mark joseph

Hey guys, I'm struggling to find the right combo of trees and plants for a windbreak in so cal.   max heat is about 110 in summer, then 40's here in the winter.   The nursery all recommend Leylandi Cypress, but then someone said they just sell them because it's easy, and they can get a disease and die in 7 years.  

Have you have any plant and tree combos you've found will do well here?

Thank you!

hello,   I'm looking for an experienced farmer to start an organic farm on my property.  It's a 50acre plot located in Agoura Hill, CA, 5 mins from the freeway,  45mins from LA.

The land has some flatish area, and a bit of hills.  The story behind is that I purchased it in 2012 to build a home on to live,  last year, when the house was about 60 percent done, the fire came through and burned down all my progress.  Which made me rethink what I wanted to do, and I ended buying a house nearby and things have been good since. Financially I'm fine, so  I don't really need to sell the land, and still enjoy visiting. So naturally having a farm on it, seems like a great option.

However this only works with one amazing person to make it all happen, and that is what I'm looking for here.   Someone with 5 yo 10 years experience creating and running a farm.

Only serious inquiries please
This is not a property rental situation
This is not a cannabis growing position
4+ references required

Duties & Responsibilities:
Position Overview ~ The Farm manager will be responsible for design, implementation, maintenance and sustainability of the permaculture farm plan along with care taking repsonsabilities of the entire property.

A plan will need to be created with infrastructure, including swales, gardens, fruit & nut trees, greenhouses, ponds, outdoor facilities etc. The position entails developing, managing and maintaining the annual and perennial gardens. Implementing successful micro business models, developing nursery with native and edible perennial plants and managing volunteer help such as woofers.

Roles & Responsibilities ~

Work with the right people to develope a plan for the farm.
Create the team to run the farm.
•    Provide daily oversight & management of the execution of farm plan
•    Co-ordinate daily schedules and work planning for team
•    Research, order, pick-up, plant & care for perennial plants & trees
•    Start seedlings & create schedule & implement ongoing annual vegetable production
•    Review & improve upon all existing irrigation systems
•    Provide oversight & management for all field activities, including, but not limited to irrigation, cultivation and general maintenance of farm/property upkeep
•    Lead a weekly meeting to discuss important details & plans for farm
•    Maintain accurate inventory of all materials and supplies related to field production activities and general property needs, including, but not limited to: all inputs including seed, tools and supplies etc.
•    The ability to oversee multiple projects happening simultaneously with a calm, focused demeanor
•    To co-ordinate / manage farm workers, long-term apprentices and woofers
•    Care for all animals on a daily basis
•    Grounds maintenance, including, but not limited to: , chainsaw work, tractor work, driveway maintenance, irrigation etc

Education & Experience:
Must have extensive education and experience in Permaculture practices, organic farming, regenerative land stewardship and people management.

Please post any questions below, message me with a resume if interested.

For living quarters, we have to start with something temp, like a motor home, as time goes on I may put a small house on the property.    

For compensation, it will start with a livable base pay, once it's up and running we would transition to 50% of all profits.



Below is some before and an after photos from now and the fire.


Then the last one is the valley below.... which would probably be the best place to plant.



IMG_20190409_091637.jpg

I'm building a house now in California, they make everything very difficult and very expensive.  Roughly about 10x of what you could build in another state with more relaxed rules.  If someone wanted a tiny home, my advice would be to put up a fence, then build a home on a trailer as was suggested... If the city ever comes over, (and you made the mistake of leaving your fence open) be very nice, tell them it's a tempory residence until you save the money for the build process, offer them some free fruit and veggies.  Then talk about saving the planet and how city really needs do their part and stop sending polluted rain water to the ocean.  This will make them leave you alone.   Because at the end of the day, they are mostly hypocrites who don't want to do any work.  (....OK Maybe 10% of them have good intentions. )   If this puts you in a moral dilemma, click this link and see what they pay themselves.  http://transparentcalifornia.com

Hello,

I’m Looking for a person to start a small permaculture style farm on my 50 acre property near Los Angeles.

The person should have experience in planting orchards, earthworks, sustainable systems etc…   the goal is to make something profitable enough to be self-sustaining, which is completely in reach with the right person.  Money is not the priority as I make enough from my other business.  However, the right person for the job should be able to make a living for themselves off the land.   We can work out some arrangement at first to cover your living expenses.

I'm located about 30 minutes north west of Los Angeles, about 20 minutes from the beach,  the climate is Mediterranean. The terrain is hilly with sage brush, mustard weed. and oak trees,  The elevation goes from 1040ft to 1310ft,  the lower part of the property freezes and can be 10 degrees cooler than the top.  Fruit that requires more chill hours can be grown on the bottom,  More tropical fruits like mango, avocado, and cherimoya, etc can be grown higher up.    There is some potential for water collection, and one of the future projects will be to build a lake with swales.  There is clay on the lower part of the canyon.  A well also will have to be drilled to irrigate with and possibly fill the lake, as rainfall is not enough to keep it full year round.

On the property are 2 tractors, a mini ex, and a skip loader.   There’s also a saw mill next door, that can be used to create lumber for various projects.  Free wood can be acquired by getting to know local tree trimmers and picking up their logs with a truck and trailer.  Which we have on the site.

The plan will be to start with a few acres at first and try a few things to see what works, then expand.  Currently, there are about 60 fruit trees on the site, about 3 to 4 years old.

Money can be made various ways, There are multiple farmers markets near by where health conscience people pay a premium for produce and meat from permaculture style farms.   Selling lumber can also be a source of income, but that becomes a whole job in itself.

The living situation first will just be a motor home on the property, later something can be built using timber from the sawmill.

The ideal person is easy going, passionate about permaculture, thinks big, and has no problem with hard work.   Experience is a must as this can be very hard work at times, and you need to know what you’re getting into.

If interested PM me your experience.  

I find it's best to start with a trial period to see if it's a good fit for both of us.