Polylivelihood design

Overview One of the key principles of ecology is diversity. It is how natural systems remain resilient and healthy. The same principle can be applied to business and livelihood creation. By effectively not putting all our eggs in one basket we can be a little more resilient to market changes. This section describes some of the potential small business models we could cultivate at Brook End. In the report, Small is Successful there are some key points to earning a livelihood on a small acreage that we have tried to integrate: Keep set up costs low work with what we have already Add value by direct marketing Process on site to add value Supply local businesses Share investment with other small businesses Build business incrementally

Brook end edibles

The idea of Brook End edibles is to offer a nursery service for edible & useful species that are needed at an affordable cost for permaculture system establishment. They can be pre-ordered by designers or projects and grown to specification. They can also be used on sites designed by Wild Heart Permaculture. For people attending courses & events they may also be inspired by the plants on site and so BEE would enable them to buy plants to take away with them, cutting down on marketing and outreach costs for the family. Establishing a small-scale nursery also takes advantages of the infrastructure already on site e.g. 7 greenhouses and a pollytunnel. Fruit trees can be grafted from local Avalon varieties, making the most of local marketing opportunities and seeds for trees can all be harvested on site at Brook End. Surplus annual vegetables can be sold cheaply at the local Somerset Country Markets. Other species to cultivate include: Annual vegetable seedlings Perennial vegetable seedlings Grafted fruit trees Nut trees & Native trees grown from seed Fruit bushes Logs for mushroom cultivation Other edible & useful perennials, trees & shrubs

Wild heart permaculture

Wild Heart Permaculture is the trading name of the Nicoles selfemployed small business offering permaculture design consultancy and education services. While Nicole is completing her studies and the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design, WHP is mainly used for her website to document her work however when graduated, she aims to establish as a permaculture designer and educator with Brook End a core element of the business. Despite involving much off-site work, WHP is still integral to the design of Brook End as the time it will demand needs to be integrated into design decisions and how it operates can compliment other areas of business at Brook End. WHP intends to offer the following services: Permaculture design consultancy for gardens, smallholdings & farms as well as social non-land based designs Herb garden or component design services System establishment services Permaculture education Permaculture writing & journalism Permaculture related community organising In embracing the permaculture principle of multifunction there is a deliberate cross over between the potential livelihoods at Brook End: Clients of WHP seeking design implementation can purchase plants from Brook End Edibles and Wild Heart Herbals. WHP can act as a promoter and convener for courses and learning opportunities at Brook End, such as full permaculture design courses. Potential clients of WHP can be attracted by the success of Brook End in its system establishment. Brook End can be used for WHP research purposes. Community projects engaged with WHP may visit or utilize resources at Brook End. Costs of living at Brook End remain low for Nicole enabling a more healthy and holistic working pattern, offsetting time for unpaid work. Any positive publicity for WHP or Brook End and the other businesses will automatically support the other enterprises e.g. articles & website traffic

Earth dragon ltd

Earth Dragon Ltd is the working company name set up by Ian and Michele for any potential trade that takes place at Brook End. This includes any camps or facility hire, course convening and so forth. It could also be used potentially for additional income streams into Brook End, such as other produce being made and sold such as: Jams & Chutneys Apple juice Cider or other wines and alcohols e.g. sloe gin Apple rings & fruit lathers Craft products such as willow sculptures Another aspect of maximizing income for Brook End is by catering for events held on the land, such as courses and gatherings by making soup with surplus vegetables or abundant species e.g. nettles and watercress. Soup making is a specialty of Michele and this could be something sold wider than just at Brook End, with vegetables cultivated on site for this secondary business. In terms of growing for local markets, there is also a pub across the road from the house, who may wish to purchase vegetables and salads however we do not wish to cultivate salads or annual vegetables for a wider market due to their energy intensive nature. Perennials offer a less time consuming option and have added ecological benefits. Other potential long term opportunities could include compost tea making due to the abundance of comfrey on our woodland edge and mushroom cultivation when we gain the skills and knowledge. We also aim to sell our produce at courses and events.

Wild heart herbals

One of Nicoles major passions and interests is the medicinal qualities of plants. She would like to establish a specialist medicinal plant nursery in conjunction with Brook End Edibles. There are a few current legal challenges at present in regards to regulation of herbal remedies however Nicole is designing for postindustrial resilience and feels growing these plants is essential for medicinal self and community reliance. Wild Heart Herbals would be another small business that could grow medicinal plants, sustainably wildcraft them from local hedgerows and process them to create the following items: Medicinal seedlings & young plants including medicinal trees & shrubs Dried herbs especially for nourishing infusions Herbal tonic vinegars Herbal salves & infused oils Herbal cosmetics Tinctures & other alcohol based medicines Calendula for the Glastonbury Balm Tonic wines & syrups Herbal boxes containing dried plants of the season e.g. winter box for flu, colds, immune building Themed planted containers, such as Goddess containers with herbs of the Goddess e.g. Melissa spp. For the above it will be vital to establish high quality processing areas, such as an effective herb drying system and a kitchen that meets trading standards to make items such as salves and oils.

Nicole Vosper, Wild Heart Permaculture 2011

BROOK END