Tag Archives: design

Every Neighborhood Needs a Farm

Posted on by

Can publicly owned farmland be a catalyst for improving suburban community health & vigor?Suburban Farmland Permaculture Reuse

AppleSeed Permaculture and Milone & MacBroom, Inc. are collaborating on a project with the town of Hamden Connecticut to envision the potentials for reuse of a former farm. This project is funded by a grant from the state Department of Agriculture. Agriculture has deep roots in Hamden, with orchards in this location appearing on maps since 1852. The former Maselli Farm remained in agricultural use even as neighboring farmland was rapidly developed into suburban communities. Now this 33-acre tract of land is one of the last remaining open spaces in the community.

Residents in the neighborhoods adjoining Maselli Farm have tenaciously pursued maintaining this land as open space. A community meeting drew a large crowd eager to offer their ideas about what Maselli Farm should become. Most people advocated for either a public open space, a working farm, or a blend of the two. Our role is now to reconcile the most popular ideas into a plan that makes sense socially, ecologically, and financially.

Maintaining open space and farmland in our towns and cities provides many benefits. Recreational opportunities positively impact people’s emotional and physical health, while contact with trees and living systems has a profound impact on mental well-being. Children who spend more time in “green” settings have reduced symptoms of ADHD and higher test scores. The living systems provide numerous “ecosystem services” such as cleaning the air, infiltrating water and reducing runoff, cooling the community, and bolstering local biodiversity. The land base can also be utilized to grow food and other products to be consumed locally in a way that builds local economic resiliency and improves food security.

In this design, a forested buffer around the edges of the site offers wildlife habitat and other ecosystem services while also creating a buffer for the surrounding neighborhoods. A swath through the center of the site becomes a native grass and wildflower meadow, providing ecological diversity and granting visitors impressive views across the site and into the distance. A large area is dedicated to agricultural activities, while other areas host community gardens, a gathering pavilion, and spaces of outdoor learning. The historic barn is renovated and serves as an anchor for cultural activities and a window into Hamden’s history. A trail system connects neighborhoods through the site and allows users to experience the diversity of ecosystems, terrain, and uses that the site has to offer.

Maselli_Design_Phase3_151120

Wouldn’t your neighborhood benefit from a productive community green space? We believe that every neighborhood needs a farm. Contact AppleSeed Permaculture if you want to support making a project like this happen in your town.

Permaculture Gardening Growing Fast

Posted on by

Although a fringe movement elsewhere, approved it’s booming in Maine.

By Tom Atwell (Originally published in the Portland Herald Press)

Permaculture design – landscapes developed to be useful, to sustain both the gardener and the land – may be a fringe movement, but it is the fastest-growing segment in the plant industry, according to Dale Hendricks, founder of North Creek Nurseries in Pennsylvania.

He compared the status of permaculture today to an eccentric-seeming gardening push in the 1980s that touted the cultivation of more native plants. At the time, many gardeners summed up that movement as the ideas of “a few crazies,” Hendricks recalled in a February lecture in Boston for New England Grows. “But now that fringe group has become almost mainstream.”

Similarly, “Permaculture…may be on the fringe now, but it is coming into its own.”

In Maine, the permaculture boom is already here.

The Resilience Hub, a nonprofit group in Portland promoting permaculture design, has 1,700 members, holds 50 to 60 events a year and helps people translate the principles of permaculture design to their homes, said Lisa Fernandes, the director who helped found the group in 2005. For one annual event, the “permablitz,” Hub members and others spend a day transforming someone’s property into a permaculture site.

Fernandes defined permaculture as “a design method based on ecological patterns. It is something you use rather than something you do.”

Ethan C. Roland of AppleSeed Permaculture in Stone Ridge, N.Y., who also lectured at New England Grows, defined it a little differently. “Permaculture design mimics the diversity, stability and permanence of natural systems,” he said.

What do these definitions mean in practise?

Permaculture, which is a contraction for “permanent agriculture,” attempts to minimize the outside elements brought onto a property, such as energy, water and raw materials from distant places. It also works to minimize the waste that leaves the property. It encompasses composting, rooftop solar panels, rainwater collection and vegetable gardens. A favorite vegetable garden mix among permaculture practioners is the so-called “three sisters,” the combination of crops that native tribes taught the Pilgrims to plant – corn, pole beans, and squash. The plants work together, and they make efficient use of space; the beans climb the corn, and the squash keeps the weeds down and the roots cool. These three happen to be native plants, but users of permaculture are more interested in how useful plants are than where they come from. They will grow native fruits, such as blueberries, elderberries and the paw paw tree, and non-natives, such Chinese chestnuts, which are resistant to chestnut blight; apple and peach trees, which have been grown in America for generations but are not native, and the Siberian pea shrub, which produces in a small space and improves the soil. Animals have a role to play in permaculture, too. Chickens, for example, provide eggs (and perhaps meat) for eating, as well as manure to fertilize the soil. They eat ticks that can spread disease and help mix up ingredients in the compost pile.

