Introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture directly means “permanent agriculture.” But in its truest form, permaculture is a way of planting crops, keeping animals and sustaining the farm or homestead in a way that mimics the intertwined growing systems found in nature. We can imitate and initiate these natural ecosystems to create healthier crops, less pests, increase crop yields and absorb more carbon into the soil. 
Where to start

1. Increase reliance on perennial plants

• Why perennials? Perennials have more plant matter (woody stems, strong plant tissue and large root systems). These plants absorb more carbon dioxide as a result as they have more room to store them within their plant fibers.
• Perennials do not need to be planted year after year which means less work!
• Perennials offer shelter to beneficial insects, birds and wildlife. This helps to control pests within the garden.
• Perennial plants help soil structure. Their expansive roots loosen compacted soil, aid in the prevention of erosion and some mine different nutrients from deep under the soil’s surface to help feed their surrounding companions.

1. Think in terms of “layering plants” with companions when planting anything

• Give both annuals and perennials supporting partners to attract pollinators, deter bad bugs, mine nutrients from deep within the soil, mulch and suppress weeds with low-growing groundcovers, fix nitrogen into the soil, and retain moisture with living mulches.
• Large scale permaculture plantings may include an overstory tree (large tree like chestnut or oak), a lower fruiting tree (apple), caneberries (elder or raspberries), flowering bulbs and herbs (daffodils, garlic, comfrey, etc.), and a groundcover (such as strawberries).
• An annual bed may include tomatoes, carrots, lettuce and radishes.
• Resources:
  • Carrots Love Tomatoes
  • Restoration Agriculture
• Solve problems with plants and animals and begin weaving an ecosystem

1. Too many ticks: Add guinea fowl
2. Too many aphids: Employ ladybugs
3. Cabbage moth larvae eating brassicas? Interplant garlic.
4. All animals must contribute to the whole and serve more than one purpose (such as just eggs and meat providers, etc.). 
   1. Horses: Manure for compost, grazing circuit, plowing, parasite control for sheep
   2. Cows: Manure for compost, grazing circuit
   3. Sheep and Goats: Fleece which can be used as garden mulch, grazing circuit, clearing grassy brush, parasite control for horses, fertilizer
   4. Guinea Fowl: eat ticks and pests without scratching at lawns and gardens, spread manure in pastures looking for insects, fertilizer
   5. Ducks: snail and slug control, fertilizer, clear garden and crop debris
   6. Chickens: insect and pest control (especially in vineyards), fertilizer, clear garden and crop debris
   7. Geese: Snake, rat, mouse control, insects, weeding and pasture management, leave fertilizer behind, eat fallen orchard fruit, clear garden and crop debris
      
      
5. Introduce pasture rotation systems to reduce hay and feed costs, promote faste

Why would you need to grow in a small space? 

Apartment living

Physically close crops without walking to a garden

Moving and want to take crops with you

All About Containers

• Anything can be a growing container so long as it provides drainage
• Vertical planter towers offer multiple pots to grow food in one vertical space
• Some folks use fabric shoe organizers that hang on the backside of doors to grow food in pockets
• Hanging baskets offer a great option growing; think upside down tomato baskets, strawberries, etc.
• Plastic pots retain moisture better
• Black and other dark-colored pots get hot and heat the soil quick
• Terra Cotta is attractive and eco-friendly but dries out faster

Pro Tip: ​​Double Potting! Place a smaller pot inside a larger one in the summer time. Water the space between the pots so the inner pot can wick moisture as needed. To avoid terra cotta pot dry out, simply place a smaller plastic pot inside a larger terra cotta pot. Same look, more moisture retention.

Pro Tip: Adding one inch of gravel in the bottom of the pots helps with drainage.

Growing in Pots

• Consider Sun: Most crops require 6-8+ hours of sunlight per day, crops like lettuces will grow with 4-6 hours
• Water: Keeping soil moist but not soggy is essential
  • Water must be able to drain out! Plants hate soggy feet!
• Soil: Vegetables need rich, nutrient-dense soil. Source vegetable potting mix (not seed starting, not raised bed mix) for growing vegetables in containers. 
• Fertilizing: Container crops can deplete the nutritional content of their soil quickly. A 2-4 week fertilizing program is recommended. Research which nutrients and fertilizers those crops require… lemons do not need the same food as tomatoes, blueberries need acid, etc.

