What’s your number one saying?

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

 ― Buckminster Fuller

Where are you based (why, and where have you lived before)?

I was born and raised in Otautahi, by my french mother and kiwi father and am the eldest of 6. I spent most of my childhood adventuring everywhere between Europe and NZ doing alternate years of schooling in both. Most of my early adulthood was spent backpacking through South America discovering the autonomous cultures of their ancient civilizations. I have now built and lived in my tiny house which is parked on top of Taylors Mistake hill, surrounded by beaches where I can see sunrise and sunset. I do love my city, mostly because of the diverse community of friends and characters I know that are doing all the amazing things for the greater good. But in all honesty I struggle with the hustle and bustle of big city life…  so i'm trying to figure that one out!

The future for me is access to hot subtropical  beaches, with the occasional winter mission to shred some snowy peaks. 

What led you to permaculture (and when)?

Permaculture was not part of my usual everyday reflections until I landed at a Fungi Academy in Guatemala. There, I was introduced to the mysterious mycelium network and the simple complexity of living systems. Now it's starting to all make sense! And there doesn't seem to be a type of conversation where permaculture principles can't come in handy to give perspective or explanation on a topic. 

Personally, I've been most inspired by its integration into buildings and sustainable structures. The ability to create ecosystems inside our living spaces completely changed my perspective of what a “home” could become. The concept of earthships is just part of what's possible as we change the use of our building materials. And let's be honest, who doesn't want to wake up everyday in a space of sanctuary, where your home design is a living system in itself.

What is your profession/passion and who are the people you share this ?

“Hemp for industrial regeneration” is my passion and mission. An incredible plant that has its own proven history. Probably why it has been condemned as being evil for the last 70 years. A plant that can feed you, clothe you, house and heal you...is bound to cause some havoc in a world driven by greed. 

So my mission is to help free this plant from its restraints and adopt its fullest potential.  I see Hemp’s effect on land is like microgreens for humans. Quick and effective. If we want mass regeneration of land, people and economy, we need a regenerative resource to get us there. What better than a plant with over 50,000 uses. 

At Kohu Hemp, our focus is to maximise the use of the hemp fiber called the Shiv or Hurd, to help regenerate the building industry. This hurd is the woody core of the plant that locks in tonnes of carbon as it grows fast, all while nitrogen fixing the soil-building. The fiber once retted, goes through a decorticator where the plant fiber is seperated. The hurd is then mixed with natural hydrated lime and water to create a bio-composite building material that has all of the properties for  building durable sustainable structures, designed for long lasting resilience.

Now that the building industry in NZ is in need for some serious remediations, we have started a company called Kohu Hemp, where our innovation is dedicated to the Research and Development of hemp based building materials. If we can have access to materials that work in synchronicity with natural systems, we can live in homes that support them, not destroy them.