Stage one
MASTER PLAN FOR A PARADISE GARDEN
1. Finding the right place – will make our lives easier.
1.1. Finding the right area.
1.2. Finding the right community – neighbors are important.
1.3. Finding the right property.
2. Financing the project – standing on the ground.
2.1, Financing the land – the best investment ever.
2.1.1. Personal finance.
2.1.2. Personal loan.
2.1.3. Government financial aid.
2.1.4. Municipal financial aid.
2.1.5. Corporative financial aid.
2.1.6. Financial aid from eco organizations.
2.1.7. Financial aid from friends.
2.2. Financing the process of development – should be easy.
2.2.1. Self financing from surplus, crafts and art.
2.2.2. Self financing from seminars, education, healing.
2.2.3. Self financing from advertisement.
2.2.4. Volunteer help.
2.2.5. Personal finance.
2.2.6. Personal loan.
2.2.7. Government financial aid.
2.2.8. Municipal financial aid.
2.2.9. Corporative financial aid.
2.2.10. Financial aid from eco organizations.
2.2.11. Financial aid from friends.
2.3 Self sufficiency and sponsoring related initiatives – the bright not so distant future.
3. Creating the Plan – breaking the whole and reassembling it back.
3.1. Research of the property – knowledge is power.
3.1.1. Research for the history of the property.
3.1.2. Research of the climatic conditions in detail.
3.1.3. Research of the existing resources on the property.
3.1.4. Research of the species. /plants, fungi, insects, animals/
3.1.5. Research of the soil in the property.
3.1.6. Research of the energy flows in the property.
3.1.7. Research of the local market.
3.1.8. Research of the local regulations.
3.2. Creating plan for development – creative and flexible.
3.2.1. The end goal.
3.2.2. The principles we follow.
3.2.3. How the project will look when it is completed.
3.2.4. Prioritizing.
3.2.5. The plan.
3.2.6.1. People.
3.2.6.1.1. The core.
3.2.6.1.2. Friends.
3.2.6.1.3. Visitors.
3.2.6.1.4. Clients
3.2.6.1. Energy needs.
3.2.6.1.1. Electricity.
3.2.6.1.2. Fuels.
3.2.6.2. Buildings.
3.2.6.2.1. Homes.
3.2.6.2.2. Common buildings.
3.2.6.2.3. Healing center.
3.2.6.2.4. Workshops.
3.2.6.2.5. Storage and other secondary buildings
3.2.6.3. Water.
3.2.6.3.1. Potable.
3.2.6.3.2. Clean.
3.2.6.3.3. Gray.
3.2.6.3.4. Sewerage.
3.2.6.4. Plants.
3.2.6.4.1. Perennials.
3.2.6.4.1. Annuals.
3.2.6.5. Soils.
3.2.6.5.1. Enrichment.
3.2.6.5.1. Uses.
3.2.6.6. Animals, insects, fungi.
3.2.6.6.1. Domestic.
3.2.6.6.2. Wild.
3.2.6.7. Communications and transportation.
3.2.6.7.1. Roads.
3.2.6.7.2. Transport vehicles.
3.2.6.7.3. Connections in the property.
3.2.6.8. Healing.
3.2.6.8.1. Nutrition.
3.2.6.8.2. Energy work.
3.2.6.8.3. Meditation.
3.2.6.8.4. Massages.
3.2.4. First steps.
3.2.5. Time stacking of tasks and plants.
3.2.6. Time table.
4. Sharing the benefits – after all we are here to help.
4.1. Surplus of goods.
4.2. Health help.
4.3. Information help.
4.4. Art.
5. Literature and ideas used.
5.1. Permaculture design.
5.2. Fukuoka natural farming.
5.3. Eco buildings.
5.4. Energy healing.
5.5. Nutrition.
5.6. Meditation.
5.6. Self sufficiency.
A PARADISE GARDEN PROJECT
Stage two.
This project is conceived to be developed in five stages.
Stage one: Master plan for a paradise garden. This is the absolute basic structure on which we are going to build the whole thing. This plan is composite only of categories and subcategories. They are not arranged in time or by priority they are just there to ensure that in the process of work we are going to pay attention to each and every one of them. They are not explained because this will be part of stage two. In the process of work changes in the master plan may occur. They are welcomed since they will change the plan for the better. But the intention is to keep this plan as simple as possible. This plan is a product of our knowledge and our vision about what is important for this project. It gathers all our experience and research that we made relevant to this idea. That is why it is natural this plan will change with the time, because our knowledge and understanding are changing.
Another analogy that I want to suggest is to imagine the whole project as a living thing. Let’s take human for example. This plan is like the categories of tissues that we have in the human body. We have bones, muscles, fats, blood, organs etc. The first stage is to show how many types of tissues we have to work with, so that we don’t forget any of them in the process of designing a human. There is no explanation about how these tissues interact, how they work. It is just a list of important things.
It is not very clear how much time this stage took us. To write it down it was a few days. But to evolve our ideas and gather the knowledge, it was all our life so far. May be we should mention the last two years of extensive research. We are still learning.
Stage two: Explaining the project. This is the current stage. In this stage I’ll try to explain every category from the master plan. In my estimation this stage will take few months to be completed. I don’t think I can explain everything I know about this stuff but I’m going to try to explain at least some parts. Here only theory will be explained; the practical examples are going to be presented in stage three. A lot of additional research will be made to back up this stage with a lot of links, references, quotes and statistics. Here I want to stress that I’m not saying the ideas and points of view covered here are absolutely the best ones, the only ones, the proper ones. I’m just exposing the principles and the ideas with which this project will work. My believe that these are good ideas and principles to work with is purely personal thing and I’ll try not to impose it on you. The structure of this stage will keep the initial structure of the master plan so it will be easy to navigate and find all we need. This stage will keep us on track with the principles, ideas and practices we want to use in this project. It will be used as a reference in decision making afterwards together with stage three. Again as with every part of this project this stage will evolve with time this includes new paragraphs or changing of old ones. I’ll use the analogy with the human body used before. So if the master plan from stage one is a list of tissues that build a human body, then this stage is here to zoom in deeper in to the structures of the tissues, to explain how they work, what kind of principles are operating. What kind of building elements compose these tissues and how they interact. On the other hand to zoom out and see how the different tissues can work together in harmony to create the whole body. So basically this is a users manual for creating a paradise garden.
