Reddit reviews Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening

> Any ideas where I can read on long term strategies?

Go to our sidebar and look at the recommended reading.

If you only read one book, make it Tim Hale's Smarter Investing.

> I've got a LS fund with a 20% equity exposure because I think the market is going to collapse.

20% equity exposure and 80% sovereign bond exposure.

If you think the market is going to collapse, why have any risk assets at all - why not have everything in cash?

I would note, that over the next 40 years of your life, I would expect the market to collapse at least 3 or 4 times. The long-term expected returns factor that in.

For instance, even if you were the worst market timer ever, you'd be surprised at your performance, historically: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/27/the-inspiring-story-of-the-worst-market-timer-ever.html

I would strongly suggest reading the book mentioned (and the sidebar details) if you think a collapse in the markets in the short term is something to worry about for a pension fund at age 24.

If you believe a collapse in the markets is going to happen that will cause a fundamental collapse in the economic and social order, then I would skip Tim Hale's book and instead pick up Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening and training in conflict resolution.

Ray Mears is the man to watch and read if you are thinking about long term sustainable survival.

If you are thinking about eventually getting out of the primitive I would suggest adapting the practices of permaculture for your situation (and the cheaper condensed version though just as good!).

Things like a compost toilet and digesting methane for fuel might be things you'd like. There's the Humanure Handbook which I have read from front to cover several times and I highly recommend it. I also experimented with humanure and have nothing but good things to say about it. Anyway, I don't want to talk to much so Google permaculture, there's a /r/permaculture subreddit, read, research, think a lot about what you're going to do before you do it and good luck.

EDIT: here's a good book about a permanent shelter you might like

Again, great questions. Here's a video I did on hugelkultur a bit ago. I don't recommend going to my website at the moment though because it's been recently hacked and I'm working on cleaning it up. The youtube video will be fine though. Check out that video, if you have more questions, feel free to ask.

You can do the flat raised bed idea, and I did the same last year, but I believe you will get more benefit from doing the piqued hills.

Grey water collection and rainwater harvesting are excellent ideas. I don't know if you could make use of it, but here is a super cool idea for a ram pump which requires no external input other than elevation change. Other than that, I don't know much about water tanks.

One really cool thing I've seen used is where people dig a trench under their garden and bury weeping tile in that trench which snakes around their garden. Then they connect that weeping tile to their downspout from there gutters and when it rains, they get a massive deep soak in their garden.

Swales are a fantastic thing to think about as they will help keep water on your land. Swales mixed with heavy mulching are a huge force in keeping your land irrigated. Check out greening the desert for more on that.

As for the PDC, you don't even have to pay for it. I googled free online PDC and found this.

http://www.permaculturedesigntraining.com/

If you want to learn more about it, there are amazing books which can help.

Gaia's Garden and Sepp Holzer's Permaculture

That's awesome that your SO is taking that course. She'll probably learn some really cool sustainable farming things.

Also, check out http://www.permies.com. There's tons of info there, and super amazing people who are very helpful.

I'm currently reading this book by Sepp Holzer, which had a really neat section about how he handles poultry. He uses natural protection for his birds, specifically mentioning rose hedges. Perhaps his method could work for your situation, too?

Another good one is sepp holzers book

I can

Sepp Holzer's Permaculture
more practical, experiential knowledge. some really interesting hacks and tricks.

Creating a Forest Garden
more technical ecology stuff. more on the scientific side.

One Straw Revolution
Essential. The philosophy of do nothing farming, know nothing farming. Humility before nature and complex systems.

No problem! They are not so much "permaculture" focused, but more of a holistic view. If you want something on just permaculture, you might want to check out something by Sepp Holzer. He is pretty much considered the granddaddy to modern permaculture. If you are not already, I would also subscribe to /r/permaculture. It is a decent sub with some really helpful links. Sorry about not getting back to you sooner, I do not get on Reddit as much as some.