This project will fill an important and as-yet underdeveloped niche in our community’s education ecosystem. While much of my work is focused on developing place and project-based outdoor learning environments connected to schools, these are subject to institutional budget, policy, and facility priorities as well as curricular needs, which all have an influence on how these spaces are used. But youth attending schools are only a part of our population. Regardless of occupation, most of us maintain households that interact with the environment in various ways. While these households provide multiple opportunities to apply learning about sustainable systems to everyday life, busy schedules and uncertainty about untried processes will likely inhibit many from attempting changes beyond diligent recycling and purchasing green products.

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In response to this situation, I envision a demonstration resilient homestead accessible to all. This household will continually work to develop and improve closed-loop systems that limit the importation of resources and exportation of wastes by connecting the inputs and outputs of internal systems. The property will be open to the public and will hold workshops and gatherings that build the support and connections between people that are essential to resilient communities. 

 

To this end, I have purchased a 1.25-acre property in a central location and have been working for the past three years to implement the master plan that was developed with input from many. Site elements include a garden, food forest, aquaponics, small animals, coppice woodlot, biochar kiln, and more. As with all my projects, the site will be built and maintained through collaborative participation by community members of all ages and backgrounds. This project will take several years to complete; however, many of the elements are already in place. A bioponics system that will produce greens through the winter is in progress and will be completed within the year.

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The site will allow people to observe and interact with a variety of systems, which will help them gain the experience and confidence they need to incorporate some of these processes into their own households, thus contributing to the development of a resilient community that is well-prepared to adapt in positive ways to a changing world.