Angel Log

This is log 6, day 6

After this past week of researching the area's natural resources, the demographics, the local resources, and talking to people in the area, I have begun to get a picture of how the property might look, what might be appropriate, and what would achieve both the financial gains that would replace the use of the non-profit monies, and develop the farm into a permaculture showplace that people come away from impressed with about the possibilities.

Natural habitat for wildlife, swales to catch, slow and sink water, bees, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits.....the use and sale of manures, sheet mulched and composted gardens, woodchipped pathways, and edible landscape, bordered with flowers, natural fencing, labeled plants, a perimeter walking trail, staging area for speakers, and local music, and room for dancing. The difference organizing the property, deciding the general vicinity where things will go, getting everything where it will go. Perimeter trees, shrubs, a property self=contained, that will feed not only the people who live here, but its many visitors, as well.

Alternatively oriented energy, sustainable internet connections, lighting, waste disposal, etc.

This is log 5, day 5

Today was researching the natural resources of Factory e farm; the sunlight, wind, rainfall, soils, wildlife, water, etc. The following information will help me identify not just what elements affect the farm, but what elements affect the surrounding areas as well, which helps me identify what needs the surrounding areas may have, and how the farm might be able to play a role in them.

I have had this discussion before regarding the independence of the farm to its neighboring communities. It is not truly sustainable to live independent of a community that surrounds us. It is also not a permaculture principle, nor is it ever a practice found in nature. And if we are truly a project whose mission it is to make a difference in the world, why would we not start with our neighbors?

So the following summary if the 1st part of some information I found valuable for research. It begins with the soils.

The primary soil association in the Maysville watersheds is the Lamoni-Zook-Shelby association. This is characterized as deep, nearly level to moderately steep, moderately well drained to poorly drained soils formed in glacial till and alluvial sediments. Lagonda-Grundy association is the next most predominate association and is distinguished by deep, gently sloping to moderately sloping, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in loess and in loess that is shallow over glacial till. Zook-Kennebec, the third association, typifies the bottomland and is described as deep, nearly level, poorly drained to moderately well drained soils formed in alluvial sediments.

Lamoni soils are deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately sloping that formed in glacial till. These soils are on the narrow tops and the sides of ridges. Permeability is slow and available water capacity is moderate. Organic matter and natural fertility is moderate to high. Erosion is the major hazard and the main management concern. The surface layer is black and very dark grayish brown clay loam about 9” thick. The firm subsoil is about 29” thick. The upper part is dark grayish brown clay, and the lower part is gray clay loam underlain with gray and yellowish brown clay loam.

Zook soils consist of deep, poorly drained, nearly level soils that formed in fine alluvium eroded from local upland soils. They are on narrow bottomland and are subject to occasional flooding. Permeability is slow; the available water capacity is moderate. Organic matter content and fertility is high. Wetness and occasional flooding are the main hazards, surface drainage the main management concern. The surface layer is black silty clay loam about 36 inches thick. The underlying material to a depth of 84” is very dark gray.

Shelby soils are distinguished by deep, moderately well drained, strongly sloping to moderately steep that formed in glacial till in strongly dissected areas. They are on the sides of ridges. Permeability is moderately slow and available water capacity is high. Organic matter content is low to high, and natural fertility is medium to high depending upon slope. Runoff is rapid and the hazard of erosion is severe. The surface layer is very dark brown loam about 7” thick. The subsoil is clay loam about 40” thick. It is brown in the upper part and yellowish brown in the lower part. It is underlain by calcareous glacial till.

Lagonda soil series consist of deep, somewhat poorly drained, gently sloping to moderately sloping soils on the narrow tops and the sides of ridges. These soils formed in 20 to 36” of loess or silty sediment underlain by highly weathered material washed from glacial till. Permeability is slow, and the water capacity is high. Runoff is slow to medium. Organic matter content is moderate tohigh with natural fertility being high. The surface layer is black silt loam about 9” thick. The subsoil is about 46” thick. It is mainly dark grayish brown silty clay underlain with gray silty clay. The main management concern is controlling erosion, with a minor concern being maintaining tilth.

