Cal-Earth Final Narrative - Permaculture Design

Cal Earth Permaculture Project
Created by the Midwest Permaculture Class November 2011 at Cal Earth Institute of Earth
Art & Architecture
PDC Designers:
Robert Bowman, Erik Ven, James Kozlik, Judy Kao, Sharon Williams, Rose of Sharon Williams,
Randolph Scott, Amer Aladhadh, Susan Parker-Leavy, Sue Dreamweaver, Adam G. Lovelace,
David Paulin, Christian Goran, William Swingle, Bobbi McClellan, Nils-Martin Bush, Gerardo
Avila, Jason Myers, Waa Makor, Don Worley, Adam Ulf, Gary Moring, Deidre Jane, Tariq
Mungin-Bey, Brian Rekasis, Ian Lodge, Bridget Butler, Marco Cervantes, Dave Walker, Melisa
Prins, Hooman Fazly, Christopher McKenzie, Bill Wilson, Becky Wilson, Hayden Wilson, Wayne
Weiseman
Location: Cal Earth Hesperia, Hesperia, California, Apple Valley, San Bernardino County USA
Elevation: 3191 ft.
Size: 7 acres
Pertinent History and Geographic Information:
 Hesperia Located near a normally dormant Mohave River Bed
 Railroad System constructed in part to transport supply of Juniper wood for bakers in
Los Angeles.
 Apple Valley got its name because it was alleged that apple tree used to be grown along
the Mohave River.
 The Joshua Tree is the keystone species of the area.
 Ancient Forest Region
Climate: Hesperia, CA climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's
and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 99.10 degrees
Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature
of 30.10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be relatively big during summer with a
difference that can reach 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average
difference of 29 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Hesperia is 6.20 Inches classifying it as semi arid. Rainfall in is
fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is February with an
average rainfall of 1.18 Inches.
Landform: The Institute is located in the geographic area of the Mohave Desert, in the county
of San Bernadino, California. The rectangular 7 acre plot is on an incline and divided into 4
rectangles. Both area 4 and 3 are the highest points of the plot down sloping to the end of the property.
While there are variations in level, the overall slope is declining towards area 2 and area 1.
Water: The average precipitation of the specific area is approximately 6.2 inches/year. There are
three sources of water on the property rain, subterranean, and municipality water which is used in a drip
system in grows beds in area 2 and for some trees in area 1. Annual precipitation is 6.2 inches
Access/Circulation: Cal Earth is adjacent to a housing complex and a dirt road from the South and
West corner. A chain link fence which is now being replaced by a six foot super adobe wall is being built
and on the South corner. The chain link fence is nearly redundant because of the wooden fence of the
adjacent development. The road coming into area 3 is the one through area 1 and 2 leading to earth one
it connects to two gates near the student parking area in zeon1 and administrative parking area in area 3
between the side wall and the pine trees.
Vegetation and Wildlife: Joshua Tree, Cotton Wood, Juniper, Mormon Tea, Rabbits, There are
two Joshua trees in area 3 one in the back of Earth 1 and the other near the administrative parking gate.
Area 1 is partitioned from area two by a row of pine trees. In the back of earth one a row starting from the
Southwest corner of junipers, wood cottons and various shrubs almost covers the perimeter of the
property up to the area 4 and between the Earth 1 and the partially finished sinusoidal 6 foot wall where
various bushes of Indian tea and others naturally grow. Examples of such trees include:

