MSB Week in Review 004
Here is this weeks MSB insider’s only video of our week in review. We want to make these videos really cool for members of the Support Brigade, so after watching it please be sure to leave questions and comments for what you want to see in next weeks updates.
The purpose of these videos is to give MSB members a behind the scenes look at what we do at the the Spirko homestead and with the operations of the TSP business itself. This will generally be things that we are reserving for our private members only.
All the videos are posted to Vimeo and are password protected. The pass code will be the same for all videos and it is prominently displayed on the main page of your MSB Private Area. You will see it as soon as you log in. You can’t miss it. It is in BOLD RED at the top of the page when you log in.
What we covered in this weeks video
- A wrap up of the recent urban design course
- A preview of our next event, Earthworks in November
- A new policy on events, no more waiting list, MSB goes first
- The “trading blanket” and the big hit it was
- Our designers blew away the instructor with their designs
- The new mobile geese fencing and why the geese are getting clipped wings
- Joe’s new special knife by MT Knives
You can view this weeks video at https://vimeo.com/77460211
What were some of the unique design ideas that you guys were mentioning? (I’m guessing the swale one was part of it). I always like to hear about just different and out there designs, since it sparks new and creative ideas.
Are you going to be looking into getting electric net fencing for moving around critters?
The swale idea is pretty cool, and its very interesting how the property is laid out in relation to the building. Kinda cool how you’ll be able to push water from the backside of the workshop, all the way to the fence, and then send it back all the way to the front covering all that ground. I’ll be looking at doing something similar using my house as the water catchment. I hadn’t considered putting water tanks on either side, but it makes a lot of sense. Might as well hold as much water as possible, and as it overflows (which it will) it then gets to overflow into swales.
I really like these members only videos. These videos give a whole new prospective on what you are doing. Keep it up.
Great video guys. I look forward to more in the future. I’m glad the workshop went off so well. I can’t wait to see your swales.
Whats the possibility of posting the different designs? Im always interested in examining what others come up with, as I work on my own design. Not that I would steal ideas of course! :p
Any chance you could talk about your plans for bugging out, if the need ever arises. When you lived in Arlington, you had the Hot Springs site as a BOL. But since you moved from Arlington, have you had any bug out plans that you can share. Just curious is all. Thanks!
One thing I am trying to understand which maybe you can help me with …
How do you control how a swale overflows into another swale? For example if I build a small swale (subirban) how do I control which end overflows? If you dig a trench below the level of the swale the swale won’t fill up. Do you build up one side?
The simple answer is water goes down hill. Also the sill determine where overflow is directed so you can arrange that in such a way that is best for the design at hand.
Jack, that portable fence is really neat-looking. Where can I get one?
Do you prefer comments to go here or on the Vimeo page?
Either or is fine.
Excellent camera work! Having the walk through of the swale locations really helps in understanding the layout.
A couple of questions regarding the swales: 1) what is the planned elevation difference between the two swales? and 2) what’s going to be planted in the food forest area around the swales?
The land is flat, likely there is only about 6 inches of drop in the interswale area. The swales will be food forest yes, the interswale mixed pasture for cell grazing of geese and chickens. The exact trees will be largely planned at the event, then planted in spring.
Do you plan to do repeat courses/events for people who couldn’t come to learn a certain subject but would still like to, or will you try making each one different?
There will be some repetition of course. There will be at least one more earthworks course, likely in the spring. We will do a special kind of pond this winter as well, that will basically sorta kinda be an earthworks course.
But overall as the property evolves so will the classes. I really want to get into some more “skills based” training. Stuff like canning, etc. but right now we have a ton of development to do and it is just easier to combine that and the courses.
Some people think we just do that to pay for the work, while it does offset the work some, trust me we do it for education. If I just did it, it would be faster, I would pay my operator less, a lot of it would already be done, etc. The big savings is I could bring a large machine on site for two weeks and only eat one big charge for delivery of it. But I can’t teach people that way so what I am saying is we are stringing it out specifically to take as many people over time as we can.
Love the mobile geese netting, would like to try that with our chickens. I have tried to use the electric goat fence we have but the chickens just walk right through the holes. Can you provide a link?
Here is what I am using for the geese it is not electric.
http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=138
They sell electro net as well.
Thanks Jack!