Field Research
Field Research
Summary: In order to build the best ecological landscape design and build company that I possibly can, it is important to be aware of other companies that are doing similar work in this field. I have researched and analyzed all the permaculture oriented organizations, landscape design (only) companies, and landscape design and build companies in my region to assess where I fit into the local scene. I have also researched Apple Seed Permaculture who is not based in my region, but is doing similar work none the less.
In Fort Collins, there are three large scale design and build companies who not only have a large web presence, I also see their trucks driving around town quite frequently. They consist of Alpine Gardens (a large company that also operates a plant nursery in town), Oster Landscape and Irrigation (who dominate lawn care in Fort Collins), and Lindgren Landscape and Irrigation (who I worked for this past summer). All three of these companies are very large in scale (multiple designers, and multiple installation crews) and serve upper class and upper-middle class clients. Though they all represent competition in the realm of hardscape installation, none of them have much of a reputation of being ecologically conscious—at least not to the degree that permaculture integrates ecology.
There is however one company that is a bit smaller than the previous three called Water Wise Land and Waterscapes who offer xeric garden installation and seem to have a high conscious around water use. In doing this research I began to see this company as a potential partner rather than competition
There was one company that looked like it consisted of only one employee called Wollam Landscapes. It was very interesting to see his website since I am currently in the process of creating my own. I gained some insight on how I would like my own public face to appear when I looked at his website. Wollam is probably the closest in scale to my business but like the others, he did not appear to place much emphases on ecological design, and certainly not food production.
There is one organization in Fort Collins called the Growing Project that is a volunteer based 501c3, that installs community gardens in lower income neighborhoods, and at schools around the city. I really vibe with their ethics and mission, but they are operating on a different economic level than I and serving a different demographic. They are none the less, an important networking contact and they offer a meet-up event once per week that I would like to attend.
In conclusion, based on the companies that I found that are providing landscaping services in my region, none of them offer a permaculture component to their business and none of them seem to specialize in food cultivation. I think I am very well poised to fill a ripe market niche in my region.
Of all the research I did, Apple Seed Permaculture was the most interesting. I really admire their website, and their apparent adherence to permaculture ideals. Ethan is a colleague of mine and a fellow Gaia Associate. Unfortunately I was not able to set up a conversation with him but do think he could be an incredibly valuable resource for me to connect with. In the meantime, I will likely mimic certain aspects of how he organized his website and how they present themselves to the public.
ANNOTATED RESOURCE REVIEW
Albert Bates was an inspiration to me when he said at the NAPC “Permaculturists must seek to be invisible and become so integrated into society that we disappear as a fringe group”
Allan Block http://www.allanblock.com/ This is the website where I found most of the information on how to install retaining walls.
Alpine Gardens www.alpinelandscaping.com/ This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Apple Seed Permaculture www.appleseedpermaculture.com This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Creasy, Rosalind. The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1982. Print. I also used this book when creating the design for Sharon Knorr
Lindgren Landscape and Irrigation, Inc. www.lindgrenlandscape.com Was the company where I learned much of my hardscaping skills and was also included in my field research
Oster Landscaping and Irrigation www.osterlandscaping.com This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Porches and Patios. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1981. Print. I referenced this book to aid in the construction of the patio I built
Sunrise Ranch and Emissaries of Divine Light was the source of the design methodology that I utilized for this OP. There, they refer to it as the Creative Process.
The Growing Project www.thegrowingproject.org This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Water Wise Land and Waterscapes www.waterwiselandscapes.com This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Wiki Quote http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger This is the website where I found the source of the quote “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Wollam Landscapes www.wollamlandscape.com This company is one of the companies that I included in my field research.
Yeomans, P. A., The Keyline Plan (1954) This was the book presented the Yeoman Keyline Planning strategies to the world. In it he puts forth the concept of the scale of permanence—a scale that I utilized on the Outcomes section of my Core Report
Learning Support Budget Session 10/20/14
Learning Support Budget Session 10/20/14
About 6 months ago, when I was still working at my previous landscaping job, I met for an hour with one of the company’s three main designers, Mitch Benshoof. He was a younger fellow who had designed a couple of the projects that I had installed over the summer.
Earlier in the season, I approached him to see if he would give me some advice on a job that I was working on and that I would compensate him for his time (knowing that I would be able to utilize my learning support budget to pay him). He agreed we had a very useful meeting. A couple key harvests that I gained from our session included some tips on how to sell a design and have a proposal accepted. For example, by showing the client glossy photos of what their landscape will look like out of a magazine/catalog you get them excited about the project first. Then, you show them piece by piece what the project is going to cost, with the final number on the last page. This way, they can understand the costs involved with the project without necessarily getting intimidated by the final estimate. Secondly, Mitch gave me an example of how he likes to manage the payments of the project: first, collect 30% prior to starting the job as a down payment, then another 30% midway through, and another 30% toward the end of the project. The final 10% is collected after the final walk through with the client.
Lastly, and perhaps the most inspiring aspect of meeting with Mitch, was to see this guy, younger than myself, earning a nice living for doing landscape design. He was confident in his skills and had a genuine approach to creatively helping his clients meet their landscaping needs. He also looked the part. He was well groomed and dressed with style—an important part of making a positive impression on a client.
My advisor Jennifer and I agreed that payment for this session would be able to come out of my learning support budget however, even after I followed up with Mitch, he never sent an invoice or agreed to collect a payment from me. So instead of seeking him out to try to pay him, I decided to apply the $75 toward a consultation with my neighbor who is a personal accountant. I recently purchased quick books to help me manage my business finances and she came to my home (on October 20, 2014) and gave me a tutorial. She did collect a payment from me and sent me an invoice, which I intend on submitting to Gaia to get reimbursed from my learning Support Budget.
Skill Flex Advising Session with Kirsten Liegmann
At 9am on October 8, 2014 I met with Kirsten Liegmann for two hours as part of my skill-flex advising time for Gaia University. The conversation was rich and although I met with her to discuss some very specific details regarding business administration, the conversation stretched and I was able to gain some new perspective on some of my meta-level goals.
Before meeting with Kirsten I sent her a summary of the current output package I am working on and a few intentions that I had for our meeting. These were: to get some strategic advice on organizing my new start up business; and to help me make some decisions about how I intend to grow my business.
Interestingly, when I arrived to her home for our meeting, due to some family matters that had arisen prior to my departure from my home, I was not in a space to discuss the details of my business right away. We decided to do a slightly extended personal check-in, which was exactly what I needed. From there, we naturally transitioned into a conversation about some of my larger meta-goals regarding “Padden Gakku” which I hadn’t really planned on getting into, but provided a critical context for Kirsten to understand the nested goals in which my new business resided.
From that point on, we were able to discuss some details about business administration and I had a chance to get some answers to questions I had about book keeping, and other financial considerations.
An interesting harvest that I came away from our meeting was a new perspective on a potential working relationship that my wife Stephanie and I have dappled in. There is a possibility that she will be doing some of the book keeping for Padden Permaculture, and Kirsten helped me to see and assess some of the potential risks involved with a working relationship (especially one oriented around finances) with one’s partner. She suggested to really feel into it determine if it is something I really want to embark upon with my wife. Though I have not made a final decision yet, I highly value the new perspective.