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Folsom Sanctuary

Details

Commenced:	01/11/2012
Submitted:	19/09/2014
Last updated:	07/10/2015
Location:	298 Figueroa Street, Folsom, CA, US
Phone:	916.220.0141
Website:	http://homerchristensen.com
Climate zone:	Semi Arid

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Folsom Sanctuary

Project Type

Urban, Residential, Commercial, Demonstration, Educational

Project Summary

Converting a residential lawn surrounding two houses into a food-forest that is resilient in the midst of a prolonged drought. A demonstration garden, place for workshops/gatherings, and a source of food for the residents (five rentals)... a small intentional community.

Project Description

I began this project after my first PDC with Penny Livingston at RDI/Bolinas. At that time, I sheetmulched the lawn and planted a bunch of trees and perennials. I didn't really know what I was doing, though nature did and that helped tremendously. However, the design came together during the PDC with Geoff Lawton and a lot of observation. This November it will be redesigned and restructured to be more drought tolerant, capture and sink/store all rainwater, and be cohesive and resilient. Much of the garden will be under a canopy or trellis to offset the brutal summer heat and intense sun.

Ultimately, this is intended as a demonstration garden, a experimental station, a nursery of ideas and plants, and an area of community and gathering for ceremony. We also have a day spa on the property, where my wife uses biodynamic products for massage and skincare, and that has exposed a number of people to the concepts and practice of permaculture.. We keep bees and make wine, mead, and kombucha.

There are five rental units on our property, located in the heart of historic Folsom on the site of the first institution of higher learning in California (the Folsom Institute... later moved and became Mills College in Oakland).

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