Post by ReCOnnect Collective on Apr 25, 2015 13:00:47 GMT -7
(I copied and pasted the article, so we're missing the links)
VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE
Soil Amendment and Initial Off-grid Site Preparation
This page shares a large-scale soil amendment and initial off-grid site preparation strategy. It covers surveying, site selection, soil preparation, swale creation, initial planting and more for improving 3 acres of low-quality soil, enough space to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year. We are open source sharing this comprehensive soil amendment and land preparation strategy because we know that doing so will significantly increase the land options for people seeking to grow their own food. As we arrive on the property and start preparing it, this page will evolve with open source videos, updated labor investment details, cost analysis details, and all other specifics needed to duplicate our efforts. It contains the following sections:
Related Pages
What is a Soil Amendment Strategy
Why Open Source a Soil Amendment Strategy
Surveying the Land
Site Selection and Soil Assessment
Site Preparation (grading and rock removal, cover crop, fencing, etc.)
Planting: Hoop Houses | Seedling Starts | Open Gardens | Food Forest | Fruit and Nut Tree Grafting
Labor Projections, Tracking, and Updating
Additional Considerations
Resources
Summary
FAQ
RELATED PAGES (click individual icons for complete pages)
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WHAT IS A SOIL AMENDMENT STRATEGY
The One Community soil amendment strategy from our horticulturalist and botanist prepares a property of below-average soil to become a successful growing environment. It covers all aspects of the preparation process from surveying the land and site selection to fencing, grading, cover crop planting, composting and more. This is being done for the following three key areas of our food infrastructure:
Large-scale Gardens
Hoop Houses
Food Forest
Ideally, the initial soil amendment and property preparation team will begin with 15-18 people including 2 permaculturalists, a general contractor, an architect, a civil engineer, a survey team, a soil scientist, a hydrologist, a botanist, and a horticulturalist. For our open source goals, we will also include a videographer and one web designer/open source tech on the initial team; coordinating the bulk of the open source design and sharing through the rest of our team off-site. The second arrival of participants (4 weeks later) will consist of the remainder of the Pioneers and, due to the comprehensive nature of our open source goals, include the additional essential skill sets of 1-2 heavy equipment operators for the backhoe and excavator, 4 well versed in carpentry, 2 with electrical, plumbing and mechanical backgrounds (with knowledge of pumps and pump capabilities), and an experienced mechanic to keep all our equipment running (heavy equipment, vehicles, and small engine service & repair). Everything this team does will be open source shared by as as a strategy and blueprint for others to use too.
WHY OPEN SOURCE A SOIL AMENDMENT STRATEGY
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentOpen source sharing a comprehensive soil amendment strategy is essential to helping people create food self-sufficiency. We feel our strategy for doing this on enough land to feed 100 people within 1 year is essential to our global-change methodology and self-replicating teacher/demonstration community, village, and city approach because it significantly increases the options for people seeking to grow their own food. In developing this approach we are bringing together the best of the best with the intent to evolve it indefinitely through global collaboration and input.
SURVEYING THE LAND
Surveying the land is the first step of the soil amendment process and it will commence during the 1st week of us owning the property and continue intermittently throughout the project even after the initial survey. We will do this for contours and possible increased resolution of the contour map for swale planning and other earthwork, identification of building sites for POD 1 and The Duplicable City Center, and locating water holding tanks and planning other water infrastructure.
SITE SELECTION & SOIL ASSESSMENT FOR PLANTING
We have calculated 3 acres will be necessary for food production capable of growing enough food to feed 100 people within 1 year. We will also begin with a small amount of rabbits, chickens, and goats. Site selection to accomplish both our short-term and long-term goals will be for large-scale gardens, hoop houses, and food forest creation. Here are the important criteria:
Open area with good solar exposure
Deep well drained soil (or drainage improved through ripping)
Land that is more or less level (or gently sloping) so it can be contoured into growing beds
Water access; source location? Can it be gravity fed or is a pump necessary? What is the pH level? Is there a site for a holding tank?
Avoid low lying pockets where cool air may settle and have adverse effects on crops as this will decrease the growing season
Once the specific sites have been selected, the next steps are to:
Conduct a perc test for drainage
Extract soil samples for a complete soil analysis (chemistry, organic matter content, etc.)
Create a soil profile by excavating a ditch for visual examination and conduct a specific soil survey
SITE PREPARATION
Once the specific growing sites are designated, the next step is identifying the need for the following (and implementing immediately):
Swales (will require surveying), grading, leveling, contouring, and rock removal by hand or raking
Soil preparation and amendment and implementation of short and longterm solutions
Cover crops sown to increase organic matter (depending on the time of year)
Orchard pruning (conducted in late winter/early spring February/March, temperature & weather dependent)
Install protective fencing and/or plant a green fence
Install irrigation as needed
SWALES
Swale creation is part of the One Community water conservation plan, large-scale garden strategy, and food forest design. In addition to water collection off all the structures of One Community, we will also open source project-launch blueprint the effectiveness and value of swale creation for land restoration, food forest establishment and support, and greywater processing.
For those that don’t know, a swale is a ditch and berm system designed to halt overland water flow and maximize water infiltration. The design calls for a ditch to be excavated along the contour lines of a property such that the ditch is always following the level contour of the land. The soil excavated from the ditch is moved to the downslope side to form a berm. It is important to make sure that the top of the berm is level, in order to prevent accumulated water in the swale from finding a low spot and washing out the berm. The entire area is raked smooth, mulched, and densely planted with a broad mix of annual and perennial species. Note: In dry climates it may be necessary to irrigate the plantings until the first rain event, or until the plantings take hold.
A properly designed and constructed swale accomplishes a number of important functions. First and foremost is the retention in the landscape of the maximum amount of precipitation or inflow. As the infiltrated water moves down and out through the soil profile, it enables the growth of trees and other plants upslope and downslope of the swales that would not otherwise survive on the site. The tree cover in turn shades and mulches the swale, maintaining and enhancing the infiltration; as the trees grow, their roots help guide moisture ever deeper into the soil profile. This synergistic feedback loop makes possible the reforestation or afforestation of even the driest regions. The system is expanded with additional swales upslope and downslope across the landscape.
It is important to understand that a swale is NOT meant to direct or divert the flow of water across the slope. Rather, the design and intention of a swale is to HALT the flow of water, so that it collects in the swale and has the chance to sink into the soil. Understanding the soil structure where a swale is being considered is important to achieve the aim of maximum infiltration. On most soils, the mulch layer starts the generation of the soils microbiota, which improves the crumb structure and drainage of the soil. In the case of clay, treatment with gypsum (calcium sulfate) followed by mulch, will help the clay flocculate and achieve percolation. In extremely rocky or shale situations, mechanically ripping the bottom of the swale with a dozer shank may be necessary.
As a swale establishes its associated habitat, an accelerated turnover in species composition is seen. The initial annuals and short-lived perennials are soon shaded out by taller, longer-lived trees and shrubs, which in turn are succeeded by slower growing climax forest species. At each stage of this evolution, niches are created for new species, and “edge” increases at the peripheries. Properly managed, each of these niches is an opportunity for developing an ever-widening array of yields.
