Robert Waldrop
1524 NW 21st Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106
US of A
405-312-3610, 405-557-0436
bwaldrop(at)cox(dot)net
I am a native fourth generation Oklahoma, born and raised on a farm in a rural area in southwest Oklahoma. I live in an older inner city neighborhood (built 1910-1930). I work as the director of music and organist at the Catholic Church of the Epiphany of the Lord in Oklahoma City. I first heard about permaculture through the Whole Earth Catalog and Co-evolution Quarterly magazine. I began to self-study permaculture in 1998, but I only became involved with the formal study of permaculture in 2005 in Cycle 10 of BFPC Online PDC.
Tadpole in training with Barking Frogs Permaculture, www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org
President and General Manager, Oklahoma Food Cooperative, www.oklahomafood.coop
Moderator, runningonempty2@yahoogroups.com (peak oil discussion)
Founder, Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House, www.justpeace.org
Projects
I am into my third year of permaculture study with Dan Hemenway of Barking Frogs Permaculture via the BFPC online PDC. I am working on the permaculture design of my property in the inner city of Oklahoma City, which consists of 1/7th of an acre, with two dwellings on it that were originally built in 1929. I grow about 100 different varieties of useful or edible plans on my former lawns.
Offers
I am the co-founder and co-developer of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, which is an invisible structure that offers a way to jump start a local food economy. Our producer members post each month at our website what they have to offer. Our customer members order from the website. On the third Thursday of each month, the producers comes to town with their products and we the Coop divide the products into the customer orders, which are distributed via a volunteer system. We provide free technical assistance to other groups interested in starting similar groups, this includes making our software available free of charge under the General Public License system.
My other websites are
www.bettertimesinfo.org access to frugal and simply living and resources
www.energyconservationinfo.org Energy issues
Gatewood Urban Homestead
City living that meets the challenges of peak oil, climate instability, and economic irrationality
A permaculture design submitted as part of the requirements of the Online Permaculture Design Course taught by Dan Hemenway of Barking Frogs Permaculture of Sparr, Florida.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Clients
1.2 Site description... 25
1.3 Community ... 32
- 2.0 Design Recommendations
2.1 Earth Works and Nutrient Management ... 37
2.1.1 Earth Works 37
Soil 1 Build retaining walls at the curbs, raise the level of the yard closest to the retaining walls and shape the soil levels so that the ground slopes towards the center of each yard section that is west of the north-south public sidewalk ... 37
Soil 2 Build a swale and berm system in front of the house... 40
Soil 3 Build retaining walls west and north of the house... 43
2.1.2 Nutrient Management ... 45
Soil 4 Replace Bermuda grass with other ground covers... 45
Soil 5 Mulch areas not planted to ground cover... 46
Soil 6 Convert an old bathtub into a vermiculture project... 46
Soil 7 Compost in place... 48
Soil 8 Grow additional compost/green manure crops... 50
Soil 9 Plant cover crops that boost soil fertility... 51
2.1.3 Food Production ... 52
Food 1 Increase the area for food production ... 52
Food 2 Re-work the growing beds in the garden area west of the house ... 53
Food 3 Use all of the growing season ... 55
Food 4 Make a plant spacing grid... 55
Food 5 Use companion planting techniques... 55
Food 6 Grow crops vertically to increase production in your limited space... 55
Food 7 Use your sun porch as a greenhouse... 56
Food 8 Make cold frames to increase winter food production... 56
Food 9 Preserve heirloom plants and save seeds... 57
Food 10 Increase production of food producing legumes...57
Food 11 Increase your production of multiplying onions, shallots and Egyptian onions... 58
Food 12 Plant and cook alternatives to summer squash ... 58
Food 13 Keep good garden records... 59
Food 14 Add more perennial food/useful plants to the garden ... 59
Food 15 Learn good pruning and grafting techniques... 59
Food 16 Make improvements to the fruit tree area north of the house... 59
Food 17 Increase production south of the storage building... 60
Food 18 Use the perimeter of the property for food production... 61
Food 19 Build more vertical growing structures... 62
Food 20 Plant a medicinal garden... 64
Food 21 Monitor the shade cast by the perimeter hedge... 64
Food 22 Build a planter box by the sunspace... 64
Food 23 Make a container garden on the driveway... 65
Food 24 Create a greenhouse/fish culture system in the storage building... 66
2.1.4 Food processing and storage ... 70
Cook 1 Build an outdoor kitchen and deck ... 70
