Natural Living Center

Project Vision

 

My project is based around a natural living center, which will consist primarily of a farm-fresh CSA and series of natural learning environments. Employees, interns, and volunteer owner-workers will run the farm and potentially live on the property, forming their own self-ran governance and making decisions as a group. The farm will offer many opportunities for community gatherings and outreach programs, also serving as a meeting place for community non-profits. Potentially one of its own.

 

Stakeholders

 

Investors, including owner-workers

Members of the companies membership program

Board of Directors

Employees who own a portion of the company

Members of the potential non-profit formed

Interested community leaders

 

Issues Addressed

The need for community outreach in this area

Promotion of local economy

Land conservation and animal welfare awareness

Polyculture promotion

Energy conservation and awareness

Carbon counseling

Common grounds gathering area

Safe, happy environment for all ages

My Goals

I chose this project, because I feel it best exemplifies my goals as a permaculture designer in the areas of public outreach, resource production, and inner development.

My goals include, but are not limited to:
-Food production CSA
-Zero waste site
-Ample energy production and conservation
-Eco-housing opportunities
-Biodiversity
-Generative Learning Environments

Design Process

 

 

Over the following pages you will view various aspects of the design process including the following:

Overview

Site Analysis

Zones & Sector Analysis

Systems Analysis

Guild Analysis

Social/Ethical Analysis

Feedback

 

Overview

Analysis of site based on intrinsic characteristics, inputs, and outputs

Observations of direct patterns & networks stemming from analysis

Deductions from Nature used to make connections to increase natural patterns and efficiency

Data Overlay using contour maps and other valuable information help master design form

Random Assembly based on options and decisions viable may be helpful

Questions to Ask When Designing

What is nature already developing here?

Where are my resources coming from?

What outputs do I currently have?

What goals/implementations would I/the customer like to see take place on the property?

How can I make better use of what is already occurring? What connections/placements may I make to help nature work efficiently?

What beneficial plant species would fare well in my environments?

What needs do I/the customer have that are not being met?

What are my restrictions?

How can I make better use of my outputs currently and in the future?

 

Site Analysis

 

                 Climate Zone: Temperate, Semi-Arid  
Slope: %6 to %35

Elevation: 800-1200 ft

Orientation: Ideal south-facing slope

Inputs: Natural water flow, lots of good sun

Outputs: Current use as family home, few bearing fruit-trees, oak growth in back can be maintained and conserved, Privacy treeline, comfortable living.

           Soil: Mostly clay, with some loam forming towards bottom of gully in ridge

Zones & Sector Analysis

                                   Zone 0: Welcome Center/Main Shop Indoors

Zone I: Chickens, Ducks, Perennial Sheet Mulch/Keyhole Demonstration Garden, Compost, Milking Shed, Demonstration Petting Zoo

Zone II: Pastures, Animal Corridors, Food Forrest Super Guild, Annual Production Garden

Zone III: Mostly wild, Some Swales to Maintain, Could grow fish in these

Zone IV: Wilderness Learning Environment

Fire Sector: Fire resistant species planted here

Privacy Sector: Forest expanded to give more privacy from the road

Sun Angles: Utilized in Annual Garden location

Wind Sectors: Controlled by expanded forest

Wildlife Corridor exists primarily towards the back with a small corridor existing up the nature trail. Squirrels and Deer love the Acorns and Food Forrest.

Systems Analysis

Access Systems: Roadways, Trails, Animal Corridors

Energy Systems: Water Irrigation, Keyline Plan, Passive Thermal Heating/Cooling, Solar Grid, Wind Harvesting

Animal Systems: Pasture regeneration, Husbandry, Harvesting, Processing

Plant Systems: Nursery, Maintenance, Harvesting, Processing

 

Look at each of these systems and analyze the needs, outputs, and intrinsic characteristics. Also keep in mind all the systems may be utilized to provide one another needs and balance outputs.

Guild Analysis

Root Stacking

Pest Control

Time Succession

Dynamic Accumulation

Shelter/Windblocks

ANYTHING can be apart of your guild!

Animals

Housing

Human Interaction

Social/Ethical Analysis

Teaching & Learning: Teach as many as possible in all zones, however reservations for personal learning must be required in Zones II and beyond.

