permaculture

["Del Williams" <delannw@dlogue.net>]

I participate in so many lists that I neglected to introduce myself after I
recently joined permaculture.

After visiting Lawrence London's permaculture site and a phone conversation
about it with him...nice accent...I decided that this kind of thinking and
way of doing things is what I have been searching for...a way to pull it all
together.

I run a small (very small) farm.  About six years ago, we bought a farm
homestead (3.5 acres) with a wonderful barn, OK house, and other small
outbuildings.  To tell you the truth, we weren't looking for a farm.  When I
toured the property and walked into the barn, a bell rang or something and I
decided I just had to have it, do it, be a part of it, whatever.  I have
always grown something even if it was in a box on an apartment balcony.  A
farm - even a small one - held too much promise to pass up.

I plant about 10,000 sq ft in 6 rotated beds and went non-chemical four
years ago.  We don't raise livestock - just big dogs that people dump in the
country.  Nevertheless, I have endless access to manure (cattle farm a mile
down the road) and the farmer is always happy to bring me a load.  I started
selling produce at the local farmers' market three years ago.

We're located in east central Illinois.  I plant on sandy loam and the soil
is incredible.  Of course, I am surrounded by U. S. midwestern monoculture
or the midwestern chemical wastedump of agriculture as I have dubbed it.
Nevertheless, my farmer neighbors have been very helpful to me in my
alternative agricultural pursuits.  Interesting, isn't it?

In addition to market farming, I am a management consultant.  I develop and
administer surveys of employees, customers, etc... do the data analysis and
reporting.  I also do training for a wide variety of issues.  Just last week
I presented a program on developing the organization as a community for a
company that was concerned about the inclusion of people from different
cultures who would soon be joining the organization.  I enjoy this work but
perhaps not as much as working on and developing the farm.

Well, I wanted to say hello and mention that reading the posts has already
been enlightening for me.

Del Williams