Permaculture swales results after 7 years.

We designed our projects to be in harmony with nature.
We are committed to mimicking the patterns and relationships found in nature and applying them in many aspects of creating our realities.
We are not 100% self-sufficient but we certainly left behind our city rat lifestyle.
From our well, our water is pumped with solar energy. We produce solar electric power and feed it back to the grid. Our water is heated by the solar system.
We even manage to have a few seasonal crops.
But most of all, we have created an arboretum.
Applying permaculture principles really works.
Our home is constructed from brick, rock, and non-toxic finishes. We also opted for long-lasting, nearly maintenance-free building materials such as cement, steel, and aluminum.
Building a homestead from scratch according to the principles of eco sensibilities was, and continues to be a challenging but rewarding adventure. It requires learning many skills, uncompromised commitment, and deep respect for nature’s rules.Every day, the results surprise us with awe and never-ending, often taxing lessons. This lifestyle requires to be able to get up and keep going even when everything and all around are advising to quit.
We now know that the health of the soil is essential to our own health, and the health of plants and animals. We also now deeply respect all who grow food and understand the "language" of their land and the animals they keep.
The paradigm shift in understanding the interconnectedness of all living things and building our own resilience is the most welcomed side effect from following the path we chose 15 years ago.