Nathanael Popp

Classes start in about a week, so you would need to register asap. The course runs three days a week every other week. First weekend is February 15-17. Friday kicks off with the seed swap, movie night, and potluck. I do believe that Scooter is very busy right now in Missoula getting everything ready, so that maybe why you haven't gotten an email reply.

A small group of Missoulians would like to begin a guerrilla garden this summer. We've found an opportunistic space that is in a severe state of disrepair. It's considered part of the Clark Fork river corridor, has no taxable owners, and is currently a repository for haplessly wandering hobo folk, knapweed, and run off. On the MT Cadastral website there is no indication it is zoned or owned by anyone. We've seen fit to take over this space in the spring, and control the invasive species/erosion that is taking root. Our goal is to repair the damage, while feeding nature and ourselves at the same time. To do this we'll need to build a few basic retaining walls to start a terracing system. After much consideration, a cob and stone wall seems to fit in nicely with a theme of non-permanent human structures, that can eventually degrade as the natural systems take over and roots begin to hold the hillside in place. I'm not native to Montana or knowledgeable in building cob structures. I'm at a loss as to where we can find a local naturally occurring source of clay rich soils. Most soils I see tend to be a very sandy loam that aren't well suited for cob construction. This project could be replicated up and down the hillsides as an example of trying to control and treat parking lot run off before it leads to erosion and pollution of our local water ways. As a grass roots sort of garden I would like to set the example of what a few rouge citizens can do with a bit of thought and a lot of careful planning. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I am so happy to have found this site. Hope is rekindled. Lets change the future. One tree at a time. It would seem the above video is rooted in fact. Does anyone have a bit more historical information to go along?

I fought Russian Spotted Knapweed during two summers at Big Bay State Park on Madelin Island out in Lake Superior Wisconsin. It's an evil little plant. My only real observation is that is is persistent beyond belief. You could waste a lot of gas all summer long mowing it gain and again, but the issue is that unless you are planning on taking the area it grows in down to bare soil, the knapweed will happily produce a flow and seed at only a inch and a half off the ground! Best case scenario is to get local species to out compete it, but a single plant going to see can still mean you have to fight it for 10 years to come while dwindling down the seeds buried in the soil. I would suggest pulling plants over 6 inches after a good water soaking, and then mulching heavily. It'll give the natives the best chance to get an upper hand, but if you have a major infestation you can be in for a long fight.

Finances are the bane of any young permaculture enthusiast. With urban sprawl eating away at prime ground, and raises property values most are hard pressed to find their own patch within an hour of a urban center. I was raised to believe that the impossible can be attained without a monstrous bank account. With a lot of grace I've held on to my currently stressing job, and have a nest egg saved, though small compared to most. Unless I happen to meet a wonderful landowner willing to let me start my work with very little money down, I fear just the down payment on a 5-10 acre parcel here in Missoula would eat away all of the funding it took 5 years of hard toil just to accumulate. Leaving me with very little to invest in the basic infrastructure of what I hope will become an amazing bio shelter and food forest farm.

What is the most logical course when looking for acreage that doesn't involve a broker taking a slice of the pie, and enables you being able to express your hopes and dreams to prospective sellers?

Bumping this. Just letting people know that despite the lack information that there is a pretty good group of people working to make sure that this is a success. I can generally say that this course is going to be a lot more comprehensive than any of those 2 week intensive courses you see out there. It gives people who are taking the entire course the ability to start using permaculture practices as a trainee with the ability to get certified after a few years of OTJ. The course is still shaping up, and I can not provide any comprehensive information about the speakers. I'm fairly certain we'll be visiting Sun Dog Eco Village and other sustainable location. Be very patient as people are still working to get the word out, and this is still a few months away. Spoiler alert... the following is a list of topical information, provided by Michael Pilarski, that will most likely be addressed during the PDC.

Course topics include:
* Permaculture ethics & principles
* Permaculture methodology
* Observation skills
* Site analysis & design
* Zone & sector analysis
* Large property design
* Keyline
* Ecosystem restoration
* Native plant restoration
* Sustainable forestry
* Erosion control
* Bio-engineering
* Myco-remediation
* Gardening
* Edible landscaping
* Broad-scale agriculture
* Soil building
* Hugelkulturs
* Sheet mulching
* Tree crops
* Forest gardens
* Windbreaks, hedgerows
* Agroforestry systems
* Livestock raising
* Urban permaculture
* Ethnobotany and ethnoecology
* Water harvesting
* Ponds and aquaculture
* Chinampas
* Irrigation
* Humanure and greywater
* Dry land strategies
* Medicinal herbs
* Wildcrafting
* Weeds and invasive plants
* Seed collecting
* Integrated pest management
* Natural building
* Appropriate energy systems
* Design for catastrophe
* Community development
* Intentional communities, ecovillages
* Local economic systems
* Governance options
* Permaculture networks
* International resources
and much, much more . . .

So stay tuned folks, I'm definitely keeping my finger on the main vein for this event, and will be letting Missoula know details as soon as I can get them and verify their accuracy.