Advance praise for The Resilient Farm and Homestead “In The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Ben Falk gives us a delightful and inspiring description of his years developing a 10-acre permaculture farm in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Readers from regions outside New England, however, should not assume that Falk’s practical, hard-won knowledge will not apply to them. His discussions invariably transcend the specific applications revealing principles that should be useful to homesteaders everywhere.” —LARRY KORN, editor of The One-Straw Revolution and Sowing Seeds in the Desert by Masanobu Fukuoka “Ben Falk calls his book about reviving a worn-out hill farm in Vermont an example of resilience and regeneration; I call it pure natural magic. Grow rice in New England? Yes. Heat water to 155°F on cold winter days at a rate of a gallon a minute by piping it through a compost pile? Yes. How about dinner tonight of your own rack of lamb garnished with homegrown mushrooms? Yes. Your choice of scores of different vegetables and fruits even in winter? Yes. Plus, your own dairy products from your own sheep. All the while, the soil producing this magic, on a site once thought little more than a wasteland, grows yearly more fertile and secure from natural calamity.” —GENE LOGSDON, author of A Sanctuary of Trees and Small-Scale Grain Raising “The Resilient Farm and Homestead is a terrific book. Simultaneously inspiring and practical, Ben Falk takes you from the why to the how. . . . a journey where you will create a present and future filled with optimism and joy. —SHANNON HAYES, author of Long Way on a Little and Radical Homemakers “Imagine. Honoring biodiversity in a place we each commit to for the long haul is what it takes to address a rapidly changing climate. Problem solved! Plant trees, let greenness thrive, learn the ways of fungi, be joyful. Ben Falk provides the encouragement and critical know-how to create your own food-producing sanctuary in The Resilient Farm and Homestead. The time is now to engage in healing the land and secure an ongoing future for generations to come.” —MICHAEL PHILLIPS, author of The Holistic Orchard “Ben Falk extends the conversation about resilience to deep resilience—resilience from the level of personal attitudes and skills to the design and creation of the maximally resilient homestead. The Resilient Farm and Homestead weaves together permaculture theory as modified by actual practice on a 10-acre Vermont farm with a thorough preparedness guide for times of climate change and greater uncertainties of all kinds and sizes. The book is greatly enhanced by numerous glorious photos of permaculture plantings as hedgerows, rice paddies, people swimming in swale-enclosed ponds, fruit and vegetable harvesting, and foraging sheep, chickens, and ducks. I particularly appreciate that Falk tells us what didn’t work as well as what did. This book will be essential reading for the serious prepper as well as for everyone interested in creating a more resilient lifestyle or landscape.” —CAROL DEPPE, author of The Resilient Gardener “With The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Ben Falk has definitely planted the seeds of a positive, abundant legacy. This book outlines the process of designing one’s homestead with not just the future in mind, but the imminently practical NOW! This one is going on my shelf next to Helen and Scott Nearing.” —MARK SHEPARD, author of Restoration Agriculture Copyright © 2013 by Ben Falk. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs copyright © 2013 by Ben Falk. Unless otherwise noted, all illustrations copyright © 2013 by Cornelius Murphy and Ben Falk. No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Project Manager: Patricia Stone Editor: Makenna Goodman Copy Editor: Eileen M. Clawson Proofreader: Helen Walden Indexer: Linda Hallinger Designer: Melissa Jacobson Printed in the United States of America. First printing May, 2013. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 13 14 15 16 17 Our Commitment to Green Publishing Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope you’ll agree that it’s worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources. The Resilient Farm and Homestead was printed on FSC®-certified paper supplied by QuadGraphics that contains at least 10% postconsumer recycled fiber. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Falk, Ben, 1977– The resilient farm and homestead : an innovative permaculture and whole systems design approach / Ben Falk. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60358-444-9 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-60358-445-6 (ebook) 1. Permaculture. 2. Permaculture—Vermont. 3. Agricultural ecology. 4. Agricultural ecology—Vermont. 5. Restoration ecology. 6. Restoration ecology—Vermont. I. Title. S494.5.P47F35 2013 631.5'8—dc23 2013004638 Chelsea Green Publishing 85 North Main Street, Suite 120 White River Junction, VT 05001 (802) 295-6300 www.chelseagreen.com For my parents, Marcia and Stephen Falk, with gratitude. And for the generations after me, I hope this helps. Contents Chapter One: CREATING A POSITIVE LEGACY WHILE ADAPTING TO RAPID CHANGE Regeneration: Enhancing Life Systems Resiliency: Becoming an Adaptive Animal Using This Book Permaculture Zones and Their Definitions Who Are “We?” WSRF Site Specifics Site History Site Future: What’s Possible? Fleeing Dwelling Energy Cycling Reinvestment The Green Distraction and the Political Black Hole Exodus from Consumer Society Becoming Useful in the Transition When Systems Fail: Emergencies and Resiliency Chapter Two: THE DESIGN PROCESS AND SITE ESTABLISHMENT Planning and Design: Observation before Action The Designer’s Set and Setting Site Establishment Leverage Points Ecosystem Management: Steering Succession Resiliency and Regeneration Principles Understanding Your Site and Finding the Synergies Goals Identification and Requirements of the Design Assessing the Site Land Analysis Design Criteria Imagination: Limiting Factor to Design Schematic Design: Sorting Through Multiple Development Options Adapting Land to Rapid Change Diversity and Connectivity Working Plans and Implementation Documents Chapter Three: WATER AND EARTHWORKS Brittleness and the Quest for Resiliency Gravity-Feed Systems Locating Water Slowing and Infiltrating Water An Agriculture as Diverse as the Landscape Water Ridges with Valleys: Keyline Agriculture Ponds Chapter Four: FERTILITY HARVESTING AND CYCLING Compost, Urine, Humanure, and Biochar Fungi: Quiet Ally to the Whole System Remineralization Cover Cropping and Winter Cover Tall-Grass Grazing Pasture Reclamation: Why Not to Let Your Field “Go” The Benefits of Mowing Scything: The Most Resilient (Mechanical) Biomass Harvesting Method Ducks, Chickens, Dogs, and Sheep Grazing and Perennial Food Crop Integration Keyline Agriculture and Fertigation Leach Field Cropping: Making the Most of a Faulty System Chapter Five: FOOD CROPS Perennial Plants and Resiliency Staple Crops: Paddy Rice, Meat, Eggs, Fruits, and Nuts Annual Vegetables Growing Food as a Response to Toxicity Food Processing and Storage: Spreading Abundance across the Entire Year Chapter Six: ADAPTIVE FUEL AND SHELTER Using Wood for Your Main Heat Source Adaptive Shelter Mechanical Systems Water: Passive Supply for the Resilient Home Chapter Seven: RESILIENCE AND REGENERATION FOR THE LONG HAUL Enhancing Vitality in a Time of Biospheric Toxicity Growing Health and Body-Mind Resilience, Not Just Calories Money: One (Important) Means to Get Work Done Staying Acknowledgments Appendix A: Assessing Resiliency: Aptitude Quiz Appendix B: A Resilient Homestead Curriculum Outline Appendix C: Crucial Skill List for Emergencies Appendix D: Tools and Materials Appendix E: Homestead Vulnerability Checklist and Strategy Summary to Reduce Vulnerability in Acute Events Appendix F: Vocabulary and Concepts Appendix G: Resources