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e e. ". ~ .. ".....: _ '~I i ~, ~abor ,exchang~, ,fO:r, training :that I would provide , fees for workshops, and a . percentage, of. sales for ps'ople using current or new farm resources to produce value- ~;d~ro~U':::"~i~~~~~ "L Passing on What I Know . I h8:ve spent much of the last ~ears growing s~ecialty crops and would .like to pass my knowledge onto others interested in these practices. I am one of the early practitioners of no-till organic gardening' using raised beds, aisle composting, and biodiversity-based pest control, and have been certified organic since 19n. I also use the concept of permaculture in my operation because it provides a comprehensivJ" set of 'I~n~scape design principles for integrati~g energetics, biology and organic cycling into a: meaningful local economic framework. Many of the techniques I use are not widely practice.l in this region currently and could benefit people. who want to farm or garden sustainably and' organically on small parcels of land. This project will enable me tcrpass on the knowledge gained over the year~. Maintaining and Increasing Community Benefits' Finally, this project would providea community environmental benefit by maintaining a farm amidst encroaching suburbs and by providing a demonstration of organic fraction recycling through the certified tree nursery, organic food production, and the preservation and restoration of local landscape diversity. Additionally, suburban residents can learn appropriate techniques for designing and managing their landscapes. y - _ .Aml 1r>T' "'. I want to develop a sustainable agriculture incubato'r and learning site that would focus on organic specialty crops. The idea is twofold. First, I'd like to turn my farm into a host site where individuals with an interest in niche market farming. gardening, or value-added specialty products can develop their skills, test the viability of their concept with low-capital'investments, and work with others with similar interests. Because my farm is located 30 miles northwest of the Twin Cities and is in the middle of suburbia, it is an ideal location to attract landless people who want to dabble in farming or people who are thinking about going into farming but would like to practice before they take the step of buying land and equipment. I currently have a number of people who are willing to cooperate on this project both as resource people and as potential "enterprise developers."