West-Central Florida Permaculture Village

Forming west-central Florida permaculture community, August 2018. See the IC.org Directory for more detail. (The name may change at some point.) Looking for people to join me in formation. I obtained a permaculture certificate in 2012 from Urban Harvest Houston, and my project was (theoretical) community.

Will be ready to obtain land soon.

Some info:

The plan is to form initial structure, including name, location, "rules," etc. with the initial members, but permaculture/transition/cohousing models will be used. There's quite a bit of flexibility at this time.

This is intended to be a working permaculture farm/food forest, and members are expected to provide a significant number of hours of community work each week. It's intended that this be paying work as soon as it's possible to do so, as a "worker-owned cooperative." Details need to be worked out, of course. Tax consequences will be taken into account...

It's intended that the community be as sustainable/regenerative as possible, which means we do not intend to have luxury homes at this time. :-O Conservation of energy will be as important as generation of renewable energy. Intensive growing will be used as opposed to spreading out on dozens of acres.

Open to ideas.

Hi Andrea, First wish you the best of luck!!! We're in West Central FL and may have already been in touch with you? Wonder where you are? We're near Plant City and looking for Permie farming partners. Have always believe that community is one of the most important lifestyle that's missing in our messed up world! We've tried and failed at our IC attempts and presently just trying to hang on to our permie farm. You may of see our web site www.ecofarmfl.org Peace! Jon

I like this alot.

What size non-luxury houses are you thinking about.

Are you thinking of giving each housing unit 1 acre of land for personal non-shared project/homestead and then a bigger community shared farm.

What type of farming biz do you see the community doing.

S. Bengi, good questions. I have been informed by a Tiny House group person that the county I am looking at does not allow houses under 600 square feet. I assume other counties have similar rules. However, I know there is different law relating to farm workers that we might be able to use, considering that I'm looking at a worker-owned cooperative permaculture space. Alternatively, we can find a way to work with 600 square feet.

As to lot size, my experience in my permaculture studies showed that individual lots of about 1/4 acre were much more productive per square foot than huge expanses of acreage, which makes sense because it's much easier to get to the area right around your house, and you see it every day. Therefore, I'm looking at individual spaces of that size, possibly less, with edges around the property being given over to Zones 5 and up.

As to type of farming, I'm looking at 50% or more subsistence crops (i.e. for personal use), and the rest location-appropriate "market gardening" in order to pay property taxes and other incidental costs of the land and cooperative.

Apparently, according to the one person who has given excellent input so far, I did not define restrictions enough in my ic.org posting. There's a reason for that, since I'm waiting for interested people to give input on possible restrictions. However, it's possible that the majority opinion would create a space that I'm not comfortable in. That's fine. I don't mind doing a certain amount of coordinating and not ending up as part of the finished product. On the other hand, perhaps if I were more specific I would attract more interest. I doubt it! I just need to find the right forum to promote my ideas.

Input will be appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Jon, we did communicate recently. I think the hanging point is that you follow Weston Price and I tend toward plant-based/vegan, and my impression is that you would want your partners to also follow Weston Price. I do think domestic animals may have a role as partners in a community, but their interests must be respected if they're included. Of course, wild animals also are part of the community.

We're looking west of I-75 north of Tampa, but would consider Plant City.

I like the idea of a  1acre 'home plots'.
To me this would allow those folks to be able to grow most/all of their own vegetables, mushroom, herbs, fruits, nuts, fish, honey, chicken.
And they would have the usual support energy systems, solar, firewood, water, sewer, communications, e-bike.

Now they will still need consumables (clothes, next gen electronics, filters, etc) so they will most likely still work on the farm biz.

We can still have "Sunday and Wednesday service' potlucks, Thirsty Thursdays and afterwork get to-gather too, but it doesn't have to be forced.

Outlets for continuing education and hobbies are important too.

Great ideas here.  I haven't checked out your ic.org add yet, however can offer some valuable information that you might consider before purchase.  Create a Community Land Trust first to purchase the property.   Then you can lease the plots of land to each individual whom builds their accoommodations.  This works well because the C.L.T. is able to manage the whole as well as internal projects and outside business ventures as a non-profit in the interest of the community!  Their are certain steps you need to follow to be successful however this approach is much more viable in the long term and can offer you protection, privacy, and clout to having a say in development of your outer lying community to assure a thriving presence and positive associating with your organization.
Do some research.  Here is a website to get you started.  Good luck your vision sounds amazing

.https://community-wealth.org/strategies/panel/clts/index.html

IF you have anymore questions let me know. :)  JT

Yes, I'm looking into community land trusts. Good link!

Thanks.

Hello,

We are located down in Fort Lonesome Part of Lithia
5 acre food forest in its infancy stages

http://www.facebook.com/backyardfoodforest

http://www.facebook.com/tattooedhomestead

its hard to find people around here interested in permaculture
they come and go ..

havent really had any success starting a group around here.

Hi Andrea, If your still the area your welcome to vist. Jon

I'm looking to move to Florida to farm in November. I'm thinking of purchasing in Okeechobee county. Cheap land and no aerial spraying for mosquitoes. I plant to winter there and summer at my farm in Michigan. I have celiac disease and extreme chemical sensitivity, so I tend to eat a plant based diet which is very hard to do in the north when you live off the land. I would consider other areas in the 9b zone that don't spray in the winter. I have raised all kinds of livestock, but since becoming a Celiac I have a hard time with meat so for the last year have subsisted on river fish and vegetables from my garden. If anyone has land for sale I would've love to hear from you even just advice on where to go and the reality of winter gardening in Florida. I will be com8ng down with a motor home on solar with a composting toilet, but will need access to a shallow water table to drive a hand well, or a well in place.  I'm self employed and have my own capitol. I have a wife, a 10 year old son and dogs. I'm a Sawyer by trade and have construction skills as well.

P. S.  I can castrate pigs, milk a goat, break a horse, or fix a barn,  but I cannot work with wheat or b.t., because it contains gluten.  I can bring my sawmill if someone has access to timber and a tractor. Also the mosquito spray contains gluten so I can't live near spraying of any kind. But other than that I can be very handy.