“When you walk into a well-designed permaculture garden, all the elements clearly work together,” ” Fernandes said. “There is biological diversity and a really heavy yield, whether that yield is food, flowers or herbs. There is a palpably different level of energy.”

Roland believes the Earth is sick, with climate change causing ever more storms, and many species going extinct or disappearing from their traditional ranges.

“Sustainable is not enough,” he said. “We have to go beyond sustaining to increasing the health of ecological systems. We need to heal the damage that has been done.”

You can start on that important work yourself by employing the practices of permaculture at your home. And you could well be part of the next big trend.

To schedule a consultation with AppleSeed Permaculture and get started, contact us now.

AppleSeed Permaculture Internship 2013

Posted on by

WORLD-CLASS PERMACULTURE & SOCIAL ENTERPRISE TRAINING

ASP_InternshipIn a Nutshell – A three-month internship with AppleSeed Permaculture, a cutting edge regenerative design firm based in the mid-Hudson River Valley of New York, USA. Internship runs from September 1st to November 20th, 2013 and focuses on professional permaculture design and social entrepreneurship. The internship offers full immersion and guided mentoring for everything from computer-aided drafting to deep nature connection. This is a unique opportunity – there’s nothing else like it, period. Interns must be permaculture-trained, hard-working, and self-directed. Three internship positions are available. Application period June 1st – July 15th, 2013. To apply for the Internship, download the application by clicking here and return it to design@appleseedpermaculture.com by July 15th, 2013.

“This internship was a launching pad for me to dive into doing work I am passionate about for a right livelihood – it empowered me with practical skills and deeper understandings to effectively accomplish my goals.” – Brandy Hall, 2010 Intern, owner of Shades of Green, Inc.

Who – Self-directed, entrepreneurial, motivated permaculture designers committed to creating positive change through social enterprise. Must have completed a Permaculture Design Certification Course. Computer skills and mac laptop with Adobe Creative Suite and are necessary. Preference given to applicants who identify as people of color, native peoples, and women.

Dyami_Planting

What – Action learning internship with AppleSeed Permaculture, a cutting edge regenerative design firm combining disciplines of sustainability to integrate humans into the landscape by designing productive ecosystems for homes, businesses, and communities. Internships are a mix of research and hands-on project-based learning.

PROGRAM INCLUDES:

  • Real World Design Project
    • Manage a professional design project for a real AppleSeed Permaculture client.
  • Design Apprentiship
    • Learn from AppleSeed Staff Designers by working with them on their projects: Large-scale water systems, urban edible landscapes, residential micro-farms.
  • Permacuture Busness Systems
    • Engage with proprietary systems for running an efficient and sucessful design business.
  • Deep Nature Connection
    • Absorb and emulate the processes of your local ecosystems to deepen your skill as a integrative designer.
  • Regenerative Systems Analysis
    • Research and apply the best practices of permaculture, biomimicry and eco-social design.

Where – The internship will take place in the Hudson River Valley bioregion of the northeastern United States. The AppleSeed Permaculture office is in Accord, NY. Interns will have the opportunity to live and work on a local permaculture farm for the duration of the internship.

“Beyond the skills needed for professional design and making a small business work, the AppleSeed internship gave me the tools and support to create “world change” from the inside, out.” – Mark Angelini, 2010 Intern, owner of Roots to Fruits Ecological Design

Internship Staff
  • Tama Jackson – Designer, Project Manager & Soil Specialist.
  • Dyami Nason-Regan - Lead Designer, Edible Landscaping & Installation Manager.
  • Ethan Roland – Lead Designer, Financial Permaculture & Agricultural Economics Specialist.
Local Partners 
  • Clove Valley CSA
  • Green Phoenix Permaculture
  • Falcon Formulations

When – September 1st – November 20th, 2013.

Each week, interns will work:
  • Two days with AppleSeed Permaculture LLC
  • Two days at Clove Valley CSA
  • One day with Green Phoenix Permaculture

Why – The Permaculture Design Course is a great introduction to permaculture. And, the world needs professional permaculture designers to actually create effective change. Becoming a professional permaculture designer requires a large and diverse skill-set, training in social entrepreneurship, and hands-on mentoring from working professionals. If you are someone who wants to become a professional permaculture designer by working with seasoned experts in the field, this internship is for you.

