Case Study: Illinois Permaculture Design

This is the preliminary permaculture masterplan for a farmstead in Illinois. the design aims to synthesise the ideas of the client with the demands of the site and to allow them to make the most of the property – recently purchased – that has been somewhat neglected in recent years. 

The client, a hobby farmer and market gardener on their last property, wishes to scale up with this new property, growing a wide range of edible produce while also having several other sidelines. They had plenty of ideas, incorporated into this design, but needed a helping hand to bring everything together and to understand how best to lay out all the different elements planned.

Working With Native Terrain and Vegetation

As shown in the plans above, a large portion of the land adjoining an intermittent creek is native vegetation known as bottomland forest, which floods sometimes, and which is permanently damp and rather waterlogged. The design works with nature rather than fighting it – and suggests working to restore native wetland zones. 

The only major change within this zone involves making improvements to and enlarging the pond/reservoir already on the site. smaller changes within this part of the design all relate to planting native vegetation to restore this area of bottomland forest, marsh and wetland marginal/ riparian zones.

Repairs will be made to a berm that currently surrounds the flood-zone, protecting arable and livestock farming areas around this key native habitat zone.

Diversified Farm Income Streams

Another important element of this design is that through planting and layout and new additions, it seeks to make it easier for the client to make money in a number of different ways on this property. 

From a typical veg box scheme, to a new permaculture plant nursery, to agroforestry and arable farming, to plans for a pop-up restaurant and preserves business, this design allows the client to develop many different strings to their bow, and to build a good level of resilience into their life and livelihood over time.