Sorry for the interruption.

1. Farmers who are accepted into the corporation's transition program are also brought into the preventative health program offered for the construction workers and cooks (assuming that the renovations project has moved into further phases and is still active).
2. Meanwhile, remember the storefront that I mentioned earlier? It's function is still nebulous but my main purpose was to have a place where one or more sustainable businesses could operate out of. This might be where the corporation stores and sells some of its house renovations materials. More than likely it, or a similar storefront, would become a food preparation location and grocery store that would provide a direct sales outlet for local farmers. Not only could they sell their produce at the storefront but they could also rent the use of the food prep facilities to dry, can, or otherwise preserve some of their produce for wider and/or later sales. Although the grocery store would be open to the general public, members of the corporation and its contractees (I'm not exactly sure how the corporate structure would operate in this regard) receive a discount on all goods sold here.
3. With all of this lottery money flowing into the community, the corporation would also be well-advised to work through a local credit union or locally-owned bank. This would enable it to establish favorable loan conditions for local people to obtain micro-loans and perhaps even found a local currency to be used within the local economy.
4. Assuming that the number of solar economy homes within the town continue to increase, this should, eventually result in a net generation of electricity from the homes and farms. If enough energy is generated, the corporation could either spin off an electricity coop in the area or join forces with the local power producer (assuming that it is locally owned). This, in turn, could result in an increase in solar and wind-generated electricity by the local power company(s).
5. One of the political changes that might also evolve in such a community is a true costs initiative in which the town/village phases in a true cost and true disposal of materials sold and discarded within the town. This would be difficult in the beginning but, as the town develops a solar economy and begins manufacturing more of its own goods, such programs would become more practical.
6. As the local farms become more sustainable and costs of fuel become greater, a plan to phase-in the use of farm animals in the field could be implemented under the corporation's aegis. Although it would begin as a demonstration and heirloom species preservation program, it would, eventually evolve into a more commercial program.

     There are more elements to the plan but the central idea, here, is not to supplant the community with sustainability-oriented people but to bring the locals into the plan a little at a time so that they can see how sustainability can bring a better life for everyone. As I see it, when you walk into a local bar and there are at least three conversations going on about such topics as the merits of one low-energy appliance versus another, whether or not walnuts fit neatly into a midwest US permaculture scheme, or a new recipe for soured vegetables, then you know that you've made a positive impact on the community.

     I'll try writing this one last time!

     Ironically, while solar economies are the most efficient way to keep our society alive and vibrant, the infrastructure of our current economy (mostly oil-subsidized) makes it difficult to be sustainable without, first, spending a lot of money. Hence, the following plan comes from a game of "what if?" that I played during a long car-ride while the MegaMillion lottery jackpot was near $200,000,000.

1. Form a corporation into which to pour and distribute the jackpot and and any donations that the corporation might receive. The corporation will be democratically run, employee-owned, and will probably surrender any corporate personhood rights (to be worked out later).
2. Find a small rural community that is down on its economic luck and in no immediate danger of being gobbled up by developers. In this era, they aren't all that hard to find.
3. Buy a small nearby farm or two from a distressed farmer but keep the family on if they agree to help with the transition to sustainable farming. With the advantage of not having to pay mortgage or farm equipment costs, the farmers and their families can probably afford to stay on the farm as their first and second jobs
4. Buy 3 to 5 houses in town and, possibly, a store-front. This cluster of buildings (including the farm houses) will require renovations to make them, essentially, energy independant. This will involve solar electric, solar heating, rainwater runoff collection, proper insulation,  composting toilet, greywater system, etc.
5. Hire locals to do the renovations under the direction of a corporation construction manager. Hire the workers at a minimum living wage but with the following benefits:

• All employees will receive free and complete training in the solar economy renovations technology and will receive certification for showing competency in the technologies. The benefits of this ensure that all employees are knowledgable about what they are doing, can take pride in their knowledge, and can take that knowledge with them to other jobs which could, potentially, make them more employable.
• All employees will receive three free meals a day provided by the corporation. These will be balanced, nutrient-rich meals. In addition, breakfast and dinner will be provided for the employees's immediate family as well. The benefits of this ensure that the employees eat properly so that they will be alert on the job and their health will, on the whole, be better. Outside the job, the employees know that their families are eating well and regularly.
• Working with the local physicians (if possible), establish a preventative medicine program that is not only open but required of the employees and their families. It may be possible to provide health insurance as well but, at the very least, the corporation does what it can to prevent the employees and their families from getting sick. This includes free first aid/CPR training and inspections of their homes to ensure that their homes are as clear as possible of potential health problems (such as mold, radon, contaminated water, faulty electrical wiring and the like). It will also include family counseling for all families. Some of them may need immediate counseling. For the rest, well, a little counseling, the feeling that someone is there to listen to you is a great relief.

1. Feeding the employees and their families means food and food preparation. Where possible, the food should be bought directly from local farmers who are raising their crops and livestock organically or nearly organically. Preparing the food means hiring people to prepare it. Where possible, these cooks can be hired from the employees's families. The cooks will receive identical wages and benefits as the construction workers. I have not worked out any details on the food preparation facilities but, by bringing in (building) solar ovens and the like, I'm sure that the food preparation facilities can become an integral part of the project.
2. The corporation will provide some group buying power with the renovation materials. These materials can also be made available to the employees and the general public in the town at a substantial discount. The corporation can also begin to contract employees to install these materials in non-corporation houses if hired to do so.
3. When renovations to the houses are complete. They will remain owned by the corporation but they will be "rented" to interested people. In some fashion, these people will become members of the corporation and, so, retain some degree of ownership of the house and land even though they will not "own" it in the traditional sense. The benefit here is to develop a sense of communal land rather than individual and competative ownership.
4. As the first phase of house renovations finishes, the corporation can plan for a second phase of house purchases and renovations including, if there is interest, the building of completely new buildings which are even more in tune with solar economics. Several farm buildings will be built under this premise.
5. During this process, corporation representatives will be working with the town/village council to develop a parallel building/land use code that will allow for easier adoption of solar economy concepts within the community.
6. As the initial corporation farms enter into full organic/beginning permaculture production mode, portions of the land can be designated for transition production for other farms. Under this program, local farmers will be able to apply for aid in switching over to organic food production. Because this often entails a down period while the land comes off of industrial fertilization and returns to organic life, the farmers who are accepted for the program will be able farm the transition land on the corporation farms free or at very low cost. The corporation will then work with the accepted farmers to rebuild their land and train them to farm organically and permaculturally.

(to be continued)