Another Experiment at Midwest Permaculture
How one can attractively store woody brush to give it time to break down.
Hello permaculture friends. We wanted to give something a try. We have not seen this exact design in the literature or on YouTube (although it certainly could be out there) but the idea is to use our yard brush while also building a sturdy fence. Continue reading “Living Woven-Willow Brush Fence”
Why Season Extenders are part of This Permaculture Design For those of us who garden in a temperate climate (freezes in winter), we know only too well the disappointment when, for example, our indeterminate tomato plants are full of tomatoes in the fall, they are producing wonderfully, and then the first frost hits. The tomato season is now over and the plants were producing so well for the last 4 weeks. Now, suppose we created a very simple cold frame or low tunnel to start our tomato plants earlier in the spring so that they had a 4-week earlier start. That would mean that we would now get 8 weeks of tomatoes by the time the fall frost came calling. We just doubled our production from 4 to 8 weeks with a little protection in the spring. But what if we constructed some kind of added protection in the fall as well, before the frost hit, and ended up getting yet another 4 weeks of production? We just tripled our yield with a little help from our season extenders. Our Objective: |  |
Season Extenders Explained Here is an introduction to various options–some traditional, some creative. 1) Common Seasonal Hoop House |
Update by Bill Wilson – March 2018
Worm towers are just one of many techniques that permaculture designers might use to totally transform their home or piece of property. Join us sometime for a deep and inspiring look into Permaculture. |
How to Use
Above is the empty worm tower as it was installed into the ground at Midwest Permaculture in Stelle, IL. We then put in some wet straw for bedding, a handful of composting worms (red wigglers) and a days worth of kitchen scraps. For the next couple of weeks we added our daily kitchen scraps until it was full. Thereafter, the contents would slowing sink down as the worms enjoyed their feast, turning scraps into pure worm castings. About once a week there would be enough room to add another days worth of kitchen scraps. If someone had 7 towers they could top-off one per day.
This past Sunday the Chicagoland Permaculture Meetup and Living Off The Grid Meetup joined forces to build a compost pile that would provide heat for the grow beds of a greenhouse.
6-day “Hands-on” Training – August 2011 This Training is also Stage 2 or our 3-Stage PDC Certificate Course
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| May 2011 Hands-on Training Week At Midwest Permaculture — Stelle, IL For those interested, here are some pictures from our “Hands-on” work week. It turned out to be a great time dispite the fact that it rained on most days. The pictures are from student John Berton and myself, Bill Wilson. The narration is mine as well. You can learn more about our 6-Day course here. |
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| Herb Drying – Lemon balm and spearment Continue reading “Pictures From May 2011 “Hands-on Training” Week” |
| May 2011 Hands-on Training Week At Midwest Permaculture — Stelle, IL For those interested, here are some pictures from our “Hands-on” work week. It turned out to be a great time dispite the fact that it rained on most days. The pictures are from student John Berton and myself, Bill Wilson. The narration is mine as well. You can learn more about our 6-Day course here. |
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| Herb Drying – Lemon balm and spearment Continue reading “Pictures From May 2011 “Hands-on Training” Week” |
Meet Our Friend Rob Frost from the Milwaukee, WI Area Back in the 1970s, a Frenchman by the name of Jean Pain of built a compost pile from woodchips about the size of a garage. Inside the pile he had coiled around a single, very long hose that he could run clean water through. In the very center of the pile was a very large-sealed-tank holding a slurry of cow manure. Once the pile started to heat up he was able to run water through the hose at will and extract some of the heat. He had all the hot running water he needed for bathing, washing, and get this…for heating his home…for 18 months…!!! And from the manure tank in the center he extracted enought methane to provide gas to his stove and oven but more impressively, he compressed it into tanks and ran his automobiles from it. And when he was all done, he had a pile of fantastic compost for his gardens. Our friend Rob Frost is attempting a mini version of this for his suburban home.
|  Rob’s Home Heating Experiment |