Avoiding Type I Errors which will occur if proper observation isn't met, and when one action cause multiple negative reactions to where it's better to take out the system altogether.

 

Nature teaches and in a wild growth form is best left alone

Continual Adaptation must be had once feedback is received

Incremental Design

Based off feedbacks

Observe and make slight changes to promote better outcomes

If you notice a waste product, notice something beneficial to take care of it.

Beneficial connections are not always easily made; you may randomly associate different aspects of the farm until you see a beneficial result. Observation of nature can also be helpful here.

 

Feedback

Constant observations, what is symbiotic what is not. Changes made on these observations.

Rational data used to measure, and publish property journals.

Success stories shared with public, providing a new form of feedback via their communication.

If we notice from our feedback something that needs improvement, then the design process begins anew, and we try and utilize our other feedbacks we have attained to best align the systems functions, until symbiosis is acheived.

Ethics & Principles

Focus on the three main principles:

Care of the Earth through successful guilds and plants, water conservation, animal husbandry, energy conservation
Application: Natural farming with no pesticides, fungicides, or detrimental additives. Boost natures ability to heal and care for itself through plant guilding and proper animal care. Landmark spot for this technique, preserved for generations to come.

Care of the People by providing a natural learning environment and retreat, as well as supporting beneficial social connections within the community
Application: Center open to the public for free, recreational area for them, free trails, also offer many classes to the public and learning environments to boost knowledge of permaculture and natural farming. Volunteer programs and internships.

Limit Setting/Return of Surplus setting limits for needs of employees and direct benefits of the farm and sharing the surplus through the CSA and various free outreach programs, and the provision of freebies given away on site when surpluses exist.
Application: Gifts of free produce when we're overloaded to bring customers in to the produce stand, return of profits to owners, If we go over our goal of production by 30%, any extra donated to charity.

 

Work with Nature: Utilize wild plant species, and make small & slow changes for great effect
Application: Maintain the existing natural forest, native species appreciated and reestablished for beneficial charactristics, swale system built so nature's water energy can be stored

 

Problem is Solution: Recognizing that all problems offer within themselves various beneficial traits that may be used
Application: Utilize excess materials to feed other systems (ie. If it's too windy in one area, we may want to place a pond there for aeration, or a tree species that spreads its seed through the wind would act as a windblock

 

Least Change for Greatest Affect: Small and effective changes made to maximize solutions.
Application: Swales placed above garden so they may water the property, Building a chicken tractor to have the chickens work for you

 

Use of resources to promote unlimited yield: By cycling the entropy of the system we may promote greater and greater yields
Application: Plant stacking, succession planting. Chop n' drop systems. Greywater used on the property.

 

Everything Gardens: Utilize plants that mulch themselves and others, provide windblocks, etc.
Application: Successful Guild Planning, Extended forest makes windblock for property, Cows mow for us, Chickens till for us.

 

Self Regulation: Keeeping an eye on feedbacks to regulate what our particular site needs.
Application: Monitoring the lbs of produce from individual sites and making notes of what was done to the land that year will give insight as to what works best, so we may duplicate those affects. Having a community suggestion box to answer people's questions, comments, and criticism so we may improve as a living center.

 

Renewable Resources with Zero Waste Goal: Channel the energy that is coming into the site to retain resources and eliminate waste
Application: Solar and wind energy generation. Clever use of water, and greywater. Timber planted annually. Biodigestor handles animal waste, produces fuel.

 

Integration of Systems: Every system can work with multiple others to promote symbiosis
Application: Nature trail system works with environment, promoting native and natural growth, works with the public by educating them, entertaining them, providing food and healthy environments, produces income so the whole farm thrives.
OR Swale systems which water our animals, which in turn we use that water to water our crops, they rejuvenate the land benefiting the food forest and everything else growing near them, provide a water source for the native wildlife and environment, Can be used for hydroelectric energy if utilized, Can provide feed for other animals in the form of fish. Can grow mulch that may be beneficial to other species of vegetation. Nutrients are fed back through the system and into the swales when fish are grown, and vegetation is planted in the swales.

