When I first discovered permaculture I felt like I had finally found my home. Everything I love-- the land, plants, animals, wilderness-- all integrated into one system and one mindset.

I have two properties that I am working on. One is my home on a typical in town lot. Food has replaced the lawn. I use cold frame boxes and a hoop house for a 3+ season harvest. Rabbits as meat and as turbo-composters keep the cycle going.

The other property is a house on 2 acres. The home and yard are rented out leaving me with about 1-1/2 acres to play on. This spring I will begin development of a 1/2 acre food forest along with a straw bale tiny house.

My climate is on the dry side with 17" precipitation annually. I'm going to experiment with hugelkultur and vertical mulching for water storage with the food forest plantings. The land is completely flat as it was historically a river flood plain so catching runoff is a challenge.

Permaculture is not well known in my area so I educate informally as much as I can by helping others begin gardens and being involved in the local community garden. I also see the food forest and strawbale projects as community learning opportunities.