Intense Urban Permaculture & City Farming - Plunging In!

We are serious about turning our Jacksonville lot into a productive, food-producing, permaculture based, organic Urban Farm!

And we are going to do it on the cheap!

So far the 1985 GMC pickup truck cost less than $900 bucks and we are recycling all things useable.

Though plastic is petro based and not a favorite material, it will be used if it a stable polymer type that does not oxidize as easily such as polypropylene AND if it is post-consumer recycled material.

Raised Beds made from modular wetland boxes, planted with cabbage

Use it rather than send it to the landfill.

Though I'm sure the photos of garbage bags full of leaves are becoming old, I posted another this am.

Green Roof Garlic for the rabbit hutch

Yesterday we collected 6 truckloads of huge heavy duty garbage bags full of leaves.  Judy and I laughed at the labor we received for no cost - all those hours of raking and bagging organic material for us to pick up for free!  Surprisingly, the entire lot of leaves came within a couple block radius of our Urban Farm.

Some of the bagged leaves are full of sand also, perfect for filling in those uneven holes in the back.

Rooftop Veggie Garden

We also picked up two truckloads of very clean pine straw for the pathways and the barn all for free, saving the organic matter from ending up in the landfill and providing free heavy duty garbage bags and mulch!  We stay away from those lawns that hire fertilizer companies to come and spray.

Additionally, the number of raised beds have increased from two to seven now.  Five old modular wetland boxes were adapted with drainage holes and filled with leaf compost and seasoned horse manure from a friend.

Chicken Coop being constructed from Greenhouse

Cabbage plants are planted directly in the seasoned manure over leaves in much the same way the French would plant their famous intense vegetable gardens in horse manure hundreds of years ago.

Chicken boxes from milk-crate type boxes

The garlic is sprouting now on the rabbit hutch green roof and spring is just around the corner.  Potato beds are readied and every day brings a new challenge.

Judy is reading up on chickens and I am converting our greenhouse into a chicken coop - see the photo, using scrap wire and fencing.

Free Compost, truckloads

We are using recycled milk-crate type chicken boxes for the fowl's nests!

Rooftop vegetable gardens are growing strong!

Urban Permaculture and city farming at its best!

More later!  Happy permaculture & Urban Farming from Jacksonville!

Kevin