(This is the third part in a series, but it stands alone. See parts 1 and 2 for more depth) For a lot of us homesteaders, permies, eco-minded people, artists, activists and simple-livers, money is part of the problem, “the source of all evil” and even bringing it up makes people suspicious that you might be some sort of counter-revolutionary capitalist stooge. In our crowd, it can be tough to convince people that talking about money just might be as important as eating weeds. No wonder so many of the best people I know are stressed out, in financially precarious … Continue reading How to Save and Invest Regeneratively: The FIRE/FREE Path to Financial Freedom

In just the last week, I’ve talked to two different people who were under the impression that the word “Permaculture” primarily referred to a particular labor arrangement where one party owns the land and productive assets and another party does … Continue reading Permaculture – It’s just feudalism?

It’s part of our mission to share farmhouse recipes that are easy, quick, and very flexible to help people use more of their home-grown produce, and these hushpuppies fit that bill. Most of these easy seasonal recipes come from old-world cultures where they evolved over time. But this classic is distinctly American. Corn is certainly the easiest calorie staple crop for home gardeners to grow, store and process. And it also provides a very high value to the grower, since non-GMO, organic corn is very rare and expensive on the US market. And these hushpuppies also put the tender emollient … Continue reading Farmhouse Cooking: Marshmallow Green Hushpuppies

Grafting and Tree Guilds for Permaculture. Demos and hands-on experience with multiple tools and techniques. We’ll discuss a technique good for guerrilla grafting, recommended variety selection for no-spray fruits, and we’ll probably do an example of a very “extensive” guilding … Continue reading Grafting and Tree Guilds Workshop – FREE!

————————— Over the last few months, I’ve been getting a LOT of questions about “nutrient dense foods,” “bionutrients,” BRIX and the “Albrecht method.” All of these refer more or less to a similar set or practices, professional consultation services and amendment products. Because people trust Lillie House as an honest source of research and information, some have asked what my take is, whether it’s a research-based approach, or whether it makes economic sense for farmers or gardeners. Others have asked why it is that we don’t use rock dust, or micronutrient amendments, or advocate for nutrient dense foods. These are … Continue reading FAQ – Nutrient Dense Foods Gardening and Farming

(While this article stands alone, it is part 2 of a series. Read part 1 here:Why Completely Failing at Gardening is a Sign You’re Probably a Great Gardener) The crux of our puzzle: with our completely destructive, expensive and unhealthy food system more people want and need to participate in growing food for themselves and their communities.  YET, the economics and realities of doing so rarely work out the way we envision. Our corporate food system is so heavily subsidized by taxes, exploited labor, and ecosystem destruction that we have to be really clever to complete with it on a … Continue reading The Simple Path to a High Value Garden – Transformative Gardening, Part 2

Whenever there’s a completely failed, overgrown weedy tangle of an abandoned garden, I know I’ve discovered a gifted high value gardener with true natural intelligence, just waiting to flower. It’s the surest sign there is. As I am a natural gardening teacher and Permaculture designer, these poor discouraged gardeners frequently seek me out at social gatherings for a sort of gardening confession and penance. If you listen carefully, you can hear keen insights and clever observations through their exasperated sighs, gnashing of teeth, wails of garden guilt: “It’s been two seasons since my last confession…” “I just couldn’t keep up … Continue reading Why Completely Failing at Gardening is a Sure Sign of a Great Gardener – Transformative Gardening, Part 1

This is my favorite way to do Permaculture. I do design/installation jobs for people who want to get a fast-forward on their projects without years of in-depth study of Permculture and forest gardening ecology, but I really do think the … Continue reading 2019 CSA Programs: Community Supported Permaculture