SUSTAINABILITY & PERMACULTURE

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT  

In all aspects of its development, The Mare Pasture seeks to meet the needs of its residents and local businesses while conserving resources and investing in the future of its families and community.

Communities are designed to encourage resourceful technologies and low-impact use while emphasizing community values and warm, interactive neighborhoods.

WATER 

Water is a precious resource in Arizona. We emphasize all forms of water reclamation and reuse, including rainwater harvesting, greywater reclamation, smart sloping, and stormwater catch basins that double as natural landscaping streams.

The Mare Pasture is also leading field experiments in expanding the traditional use of cattle ponds into a series of carefully placed ponds, swales, and mounds. Instead of just catching runoff wherever it is convenient, as most ranches do, Mare Pasture will carefully position ponds to maximize harvesting of seasonal surface water and incorporate a swale-and-mound system that will naturally feed excess water to planting mounds for orchards and edible landscaping. Landscaping will also make use of native plants, low water planting, and undisturbed areas of native vegetation.

The Mare Pasture is also committed to investing in hydroponic farming as an agribusiness that will directly support and benefit its residents, onsite businesses, and surrounding communities, while at the same time serving as a model of sustainable and resourceful farming. 

MATERIALS 

The Mare Pasture relies on Green Design and LEED-certified standards. Residential and commercial buildings will feature energy-efficient materials and recycled materials like plant-based rigid foam insulation board, structural insulated panels, on-site rammed earth blocks, low-E windows, recycled wood/plastic composite lumber, green roofs and walls, and passive solar. 

Other innovative materials that may be used—depending on availability and cost—include Neptune Balls (matted balls of seaweed). The organic brown material can be found washed up on beaches and has natural fire prevention properties. As it contains hardly any salts and no proteins it does not rot and the fibers are not harmful to humans. With a thermal conductivity of 0.037 W/(mK), sea balls are highly suitable for building insulation. 

Coconut wood and cork flooring stay cool and are harvested from renewable resources. Coconut wood is harder than oak and is harvested from coconut plantations, not rainforests.

Photovoltaic (energy-producing) windows, kinetic flooring, hemp bricks, and fungal insulation may also be utilized as they become available.

RECYCLING 

Community services will provide for and support trash recycling and composting. The Mare Pasture features a community composting facility and recycling collection center. Compost and mulch will be used in community landscaping, vineyards, greenhouses, orchards, and community gardens.

Wastewater will be treated on-site through organic cycles in the wetland area. Water will be recharged into restored washbasins and either absorbed into the natural aquifers or used for landscape irrigation. Wastewater can also be used in toilets designed for use with greywater. Methane from the waste treatment system may be captured and used to provide heating and cooling for businesses and community buildings.

ENERGY

Green energy at The Mare Pasture will utilize solar, wind, geothermal, wind turbines, and passive solar in homes, commercial buildings, community areas, and landscaping use. One of the objectives of The Mare Pasture is to provide as many renewable and independent sources of energy as possible.

One of the first considerations in creating environmental sustainability is to minimize the use of energy within the community. Residential density design and landscaping create shade; the use of materials with thermal mass and passive solar retention reduces the need for heating and cooling. Water use is controlled with the use of dual flush toilets, low water showers and taps, and low water washing machines. Homes will be provided with or wired for solar-powered appliances. Some homes that can be built adjoining may share heat and hot water pipes.

Other innovations and standards include solar-powered exterior lighting, occupancy sensors, breeze tunnels, and shade sculptures.

TRANSPORTATION

Trails within the development encourage walking to work, shopping, and community areas. Streets and parking are planned to be non-obtrusive and accessible to electric or fuel-cell vehicles.

Unlike conventional communities, The Mare Pasture features compact development and higher population densities, which lead to more land conservation. The high densities and buildings planned for multiple uses reduce the need for vehicular transportation and create more opportunities for bicycling and walking. While traditional streetscapes are designed for speed and capacity, streets in The Mare Pasture will be narrower and bordered with orchards and shade trees. A tree canopy also creates the impression of a roof for an outdoor room, creating a more comfortable experience for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Street and path slopes and drainage will be carefully calculated to re-harvest rainwater and runoff for landscaping, orchards, gardens, and the vineyards.

Bicycle and fuel cell transportation will be encouraged with extra facilities and amenities such as bike racks, bike lockers, special parking, and signage. Workplaces will include showers and lockers for pedestrians and cyclists.

ECONOMICS

The Mare Pasture creates multiple viable local industries and income streams to employ and sustainably nourish the community. Opportunities include sustainable agricultural practices like grass-fed beef production, wine and grape growing, hydroponic farming, agro-tourism, and hospitality; along with small business centers and educational institutions. Residents from all segments of the community can play a role in the future of their local economy. 

The Mare Pasture welcomes a spectrum of income levels within the community and provides a variety of housing types in order to accommodate different income levels and diversity.

Sustainable agriculture is garnering increasing support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture. Sustainable agriculture addresses many environmental and social concerns and offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policymakers, and others in the entire food system.

Ranchers are stewards of most of the remaining intact grasslands in the U.S., but ranchers face challenges from a complex regulatory environment and increasingly dynamic weather. The Mare Pasture will provide a pivotal base for education, research and policy-making aimed at a fusion of successful ranching and thriving residential communities.

FUTURE GENERATIONS

The Mare Pasture is a model of sustainable development. Mare Pasture reinvests its resources into renewable water, energy, and infrastructure systems; provides self-sustaining economies; and is based on a firm commitment to land conservation.

Through the Brannick Institute and educational outreach, The Mare Pasture will provide a living research model that will conduct workshops, provide opportunities for research, and publish results. Mare Pasture is committed to the study and sharing of cutting edge technologies and philosophies pertaining to sustainability.