Stage three: Developing an exemplary (fictional) project. A lot of examples. Theoretical case studies. The idea of this stage is to show some of the possible connections between different categories from the master plan or even the connections between the elements in the same directory. There will be one theoretical fully developed project of a paradise garden but also there are going to be extra examples of how different connections can be changed to show how this will influence the outcome of a system. This will be a huge stage taking in to consideration that this will cover much more varieties than the real project from stage four. The idea is to show several different combinations which can be made with given number of elements in the system. Regarding the financial part of the project this will be a research based explanation of the available financial possibilities that we know of. I hope this part will be finished for several months, but I feel it easily can take more than a year. And may be a lot of other things will go in parallel with it. For example the next two stages could begin before this one is fully finished. I believe this is very important stage of the project for two reasons. One: for us to take firm grasp on the theoretical knowledge of design that we have. And two for you to see the possibilities that lay ahead of you and feel the flexibility of this approach towards life. To put it simple this is the exercise-book.
Stage four: Developing a real project. That is my favorite part. Developing a real project is really exciting and inspiring work. The imagination goes nuts and we create the best thing we can with all the love we have. Of course there is a lot of research and work to be done, but this time it is in the real world. There is a sense of accomplishment. Everything in this part of the project is very concrete. Everything is bent to fit in to the current situation, specifically designed to work with what is available on the site we have, with the people we have, with the ideas we have. This is a specific design which can not be implemented on another site. It could work if you try it on a very similar land, but it will never be optimal as it should be for this site. Here we will use the stage one plan as a guide, we will use stage two as a reference for the principles and ideas that we should follow and we will use stage three with its examples. A lot of practical research will be made. This part of the project will be ongoing process because the current situations that we face when working will teach us and we should be able to adjust our plan accordingly. This stage is super interconnected with all of the other stages. The plan for the work will be developed roughly for a six months period and most of the research should be done until that time, then the work can start. After that there will always be some changes in the ideas and the needs and the site that will change the plan but this is natural because that is how the nature works. One mountain can be created for les than a day and after that it is ongoing process of changing and evolving.
Stage five: Explaining the challenges and difficulties on the way. This will be a journal about the process of implementing the plan from stage four in the everyday life and the challenges that had occurred before that. Here will be mentioned some fine adjustments of the systems, some specific details, the difficulties and the joys that we stumble on in the process of creating a paradise garden. May be it will reflect some of our emotions and hopefully will show some spiritual growth. This part I think will be very helpful for the people which want to involve themselves in similar activities. They will have the idea how this style of living looks like and they will be able to take the right choice for their lives. Unfortunately this stage will last somewhere between 5 and 10 years, because it needs to reflect the whole process from the beginning to the achievement of certain level of self sufficiency. Of course some parts of it could be posted much earlier. This is because this stage has its beginning before even the stage one had started. So there will be a lot of things which need to be included in the journal before even the real project is started.
Please keep in mind that I am biased so inevitably this will influence this journal. Realizing that I’ll try to make it as objective as possible.
Hopefully in the end of this stage there will be a lot of happiness and joy in our harts and in everyone who is somehow involved in this project. The project will be accomplished and self sustaining and will produce growing surplus.
1. Finding the right place – will make our lives easier.
To find the right place for our project is not an easy thing. Of course we want the perfect place. But there are perfect places exactly as much as there are perfect people – none. Again we need to compromise with our strive for perfection.
If I must be honest, this project could manifest everywhere because it is based on ideas how to work with what is available on the site. If we already have a land which we could work on then we don’t need to look further. But in our case and I guess in many others the situation is different. We are looking for a place to purchase. And I want to stress place and not land. The land could be very good but if the surrounding area, or the community on that area, or the law, or whatever else don’t work for us and we can’t make peace with this irritant then this is not the right place for us.
Obviously in our society we are limited from the laws. Even if we want to live in the tropics, where implementation of a self sustainable project will be the easiest possible, we need to have the right to live there. We are limited by our citizenship. We could make some steps towards obtaining the right status in a country of our choice but usually this is a long, expensive and uncertain procedure. If we want to try this, great. But if we decide to stay within the boundaries of our country we still have a lot of choosing to do. There are different regions with different climatic characteristics in every country. There are municipalities with different laws and different societies within the country. So we need to choose where we want to start manifesting our project.
If we make the right choice we will enjoy the benefits of this decision season after season in the future. If we make a mistake… well we can still work with it and work on our perception.
We as all reasonable people want to enjoy easy life with abundant and diverse meals with not too much hard work, good climate, good health and with friends and neighbors which we love like our own family.
What we desire and what is possible sometimes are two different things. We need to stay on the ground and be realistic.
The decision where to live and create our project is very complex. It depends on several very important things: resources, law, health, family, ideology, skills.
Resources: there are areas in our country where it is cheaper to live and to buy land and there are more expensive areas. There are areas which need more maintenance for the land and there are easier to support areas. Based on our initial resource we could exclude areas which are too expensive for us. Or if the resource we are short of is time we could exclude the faraway areas and leave just the near by our home or work or whatever.
Law: If we don’t have the rights to live somewhere then obviously this is not the best place for us on which to build our project. If the regulation for the property does not allow building houses, or eco houses, or working the land if there are some kind of “preservation” status. Then this is not the best place for us.
Health: If you have some condition which will get worse on certain climatic conditions or in proximity to some species ant these irritants are present on the land then this is not the right place.
Family: If your family is far away from the place and you will travel long hours and spend vast resources to reach them often maybe this is not the best place for you.
Ideology: If your religion, ideas or lifestyle does not match with the community on the area where you are looking for a place then maybe this is not the right place for you. Also if your ideas can not be realized on that place do you want to live there?
