So I was thinking about my land and the future, BAMMM I was hit with a big light bulb. How can I ensure that after I'm gone that it will be managed the way I want.
S. Sustainable
A. Agriculture
P. Project

Start a non profit to manage donated and partner land in organic and permaculture methods. and also get into the schools and teach kids how to be better than chem-ag. Right now USDA is only teaching chem-ag in high school, let's give kids something other than FFA as a resource for learning and empower them to better the world. But how, you need land and people. TA DA S.A.P. to the rescue, I say organic and permaculture to help included a broader range of people, and maybe get some old farmers to get involved too. Maybe a baby step can get some people moving. Most of us here jumped off the cliff into the fluffy permaculture pillow, but most people just see the cliff. Let's give them a stairway to use and get them moving one step at a time.

I'm just thinking when I'm gone I want my land to be used only for agriculture. And I really want it to be permaculture. This is also looking mostly at suburb, and urban areas to effect change. And I'm kind of thinking co-op type system in partner with schools and community gardens. So as to pool private, community, and education resources to teach and better our planet.


Sorry now that I have stepped from my soap box.

let's get the talk started

There are certainly legal hurdles to leap in order to form and operate a non-profit organization. I think the first step should be to develop a rough plan of what you're hoping to accomplish, and find a handful of other passionate people who can form the core of your organization. It would be best if most of them are local to your area, but they all needn't be. Having an established permaculturist on your "board of directors" might give it some added credibility. I don't mean one of the big names, just someone with a PDC certificate and some projects under their belt.

That's what leaping to mind right now, I'll try to think of some more ideas...

Yep I have no knowledge of the process, that's why. I came here with the seed, and the hope that people can come together to make it work. None of this is simple or easy, but I think it has merit. As a start maybe it's just 2 or 3 people doing a co-op and getting some high school kids involved. Then as it grows get more organised and change over to the non profit organization. Then it could be a land trust to ensure the future.

In our area we have the Claytor Nature Study, land donated to Lynchburg College (LC). This sounds like what you are talking about. You should look them up. I've inserted a bit from their website here:

LC’s 470-acre Claytor Nature Study Center is a testament to preservation and conservation.

Through the vision and generosity of the late A. Boyd Claytor III, the 18th century farm and plantation house were given to Lynchburg College to serve as an education and research center for environmental study and to preserve the land for future generations.

Located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Claytor Center encompasses freshwater streams, woodlands, wetlands, grasslands, rare plants, wildlife, and a portion of the Big Otter River.

A hiking trail system, small-group campground, and amphitheatre are other features of the property. The Virginia Claytor Memorial Gardens, created in memory of the late Mrs. Claytor, form a series of formal flower, herb, and shrub plantings.

i found this looking for information on community gardens.  i am a member the vfw auxiliary,and we are the only post left in our county. I am spearheading adding a community garden to our post youth activities program.  we will be having meetings later this month to start the ball rolling.  i have no experience as committee chairman or organizing anything, so am not sure how it will go, but i can see it going way big and creating its own local nonprofit organization that is networked with all the local veteran and youth organizations.  we have a few different locally started nonprofits here, and a monthly resource meeting, so there is already help with starting the business part of it, if it evolves to that.  we are starting off with just a few raised bed gardens to get it going, and to start teaching,  with my dream of turning the property into a food forest over the years, acquiring land in other towns and growing little edible forests in every town in the county. and having a platoon of volunteers to apply permaculture practices in available yards, with an emphasis on helping veterans. i have never been to a pdc, just have experience in my small back yard and lots of research i have done. i am talking to every person i can and trying to get as many people and all their contacts involved as possible.  There are very few people here that even know the word permaculture, let alone anything about it.  with no real experience of my own i am aspiring to teach what i know, and infect brains so that others will hopefully seek the knowledge and experiences either on their own or through group projects and assignments.  in talking to others and spreading the word i have found a couple local people who have at least heard of permaculture and may have more experience then me.  i intend to use every resource i can find.  I have been handing out paul's permaculture cards to those strong individuals that i am sure can bring in more support, and planning on using them, by having members and volunteers pick a card and research whatever that card has on it. another thing that may or may not be or turn out to be important is that i live in a very large agricultural area.  If anything permaculture finds its way into the hearts and minds of some of these farmers, it could go so much farther.  I have no idea how this journey will pan out, but i do know that it won't happen if i don't start somewhere.