Ready to go, help please

[Corn yr Afr]

The field dedicated to horticulture, orchard, soft fruits etc, is now ready for laying out and planting. Circa .56ha. Spring fed pond available for water supply.

I would like to do this in a permaculture way. But I don't know how to do this, I could do with help. I live in West Wales, near Aberteifi.

I am not very good on the philosophy side, (practical person) I've just decided to do it. I'm happy to do the grunt and buy the stock. I need to be told what to do or where to find this out.

Debs

[pebble]

Hi Debs, Hopefully someone in your neck of the woods will be along to talk from local knowledge, but in the meantime, what is it you are wanting to achieve by using permaculture? What's your understanding of pc already? Can you buy books if recommended? Access to a library? Do you have a local pc group?

Permaculture would usually apply to all the land you are managing, not just one field. Do you have time to observe what is happening there in terms of wind, sun, aspect, slope, soil, plant and animal life, seasonal changes etc? It's good to understand these things well before beginning planting.

What is the land and plantings for?

[Corn yr Afr]

I really must get around to introducing myself.

The horticulture field is part of our overall project. I run a smallholding, with a couple of breeding cows (AA), sheep (aiming for a Welsh Mountain mule), pigs (Saddlebacks) and various fowl.

The field is to provide food for the house, and some for the livestock. It is also being planted with a willow coppice for fuel. I'm using a raised bed (no digging) system, the bed being double the length of my arm. Probably 2 poly tunnels or the like, but that depends on the planners.

The house is to be done too. Trying for a turbine, and dependant on that, solars panels etc. Water from spring fed well.

We have a microscopic budget, but as we like to 'make do and mend where' we can, we're doing it. Anything new around here looks very odd. The dump is a haunt of ours, and if we can use others 'waste', then great.

What do I understand pc to be? Difficult, especially as I'm not 'PC', if you'll excuse the pun. Live without sc**ing everything else up. Long term big picture. Hope I don't upset anybody. Books? had a look in the library and they got some stuff in, but not practical advice. I really am a get on a do it sorta girl and time is getting away from me. I have to have this field operational (producing something) by next year. I have the livestock, great care has been taken to ensure they are suitable to climate, soils, feeds I should be able to provide myself, all high status health etc. No divas allowed.

Long term? Prove it can be done and not go broke. I want my market for meat etc to be totally local. I already use lamb, pork etc as 'money'. I've spent some time (and cash) taking the long route to improving the land, thanks to a member I've just started a green wood composting thingy. Didn't even know about it.

Watched the land for a full year before taking any action. Initial plan was Organic,(and still will be) but then I found out about you guys and it fits. On a very steep learning curve and I'd love help to stop me making any fundamental errors.

Debs

[JohnB]

The first step should be familiarising yourself with the permaculture design process. Here are a few links that might help:
http://www.self-willed-land.org.uk/perm ... rocess.htm
http://www.permaculture.org.uk/knowledg ... -designing
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bxyJ ... ss&f=false

You should also familiarise yourself with the ethics and principles. There are two versions of the principles, and these are the David Holmgren version.

Once you've worked through the above (it won't take long), there are various ways of working through the design process. There are various acronyms to help remember them, and OBREDIM is a popular one:
* Observation allows you first to see how the site functions within itself, to gain an understanding of its initial relationships. Some recommend a year-long observation of a site before anything is planted. During this period all factors, such as lay of the land, natural flora and so forth, can be brought into the design. A year allows the site to be observed through all seasons, although it must be realized that, particularly in temperate climates, there can be substantial variations between years.
* Boundaries refer to physical ones as well as to those neighbors might place, for example.
* Resources include the people involved, funding, as well as what can be grown or produced in the future.
* Evaluation of the first three will then allow one to prepare for the next three. This is a careful phase of taking stock of what is at hand to work with.
* Design is a creative and intensive process, and must stretch the ability to see possible future synergetic relationships.
* Implementation is literally the ground-breaking part of the process when digging and shaping of the site occurs.
* Maintenance is then required to keep the site at a healthy optimum, making minor adjustments as necessary. Good design will preclude the need for any major adjustment.

Sorry this is rather brief, and doesn't go into all the detail of how to actually create the design. You may well find more by searching the web. I'd need to spend more time than I can manage at the moment going into more detail.

[Corn yr Afr]

Thanks for those links, especially the last one. Given me the next tool. I now need to find out about the Guild Planting for this region. The types of plants etc that I can put together. Any idea where to go to find this out?

Asking the Organic people the same. I know the main layout and what is to go where, it's now filling in the details.

Debs

[JohnB]

Thanks for those links, especially the last one. Given me the next tool. I now need to find out about the Guild Planting for this region. The types of plants etc that I can put together. Any idea where to go to find this out?

I'd like to know too, but I'm further inland than you, in a valley, and probably on different soil (only 2.5% of Wales apparently), so it could well be totally different!

[Corn yr Afr]

Oh joy, know the feeling on that one. Speaking to the Organic Centre too, if I get any info there, I'll let you know.

[tinamou]

Hi Debs,

Off topic a bit, but a nice piece of writing by Paul Kingsnorth that just cheered me up :

One of Alastair’s contentions is that planning for a different future is not simply a case of thinking about tools, fuels or housebuilding techniques, but crucially depends upon building resilience both into real, geographical communities and into the human spirit; resilient human communities are the rock on which everything else is built.

http://www.dark-mountain.net/blog/

Good luck ! I thought there'd be hordes of permaculture designers queuing up to come and design your patch for you. Where are they all hiding ?

[Corn yr Afr]

Hiya,

How's you? It would be great, but a busy time of year. Just finished the first green wood compost heap. Steve's, girlfriends brother (you know how it goes) has started a bio composting plant, and I had a visit with him and learnt loads. It's an experiment, adapted to suit here and what I can get, but we'll see.

The sward lifting has worked well (if you exclude the water main fiasco) and I'm going to be able to produce enough hayledge to provide for the winter. Having to use a contractor, which isn't good, but I think thats better than buying in. Ethics get complicated don't they? Left the sward long enough to allow some to seed and drop, very pleased with one field, the wild flowers are great, treating this one very carefully.

Just about to be over run with piglets (fingers crossed) both saddleback sows are due to drop anytime now. I'm desperately hoping they have good markings, if they do, I've got work for the boar which will help with the bills.

Debs