In-Person Site Visit

For the typical homestead size property, a site consult will normally look like this: we work together to find a good time and date that will work for both of us, often that will be during a consulting tour of a portion of the USA to reduce costs for you. I will arrive, we will chat and get to know each other while I’m getting equipment out and set up (if needed). We then normally tour the perimeter or close enough to see the edges of the property so I get a good feel for your landscape while I ask questions to flesh out your needs and desires while I work on design iterations mentally.

It’s common for a client to say something to the effect of “We just bought the property and don’t know where to put anything, so let’s wait until we get the house and barn built before having you out.” Then there are clients who have me out to advise on raw land. We calculate the linear footage of their idea of where a driveway should go, and building layout. I make changes according to my knowledge base, and in 30 minutes save them $30 grand in errors. It really makes my day when I can save someone tens of thousands of dollars. I go home with a big smile when that happens. Be like the second couple and figure out how to prevent costly mistakes rather than work around the costly errors.

What we work on while I’m on site is what you get. Whatever techniques and specific topics you want training on in the realm of sustainable living, we can cover it all. I am happy to sign a non-disclosure about your property if you have security concerns. If so, please submit your NDA in writing at least 48 hrs prior to our scheduled consultation appointment. I have worked on projects from small quarter acre lots in a city, to thousands of acres of ranchland, to multinational corporate land holdings, billionaire bunkers and everything in between. From bugout locations with all systems in place, ready to go with a day’s preparation, to deep rooted community living. From arid climates, to humid tropics. Florida to Pennsylvania, Wyoming to Ecuador. And most of the places in between.

We will walk or drive the property, often starting at the boundaries and working in towards the center. I’ll have you point out points of interest and we may stop or divert to get more information on a particular location. I will ask questions about your observation on the site to flesh out my data set. This whole process may be short or several hours long depending on terrain, acreage and details. Some sites are wide open and the design is mostly done in my head after 30 minutes. Some sites require me to sit and model events, growth, rainfall and other inputs mentally, to come up with an appropriate design. Then we discuss my ideas for your design. I encourage you to tell me when you don’t like an idea because that helps me to craft something perfectly suited to you and your wants, or to explain the reasoning behind it. Then we will be able to progress in whatever direction you are most interested in pursuing whether that be earthworks layout, planting layout, designing smaller but more complicated systems, or going over particulars of plant selection and livestock incorporation.

I often bring my laser level so we can mark out permanent lines for contours and pond locations or other types of earthworks projects you may want to implement in the future. I will bring marking paint and irrigation flags, you may want to come back through and replace flags and paint marks with metal posts if you think your plans will be delayed by a few years. I strongly suggest having some metal T posts handy to set permanent reference points.

Most people are a little overwhelmed and look like a deer in the headlights by the time we are done. That’s my goal, to throw so much info at you that you can’t handle it all. And that’s why I suggest that you take notes or we record our time together. You’ll end up appreciating more of the intricacies as the years go by. I don’t even go into detail as to the reasons for all the placements because the client normally can’t process all the details fast enough to grasp the whole. But trusting the design has led clients to come back years later with revelations like this comment: 

“I never really got why you said to put this structure right here, and to put the gate in a certain orientation. Now that life happened and plans changed, your design worked perfectly for how I needed to pivot. What I wanted to do would have made life hell.” – Chris H

If you would like to spend the time going through a composting class, grafting, and setting up an intermittent mist system, we can do any of those. I can spend about 45-60 mins sketching out a design by hand to help you visualize the property design if you want to have a paper mapped out sketch. Just understand no plans survive contact with the enemy. My goal is normally to prevent type 1 errors, and to set you up with guidance to prevent making your future development become a financial burden or painting you into a corner while illustrating the design principles that will give you the confidence and toolset to proceed intelligently and with wisdom.

“Thanks for talking me out of putting in swales. While I really was in love with the idea, you were right and they would have made this property much harder to take care of.” – Robert V

And comments like this one:

“Your design of water concentration made the difference between having soup for soil and now having insane production on our pasture.” – Shawna

The most common thing I hear is something along these lines:

“I would have never thought of that, SEE! That is the kind of thing I hired you for, to tell me about that kind of idea, never… dang that’s cool! – Joshua L

Once our time is done on site, my job is done. I encourage you to take notes or to let me know if you would like to record audio or video of the time we spend together. If you would like follow up time to discuss or troubleshoot, we can schedule that as a distance consultation or another in person site visit.

