Ben Zumeta

A Regenerative Agriculture Podcast covered a very interesting experience by a broad acre forage and seed crop farmer-rancher who saw impressive results and resilience in self sowing brassicas on untilled land.

“In this episode, John and Brad discuss:
Brad’s shift from conventional hay work to regenerative farming

No-till seed production for brassicas and alfalfa with better germination

Epigenetic seed adaptations for local resilience

Livestock integration for soil health and direct meat sales

Direct-to-consumer marketing with consistent, local products

The role of soil health in sustainable farming and stewardship”

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/regenerative-agriculture-podcast/id1372359995?i=1000724970763

You probably already know this, but I’d make sure to have a slight grade away from structures for 10+ft to ensure drainage. As mentioned above, a pond, swale, or rain garden that provides soil for grading the lawn could also catch french drain runoff to infiltrate. In fire prone areas like mine, roof runoff going to a wetland or well hydrated garden around the house (at least 6ft away from structure) can be a good approach.

Hi Francisco, and a warm welcome to permies. My friend Forrest is the owner-operator-vintner of Schaad Cellars. He has self-rooted grapes dry farmed organically since around 1980 on Schaad Hill, near Newberg. He increased the vineyard acreage from 5 to 10 acres between 2007 and 2014, which I helped with a bit and have provided permaculture informed advice since. He also helps manage his extended family’s August Cellars, which is adjacent to the vineyard and where he processes his grapes.

The grapes looked and tasted great this year. Due to being self rooted and dry farmed with permaculture informed farming practices, they were able to hang and gain acid complexity for a week or two longer than most. This is likely due to deeper roots in biodiverse soil in my opinion. The sorters said his grapes looked like the best they saw this year, and often that seems to be the case.

https://www.schaadcellars.com/

I think his wine is very underpriced for the quality and love Forrest, and his dad Fish before him, put into it.

If looking for help achieving similar results, or for other permaculture design, consulting or education needs in the PNW or Northern California, PM or contact me at: OldGrowthEdibleLandscapes@gmail.com

Dundee Hills AVA produces some of the world’s best wine in my opinion, and apparently in the view of many more qualified than I. My oldest friend has a vineyard just north in Chehalem Mtn AVA where I have helped do everything from planting to picking, and it is a wonderful growing climate. I hope you find a great buyer!

Alpaca manure is some of the best. It does not burn plants when used within reason, but it likely would also contribute minimal heating to the pile. Lower temp composts are generally slower and more prone to residual weed seeds, but are more biodiverse.

Ela La Salle wrote:

Ben Zumeta wrote:Statistics indicate whitewater boating is similarly dangerous to driving. Similarly, alcohol and other coordination and risk assessment impairing drugs, low light conditions, and bad weather increase the risk for both similarly. Learning how to drive or paddle safely, and identifying when it is not safe to do either, is also an effective way to reduce risk. I would not want to force anyone onto whitewater who doesn’t want to try it, but the drive to the put-in is as dangerous as most boating trips get.

I beg to differ. I have breaks and steering wheel to my disposal in my car. No such things on a "paddle boat" Sorry, I just had to say it

I encourage no one to take risks they do not see as worthwhile, but statistics show similar risks, which I learned in my Swiftwater Rescue course from someone very serious about safety. Skills similarly important to safe boating can be learned in a similar amount of time as those for driving. Of course physical fitness is more important, but I have seen paunchy dudes and small women dance in whitewater with remarkably little exertion. In a car, you have a lot more metal, speed, mass, and other drivers to worry about than in river sports. Water is very powerful and must be respected, and Both have inherent risks that are statistically similar. Of course you are unlikely to need to get someone to the hospital or school via whitewater raft or kayak. However, the places you can see with these boats are often much more beautiful and serene than anything reachable by car. Sorry, I just had to say it.

Statistics indicate whitewater boating is similarly dangerous to driving. Similarly, alcohol and other coordination and risk assessment impairing drugs, low light conditions, and bad weather increase the risk for both similarly. Learning how to drive or paddle safely, and identifying when it is not safe to do either, is also an effective way to reduce risk. I would not want to force anyone onto whitewater who doesn’t want to try it, but the drive to the put-in is as dangerous as most boating trips get.

If you are interested in support exploring some of the most beautiful places on Earth, check out:

https://www.redwoodrides.com/

A good friend owns the company, and I guide with them as much as I can on the beautiful Smith River in NW California. This is the largest undammed watershed in the lower 48, and has some of the best boating in North America. Ask for me if you want a permaculture oriented guide.

I do more kayak guiding than rafting, but can do both on class 3 and below (main stem and sections of Middle Fork). We have other guides who are better on the big class 4-5 stuff (North Fork, South Fork, and Middle Fork Gorge). I have learned a lot from those guides though, as several are world class boaters who love to share their skills and knowledge. They have helped me get through much more challenging sections than I would have otherwise attempted, and these are some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I can say with confidence no river has more awesome swimming holes than the Smith.

I also lead bike trips through the adjacent old growth redwoods and coastal forests. I am a solid boater, but I do prefer to stick to class 3 and below on my own. I specialize more in nature interpretation, with experience as a ranger and educator. I also have a master’s in adventure ed focused on wilderness service learning.

I am working on putting together a permaculture oriented river trip and workshop this October in partnership with Redwood Rides, the Wild Rivers Permaculture Guild, and the nature based performance art, activism and empowerment non profit Dirt and Glitter. It will be on the class 1-2 Redwood Run, with a side hike amongst some of the tallest trees on Earth in one of the largest extant areas of old growth and the world’s highest biomass ecosystem.

The Smith river is as beautiful as any I have ever seen. It is an excellent place to observe the dynamics of water, land and life coevolving, with endless lessons for permaculture design. The old growth redwood forest can also teach us a great deal about how to live in a place longterm, as some of the trunks are 2,000yrs old with root systems over 6,000 (as old as the climate has been conducive to their survival). Amidst the redwoods and along the river lies the remnants of the oldest continually inhabited settlement in North America, a Tolowa village 10-12,000 yrs old. The Tolowa, and the Yurok to the south along the Klamath River, stewarded these forests, waters and the fish they support for millennia. They stewarded expanses of unmatched forests and immense fish runs alongside a higher human population density than we have now.

I can only hope to convey a small portion of what I have learned from this place and its stewards, and I learn or notice something new on every trip. I also learn a great deal from guests’ and students’ insights.

If you are interested, let me know!  

To paraphrase John Hodgman, one of my favorite podcaster-humorists, “paying attention to all the bad things happening, then getting angry and sad, didn’t seem to be helping make them stop”.

I have heard other wise folks point out that if an event is “newsworthy”, it is almost always very novel, unlikely, and far away. So why worry about it? We generally do not have reliable, non-corporate local news anymore, so the likelihood something on the news will be locally relevant is even lower.

In general, I doubt it could be good for our psyche or society to be able to instantly find the worst things that happened in the world today at the click of a link.

Looks like a lovely spot. Near my kitchen door, I like to grow herbs, greens and fruits with a long harvest seasons and which I use most often. Thyme and other mediterranean herbs, garlic chives, walking onion for its greens and shallot like bulbs, tree collards as a primary green, strawberries and raspberries that fruit over multiple or long seasons have become perennial or self replicating in my zone 1 garden. Other things I’d like to grow don’t necessarily thrive in my very challenging native soil, but those plants above are a good, hearty base for me where I have built hugel terraces and provided ample compost (4-12”).