Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship by Ryan Blosser & Trevor Piersol

Connecting with plants--a guide to belonging, ecological resilience, and permaculture design

The plants in our world not only nourish and sustain us, they root us within our human and ecological communities. Mulberries in the Rain explores these vital connections, combining evocative storytelling with detailed crop profiles and permaculture design tools to mentor and inspire you.

Central to permaculture is the art of creating beneficial relationships--crafting inherently regenerative food systems modeled on nature. As growers, we tend to interpret this idea literally--think companion planting, edible ecosystems, and food forests. Where do social relations and community-building fit in?

Authors and permaculture experts Ryan Blosser and Trevor Piersol:

• Demystify plant guilds, showing how to create biodiverse, low-maintenance ecological systems
• Integrate tried-and-tested permaculture frameworks such as the Scale of Permanence and the Ecology of Self, with tools from economics, mental health, and other disciplines
• Provide cultivation primers for permaculture plants classified according to function, identifying out- standing anchor plants, nitrogen fixers, barrier plants, beneficial attractors, and dynamic accumulators
• Use plant narratives to illustrate how our inner landscapes are inextricably intertwined with the way we show up in the world.

This unique, beautifully illustrated handbook breaks new ground in social permaculture while providing a deep hands-on dive into creating thriving foodscapes. Required reading for anyone who seeks a deeper connection to people and place, and a more resilient future.

Ryan Blosser is a farmer, educator, writer, mental health professional, co-founder of Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, and owner/operator of Dancing Star Farm. The intersection of his passion for growing food and helping people fuels his unique perspective on building community resilience through permaculture design. Ryan lives in Churchville, VA.

Trevor Piersol is a farmer, permaculture designer, and educator, co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, and owner/operator of Wild Rose Orchard. He is dedicated to regenerative agriculture, focusing on perennial fruits, medicinal herbs, and native plants. Trevor lives in Mount Sidney, Virginia.

Review Quotes:

"This is a brilliant text of clear, concise instructions for permaculture design, yet the stories chosen to narrate technical concepts as well as plant profiles are as rich as the recipes they gift us with. Gratitude to Mulberries in the Rain for holding true to our most sacred form of learning."--Kat Maier, Sacred Plant Traditions, and author, Energetic Herbalism: A Guide to Sacred Plant Traditions

"This book is an inspiring and practical resource. Mulberries in the Rain reminds us that growing plants is about more than food or aesthetics--it's about cultivating friendships, nurturing the earth, and finding belonging in an interconnected web of life."--Michael Judd, author, Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist and For the Love of Paw Paws

"Trevor and Ryan give an honest and inspiring account of their permaculture journeys, walking us through everything that has and hasn't worked for them, with the hope that we will become more informed and inspired Earth-carers, growers, and ecological community connectors, attentive to the needs and reciprocities our own particular contexts."--Charlie Mgee, Formidable Vegetable

"There are many stories here, which is understandable, because my garden is full of stories. This book will help you think about the possibilities for the plants in your garden. What will your stories be?"--Cindy Conner, author, Grow a Sustainable Diet, Seed Libraries, and Homegrown Flax and Cotton

"Mulberries in the Rain is more than your typical permaculture book. [It's] a highly useful, practical, and cutting-edge treatise that is fun, overwhelmingly personal, easy to understand, illuminating, and sure to expand your knowledge of how to manage plants, land, and resources--including social resources--ecologically and regeneratively."--Blake Cothron, author, The Berry Grower and Pawpaws, and owner, Peaceful Heritage Nursery LLC

"This book is an intriguing and conversational book beckoning forward a new position on an old trace, one gilded by the art of relationship and the heart of the conversationalist--seeking animacy, asking questions, and telling stories, without leaving the "how to" at the door."--D. Firth Griffith, Sacred Ecologist, author, Kincentric Rewilding and The Rimwalker Series, host/writer, Unshod