Kansas City Area

Just tossing a line out to see if there are any KC area folks swimming by.

Hi, Ryan. I'm in Emporia, about 80 miles southwest of KC. A year ago (last International Permaculture Day, which is what today is!), I recorded a tour of my urban farm, which you can find here: http://interdependentweb.com/content/2012_tour

What part of the KC area are you in?

I am an hour or two south of KC (depending on where you start in KC).

Welcome to the asylum.

About three hours from kc, and an hour from emporia

Glad to hear from you all! I'm familiar with the Emporia area. I'm In Lee's Summit (SE KC) myself. I was directed to "KAW Permaculture" in Lawrence, KS by a friend but their website seems a bit out of date. As I'm new to the asylum, I was hoping to attend some workshops or classes this summer but I'm not in a position to fork up $2200 for Geoffry Lawton's new Online program. Any ideas?

I'll be checking out that tour you posted Ben, Thanks!

One of my concerns, for lack of a better way to put it, is there seems to be a disportianate number of folks looking to make money off the educational aspect of permaculture.

There is also dam few folks even interested in permaculture in the Midwest.

There is tons of info available on line, and some good books available.

Read everything you can, and plant some crap. Keep your eye towards sustainable options, and education.

Least that's what i am doing.

I like where your heads at Mick!

Just north of liberty. If you haven't seen or heard check out the urban farming guys Ryan. They give tours every month and have a pretty impressive operation down in the hood. Aquaponics, raised beds, hugel, critters, they're even using the methane off the tanks and compost piles.

I recently heard about a free introduction to PDC in Ava MO in June. I can get more info if someone is interested.

@Tim - Yes I'm a big fan of the UFG's. I've been out for a tour and love all the Videos!

@Jennifer - Keep us updated on the PDC in Ava, Thanks!

Ryan, if you haven't been there check out Anton's at 16th and Main. Without a doubt the coolest restaurant for permies in kc.

PDC in Ava is full. I hope to be there. I would really like some ideas for my place and suggestions on what to do next/first

@ Tim, I looked up Anton's Website. Looks like they even have an auquaponics system in the basement! I'll be heading that way with the wife next date night.

@ Jennifer, sounds like we are both at the same stage, "what to do next/first".

What we are doing today is finishing the deck that goes all around the house now. Way nice. Someday we will build a kitchen ... priorities you know

Hi All, I'm so glad to hear there are other Permies in the area! I live about an hour of KC near Ottawa and I work in Westport.

Hi, Sarah. I live a little North of you, in Lenexa.

Hey, I'm in Liberty and just purchased 10 acres near Holt, Mo. Love to connect with anyone in our area to discuss ideas and check out each others' places. You can reach me at hebronacres@gmail.com.

I'm just beginning to transform my 10-acre place into a permaculture farm for my wife and me and anyone else we can feed.

Hope to hear from you all.

Dan

Anyone know when the next PDC course will be down at Ava?

This was just forwarded to me from a friend...

Dear Friends of Locally Grown Food,

Six years ago the Kansas (Kaw) Permaculture Collaborative was created to
foster sustainable and ecological food production and environmental
restoration. Since then we have trained about 100 folks in permaculture
design, created a half a dozen edible forest gardens and started
applying permaculture principles at numerous farmsteads across Eastern
Kansas.

This year we are having our *5th Annual Permaculture Urban Garden and
Farm Tour* on *Saturday and Sunday, July 20 & 21*.
Saturday is a guided tour of urban sites in Kansas City & Lawrence -
cost $12 per person (2 for $20)
Sunday is a guided tour of rural sites in the region - cost $12 per
person(2 for $20)

The annual tour is sponsored by the *Kansas Permaculture Collaborative*,
a program of the *Sustainability Action Network*. Permaculture is a
design science by which we pattern our surroundings to harmonize with
nature rather than to subdue nature. The end result is a farm or garden
that is a *low-input, self-organizing, mature polyculture ecosystem*.
The tour will include a range of examples, small and large, newly
developing and well established, garden models and food forests. The
final farm site on Sunday will host a pot luck dinner at 6:00pm.

