First Steps: A Launch Project for Big Idea

When I was a little girl, some of my first memories are of being in the garden with my Grandma, and eating her delicious food. Filling my mouth with juicy red strawberries from the yard, or picking crab apples for apple butter. Every time I smell a tomato plant I am instantly transported back to her side: watching her slowly, carefully tending her beautiful fruits. Whenever I eat rhubarb, I think about her strawberry-rhubarb jam on french toast that was a regular treat my siblings and I would inhale with relish every time... and it tasted even better because we would make it together. At Grandma's house there was nothing wasted, so everyone was welcome to come and fill their bellies, often leaving with some sort of jam or other canned goodies. She was an unfailingly kind woman, and truly my inspiration. She is no longer alive, but still guides me through all of the lessons she taught me. So, after spending a lot of time musing over ways to initiate the Big Idea I have come up with an evolving "Launch Pad" idea that is a small(ish)-scale project with the same principles and goals as the larger Big Idea Project: a Modern Homestead Community (MHC). The MHC will be a 30-100 acre plot of land home to 25-100 people, including foster children and the elderly/infirm. The MHC will be developed and managed utilizing permaculture principles and sustainable materials. The community will consist of both people who spend the majority of their time working around the MHC, as well as those that have full or part-time outside jobs. You are super excited about this project, but probably have some questions, like: What will the MHC do for the community? -Provide free community and childhood education on topics such as: organic gardening/permaculture, sustainability, personal health, food preparation and preservation, and more -Provide housing for foster children, including special needs children -Provide senior living in a continuous care retirement community type model -Participate in research in a variety of fields (agricultural, environmental health/science, sociological/anthropological, biomedical, and more) -Provide community gardening space in the Marcella Barnes Community Garden (named for my late Grandmother) -Provide community gathering and performance spaces in the Marla Jupp Community Hall & Performance Space, and the Alec Jupp Outdoor Performance & Gathering Space (named for my husband's mother, who is an avid gardener and community activist, and his late father, a musician and Master gardener) -Provide a model for modern, forward-thinking and sustainable community living that doubles as a community resource in case of disaster -Give back to the earth through responsible planting and use (and teaching others to do the same) How will the MHC be funded? -Start-up costs will be fundraised, equipment rental and/or donation, out-of-pocket (from self, other live-ins, and investors), and possibly grants applied for -Ongoing donations from sponsors, community dinners, classes, fundraiser dinners, small donations, etc -Percentage of profits from MHC memeber-made goods and personal plots (each MHC member will have a garden plot for personal use (or market produce), and access to some MHC raw products for market use with (say) a 25% "tax" on plot products and a 40% "tax" on sales with goods using community stores) -Volunteer time donations, collaboration with local schools for student volunteers/interns (nurse, doctor, high school internships, etc) -Income from working live-in members for "room and board"