ASP_Internship02

To Apply – Download the application by clicking here. Return the completed application and all attachments to design@appleseedpermaculture.com by July 15th, 2013.

“The value of my internship with Appleseed Permaculture was immense!  I learned what it takes to be a permaculture design entrepreneur using the best technology, resources, and techniques.  I loved every minute of it and what I learned has been extremely helpful in my new business!” – Evan Schoepke, 2010 Intern, Gaia Punk Design Co-op & Punk Rock Permaculture E-Zine

Permaculture Cohousing in Connecticut

Posted on by
1

AppleSeed Permaculture LLC is proud to join Centerbrook Architects on the design team for Green Haven Cohousing, drugs ambulance an exciting project in the West River watershed of CT. In collaboration with the people of Green Haven, malady recipe the Bethany community, treat and the local ecosystem, we look forward to bringing permaculture to Connecticut!

Sustainable, low-impact neighborhood planned for Bethany.

Bethany, CT—June 6—Green Haven, Inc., a group of area residents, has obtained an option to purchase a 31 acre parcel on Meyers Rd. in Bethany, where they hope to build a sustainable neighborhood of modestly priced homes.

Green Haven members, some of whom are long-time Bethany residents, plan to live in the community. They will be working closely with the architects, engineers, and contractors to ensure that the development is in keeping with Bethany’s rural character and community values as well as being consistent with the town’s Plan for Conservation and Development. Initial response from neighbors and local citizens has been positive.

The property was previously approved for a 48-unit senior affordable housing development that would have occupied the entire site with suburban-style homes, lawns, and driveways. Green Haven’s vision is for fewer, smaller units clustered around a large common facility, the activities hub of the community.

The multi-generational, family-oriented community will feature private and community gardens as well as small-scale farming, in a pedestrian-friendly layout that encourages healthy interaction. The shared common house may include amenities such as a large kitchen and eating space, children’s playroom, craft rooms, and a woodworking shop, allowing individual residences to be comfortable yet small and inexpensive to maintain.

Centerbrook Architects—nationally known for their beautiful, sustainable, energy-efficient buildings—will be the project architects. They will be working with AppleSeed Permaculture on the plan, with most of the site to be kept as open space for farming, conservation, and recreation.

There are more than 200 cohousing neighborhoods nationwide, but Green Haven’s will be the first in Connecticut. Cohousing is a form of intentional community in which families own private homes and participate in the community’s consent-based self-governance and, if they choose, in community activities.

The Green Haven group has been working for several years to find a site where they can develop their community, and securing the option on the Meyers Rd. property is a major step forward. Their intention is to live as sustainably as possible, with a low carbon footprint, low-impact design, and significant on-site food production. They intend also to participate fully in the wider Bethany community as good neighbors.

For more information on cohousing, visit www.cohousing.org. For more information on Green Haven, visit www.greenhavencohousing.org. The group hosts community dinners twice a month at which newcomers and future neighbors are welcome. The schedule is posted on their blog, newhavencohousing.blogspot.com.

###

CONTACT

Green Haven Cohousing – Jack Nork, jack@nork.com, 203-500-2688

AppleSeed Permaculture LLC – design@appleseedpermaculture.com, 845-594-4518

AppleSeed Land Managers: Beyond Property Management

Posted on by
3

Dear Farmers, price shop Permaculturists, sales and Social Entrepreneurs, price

Are you interested in finding a piece of land to steward, manage, farm on and grow with for the next 1-10 years? Would you like to start an agricultural enterprise or educational farm without the challenges of purchasing land? Appleseed Permaculture is glad to announce our new project, AppleSeed Land Managers.

We match land owners (individuals, families, land trusts, retreat centers, schools, companies etc.) who want to
  • Grow food
  • Build community
  • Regenerate their local ecosystems
With land managers (individuals, couples, and families) who want to
  • Grow food, community, & local ecosystems
  • Build their skills and experience with land management  & eco-agricultural  enterprises
  • Develop long-term relationships with the land and local professional network

Essentially, we build symbiotic relationships that put people on the land and generate multiple forms of capital for everyone involved.  Land managers will receive compensation for their services, and land owners will achieve returns on their investments in financial, material, living, social, or cultural forms of capital. We are building this match-making service to meet the parallel unmet needs we’ve encountered among our design clients, our students, and our colleagues in the permaculture and organic farming communities. We invite you to be among the first people who try a new approach to meeting property management and development needs by engaging in the AppleSeed Land Managers process.

