East Coast Permies

I would like to see if some are actively getting the permie/hugelkultur thing going in the MD, DE, PA, NoVA, DC area.

Wanting to try and need some hands, will work for knowledge...

Have hills already?

Thanks!

I am interested in building something with cob or another natural process on my property. I would need a lot of help doing it. I have a beautiful spot for a structure. I am about an hour southwest of DC, in Virginia.

I have a good start on decaying logs. Finally I have something useful to do with them. So I am definitely interested in building a hugelkultur on my property. I'd like to plant wild flowers for the honey bees. I'm about an hour from DC in Southern Maryland. I haven't read a whole lot yet on hugelkultur.

Other interests: cordwood construction, rmh, chickens

Welcome to permies you three!

Collins Conover wrote:I have a good start on decaying logs. Finally I have something useful to do with them. So I am definitely interested in building a hugelkultur on my property. I'd like to plant wild flowers for the honey bees. I'm about an hour from DC in Southern Maryland. I haven't read a whole lot yet on hugelkultur.

Other interests: cordwood construction, rmh, chickens

I sure have a lot of decaying logs on my property . . . would love to learn what I can do with them . . . where do I get that kind of information? Thanks!

I helped make a hugelkultur mound as well as laying the foundation for a hoop house at Heathcote community in Northern Baltimore Co. MD last year. I haven't been back since. I'll have to get back there sometime.

Jameson

Jameson Pfeil wrote:I helped make a hugelkultur mound as well as laying the foundation for a hoop house at Heathcote community in Northern Baltimore Co. MD last year. I haven't been back since. I'll have to get back there sometime.

Jameson

Jameson: What did you make the foundation out of?

Heidi Raebeck-Heider wrote:

I sure have a lot of decaying logs on my property . . . would love to learn what I can do with them . . . where do I get that kind of information? Thanks!

Hi Heidi-

Welcome to permies!!

Wow -- there is so much here at permies on hugelkultur! There is a whole forum!
Here's a great thread with pics, and also the famous Hugelkulture video is linked in this thread:
https://permies.com/t/16366/hugelkultur/Hugelkultur-work-skeptic-converted#158917

Good luck in all your projects!
Mariamne

Mariamne Ingalls wrote:

Heidi Raebeck-Heider wrote:

I sure have a lot of decaying logs on my property . . . would love to learn what I can do with them . . . where do I get that kind of information? Thanks!

Hi Heidi-

Welcome to permies!!

Wow -- there is so much here at permies on hugelkultur! There is a whole forum!
Here's a great thread with pics, and also the famous Hugelkulture video is linked in this thread:
https://permies.com/t/16366/hugelkultur/Hugelkultur-work-skeptic-converted#158917

Good luck in all your projects!
Mariamne

Thanks Mariamne! I never heard of this before, but it turns out that I have been doing my own kind of hugelkultur---or something quite similar. I have been collecting all my pruning debris (often 10 feet long branches from old bushes that weren't pruned in 20 years, and so forth), and all the twigs, branches, and a few small trees that were dug up, and some various logs and putting it all together in areas of my yard that are lower than the rest and that I want to build up. These areas are mostly by the property line and won't be walked on much. My plan is to build up the land to make it more even--more level--easier to plant bushes and trees on, eventually. I think it will make some really nice soil over time (my dirt here is extremely rocky and hard therefore to work with), while at the same time, I am getting rid of all this unsightly "debris" lying around. I put leaves on top of it (piles of them from raking the yard) and armfuls of old cut grass, from a few months ago (that now looks like straw). So, you don't even see all the wood, trees, branches under there now. It just makes sense to recycle this stuff rather than throw it into a landfill or burn it. I plan to cut down a lot of small trees from my wooded area before long. I may end up renting a shredder and shredding some of that wood to use for mulch later, after I have filled all these low lying areas . . . we'll see. Finding dirt to put on top of it is a challenge, since, as I said, my dirt is so rocky, it's really hard to dig and move unless I hire a bobcat. On the other hand, if I am willing to take the time, I end up with so many rocks, of all sizes, that I can build things with these too, and I've already started a nice walkway.

Heidi Raebeck-Heider wrote:I am interested in building something with cob or another natural process on my property. I would need a lot of help doing it. I have a beautiful spot for a structure. I am about an hour southwest of DC, in Virginia.

Hi! Wat time frame to you have for these projects? I love to,volunteer this summer!
LT

My wife, 5 kids, and I just bought a 5-acre property in Howard County, (central) Maryland. We're looking to transform the property (lawn with a white-pine perimeter). The end-state we're targeting is a permaculture destination. We're still working on the design, but we're interested incorporating these elements: a food forest, earth works (ponds, swales, hugelkultur), small-scale livestock (a dairy cow, goats, chickens, maybe guinea fowl), bees, and some cob buildings.

We're growing in knowledge, but don't have a lot of these practical skills, though we're willing to get dirty and learn . We're willing to trade knowledge for labor in either direction. If someone offers both knowledge and labor, I'd be willing to contribute more to the deal. I suspect this spring and summer we'll start earth works and a food forest.

Cheers,
Dan

Hi Everyone!

We are located in Central VA (zone 7). We have 12 acres we are reshaping, keeping with the natural lay of the land. This year and the next we are:

1 - Redoing natural ponds and creeks to create a large functional pond and waterway system, Will naturally farm fish in it; grow bog food items on edges; use irrigating
2 - Changing our wild forests into food forests; planting several thousand seedlings / Harvesting smoke wood, fire wood, and pulp wood
3 - Building Hugel Beds, establishing a U-sun catch forest
4 - Establishing new guilds, Large herb circle (20')
5 - Moving Barn and fencing new paddocks
6 - Begin goat milk products line
7 - Building a roadside farm store
8- Plus, much more!


If anyone is interested in being a part of these projects, please let me know. If you are looking to network for seed/scion exchanges or information, do let me know! Welcome Everyone!