Bobby Fallon

Has anyone experimented with using a solar dehydrator similar to Wheaton Lab's model to germinate seeds in the cold spring months?

I'm wondering what you could do to prevent so much dehydration when wanting to start seeds? Perhaps it's reducing air flow and ensuring adequate humidity.

I imagine a set up like the dehydrator would allow for warm enough temps and sunlight (maybe needs glass walls instead of wood) or to be on wheels for sun tracking. However that's more management.

Hey John,
Just wondering if goats are the only animals you are grazing with this fence system? Would pigs respect the hot wire? With pen training perhaps? High tensile does seem the way to go to me. The repair costs when trees land on the fence will be be lower than field fence. High tensile is moveable if a paddock shift system is being used.

Idea here that I’m having a hard time finding something similar.

Let’s imagine, circular hugel beds forming a ring, almost pond damn like. Two entry ways. One for you. One for water to drain out of. In the middle of said ring is a small water feature for numerous reasons. Temp regulation, humidity, biodiversity etc.

Would this be a good idea? Worth the effort in building? I have yet to build a true hugel bed but have the opportunity to now and want to create something worth my time.

Thought?
Thank you!

Im having a hard time creating the correct germination environment for veg seeds

I have a soil block maker. I tried making my own seedling soil mix as well as using store bought seedling mix and neither has taken off well.

I've tried in the house as well as in an unheated greenhouse. I do not want to provide heat for the greenhouse (I am attending the 2021 PDC, to learn about the Wofati Greenhouse!). However the temp fluctuations are high. Very hot if the door is closed when the sun is out or cold at night.

Would a cold frame inside the greenhouse stabilize temps?

How to avoid the heat mat?

What other gear might I need to set up a better environment for the seeds?

Do you have any book recommendations before I attend your course?

Any teachers you recommend I seek out to communicate with?

Dre Oeschger wrote:What small garden tools have you purchased recently or have been wanting very badly?  Patrick at Truly Garden is looking for more small garden tools that need to be improved so that he can grow his offerings. :)

I would love some reasonably priced interchangeable hoes!

Finding a hand scythe is also difficult it seems. Have companies all but stopped making these?

What makes your tools better than the competitions? Or better yet, why support your business?

Just curious how much of a permit believer and practitioner you are!

Have a great day!

Jordan Barton, do you have nesting boxes in your mobile chicken tractor?

If so does it make the tractor much harder to move?

Any challenges with your design you would do better if you did it over?

Thanks Richard, I'll reach out to them!

I'm a single 24 yo male, healthy and full of energy. Looking for a farm opportunity somewhere in Missouri, preferably south of I-44 but I'm open so long as it's in Missouri.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR: FARMERS OPEN TO POSSIBILITIES
I am currently looking for a permaculture farm in Missouri, perhaps one in transition or one looking to make the transition. One looking to develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

I'm open to a few different scenarios.
Scenario 1: You have empty land in need of a permaculture food forest because you care about the world but don't have the time or energy to do it. So you allow me to work the land, building swales, planting trees, composting, building out buildings with your approval of course because it is your land after all. Perhaps we get along really well and you'd be willing to lease or sell some land to me after showing you my commitment. I would produce some growies for the market and explore other options for basic income to keep the farm growing and my bills paid.

Scenario 2:
You're in need of a farm manager or an assistant farm manager, one where you pay me a weekly paycheck but still allow a little room for side projects like compost toilets, hugelkulter beds, etc.

Scenario 3:
You just need some labor and a truck and are willing to pay for it.

WHEN?:
Next spring? Give us some time to develop a plan and get to know each other a little bit. It will allow me some time to stash up on funds in the meantime as well.  

ABOUT ME: INTELLIGENT & EAGER TO LEARN PERMACULTURE FARMING & DESIGN
I studied Civil and Architectural Engineering at the Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology. Mouth Full I know. I was on my way to becoming a Project Manager at a construction company and after some first hand experience I decided that life was no longer for me -- building mega buildings for the sake of making money does not appeal to me. I have a dream of owning my own permaculture farm while living in an eco-friendly home, be it Earthship or a tiki, I just want to live small but fully immersed in the land around me. Simple. Small. But oh so complex and beautiful. A life capable of feeding my community.
I've spent 3 months on a permaculture farm in the desert in Arizona this past winter and that alone taught me so much, first being that I know nothing and have so much more to learn! But I'm okay with that, I enjoy learning new things everyday. I'm a self-motivated, hard working individual willing to put in the hard work to gain your respect and trust. I absolutely love animals and I can figure them out pretty quickly but unfortunately I don't have any experience with farm animals but I hope to change that.