The types of people we’d like to engage as land managers are bright eyed, bushy-tailed, self-starter, situationally aware, go-get-‘em, positive, grateful, dependable, perseverant, clear-communicating, whole-systems thinking, and committed to personal growth and development. They have specific experience in permaculture, organic farming, or social entreprenurship. As of Spring 2012, we are looking to find one couple or family and two individuals (one farmer and one farm educator) to fill specific positions in the northeast USA.

Here’s what will happen if you meet the criteria above and would like to get involved:
  • You submit a resume and online application
  • We conduct a preliminary phone interview with you
  • We conduct an in-person interview with you
  • We invite you to join Appleseed Permaculture for trial work day(s)
  • We give you specific feedback and ask you to re-apply in the future
          • OR
  • We invite you to join our Land Managers Network!

Once you’re fully enrolled in our network, we will work with you to discover and outline your specific wants and preferences regarding land and a relationship with a land owner. From then on, we will pursue contacts with land owners on your behalf until we find a prospective match for you!  Finally, we will support you in the process of forming new relationships with the land and the land owners. This includes:

  • Understanding and developing a well-articulated vision and plan for the land
  • Business planning for eco-agricultural enterprises
  • Creating clear written legal agreements between land owners and land managers
  • Receiving continued mentoring from AppleSeed Permaculture staff

As the first wave of applicants to our Land Managers Network, you’ll have the opportunity to help us streamline and grow our new process.

We look forward to meeting you and networking on your behalf,
The Appleseed Team

Download the application questionnaire here: Land Managers Application

Permaculture Orchard Renovation

Posted on by

(Note from Ethan: This post is a final design report by the 2010 AppleSeed Permaculture Interns Brandy Hall (Ashevillage Institute & owner of Shades of Green, clinic Inc) and Evan Schoepke (Gaia Punk Design Co-op & Punk Rock Permaculture E-Zine). The full design presentation is included as a slideshow at the end of the post. AppleSeed Permaculture is currently accepting applications for our 2011 Internship program – click here to learn more.)

Design Challenge

We set out to address the challenges of an existing five-acre orchard which had not been managed in five years…

Continue reading →

AppleSeed Permaculture Internships 2011

Posted on by
3

Eco-social training for positive systemic world-change

In a Nutshell – Two to three-month internships with AppleSeed Permaculture, a cutting edge regenerative design firm in the mid-Hudson River Valley of New York. Internships run 2 days per week from May 15th to August 15th, and focus on professional permaculture design and eco-social entrepreneurship. The internship offers full immersion and guided mentoring for everything from computer-aided drafting to financial permaculture accounting. This is a unique opportunity – there’s nothing else like it, period. Interns must be self-directed and self-sufficient, organize their own accommodations, and provide their own transportation. Two internships are available, at the cost of $2,000 per intern per month.  Application period March 15th – April 1st, 2011. Please submit a letter of introduction with your personal & professional goals, a 1-2 page resume, and 3 references to design@appleseedpermaculture.com. See below for full details.

NOTE (March 28th): SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!

AppleSeed Permaculture is extending needs-based scholarships to outstanding internship applicants. In your application, please indicate the amount of money you are able to contribute per month for this unique internship experience.

“This internship was a launching pad for me to dive into doing work I am passionate about for a right livelihood – it empowered me with practical skills and deeper understandings to effectively accomplish my goals.” – Brandy Hall, 2010 Intern, Ashevillage Institute & owner of Shades of Green, Inc.

Who – Self-directed, motivated permaculture designers committed to creating positive ecological and social change in the world. Must have completed a Permaculture Design Certification Course. Computer skills and mac with Adobe Creative Suite are necessary. Preference given to applicants who identify as people of color, native peoples, women, and other constituencies targeted by oppression.

 

What – Action learning internship with AppleSeed Permaculture, a cutting edge regenerative design firm combining disciplines of sustainability to integrate humans into the landscape by designing productive ecosystems for homes, businesses, and communities. Internships are a mix of research and hands-on project-based learning. Interns will learn about all aspects of running a small business while collaborating with professionals in the fields of education, international aid and development, architecture, design, and engineering. Skills learned include über-clear communication, high tech digital design, low-tech field methodology, edible landscape establishment & caretaking, and integral design systems (holistic management, spiral dynamics, eight shields, financial permaculture, and others). The program is flexible, seeking to achieve the learning goals of the intern while meeting the needs of the firm.

