Giant Gophers Attack Permaculture Group!

We rented the excavator again and dug 71 (!!!) tree holes and two troughs for bamboo.  Super Ross was at the controls again (I think he wants one of these for his b-day) and is getting pretty danged good at intricate maneuvers.  I watch him and I can see him mastering nuanced muscle memory more with every hole installed--he would probably be operating the thing as easily as other people drive cars with a few more days under his belt.

But fortunately, we'll be pretty much done with gas-powered machinery soon on the farm. 

We've made an effort to use smarter field tools.  Our chainsaw and string-trimmer both operate on battery.  AND, we use ultra-nice hand-tools because that's what I like to spend 'disposable' income on.    

So, we'll be planting what trees we can acquire within the next weeks, but many holes will sit vacant until January, when the rest of our desired trees are available.   

Chicken Tractor

The flock had their first experience in their chicken tractor today.  Jackie, Ross and I were all on hand for the maiden voyage of the tractor, which traveled about five feet.  We just wanted them to have a few hours getting used to a different environment and they did pretty well, once we got them through the port. 

I had to go into the coop to physically put them through the port door and they kept coming back into the coop--it was pretty hilarious.  Then we used a combination of food lure and a baffle to corner them by the port to shoo them through.  One chicken slipped through a crack in the transfer but we secured her almost immediately.

They spent about 4 hours doing their thing, which is scratching the ground for insects, weed seeds, grass and other plants and pooping, before we trundled the tractor back to the coop.  The reentry went more smoothly than the exit; we used food again to lure them in and had to wait a bit for two stragglers.

We'll test the electro-net fencing tomorrow so we can start regular day shifts while we are away during the week.

   

Chickens Move into New Digs

Our first flock of chickens has moved out of their dogmobile brooder into their permanent henhouse.  Ross built this ultra-cool henhouse using a lot of salvaged parts like loading pallets.  It sits on a concrete slab, is predator-proof and is very well-ventilated because adult chickens are very hardy and resistant to as cold as it typically gets here.

Smart design features include a metal roof for rainwater harvest, metal panels on south and west walls to buffer prevailing winds, natural tree branches for roosting, elevated nest boxes for laying eggs and a nifty port for interface with the chicken tractor.

The girls (no roosters in this flock) took to their new home immediately and are more active with more space and windows to look out of.  They will be introduced to the tractor within a week or two, after the portable electric net fencing arrives.

Excuse me!

  

Super Ross and the Day the Earth Moved

No, it's not an old 'Friends' episode.

We made the decision that more people are necessary to build and work this farm.  We posted ads on a couple permaculture blog-sites and on Craigslist, and Ross was the first to respond.  He studies public health at Bastyr University and is an ultra-serious 'through-hiker.'  He has hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail in four and a half months!

Ross has building skills and can operate a backhoe!  Last weekend we dug 6 big holes on the farm.  Two are for pit latrines, one is for a dog-poop composting station, one is for an apple cellar, one is for our first pond and one is down lower on the property to observe the water-table over winter.

Ross has already started to build one outhouse and is almost finished with our first henhouse.  He's a creative builder who is good at incorporating salvaged components in his structures.  A farm axiom that we have adopted is that we should always look for ways to save money, using and reusing resources that are cheap and/or free.   (Thanks to Tater's owners for their old deck lumber!)

The photo above with the half-buried garbage can is our dog-poop composting station.  The bottom of the can is cut out and the can is placed over rocks and gravel.  We pitch the poop in with a little septic starter and the poop composts down into the ground.  As long as we don't plant something edible right there, we are fine.

Challenges!

The land that we purchased is gorgeous and inspiring but the house on the property presents challenges.  Upon moving in, we discovered a significant mold problem which gave Jackie respiratory problems.  In addition, there were serious electrical and plumbing deficiencies.  We hired a contractor who tore out our kitchen, one bathroom and much more.  We've been living out of boxes in 3 rooms, eating smoothies, salads and take-out. 

Hiring folks to do work over here is a special challenge.  Seattle companies don't want to cross the water and local companies are unimpressive or unresponsive.  We finally found a good plumber out of Gig Harbor and got ahold of a Vashon Island electrician.  Hopefully the house will be put back together before it gets cold.  We've expended far more resources earmarked for farm infrastructure mitigating house problems than anticipated.

The house is a double-wide manufactured home.  I'd never even set foot in one of these before--cheap junk is perhaps the most apt description of this house.  Everything is weak, flimsy, poorly-constructed and just cheaply done.  So, we're trying to shore it up the best we can; the land is the reason we are here.

Chicks on a Hot Tin Roof

Well, not exactly. 

Two things we wanted to accomplish early were starting our first flock of chickens and getting a metal roof on our house.  For the roof, we chose metal in order to harvest rainwater and we chose white for maximum reflection.  We will have a large (2500 gal.) cistern installed by the house.

We ordered our chicks from a farm supply store in Gig Harbor and went to pick them up the day they arrived at the store.  I chose a variety of breeds for different colors of eggs and strong foraging reputation.  These birds will lay eggs and work the soil for us in chicken tractors.  They will be treated as valued working partners and will not be slaughtered for meat.  We are feeding them a splendidly varied diet which will result in delicious, orange-yolked eggs that are higher in nutrition. 

We have repurposed our original dogmobile as a chick brooder.

Permaculture

"Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems.  It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way."

This paragraph, written by permaculture co-founder Bill Mollison is the most succinct definition I've found for what we're trying to do on our farm.  We want to be the best stewards possible for this little parcel of 'Eden' that we have acquired.  We will not fall into the regular human patterns of chemical fertilization and use of herbicides and pesticides that are trashing our planet.  We will build good soils organically and provide good habitat for both domesticated livestock and indigenous wildlife.

We are attempting to be as self-reliant and sustainable as possible.  We are off-grid except for a municipal electricity feed and DSL for internet.  (I suppose we are also on-grid for our mobile-phone reception.)  We are on well and septic.

Energy security, water security and food security are basic considerations for establishing the infrastructure necessary for what we are doing.  We'll grow produce year-round, building greenhouses and establishing micro-climates.  Chickens will be our first livestock and we'll follow them with ducks.  We want a pond or two and will raise fish aquaponically.  Rainwater harvest and solar panels will be key components of our process.