Is it possible to rent out excavators for an extended period? It sounds like a lot of camping and excavation work in year one, which sounds sooooo good! 200 acres??? Oh my...
after hearing about Sepp's complaints in Montana about the water rights, are you confident?
200 acres?! So amazing..cant wait to see it evolve
I agree on many points. It was a treat beyond belief to be able to simply ask him about things...and he would look you right in the eyes as he spoke - knowing how much he has done and how wise he is, it was really such a great opportunity to ask him things directly.
I think the austria trip is fairly priced, the food there would be unbeatable, plus the inside access to all the good things happening there. I am sure many people will go.
I realize that he may very well not come back to the US for a long while if ever again, so it was really a once in a lifetime chance...and to have the books signed by him! and a photo..with one of your heroes - what a treat. Austria will be amazing for sure though.
Were any hugelbeds built in Montana? Or hi beds with terraces? Its really too bad about the frozen ground and road restrictions at the duluth event.
Who is considering a trip to Austria in august? Im also wondering how people felts about the lack of earthworks...I really thought part of our fee was going to pay for excavators?
I appreciate all involved in the event, I just thought it would be fair to at least bring that topic up since no one else seems to want to. I do plan to go to Austria, because the 5 day "intensive" was...not so intense as everyone there could easily agree.
We know the daily cost for workshops like that, and although Im ELATED to have a picture with Sepp and to see him in person and have my books signed, but I dont know how others felt about the apparent lack of planning.
Again, all respect due, just putting some questions out there.
Sepp left before lunch on Day 4 in duluth, which was weird, but Zach saved it with a great greenhouse presentation and the guys did a fun bone sauce demo.
He left to do another consultation...while everyone was there? Couldnt that have happened after everyone left or whenever people arent paying $200 a day to be with him??
But for that price...something needs to be tweaked - I know that they were at the mercy of Sepp's schedule, and mother nature in Minnesota was a cold one while he was there. But with all those people paying serious money to be there...
So much appreciation for those involved, I know its not easy to host 30-40 people on the land at once...good luck with all the permits and redtape nonsense too...I know that these will get better each time they occur.
I just wonder about the excavators...all that money people spent thinking there would be big projects happening...and no mention of a partial refund? Fair share? I heard about Sepp's daily rate, but still.
Not trying to make enemies here, but lets be real - with that letdown the books could at least have been given as an apology...instead of $30 each. It would have been funny if people would have started asking for refunds right there on the first day lol..but I think everyone wanted to still be there and visit with all the other attendees.
Would I tell other people to attend? at this point no...sadly. I would be so happy to say yes, but I would recommend Ben Falk's place instead for real direct experiences in a magical setting. With real earthworks happening. I felt pretty ripped off honestly...happy, soooo happy to meet sepp in person, but some kind of partial refund should have been offered. Sepp didnt even show us his personal plan for the duluth property.
Paul Im just wondering what you thought of the Bozeman event? Anyone? Just trying to be real here about things.
Thanks everyone for sharing all this - here are my new beds for the year - I would like to go high enough to really break the wind coming in from behind the beds - I'm using poplar and ironwood (horn hopbeam) which coppices. This area was logged about 50 years ago and is now a poplar, oak, ironwood, and birch mix. I wonder if Im using too much wood though for these...
I buried this snorkel 1/2 way down in a 22' dome greenhouse. Its at the low point and all the cold air goes down there. Usually its empty, and so far the "ambiance" in the greenhouse hasnt been up to par for a good hot tub dip. Plus the chimney leaked and I wasnt around much in the winter when it would have been useful. I did this back in 2008, and probably didnt know about RMHs until 4 months ago?
So Im thinking that maybe a barrel would replace that junky rusty (very humid in there and it would just rust within months) chimney and then we could wrap the circumference with the exit pipe? I have the Ianto book but no experience. I am surely cool with waiting for late spring. As far as the upper wall above the hot tub, its like a reflective soft 1/2'' padding. It would melt if the heat was close enough. If we used a small one and then put more protection above just in case?
