Garden Snapshot
A model of urban animal husbandry these permaculturalists keep rabbits, chickens, ducks, king pigeons and honey bees. This backyard farm offers a bountiful harvest of vegetables, bamboo, goat’s milk, eggs, and flowers. The bamboo is used to mend fences and build stakes for garden beds. A small orchard supplies fresh fruit from more than 12 types of trees and vines, from kiwi and mandarins to apple and pear. Since the 2004 Bay-Friendly Garden Tour, the avocado tree has begun to produce and cherry, peach and apricot trees have been espaliered along the fence. A new cob structure serves as a “milk parlor” for the pampered goats, which are likely to have new kids underfoot by the tour.

Building Healthy Soil
Ever wonder how to build your topsoil say, 18 inches in 4 years? The secret is in the cycles. Kitchen food scraps are fed directly to chickens. Broccoli stems, corn stalks and other “crop residue” are munched by goats. The herbivore manure and untreated sawdust bedding combined with yard trimmings are composted. Rich compost is then returned to food growing areas to enrich the soil, cycle complete.

Contributing to a Healthy Community
An integrated approach to managing pests reinforces the natural cycles. According to the gardeners, the goal is “not antiseptic but dynamic… We want some predators around so they can keep the system in balance.” Mosquito fish consume mosquito larvae in the rainwater collection tub that also doubles as a water source for honey bees and other pollinators. Rabbits trim grassy areas in a portable trailer, eliminating the need for energy intensive power tools and adding nutrients back into the soil.