Skills: A lot of harsh places demand diverse skills to manage your life there. If the place is demanding skills which you don’t have and you don’t feel like you are going to learn them then this definitely is not your place.
When you start to exclude all of the inappropriate areas and places you will be surprised how little if any available places are left. If there is at least one you are lucky men. If not, then the compromisations begin. Taking in to the equation of this decision the least irritating elements.
People are different and they want different things. I can not imagine what will be the desire of someone who has very different then my own perspective. Helpless to do so, I’ll state what is my vision for the perfect place.
I adore the tranquility of the nature. To hear only (or little others) natural sounds for me is of great value. So I prefer my place to be close to the nature and away from busy roads, airport, railway, factory, mines, and so on. Taking into account the non chemical ideas for the land I think the spots which will fit are places next to national parks away from the public entrance.
When I think about sustainability I want to develop this project beyond the self sustainable level. One of the great factors in sustainability is the climate. Ideally I want this project to be realized in the humid subtropical, mediterranean or marine west coast in its southern parts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate Taking into account the global worming and the extension of the droughts. I’m considering the northern marine west coast climate as a good option. These climatic conditions will ensure the least energy demand for heating, the least maintenance of the property and the widest variety of plants. This with the extension of the season will supply at least 9 months of fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables in the year. http://www.veggieharvest.com/Vegetable-Planting-Calander/zone-8-vegetable-planting-calendar/
Preferably I’ll enjoy mild climate with small volatility of the temperatures. If it is possible not to be soaking humid it will be perfect.
I detest violence and crime so I’m looking for a quiet place with honest people in low crime region. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Canada It will be good if the community in the area is friendly, supportive and open minded. After this entire project is for all. The surplus will be gladly donated for the good of all. The healing part of our project is especially designed for the society so hopefully the people will enjoy and benefit from it. I’ll be happy to make friends with my neighbors and to help each other all the time like one big family.
As we resides now in Canada, to satisfy these climatic conditions we don’t have much choice but to move to BC in particular Vancouver Island. And to find there the best place possible for the money we could gather.
Despite the fact that we are Bulgarian citizens too and the land in Bulgaria is much more affordable, we don’t consider purchasing land in Bulgaria because of the high crime rate and the uncertain political situation and ever changing laws and regulations.
In conclusion to find the right place for you is something very personal and unique. One should devote enough time for research and personal observation before the purchase of the land. This will pay off thousands of times in the coming years.
1.1. Finding the right area.
To specify our research here we should start from the biggest regions possible and slowly exclude the improper ones.
Where we can live? The answer of this question will reduce greatly the options from which we can choose. Usually we have citizenship in one or two countries. And most of the people are unwilling to move their location to a foreign country only to satisfy the climate conditions for example. Even if they are willing to change their country, again these are two countries to choose from. This means the greatest filter will be the citizenship we have. The next one will be the climate condition we want to live in. Usually people don’t want to live in harsh climate conditions. The good climate will give us the opportunity to grow much more plant and animal species. http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/# -hardiness zones of Canada. Plants for zone 7 http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_Zone_7 The maintenance of the property will be much cheaper in good climate zone than in a harsh climate. This is why usually we are looking to find the best climate we could. If we have such thing in our country we filter all of the rest and focus further our search. If we are not so lucky then we start compromising and develop our project at the best place we have. Anyway filtering to choose the climates which will suits us most will specify the greater area we should search in. In this big area there are lots of small areas. Of course we prefer to live in more natural area which is not far from the city to enable our connections, trade, and exchange. Also we want to live in a low crime area. And we are going to search for an area with regulations which will allow us to develop our project. This area should permit farming, building, recreation and so on. Again there is no such thing as a perfect area so we are going to compromise.
1.2. Finding the right community – neighbors are important.
Our neighbors are the people with whom we will live and interact in a daily basis may be for the rest of our lives. They are the people which could help in need and share the joy in good times. Contrary to the modern understanding of a mobile life we are talking for something much more permanent. We intend to live in this land for a long time and to develop ourselves, the land, and the community. If our neighbors are against our ideas and our project then this is not the right place for us. If they are open to us and think we have good ideas and we will contribute to the existing community then we can think of buying the land. Even if we are looking on that matter not in the personal relationship point of view but in more pragmatic, society, regulation and law point, still if our neighbors are against our believes and values they could cause great deal of troubles for us. But most importantly this project is designed to benefit all of the people not only us the creators. This means if we impose ourselves on a place where we are not welcome, we are going against the principles and ideas on which this project is based.
If our neighbors are welcoming and understanding there will be a lot of benefits for all of us. There will be a lot of work and goods exchange, trade, help, and shared joy in one stronger and bound community. Cooperation is exceptionally strong tool whit which great things could be achieved. We should never forget that and always try to improve our relationship with our neighbors. Even if people at first don’t see clearly our pure intentions, we shouldn’t lose our temper and react to provocations. Time will always show the good intent we have.
1.3. Finding the right property.
Filtering all of the available properties trough all of the above mentioned filters, in the best case there will be a several properties left to choose from. This is the final stage of the decision making process regarding our land purchase. I’m not going to repeat already pointed filters but I’ll try to point out some key things which should be taken into consideration when we chose the property. These final touches could contribute great deal to our future expenses related with this property.
Where the property is situated in relation to the landscape? This is extremely important question. For the temperate climate we have the following options.
