Episodes

EPISODE 1
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University of Vermont professor John Todd is using biological treatment systems to clean wastewater. Ted Yandow and Abe Collins of Swanton, Vt., changed their farm from a grain-fed dairy operation to a grass-fed grazing operation, creating a positive effect on climate change. Seventh Generation of Burlington, Vt., is mimicking nature to create household cleaning products. Cobb Hill co-housing project in Hartland, Vt., has found a way to build community, generate small economic opportunities and create a positive impact on global sustainable food issues.

EPISODE 2
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Doug Flack of Enosburg Falls, Vt., reveals how local food production and the regeneration of farmers are critical for a sustainable future. Ben Falk of Moretown, Vt., one of a new breed of designers, teaches how yield, function and the regeneration of landscapes are as important as aesthetics. The Intervale in Burlington, Vt., is a model for local and regional sustainable economic development. NRG Systems of Hinesburg, Vt., designed such efficiency into their buildings that electrical consumption is just a quarter of that of similar-sized conventional buildings.

EPISODE 3
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This program finds Genest at his old farmhouse in Isle La Motte, Vt., showing how he is using permaculture (permanent agriculture) to transform acres of lawn to a “multi-yielding food forest” with profitable food, fiber, fuel, forage and habitat -- along with beauty and fun. In one segment of the program, Genest visits Elmore Roots nursery in Wolcott, where owner David Fried shows various food-bearing shrubs and trees, including winter-hardy kiwis, that homeowners can incorporate into a sustainable design. A multi-level privacy fence is one of his applied landscape techniques.

EPISODE 4
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Bill Maclay of William Maclay Architects & Planners in Waitsfield points out features of his “healthy home.” Ben Graham of Natural Design Build in Plainfield shows a client’s home -- made with many materials found on the surrounding land. Laurie Smith and Rita Frederick of Shelburne invite Genest into their straw-bale house, which is cozy even without a conventional furnace. At the farm and wilderness preserve Teal Farm in Huntington, operated by the LivingFuture Foundation, founder Melissa Hoffman and associate director Amy Seidl show Genest “the farm of the future,” a model for renewable energy production.