Permaculture 2.0, Designing a Profitable Broadacre Perennial Farm with Grant Schultz

Diego Footer from Permaculture Voices is putting out amazingly information dense podcasts. The latest one is an interview with Grant Schultz (who is a forum member). They talk about how to make a permaculture farm profitable and some grants that are available for people to increase the development velocity of their farm (not as a primary income). I highly recommend this podcast!

You can find it Here

oh! and he is holding a workshop with Ben Falk

https://permies.com/t/31237/homestead/Advanced-Farmstead-Design-Workshop-Ben

Wow, a must listen.

great stuff. THANK YOU GRANT!

Grant (or anyone who knows):

Are there provisions in the EQIP program or any other of the NRCS programs to have a well dug? I really need one for my plans, but I can't afford the $15,000 I was recently quoted.

Yes.

But only for certain resource concerns. I received $18.52/ft for a 290 ft well last year. Cost of drilling was $24.50/ft. NRCS offers cost-share for well pumps as well.

Pipeline/well/pump was over $15,000 of cost-share.

Look up Practices # 533 and # 642 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1077129.pdf (2013 Iowa examples)

THIS WAS ALL FOR LIVESTOCK USE on a site that had no functioning well.

Did you get on the list yet? http://freemoneyforfarmers.com

Grant, you're the best.

I have already signed up and just now verified that I have. My need for a well is for a silvopasture/agroforestry approach to converting our small farm of all pasture into something better. I'll look into the two practices you reference. I've started by ensuring my farm has a number and I've already been in touch with our county NRCS rep who said that they are just trying to make heads/tails of the recently passed farm bill and what it means for NRCS/EQIP funding. But, I'm getting the ball rolling!

Dan

Grant

What has been your experience with these Technical Service Providers. Are they generally willing to listen to what you're trying to do? Or do they pretty much just tell you what to do? I have an array of "proactices" I'd like to do on our property, but what if the TSP doesn't agree? In your experience, how knowledgable are they in the kinds of techniques that are promoted in this forum? I understand I have to use terminology such as agroforestry and silvopasture, but does the TSP understand a swale/berm combination or should I simply refer to them as a terrace, as in Practice 600?

I know I'm full of questions and if I'm being a pest, please say so.

Hi Grant,

I signed up for your mailing list, but have not received anything. Wondering if you have sent anything out in the past week? if so, perhaps I should sign up again...

Love your work, It has been very helpful to me. Looking forward to hearing more about your work with grants for agricultural producers.

Keep up the good work,
Andrew