36

41:36

This episode features a live recording of a story told at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 23. It's a version of one of the stories I first fell in love with many years ago and has sublime musical accompaniment from the talented Rachel Newton...aswell as some random audience participation and suggestion! I also comment on various fe…

1
Ep 9. The Hunter Ogalusa 41:08

1y ago41:08

41:08

In the episode I give a nod to my recent trip to Norway for a primitive skills gathering by telling a hunting tale from Sierra Leone. I also share a 'Revolting Rhyme' version of the Norwegian folk tale, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, inspired by irreverent British-Danish author Roald Dahl. There is some commentary on my time in Norway and the story t…

1
Ep 8. Rewilding Humans (with Daan Timmers) 1:15:50

1y ago1:15:50

1:15:50

In this episode I discuss rewilding with Daan Timmers, whom I met at the Lithica ancestral skills gathering in Norway. We reflect upon our experience at the Lithica Gathering highlighting the sense of community and connection and value of reconnecting with nature and each other in a world that often prioritizes individuality. We discuss the joy of …

1
Ep 7. The Old Grey Magician 44:55

1y ago44:55

44:55

In this episode I introduce Animate Lands, a live storytelling and music piece that recently showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I introduce the Fianna and some of the old Celtic myths relating to them before sharing a Scottish story featuring the Old Grey Magician, a mysterious wizard type character in who appears in several old Celtic myt…

1
Ep 4. Treasure under the Apple Tree 26:14

1+ y ago26:14

26:14

Another classic tale about dreaming and unexpected treasures in familiar places and an inspiration for a best selling novel. This story appeals to all ages and whilst discussing with a friend recently, we reflected upon the influence that the novel version of this tale has had on our adult lives. It's a cracking folk tale in it's finest form: simpl…

1
Ep 3. 'A Wee Lift' with Liz Weir 42:47

1+ y ago42:47

42:47

In this episode I am joined by Northern Irish storytelling phenomenon Liz Weir. I first met Liz many years ago at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and was fascinated by her anecdotes of storytelling in Northern Ireland during the times of 'the troubles'. It was one of the strongest accounts of applied storytelling I have heard, and …

1
Ep 2. The Faery Fox 21:27

1+ y ago21:27

21:27

This episode shares a local folk tale from the Isle of Skye, first told to me by renowned Seanachie, George 'Seoras' Macpherson. The tale is set in the time of the Highland clearances, and has themes of co-operation common in rural places, memories of old lore, and the harshness of the Scottish elements. You can support this podcast to the cost of …

1
Ep 1. Dog & Fox 17:49

1+ y ago17:49

17:49

Welcome to the Tales for our Times podcast! In this first episode (recorded back in the winter time) I share a classic tale from the Scottish Traveller people and give a little cultural context around the travellers, and their role in the modern resurgence in traditional storytelling. This story is a classic, and one of the tales I tell most often …

1
Ep 5. Story Activism and the Magic Garden 32:15

1+ y ago32:15

32:15

Inspired by a community action programme in the North of Scotland, this episode relays a the challenges placed upon green spaces and community resources under the guise of 'green energy'. With anecdotes from Torrie community up in Aberdeen, and reflections upon this folk tale from Central Asia, we explore the contradiction of focusing on carbon whi…

1
Ep 6. The Monkey's Heart 27:01

1+ y ago27:01

27:01

Celebrating high summer, this tale is a nod to swims in the river and finding new stories for festival season. This tale is a fun one and a new one in my repertoire. You can support this podcast to the cost of a cup of coffee (that's a hipster oat milk cappuccino) or dram (single malt) via my Kofi page. All contributions very much appreciated. http…

1
Löyly + The Spirit of Sauna Culture 1:16:45

1+ y ago1:16:45

1:16:45

UPDATE: Permaculture Freedom podcast is now called Land by Hand podcast. Listen to the first couple minutes to learn more about this update and the direction the show is headed. And for the main content of this episode...It's Sauna season and I thought this show might be a great introduction to the cultural traditions of Sauna from the far north of…

1
Carving and Whittling with Brian Carver 47:29

2y ago47:29

47:29

#038. -- The ability to shape wood with a knife is one of the most elemental skills to have, and plays at least a minor role in the vast majority of other crafts. Sadly, knife skills in general seem to be in decline. . . Though that's something we encourage around here! Brian, from the Carving is Fun channel on Youtube, helps educate and get folks …

1
Bone: Understanding the Material, it's Uses and History with David Constantine 1:29:54

2y ago1:29:54

1:29:54

#037. -- In the craft world of the modern age, bone seems to be a rather neglected raw material that is rarely used for much of anything. But that was not always so, and fortunately Dave was willing to come on the podcast and share a little bit of his experience and insight on the craft of working with bones and antlers. Dave is a re-enactor of the…

