Sustained forests; sustained profits
Sustained forests; sustained profits
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There are about 70 million households engaged in gardening activities or doing outdoor decorating. Landscaping can increase the resale value of a house by 4-5% (Clemson study), thus there is a clear financial justification for such work.The market and interest in unmistakable. We have GIS, GPS, soil and ecological knowledge to back an enterprise and a proposed laboratory.
We plan to obtain customer objectives and a sketch of the garden plot. Then using customer and consultant inputs about their site and their objectives, we plan to do or utilize the following:
Few people will purchase or operate the many computer aids to gardening now available. We can provide nurseries and others site-specific recommendations from these data bases and encyclopedias, even delivering some by email at a price.
Lasting Forests Gardens are scientifically designed gardens using modern concepts of horticulture to grow profitable, healthy and healthful, beautiful garden produce in the region. Reviving some of the concepts of World War II "Victory Gardens", these gardens are placed by the company on private lands and produce is used by the owner and sold in large lots after being collected from the plots. Contracts and temporary easements are let for long-term plot use. Private land owners may request that their area (s) be developed as profit-making units of the regional Lasting Forest effort. Not "organic" produce, that which is produced (flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, decorations) is marketed as local, a special superior product of Lasting Forests, healthful, clean, and displayed in beautiful settings for the people of the region, visitors, and those nearby.
Existing soils are analyzed and then, based on conditions found, adjusted to an optimum standard of texture, organic matter, and fertility. Catchments assure moisture in water-limited periods. Fencing protects from vertebrate pest damage and vandals. Each Plot is specifically located with GPS, a data base for each is prepared, and optimum seeds are provided for the most profitable crops that can be produced on plots with the specified location in a GIS (elevation, slope, aspect, latitude, longitude, frost period, etc.) Plot owners are encouraged in maximum quality production for it is purchased from them. They may use limited amounts of produce from their land but it is thus not available for sale.
The LF Gardens is a company exercising dispersed gardening, centralized sales, voluntary contractual use of private property, economies of purchasing seeds, fencing, moisture structures, fertilizers, sands, and mulch, and insurance. Economies are gained in cultivation equipment, drying, processing, packaging, and marketing. Cultivation may be privately done or by contract (similar to a lawn-care activity) with Lasting Forests Gardens.
See possible relations with Enchanters Garden, Hinton, West Virginia 304-466-3154 selling native plant materials.
Integrated pest damage management (vs. IPM) is promoted.
Contests are conducted major prizes are offered based records. Regional shifts are made in the corporate productivity as knowledge is gained from the annual production of hundreds of gardens (research plots) in the region.
Independent lab analyses on produce are performed and reported publicly.
A LF Gardens membership is offered with newsletter (and web chat room) and LF Master Gardeners are organized. Human nutrition is promoted. Surpluses are developed for needy charitable centers. A human health program (The Chi Concept) is studied and likely to be promoted in relation to insurance and expanded healthful life expectancy and lowered infant death rates. Sales of tested superior gardening equipment and supplies is done through affiliated companies. These sales are for gardeners working off Plots.
Sales of select national gardening magazines are promoted. Robert H. Giles, Jr. 504 Rose Avenue, Blacksburg, VA 24060 January 6, 2001
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This Web site is maintained by R. H.
Giles, Jr.
Last revision September 25, 2002.