plotskateers

An idea ....

People that are keen on helping me with my devious plots on world domination.

I think people can slap down a hundred bucks and we will then go to all the trouble of setting them up with a bunk, giving them a tour, making sure they are fed, getting them started on a project, etc. And if they don't show, then we keep the money. If they stay for one hour, well, we got a hundred bucks. If they stay for two days, maybe we got a hundred bucks and a little work out of them. After a couple of weeks maybe things will keep cruising along as is, or maybe some sort of new relationship can be developed .... maybe this person will end up living here for decades.

Plotskateers have paid to be here. Plotskateers are not paid. Either party can terminate the relationship whenever they feel like it for any or no reason.

+1

Sounds like a decent package for prospective visitors. Nice, simple, open ended... Long as you guys can stand it. <g> Maybe a "couple's" discount just cuz that makes people feel warm and fuzzy which makes them amenable to all sorts of good behavior.

Suggestion (just my perspective, of course): In your position I'd want to be Real Sure I could _find_ any/all stray bodies that might be wandering around my place. Don't know what you're using for communications (cell phones working would make it easier), but... Eg. if phones work, anybody "temporarily" on site is briskly, immediately and fully educated that when not in the company of staff, there is an absolute necessity to have their phone on and answer it (they would have given, and tested, their numbers at the office...). No answer w/in 5 minutes of the first call is grounds for immediate departure. Don't know if your phone reception allows that and, of course, there are the "no-phoners", but the need is still clear: Want a way to know where the "civilians" are and find them if a head count is ever short or something.

Green Gulch Farm in Marin ran a slightly similar outfit late 80's through at least 2002. Don't know anybody there now but I was associated for about 12 years and they had "new" people all over the place most of the time with no problem except the occasional personal item wandering off. So visitors can work OK; but GGF is a very benign environment and relatively small. As I recall, kitchen clean-up or set-up of one sort or another was a standard requirement for newbies but they got any other brainless muscle work that the bosses needed at the moment as well. Two-three hours/day was considered acceptable for casual social visitors that expected to eat. Over night stay was a totally different and more formal arrangement.

Interestingly, the Segundo, the #2 Honcho of the whole place was, by Budhist traditioin, the cook. They considered food that important.


Rufus

So , what I understood from watching the video is :

There are both pitfalls and treasures to be had ,
Each day we would learn alot but might be killed the next ,
Your plot for world domination involves a form of pirate franchising ?

So i could send hundred bucks.. come and work and stay until i know i fit in/people click or its decided i dont fit/things dont click?

Or to put it another way, $100 check-in fee, and after that it's room and board in exchange for labor?

Interesting. I'd want people to fill out an application first.

If I was a free agent I'd go for this!

Would that be $100 per person? Are kids welcome? Would there be a discount for the little ones?

I am thinking that this would be a good way to show my hubby what the heck I'm talking about and hopefully get him as excited about it as I am. Maybe we could come and stay for a few days to a week so he can see what I'm trying to get him into.

Bethanny - you might find it helpful to read through this thread - Kids at the lab. Also remember that everything is still in early stages at the lab, so there might not be much to 'see' yet.

Burra Maluca wrote:Bethanny - you might find it helpful to read through this thread - Kids at the lab. Also remember that everything is still in early stages at the lab, so there might not be much to 'see' yet.

Thanks. That's a good thread. I didn't realize how early it was. I just found this place last summer.

Bethanny Parker wrote:
I am thinking that this would be a good way to show my hubby what the heck I'm talking about and hopefully get him as excited about it as I am. Maybe we could come and stay for a few days to a week so he can see what I'm trying to get him into.

because the idea was

go to all the trouble of setting them up with a bunk, giving them a tour, making sure they are fed, getting them started on a project, etc.

If your boyfriend is into the project part it might work well.


I am guessing that people who already understand and support Paul's project and permaculture in general would be the ideal candidates at this point but that is up to him. It sort of sounds like he's offering a place for people to participate, not just take a tour. Then again, maybe a hundred dollar a night agrotourism stay would be a residual income stream...

Matu Collins wrote:It sort of sounds like he's offering a place for people to participate, not just take a tour.

Yes, I understood that we would be expected to work.

Didn't mean to sound snarky! That's good, I shouldn't worry.

Matu Collins wrote:Didn't mean to sound snarky! That's good, I shouldn't worry.

No problem! A few days to a week makes it sound like a vacation. If I did come, it would only be as a short-time visitor to get a little more hands-on experience. If I was renting, I'd jump at the chance to join the community, but now that I have my own land (even though it's only half an acre), I'd like to get my own project going here.

kadence blevins wrote:So i could send hundred bucks.. come and work and stay until i know i fit in/people click or its decided i dont fit/things dont click?

I think so, yes. Though we only have camping available this summer - until we build/finish more.

Matu Collins wrote:Interesting. I'd want people to fill out an application first.

If I was a free agent I'd go for this!

We don't have an application, though we do have a list of questions and info - sort of an extended how-do-you-do for both parties.

Bethanny Parker wrote:I didn't realize how early it was. I just found this place last summer.

Yes, it's quite early here - we're still getting infrastructure in place. We've had people really interested in where and how do you start, so visiting now would work for them. For those who want to see more food systems in place, however, it might be a bit disappointing just yet.

How does one sign up? Me and my partner will be moving to Montana to start our own permaculture adventure and would love to meet, volunteer, learn as much as possible. We're already signed up for other stuff but would love to learn hands on and just absorb everything we can for a while.

Sara Russell wrote:How does one sign up? Me and my partner will be moving to Montana to start our own permaculture adventure and would love to meet, volunteer, learn as much as possible. We're already signed up for other stuff but would love to learn hands on and just absorb everything we can for a while.

Hi Sara - normally a purple moosage to me would get the ball rolling, but Paul and I are heading down to Permaculture Voices this weekend. My backup visitor/volunteer coordinators are already in SoCal for the conference, too. Which means please have patience with us and one of us will send a purple moosage to discuss options as soon as we can.

So we are now officially calling these folks "gappers" instead of "plotskateers".

I'm going to close this thread and direct people to: https://permies.com/t/34633/labs/gappers