Grundy soils are deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in loess. These soils are on the high, gently sloping, wide tops and the sides of ridges. Permeability is slow, with the water capacity availability being high. Organic matter content is moderate to high, with natural fertility being high. The surface layer is about 11”thick and is black silt loam in the upper part and black silty clay loam in the lower part. The subsoil is about 36 inches thick and is a very dark gray friable silty clay loam. The main concern of management is controlling water erosion. The soil is well suited for cultivated crops and to or pasture.

Kennebec soils are characterized by deep, moderatel well drained, nearly level soils that formed in recently stratified deposits of silty alluvial sediments. These soils are on stream bottoms and are occasionally flooded for short periods. Permeability is moderate and available water capacity is very high. Organic matter and fertility are high with no inherent limitations. In a representative profile the surface layer is 49” thick and is black silt loam, the subsoil is up to 84” thick and very dark grayish brown.

Mineral Resources. The watersheds are composed of soil formed from loess, glacial till and alluvial sediments; hence there are no significant mineral resources present.

Woodland Resources. The forest covers in the Maysville Watersheds ie. Factory e Farm is a small component but a vital resource. Potential species may be present or grown such as Osage Orange, Locust, Cedar, Elm and Hawthorn. A variety of Walnut, Hickories and Oaks are more common in the area. Many drainage areas will be a combination of the above species along with Willow, Cottonwood, Sweetgum and Sycamore. Forested land offers numerous benefits to the health of the watershed, the wildlife, and the farm. Research shows that trees provide some of the best soil stabilizing potential of any natural vegetation. A forested riparian area will assist in slowing out of bank water flows, decreasing runoff, increasing percolation, temperature moderation, and holding soil in place with extensive root systems. Forest area provides wildlife habitat. Forest cover provides needed travel corridors for all types of wildlife. It is also the primary source of food and shelter for important game animals such as deer and turkey. Thick woody cover is vital for small game survival like quail and rabbits. Finally, forests, when properly managed, can provide alternative income sources. This can come either from the direct sale of timber, firewood, or through various forest farming practices. An example of Agroforestry includes growing high value crops, for example ginseng, goldenseal or mushrooms, under the forest canopy. Expanding the forest cover is one option in improving water quality in the watershed, and the farm.

Wildlife. The area around Maysville in DeKalb County harbors a wide variety of wildlife species native to Missouri. This general area also has the potential to enhance the presence and diversity of wildlife through the development of good wildlife habitat. The quality of cover can be improved throughout a selected watershed by planting different fields in a variety of grass/legume mixtures that are both cool season and warm season varieties. The overall habitat can be greatly improved by interspersing woody shrubs that provide cover and travel lanes for a wide variety of wildlife species. Bobwhite quail are often used as an “indicator species” to guide the management toward quality wildlife habitat. Grassland habitats that are needed to protect watersheds can also be managed to benefit quail and other upland wildlife species. Tall native warm season grass such as big bluestem, Indian grass, and eastern gamma grass grow to a height sufficient to provide excellent roosting and escape cover. Shorter native grasses like little bluestem and side oats gamma along with cool season varieties of orchard grass, red top and timothy are preferred as nesting cover. Grass/legume mixtures that are open at the ground with an overhead canopy provide the necessary structure and good insect populations to serve as brood-rearing cover. Fence lines, strips and plots planted to woody shrubs such as plum, dogwood and Hawthorne serve as quality winter and loafing cover during cold weather and snow cover. Food plants for wildlife can be supplemented by planting fruit bearing shrubs and supplementing grass plantings with legumes like clovers and lespedeza. In the absence of planting agricultural crops like Milo, light discing of existing grass fields can be applied to encourage annuals such as pigweed, foxtail, ragweed and lamb’s-quarters.

Grasslands are a crucial component to preventing erosion as well as a positive factor in the development of good wildlife habitat. Many species of wildlife depend upon grasslands to meet their seasonal habitat requirements.

Wetlands. Historic wetlands were converted years ago to agricultural use.