Container Appropriate Crops

• Look at compact varieties (18-24” for bushing varieties)
  • Corn: Tom Thumb has small cobs, grows to around 36” tall
  • Tomato: Early Girl, Red Rocket, Tiny Tim
  • Peppers: Almapaprika, Habaneros, some Chili varieties
  • Green mixes such as mesclun, tatsoi, oak leaf lettuce
  • Strawberries grow well in gutters and flower boxes
  • Espaliered fruit trees
  • Meyer lemons

Other Ways to Grow in a Small Space

• Companion Planting can save space
  • Plant shade loving crops like lettuce under tomatoes in pots
  • Radishes can grow in pots with cucumbers
  • Herbs grow well with many crop varieties like brassicas
• Trellising
  • Grow up, not out: Keeping tomatoes trained to a trellis in a pot leaves space for more crops around the base of the tomato plant.
• Succession Planting: Replacing crops that grow from seed to harvest quickly like lettuce allows for reuse of the space for a new harvest or new crop all together.
  • Typically succession planting is a 2-3 week rotation
• Window Sill Gardens: Great for growing herbs, microgreens, vegetable scrap gardens
• Potato Towers: Grow potatoes “lasagna-style” within towers to maximize space and increase harvests

Which crops for which containers?

Recommendations from The Farmers’ Almanac

Beans, snap

Container: 5-gallon window box

Varieties: Bush ‘Blue Lake’, Bush ‘Romano’, ‘Tender Crop’

Broccoli<

Episode 6: Supporting Honeybees and Native Pollinators

Options for supporting bees without the ability to keep a hive, or before jumping into installing an apiary

Why are bees important?
Honeybees and native pollinators travel from flower to flower for pollen and nectar which they bring back to the hive. During this process they transfer pollen attached to the hairs on the legs between the flowers. This pollen transfer is what fertilizes a crop’s reproductive system creating food. Without pollination and bees, there would be far less food. Native and wild plants would also go unpollinated resulting in a major lack of food for wildlife, thus collapsing entire ecosystems.

Why are bee numbers declining?
According to USDA, “​​​​Beginning in 2006, experts noted significant yearly declines in honey bee colonies...  Years of research determined the decline was likely attributable to a wide range of stressors such as pests, diseases, pesticides, pollutants/toxins, nutritional deficits, habitat loss, effects of climate variability, agricultural production intensification, reduced species or genetic diversity, and pollinator or crop management practices.”
Source

Plant bee friendly trees

• Provide more forage for bees in a smaller space
• Example: Crepe Myrtles, Serviceberries, Maples, Fruiting trees, Black Locust
  • Resources:
    https://www.arborday.org/trees/health/pests/article-trees-for-bees.cfm

Embrace weeds, wildflowers and prairie spaces

• Native wild growth perfectly adapted to your specific climate and your native bees’ needs (no need to purchase plants, sow seeds, plant transplants, etc., water, maintain, etc.) 
• Stop spraying herbicides, pesticides and chemicals on bees’ food sources
  • Resources

National Wildlife Federation native plant finder by zip code. Ranks plants by use of butterfly and moth species as host plants. Includes trees, grasses, flowers and shrubs
https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants

Lease land to beekeeper

• Beekeepers will place hives on your property and maintain them in exchange for honey or payment. Supports local bees and their keepers.
• Check in with local zoning office for restrictions/ordinances on hive placement
  • Resources

Lease Honey connects land owners and farmers with beekeepers looking for space. Helps to increase crop yields, raise bee population numbers and can even cut down on property taxes in some states.
https://leasehoney.com/

Interplant flowers and flowering herbs in the vegetable garden to attract/feed bees and increase crop yields.

