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SKIP, which stands for Skills to Inherit Property, is a permaculture-based program designed to connect aspiring homesteaders with aging landowners seeking successors for their properties. The program consists of over a thousand practical projects, referred to as "Badge Bits" (BBs), encompassing various aspects of sustainable living, such as gardening, natural building, animal care, and food preservation. Participants, known as "Skippers," complete these BBs, documenting their progress with pictures and videos to demonstrate their skills and dedication. As Skippers gain experience, they progress through levels of certification, starting with PEP1 (Permaculture Experience according to Paul) and culminating in PEP4, representing a significant level of expertise. "Otis," a fictional character in the SKIP program, represents the numerous landowners seeking worthy individuals to inherit their properties. The program aims to create a bridge between these Otises and Skippers, offering a pathway for Skippers to "skip the rat race" and acquire land while providing Otises with peace of mind knowing their homesteads will be in capable hands. SKIP emphasizes practical skills and real-world experience, fostering a sense of accomplishment and self-sufficiency among participants.
WOFATI, which stands for Woodland Oehler Freaky-cheap Annualized Thermal Inertia, represents a sustainable building solution that merges affordability and energy efficiency. Developed by Paul Wheaton, WOFATI draws inspiration from Mike Oehler's earth-sheltered designs, enhancing them with cost-saving strategies and a focus on harmonizing with the surrounding environment. This innovative approach prioritizes using locally sourced natural materials like wood and earth, thereby minimizing reliance on manufactured products and lessening the building's ecological impact. The concept of Annualized Thermal Inertia is central to WOFATI design, harnessing the surrounding earth as a thermal mass to regulate temperature fluctuations throughout the year. This natural heating and cooling system stores summer heat for winter warmth and retains winter's coolness to moderate summer temperatures, significantly reducing energy consumption. WOFATI buildings typically feature large windows strategically placed on the uphill side to maximize passive solar gain, further enhancing energy efficiency. As the name suggests, WOFATI structures are ideally situated on or near a woodland, emphasizing a symbiotic relationship with nature. Examples of WOFATI buildings, including Allerton Abbey and Wofati 0.8, can be found at Wheaton Labs in Montana
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.
Hugelkultur, meaning "hill culture," is a sustainable permaculture gardening method that uses buried wood to create raised garden beds. This technique involves layering logs, branches, and other woody debris at the base of the bed and covering them with soil. As the wood decomposes, it acts as a sponge, retaining moisture, improving aeration and drainage, and releasing nutrients, reducing the need for watering and fertilizers. Hugelkultur beds are ideal for growing various plants, especially those that prefer well-drained soil. By harnessing the natural process of decomposition, hugelkultur promotes a thriving garden ecosystem and aligns with permaculture's goal of sustainable systems.