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Tamera Eco Settlement Water Conservation Results: This Took Less Than 4 years
A VIDEO ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND THE ABOVE PICTURE
As the systems of multiple swales extend towards each other, the management of the interswale zone can be maintained as e.g. open meadow, agricultural field, home or village site, etc. Allowing these sites to be surrounded with swale-derived agroforest increases their soil moisture, reduces wind and evapo-transpiration, provides convenient access to wild foods, medicinal plants, and other forest yields. This approach brings Zones 3 and 4 closer to Zones 1 and 2 and, in the most well managed of instances can have truly transformational affects on the landscape as seen below.
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SOIL PREPARATION AND AMENDMENT
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentIn addition to swale creation, specific soil amendment strategies are essential too. One example is creating hügelkultur beds (in depressions and swales) from downfall, large limbs and other deadwood; an excellent amendment process. Place the wood in a natural depression (or dig out some of the soil) and cover the deadwood with soil; it can then be planted with vegetable crops (potatoes, zucchini, radish, peas, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, etc.). Here is a great graphic:
hugelkulture guide, logs for composting, soil amendment
North-side plantings seem to have better tasting crops according to Permies.com, it is said that the south and southwest side crops of a hügelkultur bed are slightly bitter. This process significantly reduces water requirement too. One limitation of using hügelkultur beds may be the lack of adequate soil for covering the beds, but that can be changed over time. Legumes planted over the hügelkultur beds will contribute nitrogen that would replace the tied up nitrogen in the initial construction of the beds. Wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen for composting. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from what we are growing. But well rotted wood doesn’t do this as much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in so much nitrogen that it is now putting out nitrogen! See this link for additional info: www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
Here’s a great hügelkultur video:
Chipping and shredding of dead wood, limb-ups from our ladder fuel removal of the fire prep work, pruning cuttings, corn stalks, etc. can all also be utilized for soil enhancement. Depending on the size of your chipper/shredder, you can run all possible organic matter through the machine. This soil enhancement is especially important for soils containing a high percentage of sand because a substantial amount of organic matter is necessary to enhance both water retention and soil fertility. Therefore collection of other existing organic material like leaves (from our deciduous trees), domestic animal manure (from goats, chickens and rabbits), and vermiculture compost should also be gathered and stockpiled in convenient locations to the growing sites.
WORMS
For longterm use, we will also construct worm bins from pallets to provide 3 bins/180’ of hoop houses, located at the 30’, 90’, and 150’ intervals. That will mean a maximum distance of 30’ to any bin from anywhere in the hoop house. Others will be set up in the orchard area for leaves, grass, and small twigs; as well as in the food forest for a quicker breakdown of organic matter so we can utilize it wherever needed. Composting of kitchen scraps and some cardboard/paper products will also be integrated short-term with longterm strategies including large-scale collection at the Duplicable City Center and development and use of vermiculture toilets.
COMPOSTING
Composting
The Layers and Stages of Composting
The process of composting all available organic matter, even if begun on the first days of occupancy, will not yield compost fast enough to help prepare the large-scale garden area for initial planting. It will, however, be an important contribution to soil fertility in subsequent growing seasons. The process of making compost, (as opposed to making humus, which many people mistakenly believe is compost) involves a series of steps and key formulae. The first step is particle sizing. Larger materials must be shredded or crushed into individual particles that are ⅛” to ¼” in diameter, in order to achieve a high surface area to volume ratio. These materials must then be blended in a ratio of between 1:5 to 1:4 of nitrogen:carbon. This means that one part of a nitrogen rich material such as green grass clipping, animal manures, green leaves, etc. is mixed with four to five parts of a high carbon materials such as sawdust, ground tree trimmings, shredded cardboard, etc. All materials must be thoroughly moistened as they are mixed- the final pile should be at “field capacity”, the level at which it will not soak up any more water, but instead begins to have water running out of it. A partial list of potential compost ingredients for kickstarting the soils fertility not mentioned above include:
Cotton gin waste ( but this must be tested for pesticide residues- cotton is heavily sprayed)
Lumber milling waste (bark and sawdust)
Grain mill waste ( rice hulls, wheat chaff, etc.)
Grass clippings
Spoiled hay
Slaughterhouse waste
Seaweed or freshwater algae
Bone meal
Granite dust
Mycorrhizal inoculants
The next key ingredient is oxygen. A moist pile of organic materials, with the correct nitrogen/carbon ratio, will heat up quickly from bacterial and fungal activity. These microorganisms require oxygen to live, so it is important that sufficient oxygen reach the interior of the pile to allow them to live and do the work of digesting the organic material into the target compost. This oxygenation is accomplished by turning the pile, making sure that the inner and bottom layers are removed and mixed with the upper and outer layers. Moisture levels are also checked and if necessary adjusted during turning, taking care to ensure that there are no dry spots developing in the pile that could overheat and begin to burn.
As the pile begins “cooking” it will attain temperatures in the 170-180F range. This should be monitored with a temperature probe. There is a staged series of particular organisms that are responsible for initial heating; these are actually suppressed or reduced by the pasteurization temperatures created in the pile, and another set of thermophilic (heat-loving) organisms begin dominating the pile. This is another reason that turning is important; to distribute and redistribute the organisms throughout and avoid a layering effect in which the core is fully digested, but the outer shell of the pile is still in a raw state. Another very important reason for oxygenating the pile is that if the cascade of composting organisms is deprived of oxygen and begin dying off, there is another group of anaerobic organisms whose population will bloom and begin to ferment the material. Signs of this are strong odors of sulphur or sewage. While this material can still be used as a soil amendment, it is of a different nutritional/chemical composition, and is not as useful for long-term soil improvement as aerobic “hot” compost.
COVER CROPS
Here's how it works...Due to on-site convenience and not having to transport materials from off-site, seed planting of cover crops (green manure) is a highly efficient multi-purpose and important management tool regarding the management of soil fertility and quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem. This will be a high priority in our soil preparation process and will consist of the following choices and volumes of seeds purchased from Territorial Seed Company (prices accurate as of June 2014):
Buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum). Recommended seeding rate: Sow 1 pound per 500 square feet; 50 pounds per acre. 150 lbs $375.45.
New Zealand White Clover (Trifolium repens). Sow 1/4 pound per 1000 square feet; 6–10 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $ 305.00.
Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis). Sow 1 pound per 1000 square feet. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $245.25.
Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum). Sow 1/4–1/2 inch deep spring, summer, or fall. Recommended seeding rate: 1–2 pounds per 1000 square feet; 30–40 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 150 lbs. $735.75.
Berseem Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum). Recommended seeding rate: 1 pound per 1000 square feet; 15–20 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $195.25.
Mammoth Red Clover (Trifolium pratense var. sativum). Sow 1/4-1/2 pound per 1000 square feet; 20 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $207.75.