This is a group guided tour, but transportation is on your own or by
carpooling. The tour happens rain or shine, within reason - dress
appropriately. Bring water, a hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, and a
lunch. Space is limited, so *_pre-registration is required_* by
contacting Michael (785)832-1300, or at paradigm@ixks.com
<mailto:paradigm@ixks.com>.

Please join us for an inspirational weekend and introduction to a new
possibility for sustainable living!

Just found out about this upcoming workshop in the KC area...

DESIGNING EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS***
**Saturday-Sunday, *7 & 8 September 2013*
CoWork Waldo, 7449 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City MO 64114

The *Kansas Permaculture Institute*of Sustainability Action is pleased
to offer this workshop taught by three well versed and experienced
permaculture designers. The course will cover: forest ecology and
architecture, examples of forest gardens, principles of permaculture,
site analysis and selection, healthy soil, water management,
understanding plant guilds and plant community functions, selection of
plant species, the design process of forest gardens, goals and financial
plans, and tours of two urban food forests.

The instructors, who have decades of permaculture experience between
them are: *Michael Almon* of Forest Floor Permaculture, *Steve Mann* of
Cultivate Kansas City, and *Steve Moring* of Kaw Permaculture. For more
information go to http://www.sustainabilityaction.net/. And to register,
go to http://www.kawpermaculture.com/education-training/, or contact
Steve Moring at moringse@gmail.com <mailto:moringse@gmail.com>, or
(785)691-7305. *

Course fees **are $125 before August 16, 2013, and $160 thereafter*.
Make checks payable to "Sustainability Action", and mail to:
Sustainability Action, P.O. Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044. Or pay with
our PayPal button at http://www.sustainabilityaction.net/ (please add a
$5 service charge for PayPal, and note that it is for "forest garden
workshop").

I am about 1.5 hours North off of I-35. I don't know if there's anyone even remotely nearby, but I would be interested in getting to know my local permies if there are any to be had...

@Nickolas Covey - And Everyone else on this thread...

There has been a group started on Facebook for the KC area. https://www.facebook.com/kcnwmopermaculture There is a "Getting to Know You" event scheduled for the 21st of September. Check it out!

Is there anyone else here from Gladstone Missouri?

I've started a group to get the chicken laws changed in Gladstone, so if there is anyone from the area who wants to check it out, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/209447635896497/

Gook luck in Gladstone Jenny. I'm from Lee's Summit and the City just approved a chickens this last July.

LS Chickens

Ryan, Nicholas, Jenny et. al., I don't use facebook, so if you could keep us up to date on things in here, that would be awesome. I would love to connect with other KC area/NW Mo permies. I live in Liberty, but my acreage is in Holt right on I-35. In fact, I'm cutting a giant swale across my land Saturday (Oct. 12) if anyone is interested in pitching in.

Dan

hebronacres@gmail.com
http://itssblog.wordpress.com/

10-4 Dan. The KC/NW group is planning on meeting on the 27th of October but so far no major details. I'll post when I know.

Since I mentioned it earlier in the thread that I would be building a swale last weekend, I thought I'd post links of videos of the job I got done.

Staking out the swale: http://youtu.be/t08djPAvGA8

Building the swale: http://youtu.be/T5XR-mSI45Y

Finished swale and berm: http://youtu.be/Kc8sT07HaqU

I feel pretty good about things, but would love to have everyone's opinion. I'm going to cut two more on our property and grow food on the berms and forage between the swales.

Dan

I bet you're excited Dan, can't wait to see more. What kind of plants are you planning on?

Hey Ryan:

I'm going to order a small assortment of nut trees from the Missouri nursury and also some berry bushes. I'll probably also plant some comfrey at the base of these trees. Not sure if sunchokes would be a good idea on the berm or not. Any advice on that point would be welcome. I'm also looking forward to some suggestions for other food plants to put there on the berms or even in the swales.

Dan

I just realized that sunchokes might not be the best in a berm due to wanting to dig them out. Silly of me really. I will look to plan them elsewhere when I can get my hands on some.

