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Hugelkultur offers advanced techniques and benefits for sustainable gardening and food production. This permaculture method utilizes buried wood to create raised garden beds, fostering a thriving ecosystem that reduces reliance on external inputs. As the wood decomposes, it transforms into "a sponge to hold water," decreasing irrigation needs and attracting beneficial microorganisms that enhance soil fertility. The shrinking wood creates air pockets, naturally aerating the soil and promoting a "self-tilling" effect. This "soil on wood" technique enhances soil health by creating "parking spaces for water and nutrients", ultimately minimizing the need for fertilizers. Hugelkultur beds can be constructed on varying scales, from small gardens to large farms, and are particularly well-suited for locations with limited rainfall, such as deserts. This versatile approach allows gardeners to cultivate diverse "garden plants" while minimizing environmental impact.

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.

WOFATI, an innovative sustainable building technique coined by permaculture advocate Paul Wheaton, stands for Woodland Oehler Freaky-cheap Annualized Thermal Inertia. The design utilizes readily available natural materials like wood and earth to create a "soil on wood" structure that harmonizes with the surrounding woodland. The "freaky-cheap" construction methods pioneered by Mike Oehler and further developed by Wheaton significantly reduce building costs. WOFATI structures are characterized by a double layer of membrane, a "two-skin" system that encapsulates the earthen roof, ensuring dryness and longevity. The principle of Annualized Thermal Inertia is key, using the earth's mass to regulate temperature, providing passive heating in winter and cooling in summer. WOFATI houses feature large windows on the uphill side for optimal passive solar gain, while the downhill side typically boasts a large gable roof, also incorporating glazing for natural light penetration. Allerton Abbey, located at Wheaton Labs, serves as a prime example of a WOFATI house

The SKIP (Skills to Inherit Property) program, hosted on permies.com, utilizes a badge system based on the completion of practical projects called "Badge Bits" (BBs). These BBs, categorized under 22 different aspects, encompass a diverse array of skills crucial for sustainable living and homesteading, aligning with the principles of permaculture. To earn a badge, Skippers must complete a predetermined set of BBs within a specific aspect, demonstrating their competency in that area. Badges are tiered, starting with the Sand badge, which signifies basic proficiency and requires approximately 5 hours of work. The next levels are Straw, Wood, and Iron badges, representing increasingly advanced skill levels and significantly greater time commitments. Examples of BBs include carving a wooden spoon (Roundwood Woodworking), building a hugelkultur garden bed (Gardening), installing a light fixture (Electricity), and mending a hole in clothing (Textiles). By completing BBs and earning badges, Skippers showcase their practical skills and dedication to sustainable living to potential "Otisies" (landowners) looking for suitable successors for their properties. Moreover, the completion of BBs contributes to the overall goal of "skipping the rat race," empowering individuals to acquire the skills and experience needed for self-sufficient living.

Stringing nettles are capable of doing nearly everything that hemp can do and usually better. They are a tasty edible that loses its sting when cooked for at least 30 seconds.