Written Report:

If you would like a written report, I need to know ahead of time so I can make appropriate notes as we go. These reports are available for an additional $190 as they are separate work done after the consult and require more time recording details while on site. Reports are typically 6-12 pages long, contain generalized information about fencing, livestock guardian dogs, pasture fertility and composting as well as site specific notes and some of the things we discussed while touring your property. I am happy to mic up and deliver raw audio of the consult to make it easy to go back and remember what we discussed.

Video Recording:

If you would like a video recording of the consult, I need to know ahead of time so I can make appropriate preparations to do so. Video logs of the consult are available for an additional $290+ as they are separate work done after the consult and require more time editing and processing video off site.

Retainer:

If you’re interested in having me more involved in the ongoing development of your land, we can set up a retainer or you can prepay for consulting time to have access to me at the drop of a hat over phone or text. (Clients on retainer have calls answered when I am in the middle of a family meal. I always assume a call without notice via text message is an urgent matter and act accordingly.) I’ve been able to help clients save the life of a goat or sheep with quick advice and saving thousands on emergency vet bills.

Normal Rates:

Rates range from $2000-$6000 per 8 hour day on site depending on your area of the country. Half days (4 hrs) are typically around $1400 and are generally only available while on tour. Most full day consults are in the $1900-$2500 range while on tour. If you want a more specific timing trip straight up to your property outside of a normal tour, please let me know you have time constraints and I can calculate a fee for your one-off consult.

Digital Designs:

By special order and are not included in consulting due to time involvement in illustrating them. Those designs start out at $6000 for a basic design and are typically $12,000+ once the client adds all the details they wish to see on their digital design. These designs normally take 3-6 months to complete depending on the time of year.

Soil Testing and Soil Prescriptions:

We also do specialized soil testing and soil prescriptions to bring your soils up to appropriate ranges of mineral content for healthy plants and animals. Soil Rx are available by appointment and cost $250 ea. Discounted to $200 ea if 4 or more rx requested concurrently.

If you would like to schedule an in person consultation, please send an email with “Consulting” in the subject line to: nick@homegrownliberty.com

Please include your city and state or address, or geolocation for an accurate quote.

Distance Consulting

If you want some help laying out or troubleshooting your farm or homestead, or you need some direction for how to start or progress, you may find yourself wishing you had someone to ask who has been there and done it before. Well, Nick has done consultations all over the USA and even so far as Ecuador, helping people design and set up, or just optimize their growing and animal systems. If you think this would be beneficial for you and your situation, please send an email to nick@homegrownliberty.com

Note from Nick: “What I will try to do is to put myself in your shoes to the best of my abilities and to help you figure out how to lay out design elements on your landscape as if I were you, with your budget, your goals and limitations. But with my knowledge, understanding and experience. This helps you to see things through my eyes and will allow me to guide you past pitfalls and help you avoid problems that would be likely to manifest themselves years down the road. We want you to avoid potential issues, and to keep as many options open for changing desires and growing needs for livestock and plantings.

My goal is to paint a picture of what an efficient design of your farm or homestead would look like, where structures and fences could be placed. How access roads and paths should be laid out and in what manner they would be best installed. How to set up your animal systems to compliment your plant systems for mutual benefit and in such a way that your work load is reduced. We want to establish resilient systems that will not only survive harsh seasons and weather events, but will thrive and build more fertility and overall health. Building systems of mutual support that deal with animal waste in an efficient manner, that builds fertility instead of creating a pollution problem. Plantings that support predatory and beneficial insect populations while providing healthy food for both the humans who live on the property, as well as the animals. When set up properly, they all work together to feed each other and protect one another while cutting your workload down to as little as possible. That’s good design!

I routinely save my clients tens of thousands of dollars in what would be costly errors. Buildings placed in a flood prone location, or a road incorrectly laid out where it will flood or wash away. Let’s make sure you don’t end up with one of those $20,000 mistake stories. Get the plan figured out so you have some structure and careful design worked into your property from the start. Get the foundation and the bones of the system designed right from the start. If you do that, then when, not if, you mess something up, the consequences to a well planned out system could go from catastrophic and dangerous, to a mildly annoying hassle.”

How does this work?

You read this page and decide this is something you’re interested in. Email Nick (nick@homegrownliberty.com) with the word “Distance Consulting Request” in the subject line to let him know you are interested in a distance consult. Please only put that in the subject line to ensure your email is not lost or sent to the bottomless pit of the junk mail folder.
If there is an opening, then you can mail (via Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope or Box) the Information Packet detailed below. When we get your package, we will email you or call to schedule a call time. On the day of the scheduled call, the typical Distance Consult looks like this:

• Nick reviews video files and information in packet  1-2 hrs before scheduled call time
• Orientation and review of materials, property, and goals. 30-50 mins
• Solutions and layout recommendations 45-50 mins
• Wrap up and conclusion at around 10-15 minutes remaining
  • • • • • • Total Call Time 2hrs

If more time is desired, we can take care of scheduling a second appointment on the spot, or via email and a simple paypal transfer or mailed payment takes care of it! Because calls are often scheduled back to back, we will need to stick to the 2 hr limit, additional time to go over ideas and solutions can be scheduled.