Hilly sides: The best location of a property is not in the top of the hill nor at the bottom 30 to 60% of the high of the hill will be the perfect area. There just below some natural keypoint we should build the house to have the most energy efficient habitation. http://www.keyline.com.au/ Or as Bill Mollison expressed it in “An introduction to permaculture”: “Within this thermal belt, just below the keypoint, is where we site our clients” http://www.keyline.com.au/ (Where he is referring for the thermal belt formed from the trees above the keypoint towards the top of the hill.) The upper parts of the hills have extreme weather conditions. There are winds from all directions and there is no escape from the cold in the winter and the unforgiving sun in the summer. This will result in huge expenses for heating and cooling of our house. Not to mention that at the top of the hill there is no water reserves and droughts will be much more severe. If we place our house in the middle part of the hill below a keypoint we will have fresh water gathered from the hill above, which we can use for irrigation, fire control, fresh water for the house or whatever else we want. We will be protected in the shade of trees from the sun, the wind will be not more than a mild breeze in most of the time, the frost will go below us in the lower parts of the hill and in to the gully or the river bed. About the lower part of the hill Bill Mollisons says: “You are asking, How about building a house on a valley floor? There is nothing wrong with it if you want to make a specialty of freezing things. If that is what you want, then just down the valley, put a big belt of pine trees across it, and you can live in a refrigerator all your life, summer and winter.”
Plains: We prefer to have some elevation in our property. This is why flat plains are not the ideal solution. Elevation means we will be able to use the power of gravity to manage our property. With the right adjustments and the right elements and connections between them we could save a lot of work and money. We could use gravity feeding irrigation, adequate fire control, nutrient flow, production transportation and a lot more. We just need to be creative and use the energy flow of the property. If there is no elevation we have less energy to use. Still some small elevations could be used too. If we are in the plain one thing is curtain we will need a wind barrier. This will take time until the trees grow up; this is why we will prefer properties with already established wind barrier. The rule of thumb is the wind barrier will protect 3 times the length of its height. (Gaia’s Garden)
Forests: We don’t want to live in the forest. And we don’t want to grow fruits, nuts and veggies in the forest. If we do so we will have a mighty competition for our food in the face of the wild animals. This is why we will prefer a property which is close to the forest but not in to it. The forest is very beneficial for wildlife and beneficial insects, for wind protection, climate regulation, water holding and so much other things. So we want to be near by but not in the middle of it.
Water: We will benefit greatly from creek on the property. If there already is a developed land reservoir for water such as pond or marsh this will increase the diversity of the wildlife. Most importantly this could save us the cost of creating such thing by ourselves. The running water will give us tremendous opportunities to harvest the power of this flow. If we have a well on the property this is another good thing. These are things which could help us in our self sustainability plan and reduce greatly our expenses for water, electricity, transportation and so on. We could design our project according to these energy flows to make the most use out of them. Of course protecting the nature is the highest priority. Everything should be used without disturbing the natural rhythm.
Wind: If we have a lot of wind in our property we will need wind protection to start growing our plants. But on the other hand we will have a great source of power. We could use this power for producing electricity, irrigation, mechanical work and much more. The ideal situation will be if we have strongly defined and steady direction of the winds. This way we will be able to plan accordingly and use minimum wind protection but gaining a lot of power from the winds.
Vegetation: definitely site with grown up trees will be more attractive for us, especially if these trees produce food. The diversity of plant life is important because it will show a wide range of microclimates on the side. And this will allow us to grow wide varieties of useful plants.
Communications: Ideally the property should be not too far from a city. A lot of transportation expenses and time will be saved. On the other hand not too close to the city so we could avoid the pollution of the air, water, chemicals, noise. Crime is also important. In the rural area crime rates are much lower then in the cities. Our proximity with the city will ensure a good market for some of our production. And hopefully will bring some good people in our community. To distribute our production locally is important for our project and is deeply laid in the principles we follow.
We will prefer if the property have already established electricity and water lines. This could be a headache to deal with and expensive one too. In a perfect place there will be easy access to internet.
Ecology: Ideally we want this place to be far from any past, present or future contamination danger. A land surrounded by commercial farms which are heavily treated with chemicals is not the right place.
There is a financial gain in starting this project on an abused land. This will make the land more affordable. But after that we should take measures to clean the land from all harmful substances. This could take time and resources.
The four cardinal points: We all know that when you live in the northern hemisphere the best direction of the property is on a south facing slope. This will give the land maximum sunshine and the plants will have a boost. South west and southeast are next in the line. These locations will allow us to create one very efficient habitat. Of course we could work with any of the rest. Hopefully we are going to find land which have unobstructed solar flow from mountain tops or hills. It is really a shame when the first sunrays hit the property at 9 a clock. And there are such situations.
Soil: We prefer the soil to be rich in organic matter, not eroded, and not chemically treated - the perfect soil. There are no perfect things, so we should be glad with some reasonable compromises. Extremely poor soils will take several years to bring them back to fertility. This is why we should demand much lower prices for properties with poor soil condition.
Thinking about all these things and a lot more, we almost skip the feeling part. We should feel the land. This is the land with which we are going to work together in the future and we will spend a lot of time together. We should feel the land talking to us, communicating, like a living thing which actually is the truth. My point here is: we should spend equal amounts of time between thinking about is this the right place for us and feeling, blending, meditating about the same question. There is a lot of knowledge to be obtained if one allows oneself to feel the land.
2. Financing the project – standing on the ground.
We need resources to realize our ideas. It is great that we have good ideas, but that is not enough when you live in a society. So we are facing the need of money.
As it is shown below we need money mainly for two things. First to obtain the land at which we want to develop our project and second to develop the project and cover the expenses until reaching some form of self-sufficiency. If we have the money ourselves great! If that is not the case we are going to a journey, a journey to find them.
When I’m talking about money… I’m not talking about money… we don’t need the paper money if someone is ready to give us what we need for free or for something in return then great. So natural exchange is a good way to obtain a lot of the things we need. And donations are always welcome.
This is the part which is most unpleasant for me. But I’m trying to grow along this project and I’m developing a positive thinking about this matter. Still I’m trying to hold myself on the ground and be realistic about the chances and opportunities we have.
2.1, Financing the land – the best investment ever.
The first question here is why bother buying? We are talking for a lot of money to obtain the land and in most of the cases this is a big stretch for everyone involved. But we are looking to buy the land and not to rent it because we are going to invest a lot of time, money and love to develop the land so we want to be as sure as possible that we are not going to lose it.