Dan

Here is the info on the gathering this Sunday. Email me (mr.mryanharp "at" gmail) if you want directions. Looks to be South of Archie, MO.

From Host: Smoky Hills Farm
Stone Soup Fall Celebration Party at Smoky Hills Farm
October 27, 2013
2:00 PM till

I will supply both vegetarian and bone broths, maybe a couple loaves of bread. Everyone bring something to throw in the pot and something to drink. We'll cook the soups over an open fire.

You are all welcome to harvest any black walnuts or hickory nuts, or whatever else you find in the woods.

Maybe we'll crack open a couple bottles of last year's hard cider.

We have plenty of space indoors in case of rain.

Anyone Familiar with Kansas City local Badseed aka URBAVORE Farm? I recently joined the mailing list and I'm glad I did. Brooke the "farmer and mistress of the Badseed" does a great job at marketing their farm and market. They also have many workshops thoughout the year. As such....

Up-Coming Lecture
Intro To Carbon-Smart Farming
Beginning Guide to 21st Century Agriculture
How to regenerate soil, sequester carbon, produce renewable biofuel, and grow nutrient-dense food with David Yarrow

Monday, Oct 28
7 pm
BADSEED
1909 McGee
KCMO 64108

$5 suggested
donation

I live in Kansas City Kansas Wyandotte county

Hey Daniel,

Welcome!

Thank you every one seems great here

Well, winter has kept me out of the yard the last couple of weeks. I just keep thinking of all the projects that are awaiting me. Would anyone like to share any plans they are working on?

Here's a list of a couple of projects I've got a to finish. There are even more to start of course.

-2nd wood core (hugle) raised bed/field stone rock wall 18" tall 3' wide 10' long. I've got the earth cut out on contour as its on a steep hill.

-hoop house for my cedar raised bed.

-locate new spot for tomatoes. Looking forward to breaking in the Broadfork I just got for christmas.

-make a mass of news paper starter seed pots for market.

etc...

I'm working in. A small 4x4 tractor it's a suzue brand Japanese tractor I'm fitting it with a 3 point hitch kit so it will pull a plow I'm going to make the garden larger plus it's never been moldboard plowed

You have a lot of work Ryan you come pick up the tractor you can use it !!!

Welcome Daniel. Glad you're enjoying your experience here in the wacky and wonderful forums of Permies.

Ryan -- def familiar with the fun folks at Badseed. I love talking to Dan, when he can spare a moment.

My small farm is up in Holt, Mo., though I currently live in Liberty. Our plan is to build our home on our farm in two years and retire there in about 10 years. In the mean time, I'm converting the 10 acres of pasture into a regenerative / permaculture / sustainable farm.

My abbreviated winter project list:

- Fix steering gear box on my 1948 Ford 8N tractor and change the oil.
- Stake out two more swales on contour using our water level method. I have built two already and have posted some photos in another thread (https://permies.com/t/28896/earthworks/Swale-berm-planting-suggestions). I use a two-bottom moldboard plow and drag blade to build my swales with berms. The two I built already seem to be working well and I'll plant all four in fruit, nut and N-fixing trees and bushes this spring, as well as a bunch of other perennial food and sustainable plants. This will create some strip fields between each swale that I will plant forage for goats that we hope to raise once living on the farm. I have the luxury of working on getting the farm all prepared before we live there and before we introduce animals there.
- Prune our grape vines.
- Prune our apple trees.
- I have two cross fences I want to remove (once the tractor is repaired).
- Locate and stake out where I will dig out a walipini. Without heavy equipment, I imagine this will take quite some time, so it will likely be a multi-year project.
- Research pond building.
- Build sun shades for our pawpaw seedlings that we plant in orchard fashion. I lost six young trees due to too much direct sun exposure this year.

I know there's a million other things I should be doing, but with my job and some things we're doing at home, I simply don't have any more time.

Hope everyone can come up to our place (Hebron Acres) this spring to have a walk around, talk ideas and maybe break bread together. I'd be happy to host a permaculture picnic on our farm and we all share and get to know each other a little bit more.

Dan

Independence , Kansas here! Happy New Year!