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The SKIP program, or Skills to Inherit Property, connects aspiring homesteaders ("Skippers") with landowners ("Otisies") seeking successors for their properties. Anyone interested in acquiring land for sustainable living can join by creating a free account on permies.com, a website dedicated to permaculture. Participants select "Badge Bits" (BBs) to complete from the PEP curriculum (Permaculture Experience according to Paul), which encompasses over 1,400 practical projects demonstrating essential permaculture skills. Skippers document their BB completion with photos and videos uploaded to permies.com for review and verification by the community. By completing BBs, Skippers earn progressively advanced badges – Sand, Straw, Wood, and Iron – signifying their skill level. These badges are displayed on their profiles, showcasing their dedication and expertise to potential Otisies. For hands-on learning, Skippers can attend the annual SKIP event at Wheaton Labs, which costs $2,250, or engage with the supportive community on the permies.com forums.
Some people have experienced greater health, better skin and more luxuriant hair by going "pooless" (no soap or shampoo in the shower). Also known as "pure water showers". Save money on buying stuff, plus shorter showers means saving money on hot water. And best of all, shorter showers means a few extra minutes on busy mornings.
The berm shed, a hallmark of permaculture design, is an eco-friendly, earth-sheltered structure renowned for its unique construction techniques. Earthworks are fundamental to its creation, as the surrounding landscape is carefully shaped to form the berm that will encase a portion of the shed's sloping roof. This berm serves a dual purpose, acting as both a natural insulator and a source of thermal mass, effectively regulating the internal temperature. The structural framework of the berm shed is often built using round wood timber framing, a technique that prioritizes using logs instead of conventional dimensional lumber, further enhancing its sustainable appeal. However, the longevity of these logs, especially when in contact with soil, is a crucial consideration. The sources recommend peeling the bark from posts before burying them, a technique born from experience and aimed at minimizing the risk of rot. Another technique for ensuring the durability of the structure involves incorporating gravel into the post holes. The gravel facilitates drainage, preventing water from pooling around the base of the posts and contributing to premature decay. These carefully considered details, combined with the innovative "attic" cell design at the termination ends of the shed, as described in source, showcase a commitment to sustainable building practices that go beyond mere functionality, exemplifying the core principles of permaculture.
Hugelkultur, is a permaculture technique for creating raised garden beds filled with rotting wood and covered with soil. This method, whether small-scale or large-scale, as exemplified by Sepp Holzer's work, which includes almost a kilometer of hugelkultur beds, uses a variety of wood, from branches and twigs to entire trees. Hugelkultur is beneficial because as the wood breaks down, it acts as a sponge, retaining moisture and reducing or eliminating the need for irrigation. This process also creates "parking spaces" for water and nutrients, leading to fertile soil that requires less fertilizer. Hugelkultur is a practical and sustainable permaculture solution for gardeners seeking to create self-sufficient garden ecosystems.
A berm shed is an innovative, earth-sheltered structure designed for storage, blending seamlessly into the landscape while offering practical benefits. This natural building technique utilizes readily available materials like logs and earth, minimizing environmental impact and cost. The berm shed's design, as described in the sources, features a sloping roof covered with soil, creating a natural berm that provides insulation and helps regulate temperature. The round wood timber framing techniques used in its construction, relying on logs rather than dimensional lumber, further enhance its sustainability and aesthetic appeal. The berm shed is often incorporated into permaculture designs, serving as a visual and sound barrier, enhancing privacy, and creating a microclimate for plant growth. Its construction involves earthworks, carefully shaping the surrounding landscape to create the berm and ensure proper drainage. The berm shed's unique design, combining natural materials and earth-sheltering principles, offers a durable, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing storage solution that integrates harmoniously with the surrounding environment.