• Companion plants for crops include lavender, nasturtium, chives, thyme, basil, mint, parsley, dill, fennel, catmint
  • Resources

Farmers’ Almanac
Chart of companion plants by vegetable. Also lists benefits of various plants.
https://www.almanac.com/companion-planting-chart-vegetables

Pollinator Perennial Garden

• Perennials tend to have longer blooming periods and return year after year
• Examples include salvia, coneflower, bee balm, rudbeckia, lavender, hyssop, sedum,

Why Grow Your Own Fruit

• Convenience and self-sufficiency
• Pesticide Management
• High yields from one plant; lots of fruit for selling, donating, processing, storing and fresh-eating 

Classifications

• Space considerations: Note the required space for espaliered (pronounced es-pal-yay-ed), dwarf, semi-dwarf and full/standard-sized tree varieties
  • Espaliered: Not as much total yield but produces more fruit per square foot, great for small-space growers, flat 2-dimensional shapes, fruit in 3-5 years
  • Dwarf: 8’ in diameter, full-size fruit, smaller yield, yield fruit in 3-5 years
  • Semi-Dwarf: 12-15’ tall and wide, can produce up to 500 apples/season, produce reliably for 15-20 years, produce fruit in roughly 5 years
  • Full/Standard Size: Produce anywhere from 4 to 8 bushels per season (400-800 pounds) depending on species, on average 20-30 in diameter
  • Resource: https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/estimated-yield-for-fruit-trees

Pollinator Groups

Pollinator groups have to do with timing of blossom-set. Trees requiring a cross pollinator will need a partner tree of the same species, within the same pollinator group, but of a different variety

• Pollinator Groups
  Group A or 1: early

Group B or 2: early-mid

Group C or 3: mid

Group D or 4: mid-late

Group E or 5: late

• Self-Fertile or Self-Pollinating trees do not require a pollination partner but will still benefit and increase yield if provided with a second tree
• Resources
• https://www.orangepippintrees.com/articles/planting-growing/pollination-of-fruit-trees
• https://www.cumminsnursery.com/learn-trees/fruit-tree-bloom-dates/

Zone Requirements / Chill Hours

• A chill hour is equal to one hour that a tree spends within the temperature range of 32-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Trees will be marked accordingly.
• If sufficient chill hours are not reached, trees will leaf out later and have a prolonged blossom period. This longer lasting bloom time will open the tree up to disease.
• Figs, olives, and quince have the lowest natural chill requirements
• Followed by persimmons, pomegranates, almonds, and chestnuts.
• Cherries, apples, peaches, and plums required breeding to develop low-chill varieties for areas with minimal chill
• Cherries, apples, peaches, and plums require more chill hours
• Resources:
• https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=16468
• Low Chill: https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/

Planting Basics

• Full sun, plenty of water, large canopy expansion so plan for mature size when planting
• Planting depth is determined by fruit species and size variety - note plant tag
• Soil pH: On average fruit trees love soil at pH 6.3-6.6 
  • To raise pH add crushed limestone
  • To lower pH add nitrogen or elemental sulphur
• When to Plant

Best planted in late fall, winter (if ground isn’t frozen) or early spring when tree has gone dormant. Roots will esta

Triage

Literally means “to sort” – in this practice you are gaining information by looking at the patient and seeing what their needs are.

• If it is more than one you are gaining insight on who needs attention first.
• Looking at any obvious externally wounds/etc. Musculoskeletal/ Respiratory/ cardiovascular- perfusion times etc. you gain most of this information in seconds. And it's important to always think ahead.
• One thing to note that with animals, the main difference in assessing a patient (animal) is that we have the option of humane euthanasia- unlike our counterpart humans. It's very important to keep that in mind. This should ALWAYS be done by a professional as your very first option to ensure that the animal is treated in a humane way. If you are unsure about anything, please contact a vet.
• Vet client relationship- important!

Common injuries seen on homestead

• Wound/puncture/scrape
• Bumblefoot
• Frostbite
• Abscess
• Bloat/colic
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Heat stroke
• Hot spots
• Eye injury
• General lameness/gait assessment

First aid kit for goat/sheep/chicken/duck/horse/cow

• Bandage supplies- gauze, vet wrap (coban) , bandage tape
• Gloves
• Thermometer
• Vaseline
• lube
• Chlorahexadine
• Iodine
• Needles/syringes
• Epsom salt
• Tweezers
• Electrolytes
• Red top tubes
• Scissors
• Drench gun
• OTC meds- Benadryl/famotidine/Pepcid/vitamin C /LA200/penicillin
• Heat lamp
• Bloat release
• Bloodstop powder
• Stethoscope- all animals
• Wire cutters
• Clean bucket- I like metal
• Hair blow dryer
• Cold pack
• Pocket knife
• linament
• Flashlight
• Pen and paper
• Banamine
• Drawing Salve
• VetRx
• Ophthalmic Ointments

Resources

Backyard Poultry Medicine & Surgery

Horseman’s Veterinary Encyclopedia

First Aid for Horses

Episode 7: Tapping a Tree for Maple Syrup
What to tap and when?