1
Wool & Spinning with Josefin Waltin 1:00:54

2y ago1:00:54

1:00:54

#036. -- How many of you have ever knitted your own garments from wool you processed and spun yourself? Just the thought intimidates me.... and also draws me in wanting to learn more! In one of Josefin Waltin's Youtube videos she shows just that - and since her channel and website showcase a variety of other wool processing and spinning content I r…

1
Whole Animal Butchering + Kate Kavanaugh, SkillCult, Bearded Butchers, Hand Hewn Farm, Homesteady & more... 1:31:31

2y ago1:31:31

1:31:31

It's that time of year to harvest healthy and well-raised animals from the fields & forest before winter in our Northern climate so we decided to put together a collection of short recordings & interviews with some professional whole animal butchers, hunters and experienced on-farm butchers to share their tools & techniques to whole animal butcheri…

1
Explanation (& Ramblings....) 23:59

2y ago23:59

23:59

#035. The Folk Craft Revival podcast is back!!!! If you can't tell, I'm excited! I've really missed putting together this podcast -- chatting with guests and getting to know some individuals involved in heritage skills and retaining and reviving the knowledge that was once fairly common. Hopefully you've missed it as much as I have! While I'm looki…

1
Haymaking by Hand + Anarchy Acres, Jim Kovaleski, Tap o' Noth Permaculture Farm & more... 1:23:34

2+ y ago1:23:34

1:23:34

It's that time of year to make some hay for the winter so we thought it would be a good idea to get into the weeds of making hay on a small-scale traditionally by hand. This episode is for all the folks who don't have the land or tractor to make hay on a larger scale, but want to mow their lawns, fields or meadows to make hay or bedding for their a…

1
Growing a Holistic Orchard + Michael Phillips 3:09:52

2+ y ago3:09:52

3:09:52

In this episode we are honoring the work & life of Michael Phillips, the 'beyond-organic' holistic orchardist, teacher, writer & consultant, who recently passed away. The audio in this episode is from the "Successful Biological Orcharding" workshop Michael facilitated in an organic apple orchard grown by Pat Tompkins. There is much wisdom to learn …

1
Maple Syrup + Tapping into the Spirit of the North 1:10:35

2+ y ago1:10:35

1:10:35

Springtime in the Northwoods is a beautiful time of year when the natural world begins waking up from a long winter hibernation. We all have these natural rhythms within us as well that are intimately connected to the place we call home. For us in the North, this is a special time when we can tap into this much needed flow of life by literally tapp…

1
Seed Starting + Eliot Coleman, Baker Creek Seeds, Richard Perkins, Barbara Damrosch, Charles Dowding, Joe Gardener 1:34:27

2+ y ago1:34:27

1:34:27

It's that time of year to start seeds for the garden (for us Northern folk) and this episode features some tips from various folks in the world of farming & gardening like Eliot Coleman, Baker Creek Seeds, Richard Perkins, Barbara Damrosch, Charles Dowding, & Joe Gardener to name a few. I hope your wisdom and seeds grow with this episode learning w…

1
Slöjd & Green Woodworking + Jögge Sundquist, Jarrod Dahl, Ben Law, Barn the Spoon, Robin Wood 53:35

3y ago53:35

53:35

In honor of our wintertime in our neck of the woods, we are focusing on different themes of making the most of long winter downtime in the Northern parts of the world. To start things off, we begin this series with introducing the concept of Slöjd (or Sloyd) which is a Swedish word that for many hundreds of years has referred to being self sufficie…

1
Australia is Resilient + David Holmgren, Rosemary Morrow, Geoff Lawton, Bill Mollison, Darren Doherty, Hannah Moloney, Nick Ritar & more… 2:33:24

3y ago2:33:24

2:33:24

This episode is dedicated to the people, trees, animals & land of Australia. The world is hearing a lot about the tyranny & division in Australia at the moment, but it's important to remember this unifying concept of Permaculture was born, has grown, and matured to resilience in Australia to inspire people and places all across the world. This epis…

1
Relocalizing Food Systems + Joel Salatin 2:31:08

3y ago2:31:08

2:31:08

In this episode, I want to share some interviews with Joel Salatin, his family & others he's inspired that focus on the themes of re-localizing and finding real solutions to the problems of our civilization from the ground up. How we can rebuild local communities and transform commerce by staying connected to nature, our neighbors, and the larger w…

