Phase 1 will consist of 3 parts:

1. Development of a small organic agricultural operation.
2. Construction of the first experimental dwelling and outbuildings.
3. Installation of camping-type guest facilities.

The Property

Part 1: Development of a small organic agricultural operation.

• Purchase of equipment: tractor with various attachments ($20,000).
• Hiring help: 1 or 2 employees.
• Installation of road access.
• Clearing of field area.
• Plowing, planting:
• Oil seed flax
• Grains
• Green manure
• Potatoes and other locally salable crops
• Preliminary planting of future orchard operation
• Well drilling.
• Harvesting, processing, sales and delivery.
• Construction of facility for, and storage of, produce and seed.

The area planned to be fields was cleared for that purpose by the original homesteader of the property in approximately 1950. Currently it has 20 to 30 years growth of moose-pruned shrubs and trees on it. Easily discernable from the surrounding, more open, old-growth forest, the old field area, having been fields once, should be easier to turn into fields again than the surrounding forest would be.

The goal of being an organic agricultural operation derives from the fact that agriculture in the Middle Ages was inherently "organic", the growing modern concern about the healthiness of other agricultural practices, and the developing salability of "organically grown" produce.

Our main consultant for this aspect of the project is Rocco Moschetti, currently of Integrated Pest Management of Alaska, formerly the University of Alaska Mat-Su area Extension Agent.

Part 2: Construction of the first experimental dwelling and outbuildings.

Plans for the first dwelling on the site call for a tower and outbuildings. Historically, this would be a typical outpost facility. Practically, it will be an opportunity for us to work with the various materials and technologies planned for use in future construction.

Already built on the site are a temporary storage shed, a temporary summer bedroom, and the beginnings of a pole-structure wood shed with wattle and daub walls. Also, there is a hole roughed out for the tower, and another for the outhouse.

The tower will be about 25’ in interior diameter and 4 stories tall. There will be an outhouse, a chicken coop and other small animal facilities, equipment storage, and other outbuildings as need arises.

The water system for the tower will consist of storage tanks built into the floor of the 4^th floor with water being brought in by truck and pumped up into the tanks, at least until a well is drilled. Waste management for the tower and the outhouse will be the Clivus Minimus composting toilet system (http://www.compostingtoilet.org/6ownbld/minimus.htm) with a greywater system that puts summertime greywater out for use in the garden, and winter’s greywater out to a pond for skating. Power will initially be via link to commercial power sources, however we plan to integrate wind and solar power components, too. Power and telephone are currently on site.

• Purchase (or rental) of equipment: small concrete mixer, rock sorter, Case 350 crawler/loader (approx. $40,000)
• Purchase of materials: concrete mix, lumber, wire mesh (see Specs for complete list)
• Hiring help: 2 to 3 employees.