Let’s make it clear, there are two ways to spend money. To spend for expenditures or to spend for capital. When you spend for capital this is called investment. The land by all means and economic laws is capital. Taking this in to consideration we are now going to talk about investments. Every investment is categorized by few parameters: Risk, Return, and Length. Basically investments are classified by their risk/return ratio or by their length. We have investments with high risk and high return; investments with low risk and low return; long term investments and short term investments. When one invests in land one is choosing long term, low risk, and low return investment. This is a good type of investment where the most money goes. On the market the big players invest long term low risk. It is always good to be with the big players in the wining team.
Here we are talking about over 10 year’s horizon of the investment. This is by all means is a long term investment. Especially when in the reality we are talking for much longer periods.
Why this is a low risk opportunity? The risks involved with land investments are much more predictable than the risks with any other investment. First natural disasters could diminish the price of our land: fire, flood, earthquake, and hurricane. We can lower a lot of these risks choosing the right property. We can diminish vastly the chances of flood and fire damage by choosing property in the areas which are safe from these disasters. We also can chose property away from active seismic zones and away from hurricane areas. Even if we don’t take in to consideration the location of our property still big natural disasters are rear. So compared to any other investment the land will stay the lowest risk opportunity.
Second is the real estate market prices can go down. Let us for a second look at this possibility. The world trend of the land prices is going up. It is going up because there is a limited amount of land and constantly growing population. This limited amount of land is not static, it is diminishing. It is diminishing because the constant rising level of the oceans is turning good land to an ocean floor. Also a lot of land is polluted every year and is no good for any use anymore. The deserts are expanding turning more and more good land in to bon dry windy waste. And on top of all that the earth population is rising constantly, this turns more and more land into construction ground. When we have a diminishing land and constantly rising consumers it is a no-brainer where the price of land is headed. Even if we have some drawbacks on the prices of land in the short term market, the long term picture is quite clear. And this is a long term investment so we should thing in long term manner.
Is it a low return investment? Well that depends. Taking into consideration the trend of rising land prices if we thing in a long term perspective it could turn quite a lucrative investment. This is because the processes we are discussing here are exponential and with time they will collect great strength. But this is only the fluctuation of the average land price. This means if we buy the land and wait. The good thing in our project is that we are not going to sit around and wait for the market to raise the price. The whole project is based on an infinite improving the qualities of the land we have. Any land which is worked in an ecological manner will improve its qualities greatly until reaching its full potential. This will be especially noticeable in the first years of development up to the 10-th year and after that it will continue with slower pace reaching eventually the full potential of the native land and above. The new state of fertile soil and abundant vegetation, disease free crops and diversity of species, abundant water and wind protection will increase the price of this land dramatically. This is one of the reasons why it is advisable for us to look for somewhat abused and derelict land which we can purchase at a lower price. This will give us huge advantage in financial aspect. It will be easier to gather the money for the purchase and we will be able to increase the price of this land for a relatively short time with a good percentage.
Dividends – the dividends that we are going to have every year are somewhat hard to grasp and explain but for sure are numerous and abundant. The best part is that they do not diminish the price of our investment on the contrary. To point out few of them, lets say that the amount of a rent for an accommodations which we are going to need and we are not going to pay is a huge dividend, all the food produced on the land will support our nutritional needs instead of buying from outside, all the fuel we produce on land will be a dividend, all of the energy we produce is a dividend, all of the water we collect and use not from the tap is a dividend and so one and so one. All of these things are secondary product of developing the land. So the land – our investment will go up and our dividends will become more and more with time to the point when we have surplus of the dividends and beyond.
Here I’m talking only about the financial benefits of investing our money in land. All other kinds of benefits - our improved health, constant source of secure and good healthy food, quality of life, ecological benefits, residential benefits, friendly community and so much more – I hope I’ll be able to point out somewhere else in this project.
2.1.1. Personal finance.
2.1.2. Personal loan.
2.1.3. Government financial aid.
2.1.4. Municipal financial aid.
2.1.5. Corporative financial aid.
2.1.6. Financial aid from eco organizations.
2.1.7. Financial aid from friends.
2.2. Financing the process of development – should be easy.
2.2.1. Self financing from surplus, crafts and art.
2.2.2. Self financing from seminars, education, healing.
2.2.3. Self financing from advertisement.
2.2.4. Volunteer help.
2.2.5. Personal finance.
2.2.6. Personal loan.
2.2.7. Government financial aid.
2.2.8. Municipal financial aid.
2.2.9. Corporative financial aid.
2.2.10. Financial aid from eco organizations.
2.2.11. Financial aid from friends.
2.3 Self sufficiency and sponsoring related initiatives – the bright not so distant future.
3. Creating the Plan – breaking the whole and reassembling it back.
3.1. Research of the property – knowledge is power.
To know our property is important. I can not stress the immense importance of this. Land is like people each piece of land is unique. To manage the land well and to manage people well you need to know them first. So how to get familiar with our land is a very important question. Below I’ve made a list of the most important aspects which we must cover. But any knowledge is important. When we know well our land we will be able to work with the nature and not against it. Nature is mighty player in the game of changing the land. So we want to be sure that we are in the same team.
The knowledge of the property will help us in several ways:
First, this whole project is based on the idea of reducing our ecological footprint on the earth. We want to restore earth to be as wild as possible but still to be able to sustain human population in the same time. We are trying to make the least possible changes to the natural flow and ecological succession http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_succession. Knowing our land will help us to take steps in the right direction towards natural and ecological development. Taking steps in this direction will bring the land to the closest possible condition to the natural state at which it should be if there was no human intervention. We just help nature to recover to its prime with some changes which will allow human habitant to enjoy the goods which nature provides. All of this will not be possible if we don’t know anything about our land. We need to know the local vegetation, the native species in all kingdoms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(biology) , the native state of the soil, native succession rates and speed and so on. The more we know the more we can help this land to be close to its native state. The nature is extremely tough and adaptable so our mistakes will be forgiven. But if we help with the right things the speed of recovery will be amazing.