1
Finding Color on Your Local Landscape with Scott Sutton (The Pigment Hunter) 1:31:22

3+ y ago1:31:22

1:31:22

#034. -- Scott Sutton (aka The Pigment Hunter) joins us to chat about the art of finding color on our local landscape. We discuss how he got involved with making paints and sourcing pigments, his philosophy on sourcing materials and minimizing his personal environmental impact, some of the base methods and tools used to source pigments and process …

1
Global Gardener + Bill Mollison 1:54:39

3+ y ago1:54:39

1:54:39

Bill Mollison, the “Father of Permaculture,” has truly left the world a better place than he found it. As co-founder of the system of Permaculture with David Holmgren , he created a holistic design system that emulates systems that exist in Nature to create sustainable human settlements and food production systems which integrate harmoniously with …

1
The Greater Reset | Exit and Build 1:12:55

3+ y ago1:12:55

1:12:55

Cultivate more freedom in your life and for those around you...This episode is an audio interview from the video: The Agorist Strategy of Exit and Build or Better Yet, Build and Exit - The Conscious Resistance & John Bush. This is an example of many inspiring talks to come from some incredible speakers in the 2021 Greater Reset Activation event on …

1
Foraging, Homesteading and Self Reliance with Jesscy Dean 1:11:48

3+ y ago1:11:48

1:11:48

#033. This week I’m chatting with Jesscy Dean (aka The Wild Homesteader) about foraging, food preservation, sourcing your own food, and old skills like that in general! Food seems to be the theme of this conversation, and why not? It is THE fundamental skill set that! While a lot of our conversation revolves around food, Jesscy is involved in a num…

1
The Lost Finders Keepers Radio Show Global Soundtrack Special (RIP Pete Mitchell) 2:13:17

3+ y ago2:13:17

2:13:17

REST IN PEACE - PETE MITCHELL(11 December 1958 – 12 March 2020)RARE FILM MUSIC ON VINYL LIVES HERE !!!By Finders Keepers Records

1
The John C. Campbell Folk School with Dea Sasso 1:09:35

3+ y ago1:09:35

1:09:35

#032. -- Dea Sasso, a Resident Artist from the John C. Campbell Folk School joins us to chat all about the school, it's history, types of classes it offers, how it has changed her life, and much more! Our conversation centers around learning about the school for those who have never heard of it. The folk school has been a fixture of the local area …

1
Getting Started with Natural Navigation with Tristan Gooley 54:01

3+ y ago54:01

54:01

#031. -- Are you paying attention to the landscape around you? Can you explain the differences and changes you observe? Although it may seem foreign to many of us in the modern world, people around the globe have navigated for centuries using the clues found on the natural landscape around them. In this episode I chat with Tristan Gooley who has ma…

1
Making Charcoal and Biochar with Rebecca Oaks 1:25:08

3+ y ago1:25:08

1:25:08

#030. Rebecca Oaks, author of the book Making Charcoal and Biochar, joins us to discuss charcoal, it's history and uses, traditional methods of making it, what it looks like from a small scale charcoal burners perspective, and suggestions for making some at home. I will be undoubtedly making a few batches this summer-- for use in the garden and the…

1
Philosophy of Biodynamic Farming + Rudolf Steiner 2:16:29

3+ y ago2:16:29

2:16:29

Austrian philosopher and educational reformer Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) remains perhaps best known for the educational methods he pioneered in his Waldorf schools, which have spread slowly but steadily around the world since his death. The New Age philosopher, Rudolf Steiner was the most prolific and arguably the most influential philosopher of hi…

1
Primitive Skills and Nature Connection with Sammy Kells 1:02:57

3+ y ago1:02:57

1:02:57

#029. Sammy and I chat about his introduction to primitive/survival skills, what draws him to them, woodworking, traditional southern Appalachian crafts (banjos in particular), ocarinas and more. For Sammy, nature connection is the primary reason behind practicing survival skills, and we chat a bit about that and some of the teaching he has been in…

1
Blacksmithing, Apprenticeships, Pushing your Limits and Becoming Better at your Craft with Sam Ritter 1:10:16

4y ago1:10:16

1:10:16

#028. -- In this episode I chat with professional blacksmith Sam Ritter about his journey as a craftsman. We chat about how he got introduced to blacksmithing, what his path was to going full time, why it was important for him to be around and learn from a master smith, becoming better at your craft and pushing your capabilities, his use of modern …

1
Fish Leather and Ancestral Skills with Janey Chang 1:28:04

4y ago1:28:04

1:28:04

#027. Janey joins us to do a quick dive into how to tan fish leather using tea leaves (or other tannin sources). We also chat about her introduction to fish skin tanning and ancestral skills in general, why she loves ancestral skills, oil tanned fish leather, natural dyes, teaching others and nature connection. I loved the enthusiasm that Janey bro…