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Cottonwood
Eucalyptus
Juniper
Creosote
Willow
Joshua Trees
Microclimate: The areas under trees and within superadobe structures throughout the campus tend to
be cooler in the summer and in the winter. Areas with direct solar exposure will be warmer than shady
regions. Most superadobe buildings and pine trees provide a temperature difference of 20-30 degrees in
extreme heat due to the thermal mass of the buildings and leaf protection from the sun.
Buildings and Infrastructure:
Cal Earth has over 25 superadobe structures on site, and over 30 structures that serve as
housing, storage, and research units. They are subject to improvement through integration of
Permaculture.
Zones of Use: The property has been separated into 4 areas to more efficiently manage the
campus’s functions and resources.
 Area 1 is located at the northwest side of campus. This area includes the intern houses,
ceramic studio, pipe house, parking, and undeveloped property.
 Area 2 is the central portion of the campus, represented by the main house, superadobe
villages, triple vault area, and storage containers.
 Area 3 is the southwest portion of the campus where Earth One is located and stretches
east towards undeveloped property.
 Area 4 is on the southeast side of Cal Earth, located here is the strawbale dome, building
material, and undeveloped property
Soil Fertility and Management: Hesperia consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in
alluvium derived primarily from granite and related rocks. Hesperia soils are on alluvial fans, valley plains
and stream terraces and have slopes of 0 to 9 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches
and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hesperia soils are on long smooth alluvial fans, and valley fill. The alluvium is
from granite and closely related rocks. Elevations are as low as 200 feet in the San Joaquin Valley and as
high as 4,800 feet in the high desert. The climate is semiarid bordering on arid. Winters have some
general widespread rains plus occasional snow in the high desert. Summers have infrequent thunder
showers in the high desert. Mean annual precipitation is 4 to 9 inches. Average January temperature is
about 46 degrees F; average July temperature is about 83 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 57
degrees to 69 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 140 to 310 days. At Cal Earth, the soil composition is
90% sand to 10% clay, with organic matter being provided by pine trees, grasses, and fallen tree matter.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to low runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for desert range, and for production of irrigated orchards, row crops, field
crops, grain, hay, pasture and grapes. Native vegetation consists of creosotebush in the high desert and
sparse annuals in the valley.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the lower San Joaquin Valley and the high desert of Southern
California and adjoining areas of the southwest. The series is extensive in MLRA-17 and of minor extent
in MLRA 29.
Aesthetics/Experience of Place
Cal Earth, apart from being a natural building school, is a center for earth art and architecture.
All superadobe structures are created with geometries and forms of nature, and the structures
on campus are not created simply to function but with aesthetics in mind as well. Walls, fences, domes,
and other infrastructure can be covered with flowering and edible vines, painted with murals, plastered with
functional organic forms, etc
Permaculture Ethics:
Suggestions and Actions of the Design are based on the 3 ethical principles of Permaculture:
 Care of Earth
 Care of People
 Fair Share
Design Principles:
The Cal Earth Permaculture Project follows these principles of design:
Observe and Interact
Catch and Store Energy
Obtain a Yield
Apply Self Regulation and accept feedback
Use and Value renewable resources and services
Produce no waste
Design from patterns to details
Integrate rather than segregate
Use small and slow solutions
Use and value diversity
Use edges and value the marginal
Creatively Use and respond to change
Introduction:
The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (Cal-Earth) is a research and teaching
facility, and campus focusing on sustainable buildings and land techniques. As such, there are
year-round training programs and research projects carried on by students, apprentices, and
faculty. In addition, Cal-Earth hosts open-houses once a month that allow visitors to explore
and learn about Cal-Earth’s super-adobe technologies and methods.
The client’s vision is to build an earth architecture university, which is self-funding with the
capacity to teach 200 students per semester. The mission is to improve campus grounds to
present to potential investors as well as improve the experience for visitors, students, and
faculty. The client has determined it is necessary to raise a sum of the $3-5 Million to complete