Mighty Mustard Kodiak ( Brassica juncea). Sow spring to summer at ¼ pound per 1000 square feet; 6-10 pounds per acre. 25 lbs. $116.25
Groundhog Daikon Radish (Raphanus sativus var. niger). Recommended seeding rate: 3/4 pound per 1000 square feet; 10-12 pounds per acre. 25 lbs. $116.25
See the following links for additional information:
Cover Crops Basics | Territorial Seed Company Purchasing Info and More | Cover Crops on Wikipedia
FENCING
Here's how it works...The primary objective for fencing is minimizing wildlife crop damage. It should be constructed for easy transport of equipment and vehicles through gates and for the convenience of cultivation, harvesting, and maintenance; remembering to allow adequate space for maneuvering equipment at end rows. Complete fencing of a food production area able to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year will require 3 acres of fencing if all food acres can be located in the same area. Four or more acres may need to be fenced if maximally efficient growing turns out to be impossible. Fencing options include wire fencing, plastic mesh fencing/netting, and green fencing. Possible options for green fencing include caragana, sea buckthorn, prickly pear cactus, etc. where the density and thorns of the green fence act as a deterrent. A dense green fence also serves as a windbreak and helps combat erosion.
PLANTING
Once the site has been selected, analyzed, swaled and earthworked, soil profiled, fenced, irrigation installed, and cover cropped, we are ready to plant. The planting phase will happen in the following ordered steps:
Seedling starts
Hoop house construction
Planting of hoop houses
Large-scale garden planting
Planting of the food forest
Grafting and planting of fruit/nut trees
Large-scale-gardening-header
Click this Image for the Large-scale Gardening Open Source Hub
SEEDLING STARTS
Seedling starts should be planted as soon as possible using all available temperature controlled and well-lit space so that they are ready by the time hoop house construction is complete. They will be planted in the winter for both spring and summer planting and, once ready, they will be used in the hoop houses first and transplanted into the large-scale gardens and food forest later. Estimated space needs for seedling starters to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year is about 200 square feet (18.6 sq meters).
In the case of One Community, if we arrive mid-spring to summer a seed starter house will not be immediately needed and we would plan to have a 10′ x 20′ test version of the aquapini/walipini temperature-controlled indoor growing structures built and finished by mid winter; beginning work on it as soon as we have the outdoor gardens planted and estimating 1-2 months to complete it while focusing on all other infrastructure areas too. If we arrive late fall/early winter, we will try to have it completed over the winter or by early spring to use immediately. If for some reason we cannot get it built that first winter, we’ll just do the best we can with existing indoor space and count on the over planting of everything to compensate for poor soil, no seed house, inadequate arrival on property, etc.
HOOP HOUSE CONSTRUCTION
Hoop House, sustainable food, grow your own foodWe project 8 people working in two-person teams should be able to complete the construction of 18 hoop houses in less than 8 weeks. See the Hoop House Construction and Costs section of the open source hoop house portal for complete details on what a hoop house is, why they are useful, how to build them, how much they cost, smaller options, and more.
PLANTING & HARVESTING OF HOOP HOUSES
Hoop House Open Source Hub IconAs the hoop houses are completed, the next step is to begin moving in seedling starts (weather permitting) that will do better in the longer growing season environment a hoop house provides. As soon as possible thereafter, cool season crops will be transplanted along with the grafted rootstock into their permanent sites. Click the planting plan image below for the Complete Planting Plans for the 18 Hoop Houses section of the large-scale gardening open source hub:
Hoop house professional planting plan, one Community
Click Image for Enlargeable Maps and Our Page with Complete Plant Descriptions
PLANTING OF OPEN GARDENS
Large-scale Gardening Icon, food diversity, organic food, eco-living, grow your own foodAn earlier planting of cole crops will be followed by other crops. To assure we produce enough food to feed 100 people within 1 year, we will intentionally over plant the open gardens and use this initial planting as a gauge for following years and data collection for the One Community open source botanical garden model. Surplus produce will be preserved for winter use. Complete planting details for the large-scale gardens are included on the large-scale gardens page.
CLICK IMAGES FOR PAGES WITH COMPLETE PLANT DETAILS FOR EACH SPECIES
snap, dry, and wax beans, One Community
Beans
Carrots, One Community
Carrots
cole crops, one community
Cole Crops
Beets, One Community
Beets
Celery/Celeriac, One Community
Celery
Corn, One Community
Corn
Cucumbers, One Community
Cucumber
Eggplants, One Community
Eggplant
Alliums, One Community
Alliums
Lettuce, One Community
Lettuce
Peas, One Community
Peas
Tomatoes, One Community
Tomatoes
Radishes, One Community
Radishes
Potatoes, One Community
Potatoes
Squash, One Community
Squash
Peppers, One Community
Peppers
Melons, One Community
Melons
Parsnips, One Community
Parsnips
Parsley, One Community
Parsley
Turnips, One Community
Turnips
Oca, One Community
Oca
Mashua, One Community
Mashua
Ulluco, One Community
Ulluco
Mauka, One Community
Mauka
Ahipa, One Community
Ahipa
Maca, One Community
Maca
Arracacha, One Community
Arracacha
Sweet Potatoes, One Community
Sweet Potatoes
Cabacui, One Community
Cabacui
Chayote, One Community
Chayote
Wax Gourd, Winter Melon, One Community
Wax Gourd
Cassabanana, One Community
Cassabanana
Achocha, One Community
Achochas
Bitter Melon, One Community
Bitter Melon
Asparagus, One Community
Asparagus
PLANTING OF FOOD FOREST
food forest, growing food, great food, natural food, open source food, One Community food, Canopy, Understory, Vines, Shrubs, Herbs, Groundcover, Root Crops, Edge Plantings, organic food, delicious food, botanical garden, grow your own foodThe food forest plantings should be an ongoing process that is started as soon as possible. In the case of One Community, the food forest project will also be part of our open source botanical garden model and ultimately expand to involve 100s of acres functioning as both food production and ultra-abundant wildlife habitat. Complete planting details for the food forest are included on the food forest page.
CLICK IMAGES FOR PAGES WITH COMPLETE PLANT LISTS FOR EACH SECTION
Food Forest Canopy Plantings, One Community
CANOPY
Food Forest Understory Plants, One Community
UNDERSTORY
Food Forest Vine Plantings, One Community
VINES
Food Forest Shrub plantings, One Community
SHRUBS
Food Forest Herb Plantings, One Community
HERBS
Food Forest Groundcover plantings, One Community
GROUNDCOVER
Food Forest Root Crop Plantings, One Community
ROOT CROPS
Food Forest Edge Plantings, One Community
EDGE PLANTS
GRAFTING & PLANTING OF FRUIT/NUT TREES
Here's how it works...Grafting and planting of fruit trees will be the focus at the end of the planting phase along with food forest creation. Although many permaculturalists advocate planting fruit trees from seed, we feel water and climate may support flexibility around this idea when people are just getting started. In our case, the sub-optimal growing climate will be coupled with requiring supplemental irrigation on a fairly limited water budget (until water collection and swaling start to help). We feel it would therefore make more sense (in most cases) to plant and nurture a fruit tree of a known cultivar, rather than a seedling. As the years pass and the property develops an increased soil-moisture bank, and expands the above-ground vegetation, seedlings can then be used in outer zone plantings as pioneer trees. Initially, however, we recommend relying on food trees propagated from established cultivars (clones) whenever these can be sourced.