Distance Consulting Terms Of Agreement and Description of Service

The requirements for the client are as follows.

Information Packet needs to include the following: (however if sent digitally, upload an unlisted video to youtube or vimeo of your property tour, email the questionnaire, and send crypto or pay via zelle or other online payment)

1. 1. *Video tour of the property loaded onto a USB 3.0 thumb drive (See ** below for drive suggestions) Must be formatted to be readable for a PC. Please don’t send files on a USB 2.0 because it takes too much time to transfer large video files.

1. 1. Payment in either Cash, Money Order, Check, or BTC.

1. 1. Questionnaire filled out and either digitally included on the USB drive, or printed, filled out and enclosed. Please write in clear print.

1. Screenshot of your property taken from google earth, or google maps satellite view from straight down, not at an angle. This is best if you can outline your property boundaries so Nick has a reference to location and boundaries. It helps to be able to follow along with you as you do the tour of your property. This can be a digital image, or a printed image. Either will work just as well.

Optional but helpful and encouraged:

• • Copy of your plat map or deed description if you have it. This is just extra information that is sometimes helpful and useful.

• Any other relevant information you want to include or that you want help understanding or have questions about. (eg. an article on composting, planting trees, plant propagation, etc..)

After receipt of information packet, we will schedule a phone call or zoom video call to review materials and discuss your property and situation.

Prior to the scheduled call, Nick will review the video you sent and whatever materials you enclosed. Your payment entitles you to a thorough review of the materials to take no longer than 2 hours prior to the call, and a 2 hour phone or video call to review and discuss your property, concerns or questions.

Information Packet to be sent to, and payment to be made out to:

Nicholas Ferguson
565 Hood Rd
Saline, LA 71070

Cost

Cost for this package deal is $350 with check, or money order. If paying by cash or BTC, the cost is $300. *Cash is best wrapped in a few sheets of printer paper and taped shut, or enclosed in another regular envelope. Please ship via Priority Mail Flat rate envelope because it is insured and has tracking information. We are not responsible for lost envelopes and do not give refunds on payments that do not arrive. So please use the Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope to ensure delivery and to make sure you can claim the dollar amount from the post office if your envelope is lost in transit.

Example Video

 Video Tour – Here’s a short example of a video tour 

Questionnaire

Consulting Questionnaire can be found here
Please either fill out digitally and include in the thumb drive, or print and add to the information packet envelope.

Drive Suggestions

**Drive suggestions from Amazon: (most likely you will not need larger than the 64GB, however if you’re concerned about having enough space to ship the whole video file on one drive, please order the larger)

SanDisk 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

SanDisk 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Important Notes

1. 1. Make sure to ship the packet of information with all necessary items and payment in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope or Box. This ensures you have a tracking number for the package and insurance in the event it gets lost in transit. You don’t want to get stuck with a lost payment and no insurance on the package.

1. 1. Make sure to include little details in your video if you think they are important. The more information Nick has to work with, the better the information you will get from him.

1. 1. A steady hand with your camera will go a long way to making sure he can get a good idea of the lay of your land.

1. If you desire your drive be returned, please enclose a self addressed, postage paid envelope. Otherwise it goes in a thumb drive drawer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What size drive should I use or order?
A: The simplest way to determine what you need is to record your video first, then transfer it to your computer and see how large the file is on your hard drive. That should tell you how large of a file it is and how large of a thumb drive you should buy.

Q: Does this mean I get a drawn map and plan?
A: Those are available for an extra cost and only available to a small number of people due to the time it takes to produce.

Q: Will my thumb drive be returned?
A: Yes it will if you provide a self addressed stamped envelope in the Information Packet.

Q: How detailed can Nick get?
A: As detailed as the data. The best results are found when he does a consultation in person, with boots on the ground. But a distance consult is often the most affordable option.

Q: How do I sign up for an in person consult?
A: Email Nick for details and availability. Often consulting tours are scheduled for a week or two at a time with a travel circuit in order to reduce the travel costs for all involved. However if you need boots on the ground ASAP, often a trip can be scheduled with only a week’s notice to anywhere in the contiguous USA.

Digitally rendered designs are by appointment only because they take so much time to render, very few are accepted per year. Please ask for availability.