the project. However, along with accomplishing these goals, they want to incorporate
permaculture concepts, ideas, and principles that will help create a lush, inviting, and nurturing
environment.
Permaculture is a holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological principles and
patterns. Our proposed permaculture plan provides strategies for presenting Earth One as a
model home for community outreach, Eco Dome as a model for future sustainable smallfootprint living, and support a teaching facility that creates growth and prosperity to further
educate people of the importance to care for the very Earth beneath their feet.
Current State of Cal Earth Campus: Current challenges facing the campus at large include
harnessing the limited rainfall from flash floods, severe winds and dramatic seasonal
fluctuations in temperature. The earth present is an excellent medium for use in its Superadobe
construction materials. Cal Earth is currently an educational institute with no substantial food
resources for sustaining its student population, it is also not harvesting water through conscious
design. Due to significant washes developed from installation of neighboring recreational fields
and flash floods, much erosion has depleted topsoil. While there currently exists a lack of
organic matter, by implementing permaculture principles, there is substantial opportunity to build
the soil for food production and maintain the source for is Superadobe requirements.
Objectives:
The objectives of our proposal are to address or improve the current condition of the following
issues:
 Create a land-based foundation for a university
 Water Use and Reuse
 Soil Erosion
 Wind Control
 Community Appearance
 Organic Matter
 Self Sustainability
 Potential Sources of Revenue
Description of Terms used:
There are common terms used throughout this narrative. This contains the description of each
of these terms that will be defined:
Swale – Water harvesting ditch on contour
Guild – A group of plants which support each other while growing near each other
Hugelkultur – Ancient form of sheet composting developed in Eastern Europe that uses
woody wastes such as fallen logs and pruned branches in order to build soil fertility and
improve drainage and moisture retention
Windbreak – Any plant or physical barrier that can slow down or divert the wind
Organic Matter – Reservoir of nutrients and water in the soil, aids in reducing compaction
and surface crusting, and increases water infiltration into the soil
Sheet Mulching – Method for controlling weeds and improving soil and plant health with
mulch. The process mimics the litter layer if a forest floor.
Keystone species – Species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment
relative to its abundance
These terms can be defined throughout the body of the presentation
Site Development Plan:
The Cal Earth Institute has been broken down into 4 areas. Each area will be described in more
detail below. This forms a complete picture for all of the recommendations.
Area 1
Staff Area
The staff area is defined as the area north and northeast of the parking lot and includes the 3
houses used as dwellings and the ceramics house. The southern edge of this area is defined by
the row of trees South of Ian's trailer.
1. Access
Access to the staff area is cordoned off by 3 segments of SuperAdobe walls. These walls will
provide wind shelter and privacy. The walls will be laid out to provide a visual cue to visitors that
the staff area is separated from the rest of the campus and will funnel them towards the main
areas. The walls will overlap in a way that creates 3 openings for staff access and will include
another opening for staff access to parking.
2. Garden Beds
Two garden beds will be installed close to staff housing. The existing bed near Ian's house
(Garden of Ian) has recently been converted to a hugelkultur bed and is ready for planting. A
second garden bed will be created on the west side of Ian's house. This bed will be behind the
superadobe walls that shelter the house from the parking lot. Both of these beds will be partialshade areas but will be protected from wind.
3. Open Areas
The central section of the staff area will be left largely as-is to allow for space for housing
expansion or renovation. Most of the ground in this area is currently used only for access to the
staff housing. The open area to the east of the housing structures is left open to allow for further
housing expansion or other research and development.
Greenhouses
Greenhouses will be made of SuperAdobe in the form of leaning arches.
Openings will face the direct sun, there will be serpentine arms connecting to the greenhouses.
The structures will act as temporary dams to slow down water movement coming off the ridge to
the west. The structures will allow some water to seep through and continue downhill to irrigate
plants beyond the structures. They will create microclimates and windbreaks. They can be
covered in cold weather, partially shaded in hot weather and left open mild weather. They can
