This year has been the best of times and the worst of times. Okay, maybe not the worst. (after all, I am still employed).

But this is the dichotomy (or is it a contradiction?):

It is performance review time at work. It will be another "Meets Expectations".

But my Goals and accomplishments in real life were off the charts!

This year I:

- Built 4 web sites/side businesses

- Got my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) from Midwest Permaculture.

- Gained my first 2 paid Food Forest design clients, including a huge 3 acre orchard design and implementation that is a several thousand dollar gig.

- Grew 10x+ trees

- 5x my revenue from last year

- Learned to use a mini-excavator

Come along with me as I share my wins (and losses) and get encouraged!

Sponsors:

Thriving Food Forest Design - We can create an edible foodscape, a perennial paradise so you can grow more food and be more self sufficient. We use fruit and nut trees and perennial plants adapted to the Midwest to create a low maintenance food forest.

Grow Nut Trees - Chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, elderberry - all adapted to the Midwest.

Permies digital marketplace is YOUR source for all things permaculture for your homestead, side hustle, and designing your intentional life: from video courses, to blueprints, to books.

Raised beds that I am building to test Perennial Kitchen Garden layouts:

Vego Garden Modular Metal Raised Bed (which I will make 5' x 3.5', 17" tall)

Meadow Creature Broadfork is my favorite tool for starting new garden beds. I turn over the sod, add a layer of compost, then Milpa, and cover with woodchips.

Get full access to Thriving the Future Substack at thrivingthefuture.substack.com/subscribe