Economics. The main economic force in the Maysville area is agricultural based. Most watershed residents derive a substantial portion of their income from agriculture sources, such as soybeans and cattle grazing. The impact from these income streams can be felt throughout the entire region. As agriculture prospers so does the local economy. In recent years agricultural enterprises have suffered due to depressed prices of farm commodities and as such the Maysville economy has suffered as well. With the depressed economy, capital improvements have become almost nonexistent. Area community growth and development has suffered as well during these times due to uncertainties concerning water quality and quantity. The control of possible chemical contaminants that could affect the drinking water quality of the Maysville area, and the costs associated with processing the water, has a significant economic impact on the residents and water users of Maysville. If efforts through the MoCREP program are successful in controlling the amount of contaminants that run off into the lake and directly lower the cost of processing that water into drinking water, the City of Maysville and their water customers will realize the cost savings. This will help to keep the taxes for city services lower and the cost to the end user of the processed water less expensive. Various businesses in the watersheds and surrounding territory contribute to the overall economic stability of the region. Additionally substantial numbers of hunters, fisher persons and other sports enthusiasts visit the area annually and bring with them significant economic impact for the community.

Tomorrow I will continue with the evaluation of onsite resources.

This is log 4, day 4

Dozed researching after 2 hours of sleep in 30 hours, but here it is: Over the past 2 days, my focus has been to briefly research offsite resources, and easily enough I encountered these:

Saint Louis Transition Town Transition Missouri Springfield Colombia Joplin St Joseph – Melissa Campbell, Transition Missouri Mike Hoey – Independence, MO Patrick Sullivan – Saint Louis Missouri Beginning Farmers Assn. Transition Kansas City Missouri Alternatives Center Missouri Organics Center Slow Food Saint Louis Slow Food Kansas City Midwest Permaculture Earthways Center, Saint Louis, MO GrassrootsOzarks.net Sustainable agriculture resources: Missouri Farmers Union Financing Ozarks Rural Growth & Economy (FORGE) Missouri Organic Association Our goal is to bring together Missouri organic growers, gardeners, consumers and all advocates of organic methods in a united effort to spread an understanding of the importance of a healthy food supply system, and to promote the growing and eating of organic foods. Missouri Farmer's Market Directory Find out about farmer's markets and where to find them. Missouri Department of Agriculture Organic Marketing Program Goods from the Woods Products and livelihood through the sustainable harvest of wild plants. Grow Native! Grow Native! is a cooperative program offered by Missouri Department of Agriculture and Missouri Department of Conservation aimed at increasing use of native plants in landscape and field cover programs. Charlie Hopper, Marketing Specialist Missouri Department of Agriculture 1616 Missouri Boulevard Jefferson City, Missouri 65109 Phone: (573)-522-4170 Fax: (573)-751-2868 Pony Express Farmers Market in Saint Joseph Habitat for Humanity, Mayfield Victoria Shade, Bollinger County Recycling

I also came across many articles regarding the farm, which contained some interesting comments. The following one creates an image of the farm and what is happening there. Educated folks know that everyone has their opinion, that some articles are meant for smear campaigns, etc., but it does create an image for many, and more importantly, for the people and standards of the farm. You have to ask, what is important for the farm? Is image important? Is how we live at the farm as important as what we do? It seem that the locals refer to the farm in general as the "Mud Hut". I thought one of the priorities for the position there would be a general overhaul of how everything is systematically done, as a farm, to deal with waste, food, water, image, etc. It all ties together. None of the following takes away from the good works being performed at the farm, but who would not come, because of it? Who would not want to support it, because of it? Who could not get past some these issues that the farm would be losing out from? I think consistency around everything is important. “How we do some things, is how we do all things!” I don’t remember who made that quote, but it is how many people who have put their lives in order, and value the same, think. The question is, what is in line with the vision, image, goals, etc. of the farm and project here? I believe that every aspect of this undertaking needs to be consistent.

