Tom Henry

I have been learning about permaculture for a while, and the permies site has been a real inspiration.
Finally getting a chance to put what I've learned into practice, and would really welcome advice from some seasoned practitioners.
Doing things seat-of-the-pants can be fun, but then it can get expensive.

We have a steep property with some unique features, and are trying to build a permaculture-based system to support our family.

Plans are to dig a spring fed pond at the top of the site, dig an earth sheltered greenhouse
into the south facing slope that will utilize an earth tube thermal battery, install a retention pond and earth berm water diverter
upslope from the garden, with a terraced garden at the bottom of the slope.  Soil is typically slightly acidic
in our area, so blueberries and blackberries should grow well on the earth berm.
We plan on piping water from the pond to the greenhouse and garden.

The garden has a fairly steep slope around it, which should work well for growing squash and melons.
We collected large mounds of topsoil for several years as we cleared ground for parking and a barn, so the garden area will have a couple of feet of topsoil.  There are a lot of
sticks and twigs throughout, so there will be some mini hugelkultur happening as well.  We'll probably do a large burn pile on the garden area at the end of the season to add charcoal
to the growing area, and juice it up with a big fresh truckload of cow droppings to charge up the charcoal before it's all spread out next spring.
Local farmers put down lime to reduce acidity, but I figure some potash and charcoal might help with that as well.
For pest control, an 8' deer fence that will be installed around the garden and we plan to run some guineas...

Right now I'm struggling with garden layout.  We would like some perennial plants like asparagus, strawberries, etc.  My thoughts are to
put perennials on the upper terraces and reserve the larger garden area for annual planting.  Any ideas on what plants would grow well in which area,
good companion plants, recommendations on anything else?

We're starting fresh so all options are open.  Mystery seeds would fit right into the general theme.

The old excavator isn't supposed to be sitting there right now but it threw a track as we were mountain climbing with it, and come to find out it has a busted track tensioner.  
Still waiting for parts...If they don't come in before long, I reckon we'll dig a pond where it sits and have one heck of a rope swing.

Hello,

I live in the Smoky Mountains.  My property is bounded on one side by a fast flowing stream, and on the back side of my land is several hundred uninhabited acres.  Our nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.  I would like to avoid the expense of fencing in a large area on a rugged landscape, and have wondered about the possibility of free range goats.  I was thinking about starting with young goats and raising them with a Great Pyrenees puppy for protection.  They would be kept in a pen while young, then when older let out during the day to forage.

Our land was clear cut about 8 years ago, and my main purpose for having the goats is to clear the underbrush.  Depending on the type of goat best suited for this environment, we would also use them for milk or meat as appropriate.

I grew up with cows, horses, chickens, etc. but goats are outside my experience.  What type of goat would work best in this environment?  Do goats return to their shelter at night, and would having a guard dog with them help them find their way home?  Any other suggestions?

Thanks!