Essential action steps for grafting and planting of fruit and nut trees include:
Orchard location identification and/or dead orchard tree replacement plan if an orchard already exists
Surveying and inventorying/accessioning all other food trees and deciding what and when other trees will follow
Removal of dead trees property-wide and placing them into hugelkultur beds, with the smaller branches chipped
In the case where material is not available as pre-grafted or commercially available stock, ordering rootstock for the main species of fruit trees and grafting your various accessions at the site is recommended. Improved clones of some species that do not require grafting (e.g. Ribes, Rubus), or rootstocks that are difficult to find or very expensive, can be placed in stool beds for multiplication. This will enable your cost for planting stock to diminish annually, and may become a source of revenue if you decide you have sufficient trees to sell surpluses. In the case of One Community and our diverse food forest, unique indoor growing plans, and open source botanical garden model, it is intended that One Community will develop an extensive collection of fruit varieties and little-known fruit species so we can promote, sell, and help preserve these plants that are, in many cases, threatened by extinction.
HERE ARE LINKS TO ALL THE SPECIFIC PLANTING PAGES (click icons for complete pages)
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LABOR PROJECTIONS, TRACKING, AND UPDATING
Here's how it works...Labor projections are all educated estimates, only for items begun after the first team moves to the property, and based on individuals who can physically and efficiently carry out the tasks. Total hours will be part of community contribution and, in most cases, divided amongst multiple people. The re-evaluation and redefinition of these projections will be ongoing and tracked using our custom software until tasks are completed and a definitive and final hourly time investment can be assessed and shared for each task. The process of projecting, tracking, and updating labor investment in various tasks will continue indefinitely as part of One Community’s open source contribution to global transformation. Here are the projections:
Starter house construction (if initially needed): (160 hours)*
Soil profiling and lab related work plus perc testing: (3 hours)*
Initial swale creation: (240 hours initial + ongoing as required)*
Soil preparation and amendment: (100 hours initial + 15 hours/month)*
Orchard irrigation installation: (560 hours)*
Hoop house irrigation installation: (440 hours)*
Open garden irrigation installation: (440 hours)*
Cover crop creation (50 hours)*
Orchard pruning (125 hours)*
Seedling starts (250 hours)*
Hoop house construction (1000 hours)*
Planting of the hoop houses (320 hours)*
Planting of the initial open gardens (320 hours)*
Planting of the initial food forest (128 hours)*
Grafting and planting of fruit/nut trees (20 hours)*
Removal of dead trees and hugelkultur creation (64 hours)*
Fence installation and green fence planting: (80 hours each)*
Creation of post-survey initial Master Plan: (40 hours)**
Incoming goods organization and inventory planning: (ongoing: 5 hours/wk)**
Computer data entry and open source sharing: (ongoing: 40 hours/wk)**
Video documentation and editing: (ongoing: 80 hours/wk)**
Food menu creation: (80 hours initial + ongoing: 2 hours/wk)**
Bulk food procurement: (8 hours of research and ordering + 1-2 hours/month)**
* Tasks detailed above ** Tasks detailed below as part of the Additional Considerations section
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ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
To facilitate the planting process happening as quickly and efficiently as possible, certain additional considerations should be made. In our case, we are dependent upon funding, which will determine when we can purchase everything needed and when we can begin the land preparation process. The following important considerations therefore apply to One Community and may apply to others too:
Internet setup should begin as soon as escrow closes
Existing orchard survey should be part of closing escrow
Mapping water infrastructure should be part of closing escrow
Road improvement needs/plan should be part of closing escrow
Seed house construction should start the day the second team arrives
Vegetable seed transplants should be sown as soon as the seed house is complete
All tools and necessary equipment need to be on the property the day the remainder of the Pioneers arrive
Nursery supplies, seed house kits/accessories, and initial cover crop seed should be ordered in advance too
Food menu creation for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores should be completed before arrival on the property. This will include making connections with bulk suppliers and ordering food so it is ready upon arrival
If the time of year allows for a cover crop cycle prior to spring planting, get it in immediately behind soil preparation. If arriving in the fall, cover crops should be put in and turned under a few weeks prior to last frost date. In either case, this can take place as some of the site prep (i.e. fencing, irrigation infrastructure, etc.) is installed
Once the first spring garden is planted, we can fall into a seasonal routine of planting, cultivating, fertilizing, harvesting, seed saving, cover cropping, seed starting and potting, equipment maintenance, and replanting.
ONGOING CONSIDERATIONS
These additional projects will be initiated during the first week and continue indefinitely:
Creation of Master Plan: This shall commence as soon as possible during the planning stages of your project and may, as is the case in our situation, include key points of clarification and design to be complete before escrow closes. The process will then continue until county commissioner approval of each phase of construction and development is achieved. In our case, due to the development and planning necessary for each of the 7 village models, the Master Plan process will be ongoing; beginning approval for successive village models as the designs develop during construction of earlier models
Incoming Goods Organization and Inventory Planning: Delivery of equipment, supplies, and tools with an accompanying ongoing and open source inventory and use system
Computer Data Entry and Open Source Sharing: Blogging, open source tutorial creation, accessioning as part of the open source botanical garden model, labor and time investment tracking, etc.
Video Documentation and Editing: Ongoing video documentation and open source sharing of everything we do
Food Menu Creation: There will be an ongoing and open source bulk food ordering and menu creation component after the initial menu creation and food ordering
RESOURCES
Here are some additional soil amendment resources and strategy details:
The Art and Science of Making a Hügelkultur Bed
Another amazing resource about creating Hügelkultur beds
Here’s a great article on combining hügelkultur and mulching
Building a Chicken Tractor
Natural Soil Amendment for Your Garden
A massive archive of soil-building and agriculture resources
Permies.com forum covering all things permaculture and sustainable living
SUMMARY
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentOpen source sharing a comprehensive soil amendment strategy is essential to helping people create food self-sufficiency. We feel our strategy for doing this on enough land to feed 100 people within 1 year is essential to our global-change methodology and self-replicating teacher/demonstration community, village, and city approach because it significantly increases the options for people seeking to grow their own food. In developing this approach we are bringing together the best of the best with the intent to evolve it indefinitely through global collaboration and input. We will open source share this process as we amend 3 acres of low-quality soil and share the necessary tools, resources, videos, labor investment details, cost analysis details, and all other specifics needed to duplicate our efforts globally.
FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Q: Where do I learn more about what you will be growing? Please visit these three pages for complete planting details:
Large-scale Gardens
Hoop Houses
Food Forest
Q: Will you be teaching on-going classes about this?
We will offer on-going scholarship and participation programs for all components of One Community as we are building them. This means we will teach on-going classes in all developing areas and then refer to existing organizations and groups purposed specifically for teaching them from that point forward. Any area that is in continuous development (ex: the Education for Life Program, Food Forest, etc.) will provide ongoing classes. Any area that will have a definitive completion point (ex: the earthbag village) will be referred after completion to other teacher/demonstration hubs seeking help and existing organizations specifically purposed and experienced in teaching all aspects related to these areas.
VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE
Soil Amendment and Initial Off-grid Site Preparation
This page shares a large-scale soil amendment and initial off-grid site preparation strategy. It covers surveying, site selection, soil preparation, swale creation, initial planting and more for improving 3 acres of low-quality soil, enough space to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year. We are open source sharing this comprehensive soil amendment and land preparation strategy because we know that doing so will significantly increase the land options for people seeking to grow their own food. As we arrive on the property and start preparing it, this page will evolve with open source videos, updated labor investment details, cost analysis details, and all other specifics needed to duplicate our efforts. It contains the following sections:
Related Pages
What is a Soil Amendment Strategy
Why Open Source a Soil Amendment Strategy
Surveying the Land
Site Selection and Soil Assessment
Site Preparation (grading and rock removal, cover crop, fencing, etc.)
Planting: Hoop Houses | Seedling Starts | Open Gardens | Food Forest | Fruit and Nut Tree Grafting
Labor Projections, Tracking, and Updating
Additional Considerations
Resources
Summary
FAQ
RELATED PAGES (click individual icons for complete pages)
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WHAT IS A SOIL AMENDMENT STRATEGY
The One Community soil amendment strategy from our horticulturalist and botanist prepares a property of below-average soil to become a successful growing environment. It covers all aspects of the preparation process from surveying the land and site selection to fencing, grading, cover crop planting, composting and more. This is being done for the following three key areas of our food infrastructure:
Large-scale Gardens
Hoop Houses
Food Forest
Ideally, the initial soil amendment and property preparation team will begin with 15-18 people including 2 permaculturalists, a general contractor, an architect, a civil engineer, a survey team, a soil scientist, a hydrologist, a botanist, and a horticulturalist. For our open source goals, we will also include a videographer and one web designer/open source tech on the initial team; coordinating the bulk of the open source design and sharing through the rest of our team off-site. The second arrival of participants (4 weeks later) will consist of the remainder of the Pioneers and, due to the comprehensive nature of our open source goals, include the additional essential skill sets of 1-2 heavy equipment operators for the backhoe and excavator, 4 well versed in carpentry, 2 with electrical, plumbing and mechanical backgrounds (with knowledge of pumps and pump capabilities), and an experienced mechanic to keep all our equipment running (heavy equipment, vehicles, and small engine service & repair). Everything this team does will be open source shared by as as a strategy and blueprint for others to use too.
WHY OPEN SOURCE A SOIL AMENDMENT STRATEGY
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentOpen source sharing a comprehensive soil amendment strategy is essential to helping people create food self-sufficiency. We feel our strategy for doing this on enough land to feed 100 people within 1 year is essential to our global-change methodology and self-replicating teacher/demonstration community, village, and city approach because it significantly increases the options for people seeking to grow their own food. In developing this approach we are bringing together the best of the best with the intent to evolve it indefinitely through global collaboration and input.
SURVEYING THE LAND
Surveying the land is the first step of the soil amendment process and it will commence during the 1st week of us owning the property and continue intermittently throughout the project even after the initial survey. We will do this for contours and possible increased resolution of the contour map for swale planning and other earthwork, identification of building sites for POD 1 and The Duplicable City Center, and locating water holding tanks and planning other water infrastructure.
SITE SELECTION & SOIL ASSESSMENT FOR PLANTING
We have calculated 3 acres will be necessary for food production capable of growing enough food to feed 100 people within 1 year. We will also begin with a small amount of rabbits, chickens, and goats. Site selection to accomplish both our short-term and long-term goals will be for large-scale gardens, hoop houses, and food forest creation. Here are the important criteria:
Open area with good solar exposure
Deep well drained soil (or drainage improved through ripping)
Land that is more or less level (or gently sloping) so it can be contoured into growing beds
Water access; source location? Can it be gravity fed or is a pump necessary? What is the pH level? Is there a site for a holding tank?
Avoid low lying pockets where cool air may settle and have adverse effects on crops as this will decrease the growing season
Once the specific sites have been selected, the next steps are to:
Conduct a perc test for drainage
Extract soil samples for a complete soil analysis (chemistry, organic matter content, etc.)
Create a soil profile by excavating a ditch for visual examination and conduct a specific soil survey
SITE PREPARATION
Once the specific growing sites are designated, the next step is identifying the need for the following (and implementing immediately):
Swales (will require surveying), grading, leveling, contouring, and rock removal by hand or raking
Soil preparation and amendment and implementation of short and longterm solutions
Cover crops sown to increase organic matter (depending on the time of year)
Orchard pruning (conducted in late winter/early spring February/March, temperature & weather dependent)
Install protective fencing and/or plant a green fence
Install irrigation as needed
SWALES
Swale creation is part of the One Community water conservation plan, large-scale garden strategy, and food forest design. In addition to water collection off all the structures of One Community, we will also open source project-launch blueprint the effectiveness and value of swale creation for land restoration, food forest establishment and support, and greywater processing.
For those that don’t know, a swale is a ditch and berm system designed to halt overland water flow and maximize water infiltration. The design calls for a ditch to be excavated along the contour lines of a property such that the ditch is always following the level contour of the land. The soil excavated from the ditch is moved to the downslope side to form a berm. It is important to make sure that the top of the berm is level, in order to prevent accumulated water in the swale from finding a low spot and washing out the berm. The entire area is raked smooth, mulched, and densely planted with a broad mix of annual and perennial species. Note: In dry climates it may be necessary to irrigate the plantings until the first rain event, or until the plantings take hold.
A properly designed and constructed swale accomplishes a number of important functions. First and foremost is the retention in the landscape of the maximum amount of precipitation or inflow. As the infiltrated water moves down and out through the soil profile, it enables the growth of trees and other plants upslope and downslope of the swales that would not otherwise survive on the site. The tree cover in turn shades and mulches the swale, maintaining and enhancing the infiltration; as the trees grow, their roots help guide moisture ever deeper into the soil profile. This synergistic feedback loop makes possible the reforestation or afforestation of even the driest regions. The system is expanded with additional swales upslope and downslope across the landscape.
It is important to understand that a swale is NOT meant to direct or divert the flow of water across the slope. Rather, the design and intention of a swale is to HALT the flow of water, so that it collects in the swale and has the chance to sink into the soil. Understanding the soil structure where a swale is being considered is important to achieve the aim of maximum infiltration. On most soils, the mulch layer starts the generation of the soils microbiota, which improves the crumb structure and drainage of the soil. In the case of clay, treatment with gypsum (calcium sulfate) followed by mulch, will help the clay flocculate and achieve percolation. In extremely rocky or shale situations, mechanically ripping the bottom of the swale with a dozer shank may be necessary.
As a swale establishes its associated habitat, an accelerated turnover in species composition is seen. The initial annuals and short-lived perennials are soon shaded out by taller, longer-lived trees and shrubs, which in turn are succeeded by slower growing climax forest species. At each stage of this evolution, niches are created for new species, and “edge” increases at the peripheries. Properly managed, each of these niches is an opportunity for developing an ever-widening array of yields.