Jakubowski’s hut anchors a 30-acre compound near Maysville, Mo., full of wooden shacks, yurts, work sheds, flapping laundry, clucking chickens, and a collection of black and strange-looking machinery. A dozen or so people in there twenties, none of whom appears to have bathed in a while, wander around or fiddle with the machines. Jakubowski has named the place Factor e Farm, though the goal isn’t just the cultivation of crops. Rather, it’s to create a completely self-sufficient community that produces not only its own food, but also energy, tools, and raw materials for making those tools. Jakubowski’s ultimate purpose is both to live off the grid and to teach others—whether out of choice or necessity—how to do so too.

Factor e Farm is about an hour north of Kansas City, Mo. To get there, you turn off a two-lane road onto a gravelly stretch that runs for about a mile before hitting the commune’s dirt driveway, which after about 100 yards leads to the main living and work areas. Jakubowski’s hut and two others form the heart of the compound. Nearby is a large, open-air workshop and a pair of his larger contraptions, a bulldozer and tractor that look like Mad Max’s take on a John Deere.

Since Jakubowski’s TED Talk was posted to YouTube (GOOG) in April 2011, it’s been viewed by more than 1 million people, around 500 of whom agreed to donate $10 or so a month to “subscribe” to the farm. The foundation of Mark Shuttleworth, a billionaire South African technology entrepreneur, gave Jakubowski $360,000 to pursue the work. The TED video even inspired a handful of hardy idealists to make a pilgrimage to Missouri and help out on the Factor e Farm. Then a few more showed up, some staying a week or two, some for months. By August 2012, there were 14 to 20 people staying on the farm at any one time, though it looked less like a farm than an unhygienic encampment for overeducated misfits. Factor e Farm has 400 fruit trees, although none produce fruit in any meaningful quantity yet. A dilapidated greenhouse not far from the workshop has nothing but weeds growing inside. As a result, almost all of the farm’s food and supplies come from Wal-Mart (WMT) and other stores in nearby towns. “We are going through major growing pains,” Jakubowski explains. ˙

A curved dirt path runs from Jakubowski’s hut to the main workshop area. On either side of the path are yurts and shacks with clotheslines strung between them. An old toilet bowl is used for growing herbs; chickens and rabbits sit in cages awaiting food. About 200 yards past the yurts is a larger structure called the Hab Lab, which was built by a local carpenter as a barracks during the post-TED Talk overflow. It’s easy to find from the smell.

Bedrooms line one side of the building and a kitchen and bathrooms take up most of the other. Between them is a common area with a table, couches, and open buckets of rotting waste that, in the historic Midwestern heat wave of 2012, produce a sweet, gag-inducing stench that sticks to the lining of the nostrils. In the kitchen, strips of flypaper, covered in dead bugs, dangle from the ceiling. House chore schedules posted on the walls are largely ignored.

A half-dozen or so young Factor e farmhands live in the Hab Lab. Three came from Greece as part of an agricultural education program and spend the majority of their days watching cartoons online. What the Hab Lab lacks in plumbing, it makes up for in Wi-Fi. No one’s wearing shirts. There’s no air conditioning, and the straw stuffed into the mud walls for insulation doesn’t cool things down much. The drinking water had been drawn from a well on the property, but the well and a filter couldn’t keep up with all the farm’s guests. “A couple of weeks ago, a few people started getting sick,” says Marshall Hilton, 28, an engineer from San Francisco. “We decided it might be the water and now don’t recommend that people drink it,” he says. As with the other Factor e dwellers, Hilton’s bathroom is a 5-gallon bucket. “I am composting my own waste,” he says. “I line my bucket with about two inches of subsoil. Every time I make a deposit, I cover it with organic matter. I have my bucket in my yurt, and it’s sealed off. There are no bugs. Well, I mean, there are a few bugs.”

