Jon Hanzen

Wow, it looks amazing. Permacutlure is always a work in progress. Inoculate the huglekulture beds with giant batches of compost tea and use a sprayer via tractor or atv to innoculate the beds.  Keep them wet with a hose or sprayer as much as possible. This will break down the wood faster as soon as mycellium finds its way into the wood rounds.  :-)
Ground cover should be wildcrafted/gleaned from a day trip to the National forest/BLM. Check with California State law at the local Parks and Recs. Dept. for the specifics on what is legal. But Northern Cal. forests have tons of hostas and ferns that grow in the shade and undergrowth. Of course this ground cover will probably be in full sun. You could try a few cans of wild flower seeds from the Home Depot atop the beds with dirt. This will make your neighbor happy and provide further mulch in the fall and winter.
I am also a huge fan of mulch.  The more the better. I'd invest in an industrial sized chipper if I could and use it as a side business to make money.

My experience with developing a fruit forest in Pahoa (Big Island) Hawaii on 2 acres was a positive one. The black, deep, rich soil on the property was so easy to grow anything and with 140" of rainfall per year watering was never a problem. I could literally eat a piece of fruit from my kitchen and walk out to my garden and punch the seed into the bed and it would sprout a sapling in a week or two. In Hawaii fruit trees like Mangosteen, Persimmon, Sour Sop, Dragonfruit (not a tree), Jauticaba, etc, fetched a high price at the local markets even though they were fairly prolific with local resident/growers.  Guava and avacados were like weeds growing wild on the property which as a draw back attracted the wild pigs during the fruiting seasons. All and all it was a wonderful learning expereince but less than 2 acres was more work than I could manage by myself so I ended up selling the property without issue making a handsom profit.

Hey there, good luck. I am basically in the same boat. At the same time I've built up two permaculture homesteads by myself and realized both times that it is too much work to do alone, lol. I am looking to do it a third time but I like the warm tropical climate of Central Am. in particular Belize. At this point I hoping to meet people who might share the vision and have a means to financially support themselves to invest in property down there.  I figure helping each other is the best way to maximize one's effort in Sustainability and Wealth Equity. -Peace

If you are searching for areas to build a Permaculture homestead/farmstead/community/eco-village you might consider having a look at Nicaragua. There is basically no zoning or covenants to follow so you can do what you want on your property. As far as foreign real estate markets go there is a lot of value there still given you can deal with all of the pros and cons. I like the Nica. market because it is already well established in agriculture, it is aj afoordable cost of living and friendly toward ex-pats as investors with a contingency that one must cross the border very 90 days to renew their visa. This type of venture is better for folks who already have a secure monthly income or savings that can support them indefinitely, however, I've talked to others finding a way to do it edgewise but Nica. seems to be more predomonant in a cultural context than a National one. That said if you can adapt to the culture and go with the flow there it is better than learning the hard way in being counterculture to theirs. Surfing is BIG, lol. There are places like San Juan Del Sur an emerging ex-pat community on the coast that is an exception. I also like the quiet and serene ecological preserve Laguna D'Apoyo where a limited number of houses/properties are nestled along the jungle rim [exotic birds and monkeys] of a dormant volcano with protected pristine lake waters in the basin. I want to move there as a joint venture with other investors to buy discounted choice property [with cash] to use as my residential base and retirement destination. Having alliigned neighbors or in a small community can be advantageous in many ways in the long run. Plus it is only a matter of time before real estate prices go up. I recently saw a Pacific-side beach front property with house for $150 K. It's mostly a cash market with some partial financing options.
Anyway, if you are like me and want a warmer tropical climate/diet/year round growing season (even 6 months out of the year) but think Hawaii is too expensive hit me up for a discussion. Maybe we can start a Fb group. My plan is for 2-3 years from now.
https://property-nicaragua.com

Hello Fellow Permies, I am posting to put a call out to meet new people and hopfully make some friendship connections.  I recently relocated to Boise from the Big Island and have my PDC. My longer-term plan is to buy coastal property in Nicaragua and practice permaculture there and am open to sharing on a joint venture as the casse may be...pooling together resources and helping one and another out can go a long way in self-reliance.
All the best, thnx for reading/commenting.

Although it is an initial investment, my advice is consider the growdome greenhouse by grow dome.com   1. It can provide a means for food year round and is unparralleled protection against pests. 2. It can be used to  produce money making products such as a shitaki mushroom house.  And 3. it is a usable space for various activities.  Mediation, yoga, tea/coffee/meeting, sleeping, etc... The infrastructure add to the value of your investment although I imagine you are in it for the long haul.  Good luck there and all the best...
Personally, I'd probably get a job and hire an excavation company with the right equipment to do the driveway. They are competitive and can save time and money.

What it sounds like to me is that this Organization/Corporation is serving a role of a surrogate [quick] Permaculture Guild that can be duplicated for anywhere. While it may have merit as an idea, in reality, it is Uber-esque and endeavors to turn Permaculture into a a pre-industry of its own invention [unwarranted and illegitimate]. If it were registered as an NGO i'd be less apprehensive.  It reminds me of false real estate market bubbles that get inflated solely based on a swing of the majority not actual value just demand. If you ask me, 'doing the work' to legitimately start a Permaculture Guild in one's locale to fulfill this need is better suited because it does not undervalue Bioreigonalism juxtaposed to Futilitarianism in a global society that is fueled by Gentrification.

My advice, especially since your intention is permaculture homesteading, is to prioritize the growing season. In the long term, this can equate to financial success and sustainability. Among the states you listed, Georgia has the longest growing season. There are many factors not mentioned in your post that you may already be aware of, but for the sake of discussion, let’s delve into more details.

I have built two permaculture homesteads by myself and sold them for a considerable profit—one in Northwest Montana and the other on the Big Island. However, I found that a single individual can easily face burnout and may neglect important duties. As a result, I ended up living in a city until I could find like-minded individuals to partner with on a venture. My research into the real estate market, both domestically and internationally, has taught me a lot.

My top choice for investment is Nicaragua, as it is very friendly to permaculture practices, and many expatriates are recognizing its potential. The market is still quite affordable, providing a lot of value. Being aware of the challenges ahead can make a significant difference between success and failure.

I also have an interest in Belize since I do not speak Spanish and the economy is tied to the U.S. dollar. Additionally, its proximity to Mexico makes it easier to acquire supplies, and air travel to the U.S. is reasonably accessible. I also am elibable for the QRP (qualified retirement program) with an income of $2000 or more per month which enables me to have premanant residency unlike Nica. which most expats have to renew their visitors visa every 90, but still doable.

At any rate, good luck to you. Do you have your PDC yet?

Hello, it is nice to meet you. It seems that we share some commonalities beyond permaculture. !. I last homesteaded on the Big Island ('20-23'), and NW Montana ('16-20'), although I recently relocated to the mainland, landing in Idaho. However, I have been looking into the prospects of moving to Central America for years and have been there on several occasions, including Ecuador.  What is it about El Salvador that is a draw for you?
Regarding the real estate market, I like Nicaragua the most; however, I favor Belize because I do not speak Spanish and am eligible for their Qualified Retirement Program to maintain residency instead of renewing it every 3 months. I'd love to collaborate with other like-minded folks to homestead on some land down there (probably 6 months per year at first for me) to make life easier. Would you like to discuss the possibility further with me sometime? Let me know with your reply. In any case, all the best to you and your family. Peace and love -Jon