Second, the financial benefits of this knowledge about the land are huge. Knowing the local area and knowing the needs of the society in the area will help planning what kind of goods we want to produce. This in turn will fit nicely with the local economy, will reduce the ecological footprint on the planet by cutting back on transportation and will bring good profits from our trades. And this is only the obvious implementation of research over this land. The more deep knowledge will bring us to discovery of the natural resources available on our piece of land. We can discover very good conditions for some specific high value crops, or we can find some valuable clay, or we can find valuable energy resources like wind, sun, water flows, we can find an extremely pleasant view which could be a recreational gold mine. We can find a lot of things if we keep our minds open how to use the resources we have on the land and not trying to change them to something else. We can be lucky enough to find some rear species on our property and we could participate in a program for protection of this species. But to discover these things we need to research our land and to watch with wide open eyes.
Third, inputs of energy and time for development and maintenance could be greatly reduced if we know the natural flow of energy in the site. We could make our own electricity form water, wind, sun, geothermal or bio power. We could plant trees and build our buildings according to these flows. We can focus, disperse or channel the different flows of energy on our site. We can diminish our watering to zero by planting the right species at the right place. We could stop tilling the land if we manage the soil properly. Basically if we do things right as time passes less and less work will be needed and more and more production will be available. The work will be put on gathering the gifts of nature. To use the nature to do the work is only possible if we have deep understanding of the nature, its elements and the connections between them.
This is why we need to research our land as much as possible. The more we know the better.
3.1.1. Research of the history of the property.
To research the history of our property will give us quick and valuable information about the dangers and privileges of our site. We need to find a neighbor or a few neighbors which has been living in this neighborhood for long time to know enough about the place. There is nothing like the first hand information from experienced man. Of course we should be careful to take only the facts from our conversation and skip the assumptions born in the mind of our teller. I think there are quite nice people everywhere which will be happy to tell you the story of your property (and of course their own) over a bottle of wine or beer in the local pub or restaurant.
What was the use of the land before our time? Was there any chemicals used in the management and if it is possible what kinds of them? How the place looked like before anyone started using it? Were there any major disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods, landslides or any others in the past? Was there any infestations or diseases? When is the last frost? When is the first frost? How is the water management in the area, how much precipitation there is for a year, when is the dry period? What is the predominant direction of the wind in all of the seasons? Where the hot and cold winds are coming from? What kinds of crops are well grown here? Which are the best nurseries, stores and so on in the area? Are there any specific land regulations in the area? What kinds of animals are common for the area? Does anyone have a planting calendar for the area? http://www.veggieharvest.com/Vegetable-Planting-Calander/zone-7-vegetable-planting-calendar/
These are some of the important questions that first come in mind. But anything could be important. We should take as much information as the teller is ready to give us. This information will help us focus our research more extensively in some areas than in others. This information will help us plan our planting schedule and species so that we can avoid freezing or infestation, to prevent erosion or to counteract some chemicals which reside in the soil from previous use. Whatever we learn we should double check with the scientific facts about this region. If we could find few people to tell us about the past of our property and the region this will be great. Drinks are on us.
This research is one of the first which we should do. If it is possible to be done before we buy the land it will be perfect. This way it could help in our decision making about purchasing the land.
3.1.2. Research of the climatic conditions in detail.
For the creation of good plan for development of the property we will need to know a lot about the weather. Weather forces should be considered as energy flows. We could use them for all the energy we need and we must take them into consideration in our plans.
3.1.2.1. Firs the gross understanding of the climate zones in which we are situated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate The description will give us an idea what to expect. Also the hardiness zones are into this section. http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/ this will give us idea what kind of plants will be possible to grow.
3.1.2.2. Second is the more intimate knowledge of our property. Are we situated on the dry or on the wet side of the mountain for example? What is the behavior of the cold and the hot air? May be the cold air is kept longer at our site or may be we have a heat trap situation. This microclimatic situation could drastically change our plans especially for the plants. It is possible the microclimate to fluctuate within 2 hardiness zones. This makes huge difference in the diversity of species we will be able to plant.
3.1.2.3. What are the prevailing directions of the winds? Hot winds and cold winds in all seasons. What is the average and maximum speed of the wind in each season? We can use wind power for electricity, for irrigation, for trimming, for heating, for cooling.
3.1.2.4. How much precipitation do we have? Do we have dry season and wet season? Is the precipitation from snow or from rain? This will give us directions for proper water management on the property. It will help in the decision of the size of the water storages, the plants species we are going to use, the erosion protection needed, the drainage needed and so on.
3.1.2.5. Temperature. What is the minimum – maximum range for the day on average, for the month? It is extremely important to know when the first and the last frost for the year are. The first and last frosts are important for the planting calendar for all annual plants we are going to grow. Temperatures are strongly related to the diversity of species we will be able to use in our design. The climatisation of the building is a key factor in the design and it is a function of the outside temperatures.
3.1.2.6. How much sun do we get on our property? Usually this is measured by hour of sunshine day by day and for the year. What is the angle of the sun in the winter and in the summer? Time of sunrise and sunset. We will use the sun as a major energy source for electricity, heating, cooling, processing and so on. We need to know the angles in the winter and the summer to use them when we design our sun protection or sun gathering elements.
These things are extremely important for us, they will enable us to create design with maximum efficiency. We should seek the most reliable sources for this information. Usually the local government organizations will hold the most reliable data for the region. But our neighbors will have first hand experience. If we find someone who is keeping a personal record for these things it will be extremely valuable. They will be exactly for the place we are at, not for the whole region. Sometimes conditions may vary greatly from property to property. It is important if the climate is changing what is the direction of the trend.
3.1.3. Research of the existing resources on the property.
Everything is a resource. If we manage to use our existing resources we will dramatically increase our self sustainability level. When we approach our property with an open mind and open eyes and we intentionally look for ways to use everything in the property in the best possible way, we will find a lot of resources.
I’ll make some examples to make it clear how important ant beneficial this research could be.