As part of the ground rules for my visit to the farm in July, I agree to help a squad of farmworkers build a set of rooms on the side of the Hab Lab. To really appreciate what they’re doing here, went the pitch, I should work beside them. So on the second morning of my visit I report for duty. The others never do. “That’s typical,” says John Marlatt, a local retired carpenter who showed up to lead the project. “The kids are always supposed to help, but usually they’re all inside and don’t do anything unless Marcin rustles them up. Oh, and don’t drink the water. Seriously. I mean it.” Gabrielle LeBlanc has just been hired as the agriculture chief. She’s a 22-year-old from suburban Los Angeles who wears a tie-dye dress and has a “hemp history week” sticker on her laptop. “I am used to foraging for my food,” she says. “I enjoy being out with the birds and bugs.” LeBlanc studied animal science at the University of California-Davis. A couple days before my arrival, she had the farm pay $1,000 for a dairy cow (plus $30 for delivery), which she has named Good Cow and now keeps on the farm in a paddock enclosed by an electric fence. LeBlanc plans to get the greenhouse back in order before next planting season and to plant some crops and dig a pond. Hilton, one of the yurt-dwelling engineers, has been refining a DIY compressed-earth brick press and is hopeful he can turn it into something the farm can sell for $9,000 each. “The closest competitor is $45,000,” he says. Is she still here? Marlatt, the retired carpenter, agrees that Jakubowski can come across as eccentric, even delusional, but blames at least some of the farm’s disarray on this summer’s brutal drought. He’s cautiously optimistic. “This is most definitely a good idea,” Marlatt says. “America is in trouble, and the idea of being energy-efficient and knowing how to survive and build things is the right course.” Is he still here? We are not thugs. We are trying to build a new civilization.” ugly, undity living arrangements, and lack of foundational facilities for guestworthy visits from the outside world, is a serious knock on the whole thing. Marcin's been on this land for years -- when will you get your act together? Do you know what a decent home and farm and machine shop should look and smell like? But the idea is so awesome, and it doesn't ride on this particular farm's hygiene, and you all have done such great work so far -- we're already supremely proud of what you've begun here -- keep going! Bloomberg BusinessWeek

In contrast to these images, are images that may be attached to the existing ones that are very relatable to your neighbors, to historians, to conservatives, to the general public, that may gain a whole different perspective to what is happening at Factory Farm. See the introduction to this book, about someone who moves nearby to create something just as controversial to his time. They use words like freedom, justice, etc. the American way, building a different dream. Great images to connect with to help people get past the images above that may be given to the project to undermine it, and its importance.

Watkins Mill: The Factory on the Farm

By Louis W. Potts, Ann M. Sligar

This is log 3, day 3

Today I spent time researching the area, the towns, their distances, their distances from one another, and their relationships to each other. I found it interesting, after living in California, how little diversity there was. Most people are around 40 with one or two children. They are mostly Baptist, and mostly white and conservative. There are few Hispanics, and no reported gas or lesbians. And 30% are obese. I looked at homes and property prices, and what the cost for land was in the area, compared to the rest of the county, wages, etc. And finally I looked at rainfall, winds, cloud cover, growing season, etc.

Tomorrow I will look more closely into community resources from Maysville, St Joseph and Kansas City.

This is log 2, day 2.

I have been charged with formulating a Project Plan Summary that would illustrate how I would go about helping OSE develop revenue streams at the Factory e Farm site that take the place of reliance on the non-profit sector. Yesterday I had questions about the site, in relation to onsite resources, and offsite resources. Today I will to explore a farm specific rough business plan, which of course is exemplary, and not specific to this farm, and will change according to answers researched through the posed questions presented yesterday. In any plan, it is important to know what the primary goal is. The primary goal here is the GVCS, by 2015, and to keep as much, if not all, financing focused in the direction of GVCS. Therefore, formulating a plan for OSE to develop revenue streams at the Factory e Farm site that are able to take the place of reliance on the non-profit sector, is the number one priority. The next step is to answer the questions posed in Log 1 to define where we are today. We then pose the possibilities for the GVCS time-frame, and back cast them into evaluable increments, from this moment to the completion of the GVCS, in 2015.

A business plan would include: The Project Plan Summary, to be created last. a general description, what the proposed products and/or services could be, a marketing plan, an operational plan, the management and organizational structure, the projected startup and capitalization expenses, a financial plan along with a project financial statement, and any supporting documents.

