Paul has been busy researching permaculture. Stay tuned for more information and links on this topic.

Each of the links is connected to a fascinating website. Be sure to explore around those websites and learn more.

http://www.permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php

The 12 permaculture design principles are thinking tools, that when used together, allow us to creatively re-design our environment and our behavior in a world of less energy and resources.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/PermaScience/videos/4/

Permaculture - Farms of the future.  A 48 minute video that does a great job of explaining the coming food crises and how she (as a farmer) is learning to overcome them.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/PermaScience/videos/2/

Greening the desert. 5 minute video. Geoff Lawton uses permaculture to create a productive oasis in Jordan, in just about the worst desert on earth.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/PermaScience/videos/6/

Greening the desert revisited.  Another 5 minute video.  How is  the dessert project doing after 6 years?

There are more videos on this site that are worth looking into.

http://www.permies.com/

A forum to meet and chat with lots of active permaculture type people.

If you go to iTunes and search for "HS432", you will find a university level course on permaculture. It is a long series of classroom lectures from North Carolina State University.  You can also search for "permaculture" and find several other interesting courses in iTunes U.

http://www.soilfoodweb.com/sfi_approach1.html

In depth information about the soil food web.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/soilmgmt.html#texture

In depth info about sustainable soil management.

Being a research campus, there's checks "every now and then" to see where things are at... Paul recently took time and reviewed the annual heating costs of Old Main and the Mani-Shop.

Here's the Results!

OLD MAIN is a 4500 sq' building (3,000 sq' on ground level and 1500 sq' upstairs).

Heat sources for the building are passive solar and a geothermal heat pump

The average monthly heating cost over the last 12 months was $33.77 *

The MANI-SHOP is a 14,000 sq' building which includes a 3,000 sq' greenhouse.

Heat sources for the building are passive solar, active solar (only partially functional) and a geothermal heat pump

The average monthly heating cost over the last 12 months was $74.69*

* The calculations are based on a dual fuel rate of .055 which includes all utility company charges to power the heat pumps and associated well pumps, including sales tax and meter fees. It does not include electricity for lights, computers, fans and such.

-30 in Minnesota is a good time to sit back and reflect ;)

Accomplishments on the HUG campus during 2008 make GREAT reflection material!

The campus grounds were literally "turned upside down" with additions of hazelnuts, buffalo berries, raspberries, apple trees, chokecherries, gooseberries, currants, cherries, aspargus and grapes.

Berms and swales were discussed often this last Summer, and with our local deer well aware of what was happening on campus...  a fence needed to be put into place!

With a little work the pond held water...

Old Main was transformed, creating more office space

Happy Dancing Turtle hosted many classes, activites, and events, including the ever popular Back to Basics and EcoSquared fair while enjoying their new space!

Hot air from the mani-shop's solar panels started to help heat the building.

There are 76 total panels on the front of the building!

Air temperature from panels in the greenhouse can be as high as 150 degrees on a sunny day.

The plants in the greenhouse are under close watch from Barb... Last week, fresh vegetables from the greenhouse provided us with some campus lunch!

Working to incorporate what we are learning from heating and cooling at the mani-shop,  growing techniques in the greenhouse, and researching water and waste reprocessing...HUG  continues to work on a house with the goals of heating and cooling itself without fossil fuels, processing it's own water and waste, and helping to feed the occupants... ARC '08

We were privilaged and delighted to have many visitors on campus, including Govenor Tim Pawlenty and Senator Amy Klobuchar!

What will 2009 have in store for the HUG campus??

The sky is the limit!

Have a wonderful new year!

Senator Amy Klobuchar stopped in Pine River to visit RREAL and the HUG campus during her  "Main Street Jobs" tour throughout Minnesota last week.

Klobuchar is focusing on job creation with infrastructure and renewable energy projects.

Brita Sailer joined Amy on campus, Brita has been very involved with the frustrations RREAL (www.rreal.org) has experienced in efforts to get their solar panel certified.

Amy arrives at RREAL

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BJ and Sarah give an overview of RREAL's SPF (Solar Powered Furnace), manufactured on the HUG campus.

Heather and Jeremy at work on a panel, in RREAL'S manufacturing area.

Ryan takes time to explain the solar panel that is being developed by HUG for use in ARC'08.

The tour continues with a walk through the mani-shop greenhouse.

The windows and dampers are installed in the greenhouse area.

The tour wraps up with a group discusssion in RREAL's office.

We had a lunch gathering last week to celebrate Thanksgiving and November birthdays.

Nolita, Ryan, Ellen, Paul, and Bob all have birthdays in November.

Bob thought he could get out of his birthday "honors"...

Lynn "put him in his place", then led the us in the Casey Jones birthday song.

We took time to reflect on some of the many things, we're thankful for.

Outside... the garden has been put to rest for the season