THE ECO-HOMESTEAD AT ARTESIA
FOOTPRINT FOR THE FUTURE
ARTESIA is a footprint for the future of land use in Hawaii and other places. It attempts to optimize the way the land is cultivated and settled to bring full benefits to the earth, the botanical yield, the life of the land, and the quality of life of those who dwell there. It is a three-acre ag parcel situated 1100 feet above the town of Hawaii on the big island of Hawaii. The director of this strategic design is social architect Jim Channon who has 40 years experience in this profession.
Three primary factors drive the need for such research and prototyping:
1. The local government infrastructure cannot guarantee food, water, and power for its citizens as it is currently organized, so the responsibility for this reality must be born by a new level of thinking about land use by everyone.
2. The motto for the state of Hawaii is that the land shall be held in righteousness in perpetuity. Current land use practices adopted wholesale from the state of California in no way begin to live up to this high calling.
3. The history of land use in Pacific Basin countries and islands has been usurped by the current land use planning and continental land use practices. The inefficiencies of this tragic over sight are being blindly followed by an under-qualified minority of people is being swayed by specific political and economic forces. The future of our existence is seriously in question.
The demonstration site called Artesia has been under development for sixteen years. Thousands of visitors have visited and advised the home team on their integral design process. The designs focus on food production, biomass creation, permaculture practices, quality of life, revenue creation, botanical preservation, beauty, and ultimately sustainability and yes … survivability. The overall land plan now partially mature reveals an incredibly beautiful combination with a very wide range of features all of which are not out of the reach for people with a general educational level.
The amount of space apportioned to approaches now recognized as healthy is as follows.
23% Timber trees and some firewood used to create biomass, produce oxygen and replace the lumber used in the construction of the dwellings on the land.
18% Orchards of mostly tropical fruit used to create food and livelihood for the inhabitants.
16% Pastureland and greenways which also double as roadway since there is no asphalt or concrete paving. The grass that needs mowing is also kept to a minimum to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
14% Botanical preserves and ag instructional teaching space which have examples of over a hundred species of trees and plants important to habitation in bioregions like the big island.
10% Ornamental, aromatic, medicinal, floral,and herbal plants, that occasionally produce sales but primarily augment the quality of life for the people who live here and their neighbors.
8% Over a dozen ground level micro-gardens that produce table quality vegetables and starches for food for the family subsistence.
4% Aquaculture and greenhouse production space still experimenting with the best possible growing strategy for the marketplace and or the mixed blood extended family on the land.
4% Space for dwellings for the family and farm help required during harvesting seasons.
3% Space for other commercial service spaces needed to balance the cash flow for inhabitants during off season production.
A documentary is now being produced to present our integral solutions for the small farm that Thomas Jefferson claimed would be the best solution of all of America one day! Stay tuned for more on this subject.
