There was a time when we were talking about 2 acre plots with houses on them but seeing how the old fields (that we are now clearing) are actually laid out makes that a less attractive proposition than planning residences in a partially forested area. The fields are shaped like long fingers and highly irregular in size, ranging from 2-5 acres each. They run in various angles alongside the main road that cuts right through the middle of them.

There is a ridge at a curve in the road where the old farmhouse used to be. It's the highest point on the farm. Not far from the ruins of the old farmhouse there is already a 1/4 constructed building that the workers are using as an eating place. We've been imagining the farm head office, a general store and a pharmacy health clinic there at that ridge, which is already mostly cleared. We'd like to cleanup and keep the old farmhouse ruin as a historical site. There is an old borehole up there that needs renovating, and 2 additional springs within walking distance - one of them at the site of a planned nursery bed. If we complete the 1/4 building to be a (better) community kitchen, we can build out a shaded eating area on the back that looks over across the valley.

About 1/2 km before that ridge there are a couple of large cleared areas where I am imagining dorm-like structures. Somewhere not far from there - or perhaps up on the ridge itself - a large shaded (thatch covered?) outdoor space where groups can gather.

A bit further (about 1.5km) down the road from the ridge on the other side, just at the edge of the fields that are on that side of the road, there is another ridge with a view where we've imagined a main school building. Charcoal makers have been in behind that area clearing many trees, but leaving some. So there are some pre-existing clearings in a forested area where family houses can be built.

Moving further down the hill about another 1km toward the river, there is a maram pit where it will make sense to make bricks. We've thought about constructing the main storage buildings there, giving lots of room to expand.

In talking about a park, Linda, are you meaning the playground ideas we've been talking about with Cynthia? Actually, we kind of think as the whole place as a park, and hope to have nature walks mapped out that include a number of natural features along the way - there is a rocky place where we would like to build a stone hut using some of the stranger large rocks on the farm; there are a couple of trees we'd like to do treehouses in, and there is a place we've identified where a scaffold like sky walk in the trees might work. I imagine we'll eventually have a connectivity tower somewhere at the first ridge, and have always hoped to combine that with a birdwatching tower.

John I got a contact from someone the other day on a locally made hand press for packed soil bricks that runs for about $1,500. I've yet to pass it on to Norbert, but he's really very keen to use those kinds of bricks so any additional info you can help put together is most welcome!

IF we can get funding for materials/machinery to be able to start building with pressed earth bricks this fall, then we could have most of the structures above constructed by the end of the year. If not, then our best bet is baked bricks that we can burn Dec-Feb. when weather allows. Under that scenario, construction could happen early next year. But we definitely need to have some kind of farm store before then for the produce that will come in at the end of this year.