Cook 2 Build a root cellar/tornado shelter ... 72
Cook 3 Get the equipment you need for food processing and preservation... 77
Cook 4 Build a solar food dryer ... 77
Cook 5 Create a food preparation area in the kitchen... 78
Cook 6 Create more food storage places... 79
2.1.5 Human Excreta Management ... 80
Waste 1 Use urine as fertilizer ... 80
Waste 2 Build a chopped straw toilet ... 80
2.2 Shelter ... 82
2.2.1 The House
Shelter 1 Develop better accommodations for guests and travelers ... 82
Shelter 2 Decorate walls with musical instruments ... 82
Shelter 3 Don’t tear out the natural gas chimneys and fireplaces... 82
Shelter 4 Plan for meetings and acquire suitable equipment ... 83
Shelter 5 Enclose the front porch ... 83
2.2.2 The storage building 84
Shelter 6 Repair the Storage Building Roof with an eco-friendly roofing material ... 84
Shelter 7 Renovate the porch and exterior of the storage building... 84
2.2.3 Privacy Improvements 85
Shelter 8 Reinforce your perimeter hedge... 85
Shelter 9 Build a fence to connect the house and the storage building... 86
Shelter 10 Build a front gate... 87
2.3 Access... 88
Access 1 Choose more eco-friendly methods of travel... 88
Access 2 Refurbish the electric assist bicycle and purchase an adult trike ... 88
Access 3 Bicycle route to Bob's work ... 89
2.4 Energy... 90
2.4.1 Passive heating and cooling 90
Energy 1 Do a Home Energy Audit of the house ... 90
Energy 2 Learn how to operate your passive solar heating and cooling systems... 90
Energy 3 Install grills to facilitate ventilation and heat transmission... 90
Energy 4 Grow more summer shade... 92
Energy-5 Create shade for the solar sun porch... 93
Energy 6 Make some improvements to the house's insulation... 93
Energy 7 Use area rugs in the winter ... 94
Energy 8 Make R-20 insulating shutters for the windows... 94
Energy 9 Trim the elm tree to allow more winter sunlight to shine on the sun porch... 99
Energy 10 Optimize the efficiency of your solar sun porch... 99
2.4.2 Wood stove 100
Energy 11 Follow important wood stove safety recommendations to protect the household... 100
Energy 12 Harvest wood from your lot and neighborhood... 101
Energy 13 Move the wood storage... 102
2.4.3 The Storage Building 103
Energy 14 Build an alternative energy system for lights in the storage
building. ...................................................................................................... 103
2.4.4 Materials Cycling and Waste Management 104
Energy 15 Create a materials cycling center in the utility room. ................. 105
Energy 16 Place additional materials cycling containers in areas of
high use. ..................................................................................................... 105
2.4.5 Other Energy Issues 105
Energy 17 Monitor appliances' energy consumption................................... 105
Energy 18 Improve the household's laundry arrangements. ....................... 105
Energy 19 Install a solar hot water system. ................................................ 106
Energy 20 Recharge small batteries with solar power. ............................... 107
2.5 Water ............................................................................................................... 108
Water 1 Install a rainwater harvesting and storage system......................... 108
Water 2 Develop an appropriate gray water recovery system. ................... 118
Water 3 Find the hand pump wells in the neighborhood. ............................ 118
Water 4 Develop a household water purification system. ........................... 118
Water 5 Use water pots or jugs in the ground to water plants.................... 118
Water 6 Install a "speed bump" on the driveway to intercept water runoff
and direct it into the yards...................................................................... 119
Water 7 Build a pond between the storage building and the water
tanks. .......................................................................................................... 120
2.6 Community ...................................................................................................... 122
2.6.1 Markets, job opportunities 122
Market 1 Develop a contingency plan if one or both of the household's
"day jobs" go away...................................................................................... 122
2.6.2 Implementation skills available for hire or barter. 122
Barter 1 Trade skills to save money on renovation. .................................... 122
2.6.3 Material resources for design implementation and management
122
2.7 Economics...................................................................................................... 123
Budget 1 Increase your monthly principal payments in order to pay off
your debts in an accelerated manner.......................................................... 123
2.7.1 Budget and narrative .................................................................................... 123
