GAMCOD1 - the requirements

There is a bit of competition.  And these are paid positions.  Since the position is paid, I get to set some base requirements.  

R001:  a quarter of an acre will be grown a bit like a conventional organic garden - the "control" patch.  Food is grown in rows.  Weeds are plucked.  There is no mulch.  All the irrigation you want.

R002:  the rest of the acre (3/4 of an acre) is "the artisan patch".  Each gardener will have their own strategy, in general, on how to make the best use of this area.

R003:  the artisan patch must contain at least one hugelkultur bed.  At least 7 feet tall and at least 20 feet long.

R004:  the million calories must come from 20 different species defined here

R005:  The gardener must have an approved seven year plan which includes this acre being dominantly perennial at the end of seven years.  During the first growing season, many of those perennials will be planted.

R006:  It is expected that gardeners will not impede the efforts of other gardeners.  

R007:  There is a $400 budget for seeds, innoculants and fertilizers for each plot.  

R008:  other organic matter can be imported from the 300 acres of wheaton labs, but not from outside the property.  So no huge shipments of wood chips or hay.

R009: transplanting from off property is okay with approval for each plant or collection of plants.


I200:  the gardener will have access to 20 hours of excavator use.  Although timing might not be perfect.

I201:  the gardener might have friends and family helping with the project.  

I202:  either party can terminate this arrangement at any time.  For any or no reason.

I203:  If a gardener leaves, a new gardener will be selected to attempt to complete what was started.  The new gardener can still qualify for the bonuses.

I204:  Gardeners are welcome to use their own seeds or the seeds already at wheaton labs.


what else?

Looks like a good start! For clarification purposes -- Will gardeners provide their own seeds? Can they bring in their own soil amendments for the "artisan 3/4 acre," or must all be from Wheaton Labs land? I know you prefer directly sowing seeds so will that be a requirement, or are they allowed to transplant perennials?

Good points!  I updated the first post.

I don’t have much experience with hugel and none at all with excavator sized mounds, but - aren’t hugel mounds often a bit disappointing in their first year? Before the wood starts breaking down and all? If so, is using a new built one in this million calories venture going to add to the challenge quite a bit? What what with the time needed to build it?

Can irrigation be used on the artisan patch?

Can you grow your own transplants and bring them onto the site (tomatoes, squash, peppers, etc)?

Are there irrigation spigots near the garden plots?

If someone makes an approved 7 year plan and plants the perennials and then gets all 1,000,000 calories from the "conventional organic" plot, can they still win?

Are there definitions of how "permaculturey" the artisan patch needs to be?  Could they still do some square foot gardening in that area?  

If there are trees shading their garden patch, can they cut them down?

Will there be or can they make vehicle access to their garden area?

How will you determine if they've abandoned the project so that you know when to stop paying them and reassign their plot?

Do sunchokes count as "seeds already at Wheaton labs" that they can use?

Organic innoculants and fertilizers are allowed, what about pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc?

Is the "trench on each side" approach allowed for the 7' hugel?

Can the organic matter be imported from Ant plots?

Are row covers, plastic (removable) mulch, cornmeal (biodegradable) mulch, silage tarps and other typically "organic market gardening techniques" that involve plastic allowed?

Is electric fencing allowed?  Galvanized fencing?  Plastic fencing?

Is shooting nibblers allowed (assuming the gardener is following all applicable MT regulations)?

Are critter traps allowed?

Are garden guardian dogs allowed?

It seems like prior experience using an excavator is important here, considering the hugel requirement. They have 20 hours to use your excavator, but presumably some of those hours will have to be dedicated to the hugel, because building one of that size by hand would take forever. Will you have someone show them how to use the excavator?

I would like to offer some heavily discounted fruit and nut tree seedlings for this project. Say like fruit plants for $1 and nut plants for $2. Hit me up when the time comes and I will create you a discount code on the webstore. https://mountaintimefarm.com/. Would be happy to deliver to Wheaton Labs as well.

To paraphrase Buzz Lightyear, "To GAMCOD and beyond!"

