Dave's Gardening and Renovating in Longview, WA

I am currently in Longview, Washington this summer! I am helping another permies.com member, Eric Thompson, with his property! I heard about about it from his post in the jobs offered forum! I will be doing a lot of gardening, lots of food preservation and fermentation, plenty of house renovation work, some work with cattle, and much more!

I will be making topical threads for individual projects, eventually.
Links to each topical thread will be added here, as they are made.
(TBA: tomato growing, food systems, pond work, home renovations, etc etc)

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Topical Threads
Renovating an Old Pond
Maintaining Trails
Maintaining and Preparing Land
Food Facility Permitting
Double Sash Window Renovations
Restoring Old Doors, Furniture, and Building Items
Nose to Tail Cooking
Natural Yummy Goodies - What Do You Like to Harvest, Eat, or Make?
Creating My First Raised Beds (Hugelkultur)
Growing My First Garden in Longview, WA
Planning for Permaculture in Longview, WA
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So far, I have been enjoying the work I am doing! I am learning new skills and getting stronger, too! Doing a lot of physical work feels good, and it feels meaningful when it is done for something as important and vital to my own health and other's health as food production!

Last week's major project for me was clearing out a path around a pond and then finding where a leak was occurring in the pond. I didn't remember to take a picture before, but this is what the pond looked like after I finished making it walk-able.



I'm wearing work overalls!!! They're awesome heavy duty overalls that keep me pretty well protected!



And this is the crack in the pond that I uncovered. I initially thought to inspect this part of the pond, since there were so many trees there when I was clearing that portion around the pond.



Then, I cleared this a bit more so that it would be easier to access for repairs.



This was from an old window sash that I was also working on last week to try and replace the sashes.



Now, onto what I did today! I helped Eric and a few other farm hands with cattle. We put a splint on a baby calf!



I was taught how to use an excavator today!





And I was given a whole bunch of already started plants and some seeds from Eric's mom, so that I can start growing food on the property! I'm very grateful for her! This was a row of practically tomato trees that I was planting! It was a lot of work digging the holes, and it'll be more work to take care of them, too! But I look forward to making salsa with them when they start bearing fruit!

Dave, so good to see you doing this!!

I hope you’re gonna post lots of pictures of Eric’s cows as you work with them. Beautiful calf! And beautiful everything!

Are you planning on visiting Oregon at all this summer, since you are so close?☺️

My in-laws are buying 17 acres in Rainier Oregon (right across from longview) that I'll be developing! And Liv, I'm in Portland a lot! What are you up to down there?


I know some other permies in longview. I'll try to get you connected

Hi Liv! Hi James!

I'll try to remember to take pictures of Eric's cows! There's a lot of stuff I need to take pictures pictures of (so much doing and not enough picture taking)!

Currently, as usual for me, transportation is an issue, because I'm terribly miserly and have a death-grip on whatever I earn and save. I'm currently doing my best to avoid purchasing a good durable bicycle (even though I'm aware well-built bicycles can get their money back in resale), and even more, I am doing my best to avoid ever having to buy a vehicle (because more money I don't want to spend). So, at the moment, visiting Oregon beyond work purposes is a little difficult. At the moment, I don't mind that, because I've got enough to do here that travelling somewhere doesn't seem that interesting.

I hate driving, so I understand. But I can come to you if you'd like. My partner and I would be happy to meet you and possibly bring you to Portland or the ocean on a day trip if you'd like, or I can take you to some other really amazing permaculture/biodynamic farms, like maybe Jacqueline Freeman's :)

Yes, I would happy to take you up on the offer sometime, James! At the moment, I am still learning the ropes of everything here, so, planning for anything beyond what's immediately in front of me is a bit of a stretch. But yes, I do want to go with you at some point; I just don't know when yet!

Yes, please come visit, both of you.

I would like to see Jacqueline place myself.

Maybe we can make a day of it someday? A “permies” get together to visit places and exchange ideas. How cool would that be!

James Landreth wrote:My in-laws are buying 17 acres in Rainier Oregon (right across from longview) that I'll be developing! And Liv, I'm in Portland a lot! What are you up to down there?

I have a modest homestead, with the purpose if growing all my own food, and having fun in the process! ☺️

Liv Smith wrote:Yes, please come visit, both of you.

I would like to see Jacqueline place myself.

Maybe we can make a day of it someday? A “permies” get together to visit places and exchange ideas. How cool would that be!

I would love that!! I'll be in town on Sunday for pride. I'm on my phone right now but if you could pm me that'd be great

I still can't predict or plan too far ahead at the moment, but I think doing a permies get together would be awesome, Liv! I'd definitely like to visit Jacqueline sometime!

And I still have not yet been to my first Pride. I'll need to go do that eventually!

Dave, you will have so much fun!

One year in my early 20s I lived in boys town Chicago and we got to watch it go by from our porch. It was spectacular. Left a huge mess afterwards but thankfully the street sweepers cleaned it up pretty quickly.

I would still enjoy a lot of it but I just can't handle the crowds like I used to so even though I'm in the Portland area too and think it would be fun, I always decide maybe next year... It's like the blues festival. I would totally go if no one else did. ;)

I am so glad you are there! I went to and worked at Camp Colman summer camp nearby  for over a decade, and love that area deeply. I also got to work for years in Olympic National park and just was talking to a friend about hiking recommendations. They are too numerous to pick one (and I can’t  advertise my favorites publicly but pm me for recommendations). in the summer especially, that  part of the pacific nw feels like as good a place to be a living thing as anywhere I can imagine.

Today was all hay, so I wasn't really able to take any pictures.

But here's one from nose to tail cooking that shows some of the cows from Eric's farm:

Yeah, I kinda got itchy feet and really wanted to go to Wheaton Labs, so, I'm heading off to Wheaton Labs tomorrow. I'll be arriving in Missoula tomorrow (August 4th) at midnight. I just really kinda needed to find out if I really like the flavor of permaculture at Wheaton Labs as much as I think I will. Whatever happens, I have learned a lot here in Longview, WA, and I predict I will learn a lot at Wheaton Labs, too. And either way, I'm still going to be continuing to push The Empire for as long as I can, because I believe the work being pushed forward by Paul is innovative and world-changing. So, I want that to move onwards and upwards! And there are many artisans under the permaculture umbrella, so there are many flavors out there to try!