George Yacus

I kinda want to appropriate the word "funky" to also mean "multifunctional" in the permaculture context.  Like stacking multiple functions through elegant design and integration of farm elements or natural materials.

Maybe a homonym, spelled func'ky or phunky?

"Did you see that func'ky tree over there during the farm tour?"

"Yeah, I saw they were simultaneously using it as a grape trellis, a fence post, a shady nook for seating, and I hear they will soon be pollarding it for tree hay and firewood."

or.

"I like how the see-saw and the swing set on the playground pumped water up to the sheep pasture. Super phunky"

I built a two story farm shack and am looking for some design inspiration regarding stairs/ladders/other means of getting up and down levels.

Right now I use a home built rope ladder indoors, and an aluminum ladder outside. Eventually I'd like more permanent and multifunctional builds in place, such that I can carry loads up and down.

Have you come across any really cool, funky, or multifunctional stairs and ladders builds lately?

Yay! Thank you both!

I really enjoyed seeing the smorgasbord of projects (Badge Bits) people were working on in the PEP forums.

Is there a way to bring back the "recent" view in the PEP forums?

Right now I only see "best ever" topics, rather than a full on stream of "recent" permie projects. Below is an example from the natural building pep forum. Thanks for being awesome and letting the inspiration flow!

Step 1: Join tacoies forum.
Step 2: Talk about bacon, pie, and tacos ALL THE TIME.
Step 3: Apply 8th permaculture principle to integrate, rather than segregate bacon, pie, and tacos. (see photo of B.P.T.).
Step 4: Return to permies forum to design a permaculture homestead to make Gir Bot's culinary dreams come true. 🤤

Hi Judith!

There are still about three dozen links that are fresh and unused. And the thread has about 250 views. Maybe the table view isn't as helpful as simple links. But I'm satisfied.

Feel free to tag along and post your own codes if you'd like!

Note: my table above is most easily viewed in "desktop mode". If one scrolls down one can find a link to swap between mobile and desktop views.

Hi Liam, just following up to see how your proposed project went.

Were you able to design and build something to meet your needs?

"Whom do you admire?"

My best guess would have to be the ingredients in an American hot dog. They're "all natural" right?

I jest.

I'm of the "not random" camp. The implications and design opportunities are both tremendous and exciting.

Zoom in really close to a single celled bacteria. Its flagellum mechanism has all the complexity and brilliance of an electric motor, complete with rotor and stator, battery system, pressure hull like a submarine, sensors...



Zoom out really far, looking at the moon and stars. At first glance they seem chaotic, and changing every day. But look long enough and you begin to see the patterns of constellations. Even longer still and there is enough clock-like precision in their arrangement and motion that ancient and modern skilled mariners (and yes, even current military ballistic missiles) use them for jam-proof precision navigation.

This east facing wall is free from paint/stain/oil, and is made without treated wood.

It uses lumber milled on site, with minimal (if any) air drying. The top is from one of a series of pine trees gifted by local arborists who would have otherwise disposed of them. The bottom siding comes from a tree or two I cut down on site.

The siding on the bottom shows weathering over the course of about 8 months exposure to the elements.

The siding is screwed into the studwork, but it first goes through four vertical furring strips. These strips help give a smoother face to the wall while providing an air gap to help with moisture and airflow behind the milled siding. It also lessons contact with the radiant bubble foil moisture barrier.

The bottom boards are about 3/8ths thick, and exhibit a fair amount of curling as they dry, while these upper boards are about one half inch thick to improve rigidity (and safety) on the upper level.

I chose to do horizontal siding in order to make use of smaller logs while increasing lateral rigidity, plus the look is nice I think.