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Chronicle of a Work-Trade Program

Chronicle of a Work-Trade Program
One scrappy idealist’s venture into the world of permaculture

“This permaculture summer of mine was magical for me in a lot of ways, and beginning my journey with the work-trade program was certainly a beautiful way to get started on that journey.” Coral

Coral Thayer

Perhaps you are an experienced permaculturalist and manage an amazing piece of land or you educate others in the ways of the swale. Or perhaps you have a PDC and are eager to learn more. Or maybe you’ve recently begun this journey and are looking at what Midwest Permaculture has to offer. A Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) is a good investment but it can be kind of expensive. If you’re a young 20-something like myself you may not be able to drop a thousand bucks for a week-long training. Fortunately, Midwest Permaculture provides another option: their work-trade program.

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PDC Graduate Series – Jodi Trendler and Michelle Hickey

 

Jodi Trendler is a Graduate of:
PDC Course #33 – June 2012
at Midwest Permaculture, Stelle, IL
Michelle Hickey is a Graduate of:
PDC Course #38 – Jan. 2013
at Midwest Permaculture, Stelle, IL

Cofounded The Resiliency Institute
in Naperville, IL, immedialtey following their PDC courses.

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Plants and Pollinators Workshop

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. includes lunch.
Price – $20
Call or email to let us know you are coming.
Becky@midwestpermaculture.com
815-256-2215

Workshop will be both out in the field to identify plants and pollinators and indoors with a presentation.

For those interested there will be a casual introduction to Stelle during lunch and then a follow-up tour after 3:00. No additional charge. Continue reading “Plants and Pollinators Workshop”

Low-cost, knock-down, outdoor shower house

Here is some information about the progress we are making with our outdoor shower house projects. With campers coming to our Stelle (Il) and Bending Oak (Youngstown, OH) projects this summer we want to have a way that they can take a warm shower using current sunlight (scrap wood) to heat the water. (More on solar vs. wood burning hot shower water systems below.)

The goals for our shower houses are 5-fold;
     1. Non-permanent and portable
     2. Knock-down for winter storage
     3. Inexpensive (easily available or recycled materials)
     4. Easy to assemble/duplicate
     5. Attractive (Has to have a welcoming factor)

Prototype #1

The first concept we came up with that cost the least turned out to be more of a job to construct than first imagined, may not hold up in a hard wind, and frankly, looks a bit tacky (to me). But the price is right at $65.

Low-cost outdoor shower house made with T-posts and a tarp

Prototype #1 – Tarp and T-posts

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PDC Graduate Series – Tim Wadle

Tim is a Graduate of:
PDC Course #53 – Feb. 2015
at Midwest Permaculture, Stelle, IL

  • Opened a business Sweet Greens in Cleveland, OH, -a supply store for indoor growers

  • Transforming his 12 acres in suburban Cleveland

  • Working to open the eyes of residents and city regulators about the opportunities around urban food growing.

“As Bill and Becky said at the PDC, if we wish to create a more compassionate and sustainable world (a more permanent-culture) we need to live it and share it.”   Tim… Continue reading “PDC Graduate Series – Tim Wadle”

Winter Starts and Microgreens

Winter is almost over, yet at the beginning of this season we were determined to bring more greens into our home during the cold months. We focused on microgreens and experimented with several methods. We used two mixes from Johnny’s Seeds, one was mild and the other spicy, mostly brassica mix. Continue reading “Winter Starts and Microgreens”

PDC Graduate Series – Scott Miskiel

Scott is a Graduate of:
PDC Course #62 – April 2016
at Heal the Planet Farm, Koshkonong, MO

  • Sold his legal practice in Arizona and retired early to pursue a life more meaningful to him.

  • Moved to Missouri and is establishing his own permaculture homestead on 6 acres. Just got the URL… Inwood Gardens LLC.

  • Has already provided legal, permaculture design and managerial consulting/services to Heal the Planet Farm.

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PDC Graduate Series – Bridget O’Brien

Bridget is Graduate of:
PDC Course #38 – Jan. 2013
at Midwest Permaculture, Stelle, IL

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Rainwater Harvesting – Bending Oak Project in Ohio

Erik Peterson – Permaculture Teacher/Designer/Builder

Hey permies! In this blog post, we’re going to get the skinny on rainwater harvesting…

Bill asked if I could share with you all the process of designing and installing the rainwater catchment system we constructed for the Youngstown, Ohio permaculture project that Bill and Becky have been leading, known as Bending Oak . So herein we will explore the nuts and bolts of our own install, and give you the essential information that you will need to consider in designing a rainwater harvesting system of your own.

Besides teaching and designing with Bill and Becky I am also co-running our farm Fern Hollow Farm and our permaculture business.

At Bending Oak I have been involved with tending to the fruit and nut orchards, finishing the construction of the shipping container barn, planting native wetland plants around the newly installed pond, and more.  Now that the rain catchment system is in place, we’re one big step closer towards off grid, self-sufficiency! So let’s dive in…

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