Fertilizers and Minerals, The Crux Of Our Food Security?
“Fertilizer is too expensive, so we couldn’t buy it this year”: “We have 70 acres in Central, Texas, and over the past 3 years fertilizer costs have gone way up. It was $3000, then $4500, then they wanted $9000 this year. At this point it isn’t worth fertilizing or irrigating.” -Anonymous farmer- I have heard […]
Is Keyline Geometry and Keyline Plowing A Powerful Land Regeneration Tool?
Keyline Geometry and Keyline Plowing Geometry and water harvesting? How are these related? I’ve been working in the field of land regeneration for the past decade and to be honest Keyline geometry was quite confusing for me to understand before I acquired a keyline plow and began using it in the Central Texas Hill country. […]
Chop & Drop Made Easy For Texas Homesteaders
Chop and drop is a term coined by permaculture guru Geoff Lawton, and describes the act of creating passively-composting mulch in place while pruning and weeding. In this video, Mike shows us how he chops and drops ragweed, a pernicious, fast-growing weed common to Central Texas that many people are allergic to. It’s good to […]
Why Is Mulch So Important For Permaculture In Texas?
In this video, we describe why mulching is important, especially in hot dry landscapes like Central Texas, and how it mimics natural ecological systems. Mulching has many benefits, such as helping water infiltration, lessening evaporation, protecting the soil from the sun, nurturing beneficial microorganisms, and suppressing weeds. Bottom line, you need to cover your soil […]
VIDEO: Groasis Waterboxx Review
In this video, Mike talks about the Groasis Waterboxx, a reforestation technology that helps to passively irrigate trees, protect soil and prevent weeds. When the air cools at night, water condenses and fills a reservoir that slowly irrigates the roots of a sapling. This is a very cost effective way to irrigate trees without installing […]
VIDEO: Ranch 3232 Campground Tour
Explore the work Symbiosis LLC has done at Ranch 3232 in Johnson City, Texas! Mike Wolfert of Symbiosis LLC shares his insights on utilizing short-term rental strategies for generating income to achieve long-term goals of creating sustainable spaces for all to enjoy, as demonstrated by Ranch 3232’s approach to development! Ranch 3232 Is a multi-faceted […]
VIDEO: How to Make Compost Tea!
In this YouTube tutorial video, Mike shows us how to make compost tea using compost, rainwater, an IBC, an aerator, Drama Green, molasses, Garden Juice Pro, and Medina Soil Activator. Compost tea is rich in beneficial microorganisms and makes nutrients more available to plants, and can be used in the soil or as a foliar […]
VIDEO: Food Forest Tour
In this video on the Symbiosis YouTube channel, Mike Wolfert takes us on a brief food forest tour of a Central Texas homestead. This food forest includes 5 berms and swales on contour with tons of fruit trees, pollinator plants, herbs, medicinals, and more. Some of the plants included in this post oak savannah food […]
How To Create Water Resilience & Abundance In Central Texas
Have you ever wondered if it’s even possible to insulate your land from the drought and flood cycles we experience in central, Texas. It seems like summers are getting hotter, freezes are getting harder, the floods are getting more intense and unpredictable. Meanwhile, most people we talk to want to create a refuge where they […]
Landscaping In Austin, Texas Can Be Hard But Using Eco Friendly Techniques Can Make It Easier And More Successful!
First, let me just come out and say that what we’re talking about here falls under the umbrella of Permaculture. This is a big, weird word that just means permanent culture, which posits humans living in balance with nature. Permaculture is a system of design encompassing all things eco-friendly and synthesizing them to minimize waste […]
Creating a Dream Permaculture Homestead in Central Texas
The American Dream is evolving, and more people are thinking beyond suburban homes to consider sustainable homesteads, off-grid living, and nature-based dwellings. A Permaculture Homestead is one of the most popular ways to build a sustainable lifestyle, especially in regions like Central Texas. This guide will help you create your own sustainable homestead using permaculture […]
Permaculture Landscaping vs Organic vs Traditional: Which Design Is Right For Your Space?
As environmental consciousness grows, homeowners and landscape professionals are seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional garden design. Permaculture design is revolutionizing the landscaping industry by offering a regenerative, eco-friendly approach that goes beyond typical organic practices. In this comprehensive guide, discover how permaculture design principles create beautiful, productive spaces that benefit both people and the environment. […]
3 Erosion Control Techniques to Drought & Flood Proof Your Land
After hosting a permablitz on our land (a volunteer workday focusing on permaculture projects) the weekend of January 14th 2017, over 200 trees, shrubs, asparagus and alliums were planted and watered in by a nice steady rain over the weekend and early week that culminated in a nice long thunderstorm Wednesday morning. As the soils became […]
Black Magic: The Secrets of Amazonian Fertility
Bones. Charcoal. Ash. Blood. Feces. Food waste. Pottery shards. Before I began my journey into permaculture and regenerative ecology, if you asked me why someone would gather and bury these things together, I would have guessed at some kind of disgusting voodoo magic ritual. But for those initiated into the alchemy of composting and soil […]