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Tamera Eco Settlement Water Conservation Results: This Took Less Than 4 years
A VIDEO ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND THE ABOVE PICTURE
As the systems of multiple swales extend towards each other, the management of the interswale zone can be maintained as e.g. open meadow, agricultural field, home or village site, etc. Allowing these sites to be surrounded with swale-derived agroforest increases their soil moisture, reduces wind and evapo-transpiration, provides convenient access to wild foods, medicinal plants, and other forest yields. This approach brings Zones 3 and 4 closer to Zones 1 and 2 and, in the most well managed of instances can have truly transformational affects on the landscape as seen below.
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SOIL PREPARATION AND AMENDMENT
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentIn addition to swale creation, specific soil amendment strategies are essential too. One example is creating hügelkultur beds (in depressions and swales) from downfall, large limbs and other deadwood; an excellent amendment process. Place the wood in a natural depression (or dig out some of the soil) and cover the deadwood with soil; it can then be planted with vegetable crops (potatoes, zucchini, radish, peas, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, etc.). Here is a great graphic:
hugelkulture guide, logs for composting, soil amendment
North-side plantings seem to have better tasting crops according to Permies.com, it is said that the south and southwest side crops of a hügelkultur bed are slightly bitter. This process significantly reduces water requirement too. One limitation of using hügelkultur beds may be the lack of adequate soil for covering the beds, but that can be changed over time. Legumes planted over the hügelkultur beds will contribute nitrogen that would replace the tied up nitrogen in the initial construction of the beds. Wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen for composting. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from what we are growing. But well rotted wood doesn’t do this as much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in so much nitrogen that it is now putting out nitrogen! See this link for additional info: www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
Here’s a great hügelkultur video:
Chipping and shredding of dead wood, limb-ups from our ladder fuel removal of the fire prep work, pruning cuttings, corn stalks, etc. can all also be utilized for soil enhancement. Depending on the size of your chipper/shredder, you can run all possible organic matter through the machine. This soil enhancement is especially important for soils containing a high percentage of sand because a substantial amount of organic matter is necessary to enhance both water retention and soil fertility. Therefore collection of other existing organic material like leaves (from our deciduous trees), domestic animal manure (from goats, chickens and rabbits), and vermiculture compost should also be gathered and stockpiled in convenient locations to the growing sites.
WORMS
For longterm use, we will also construct worm bins from pallets to provide 3 bins/180’ of hoop houses, located at the 30’, 90’, and 150’ intervals. That will mean a maximum distance of 30’ to any bin from anywhere in the hoop house. Others will be set up in the orchard area for leaves, grass, and small twigs; as well as in the food forest for a quicker breakdown of organic matter so we can utilize it wherever needed. Composting of kitchen scraps and some cardboard/paper products will also be integrated short-term with longterm strategies including large-scale collection at the Duplicable City Center and development and use of vermiculture toilets.
COMPOSTING
Composting
The Layers and Stages of Composting
The process of composting all available organic matter, even if begun on the first days of occupancy, will not yield compost fast enough to help prepare the large-scale garden area for initial planting. It will, however, be an important contribution to soil fertility in subsequent growing seasons. The process of making compost, (as opposed to making humus, which many people mistakenly believe is compost) involves a series of steps and key formulae. The first step is particle sizing. Larger materials must be shredded or crushed into individual particles that are ⅛” to ¼” in diameter, in order to achieve a high surface area to volume ratio. These materials must then be blended in a ratio of between 1:5 to 1:4 of nitrogen:carbon. This means that one part of a nitrogen rich material such as green grass clipping, animal manures, green leaves, etc. is mixed with four to five parts of a high carbon materials such as sawdust, ground tree trimmings, shredded cardboard, etc. All materials must be thoroughly moistened as they are mixed- the final pile should be at “field capacity”, the level at which it will not soak up any more water, but instead begins to have water running out of it. A partial list of potential compost ingredients for kickstarting the soils fertility not mentioned above include:
Cotton gin waste ( but this must be tested for pesticide residues- cotton is heavily sprayed)
Lumber milling waste (bark and sawdust)
Grain mill waste ( rice hulls, wheat chaff, etc.)
Grass clippings
Spoiled hay
Slaughterhouse waste
Seaweed or freshwater algae
Bone meal
Granite dust
Mycorrhizal inoculants
The next key ingredient is oxygen. A moist pile of organic materials, with the correct nitrogen/carbon ratio, will heat up quickly from bacterial and fungal activity. These microorganisms require oxygen to live, so it is important that sufficient oxygen reach the interior of the pile to allow them to live and do the work of digesting the organic material into the target compost. This oxygenation is accomplished by turning the pile, making sure that the inner and bottom layers are removed and mixed with the upper and outer layers. Moisture levels are also checked and if necessary adjusted during turning, taking care to ensure that there are no dry spots developing in the pile that could overheat and begin to burn.
As the pile begins “cooking” it will attain temperatures in the 170-180F range. This should be monitored with a temperature probe. There is a staged series of particular organisms that are responsible for initial heating; these are actually suppressed or reduced by the pasteurization temperatures created in the pile, and another set of thermophilic (heat-loving) organisms begin dominating the pile. This is another reason that turning is important; to distribute and redistribute the organisms throughout and avoid a layering effect in which the core is fully digested, but the outer shell of the pile is still in a raw state. Another very important reason for oxygenating the pile is that if the cascade of composting organisms is deprived of oxygen and begin dying off, there is another group of anaerobic organisms whose population will bloom and begin to ferment the material. Signs of this are strong odors of sulphur or sewage. While this material can still be used as a soil amendment, it is of a different nutritional/chemical composition, and is not as useful for long-term soil improvement as aerobic “hot” compost.
COVER CROPS
Here's how it works...Due to on-site convenience and not having to transport materials from off-site, seed planting of cover crops (green manure) is a highly efficient multi-purpose and important management tool regarding the management of soil fertility and quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem. This will be a high priority in our soil preparation process and will consist of the following choices and volumes of seeds purchased from Territorial Seed Company (prices accurate as of June 2014):
Buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum). Recommended seeding rate: Sow 1 pound per 500 square feet; 50 pounds per acre. 150 lbs $375.45.
New Zealand White Clover (Trifolium repens). Sow 1/4 pound per 1000 square feet; 6–10 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $ 305.00.
Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis). Sow 1 pound per 1000 square feet. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $245.25.
Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum). Sow 1/4–1/2 inch deep spring, summer, or fall. Recommended seeding rate: 1–2 pounds per 1000 square feet; 30–40 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 150 lbs. $735.75.
Berseem Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum). Recommended seeding rate: 1 pound per 1000 square feet; 15–20 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $195.25.
Mammoth Red Clover (Trifolium pratense var. sativum). Sow 1/4-1/2 pound per 1000 square feet; 20 pounds per acre. Pre-inoculated. 50 lbs. $207.75.