Mike Haasl wrote:Can irrigation be used on the artisan patch?

yes.

Can you grow your own transplants and bring them onto the site (tomatoes, squash, peppers, etc)?

yes.

Are there irrigation spigots near the garden plots?

if you tell me where the plots will be, i will have an answer to that.  for now, i don't know where the plots are.  I kinda think part of this is that each gardener will pick their plot.

If someone makes an approved 7 year plan and plants the perennials and then gets all 1,000,000 calories from the "conventional organic" plot, can they still win?

Not sure - i have to think about that a bit more.  Probably.

Are there definitions of how "permaculturey" the artisan patch needs to be?  Could they still do some square foot gardening in that area?  

I will probably be kinda loose about that. After all, I wanna see what is best.

If there are trees shading their garden patch, can they cut them down?

Probably.

Will there be or can they make vehicle access to their garden area?

Maybe a little.

How will you determine if they've abandoned the project so that you know when to stop paying them and reassign their plot?

Dunno.  Sometimes people say "i am leaving and never coming back" and other times they seem to have slipped out in the night.

Do sunchokes count as "seeds already at Wheaton labs" that they can use?

Yes.  I think sunchokes and potatoes will need to be measured by "final pounds minus starting pounds"

Organic innoculants and fertilizers are allowed, what about pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc?

OMRI approved pesticides, fungicides and herbicides are allowed on the control plot.  I would strongly discourage even omri stuff on the rest.

Is the "trench on each side" approach allowed for the 7' hugel?

yes.

Can the organic matter be imported from Ant plots?

Yes, although with permission if the plots are occupied.

Are row covers, plastic (removable) mulch, cornmeal (biodegradable) mulch, silage tarps and other typically "organic market gardening techniques" that involve plastic allowed?

On the control.

Possibly limited amounts on the rest.  Gotta think about that one.

Is electric fencing allowed?  Galvanized fencing?  Plastic fencing?

No, no and no.

Is shooting nibblers allowed (assuming the gardener is following all applicable MT regulations)?

Yes, although i don't approve of lead on the property.

Are critter traps allowed?

yes.

Are garden guardian dogs allowed?

yes.

Malek Beitinjan wrote:It seems like prior experience using an excavator is important here, considering the hugel requirement. They have 20 hours to use your excavator, but presumably some of those hours will have to be dedicated to the hugel, because building one of that size by hand would take forever. Will you have someone show them how to use the excavator?

I think we are pretty good at showing people how to use the excavator.

How do you feel about animals?  to add fertility, and do some work, not necessarily to count as calories.

Beau Davidson wrote:How do you feel about animals?  to add fertility, and do some work, not necessarily to count as calories.

That's all good.  As long as no animal products are counted in the final calorie count.

It is possible that if GAMCOD1 is a success, maybe we can do GAMCOD2 with animals?

paul wheaton wrote:

Beau Davidson wrote:How do you feel about animals?  to add fertility, and do some work, not necessarily to count as calories.

That's all good.  As long as no animal products are counted in the final calorie count.

It is possible that if GAMCOD1 is a success, maybe we can do GAMCOD2 with animals?

I like the sound of that.

If an gardener wants to supplement the $400 seed/fert/innoc fund with their own capital, will that be allowed?  Can gardener pay out-of-pocket for other approved materials, such as for fencing, shelter, etc?

For a truly level playing field, the answer would be "no," I suppose . . ..  

Or allowing investment, up to a certain amount.

Good question.

If they wanna buy a bunch of seed/innoculant with their own coin, the sky is the limit.

Fertilizer ...   I would be very curious about the type of fertilizer.

Just referring to your above statement of approved fertilizers.

Mike, are you gonna apply?

Nope, I have too many important projects going on in my area that I need to keep growing.  It would be fun but I'll have to watch and just wish I was there...

I was mainly asking questions to help define and develop the program.

I figured. Just instigating.

Though I'm sure you'd do a bang-up job.

Oh yeah, I'd totally win that contest