 

Utilize Patterns: Look at natural patterns to promote energy transference
Application: Centralized core model with Shop at center and everything else branching out from there. Torus of energy flow as community interact and the farm interacts with the community. Spiral effect of awareness as the site becomes more and more involved with the local community.

 

Utilize Edge Affect: Edges provide multiple benefits including resource and information transfer
Application: Keyhole gardening and edge effect. Utilizing the edge of the forest to allow cows to graze on better nutrition. Utilizing nature trail for it's edge effect. Annual garden rows contoured not straight promoting more growth, same with swales

 

Property Highlights (Before Design)

Energy resources:

 

-High hillside ideal for water catchment.

-Fairly decent Soil

Plant resources:
-Oak: Ecologically harvest the oak forest surrounding to produce lumber, aging barrels, wood chips, perhaps even drum making

 

 

Human resources: Located just outside the center of town, easily accessible to many

 

 

 

 

 

Property Highlights (After Design)

Energy resources:

Swaled keyline water catchment system holds and distributes all water onto property

Soil packed full of organic nutrients from compost program, chop n' drop plantings, animal manure, and fungal mass.

Full off-grid power system utilizing wind, electric, and water energy .

 

Biodiesel generation off ponds algae growths. Biofuel being recycled from local restaurants.

Plant resources:

Oak: Ecologically harvest the oak forest surrounding to produce lumber, aging barrels, wood chips, perhaps even drum making

Integrated Myrtle trees may be harvested for wood and wax

Maples harvested for syrup, wood

Perennial Vegetable Garden: Constant reminder food & resources are available hear. Walking onions, Artichoke, Asparagus, Cardoon, Chilean Guava, Earth Chestnut, Perennial Peppers, Spinach, Job's Tear's (for beads!), Rhubarb, Tree Collards, Garlic, Potatoes, Horseradish, Ginger, Perennial Herb Spiral w/ Saffron, Berry Patch #1, always expanding.

 

Annual Production Garden: Production annual vegetables and herbs, seed saving practiced by bagging varieties and hand pollinating.

 

Animal Feed Production: Multiple grains grown to supplement other feeds.

Food Forest Super Guild: Filled with fruiting tree perennials, (Apple, Peach, Pear, some Citrus, Nut Trees, such as Pecan, suitable Exotic Fruit), a layering of perennial vegetables, and flowering plants, as well as a layering of dynamic accumulators such as comfrey, and leguminous trees, shrubs, and vines, such as Locust, which may also be used for timber. The ideal hear is to balance the production with reproduction via leguminous/dynamic accumulation, as well as to stack plantings utilizing space through the fungal, root, ground, herbaceous, climbing, shrub, understory, top story, and possibly aquatic layers.

Animal Resources:

Bees: Pollinate vegetables, produce honey, wax, and pollen

Cattle: Prune back vegetation, produce dairy products, meat, hides, and other consumer goods (ie. hoofs, horns...etc), soil amendments.

Chickens: Insect control, and pruning, aeration to soil. Produce eggs, meat, feathers, soil amendments.

Ducks: Insect control, entertainment, water aeration. Produce meat, feathers, eggs, soil amendments.

 

Quail: Entertainment, light pruning and tillage. Produce meat, eggs, feathers, soil amendments.

 

Goats: Prune, Manage waste. Produce dairy products, meat.

Sheep: Prune. Produce dairy products, meat, wool.

 

Fish: Provide entertainment. Produce nitrogen, meat.

 

Wild Animals : Provide entertainment. May provide meat.

Human Resources:

Roadside Stand- Immediate, Direct Access and Advertising. Fresh produce, local goods, information packets, some free giveaways.

Shop- Main display area of produce, goods, and programs. Lots of interactive displays and signage!

CSA- Great way for community to get involve. You may join the CSA in addition or separate to membership.

Memberships- May be purchased for discounts on various items. A membership is technically the purchase on 1 share of the company.

 

Owners- Are members who have purchased 15 shares. They qualify for additional discounts, and help make open decisions for the company.

 

Owner-Workers- Owners who donate 5 hours monthly to the organization qualify for additional discounts.

Volunteers- Qualify for discounts after volunteering 8 hours of their time.

Farm to Table Restaurant- Available to the public with discounts to all of the above mentioned. As the name states farm to table with locally resources items if not possible. Additional revenue and advertisement.

