Annual Report

Sustainable Living Systems

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2005 Annual Report

The Problem:

The earth can no longer bear the true cost of our agriculture, shelter systems, and land use ethics.

The Solution:

To create human living systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable, based upon whole systems thinking, and integrating care of the earth, care of people and care of the community.

Our Mission is to:

(1) promote and facilitate access to environmentally responsible, off-the-grid, affordable housing,

(2) preserve and refine traditional methods of food and seed production and conservation,

(3) demonstrate and teach sustainable living based upon permaculture principles and Native American cultural heritage, including collective living arrangements such as ecovillages; and

(4) contribute toward building a localized, sustainable economy in the Bitterroot Valley, starting with building a local food system.

Program Areas

1. WESTERN CULTURAL HERITAGE INSTITUTE - an educational permaculture EcoVillage, demonstrating environmentally responsible shelter, energy, food production and collective living. The Institute has established a wildlife friendly, bio-intensive, organic gardening system to provide a sustainable food base for residents, interns, and staff.

2. EDUCATION: offering both on-site workshops with hands-on training and seminars in the valley addressing the principles of sustainable living; hosting interns.

3. SEEDS - breeding, sharing and maintaining a seed bank of basic food and medicinal plants.

4. SHELTER- to have the lowest ecological footprint on the earth as possible, our facilities demonstrate the design of "earthships" (rammed earth in tires for thermal mass), straw-bale, cordwood, papercrete, and adobe construction methods, with energy systems (solar and other) that are simplified and off the grid, and innovations in no-discharge sanitation systems and water recycling.

5. LOCAL ECONOMY ENHANCEMENT - towards sustainable forms of prosperity for all, we are working to help build a decentralized, local, land-based economy in the valley, starting with a local food system.

Sustainable Living Systems is a 501(c)3 Non-profit organization

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Bevan Williams - is the founder and board chair. He took a 5-year architecture course, has been a full partner in an architectural design and illustration firm and also a licensed general contractor for 30 years. Bevan is self-taught in organic gardening, alternative construction technology, permaculture, and seed production and conservation.

Mac McQuaid – board secretary/treasurer, is a retired real estate broker. He was a rancher in previous years, is an accomplished machinist, metalworker and inventor. He currently lives in a passive solar home that he designed, which includes alternative heating and electrical systems fueled by recycled restaurant deep fry oil. He is developing the capacity to make Biodiesel and to mix Papercrete for the Institute.

Heather Burt - Vice-Chair, is a housewife with an extensive background in dairy goats, poultry and organic gardening. She is self-educated, as a result of working on her uncle’s farm, in herbal medicines, organic gardening and orchards.

David Bassler – has a B.A. in philosophy, B.S. in geology, and M.S. in environmental studies. He is an organic orchardist. He has built and lives in a very beautiful and artistic earthship home, with an earthship greenhouse. He teaches and consults on building eco-friendly shelters.

Larry Campbell – has a BS in geology, was an Outward Bound instructor for 11 years, traveled to several pre-industrial cultures around the globe, works with local conservation NGO’s, and currently is building an appropriate technology farmstead in the valley.

Jill Davies - Director - got her bachelors degree in mathematics, but after a taste of graduate school changed course and went into more holistic studies. She studied Biodynamics in England in the early ‘70’s, and worked in the gardens on a commune in France and on a Biodynamic truck farm in Switzerland before returning to the US. She went back to England in 1999 to attend a course at Schumacher College on biotechnology in agriculture and has been active in that issue ever since.

Alice Mariana – Deputy Director - has been involved in various aspects of business and office management for many years. After selling a wood working business, Alice became mail order manager for a local seed company, then store manager for the organic garden store and nursery.

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News from the Director:

SLS now has two main areas of focus, besides continuing to develop and improve the demonstration farm and Ecovillage at our site. They are to build a local food system as the first major step in working to build a local economy.

To build a local food system, we have a 7 point plan::

1 - Educate consumers on the benefits of buying locally.

(Our Producers Directory was a start on this.)

2 - Recruit institutions (schools, rest homes, hospitals, restaurants, senior centers, lodges, B&B’s) to obtain at least some of their food locally. (BFBL Project)

3 - Create a local food distribution system so as to supply institutions in an efficient and reliable manner that makes it easier for them to buy local food, and that helps the local farmers to market and distribute their produce. (CFP Project)

4 - Establish a consumer-owned, full-spectrum Food Co-op retail outlet. (Bitterroot Valley Food Co-op)

5 - Develop and maintain a seed bank of locally adapted, open-pollinated crop varieties that comprise a good food base for the valley. (Housed at WCHI)

6 - Connect would-be farmers with landowners who are not farming but who would benefit if their land was in agricultural production. (Opportunity to Farm Program).

7 - Start Community Land Trusts (CLT) in each community for holding title to land and putting it to use in a way that benefits that community. (First Example: WCHI)

Highlights of 6 Years

2000

- 3 entities (the Trust, the Institute, and what later became SLS) are established by Bevan Williams and Heather Burt, upon receiving a donation of the land.

- Triangle Recycle business acquired, and profits dedicated to build the site.

- master plan developed for a conservation farm and permaculture community.

- acquisition of irrigation water-rights.

- agricultural land preparation begun for the 2001 growing season.

- site infrastructure development started.

- John and Shirley McQuaid join the conservation farm staff.

- dry/cold storage constructed.

- 3 additional acres are acquired, bringing total acreage to 10.4 acres.

- first year’s net revenues are $ 81,140_

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2001 - - all agricultural land is under cultivation. - - seed production is started and seed bank established. - - 100 fruit trees planted. - - construction started on staff housing units #1 and 2. - - construction of farm shops started. - - root cellar built. - - all land is totally paid for as is all development, and a pledge is made that there will be no indebtedness from this time forth. - - second year’s net revenues are $ 171,566_
2002 - - first intern onsite for the growing season. - - started construction on intern shelter #1. - - planted 125 more fruit trees. - - transplanted to site various medicinal and culinary herbs. - - conducted native American outreach to acquaint with our program. - - information resource library is started. - - drilled and developed 2nd artesian well for potable water. - - 1,000 sq. ft. greenhouse constructed. - - honey bees established onsite. - - 501©3 status received. - - third year’s net revenues are $ 57,626
2003 - - started construction on a central facility with no-freeze potable water storage. - - Travis Williams joins the conservation farm staff. - - farm shops completed. - - world seed fund is started with seeds and books shipped to Zambia, Africa. - - goats are brought to site as a start for a dairy. - - planted 140 domestic fruit trees and 50 native fruits for wildlife. - - conducted more educational outreach to native American tribes. - - Garden City Seeds donates their remaining seed bank to us after sale of business. - - started participating in a local farmers’ market. - - constructed first poultry coop/greenhouse combination. - - fourth year’s net revenues are $ 62,000