2.7.2 Analysis of on-site income potential 128
Econ 1 Make and sell artistic rosaries. ....................................................... 129
Econ 2 Sell plants that are not normally available from local
distributors. ................................................................................................. 130
Econ 3 Present "Applying Permaculture Design Principles in the
Kitchen" workshops as a source of income. ............................................... 130
Econ 4 Make bulgur wheat and sell it through the coop. ............................ 131
2.8 Hazards ........................................................................................................... 132
2.8.1 Tornadoes and straight-line windstorms 132
Hazard 1 Build a tornado shelter/root cellar................................................ 132
Hazard 2 Update your tornado contingency plans pending the
construction of the tornado shelter.............................................................. 132
2.8.2 Lightning 133
Hazard 3 Maintain your Uninterruptible Power System .............................. 133
Hazard 4 Suspend outdoor activities when lightning is present. ................. 133
2.8.3 Fire 133
Hazard 5 Acquire additional emergency equipment ................................... 134
2.8.5 Interruption in regular food supplies. 134
Hazard 7 Support your local food system................................................... 134
Hazard 8 Store 2 year's supply of food. ...................................................... 134
2.8.6 Fuel storage (wood and propane) 135
Hazard 9 Store at least two cords of wood. ................................................ 135
Hazard 10 Store propane............................................................................ 135
2.8.7 Severe cold, blizzards, ice storms135
Hazard 11 Prepare properly for winter travel. ............................................. 135
2.8.9 Loss or contamination of the city water supply 136
Hazard 13 Increase your household water storage. ................................... 136
2.8.10 Falling tree limbs 136
Hazard 14 Trim limbs that threaten the property......................................... 137
2.8.11 Interruption of Centrally Generated/Grid Distributed Electric Power.
137
Hazard 15 Maintain a basic non-grid dependent electricity backup. .......... 137
2.9 Staging ............................................................................................................ 139
YEAR I: The Year of Getting Ready 139
YEAR II: The Year of Growing 154
YEAR III: The Year of Water 163
YEAR IV: The Underground 166
YEAR V: The Final Touches 168
3.0 APPENDICES
Appendix 3.1 Client survey.................................................................................... 172
Appendix 3.2 Resources (places to get info and skills support) ............................ 259
Appendix 3.3 Suppliers.......................................................................................... 265
Appendix 3.4 References ...................................................................................... 275
Appendix 3.5 Species lists..................................................................................... 279
Appendix 3.6 12 years of climate info on rainfall, wind, and temperature.............. 294
Appendix 3.7 Existing features of the property. ..................................................... 309
Appendix 3.8: Notes on the social and economic history of the region.................. 310
Appendix 3.9 Bus route information....................................................................... 314
Appendix 3.10 Resources and plans to assist in implementing this design........... 315
Appendix 3.10.1 Food storage list 316
Appendix 3.10.2 Suggested Mulch Materials 318
Appendix 3.10.3 List of recommended food processing and preserving quipment 319
Appendix 3.10.4 Oklahoma Extension publications on home gardens.321
Appendix 3.10.5 Oklahoma Extension publication on pruning fruit trees.322
Appendix 3.10.6 Notes on building trellises. 323
Appendix 3.11 Calculations for determining heat loss through walls and the
benefit from various levels of insulation. ................................................................ 325
Appendix 3.12 Ideas for Community Involvement ................................................. 327
Develop urban permaculture demonstration sites....................................... 327
Use your memberships, leadership roles, and community contacts to
involve your community in permaculture..................................................... 327
Support the local food system..................................................................... 327
Host teams of students for "alternative spring break" programs. ................ 328
Assist gardeners in low income areas. ....................................................... 328
Develop an "Applying Permaculture Principles in Kitchen Designs"
workshop. ................................................................................................... 329