Or I was thinking I could take the whole thing out and put in a real RMH and have that like a lower sitting hangout spot with the trees starting 4' above. Ideally I think a circular stone/cement tub with a waterproof RMH built in would be so ideal...with a big cob mass against that back wall?
I was envisioning running the exhaust pipe around the front and then back again and covering it all with pebbles up to the first metal ring so our feet would be level with the water as we walk up, with the pipe underneath us giving off heat - YES the pebbles are porous enough that the cold air can still sink into the low spot in the winter. At -25F outside the lowest ive seen in there is +15F. I have two persimmons (chocolate and hachiya, a date plum, goumis (2 and putting more in for sure now) comfrey, fuzzy kiwi, grapes, and some annuals across the inner front in warm months. Im not there in the winter and no one waters in until March when the green starts showing up (about 2 months before outside)...I envision the 42' greenhouses with swimming ponds and cottages inside.
I think the RMH is just perfect for these - and connecting it to the snorkel which I already have (cool concept but losing so much heat still they way they designed it...and it was always envisioned for outside use - until the RMH?
Im really happy with the ones that I bought from St Lawrence - some are almost 7 feet tall after being planted in april 2011. Make sure they are hardy enough - St lawrence works really well for colder spots obviously. Enjoy and pick them a little green so the animals dont beat you to it.
I would call the people at One Green World in Oregon - they have customers with tons of experience with these Im sure. Ben Falk at Whole Design Systems in Burlington VT says Sea Buckthorn is one of the best plants on his property and is continually growing more. Ive planted about 30 here in Minnesota and most are doing great - so pooped out though go figure
I am beyond sure that you will be fine. Especially if you can check out Sepp's book and Gaia's garden beforehand. I will be at the duluth one as well! It will be an amazing time for sure. We will learn so much.
check out the hot tubs at www.snorkel.com - you'll see that one could put a barrel on the chimney and convert it into a RMH really easily. I have one of these in my greenhouse and am switching it over with a big lump of thermal mass added in this spring. The snorkel technique and then you can submerge all the stoves in water - even if the water temp is 45F, it is very warm compared to the 20F air surrounding it in the winter...greenhouses with large and low areas of water absorb so much cold in the winter protecting the higher trees. Id love to see a 42ft greenhouse dome with a big swimming pond and a cottage inside.
Just signed up for the Duluth event...it said that 80% of the tickets have been sold already! Thanks Grant for mentioning Chad and Zach's work...can't wait to see what Chad has been up to in Duluth. Austria this summer!!!
Who has plans for 2013 to do one of these? I was set on DPB's pond liner, but after hearing Paul describe Sepp's techniques..with enough gravel and possible even some cedar walls? Who needs straight walls I dont know but maybe some kind of replaceable cedar could work. I like the idea of terraces (more like steps) making their way down to 2-3 meters...and with cob techniques, I dont know why DPB would spend so much on cement bricks.
Ive emailed the team and called Chad in Duluth but haven't heard back yet - I am in Alexandria and would be so interested to pay Sepp and Paul for a consultation or see if they want to do a 2-3 day workshop. Im wondering if its too late for adding on more dates? Im about 4 hours from Duluth - will very likely attend.
Bozeman to Minnesota is fairly quick, best done at night lol my spot is halfway between fargo and Minneapolis, and then Duluth is 2.5 hours north from there, which is a very pretty drive. A bit early in the season though...but at least no bugs, good for earthworks.