1
Terrain is Everything + Dr. Antoine Béchamp 1:29:11

4y ago1:29:11

1:29:11

A theory can be a foundation for many assumptions to follow. This episode is a brief introduction to exploring some very important scientific theories that have been made about how and why DIS-ease can manifest. “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything. Clean the fishbowl, don’t inoculate the fish.” -- Louis Pasteur I hope you enjoy this …

1
Fleece Rugs, Sheep, Heritage, and the Shetland Islands with Helen Hart 1:29:29

4y ago1:29:29

1:29:29

#026. -- In this episode I chat with Helen about some of the traditional crafts she's involved with, how she became involved in them, and what draws her to them. We talk about keeping sheep, natural dyes, fair isle knitting, burning peat, the fleece rugs she makes, and so much more! Like many of us she is a dabbler in many traditional crafts, with …

1
Home Butchery and Using the Unusual Bits with Jake Levin 1:38:29

4y ago1:38:29

1:38:29

#025. Do you raise and butcher your own livestock? Process the game animals you hunt? Regardless, this time of year would have been the traditional butchering season in northern latitudes and just about every rural family would have been processing their yearly meat in addition to putting up their harvest for the winter. Many of us no longer raise,…

1
Holistic Animal & Pet Health + Juliette de Baïracli Levy 1:59:34

4y ago1:59:34

1:59:34

Juliette was an herbalist, author, and breeder of Afghan hounds, friend of the Gypsies, traveler in search of herbal wisdom, pioneer of holistic veterinary medicine & the natural rearing method. For more than sixty years she lived with the Gypsies, nomads and peasants of the world, learning the healing arts of these peoples who live close to nature…

1
Blacksmithing with Vern Barker 1:01:45

4y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

#024. In this conversation we discuss getting started in blacksmithing, what you'll need, where to find tools, what to look for before buying, general guidelines for smithing, etc. We also cover some suggested resources and Vern's experiences teaching blacksmithing. Fun conversation! Links to resources mentioned can be found at: folkcraftrevival.co…

1
An Overview of Flintknapping with Mike Cook 1:32:15

4y ago1:32:15

1:32:15

#023. This week we're talking flintknapping-- learning about making and using stone arrowheads and knives. We discuss the knapping from a high level perspective, with a little bit of how-to and the principles involved, a bit of considerations for using your stone blades and tips, things to keep in mind when getting started, etc. I consider flintkna…

1
Keyline Design + P.A. Yeomans 1:20:38

4y ago1:20:38

1:20:38

P.A. Yeomans work had a very strong influence on the concepts of Permaculture design...One of his main approaches, referred to as Keyline design, details the principles, techniques and systems for ecological development of rural and urban landscapes. Keyline methods enable the rapid development of deep biologically fertile soil by converting subsoi…

1
Exploring the History, Archaeology, and Construction of Throwing Sticks with Michael Frank 1:21:53

4y ago1:21:53

1:21:53

#022. In this episode we delve into throwing sticks (rabbit sticks, boomerangs, whatever you wish to call them) and how to make and use them. Michael is also an archaeologist by education so we discuss some of the historical and archaeological examples from around the world. Throwing sticks are perhaps one of our earliest hunting tools and it is al…

1
A Beginners Guide to Scrimshaw with Rich Williams 1:28:59

4y ago1:28:59

1:28:59

#021. -- In this episode we talk through the principles of scrimshaw and how it is done, from prepping your work piece to tools needed, techniques used, legality issues, and so much more. We also discuss the history of scrimshaw as a nautical art and how it has progressed through history to the present day. If you're curious about trying scrimshaw,…

1
Building and Designing Rocket Stoves with Tom Mills 1:18:59

4y ago1:18:59

1:18:59

#020. -- Could you use a cooking source that heats up quickly, uses very little fuel that is easily gathered from your landscape, and is something you can build with a minimal amount of time, cost, or skill? A rocket stove just may be the answer! In this episode I talk with Tom Mills (from the GreenShortz DIY Youtube channel) about his experience i…

1
Regenerative Diet + Dr. Weston A. Price 1:06:46

4y ago1:06:46

1:06:46

Health is the topic of much conversation and controversy these days, but unfortunately diet doesn't seem to get as much attention as viruses, shots & germs...Food is our medicine which we consume several times a day and unfortunately there is so much conflict of opinion of the 'one right way' to do it. I'm not here to add my 'one right way' diet to…

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Traditional Folk Skills Podcasts

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