Tag: CSC

The Permaculture Design for CSC in Stelle, IL

Below: A Self-Guided-Learning Tour into Permaculture
Use these pages as an educational journey into applied permaculture thinking and designing.  At the bottom of every page you will find the directory of the key elements included in this design. Each page is like opening a chapter in a permaculture design booklet that explains the element, its function, and why it was included. Enjoy your learning.  We explore all of these elements in each of our Permaculture Design Certificate Courses.

We began designing CSC’s (Center for Sustainable Community) 8.7 acres of land in early 2011.  This plan was presented, approved and adopted by CSC in the Spring of 2012.

Asked to guide the design in its early years, Midwest Permaculture has now begun implementation.  We expect it to take us about 5 years to fully establish each element of the design and then another 5 years to see it move into greater maturity.  We want the implementation to be a learning experience for hundreds of people. We welcome your interest and participation. Here are a couple of options.

  • Attend one of our permaculture trainings with us in Stelle, IL. You’ll be able to walk the land, learn more about the design, and even help us work on the hugelkultured swales.
  • Join us for an occasional work-party days. Our monthly emails will notify you of these.
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CSC Vision for Property

Why a ‘Vision’ is part of this Permaculture Design

Every permaculture design begins with the vision that the owner or owners have for the property. We will end up with quite different designs for the same piece of property should one owner have the vision of creating a pick-your-own fruit operation where another wants to create a healthy and safe environment for aging horses. Some elements will be the same – many others will be different.

Here are the sorts of questions we will ask an owner(s) when starting a permaculture design for their property:

  1. What is your vision for the land over the next 5 years, 15 years, 30 years, 60 years, etc.
  2. What do you expect or need from the land?
    • Beauty
    • Privacy
    • Food (how much of annual consumption?)
    • Some income?
    • A lot of income?
    • Community?
    • Family stability?
    • (List all others)
  3. Will the focus be on buildings, plants, animals, agroforestry, education or something else?
  4. Does the vision include the public?  In what ways?
  5. What resources are available (labor, design talent, experience, equipment, money, etc.)
  6. Is developing a piece of property really what you want to do with your time and money (your life energy)?  How does this fit into your life’s work?
 

 

 

 

  

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Design Overview

Why a Design Overview is part of this Permaculture Design

When creating a permaculture design for a client, it’s very helpful to give a clear and brief overview of the existing resources, goals and key elements of the proposed design so that they can see the bigger picture. It is also a very helpful tool should they need to explain their plans to family members, partners, investors or lenders.  

 

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