be constructed by Cal-Earth students as part of Cal-Earth research and development.
Sustainable Gardens
1. Domestic Plants- Domestic plants will include kale, spinach, and tomatoes, etc.
2. Native Plants- The garden area is defined by some native plants around the edges of the
garden.
3. Perennial Plants -Perennial plants are included because their low maintenance and because
they don't have to be replanted every year.
4. Food- The garden beds and greenhouses will be used to grow a wide assortment
of herbs and vegetables.
Water Catchment
1. Settlement Ponds- There are three types for this application.
a. waste catchment
b. water catchment for wetlands
c. Roof catchment and rainwater drain catchment
2. Hugelkultur
a. Large catchment with hardwoods, compaction and canvas for a longer
retention of water, for hardwood wicking.
b. Small catchments for herbs and microclimates
c. Greenhouse area to pick up and retain water to soak into soil.
d. Swales for general water catchment across a large area for soils to retain moisture longer
for trees and other plants. Also guide water to catchment areas.
3. Greywater- The use of washer, sinks and tubs to areas of need, ie wetlands.
Parking
1. Increase parking area by creating SuperAdobe walls and marking
areas to park.
2. Sign Recognition. Place another sign on back gate, identical to sign
on front gate.
3. Place site map in parking area to direct visitors and students to main campus area.
Super Adobe Walls
There may be a superadobe wall between the staff area and student parking area. This will
create some privacy for the staff but also make it more clear for the arriving visitors in what
direction to go. The wall will vary in height to create a wavy look and the highest points will be
strategically placed to create a windbreak for the houses behind it. The wall can have several
small openings across the top to showcase different arch types. The entrance walls will overlap
each other to hide the entrance a bit.
Area 2 Inventory
2.1
Current Use: Form Storage/ Large
Materials (Integrate rather than segregate)
Suggested Use: Move current vault
education site (and form) to (Area 1) right of
current pottery dome site to condense learning site,
thus creating additional parking.
2.2
Current Use: Container Village
with three 40’ storage containers
A:
Tools Storage
B:
Paint/Miscellaneous Storage
C:
Cal-Earth Bag Storage
Suggested Use: Storage of A) Tools, B) Paint/Miscellaneous & C) Cal-Earth Bags
Berm creation on West and East side of storage containers, shrub and ground
cover plantings for erosion control, beautification and ground water supply. Installation of 4
photovoltaic solar panels with Southwestern orientation.
Meditation Garden to be established on West side incorporating Earth Art,
walking paths superadobe benches. (Creatively use and respond to change)
Parking Lot to be formed on North Side.
South side of shipping containers could be
used as a superadobe stair construction demonstration site,
which would provide access to roof for maintaining water
catchment system.
Area between bag container and paint
container to be shady plant nursery using water collected
from top of shipping containers.
2.3
Current Use: Fire Village under construction.
Suggested Use: Fire Village (Use and value
renewable resources and services)
Additional Construction of Communal
Bathing Infinity Spiral – construction of a 10’ superadobe wall in a spiral pattern, each
separating men’s and women’s communal bathing areas with cubbies for personal use, changing
area, & 5-10 sitting/standing showers stalls (each could be outfitted with water bucket & 1’ high
stool for water conservation). Privacy curtains could be added. Roof structure would be
supported both by recycled post & bean and superadobe walls, supporting water filled
containment, heated by the sun, providing water for bathing. Additional feature for men’s room
would include urinal (contents redirected to black water catchment system/pond).
Additional Construction of Black Water Catchment System/Pond backing Sweat
Dome and Kid Dome, planted with Cattail, Phragmites, Bulrush and other pond vegetation
assisting in the decomposition process. A raised rectangular platform with alternating water
efficient toilets would offer direct access to women’s entrance of the communal bathing infinity
spiral, while opposite side would provide access for men. A single black glass topped
excretment catchment container (with 4” PVC pipe rising 12’above for ventilation) would offer
additional stage of decomposition. Could be characterized as a willow guild.
Single Shower Dome – stand up shower with ADA requirements met, includes changing
room. Utilizes city water or solar heated 5 gallon buckets or green wine bottles for bathing.
Water drains to nearby wetland attached to Communal Bathing Infinity Spiral.
2.4
Current Use: Emergency Village
Suggested Use: Prototype Eco-village
Roofless Dome - Could be used as a kitchen
prototype for eco-village. Plant grapes, olives, pomegranate
around this mediteranean inspired dome. (Obtain a Yield)
