Subject: Re: Keyline

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 10:14:15 EDT

G'day  Darren,

<<In terms of your project though I'm interested in helping you through the
process of working out where your dams should go etc. I think we could do
this as an open book so that anyone else can put in their "two bobs worth"
and learn a bit along the way.>>  

That's a great suggestion and mighty nice of you to offer to share your 
expertise.  But I already knew you were a swell:)

I just got a scanner...but will take a while toget to know how to use it. I 
do have some aerial photos, and a contour map of the property. I'll have to 
figure out how to post it.

Tell me what else do we need. Since there are quite a few steep hollows there 
are numerous drainage ways that already exist. I also feel that there's got 
to be some springs up there that I could develop for gravity fed water supply 
to hose and barn.

Problem right now is that I have got to get a house built so we can move down 
permanently. It's been an adventure...I've been planning this house for years 
so I KNOW what I want problem of course is in execution, and $$$. So many 
varaiables if you want an energy efficient, healthy house that tied in with 
the outdoors at an affordable cost.

<<The last discussion on imposing earthworks was
pretty interesting though, and had the thoughts of many clients echoing
through and through.>> was this on the graze L list?  I have been off that 
one for a while and have only seen a few on the PC list. But nothing in 
depth. 

You know if my proposed Eco Center were set up I'd have you come over to give 
some lectures, do a hands on pond building, and promise you a good time.  I'm 
afraid I can't offer much now. But you are most welcome to visit(BG)

You sure do have a lot on your plate!

I'm excited about your offer...but due to the timing I may not be able to get 
the stuff you need scanned till I get back to NY in mid August.

Best wishes.   Cheerio   Frank

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From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 23:56:21 -0400 (EDT)

Lawrence F. London, Jr. -+|+- Venaura Farm
[email-masked]   [email-masked]
http://metalab.unc.edu/london, /permaculture, /ecolandtech
EcoLandTech -+|+- InterGarden -+|+- Permaculture

> Australia Felix <[email-masked]> wrote:
> The last discussion on imposing earthworks was
> through and through.

I wrote this a while back - maybe you read it - if so or if not
I'd appreciate any comments you might have on it:

<><><><>
Water, soil fertility/tilth, shade, shelter, etc.  
can be made more available to plants and animals 
though swaling, berming, hilling, ditching, catchment
and impoundment (ponds, pools, ditches, catch crops), 
Keyline plowing, Soil Saver tillage, rototilling and other methods 
of moving, tilling and shaping earth. Hand tools and machines with
or without different attached implements can be adapted to accomplish
a variety of construction tasks appropriate for all climatic
regions around the world.

Implements attached to heavy (or light) equipment could be
designed and fabricated to do do specific jobs. They could be made
adjustable so that the same machine could be used to do similar
jobs in different climates to reflect differences in soil type and 
tilth, residual moisture levels, depth of topsoil, size
and amount of rock in or near area to be prepared, potential for
erosion from rain, flood or wind. 

Ex. a D9-towed device following a pan excavator and dozer (with backhoe
on hand to remove rock or do other needed preparatory task) capable of
shaping a swale with a tilled herringbone-shaped array of small ridges
within, for added additional erosion control and water conservation.
This device could be adjusted so that it could build this type of swale
in different climates with different terrain, soil type, slopes
and rainfall.

For example, how would you prep a site for a massive planting of
eleagnus shrubs (the wild variety here in NC is a superb plant)
in all climates where it could survive and prosper?
What, if anything, would you plant with them? Eastern red cedar,
loblolly pine, wild muscadine grape, trumpet creeper (Campsis Radicans),
honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica), Johnson Grass, vetch?
How would site preparation differ for each planting location?

You would need to accumulate and conserve moisture and provide
drainage or catchment (crop or impoundment) for any excess. The site
and plantings should be designed so that plant litter and silt
could easily accumulate and be recycled as plant and animal food 
and as mulch. You would need to prepare the site with the necessary earth
structures that would function to ensure the survival of your planting in
spite of extremes in weather conditions and animal predation.

This, to me is real "landscaping" and often far more beautiful
than the formalized, contrived ornamental.
<><><><><>

What I'm interested in here is "creative" swaling and berming,
and water channeling, to accomodate plantings within. For example,
maybe an olive grove could be planted within a system of
specially designed and constructed swales, as much a complete,
integrated microecosystem as possible, containing a diversity
of complementary and companion plants of all types, all growing
in a site that is protective, nourishing, self-sustaining
and capable of promoting robust growth, and food/fiber/medicine 
production.

I used to own and operate a John Deere 1020 gas tractor (40hp)
with loader, blade, Gill Rollover, disc plow, and a few other 
implements. I had dump truck and lowboy trailer to haul it around to
jobsites where I did landscaping and to horse stables where I gleaned 
lots of manure to take home and put on my fields. I quickly became 
enlightened about creative site preparation using a tractor/loader,
with the added benefit of having an abundance of manure and good 
topsoil with which to enhance any plantings. 

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