Benjamin Burchall

I'm going! Yay! I'm excited to have received a scholarship to attend via Black Permaculture Network! I wanted to go. But since I was let go from work in December I had no way to fund it. I'm barely going to be able to gas up the car to get there and back from Long Beach. I sure could use a couch surf or something. Not being able to pay for lodging, I was considering seeing if I could get away with sleeping in the car on the street somewhere. Then I saw this thread! If anyone still has room to host, please let me know.

Thanks!

Has anyone made a formal urban homestead business plan they could share with me. I'm interested in attracting funds to raise funds for a home rental and operational costs for an urban homestead. While I'm not a stranger to business plans, I'm a bit clueless on putting one together for a venture like this. How would you even get figures for a market and competitor analysis? I figured if someone else has put on together, it could serve as a guide for me.

Matt,

I hope you come back to this thread and tell us your progress. I'd like to know how it goes for you. Luck luck!

At the same time, putting that word out there puts it in the mind of your customers. Now you have an opportunity to educate them! Don't we want people to know why polycultures are better?

The proof of the likely results of running a market garden business and giving potential customers information that only makes them doubt you is in the original post:

"But when I tell people I'm going to do 'polyculture' for a market garden business I get worried looks."

Why suggest to someone looking for business advice that they should do the very thing that is already being a source of friction? You don't want friction in business. You want customers to easily do business with you. Isn't the better way to grow the food, market it, then show/tell them the techniques you are using? For most customers, knowing their food is grown without chemicals is enough. Telling them more when you have nothing to show just makes them look at you sideways...unless you're only marketing to people who are already sold on polyculture or you just like constantly "educating" and trying to overcome misunderstanding, objections, and confusion. I wouldn't think that's a good use of time for a business, but your mileage may vary.

I totally get Collins question! From my experience, there are a ton of people who are "into" permaculture that do little to nothing with it. I can't count the number of people I'm known or come across throughout the years who took workshops and design courses and didn't produce as much as a few salads a week. I've never taken a class and probably won't and have out produced them on the tiny plots I had. Even when I lived in an apartment, I had food growing in cardboard boxes and plastic planters outside. It has been rough the past year and a half not having a garden, but I've just bought six acres of land and I'm eager to get my homestead going.

It can be easy to lose confidence in permaculture if you listen to people who flap their gums all the time but produce nothing. They often have loads of criticisms about what you're doing and love to tell you how you should do it. I've learned to ignore them and press on. While they're exercising their vocal cords, I'll be enjoying fresh veggies with little work to maintain them.

Matt,

Ask yourself why you need to tell people you will be doing polyculture. I don't think it is necessary to tell people that. It may only serve to hinder you. I would simply get my farm going and produce food. If you do that, you'll be demonstrating what you do. People will be more convinced by what they see than what you tell them. If you are producing delicious healthy edibles, they won't care if they are polyculture or monocropped except for the few who are already sold on polyculture. Go for it!

Above ground pools seem to last just fine. I'm not sure why straw bales around them would be needed. They have metal frames. You're thinking the frame wouldn't give out? So far, above ground pools seem to be the cheapest way to store thousands of gallons of water. Of course, I could dig a big hole in the ground and line it. That would be lot of work to make a hole large enough to store what I'm going for (a 3-6 month supply).

I scanned the net over the weekend and $6K looks like average. Yikes! Rainwater harvesting it is then!

Anyone have a well digger in or near Washington County, GA? If I hired someone, how much should I expect to pay have a well dug?

Has anyone used a covered above ground pool as cistern for potable water cistern? Are there any issues with doing so? If so, how can the issues be mitigated?