[permaculture] GIS Revisited with permaculture, homesteading etc
Rich Blaha
rich at mossbackfarm.com
Sun Nov 16 23:58:52 EST 2008
Roughed out answers below.....
> I'd like to start a thread on GIS and try to uncover technology that can be applied
> to farms and land on which permaculture systems have been built.
> Is it affordable for the non-corporate world?
I have heard good things about QGIS.org, which is a free, open source Geographic Information System package. I use ESRI products for my employer, which are top of the line, very powerful, and very expensive.
> Is there equipment and software available that a properly informed farmer or permaculturist can
> use to log, with GIS coordinates plus calculated space within identified areas (with GIS device, walk off
> the perimeter of an area such as a garden or a bed within a garden, calcuate the area within and give it an ID
> corresponding to its GIS coordinates)? This data could be entered into a database as a record with an array of
> appropriate fields.
Most GPS's that you can download/upload data into will do this. GPS Trackmaker gpstm.com is a free (or upgradable) program that can help transfer the GPS point / track files into GIS
> It seems this technology could have unlimited uses. It would be a complex system or reduced to a fairly simple one.
Yes. You can use it as a simple sketching tool, or model every raindrop trickling down through your keylines.
>
> What equipment is available?
Garmin60Csx is common in our workplace...you could go lower-end if you don't have any trees to deal with. Just make sure there's a cable/usb option for computer connectivity
> What software is available?
Listed above.
> What can be done in house without hiring an outside specialist?
I'm self taught, with people who are very skilled to fall back on / ask questions of. YMMV.
> Can GIS data be exported to a laptop?
Yes. You can also send data generated in the GIS to your GPS unit, so you know exactly where you want to put that trellis / pond / other element.
Cheers
Rich
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