 

Nature Trails- Hiking trails for free and some interactive trails for purchase. The interactive trails allow visitors to pick fresh U-Pick produce at monitored points on the trail. Employees stationed at these points are knowledgeable and friendly and may share knowledge and information with customers.

Demonstration Petting Zoo- Teach children how to milk a goat, and have them go on a chicken egg hunt! All about animal husbandry hear, with some thrills for the children. Good for all ages. Free with membership and above.

 

Educational Training Area w/ Stage- Classes on everything from canning to sheet mulching. Indoor classes held in this area. Features 1 demonstration kitchen site, with biodigestor methane stove and rocket stove oven.

 

Recreational Park Area w/ Stage- Open recreational area to the public. Free to all. With some festivals held for profit.

Budget

The site is purchased via savings of original members as a no interest loan, to be paid back in full within 10 years. Original members are guaranteed percentage of profit once loan is paid off. OR alternatively, find a willing property owner to participate in an FSA guaranteed loan.

 

100,000 (purchase prise)
45% loaned from FSA, 20% down, 35% loaned from property owner
FSA paid back in 10 yrs, property owner paid back in 5 yrs
$7000 due first 5 yrs, $4,500 from year 5-10

Initial revenue is created via the CSA and Member opportunities. This allows for initial production garden and annual garden planting. Additional produce may be sold as profit, used to buy livestock.

Membership- $25 per share, Ownership- Own 20 shares = 100 shares bought= $2500
CSA vegetable service (seasonal)-$250 x 40 members = $10000
CSA (Weekly veggie boxes) $25x50= $1250
Egg Sales- $7 carton X 200 = $1400
Cottage Food Sales- $800
Educational Events- $10 per student per class x 300 students= $3000
Petting Zoo sales- $5 per entry x 1000 entries= $5000
Approximately 20,000 brought in, so $13000 revenue used to pay off additional running costs, or purchase of livestock, and solar resources.

Revenue only expected to increase as food forest establishes, perennial crops establish, and overall production increases.

Resources will constantly be donated via our recycling program, and clever use of Craigslist, local waste.

Implementation

Land purchased and propogation begins.

Community outreach via community events, signage, and internet marketing.

Classes and events held onsite to generate attention

Steady work as volunteers, owner-workers, and original members get property up and producing bountifully.

Site maintained, and expansion projects planned.

Time Line

Year 1- Propogation, conversion of existing home to store, animal enclosures built w/ animals sources locally brought in, petting zoo build, community outreach (enough CSA members gained to pay off loans), landworks, irrigation systems installed, living yurt constructed to be turned into employee housing later, Annual vegetable production in place with rotation in mind, constant labor and innovation to start up. Solar panels purchased with profits.

Year 2- Farm is progressing. Most berries producing. Trails have been built, and community is enjoying the land. Production is up overall. Annual production rotated. Animals culled, and births given. Solar energy making large difference, 1/2 grid energy created on site. Swales have started to rejuvenate land, and perennial species have established themselves. New propagations of exotic, and beneficial species.

Year 5- Fruit & Nut trees producing. Food forest in full effect. Perennial vegetable guild in production. Berries, nuts, even timber being produced in large quantities. Most labor is chop-n-drop, pruning, and maintenance. Farm fully supported by community. Restaurant, and learning centers will be installed this year as community support gives birth to financial success for the farm. Regular advertising as news media stops by for human interest peice regularly. The farm is becoming a living community center for growth and inspiration

Year 10- Farm is a staple of the community. Attracting visitors and providing information to all who arrive. There is a living food forest for all to enjoy, it is harvested constantly, as there is food for all seasons planted. Farm boasts some very exotic species and works as a safe haven to endangered varieties. Natives have a place to thrive. It is not time to think of expansion, as loans are fully paid off, and the farm continues to generate income.

 

AT THIS POINT IS WHERE THE DRAWING IS COMPLETELY DEMONSTRATED

 

Surprising Facts

 

A set area can provide limitless growth potential

Animals are very efficient at helping us garden. Everything gardens!

I was surprised how simply the project layout was able to fit together when keeping contour and systems in mind.

How many uses can be made of one variety of vegetation.