Permaculture & Low Growing Landscapes

[LobsterPond]

I started reading about permaculture gardening and want to do this on our farm. (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGHrWPtCvg0) but would go a little further after seeing:(http://MyBackAchers.com) in planting the low maintenance lawn (as I have nearly an acres of lawn right now) and want gardens (low maintenance of course) around the new lawn.

I'd love to hear from others on how they are powering down their lawns and gardens, what plants they are using for permanent plantings and any problems they have had. The biggest power problem in switching over is that we need hay stored over winter and very few tools that don't run on gas to do it.

I plan on running my goats, chicken tractor and rabbit tractor between gardens spring, summer and over gardens in the fall.

And, does anyone else have experience with growing their own bird, goat, rabbit food for winter storage?

[Anon001]

As a cattleman and also having experience with goats and other animals...yes I raise most of what the animals are fed.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "power down" a lawn or garden. I don't keep a lawn. It is grazed with the pastures. As far as the gardens, I have the traditional furrowed garden with long rows and close to an acre of vegetable garden. I have it below a pond dam and water from the pond. The pond is about 4 to 5 acres surface area and has a gravity flow hydrant in the dam. But, if it didn't I would just use my garden hose to siphon the water. I let the water run slowly day and night and my garden does great... I also use about 6 inches of old rotted hay for mulch.