We’re talking pigs—those chubby, soil-turning wonders that can transform your paddock and garden into a thriving ecosystem.

🐖 Whether you're dreaming of adding pigs to your permaculture setup or wondering if they're right for your orchard, this episode is packed with practical, real-world insight. I'm joined by Sez the Vet, an experienced life-style vet and educator, who breaks down the real benefits of pigs—from tilling the soil and fertilizing as they go, to controlling pests like guava moth by eating fallen fruit.

We also dive into the important stuff:

• How to rotate pigs to protect parts of your paddock
• Setting up a “pig tractor” system
• What zoonotic diseases you should be aware of (without freaking out)
• The simple hygiene steps that keep your family safe
• Deworming schedules and resistance awareness
• And yes, a hilariously gross story about a baby and a piglet's poo 🍽️😳

By the end, you’ll know whether pigs are right for your land—and your lifestyle.

🎧 Tune in to learn how pigs can become not just garden helpers, but cherished companions (just don’t let them get away with any nonsense!).

Links & Resources:

• 🎓 Find Sez's animal care courses at: lifestyleblock.co.nz
• 📺 Watch her YouTube channel: SeztheVet
• 🐷 Connect with Sez on Facebook and instagram SeztheVet

🌱 White Strawberries is where we try and get Little Fat Rounds to do our work ;)

What do olives, grapes, figs, and lavender all have in common? They're part of the sun-loving, drought-tolerant crew that thrive in Mediterranean climates—and today we’re designing a whole guild around them.

In this episode, I explore what it means to plant perennials where they want to grow and why matching plants to their ancestral homes creates a thriving, low-input ecosystem. From nitrogen-fixers like tagasaste and Spanish broom to groundcovers like clover and nasturtium, we’ll break down each guild member's role and how they support each other.

You'll also hear how I mapped my own land, identified the only full-sun spot, and turned it into a haven for these heat-loving plants. Whether you’re growing on rocky slopes or urban backyards, this episode will help you make the most of what you’ve got—by working with nature, not against it.

🌿 Highlights:

• The anatomy of a Mediterranean plant guild
• Why guild design means less work, better fruit, and healthier plants
• How to map your own land to figure out where these plants want to live
• A geeky side note on soil pH, drainage checks, and frost-mapping
• Let's include; nitrogen fixes, ground covers, pest repellents, fruits, vines, leaves you want to eat, herbs and soil enhancers.

📸 Let’s connect: @whitestrawberriespodcast
📘 Join the convo on Facebook: White Strawberries Podcast

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In this earthy and enthusiastic episode, I chat with Sarah Williams—permaculture gardener, mushroom grower, and the green-fingered soul behind Sarah’s Green Acres—about growing wine cap mushrooms, also known as burgundy mushrooms or garden giants.

We explore:

• How to grow them in a food forest or permaculture orchard
• Why yours might not be fruiting yet (ahem, speaking from experience!)
• Cooking, freezing, and eating them—especially if you're cutting back on meat
• Why they’re hard to find in shops, and why that's exactly why we should grow them
• Their role in nutrient cycling, soil health, and lazy gardening magic

Plus, we spiral delightfully into tangents about refractometers, bitter greens, the spray-heavy brassica world, and why we sometimes avoid testing our soil (just in case it bursts our bubble).

If you’ve ever wanted to grow something that tastes amazing, supports your soil, and you can’t find at the supermarket—this episode is for you.

✨ Want us to dive deeper into mushrooms, logs, bags, or bitterness? Let me know!
📸 Find me @whitestrawberriespodcast
🌱 Follow Sarah on Instagram at @sarahsgreenacres