Jonathan Nagar

Hello fellow permies,

I'm putting a wish out into the universe to find a unicorn: a long-term partner in stewardship for our urban food forest in Portland.

At our 4-plex, we have a big shared yard filled with edible goodies. It's a lot to maintain, and I'm looking for a self-starter to help keep the place humming in exchange for pay, produce, and a place to put your knowledge into practice.

A huge plus for this position would be proficiency in Spanish. We have some fantastic, semi-regular helpers who are primarily Spanish-speaking, and your ability to communicate clearly would be incredibly valuable.

The Role (What we're looking for in a steward):
What we're looking for is less of an employee and more of a collaborator who will:

Take the lead on season planning, soil building, and keeping our polycultures thriving.

Enjoy the rhythms of weeding, tending compost, and observing the system.

Wants to be in it for the long haul, as there's so much to learn about this specific piece of land.

Future Projects & Leadership:
We're looking for a true collaborator who not only wants to manage the existing system but is also excited to take the lead on new projects. We dream of setting up a rooftop beehive, building a small chicken coop, developing a robust plant start system, or cultivating mushrooms. If you have the vision and skills for projects like these, we want to hear from you.

The Exchange:
My main goal is to make this a mutually agreeable situation. This includes a fair hourly wage, your pick of the harvest, and a supportive environment to practice your craft. The role has typically been about 8 hours/week.

(Please note, we are not offering housing.)

If this dream of ours resonates with you, please send me a message. I’d love to hear your story and what you're looking for in a project.

Thank you Bill.
I've been told by some that cedar is not ideal for burning--that I should consider something like fir or yellow pine instead. Any thoughts on this?
Everyone I talk to or read of seems to have their own opinion on cedar vs not and KD vs green or air dried...

Hi all, I'm planning on charring cedar boards for use as siding over a rainscreen for a house project I'm working on; I'll be using a weeding torch, and will need to char appx 5000sqft of lumber. The reasoning behind my idea is to avoid the labor of oiling/painting on a periodic basis (plus I love the look); I'm hoping I don't need to even think about maintaining the siding for as long as I live in / own the place (50+ years). A few questions remain tumbling in my head:

Should I worry about charring the backs of the boards, or just the faces exposed to sunlight? (I suppose insect resistance would be the primary goal here? and maybe unnecessary as this is over a rainscreen?)

many of you mention rubbing in oil after charring--what's the idea behind this? Can I safely skip (I'm trying to limit work for myself, as this is already a big pile of lumber?

Given my motives, how much char should I put on the boards, at minimum? Blacken the surface? Get a 'gator skin' depth? Does anybody have any anecdotal evidence on longevity vis. burn level (I saw a comment that there's no hard evidence, but figure it's worth another ask)?

I'm in the Pacific NW, and while cedar isn't outrageously expensive, should I be considering another species? Til now I've stuck to cedar due to longevity concerns, but if the char would effectively protect any species, i.e. Doug Fir, perhaps I could consider a less expensive species to help my budget?

Any help you have would be greatly appreciated. I've learned a lot already from this site and its members--thank you all!