I would propose a farm, inclusive of many aspects, an education center, also inclusive of multiple aspects, possibly being connected with the colleges and university system, and definitely connected with a large variety of domestic and international groups.

Next the identification of who we are and where our farm and education center will be located, and structurally how it will be operated. We could grow a variety of specialty vegetables, fruits, both culinary and medicinal herbs, rabbits, and chicken and duck eggs on a year round basis anchored by the production of rabbits, an education center, and farm stays. All crops will be selected based on their resilience abilities to the changing climate; short growing season varieties, low water requirements, high nutritional content, multi-beneficial aspects (example: fava beans; good for soil, edible greens both for humans and animals, tasty vegetable, grows year round). All crops will also be selected based on their ability to be sold as either specialty or conventional and to the conventional or organic market. We would avoid “way out” products. We might limit the number of crops to conserve our management attention to those that are basic foods, meats, culinary spices, and basic medicinal plants that fulfill the aforementioned qualities. Next, selling in order of priority; to people who visit the farm, at our local farmer’s markets, and to local restaurants. However, for the first two years as the farm ramps up we will sell weekly at farmers markets, and market ourselves and our mission through our website, social media, organizations we network with, Eco, Agri, and Edu-Tourism associations, associated free publications, the college and university systems, agricultural programs, any other associated organizations, and of course…word of mouth. We could capitalize the start up of the farm from the non-profit sector, to be paid back to the project, after its first year of operation, identifying how and when it will be paid back. We then identify who the main participants are, what they will do, and when they will do it. Our purpose is to run an efficient productive farming operation that provides high quality protein sources, seasonal vegetables, a wide variety of fruits, culinary spices, and medicinals, for ourselves, the farm guests, and the local community, as well as be an education center that provides a model for people to learn from, about the GVCS, OSE, sustainable living, localization, and/or any number of other appropriate topics, including exploring a community’s potential for eco/agri/edu-tourism. The farm itself could be a model for eco/agri/edu-tourism, and be an option to visit, work at and learn from.

There will need to be a management structure. The jobs of the farm will be production/growing, marketing, seed saving/sprouting, administration & finance, equipment, GVCS production, education and tourism, and/or farm stays.

The farm itself sounds in need of regenerative work; composting, sheet mulching, cover crops that fix nitrogen, etc. in its first year, which may initially lower the first year's projected expenses, and set the foundation for successful harvest next year rather than take a chance of planting into unprepared soil, only to produce nutritionally deficient food products for the community, its animals, and the community's food products to be dried, stored, etc. Utilizing the resources of the GVCS to transform the landscape into a slow food and edible landscape is an important element, to be documented, in this process. Also included in this process, is the mapping of a rough Farm Plan, so that the farm begins its general location for each farm system.

Climate change, resource depletion and economic instability are realities of our times. We would be exploring localization and ways to cultivate local community resilience in response to these challenges, since localization increases community security, and strengthens and builds the local economy. It also dramatically improves environmental conditions and social equity. We will have the ability to look at models that other communities have created, and talk about each of the models as to whether our community thinks they would work at Factory Farm and why. We also can discuss where some of these ideas may have already been implemented.

Crop failures, food shortages, natural disasters and rising fuel costs are just a few reasons to develop production of food supply at Factory Farm., and/or offer classes to not only the local community, but also to specific participants who wants to come visit and be a part of the creation of this design model. Potential Produce: seasonal vegetables; onions, garlic, various peppers, cilantro, corn, beans, squashes, tomatoes, carrots, celery, artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, chard, kale, lettuces, greens Annuals: Perennials: Asparagus, bunching onions, garlic, bamboo shoots, horseradish, kale, collard greens, radicchio, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries Orchard: Apples, pears, Asian pears, figs, cherries, oranges, limes, lemons Field crops: Field crops Livestock: Rabbits, chickens, ducks, doves, goats, pigs

Tomorrow I will begin the research of the site location, and include information from Marcin's communications, to integrate his ideas and information into a site specific outline. Need some answers to questions.