• All maples can be tapped for sap. Sugar maples are the sweetest.
• Can also tap:
  • Birch, walnut, black and english walnut, linden, box elder, butternut, sycamore, palm and gorose. All trees’ saps have their own flavor. 
  • Maple (Sugar, Silver, Black, Red, Norway, Big Leaf)

40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

Birch (European White, Paper, Yellow, Black, Gray, River)

110 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are 40-50F (4.4-10C)

Box Elder

60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

Black and English Walnut 

60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

Butternut

60 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

Sycamore

40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

Palm

88 parts of sap yields 11 parts finished syrup

http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd11/1/dali111.htm

Can be tapped year round

Gorosoe

40 parts of sap yields 1 part of finished syrup

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/chugging-maple-sap-30413453/

Tap when daytime temperatures are above 32F (0C) and nighttime temperatures are below

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/world/asia/24iht-maple.1.20393336.html

Tree Identification

Regardless of the variety of tree you are tapping, the process is the same.

• Be sure to always tap trees that measure 10” (25.4cm) in diameter or more so as not to damage the heartwood. A tree measuring this size can withstand one tap.
• A tree measuring 20” (50.8cm) can handle two taps.
• Finally, a tree measuring larger than 25” (63.5cm) in diameter may have three taps.
• Never install more than three taps per tree. When installing multiple taps, always place them at a minimum of 6 to 8” (15.24 to 20.32cm) apart from one another.

Sugar Maple Identification

• Bright orange, yellow or reddish leaves in the fall
• Smoother bark than other maples, dark almost black in color
• Can often see these trees dripping with sap from holes or cracks in the winter time
• Look for five lobes with deep indentations

Equipment for Tapping

• A power drill
• 5/16” (.8cm) drill bit
• Spiles
• Hammer
• Bucket hooks (if hanging buckets)
• Hoses (for ground buckets)
• Buckets with lids
• Harvesting storage buckets
• A large pot
• Thermometer

Equipment for Processing

• Evaporator (optional)
• Large pot for boil
• Small pot for finishing
• Thermometer
• Cheesecloth or fine strainer
• Bottling jars and sealing lids

How to Tap and Boil

• Tap when temperatures rise above freezing by day, and below freezing by night
• Locate the s

Breadmaking

• Sourdough Bread
  What is it: Sourdough is naturally leavened bread using wild yeast from the atmosphere with the help of a “starter.” Starters need to be fed.
  
  Basic Tools: Starter, glass jar, digital scale, bowls, banneton, lame, dutch oven
  
  Why Make It: Sourdough is a more easily-digestible version of bread. Many folks with gluten intolerances can eat sourdough because the fermentation process when the starter is rising breaks down problematic enzymes.

Resources

Elaine Boddy

Whole Grain Sourdough at Home

The Sourdough Whisperer

Instagram: @Elaine_FoodBod

Ash from Turner Farm

Online classes

Instagram: @Turner.Farm

Hannah Dela Cruz

Everyday Sourdough

Yeast-Based
What is it: Bread leavened with yeast often purchased at a market. The process involves combine basic ingredients such as yeast, flour, water and salt. 

Basic Tools: yeast, digital scale, mixing bowls, loaf pans or breadmaking machine

Why Make It: Conventionally made breads sold at most supermarkets are loaded with preservatives and additives plus they are wrapped in packaging. Making bread at home (or hamburger/hot dog buns, rolls, etc.) eliminates these items.

Resources

Ken Forkish

Flour Water Salt Yeast

Kombucha

• What is it: A fermented beverage created by feeding a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) with sugar and water
• Basic Tools: non-reactive glass container, wooden spoons, scoby, sugar, flavorings (herbs, fruit, etc.), glass bottles
• Why Make It: Many folks believe kombucha aids in digestive health and gut support. By making your own kombucha, you can save on money, packaging and unwanted additives.