Holey Dome - Could be used as a demonstration
dome for emergency shelter cooking structure, i.e. rocket stove,
solar oven
Eco-Dome – Moon Cocoon Model (More
information available in 2.5)
Sinapsoapsis Compass Demonstration Dome (More information
available in 2.6)
Planter s around Domes - Plant Hazelnut, siberian
pea shrub(nitrogen fixing), comfrey(nitrogen fixing), scarlet
runner bean. (Use and Value Diversity)
2.5
Current Use: Eco Dome
Suggested Use:
Demonstration Area for Chalk Model Construction
Outdoor Kitchen & Swale Demonstration
Construction of swale to collect and divert seasonal rains away from eco dome,
thus preventing further erosion. Complete countertop project on outside of kitchen. Create
superadobe countertop with enclosed double sink vegetable washing station, BBQ grill and earth
countertop area (to be used for large event food preparation or demonstration area).
Herb Border – Planted to demonstrate
permaculture principle of shading in regards to use of
culinary/medicinal herbs. Water could be supplied from
eco-dome roof rainwater catchment or a narrow
superadobe pond (which would support, beautify, and
contain water along the span of the swale {constructed to
collect and divert water away from eco dome}). (Obtain
a Yield)
Wind turbine Installation - Construct site
built electricity built wind turbine. Refer to
www.mdpub.com for detailed directions. Inspired site
operator constructed his model for $140.62.
2.6
Current Use: Main House
Suggested Use: This area is the first impression of many visitors to Cal-Earth, thus is an
opportunity to showcase native plant guilds, Earth Art and Water harvesting sytems. A six foot
superadobe wall surrounds the campus, yet this segment could be limited to 2-3 feet to allow the
public to view the collection of Earth Art through the existing fence.
Establish sculpture garden. (Creatively use and respond to change)
Installation of a Pine Guild to support existing canopy- (Use and Value
Diversity)
Subcanopy –Lindon Berry
Shrub- Blueberry Bushes
Spring Bulbs - Daffoldils
Groundcover- Plantings of, Lovage
& Sweet Sicily
Earth Art Sculpture Garden
Compass Demonstration Dome
Rainwater Catchment - Installation of
gutters on East and West side of building, two
supported rain barrels (55 gal) on opposite North
and South corners, to capture water for building
perimeter watering needs. (Catch and store
energy)
Install vertical snap pea garden consisting of
6 wood pallets to create opportunity to capture sun
and harvest a rapidly growing crop. (Obtain a
Yield)
Establish recycling program at Cal Earth
even though city of Hesperia does not participate . Produce No Waste)
Future Development: Cal-Earth Administration Building
Information Booth (Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback)
Registrar, Administration Offices
Retail Space with seating for watching Cal Earth DVD’s.
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Dining Room
Courtyard/Veranda/Patio – Expand current orchard of trees contained in
superadobe raised beds.
2.7
Current Use: Rumi Dome
Suggested Use: Rumi Dome
Labyrinth – Construct a superadobe labyrinth beginning at the brick bench
opposite the end of the Rumi dome, with its center located parallel to the center of the Rumi
Dome. Earthbags could be layed in a progressive manner in which as one moves into the
labyrinth, the walls grow higher until participant seeking its center has disappeared within.
2.8
Current Use: Triple Vault
Suggested Use: Triple Vault could be used as a dining area for large workshops/events
Rocket Stove Demonstration Area
Triple Herb Spiral (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) Planted to demonstrate permaculture principle of shading in
regards to use of culinary/medicinal herbs. Water could be
supplied from Triple Vault Roof rainwater catchment . Vata,
Pitta, & Kapha designations would correlate to body
constitutions related to the Ayurvedic (Science of Life)
system of pakriti. (Use Edges and Value the Marginal)
Food Forest – Establish food forest on top
of Hugelkulture projects. Use small and slow solutions)
Insectory/ Bee Guild – Create a bee guild in
the existing composting pile of brush on NW side of triple
vault, thus providing habitat for insects, critters necessary
for pollination of surrounding food forest. Lindon Tree
(Sub canopy, Gooseberry (Shrub), Tulip and Daffodils
(Spring Bulbs), Comfrey, Lovage, Clover. (Use and
Value Diversity)
Fire Pit - Complete reverse dome design
with three segments, thus creating supported seating
around the fire pit.
2.9
Current Use: Apprentice Demonstration Practice
Site
2.10 Current Use: Undeveloped Dessert
Suggested Use: Future Food Mandala Gardens - Area to be used in super-adobe raised
bed garden for annual/perennial food production highlighting the design principles of “edging”
and designing edible landscapes.
Depending on size of individual
mandala’s, between 6 and 8 mandalas can
be created, thus ensuring significant
number of workshops to support gradual
completion of design. Each additional
segment completed would “hugelkulture”