Angel Log 1 day 1

This is a test log.

I have been charged with formulating a Project Plan Summary that would illustrate how I would go about helping OSE develop revenue streams at the Factory e Farm site that take the place of reliance on the non-profit sector.

The first questions that come to my mind are about the site itself. As a Permaculture based project the first question is what are the onsite resources and what are their values? Many questions follow; Why this site? With the goal/end in sight, why this location? What does it offer the project? Do these resources outweigh the relocation to a more optimal site that would offer the resources necessary for not only the completion of the GVCS, but the financial support outside the non-profit sector that optimize the production of the GVCS?

Where is the site exactly? How close is the next city? Where is it in relation to a major airport? What is the climate like, the growing seasons? Is there water? What is its source? What is its quality? What of the soil? What is its quality? How is waste being dealt with? The sewage? What are the prevailing winds? How much snowfall is there in winter? How hot are the summers? What crops are grown in the area? What is the history of the land, and its uses? Are they connected to any public services? What are the ordinances concerning the work they are doing? Are they working under the radar, or is their work consistent with other state projects? What is the surrounding community like? What resources exist offsite in terms of people, organizations, agencies, farming communities, transition groups, agricultural groups, etc? What are the state’s economics? What value could this project bring to the area? As a working farm, what value could it bring to the area?

What buildings exist on the site? How much is housing, production facility, etc. Is there a greenhouse? There are 30 acres; is it flat, sloped, hilly? How long is the growing season? How much rainfall, snowfall? How are the roads to the location? How are the roads into town? How far is the nearest town? How open are people in the area to the activities at Factory e farm? Who knows about the project in the community? Do you have contact with neighbors at all? What is the zoning? What aquifer does the water come from?

All these questions answered paint a picture of opportunities. Tomorrow I list some possibilities, and do some research.

Sat Mar 16, 2013

Angel - some ideas. What are your thoughts on Permaculture Design Course? What are your thoughts on Distributive Enterprise - where the development on site is state-of-art case examples, where we demonstrate a viable enterprise, but focus on teaching others to replicate the enterprise?

Angel - some ideas. What are your thoughts on Permaculture Design Course? What are your thoughts on Distributive Enterprise - where the development on site is state-of-art case examples, where we demonstrate a viable enterprise, but focus on teaching others to replicate the enterprise?

I had the opportunity to take a Permaculture Design Course previously, and enjoyed the group process that I shared with others on a project. The project was done by a small group of people, but the overall project was being done by a number of groups, and everyone involved contributed toward the design, and on the final project. In the end, the community for which the project was being designed for, received a collaborative summary explaining why the particular design had been selected above all others. It was an enlightening experience where you could clearly see the value of the collaboration, and the quality of the contribution.

Having had many years of management experience, I have found that generally, the best decisions made are those that are arrived at through a collaborative decision-making process. It offers a variety of perspectives that one person, no matter how much experience they might have, may not have even considered, nor have been able to arrive at on their own. Another benefit I have found in collaborative decision-making is that it enrolls everyone in the process and the participants tend to take ownership of a decision, and are more willing to stand behind it.

In response to the last sentence regarding distributive enterprise; I was involved in a concept called private franchising for about 15 years. The concept reminds me of the concept of distributive enterprise. In private franchising, we took access to a funneling corporation like a Costco, which moved around 20,000 goods and services at or near wholesale. What we did was create a unique business model from this opportunity, and help people develop their own business out of it by creating consumer networks, not unlike AOL or Facebook was doing. We coached, trained and mentored new business owners, showing them how to take access to the organization and how to create their own consumer networks and get paid on the overall volume they created. We were paid for our ability to create volume and develop consumer networks for the company. The larger the consumer network, and greater volume generated, the greater bonus structure that was built in. Those that did well in this industry, did so, because of their ability to teach others how to redirect their spending habits into their own business, and think like a businessperson, instead of consumer, and how to find and teach others how to do the same. We were the outsource for the company. It was fun, and we were paid well for developing their consumer base.