My place in Minnesota is 4 hours from duluth...anyone here considering having Sepp come for a personal consultation? Im hoping that the snow stays away in the spring. Very good news to hear about this.
thank you so much for sharing these vids...great lessons. If only they knew about tree crops - but when nazis are knocking on the door, planting a baby english oak doesnt make a whole lot of sense. Super sad to hear about all the tilling though...after 60 years it could surely recover but yeah - no bueno
obviously that depends on the species of plant, no? Willows, elderberries, blueberries....root rot? I am putting in ponds this spring and am being torn between the clear crystal waters of David Pagan Butler's approach with Sepp's approach...I see many ponds that arent so crystal clear. Obviously sepp knows what works if you have 100+ ponds, but what if you only want 1-3? Liners? Im feeling that i will go that way, but its always a fun thing to think about before going to sleep at night lol...AWESOME vid - just downloaded it with the "download helper" on Firefox - on the hard drive for airplane watching and when internet goes down. Thanks for sharing the vid.
anyways - do a seasonal thing (april to october) in MN, then do something else...your parents could use the permaculture principles on their property and think about how good you can make it - people nearby will see and perhaps you can turn the local community (without even trying very hard) into a community forest garden. All it takes is a few convincing people and some money.
Im doing this up in Alexandria (northwest of st cloud on 94) but in the winter Im traveling - permaculture really makes this all possible for a person now.
kirk is right...its people like the permies that show a better way for the people stuck in the past - who cares about the neighbors anyways? Its all about your core-tribe, and if you come at people with an open-heart and not preachy, they will think youre a nice guy (albeit a bit strange lol)
When they see your results they may even start doing something similar - we need it here. Im up in Alexandria and this is a pretty red area - people arent thinking about nature and um..being healthy(?) too much...but hey - more woodchips, dumpster dived goodies, and farm scraps for those who know...stick around bro.
Emily is right paul - the model is to build up community with free info, get the big hits, then sell advert space. I think if you start producing some dvds like GL - everyone would be all over it. But the ad space...as long as it doesnt become annoying. I hope people are buying your podcasts in bundles on scubbly.
I think the eco-ola people will really make a big impact there. I know Noah from there and he is definitely on the food forest ways - I Would check what has been done at the vietnamese suburban food forest that Geoff Lawton visited (on youtube) and even the indian farmer in gujarat who used masanobu's methods. Youll be building soil as you go and bringing in woodchips so Im sure things will be fine. Build up some raised beds for the guilds and load it with rock dust and diluted ocean water which is usually mixed with 10x freshwater (1500-2000 ppm on the tds meter) - youll be getting 400 coconuts per tree in 10 years if you really go for it
Ben Falk who has http://www.wholesystemsdesign.com in a wet spot of vermont is having lots of success with sea buckthorn and black locust. I have planted about 30 in my spot in MN and they are going strong...his are about 5 years older than mine and putting out big. They are really happy with them and are planting lots more.
Ive planted lots of russian olive and buffaloberry in the drier spots but the sea buckthorns are looking better. try both for sure! The sea buckthorns at my friend's place in utah (rawutah of fb) LOVE his soil in Hurricane UT...more desert like...cheers! Get lots and lots
very cool video man...what part of the country are you in? If you can find russian comfrey plant lots - check out sepp holzers stuff on youtube as well! Awesome spot youve got.
Ive been collecting the seeds of both in Paris lately, mostly honeylocust. Great to hear that the thorns aren't dominant...as badass of a hedge that would be, I never saw thorns on the trunks of the honeylocust like in the photos, but the branches did have some. The pods would be a perfect treat for pigs or cows...and they are sweet inside. A good animal food/fast grower/nitro-fixer/less shady tree. I see MANY more black locusts here though - about 100 to 1. They have thorns on the branches and many are 60 feet tall here...very beautiful trees and make great chicken food in the fall. If people could collect all those smaller seedpods and save them for chickens later through the fall...could be great.
I took a nail file to the seeds and it worked..make sure the seeds are dry though when filing otherwise it will ruin mom's cheapo nail file lol
No seed chilling period either..started right up from 2012 seed. I really want to start large amounts of them for borders and mother trees in new areas..the city of paris must have realized how fast they grow and how easy they are to care for...they call them "acacias" but they are black locusts for sure.