Resources

Chad Turner

The Joy of Home-Brewing Kombucha

Dairy

• Butter

Milk Source: Cream from Jersey cow has the highest fat content. Butter can also be made from goats and sheep.

Basic Tools: Stand mixer or butter churner

Why Make It: Control salt and flavor quantities, natural fats vs. trans-fats, avoid additives such as colorants, preservatives and flavorings

• Cheese

Milk Source: Dairy, sheep, goat

Basic Tools: Heavy-bottom pots, strainers, slotted spoons, cheesecloth, milk thermometer, basket forms, rennet, cultures, calcium chloride (not needed in some soft cheeses)

Why Make It: Cost savings, control colorants and addtiives (preservatives)

• Other dairy options

Buttermilk, ice cream, yogurt, coffee

Chickens

• Purpose: Fresh eggs, fertilizer for the garden, meat, breeding, tick and insect control
• Cons: Roosters are loud, roosters have spurs, health concerns, dust from scratching, they scratch up grass and gardens, can fly over fences unless wings are clipped, frostbite in cold climates
• Housing Requirements: 2-3 square feet per bird, roosting bards, predator-proof coop and run, nesting boxes, access to food and water

Ducks

• Purpose: Fresh eggs, meat, cold climate hardy, slug and snail control, don’t scratch up garden spaces, the only manure that can be directly applied to the garden, domesticated breeds with the exception of Muscovies can’t fly
• Cons: Rooting with their bills, can be loud, wet manure and mess, more mess requires more cleaning/new bedding, heavyweight breeds are more prone to bumblefoot and leg fractures
• Housing Requirements: Roughly 4 square feet per bird, no nesting boxes, predator proof coop and run, access to bathing water is ideal, access to fresh food and water, no roosting bars

Turkeys

• Purpose: Meat, eggs, friendly disposition, fertilizer, pest control (eat stink bugs, grasshoppers, ground beetles, snails and slugs)
• Cons: Large birds require more space and feed, ability to fly, Blackhead illness (chickens can be asymptomatic carriers; ill birds can affect young turkeys which results in death), not as winter hardy, seasonal egg layers
• Housing Requirements: 5 square feet of space per bird, predator-proof coop and run are ideal with nesting bars, (unless they have a high place to roost at night outdoors), access to food and water, nesting boxes

Quail

• Purpose: Meat, eggs, breeding, small size requires little living space, train hunting dogs, garden fertilizer, quiet, hardy/healthy, don’t need plucking during process, many municipalities that outlaw chickens may allow quail
• Cons: Because so small require protection from small predators like rats, specialized cages and equipment add an additional cost, can’t be mixed in a flock with other birds, lots of waste in proportion to other bird options, manure has to be composted, flying away, quail are known for aggressive bullying within flocks
• Housing Requirements: 1 square foot of space per bird, wire flooring is essential to allow droppings to pass through, nest boxes required, no roosting bars, access to food and water

Guinea Fowl

• Purpose: Pest control (ticks, snakes, rats, Asian beetles), won’t scratch garden spaces while working, eggs (up to 60 per year for free ranging birds), meat, alarm call for predators/unusual farm activity, roost anywhere outdoors so no coop maintenance is required with the exception of the first three months when constantly enclosed.
• Cons: Loud, don’t overwinter well since don’t like being cooped up at night, prone to roaming, dumb, they can be hard to find since they sleep anywhere, live up to 15 years, must search for eggs
• Housing Requirements: 3 square feet of space per bird when cooped up, no nest boxes, roosting bars if being kept in a coop, access to food and water

Geese

• Purpose: Eggs, meat, down feathers, weed control, pasture maintenance, flock guardians, climate hardy (Sebastopols need shelter), fat rendering
• Cons: Larger size requires more space per bird, loud, some breeds are aggressive, territorial during mating season, seasonal egg layers only
• Housing Requirements: 6-8 square feet per bird, large size-predator-proof coop and run, access to bathing water is appreciated, no nest boxes, no roosting bars, access to food and water

Note: Never use hay or straw for bedding. Urine and wet droppings are not absorbed and ammonia bui