Mighty Mustard Kodiak ( Brassica juncea). Sow spring to summer at ¼ pound per 1000 square feet; 6-10 pounds per acre. 25 lbs. $116.25
Groundhog Daikon Radish (Raphanus sativus var. niger). Recommended seeding rate: 3/4 pound per 1000 square feet; 10-12 pounds per acre. 25 lbs. $116.25
See the following links for additional information:
Cover Crops Basics | Territorial Seed Company Purchasing Info and More | Cover Crops on Wikipedia
FENCING
Here's how it works...The primary objective for fencing is minimizing wildlife crop damage. It should be constructed for easy transport of equipment and vehicles through gates and for the convenience of cultivation, harvesting, and maintenance; remembering to allow adequate space for maneuvering equipment at end rows. Complete fencing of a food production area able to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year will require 3 acres of fencing if all food acres can be located in the same area. Four or more acres may need to be fenced if maximally efficient growing turns out to be impossible. Fencing options include wire fencing, plastic mesh fencing/netting, and green fencing. Possible options for green fencing include caragana, sea buckthorn, prickly pear cactus, etc. where the density and thorns of the green fence act as a deterrent. A dense green fence also serves as a windbreak and helps combat erosion.
PLANTING
Once the site has been selected, analyzed, swaled and earthworked, soil profiled, fenced, irrigation installed, and cover cropped, we are ready to plant. The planting phase will happen in the following ordered steps:
Seedling starts
Hoop house construction
Planting of hoop houses
Large-scale garden planting
Planting of the food forest
Grafting and planting of fruit/nut trees
Large-scale-gardening-header
Click this Image for the Large-scale Gardening Open Source Hub
SEEDLING STARTS
Seedling starts should be planted as soon as possible using all available temperature controlled and well-lit space so that they are ready by the time hoop house construction is complete. They will be planted in the winter for both spring and summer planting and, once ready, they will be used in the hoop houses first and transplanted into the large-scale gardens and food forest later. Estimated space needs for seedling starters to grow sufficient food to feed 100 people within 1 year is about 200 square feet (18.6 sq meters).
In the case of One Community, if we arrive mid-spring to summer a seed starter house will not be immediately needed and we would plan to have a 10′ x 20′ test version of the aquapini/walipini temperature-controlled indoor growing structures built and finished by mid winter; beginning work on it as soon as we have the outdoor gardens planted and estimating 1-2 months to complete it while focusing on all other infrastructure areas too. If we arrive late fall/early winter, we will try to have it completed over the winter or by early spring to use immediately. If for some reason we cannot get it built that first winter, we’ll just do the best we can with existing indoor space and count on the over planting of everything to compensate for poor soil, no seed house, inadequate arrival on property, etc.
HOOP HOUSE CONSTRUCTION
Hoop House, sustainable food, grow your own foodWe project 8 people working in two-person teams should be able to complete the construction of 18 hoop houses in less than 8 weeks. See the Hoop House Construction and Costs section of the open source hoop house portal for complete details on what a hoop house is, why they are useful, how to build them, how much they cost, smaller options, and more.
PLANTING & HARVESTING OF HOOP HOUSES
Hoop House Open Source Hub IconAs the hoop houses are completed, the next step is to begin moving in seedling starts (weather permitting) that will do better in the longer growing season environment a hoop house provides. As soon as possible thereafter, cool season crops will be transplanted along with the grafted rootstock into their permanent sites. Click the planting plan image below for the Complete Planting Plans for the 18 Hoop Houses section of the large-scale gardening open source hub:
Hoop house professional planting plan, one Community
Click Image for Enlargeable Maps and Our Page with Complete Plant Descriptions
PLANTING OF OPEN GARDENS
Large-scale Gardening Icon, food diversity, organic food, eco-living, grow your own foodAn earlier planting of cole crops will be followed by other crops. To assure we produce enough food to feed 100 people within 1 year, we will intentionally over plant the open gardens and use this initial planting as a gauge for following years and data collection for the One Community open source botanical garden model. Surplus produce will be preserved for winter use. Complete planting details for the large-scale gardens are included on the large-scale gardens page.
CLICK IMAGES FOR PAGES WITH COMPLETE PLANT DETAILS FOR EACH SPECIES
snap, dry, and wax beans, One Community
Beans
Carrots, One Community
Carrots
cole crops, one community
Cole Crops
Beets, One Community
Beets
Celery/Celeriac, One Community
Celery
Corn, One Community
Corn
Cucumbers, One Community
Cucumber
Eggplants, One Community
Eggplant
Alliums, One Community
Alliums
Lettuce, One Community
Lettuce
Peas, One Community
Peas
Tomatoes, One Community
Tomatoes
Radishes, One Community
Radishes
Potatoes, One Community
Potatoes
Squash, One Community
Squash
Peppers, One Community
Peppers
Melons, One Community
Melons
Parsnips, One Community
Parsnips
Parsley, One Community
Parsley
Turnips, One Community
Turnips
Oca, One Community
Oca
Mashua, One Community
Mashua
Ulluco, One Community
Ulluco
Mauka, One Community
Mauka
Ahipa, One Community
Ahipa
Maca, One Community
Maca
Arracacha, One Community
Arracacha
Sweet Potatoes, One Community
Sweet Potatoes
Cabacui, One Community
Cabacui
Chayote, One Community
Chayote
Wax Gourd, Winter Melon, One Community
Wax Gourd
Cassabanana, One Community
Cassabanana
Achocha, One Community
Achochas
Bitter Melon, One Community
Bitter Melon
Asparagus, One Community
Asparagus
PLANTING OF FOOD FOREST
food forest, growing food, great food, natural food, open source food, One Community food, Canopy, Understory, Vines, Shrubs, Herbs, Groundcover, Root Crops, Edge Plantings, organic food, delicious food, botanical garden, grow your own foodThe food forest plantings should be an ongoing process that is started as soon as possible. In the case of One Community, the food forest project will also be part of our open source botanical garden model and ultimately expand to involve 100s of acres functioning as both food production and ultra-abundant wildlife habitat. Complete planting details for the food forest are included on the food forest page.
CLICK IMAGES FOR PAGES WITH COMPLETE PLANT LISTS FOR EACH SECTION
Food Forest Canopy Plantings, One Community
CANOPY
Food Forest Understory Plants, One Community
UNDERSTORY
Food Forest Vine Plantings, One Community
VINES
Food Forest Shrub plantings, One Community
SHRUBS
Food Forest Herb Plantings, One Community
HERBS
Food Forest Groundcover plantings, One Community
GROUNDCOVER
Food Forest Root Crop Plantings, One Community
ROOT CROPS
Food Forest Edge Plantings, One Community
EDGE PLANTS
GRAFTING & PLANTING OF FRUIT/NUT TREES
Here's how it works...Grafting and planting of fruit trees will be the focus at the end of the planting phase along with food forest creation. Although many permaculturalists advocate planting fruit trees from seed, we feel water and climate may support flexibility around this idea when people are just getting started. In our case, the sub-optimal growing climate will be coupled with requiring supplemental irrigation on a fairly limited water budget (until water collection and swaling start to help). We feel it would therefore make more sense (in most cases) to plant and nurture a fruit tree of a known cultivar, rather than a seedling. As the years pass and the property develops an increased soil-moisture bank, and expands the above-ground vegetation, seedlings can then be used in outer zone plantings as pioneer trees. Initially, however, we recommend relying on food trees propagated from established cultivars (clones) whenever these can be sourced.
