Who are we and how did we get here?

Khal and Jay are a father and son team committed to discovering systems of abundant living. 

Butler Permaculture Design was conceived of in 2021 while Khal and Jay were engaged in learning more about permaculture from Bill and Becky Wilson with Midwest Permaculture.

The seeds of inspiration were sown back in 2006 when Jay discovered permaculture due to his insatiable curiosity about solutions to big problems.

During the lockdowns of 2020, Khal became open to the ideas of permaculture in the face of rapid societal changes witnessed in Southern California.

About Khal

With over 30 years of private club management experience Khal has attributed the longevity of his career to his “spirit of service”.

About Jay

With over 20 years experience in marketing and creative endeavors, Jay is an artist at heart that seeks to paint an image of lasting and meaningful beauty upon the earth using life as the medium.

Discovering Farmville

by Khal Butler

After visiting my cousins Paul, Ginny, and Dixie and their families in 2020, I fell in love with Farmville and changed my plans of retiring in Utah. Cousin Paul encouraged me to stay and I became fully committed to a new life here and in 2021 bought 15.43 acres of land located on the SW corner of Farm Road 1040 and Farm Road 2000 from Scott and Valerie Andelin, which borders the rest of their property on the South and Uncle Paul’s property on the West.  

Farmville is growing!  We would benefit with having a plan for growth, and I want to be part of a thoughtful one that enhances everyone’s lives in Farmville.  Our vision is to deliver a well-designed small group of affordable homes with a Common House on our property in Farmville for people who want to live here and participate in a positive lifestyle that promotes close families, strong relationships, and being responsible stewards of the land.  

Below is an article I wrote for the Farmville Times newsletter in June 2021 which provides a helpful understanding of the feelings behind our project: 

As a new person in Farmville over the past several months, and as a house guest of Paul Andelin, I am learning about the unique culture here, which is built on family values, love of God, and service to others.  Some of the treasures here are the fields, woods, streams, ponds, lovely homes, animals and the wonderful people.  I believe the greatest treasure of all are the children, who are full of energy, creativity, hope, and limitless potential for the future. 

To me, the culture here is about loving others and being part of a caring community.  I am touched daily by the generosity, kindness, and friendliness here.  People are slow to anger, quick to forgive, and kindness is automatic.  There is acceptance.  There is also a lot of talent!  This culture is worth protecting, appreciating, and sharing with others.  These qualities are so attractive, I find myself telling people I care about how wonderful life is here.  Two of my three grandchildren just visited for a week.  I am grateful for the warmth and hospitality shown to their family, and for them to have had a taste of Farmville life.

There is a gracious attitude that permeates Farmville by knowing we are all brothers and sisters of our Father in Heaven and accepting each person as a unique masterpiece of creation.  My fresh eyes see many good things happening here as well as opportunities yet untapped, perhaps waiting to be created.  It makes me think of Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

To each of you here in Farmville, thank you for your open arms and please know that you are indeed a light that shines on a hill.  

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There is a learning curve when it comes to understanding and appreciating the benefits of designing neighborhoods that promote closeness, warmth, beauty, safety and more.

Our plan is really a hybrid of what is known as a “Pocket Neighborhood” and a “Cohousing Community”.  The part we like about a pocket neighborhood is the smaller number of homes, in the 7 to 12 range, which is less than a typical cohousing community.  Cohousing communities are known as “intentional communities,” made up of individuals, couples, and families who have shared values, goals, and want to have an improved quality of life, live lightly on the earth, and pool resources.  They come together with their creativity, talents, and money to cooperatively work together toward a common goal to create a neighborhood where they want to live.   Each owns their own home and has privacy and also friendly neighbors to share themselves with. We embrace these desirable outcomes as well.

Ethics and Principles of Permaculture

Our Sources of Inspiration

  • Jesus of Nazareth
    • The humble carpenter and teacher that walked on water and conquered death provides us with the perfect example of how to love our neighbors. We understand that we will fall short of His perfection, but we can try, and we will.
  • Mark Twain
    • Mark’s humorous and no-nonsense view of the world inspires us to have a sense of humor, to laugh at the fruitless endeavors of power-seeking individuals, and be humble enough to realize when we should be laughed at.
  • Bill Wilson
    • The co-founder of Midwest Permaculture inspired our imaginations to create Butler Permaculture Design, and to live the principles and ethics of permaculture.
  • Ross Chapin
    • After reading his book, and having a fruitful zoom meeting with Ross, we verified our desire to integrate the idea of the “Pocket Neighborhood” into our flagship design project.
  • Christopher Alexander
    • After hearing about this man from both Ross Chapin and Bill Wilson we knew we needed to know more about “A Pattern Language” as we start our path on social structure design. We are inspired by Christopher Alexander’s passion to design systems that support engaged living.
  • Charles Durrett
    • After becoming familiar with the Pocket Neighborhood from Ross Chapin, we were fortunate to be introduced to the work of Charles Durrett in cohousing. We are inspired by his approach to designing with stakeholders, and developing a sustainable governance model that honors individuals for the benefit of the group.
  • Wallace Thornhill
    • The Thunderbolts Project has inspired many people with the ideas about the Electric Universe Theory, Plasma Cosmology, the interconnectedness of life with Birkeland currents, and the beauty and intelligence inherent in living energy.
  • Manly P. Hall
    • This author and lecturer on ancient mysteries uncovered knowledge of ancient civilizations that had a deeper understanding of the cosmos, and provides the mythological and symbolic framework for understanding the nuances of the hidden world (electromagnetic fields).
  • Buckminster Fuller
    • We are inspired by his book “Critical Path” discovering methods of problem solving that include having a deeper understanding of how things work to create things with more function and less material.
  • Bill Mollison & David Holmgren
    • The pioneers of permaculture inspired generations to integrate systems design thinking with the pursuit of resiliency, creating the founding principles and ethics that is guiding sincerely concerned people with a vision of hope for a future that is nurturing to life.
  • Marcus Aurelius
    • The diary of a former Roman emperor has inspired over 80 generations of humankind in stoic philosophy. Marcus demonstrated the ability to restrain himself against temptation of corruption with absolute power in his hands.
  • Jordan Peterson
    • We are a fan of the antidote to chaos. Permaculture is all about dancing on the edge of chaos, and deriving abundance from the nexus of order and chaos.
  • Aubrey Andelin
    • Khal enjoys childhood memories of his uncle Aubrey demonstrating effective leadership as a father and entrepreneur. Jay has been inspired by his great-uncle’s book “Man of Steel and Velvet” that provides time-tested guidance on positive masculine development.