Personality wise, I'm an introvert with extrovert capabilities.

If you are interested please message me. I would be willing to answer any of your questions or concerns. Let's get to know each other so we can make sure it's a good fit. I would love both parties to mutually benefit from each other.

Email: rjfallon23@gmail.com

Here is a link to my gofundme campaign. GoFundMe - Permaculture School
I've also copied over the campaign letter below.

First, thank you for your interest in my campaign.

I will be attending the Permaculture Skills Center in Sebastopol, CA and taking their Ecological Landscaper Immersion program. The program begins June 12, only 3 months away from the start of this campaign, short window I know but we can make it!

The money raised here will go directly to tuition costs for the program. I am seeking to raise the full cost of tuition which will allow me to use my savings to cover living costs during the program as well as start a St. Louis based Permaculture/Food Forest Design company upon completion of the program. I will go into more details about my aspirations below and why I feel you might be interested in investing in me. But first let me tell you a little more about the program and permaculture and why it's exactly what not only St. Louis needs, but the world also.

This education program teaches students about ecological design rooted in permaculture and sustainability principles, something this world sorely needs. If you are unfamiliar with permaculture let me quickly explain. Permaculture basically means permanent-agriculture. Its aim is to make humans work  with nature instead of constantly working against nature. We can work with nature to create gardens in our backyards ripe with food while also creating habitat for beneficial wildlife, promoting soil health, reducing dependency on finite resoures, collecting and harvesting rainwater, and many, many more global and local benefits. It would be easy to write a book about the topic, so if you're interested in learning more about permaculture and sustainability follow this link Permaculture Principles.

This program doesn't stop with the theory of permaculture though, it offers much more for its students. It teaches personal and professional development including developing a business plan to managing business finances. This program will help us better heal this world through sustainable and regenerative agricultural cultivation.

The link below gives all the details and topics covered during the program if your interested in learning more about where I'm going. It's the same link as above.
Permaculture Skills Center - ELI Program Details

Now, more than ever, we need to get away from our food and resource dependencies. Buying organic tomatoes, peppers, spinach, kale, pecans and everything else from the grocery store just isn't enough when you consider the resources being used to get those products to the shelves. They're usually grown in monocrop fields which are a haven for that one particular pest that just loves tomatoes, hello hornworms! But with no habitat around for natural predators, those hornworms will just continue to run rampant.

The very operation of current food system screams unsustainability. Obviously there are far more issues than listed but let's take a brief look.
Modern mono-crop agriculture = heavy equipment usage and soil depletion
Grocery Store operation = significant energy usage in store operation alone
Shipping in trucks and trains = fossil fuel depletion
Fossil fuel extraction = harmful green house gases
Labeling and packaging = unneccesary plastic and trash

It doesn't have to be this way, our food can come from our home yards. Growing in our yards will help reduce our resource and energy dependencies and will minimize our carbon footprint. We know this is of the utmost urgency if we wish to build a liveable future for the generations to come. The beautiful part is that growing in our yards doesn't have to be as hard as we've  made it out to be. That's where permaculture steps in and leverages the natural world and its processes  to create an environment with minimal work or back breaking labor.

I will bring a Permaculture Design service back to St. Louis, MO with one goal of creating abundant food forests in the empty yards of St. Louis, helping to bring clean, healthy and beyond-organic food to the tables of St. Louis, while also restoring habitat for wild birds, bees, among many other benefits.  My operation will also give back in many forms including collaborating with education centers to offer the same education and opportunity to other prospecting students in the future.

I want my lifes mission to provide something positive to the world as most do, and creating abundant environments in which humans and all life alike can thrive rings true to my heart and soul. I just need your help in kickstarting this journey. I will give this dream everything I can. It will become a reality one way or another!

I am already on my way to pursuing this dream as I am currently working on an organic vegatable farm in the southern desert of Arizona. Being here, growing and providing clean food to people, has truly inspired me and reassured me that this is my life purpose but the journey doesn't stop here. I want to see everyone growing abundant environments all around their homes!

If you could donate $10 or more I will be forever grateful! I will keep all those who donate up to date on the my journey through the program.  If you can't, please share the campaign with your family and friends who may be interested in donating.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Your investments will be worthwhile I promise you!

With a humble heart,

Bobby Fallon