Oregon's Permaculture Networking Site in Corvallis, OR

25 Acre Permaculture Farm Design

Designed by Andrew Millison, GREEN BARN FARM – is a 25 acre property located in the rich bottom land of the Willamette Valley 10 miles South of Corvallis, Oregon. The land contains a spring fed slough that is rich in wildlife and provides abundant water for irrigation. The soils in the agricultural areas range from the very rich Chehalis silty clay loam, to the poorer Camas gravelly sandy loam. The property is bordered by conventional agriculture, and there is the possibility of toxic drift from chemical applications.
The main concept for the main agricultural lands in this conceptual design is to dedicate most of the land to productive forest and tree crops. The main cash crop are Hazelnuts planted in conventional blocks. But those blocks sit within a mosaic that weaves in a diversity of short and long term productive species in long term timber hedgerows, a mixed fruit and nut forest, bamboo grove, and a habitat strip extending a finger of the slough up through the property.
In the area where the homes are clustered there are intensive annual and perennial vegetable gardens, fruiting vines, culinary and medicinal herbs and flowering ornamental plantings. The homes are oriented towards the beautiful natural area of the slough, that is the highlight of the property. Many sitting and gathering areas tie the structures together to provide the comfort of a village.

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Comment by Michele Bullock on October 29, 2010 at 11:58am: Oh, almost forgot oak shitake logs! I'd definately take some mushrooms in my miso soup.

Comment by Michele Bullock on October 29, 2010 at 11:37am: You probably have your own ideas, but I can't resist a challenge:

Oak is difinitely a great choice for a canopy layer in an asian-inspired bamboo polyculture. Q. mongolica, if the grower is determined to use an asian variety, but our own native Q. garryanna would be great, as well, to create a diverse ecosystem underneath and provide leafy biomass. Many bamboo cultivars have different heights and densities in their clusters, and a few varieties can be chosen to create some layering. Fortunelately, bamboo leaf material in hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Along the edge of the wetter area, slightly drier, a few strawberry trees (Arbutas unedo) produce lychee-imitating fruit, and mulberry (Morus rubra), happy in temporary wetness, fixes nitrogen and provides flowers and berries to wildlife and people. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), a popular choice in suburban yards, is loved in Japanese miso soup when the young spring leaves are simmered in the broth, and the maple cultivar is happy in shady bogs, as well. Kiwis in sunny spots seem a good choice for a vine layer, though initial training might be necessary. Another obvious choice in Asia for a vine in a bamboo polyculture would be kudzu, but since it’s considered an invasive species in the U.S., I don’t suggest that. Asparagus officinalis as an early groundcover, and later in the summer, an insectary, would work well, as would wild ginger (Asarum candatum). Finally, there will be weeds in the bamboo understory, but which ones to keep? Naturally, wild cress (Barbarea vulgaris)is a favorite of many asian grandmothers, but dandelion, and nettle are awesome dynamic accumulators and really good for people and insects. Early March miso soup with purple maple leaf, wild greens and asparagus… yum!

Comment by Andrew Millison on October 28, 2010 at 11:17am: And Maybe a bamboo monoculture in that area is not the best choice. Perhaps there is a more complex forest structure that lets the bamboo thrive with other layers as well: tall canopy and lower plantings. I'd love to see some traditional temperate bamboo polycultures (China, Japan?)

Comment by Michele Bullock on October 27, 2010 at 10:46pm: I like the bamboo grove in addition to the native plantings and ponds. These low areas can be discerned easily in the design: they are the areas that are not hazelnut, timber, or food-growing areas. The diversity that the "unusable" low lying areas bring to a design, biologically and, in the case of the bamboo grove, a place to rest in the summer heat (in addition to the many uses of bamboo) have been considered... can you tell that's my favorite part?

Comment by claire johnson on October 20, 2010 at 5:44pm: This looks great! Very exciting...