and support long term soil building
intention. Additional activities could
include: planting perennials, nitrogen
fixing covercrops, etc..
(Use and Value Diversity)
Workshop 1: Center
Construction – Suggest Planting Crab
Apple (Cider Production) with Siberian Pea
Shrub (Nitrogen fixing), and a covercrop of
clover.
Workshop 2: Wing 1
Construction
Workshop 2: Wing 2
Construction
Workshop 2: Wing 3
Construction
Workshop 2: Wing 4
Construction
Workshop 2: Wing 5
Construction
Workshop 2: Wing 6
Construction
Invisible Structures – Establish Cal Earth Permaculture Guild in conjunction with monthly
open house. Small projects could include: High desert seed saving, Sheetmulching, Swale
building, hugelkulture, Juniper seed balls, rocket stove demonstration, building a bee guild,
composting, etc.
Observe and Interact
Area 3
Southwest side
Area 3 is the southwest portion of the campus where Earth One is located and stretches east
towards undeveloped property. It is adjacent to suburban development and provides a large
area for possible expansion.
Earth One
The rainwater from the roof of Earth One as well as water that falls on the property is going to
be captured and redirected in a series of ditches and swales that will be stored in a water
containment system. The water containment system will be an inverted dome super adobe that
will be mostly underground containing up to 5,000 gallons in the tank that will be used in the arid
months for food production and irrigation. There will be about 18-20 inches above ground so
that there can seating can be used by visitors and staff members using Earth One. Planting will
be done to utilize the understory and provide edibles such blue berries under pine trees which
also provide windbreak to dominant winds from the Southwest and the Northwest corners.
Other considerations:
1. A six foot wall will provide cover from the prevalent South West winds
2. Fine leafed trees should planted along the wall should improve the wall’s wind breaking
3. The Wall will extend to provide wind break from the Winter’s Northwestern winds combined
with The pine trees in front of Earth one
4. Construct three arched pergolas covered with kiwi, grapes, bouganvelia
Undeveloped land
The plant guilds will be placed in the areas indicated on the map for area 3. Planting will include
ground cover that will assist in preventing the soil erosion as well as help build up the organic
matter. The swales will be used to slow the water flow on the property down and help retain the
moisture on the landscape. A greenhouse will be installed to allow for food production through
the winter months for staff and students. After rehabilitating the soil, a food forest can be
established in the eastern part of area 3 populated by Mediterranean trees under the shade of
date palm trees such as olive, mandarin, fig, persimmon, pomegranate, pistachio, carob, cactus
pear, loquat by using a swale/hugelkultur combination.
Area 4
Southeast campus
Description of Area
Area 4 is an undeveloped rectangular area left in its native state that has suffered
from wind and water erosion, low levels of soil fertility, and loss of top soil. It is
surrounded by a functional, but not necessarily aesthetically appealing, chain-link
fence that includes a currently unused entrance gate at the extreme southeastern
corner.
Area 4 contains just one
structure currently, the straw
bale dome, currently used for
educational group gatherings.
In addition to the straw bale
dome structure, there is a
collection of building materials
stored within Area 4.
On the southernmost and
easternmost perimeters of Area 4
are recently built conventional single
family homes.
Area 4 is relatively flat but does slope gradually toward the southeast. It is
bordered by other Cal-Earth-owned property to the north and west; and, as the
lowest point on the overall property, receives significant run-off from those
adjacent areas.
The significant trees within Area 4 are approximately one dozen Joshua Tree
scattered throughout, and Pine trees located in the northwest segment.
Considerations for Future Development
Area 4 is possibly slated for future expansion of Cal-Earth’s educational endeavors
and may therefore include the construction of both learning and living
accommodations for students and faculty. Area 4, given its current undeveloped
character, could also be exploited for future food production, possibly leading to an
additional and alternative income stream for Cal-Earth.
Timeline and Scope of Future Development
The schedule and scope of Area 4’s development is unknowable at the present time.
Accordingly, our recommendations seek to provide Cal-Earth with maximum
flexibility as more fully described below.
Recommended Present-Day Goals for Area 4
To ensure Cal-Earth has maximum flexibility both on the timeline and scope of Area
4’s development, we recommend the present-day focus be placed on the priorities
listed below, all within the context of Cal-Earth’s desire for perimeter privacy,
perimeter security, overall site beautification and onsite food production:

