FL Permaculture Partners

Its 3 years in a row of record breaking high temps and almost 20 years our efforts to prepare for what’s next by creating a sustainable farming partnership (community) based on the principals of permaculture. We’ve accomplish a lot, solar power & water, low input vegetables, water buffalo for manure, milk, and meat, cane syrup operation, lots of tools, equipment, structures, etc. The problems there’s more to do as wood gas, tuning our farm into a more permaculture landscape, acquiring more land, etc. Still big dreams but reality is we need to find a couple of like minded permaculture partners to push our efforts forward.  We’re located in west central Florida that has its challenges mainly heat and insects. True just trying to live with others always a little different (as all that have tried it know) has challenges. Our web site is www.ecofarmfl.org
Premies.com is a great site and see lot of others here trying hard to push forward permaculture.  Thank you for your efforts and this forum!  

I would suggest checking out what Jon has going on and starting a dialogue if you're near Tampa, or considering moving/staying near there.  He's willing to discuss options with folks about different arrangements.
Thanks for the memories!
Nick

Hey Nick thanks for the post! Save ours from the "No reply's" club!
Did get a couple of homeless folks to join us a couple of months ago, through a Craig's List ad. Kind of strange working with the couple that never heard of permaculture, sustainability, etc. but they turned out to be some of our best help in recent years. A couple of months before the homeless couple started a local volunteer started helping, about the time I posted this, and he also turned out to be great help. He also never looked at our mission of permaculture and sustainable living, etc. Still this small group really freed up a lot of my time to work on several projects that have been on the back burner for years. Also ended up getting our cane field back into production. A couple of weeks ago one of them ended up in jail for violation of probation and Jose the volunteer left about the same time. So scratching my head again about finding others. We did one squeezing Sunday but looks like we have 8 more to do!  Figured this might bump this to the to top.  

Hello,

I'm interested in doing something like this, but with a different structure. I'm in Clearwater, selling house, and looking for a "farm" between Gainesville and Brooksville, preferably west of I-75, or slightly east. I would be willing to consider joining you if you are willing to consider modifying your structure, as I am looking to do a cooperatively-owned and operated permaculture situation, incorporated as agricultural, and depending on tax treatment possibly everyone as owner-employees. If people wanted to work on the "farm" but did not have the money, they could put in extra hours per week to work toward buying in, a few shares at a time. I'm looking at intensively working Zones 0 to 4 to grow as much food in a food forest structure as possible, meaning using layers and probably not row cropping. The purpose would be to provide as much food as possible for humans, meaning very few animals to support other than the native wildlife. I want to make this a demonstration that is scalable around the country to provide food on minimal land, to withdraw the need for and support of industrial agriculture. I'd like to be joined by 10 or more people who would negotiate the details together. I'm permaculture certified and my "project" was cohousing. (It was theoretical, didn't actually form cohousing at that point, but walked through the steps that are used.)

I can't figure out from your post and your website where you're located. Are you close to Pete Kanaris? Have you done any videos with him? I've got to go visit his place sometime soon.

We'll be available to move in about three months.

If anyone is interested in joining me, feel free to message.

I found Pete's video with you:    I thought the name sounded familiar! I haven't listed to WMNF for a while, but I was lucky to hear you a couple times in the past.

We just did another WMNF Sustainable Living Radio program with Pete Kanris about fruiting trees and he mentioned his upcoming on line course with Jim Kolvaleski, and it sounds great! Anyhow this is part 2 of his video of our syrup making.  

We are in Muse, and just restarting our venture on property we finally own.

Florida is tough. We are about a foot underwater (surprise!), and if you arn't covered in sweat, than you're probably covered in mosquitoes.

Looking forward to moving some dirt around, and finally getting fencing up and trees planted.

Water buffalo seem like a great idea! We've already debated moving more towards ducks and less chickens.

Hey sorry to hear about the water. First principal of Permaculture "Observation" which I also seem to keep forgetting about, which is pretty important. When I think (get bit!!) about Mosquitoes song birds come to mind and how important those little insect are!
Somehow I never looked at the post from the person in Clearwater 3 months ago. I've always thought Intentional Communities were the best arrangement for shared lives and we're looking for partners, which both parties make the agreement. This a Craig's list AD I'm running, it mentions your thought about working into a partnership, ownership arrangement.  

Small sustainable focused, permaculture-based farm looking for others really wanting to grow vegetables, perennials and raise animals here in central Florida. We're offering housing, food, shared kitchen (possible transportation) plus a small stipend. We're family orientated, non-religious, social, community, environmentally active folks. Open to others wanting to buy into our farm as partners; cash, sweat equity, or ? Key words: homesteading, homegrown, climate change, Weston Price, ecovillage, community, WMNF, peace. Sustainable Farms are the solution for a healthy life and planet.