Gordon Beemer

Designing even a small property can be a challenge, but still a lot of fun and is probably one of the best investments you can make in your future. Basically you'll want to know these FIVE things before you begin building anything:

1) Sun angle throughout year
2) Prevailing wind direction for each season
3) A list of plants and animals that thrive on and interact with the property
----I like to get very detailed with a custom taxonomy key, but that's because I'm a horticulture nerd and a half
4) Contours of land and sources of water runnoff - ON and OFF the property (where does it come in, where does it leave?)
5) Check with local authorities about collecting rainwater, raising small animals, building greenhouses, AND UTILITY LINES ON THE PROPERTY

After you have this information very well documented and organized, you may begin the preparations! Intermediate steps following the main 5 will include: WATER HARVESTING (muy importante), soil testing, garden design, and processes planning (you have the food, but how to maintain and store it?). Setting it all up is the most time-consuming and work-intensive part, and it can take 2-5 years before any system is stable. However, you'll always have fun new designs to try every year.

REMEMBER: Permaculture design is 100 hours of research and planning / 1 hour of physical labor. Don't rush into it just because you're excited. Permaculture works because of the intelligence of its design, not just because you plant a whole bunch of organic seeds and let chickens roam about pooping on stuff.

Helpful links for you as you begin this awesome journey:

http://www.internationalpermaculture.com/
http://www.geofflawton.com/
http://www.richsoil.com/paul-wheaton.jsp
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
http://midwestpermaculture.com/

Sorry I was away for so long. I had just joined this forum before life took me on a pretty wild adventure. I had to focus on school, work and family; but now I'm back and ready to learn and share and all that fantastic stuff.

I'll be posting about some gardening projects I'm doing this summer, but I'll also be browsing the rest of the forums. Can't wait to get involved with a community of like-minded people with a passion for sustainable living! Honestly, I need more friends like all of you.

Yay Life!

Creighton Samuiels wrote:Sugoi means both "wonderful" and "weird" at the same time. "Amazing" doesn't really quite catch the nuance.

So you speak Japanese?

I'm really into the idea of reforming the infrastructure of human society to be more ecological, so I'm always thinking about when and where to introduce ecological concepts. If permaculture becomes popular in Japan, probably the most urbanized modern country on Earth, then it could very well segue into a huge eco-friendly movement that would affect all of Japan and set an example in that part of the world.

World domination by permaculture!

paul wheaton wrote:So there seems to be a problem where I ask for innovation in a space, and my word that I desire innovation that space is just not enough.

I don't know how to make a lightbulb, but what if you lit your house entirely with organically grown permaculture potatoes?

Combine this:

With this:

And make sure you do plenty of this:




And you might just have something.

Hey, lookie what I found!

10 things you can eat once and grow forever!



And~





Hope this helps!

I studied Japanese language for four years in high school. I had a wonderful teacher who made sure to educate her students on both modern and contemporary Japanese culture.

HOWEVA~

She never told us about this!

http://tokyourbanpermaculture.blogspot.com/p/english.html

I love Japan and the idea of urban permaculture, so this really excites me! I was planning on eventually going to Japan to get urban permaculture started, but this guy has beaten me to it. I'm a bit jealous, but I can't say I'm disappointed. I will definitely establish contact with this guy and bring him to this forum.

What else can I say?




(sugoi = "amazing!" in Japanese)

@Cortland

Thanks! It feels nice knowing I'm not doing this all on my own.

@Craig

I could probably write like 10 books about all that stuff! I guess the challenge for me, then, is getting it to fit on a page or two. Thanks for your input!

paul wheaton wrote:

Gordon Beemer wrote:I thought I saw a $1400 price tag, and that's for people whoa are on the special list

There was something wonky about the post that talks about worktrade. But I fixed it! You should be able to see it now (posted about jan 21).

!

I'll consult my calendar! It's not a for sure thing at this point, but I'll let ya know ASAP.

Well, the universe must love me!

I talked to my mom, who is usually pretty possessive about her gardening, and she told me I could redesign the entire kitchen garden, install an herb garden, and do composting. It took me a minute to comprehend what she was saying. I mean, I'm not an idiot, but the most gardening I've done is help her plant and harvest each year - and that has never involved anything too spectacular. There are conditions, of course. She says I can do what I want as long as I don't ruin her flowers, spend a lot of her money, and I actually make it better than before.

I think she trusts me too much. . . .

I guess I had better start designing!


@Cortland, @John~ I'll definitely document the whole process. And as far as how I want to incorporate permaculture in my life? Well, I kind of want permaculture to be my life.

@Craig~ I don't really have much to put on the resume yet, but I'll definitely PM you a copy when I'm finished.