improving the condition and health of existing plants and trees;
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revitalizing and increasing the quantity of fertile soil while maximizing its
capacity to retain moisture;
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minimizing erosion by wind and water; and

the gradual introduction of suitable food-producing species among the
existing native plants and trees.
Action Plan for Implementation of Recommendations
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We
recommend a
Hugelkulturinspired
trough/berm
system be
installed
along the
entire chainlink fence
perimeter,
commencing
with the
southern
property
border.

The system, a cross section of which is pictured above, would extend
approximately 25 feet inside the chain-link fence.

Immediately against the chain-link fence it is recommended that blackberry,
desert grape and woodland strawberry be planted as a means of beautifying
the fence.

The thorns of the blackberry bush may also serve to discourage fence
incursions.

An inexpensive drip irrigation system, fed from the property’s main water
supply, could be implemented to handle the water requirements of these
fruit-bearing shrubs, rendering them relatively maintenance-free.

A row of trees, with varying offsets averaging 15 feet from the chain-link
fence, could be planted to begin to grow a natural visual barrier against the
surrounding conventional housing developments. We recommend a
combination of Oak, Cottonwood, Pine, Pine Nut, Olive and Pistachio be
included both to maximize visual variety and continue the theme of food
production (pine nut, olive and pistachio) once the trees mature.

A second row of drip irrigation piping that parallels the first would assist the
young trees as they establish themselves in their early years.

After the trees would be the berm feature of the trough/berm system.

The trough is the furthest-most feature of the system from the chain-link
fence. Once dug, a liner of muslin or other inexpensive biodegradable fabric
could be laid, thus helping to hold water that is directed to the trough
feature.

Atop the liner would be the organic matter typical of Hugelkultur, upon which
an array of low lying plants such as lavender, sage and comfrey would be
planted.

A system of strategically placed swales, reflecting existing observed wind and
water flow patterns, would direct water run off toward the trough/berm
system as pictured on the full-sized accompanying plan.
Conclusion
We, the participants of the first collaboration between Cal-Earth and Midwest Permaculture are
extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in this inaugural effort to submit this
assessment and permaculture design for Cal-Earth. We are also grateful to Dastan and
Sheefteh Khalili for their continued efforts to represent their father Nader Khalili for his
humanitarian contribution to bring shelter, community and dignity to all inhabitants of planet
Earth. It is our intention with this assessment and suggestion to introduce significant
permaculture concepts indicated by the “scale of permanence”.