If you have some empty lot or land, and would like some extra income, possible ag tax break, and/or fruit, consider leasing your land to me. I'd like to experiment with different approaches to sustainable orchards or "food forests" in the spirit of Permaculture. The hope is that the orchards would be educational and demonstration models, visited by people of all ages. I plan to involve a variety of Permaculture advisors and people in the designs, and your ideas would be very welcome. While water access would be ideal, I'd also like to try developing some of the orchards "dryland", relying only on rain and ground water. It's OK if some of the land as been abused. Part of the Permaculture spirit is to help regenerate injured land, and leave the truly native lands alone. Initially I'd prefer to focus on urban and suburban areas in Santa Barbara and Goleta. But I'd welcome hearing about land in other locations. While I anticipate things will start very slow, I also have some hope that some momentum could build, and more people would get involved. It's mainly a labor of love to start, but I realize that it will have to pay it's way in order to grow. I'm willing to invest some of my time and money to give it a try, and pay you a reasonable lease payment along the way.
Here's a little info about my background and interests:
http://www.kelleyharris.com/resume/permacultureResume.html
http://www.kelleyharris.com/notes/permaculture/permacultureServices.html
I'd welcome a chance to discuss your land and wishes and brainstorm possible ways we could help each other.
Kelley
696-6260
mkh@mkharris.com