Example 1. We may find some kind of plant on our property which thrives there. We could research how we can use it and instead of planting something else on its place we can use the existing plant and its ability to grow on our property. This could be very good if we have some kind of commercial plant or if we can transform it to something we can market. For example fennel is a weed but is also a food seasoning. If we have a lot of it on our property we can try to sell it on the market. And the next year without any efforts there will be the same amount of fennel in our garden.
Example 2. We could find some very special kind of clay under the topsoil. It could be valuable for pottery and we could find a good market for it. Even if we have nothing special we can use the earth to build houses or other buildings on our property, Cob houses for example or rammed earth or earth bags. If we do not gain at least we will safe considerable sums.
Example 3. If we have a creek on the property we can use it for irrigation and for electricity, maybe even for transportation. This will give us a lot of self sufficiency and we will save on bills.
Example 4. We could have natural water storage in our property. Instead of draining it and filling it with earth we can use it to grow aquacultures and fish, or we can use it as water storage for the summer months.
Example 5. If we have strong unidirectional winds crossing our property we can use them as a source of electricity, heating and cooling. If we have weaker winds in multiple directions with a good design we will be able to cool or heat our house in the different seasons. We will save on bills or even gain some if we produce more electricity than we need and export it to the power grid.
Example 6. If we have a lot of sun we can use it as a power source for electricity, cooling, heating, processing goods and changing the microclimate. If we have a lot of sun and make heat traps in our design there will be areas in our property which will support plant species from 1 or 2 higher hardiness zones. If we have less sun and more cool spots we will change our design in the direction of more cold loving species.
Example 7. May be our property is the perfect place for recreation. We can open a camp and gain a lot of popularity and profit. Also we will bring a good place for a vacation for the local people and they won’t travel as much as before.
Example 8. Maybe we have some rear species on our property and we will be able to apply in a program for protection of endangered species. This will bring us some income and we will just enjoy the nature taking its course.
Example 9. Maybe we have huge oak trees. We can use them to grow boars and other animals with the free food provided by these trees.
There are endless possibilities. We just need to examine our property very carefully before we start changing things around. This could make all the difference in our workload, our expenses, our profits, and our lives. It is important to remember all the time that we are looking to design with the nature and around the given situation. The least change should bring us the best result. And this research once started will never end. As we cultivate the land we will gain more intimate knowledge. The changes we are going to make will bring new connections between elements and new resources. We should examine our property for unused resources on a regular basis.
3.1.4. Research of the species. /plants, fungi, insects, animals/
There are several very important reasons for this research.
Firs, it is important to know the existing species because they could be endangered. If we have such species on the property we should do everything possible to protect them. Also we can apply for a government help for the protection of these species. http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm - Species at risk public registry for Canada
Second, we can use the location of different species to locate different micro climates. For example when we know the preferences of the different plants we could determine where on the property we have more water in the soil and where the soil is dry, we will understand where the soil is rich and where poor, where are the warmer and colder areas.
Third, the plants in our property show us if there is some kind of nutrient deficiency in the soil. Specific species will emerge on those places to fill this gap. Instead of waiting several seasons before the gap is filled we could add the needed nutrient and speed up the process of healing of the soil.
Fourth, we should monitor the diversity of species on our property if we increase the diversity we are doing the right things, if the number of species is decreasing we are doing something wrong.
Fifth, this research intersects with the research for the resources on our property. We can’t use something if we don’t know we have it.
Sixth, we should work with nature, this is one of our major principles in this project. We should have knowledge what the nature is trying to do with this land before we come in. The nature intent is evident if we examine the different species on our property. After we know the situation, we can help nature to speed up the process of healing.
Of course even if we have the time and resource it will take us hundreds of months to make somewhat detailed study. This is not our purpose. We need to know about the common things the plants, insects, fungi and animals which we can’t ignore, the obvious ones.
3.1.5. Research of the soil in the property.
The qualities of the soil on our land are extremely important for this project. We strive to improve the soil with all natural means possible. We need to know the current qualities of the soil if we are going to interfere. High quality soil will provide strong and disease free plants. This in turn will improve the productivity of our garden. There will be no need of any chemicals for fertilization or pest control. The plants we grow are going to be with high quality provided their growth medium (the soil) is good.
The soil is also important for other elements in our project. The water holding capacity of the soil will be very important when we are trying to calculate how big water storage unit we are going to need. It is important for the type and frequency and quantity of the irrigation. The acidity of the soil is important for the type of plants which are going to grow well on this land. We will need to know the composition of the soil if we are going to build cob buildings, if we are going to make rammed earth buildings and so on. If the soil is contaminated or polluted we must know about that and take the proper cleansing techniques. Also soil as everything else is a resource. Examination of the soil will intersect with the resource research. The soil could be completely different on few meters distance. This is why the best way for examination will be to make simple tests of the soil on a cross points of a grid system and one or two laboratory tests. It will be good to check the depth of the topsoil level every year. If it is increasing then we are doing things right, if not then we must review our actions. If it is possible to examine the soil of the property before the purchase this will be most beneficial. Poor or contaminated soil could drag down the price of the property. If the soil is polluted heavily we can reject the property.
3.1.6. Research of the energy flows in the property.
Energy flow is a wide term and this is the idea of this point. To discover the energy flows in the property we need to merge with the place. To merge with all of the elements and discover what kind of forces are moving around, from where to where, when, why, what are the consequences and what are the causes. It could be very material like direction of the prevailing wind, the gravity, the slope, the water movements, a creek, the sun, animal corridors, plant invasions, nutrient transport, and so on. It could be settle and thin like the energy from the tree, the energy from the earth, the energy of the place, ing/yang, feelings, healing spots, meditation areas, activity zones, passive zones, and so on. To develop this sense of the property we should spend time on it. Time without thinking about anything else, just for blending with the place, feeling, watching, learning. These instructions are not very concrete but there is no concrete method for this. We should be flexible as much as possible, receptive.