 

Internship Session & Topic Areas

Interns may apply for one internship session of two to three months within the May 15th to August 15th window. The primary project areas of the internship are Permaculture Design and Eco-Social Entrepreneurship.

• Permaculture Design – Communities require local food security to thrive in the coming years. The intern helps build community through integrative farm & agriculture research. For example, current clients include a green co-housing development, two production orchards transitioning to permaculture, and diversified organic farms from New York City to Vermont. To get a sense of the work you’ll learn to do, check out the AppleSeed Permaculture Portfolio.

Economic Projections for Ecological Agriculture Economic Projections for Ecological Agriculture MMH_DesignThumb

• Eco-Social Entrepreneurship – Tackle the most complicated issues faced by humanity through innovative enterprises that regenerate ecological and social health. Learn skills for inter- and intra-personal communication, legal and financial business start-up and development, whole-systems marketing, open collaboration enterprise models, and action documentation of ecological, economic, and social solutions to global climate change & peak oil. Interns gain hands-on experience with ecosystemic business management, focusing on collaboration, web 2.0 tools, and social media networking.

“Beyond the skills needed for professional design and making a small business work, the AppleSeed internship gave me the tools and support to create “world change” from the inside, out.” – Mark Angelini, 2010 Intern, owner of Roots to Fruits Ecological Design

Where – The internship will take place in the Hudson River Valley bioregion of the northeastern United States. The AppleSeed Permaculture office is in Stone Ridge, NY. Interns will have the opportunity to live and work on a local permaculture farm for the duration of the internship.

When – Monday & Wednesday, 9:00am – 5:00pm for two-three months, May 15th to August 15th. Application period March 15th – April 1st, 2011. Internships will be awarded on April 15th, 2011.

Why – In working towards sustainability, you must seek leverage points for positive change that work fast and impact large numbers of people. This is a unique opportunity – the internship trains you in systems-thinking, preparing and empowering you for real world action.

How – A mixture of self-directed and collaborative project work. Direct mentoring empowers intern to take on and lead their own projects.

Your Next Steps – If you are interested in an internship position, Please submit a letter of introduction with your personal & professional goals, a 1-2 page resume, and 3 references to design@appleseedpermaculture.com before April 1st, 2011.

NOTE (March 28th): SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!

AppleSeed Permaculture is extending needs-based scholarships to outstanding internship applicants. In your application, please indicate the amount of money you are able to contribute per month for this unique internship experience.

“The value of my internship with Appleseed Permaculture was immense!  I learned what it takes to be a permaculture design entrepreneur using the best technology, resources, and techniques.  I loved every minute of it and what I learned has been extremely helpful in my new business!” – Evan Schoepke, 2010 Intern, Gaia Punk Design Co-op & Punk Rock Permaculture E-Zine

Why Edible Landscaping? Top 30 Plants

Posted on by

Would you like to turn your lawn or garden into an abundant edible oasis? The following slideshow will offer you the basic reasoning, medications principles, pharmacy and plants to transform your home or workplace. AppleSeed Permaculture is also available for consulting so that you can choose the appropriate plants and plant communities for your particular site.

Ethan Roland of AppleSeed Permaculture presented this slideshow in September 2010 for two incredible organizations: The Kismet Rock Foundation in North Conway, NH and The Alchemy Juice Bar & Mama-lution in West Hartford CT. Both organizations are doing excellent social and ecological world-change work, and we highly recommended that you support their projects… Continue reading →

Permaculture for Farmers: Crops, Patterns, Polycultures

Posted on by
3

Every time Benneth Phelps (Mosaic Farm) and I prepare to give this talk (this time at the 2010 Northeastern Organic Farm Association Summer Conference) we end up tearing it apart and redesigning it completely. Here’s a sample polyculture from the talk:

This time, Benneth drew on her recent experience creating a complete business plan for her venture Mosaic Farm in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachussets. We articulated a new design permaculture process for farmers, who need to focus on specific marketable crops along with the larger landscape patterns necessary to support and maintain them.

For a summary of our new design process, Continue reading →

Permaculture Design Firms Around the World

Posted on by
11
[guest post from Roots to Fruits blogger Mark Angelini]
Are you looking for a permaculture designer to transform your home, business, or institution into a thriving oasis of sustainability? I’ve assembled an initial list of all the permaculture design firms in the world (that I could quickly and easily find online). The graphic was created using VUE Mindmapping software. I’ve compiled these from one hours worth of research, so if you know of any firms missing from this list, please add your business name and website link in the comments!
Don’t see your permaculture design firm listed? Add the name and website link in the comments!