I’ve upgraded the scale of permanence diagram. It’s a little more readable and a little more interesting to look at. See the tiny cows? I continue to see folks start their designs somewhere in the middle of the scale, being concerned with soil, vegetation or even aesthetics before they’ve considered climate, landform, water, or access. …
Author Archives: Milton
Advice for the New Permaculturist
I’ve herd people ask similar questions. Basically they amount to “I have dreams of permaculture, how do I pursue them?” The perennial permaculture advice is “it depends”. Every person’s journey is different. Take a breath. Then start looking around you. What is possible now? How can you start investing in yourself and your projects? What …
Meet Vulcan
Meet Vulcan, a katahdin dorper mix sheep. When he grows up he’ll be the ram of his flock. I’m hoping he’ll add a nice bit of genetic diversity, keep the future generations healthy.
A Glimpse of the Future
What will life be like in the future? We will mostly live by what is around us. Things that come from afar will be special. Tools, knives and raw materials. Probably some books and musical instruments. Food, shelter, energy, waste, water, would all be taken care of locally. That is my vision. One way or …
Heirarchy
Hierarchy is a type of control. It disrupt the natural order of things, usually using large quantities of energy to do so, placing the beings that are the object of control in a state of stress, which denies one or more of their needs, products, behaviors, or intrinsic characteristics, so that their usual outcomes accrue …
8 Forms of Capital & Pollution
8 forms of capital, originally published on Appleseed Permaculture and written by Ethan Roland & Gregory Landua in 2011, has become a core permaculture methodology. As an analytical tool it can help us map flows and exchanges between ourselves and the rest of the world. It broadens our focus from money alone, helping us see …
Rocket Stove Workshop 2021
Back when the pandemic was young I had planned to lead a rocket stove workshop at Symbiosis Ranch. Things being what they were it didn’t end up happening. Fortunately, the workshop is back on the schedule, for the weekend of September 18th & 19th. We’ll be putting a batch box rocket stove mass heater in …
Sheep Shelter
I finished up the new sheep shelter. Based on Justin Rhodes sheepshaw, it is a huge improvement over the beast that I originally created for them. There are still some tweaks to do, like mineral feeders, water buckets, and a windbreak but they can wait.
The Sheeple
Well, I’m a shepard now. My flock is small, just three ewes, but I’m also able to borrow three more to make it a larger flock. So far it’s been really satisfying. I head out to check on them once a day, making sure they have enough pasture, set up my next moves, check their …
Chickadees Sing Frank Black
I was out working at the coop and I was struck by the song of the chickadees. They would sing and then my head would fill in the Frank Black tune that I had just been listening to in the car ride over. If you’re impatient just skip ahead to about 4:00. The chickadees in …