Appendix 3.13 Soil Test Reports ........................................................................... 330
Appendix 3.15 Book List ........................................................................................ 332
General ....................................................................................................... 332
Shelter, Energy, Material/Resource Cycling ............................................... 332
Growing, Eating, Preserving, Brewing, Household ..................................... 335
Design for Health ........................................................................................ 340
Local Economics......................................................................................... 342
Appendix 3.16 Index.............................................................................................. 343
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 2: Base Map....................................................................................................... 27
Figure 3: House Base Map .......................................................................................... 28
Figure 4: West of house, looking north ........................................................................ 29
Figure 5: From front porch, looking north.................................................................... 29
Figure 6, Looking east across front yard...................................................................... 30
Figure 7: View from the south at front yard of storage building and sun porch of
the house. .......................................................................................................... 30
Figure 8: Sun porch ..................................................................................................... 31
Figure 9: Front view of the storage building plus south end of house .......................... 31
Figure 10: Full view of west side of house ................................................................... 32
Figure 11: Location of the retaining walls west of the house along McKinley
Street. ................................................................................................................ 40
Figure 12:...Map showing location of berm south of the east-west public sidewalk on the
contour line. ................................................................................................................. 41
Figure 13: Swale and channels north of east-west public sidewalk. ............................ 43
Figure 14:Location of the west side retaining wall along the house side of the north-south public sidewalk.................................................................................................... 45
Figure 15 Location and depiction of vermiculture project. 48
Figure 16: Additional growing areas.............................................................................. 53
Figure 17: A sample plan for the intensive garden area............................................... 54
Figure 18: Yard with water tanks and garden beds....................................................... 61
Figure 19: Location of new arbors................................................................................ 63
Figure 20: Location and floor plan of summer kitchen. ................................................ 71
Figure 21: Location of cellar.......................................................................................... 74
Figure 22:.Location of fence, cellar, and new courtyard sitting area.87
Figure 23: Locations for ventilation grills. ..................................................................... 92
Figure 24 Location for storing sun porch shutters. ....................................................... 98
Figure 27: New location of clothesline. ...................................................................... 106
Figure 28: Base map showing water tanks (blue circles). .......................................... 109
Figure 29: Location of water storage tanks north of house. ....................................... 117
Figure 30:General design of arbors with side details for summer kitchen arbor and house and storage building arbors...................................................................... 324
LIST OF TABLES
**
Table 1 Budget……………………………………………124
Table 2 Year 1 Implementation recommendations without pre-requisites. ……………………………………………..139
Table 3 Year 1 recommendations with prerequisites….141
Table 4 Other Year 1 recommendations………………..141
Table 5 Year 2 recommendations without pre-requisites.…………………………………………………….154
Table 6 Other Year 2 recommendations.……………….155
Table 7 Year 2 recommendations with pre-requisites…155
Table 8 Year 3 recommendations without pre-requisites.…………………………………………….163
Table 9 Year 3 recommendations with prerequisite….163
Table 10 Year 4 recommendations……………………..166
Table 11 Year 5 recommendations…………………….170
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