The Tools at Hand with Harrison Gardner

We live in a complex world. And navigating it as the complex, hopeful, emotional, ambitious human beings that we are takes a very real set of tools. The Tools at Hand is a podcast about people who have done the work of finding and developing those tools. People who saw a problem, or felt one, and instead of waiting for someone else to fix it, started figuring it out for themselves. In their community, their discipline, their craft, or their own inner life. Each episode in conversation with one guest who gives an honest account of what it actually took to build something real. The question underneath every conversation is: what did you have to learn to build this? The Tools at Hand podcast is brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. New episodes drop every Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva

The Tools at Hand with Harrison Gardner is a society podcast hosted by harrisongardner, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

harrisongardner hosts The Tools at Hand with Harrison Gardner, a society show with 18 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  The Young Irish Farmer Revolutionising Farming | Sophie Bell

  Oct 1, 20261h 16mS2

  What does the future of farming in Ireland look like? Sophie Bell is a young farmer from County Cavan who took on the running of her family farm at just 17, while finishing her Leaving Cert. Today, she’s balancing farming with a career in social media, speaking about agriculture across Ireland and Europe, and rethinking what it means to build a sustainable life from the land. We talk about the pressure on farmers to have a second income, why farming can feel more like a culture than a career, and the barriers facing the next generation. Sophie also shares what she learned from researching the impact of bovine TB on farmers, what it's like being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and how social media has opened doors she never expected. And then we get into what she's changing on the farm — moving away from commodity pricing and towards a model where she has more control over what the farm earns, how it operates, and where it goes next. A conversation about farming, money, gender, social media, and what happens when you stop accepting that things have to be done the way they've always been done. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Follow Sophie: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_bell__?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== 00:00 – Teaser 00:55 – Introduction 02:47 – Sophie’s 56-Acre Farm in County Cavan 05:25 – Why Do Farmers Need a Second Income? 07:50 – The Next Generation of Farmers 10:10 – Passing the Farm to the Next Generation 13:15 – Who Gets Taught to Be a Farmer? 18:35 – Is Farming a Career or a Culture? 23:25 – How Social Media Changed Sophie’s Farm 26:35 – The Hidden Cost of Bovine TB 33:10 – “I Thought I Wasn’t Allowed to Be a Farmer” 35:47 – Taking Over the Farm at 17 38:42 – Being Taken Seriously as a Young Woman 45:37 – Advice for Young Women in Farming 48:08 – Why Farming Needs More Alternative Ideas 56:30 – Sophie’s Work With the EU and UN 01:03:19 – A Different Way to Make Farming Pay 01:06:10 – For the First Time, the Farm Isn’t Struggling 01:08:35 – The Future of Wool in Ireland 01:12:30 – Taking Back Control 01:14:10 – What Sustainable Farming Should Look Like 01:15:11 – Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #7

  Irish Fiddle Player Clare Sands on Bringing Politics Into Folk Music | The Tools at Hand

  Sep 24, 202655 minS2

  What can music do when the world feels divided? For Clare Sands, it can be a way of bringing people together. Clare is a sixth-generation fiddle player, singer and composer from Ireland. In this conversation, we talk about Irish culture, activism, Palestine, and the role music can play in starting difficult conversations. Clare shares the story of swimming across the Bosphorus from Asia to Europe and raising around €12,000 for two Palestinian organisations with her sister. We talk about the pushback she has experienced when sharing Palestinian folk songs, and why she continues to use music to connect people across cultures and traditions. We also explore the story behind the flag on Clare’s album artwork, her relationship with Irish history and folklore, and the importance of reclaiming symbols that can become divisive. Along the way, we get into a bigger question: how do you get people to engage with difficult ideas in a way that feels welcoming? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Clare Sands Website: claresands.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claresandsceol/?hl=en Substack: https://claresandsceol.substack.com/ 00:00 Teaser — Why Was a Folk Song Too Much? 00:41 Introduction 03:00 Irish Music, Culture & Clare Sands’ Roots 07:20 Climate Change & Adapting to a Changing World 09:10 Irish Traditional Music & Creative Independence 12:35 Music, Activism & Palestinian Folk Songs 14:45 Irish Identity, Folklore & Siding With the Underdog 21:10 Swimming, Community & Connection 25:20 Swimming From Asia to Europe for Palestine 33:05 Using Music to Open Difficult Conversations 38:10 Irish Flags, Irish History & Reclaiming Identity 41:05 Music, Community & Connecting Across Borders 46:15 Bringing Music to Rural Communities 47:35 Small Audiences, Community & Connection 52:05 Clare Sands’ Music, New Album & Song of a Gael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #6

  I Traded Photography for Food & Shelter to Travel the World | The Pixel Trade | Shantanu Starick

