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Solar Springs Permaculture
Solar Springs Permaculture
Details
Commenced:
01/09/2004
Submitted:
04/02/2011
Last updated:
07/10/2015
Location:
P.O. Box 451, Hohenwald, Tennessee, US
Phone:
888-878-2434 x 8
Website:
www.solarsprings.net
Climate zone:
Warm Temperate





Followers
Amber Shannon Angela Rothweiler Bernard  Villamor Jennifer Dauksha English Jonathan Steele Kelly Brown Rae Fuller Sara McDonald Tate Eskew
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Solar Springs Permaculture

Project Type

Rural, Demonstration, Educational

Project Summary

Solar Springs Permaculture is a research farm conducting work in land restoration, food production, and appropriate technologies; and a business providing consulting and educational services to the global community and farm goods and nursery stock to its neighbors. It is also the home of Solar Springs LLC and Center for Holistic Ecology founders Jennifer and Matthew English, who reside in the off-grid Solar Springs Lodge. At Solar Springs, we are committed to living and sharing our values of sustainability, diversity, creativity and beauty—all modeled in the design and construction of our Lodge and through the development of our demonstration farm and businesses.

Project Description

Solar Springs  is comprised of a Permaculture research farm conducting work in land restoration, food production, and appropriate technologies; and a business providing consulting and educational services to the global community and farm goods and nursery stock to its neighbors. It is also the home of Solar Springs LLC and Center for Holistic Ecology founders Jennifer and Matthew English, who reside in the off-grid Solar Springs Lodge.

At Solar Springs we are committed to living and sharing our values of sustainability, diversity, creativity and beauty—all modeled in the design and construction of our Lodge and through the development of our farm and businesses.

picture: 2009 Permaculture Design Course at Solar Springs

Solar Springs Research Farm is dedicated to sustainable land use. We apply Permaculture design techniques and principles to establish land use patterns with a primary focus on agroforestry, bamboo and perennial food crops. We offer information, workshops, tours of our demonstration site, and support to others interested in long-term sustainability. We are available to teach workshops in your area on Permaculture, agroforestry, natural building, water catchments, appropriate technology and bamboo.

picture: swales dug in newest forest garden

 


picture:Matthew English teaching how to spin spoons on wooden lathe

Solar Springs Lodge is a 2000 square foot timber frame structure with cordwood, adobe and clay/straw infill. We are 100% off grid and derive 90% of our power from solar, wind and biomass. We acquire the remaining 10% from propane and gasoline, which will decrease to 5% hopefully within the next year. We have water catchments that will hold 17,000 gallons of water.

picture: timber frame-cordwood lodge initial construction 2005

We own a second-hand hybrid electric car, and our truck runs on ethanol, biodiesel or straight vegetable oil. The furnishings for our Lodge—as well as a good deal of the materials to build it—were pieced together largely from second hand stores, salvage piles, thrift shops, and “slightly damaged” bins. Those we bought new were recyclable, local, handmade or non-toxic.

At Solar Springs we are committed to living and sharing our values of sustainability, diversity, creativity and beauty—all modeled in the design and construction of our Lodge. We built it as sustainably as possible with the help of friends over a period of two years using local, natural materials and second-hand or hand-made items. The design is meant to be multifunctional—practical, applicable, adaptable, and beautiful as well as cycling energy back into the living ecosystem of which we are a part.

We designed the Lodge creatively, yet with a pleasing aesthetic that we hope feels comfortable and inspiring for people used to conventional building styles. We want others to see that our natural second-hand construction and off-grid living is a real possibility that can be enjoyable and very comfortable. We also kept good track of our receipts to show that building green can be economically savvy too, especially when you calculate money saved over the long term as well as social and environmental costs.

picture: Interior wall (cord wood with cob in-fill and glass) at Solar Springs Lodge


picture: Matthew English checking on a queen bee in new hive

 

picture: Graywater pond at Solar Springs

 

picture: 22' x 22' Herb Spiral at Solar Springs

 

picture: Passion fruit plentifully growing on shade trellises - useful as food/medicine

Updates

Courses Taught Here!
Project Badges
Rural Demonstration Educational
Administrators
Jennifer Dauksha English - Admin
Team Members

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