It is extremely important for us to start this research as soon as possible. It is very important to place the elements in our design on the right spot. There are rules for that but there is a feeling too. And if we can close one eye for the rules we are wide open all of the time for our feelings. We are complex beings and we know much more than we realize. Most if not all of the time if we listen to our feelings about something and act according to them later on we will find what was the reason for this and we will understand this was the best decision. We should make a distinction between what we feel really from inside and what we-think-we-feel.
This process of merging with the property will continue all our life. But we should start as soon as possible to avoid making unfortunate mistakes.
If we look on the material part of this subject we will discover a lot of energy flows we can use. May be for production of electricity, maybe for mechanical power, for transportation, for heating, for cooling, for nutrient distribution, for irrigation, for storage, there are unlimited possibilities everywhere we just need the knowledge how to work with the potentials.
If we look at the more fine energies we can situate our elements on the most beneficial places. We can change and direct these energies with our actions, the elements we create and place here and there, we can strive for harmony. There will be harmony and good energy exchange with the surroundings, people, animals and plants will be happy, healthy, and strong. The healing center will bring huge benefits for all visitors. The place as a whole will be easy, bright and right.
3.1.7. Research of the local market.
This research will give us the answer which goods are imported and there is lack of producers in the local market but still there is a high demand for them. Then we can choose which of them are going to be suitable for production within our plan.
Researching the local market will give us an early edge against financial independence and financial difficulties in the future. If we manage to grow or produce the goods which are short in our local community we will have the opportunity to gain substantial profits from our trade. Of course the long term vision should demand some forecasts for the development of the local market. Producing the needed goods at the spot will give us the luxury of near zero transportation costs. “By 2007, international trade surpassed for the first time 50% of the global GDP...” “About half of the global trade takes place between locations of more than 3,000 km apart.” http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/conc5en/ch5c2en.html This means transportation is accountable for around 50% of the cost of the products. If transport could be saved the profits for the producer will rise substantially. Distributing local goods on the market is much easier than imported ones, especially with the rising awareness of the society for “local produce” and “food miles” concepts.
Profit however is only one of the positive things. The ecological damage from transportation will be zero. And on top of that with producing wide range of goods in our local community we will increase the stability and durability of the local economy.
The social connections developed during this research are going to be of great benefit in the future.
This research will be most beneficial if conducted in the early stage of development of our plan but it is not critical for the project.
3.1.8. Research of the local regulations.
We live in society and we must know the rules of this society. This is why we should make a research about what is expected from us in the society where we intend to develop our project. The local authorities are going to be quite happy to give us instructions where and what we should read about the local rules and regulations. And these rules are going to be one of the things we should take in to consideration during the design and implementation process of our project. It is important to understand before we buy the property if our minimal demands are met from the property and from the local society regulation. Is it allowed to rise animals and work the land, how many buildings can be build on the property, is there a regulation about alternative sources of electricity, how many people are allowed to be on this property as residents or guests at any given time, do we take the responsibility if incident happened with someone from the visitors, do we have the right to sell our production and under what circumstance, is there a regulation about eco buildings, regulation about compostable toilets, and so on. Of course the local taxes and the taxes for the property are in this category.
The rawer but more important part of this research we are going to make before we buy the property. But there will be need for more research in depth in the later times. Some of the municipalities have a website so we can start from there but sooner or later we need to go to the town-hall and present our project in my opinion the sooner the better.
3.2. Creating plan for development – creative and flexible.
3.2.1. The end goal.
3.2.2. The principles we follow.
3.2.3. How the project will look when it is completed.
3.2.4. Prioritizing.
3.2.5. The plan.
3.2.6.1. People.
3.2.6.1.1. The core.
3.2.6.1.2. Friends.
3.2.6.1.3. Visitors.
3.2.6.1.4. Clients
3.2.6.1. Energy needs.
3.2.6.1.1. Electricity.
3.2.6.1.2. Fuels.
3.2.6.2. Buildings.
3.2.6.2.1. Homes.
3.2.6.2.2. Common buildings.
3.2.6.2.3. Healing center.
3.2.6.2.4. Workshops.
3.2.6.2.5. Storage and other secondary buildings
3.2.6.3. Water.
3.2.6.3.1. Potable.
3.2.6.3.2. Clean.
3.2.6.3.3. Gray.
3.2.6.3.4. Sewerage.
3.2.6.4. Earth work.
3.2.6.5.1 Ditches.
3.2.6.5.2. Ponds.
3.2.6.5.3. Swales.
3.2.6.5. Plants.
3.2.6.5.1. Perennials.
3.2.6.5.1. Annuals.
3.2.6.6. Soils.
3.2.6.6.1. Enrichment.
3.2.6.6.1. Uses.
3.2.6.7. Animals, insects, fungi.
3.2.6.7.1. Domestic.
3.2.6.7.2. Wild.
3.2.6.8. Communications and transportation.
3.2.6.8.1. Roads.
3.2.6.8.2. Transport vehicles.
3.2.6.8.3. Connections in the property.
3.2.6.9. Healing.
3.2.6.9.1. Nutrition.
3.2.6.9.2. Energy work.
3.2.6.9.3. Meditation.
3.2.6.9.4. Massages.
3.2.4. First steps.
3.2.5. Time stacking of tasks and plants.
3.2.6. Time table.
4. Sharing the benefits – after all we are here to help.
4.1. Surplus of goods.
4.2. Health help.
4.3. Information help.
4.4. Art.
5. Literature and ideas used.
5.1. Permaculture and design.
Gaia’s Garden – A guide to home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway.
Water For Every Farm: Yeomans Keyline Plan by by The Late P. A. Yeomans and Ken B. Yeomans
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
5.2. Fukuoka natural farming.
The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka
5.3. Eco buildings.
5.4. Energy healing.
5.5. Nutrition.
Super-nutrition megavitamin revolution by Richard A. Passwater
5.6. Meditation.
5.6. Self sufficiency.
5.7. Plants.
Plants for a future – Edible, medical and useful plants for a healthier world. - http://www.pfaf.org/index.php
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