  Sep 17, 20261h 6mS2

  What happens when you decide to travel to all seven continents without spending any money? That was the challenge Shantanu Starick set himself after stepping away from a career in architecture. Trading nothing but his photography skills for food, shelter and transport, he created The Pixel Trade — a three-and-a-half-year journey built entirely around exchange, trust and the people he met along the way. But living without money comes with its own challenges. What does it actually cost to rely on other people? And what happens when the journey ends and you have to reintegrate into a world that still runs on money, responsibility and bills? In this conversation, we explore the value of trade, the relationships that grow from it, and why the best exchanges are the ones where both people feel they’ve come away with the better end of the deal. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1  Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Explore the Pixel Trade Project and discover the trades that made this journey possible:  http://thepixeltrade.com/trades Chapters 00:00 — Teaser & Introduction  02:22 — The Pixel Trade: Trading Photography for Food, Shelter & Transport  19:33 — The Squarespace Hosting Trade  20:40 — New York, Tumblr & Inter-Trading  29:12 — What Makes a Great Trade?  40:40 — Burnout & Reaching Antarctica  41:41 — How He Got to Antarctica  48:40 — The Pixel Trade as a Life Apprenticeship  50:00 — What He Learned About Money 51:40 — Returning to a World That Runs on Money  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #5

  From Sailing to Antarctica to Becoming a Polar Bear Guard | Sarah Schwimmer

  Sep 10, 20261h 29mS2

  Sarah Schwimmer is a naturalist, ecologist and polar expedition leader who has spent the last decade guiding more than 125 expeditions around the world. In this conversation, Sarah talks about her upcoming expedition to Svalbard aboard a first-of-its-kind solar-powered polar expedition vessel, how she dropped out of university to sail across the Atlantic at 19, and how following her curiosity shaped the life she built. We also talk about Antarctica, the realities of working in the polar regions, the experience of coming out later in life, creating safer and more inclusive spaces in expedition travel, and what it means to become a polar bear guard. Sarah's approach to life comes back to a simple idea: you don't need to know exactly how to do something before you start. Sometimes you have to trust that you'll figure it out along the way. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner Connect with Harrison: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Find Sarah and learn more about her expeditions:  https://www.instagram.com/the_vagabondist/ https://www.the-vagabondist.com/pages/about Chapters 00:00 — Teaser & Introduction 04:00 — Solar-Powered Ship to Svalbard & the North Pole 18:00 — Sustainable Travel & the Future of Exploration 24:00 — Childhood, Nature & the Dream of Exploration 30:00 — Dropping Out of University to Sail Across the Atlantic 43:00 — Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Learning to Trust Yourself 56:50 — Becoming a Polar Expedition Leader 58:50 — Antarctica, Sailing & the Drake Passage 01:08:00 — Coming Out, LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Expedition Travel 01:18:40 — Freedom, Wilderness & Being Yourself 01:20:00 — What Does a Polar Bear Guard Do? 01:26:20 — Talking to Bears & Sarah's Next Adventure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #4

  Paul Noonan & Brian Crosby: From Bell X1 to Pilgrims, Music Therapy & Breathwork

  Sep 3, 202657 minS2

  Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby have been making music together, in one form or another, for decades. From Juniper and Bell X1, through 16 years of separate creative journeys, they eventually found their way back into a room together. What started with Brian’s solo piano record Imbrium and a voice note from Paul during COVID became Pilgrims — a new project built from everything they had learned and experienced in the years apart. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to return to a creative partnership after so much time, the vulnerability of making something new with someone you have a long history with, and how Pilgrims grew from remote recordings into a live project. We also get into the very different paths they took along the way. Brian talks about leaving Bell X1, moving to Berlin, composing for film, building recording studios from scratch, and training in holotropic breathwork. Paul talks about his work as a music therapist, working with people with dementia, brain injuries and children, and what music can make possible in those settings. And underneath all of it is a bigger question about creativity: what happens when we stop trying to be perfect, become willing to be vulnerable, and allow other people to change what we're making? This is a conversation about music, collaboration, fear, connection, and finding your way back to making things. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner Connect with Harrison: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Explore Pilgrims and their music: https://www.pilgrims.music/   Chapters 00:00 – Teaser 00:51 – Intro: Creating Something People Are Ready to Receive 03:50 – From Bell X1 to Pilgrims 05:42 – The Voice Note That Sparked Pilgrims 07:31 – Finding a New Musical Voice 08:17 – Two Very Different Journeys 09:17 – Why Brian Left Bell X1 16:40 – Building a Creative Scene in Berlin 19:28 – What Is Holotropic Breathwork? 23:45 – Fear, Self-Doubt & Creativity 30:55 – Paul Noonan on Music Therapy 32:00 – Music & Brain Injury 32:45 – Creating a Safe Space 34:20 – From Performer to Facilitator 40:55 – Building the Wicklow Studio 45:00 – Why Small Venues Matter 52:34 – What's Next for Pilgrims? 55:37 – Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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