! Josiah’s Bootcamp Log

#44

#45

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#49

As the Allerton Abbey fence project moves forward, we are turning our attention to filling in the details of the Abbey plot with major earthworks and hugelkulturs. I whipped up the ol' drone for an overhead shot, and we are putting pens to paper to get our designs sorted out before breaking ground. What would you do?

What would you do?

That's a huge plot! I would be curious what the topography is like. If this were me, I'd be thinking about two things:

1) What sized chicken tractor / animal pen do I want to design for? The plot looks prime for rotating animals around in a circle, maybe building a flat road (pasture) for their primary shelter to travel along. Ridgedale Permaculture has some great examples of designing their landscape for animal rotation efficiency. Work from that base and design tree & earthworks projects around that base. Even if there aren't any animals, having a nice wide track for tractors. / wheelbarrows is always nice.

2) How can I cut this fencing project short and build some next year?

Are animals a part of the design?  I'd think that rotating paddocks for chickens would be neat as long as it leaves room for enough growies.  Can you grow food and have decent access on the wofati roof?  Just a couple questions to ponder as you proceed...

My vision ever since Paul first posted a rough sketch is an eight foot high hughal berm in front of the wide opening.  With a pole framed greenhouse roof from the facade to the berm and a wide door by each wing wall. Squash vines could be planted along the upper edge and grow out on the roof to provide shade in the summer. The inside of the hghel wold have an extended growing season and the space would be like a permaculture zone 0.5. In the winter it would provide a transition from snow and mud to the living space.

#50!

Whew I’m all tired out from a long day gathering some certified organic fertility from a local beef ranch. Selling the fertility off your farm is worth questioning, but I sure am glad they sold it to meeee! And now we have this lovely nutrient rich mulch to help get the Abbey gardens off to a whipping start.



Thanks for all the planning thoughts! As with any complex system design, there are so many things to consider. I have some ideas and more pictures that show the topography that I will put up tomorrow when I am less tired.