The seeds from a friend in vermont (black locust) do look a bit darker than the ones here but they are for sure the same tree...maybe a different cultivar? Not sure.
hands down I would get a hazelnut hybrid from onegreenworld.com - especially if you are in Oregon and can get a big one from them - im envious. I ordered mine thru St Lawrence to ensure hardniess but yeah for SURE skip that almond you wont get good crops even if it lives...unless you have a super warm microclimate. Enjoy it and pick them before the animals lol
white clover...nice and low, pretty flowers, bees love it...
The purslane would likely leave so much soil exposed - I bet it would look pretty sloppy after a wet spring. Maybe have a pathway somehow...for best shade-tolerant fruits in your area - black currants (leaves get nibbled way less than reds or whites at my place) gooseberries..jostaberries...even a hardy kiwi against that wall if it gets some sun. Russian comfrey too...that will get things super lush - as would some rhubarb. Have fun with that it will look amazing.
I definitely think the artic varieties can deal with the low light options...kolomikta I think its spelled? Onegreenworld.com has them...mine are taking off for sure.
honeyberry, even a hardy kiwi against the fence coming out a bit...or black currants...if you dont have deer problems you could do lots. You can always keep the shrub pruned for your needs...I would check onegreenworld.com for ideas...I am loving the honeyberries, currants, and goumi...
I know that it can be tough in the sea of soy and corn...those poor farmers are wasting more land than the suburban developers FOR SURE. I think though in the near future it will be optimal because the price of heating may become to expensive for others to deal with...the cold winters could push more people out leaving the harder folks that can care for themselves cheaply and easily...people dont really mess with you here - but MN can be a dumb state with taxes and regulations. If you have a nice spot with core people I would surely stay, but as an overall scene its definitely not worth talking about too much...one definitely has to create the party themselves if you know what i mean. I honestly started my place in MN because my 55 year old parents live there. But it has its benefits and honestly in 20 years it could be PERFECT. They arent going to be growing corn and soy like that for much longer It will just be too damn expensive to keep up the insanity. Suburban developments covered in food forests will be the best replacement. CHeers!
I lost three hives in 2 years...the last two right when spring was starting but there was no spraying yet anywhere. My uncle is in a similar area one hour north with TOP BAR hives...he has great success. He keeps them far apart, but they survive the winter and do very well. I will switch to his method next year. Im in Alexandria..he is in Frazee...
yeah really nice bush cherry that can be trained as a tree or bush - great leaves too. My elderberries and honey berries have also gone untouched. Also - raspberries (pretty much). I think the answer may be to bite the bullet and at least protect your larger core area with a fence. I think I will do that next year while I plant more black locusts and nankings.
About the nankings...If you thin out the immature berries you can get some really nice red ones when they do ripen, but birds and little mammals can be tough on you...for eating..mixed with honey/favorite sweetener and honestly even alone and they are just great. I planted them and surrounded with woodchips - they have SOARED in 3 years.
I harvested these in mid october in paris france - I think they are hardy to zone four though - paris is warmer. Anyways, took them to the apartment, put a nail-file to them for about 15 seconds and soaked them. They got PLUMP. After sitting in a moist area for 2 day they popped tails. I was surprised how fast. No stratification needed whatsoever. I wouldnt mess with the water either unless you were doing more than 20? I am going to use these along with black locust and nanking cherries to create the edible fence around the property.
they all mentioned that it was like char or bbq...as anyone tried making an oil tincture with bbq scrapings and soot? That mixed with some sunflower oil could be pretty easy for mass protection. Im in central MN and those deer mess my garden up bad...last year there was no snow with lots of acorns so no problems but they have set me back. Black locusts all around and the char smell should go a long way I hope...
I just realized it was aluminum by looking on their site. 