Symbiosis in Action: Stewarding Land, Health, and Community
Hi, y’all! Johanna here from the TX Soil Sisters.
( The podcast media player is below w/ links to things we talk about. Or listen here.)
In this episode of the Soil Sisters Podcast, we chat with our friend Chris Jones, a project manager and designer at Symbiosis, where he specializes in research and development projects.
Chris Jones was recently made a partner at Symbiosis. He is currently self-designing experiments that question conventional wisdom, building soil and biofertilizers primarily using fermented organic matter, rediscovering indigenous cultural practices, learning to forage and safely consume edible/medicinal plants, and studying to become a certified permaculture educator.
Since 2013 Symbiosis has been a leader in permaculture landscape design, installation and maintenance in the Austin area, serving most of central Texas. They have completed hundreds of projects both large and small, for homeowners, homesteaders, farmers, ranchers, schools, etc.
Learn more: https://www.symbiosistx.com/
At Symbiosis, Chris has helped develop local soil amendments to address large-scale soil degradation, create water catchment systems on steep hillsides, drought tolerant syntropic plant guilds, and more. Chris left a career in finance to travel the West & Southwest regions of America to immerse himself in learning how to be a responsible land steward. He found his way into regenerative land management after discovering the power of healthy local food on mental health. He has experience as a farm hand and consultant trained to solve problems with an integrative approach that synthesizes various regenerative agroecological methodologies focused on building closed-loop systems.
During this discussion, we explore Chris’ personal path, reciprocity with nature, the importance of cultural shifts toward ecology, principles over practices and survival skills.
This fun and candid conversation leans into holistic well-being, community efforts, and restorative agricultural practices.
Happy farming and healthy living, y’all.
Jo (and Crystal) ❤️
P.S. Receive Our TX Soil Sisters Newsletter by Signing Up Here. And Join Our Co-Op Here. 🙌
Chris drove to Lockhart and met Crystal and me on the square at Thorn & Bred, where I love to post up and work when I need to be in community.
Thorn & Bred is a local, women-owned café and plant shop offering fresh-made food from local chefs, thoughtfully brewed coffee, and a lush selection of houseplants. It’s a cozy, grounding space where guests can sip, graze, and unwind while surrounded by greenery and good company. They invite you to connect with nature—and each other—in a way that feels authentic, welcoming, and refreshingly down-to-earth. Check out Thorn & Bred next time you visit historic downtown Lockhart!
After the podcast, Chris stuck around to help us pitch some hay at our new Main St. Gardens location where we’re in the beginning stage of building a community demonstration garden in Lockhart, TX.
listen to the Podcast
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Time Stamps & Links
00:00 Welcome to Soil Sisters Podcast
00:48 Meet Chris Jones
02:10 Chris's Journey to Mental Health Through Healthy Eating
04:15 From Finance to Farming: Chris's Transition
05:26 Exploring Regenerative Agriculture Across the U.S.
09:15 Symbiosis: Regenerative Landscape Design
13:11 The Importance of Organic Matter in Soil Health
16:17 Mental Health and Regenerative Practices
22:06 Principles Over Practices
28:34 The Importance of Local and Regenerative Food Systems
31:38 Survival Trek Experience with Earth Native
43:22 Symbiosis Soil Amendments
53:02 Conclusion and Message to Elon Musk
Collaborate with Symbiosis
If you’re a landowner in Central Texas looking to do any of the following:
Grow food & medicine
Build healthy soil
Prevent erosion and flooding
Recharge water into soil, aquifers, ponds, and lakes
Create wildlife habitat
Increase biodiversity
Improve access (If you can’t reach it you can’t manage it)
Create beauty and abundance simultaneously
Symbiosis offers a balance of practical knowledge and creative problem solving. Learn about their on-boarding process for new clients by clicking the button below.
Soil Sisters Radio Hour on KLKT 107.9, Radio Lockhart
If you live in Lockhart, you can catch the Soil Sisters Radio Hour live each WEDNESDAY from 5-6p on KLKT 107.9. If you don’t live in Lockhart, you can listen to the livestream at KLKT.org.