Essential action steps for grafting and planting of fruit and nut trees include:
Orchard location identification and/or dead orchard tree replacement plan if an orchard already exists
Surveying and inventorying/accessioning all other food trees and deciding what and when other trees will follow
Removal of dead trees property-wide and placing them into hugelkultur beds, with the smaller branches chipped
In the case where material is not available as pre-grafted or commercially available stock, ordering rootstock for the main species of fruit trees and grafting your various accessions at the site is recommended. Improved clones of some species that do not require grafting (e.g. Ribes, Rubus), or rootstocks that are difficult to find or very expensive, can be placed in stool beds for multiplication. This will enable your cost for planting stock to diminish annually, and may become a source of revenue if you decide you have sufficient trees to sell surpluses. In the case of One Community and our diverse food forest, unique indoor growing plans, and open source botanical garden model, it is intended that One Community will develop an extensive collection of fruit varieties and little-known fruit species so we can promote, sell, and help preserve these plants that are, in many cases, threatened by extinction.
HERE ARE LINKS TO ALL THE SPECIFIC PLANTING PAGES (click icons for complete pages)
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LABOR PROJECTIONS, TRACKING, AND UPDATING
Here's how it works...Labor projections are all educated estimates, only for items begun after the first team moves to the property, and based on individuals who can physically and efficiently carry out the tasks. Total hours will be part of community contribution and, in most cases, divided amongst multiple people. The re-evaluation and redefinition of these projections will be ongoing and tracked using our custom software until tasks are completed and a definitive and final hourly time investment can be assessed and shared for each task. The process of projecting, tracking, and updating labor investment in various tasks will continue indefinitely as part of One Community’s open source contribution to global transformation. Here are the projections:
Starter house construction (if initially needed): (160 hours)*
Soil profiling and lab related work plus perc testing: (3 hours)*
Initial swale creation: (240 hours initial + ongoing as required)*
Soil preparation and amendment: (100 hours initial + 15 hours/month)*
Orchard irrigation installation: (560 hours)*
Hoop house irrigation installation: (440 hours)*
Open garden irrigation installation: (440 hours)*
Cover crop creation (50 hours)*
Orchard pruning (125 hours)*
Seedling starts (250 hours)*
Hoop house construction (1000 hours)*
Planting of the hoop houses (320 hours)*
Planting of the initial open gardens (320 hours)*
Planting of the initial food forest (128 hours)*
Grafting and planting of fruit/nut trees (20 hours)*
Removal of dead trees and hugelkultur creation (64 hours)*
Fence installation and green fence planting: (80 hours each)*
Creation of post-survey initial Master Plan: (40 hours)**
Incoming goods organization and inventory planning: (ongoing: 5 hours/wk)**
Computer data entry and open source sharing: (ongoing: 40 hours/wk)**
Video documentation and editing: (ongoing: 80 hours/wk)**
Food menu creation: (80 hours initial + ongoing: 2 hours/wk)**
Bulk food procurement: (8 hours of research and ordering + 1-2 hours/month)**
* Tasks detailed above ** Tasks detailed below as part of the Additional Considerations section
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ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
To facilitate the planting process happening as quickly and efficiently as possible, certain additional considerations should be made. In our case, we are dependent upon funding, which will determine when we can purchase everything needed and when we can begin the land preparation process. The following important considerations therefore apply to One Community and may apply to others too:
Internet setup should begin as soon as escrow closes
Existing orchard survey should be part of closing escrow
Mapping water infrastructure should be part of closing escrow
Road improvement needs/plan should be part of closing escrow
Seed house construction should start the day the second team arrives
Vegetable seed transplants should be sown as soon as the seed house is complete
All tools and necessary equipment need to be on the property the day the remainder of the Pioneers arrive
Nursery supplies, seed house kits/accessories, and initial cover crop seed should be ordered in advance too
Food menu creation for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores should be completed before arrival on the property. This will include making connections with bulk suppliers and ordering food so it is ready upon arrival
If the time of year allows for a cover crop cycle prior to spring planting, get it in immediately behind soil preparation. If arriving in the fall, cover crops should be put in and turned under a few weeks prior to last frost date. In either case, this can take place as some of the site prep (i.e. fencing, irrigation infrastructure, etc.) is installed
Once the first spring garden is planted, we can fall into a seasonal routine of planting, cultivating, fertilizing, harvesting, seed saving, cover cropping, seed starting and potting, equipment maintenance, and replanting.
ONGOING CONSIDERATIONS
These additional projects will be initiated during the first week and continue indefinitely:
Creation of Master Plan: This shall commence as soon as possible during the planning stages of your project and may, as is the case in our situation, include key points of clarification and design to be complete before escrow closes. The process will then continue until county commissioner approval of each phase of construction and development is achieved. In our case, due to the development and planning necessary for each of the 7 village models, the Master Plan process will be ongoing; beginning approval for successive village models as the designs develop during construction of earlier models
Incoming Goods Organization and Inventory Planning: Delivery of equipment, supplies, and tools with an accompanying ongoing and open source inventory and use system
Computer Data Entry and Open Source Sharing: Blogging, open source tutorial creation, accessioning as part of the open source botanical garden model, labor and time investment tracking, etc.
Video Documentation and Editing: Ongoing video documentation and open source sharing of everything we do
Food Menu Creation: There will be an ongoing and open source bulk food ordering and menu creation component after the initial menu creation and food ordering
RESOURCES
Here are some additional soil amendment resources and strategy details:
The Art and Science of Making a Hügelkultur Bed
Another amazing resource about creating Hügelkultur beds
Here’s a great article on combining hügelkultur and mulching
Building a Chicken Tractor
Natural Soil Amendment for Your Garden
A massive archive of soil-building and agriculture resources
Permies.com forum covering all things permaculture and sustainable living
SUMMARY
Amending soil, soil amendment, One Community soil amendmentOpen source sharing a comprehensive soil amendment strategy is essential to helping people create food self-sufficiency. We feel our strategy for doing this on enough land to feed 100 people within 1 year is essential to our global-change methodology and self-replicating teacher/demonstration community, village, and city approach because it significantly increases the options for people seeking to grow their own food. In developing this approach we are bringing together the best of the best with the intent to evolve it indefinitely through global collaboration and input. We will open source share this process as we amend 3 acres of low-quality soil and share the necessary tools, resources, videos, labor investment details, cost analysis details, and all other specifics needed to duplicate our efforts globally.
FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Q: Where do I learn more about what you will be growing? Please visit these three pages for complete planting details:
Large-scale Gardens
Hoop Houses
Food Forest
Q: Will you be teaching on-going classes about this?
We will offer on-going scholarship and participation programs for all components of One Community as we are building them. This means we will teach on-going classes in all developing areas and then refer to existing organizations and groups purposed specifically for teaching them from that point forward. Any area that is in continuous development (ex: the Education for Life Program, Food Forest, etc.) will provide ongoing classes. Any area that will have a definitive completion point (ex: the earthbag village) will be referred after completion to other teacher/demonstration hubs seeking help and existing organizations specifically purposed and experienced in teaching all aspects related to these areas.