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A berm shed, as detailed in the sources, is an innovative and sustainable approach to building storage structures. It seamlessly integrates with the landscape, offering both aesthetic and functional benefits. Constructed using natural building techniques and readily available materials like logs and earth, a berm shed minimizes both environmental impact and construction costs. Its defining feature is the sloping roof covered with soil, forming a natural berm that provides excellent insulation and temperature regulation. The construction often employs round wood timber framing techniques, utilizing logs instead of dimensional lumber, which further enhances its sustainability and rustic appeal. Earthworks, carefully shaping the land to create the berm and ensure proper drainage, play a crucial role in its construction. The berm shed aligns perfectly with permaculture principles, serving as a visual and sound barrier, increasing privacy, and potentially even creating a microclimate beneficial for plant growth around the structure. This unique design, combining natural materials and earth-sheltering principles, offers a durable, cost-effective, and visually appealing storage solution that blends harmoniously with its surroundings.
The SKIP program, which stands for Skills to Inherit Property, is primarily facilitated through the online platform permies.com, a website dedicated to permaculture and sustainable living. Aspiring homesteaders, called "Skippers," engage with SKIP on permies.com by creating free accounts and choosing "Badge Bits" (BBs) to complete from the PEP (Permaculture Experience according to Paul) curriculum. These BBs are practical projects that demonstrate essential skills for sustainable living, and Skippers document their accomplishments by uploading photos and videos to permies.com. The documentation is then reviewed and verified by the permies.com community, ensuring quality and adherence to program standards. Skippers earn badges as they complete BBs, showcasing their progress and expertise in various skill areas. "Otis," the fictional representation of landowners seeking to pass on their properties, can then browse the profiles of Skippers on permies.com to find a suitable match. The permies.com forums provide a space for Skippers to connect, share experiences, and seek guidance, further supporting the SKIP program's community-driven approach.
The SKIP (Skills to Inherit Property) program, designed to connect aspiring homesteaders ("Skippers") with landowners seeking successors ("Otisies"), centers around the completion of practical projects called "Badge Bits" (BBs). To join, create a free account on permies.com and choose BBs from the PEP (Permaculture Experience according to Paul) curriculum. These BBs, encompassing skills like gardening and natural building, are documented through photos and videos, which are then reviewed by the permies.com community. As Skippers complete BBs, they earn progressively advanced badges — Sand, Straw, Wood, and Iron — showcasing their skills to potential Otisies. While the program is free, attending the annual SKIP event at Wheaton Labs, where BBs are taught, costs $2,250. The permies.com forums also play a vital role, providing a platform for Skippers to connect and share experiences.
The willow feeder system, a "freaky-cheap" and sustainable approach to human waste management, was developed by permaculture expert Paul Wheaton as an alternative to conventional septic systems and sewage treatment plants. The system emphasizes a closed-loop cycle, transforming human waste, or "poop", into valuable fertilizer, termed "willow candy". Unlike composting toilets, willow feeders utilize a dry environment created within sealed garbage cans to mummify the waste, preventing composting and the potential spread of pathogens. A small amount of sawdust is added to each can, primarily for aesthetic purposes. This dry process also preserves valuable carbon and nitrogen, which are often lost to the atmosphere during hot composting. After two years of aging, the pathogen-free "willow candy" can be safely applied as fertilizer to "poop beasts" — trees like willow, cottonwood, poplar, and bamboo — which can handle the high nutrient content without being harmed. This system turns human waste into a valuable resource, promoting sustainable gardening practices.