8 acres for $45K and another 40 adjacent for $80K. Raised the money by chaining myself to a cubicle for decades and paying dues to The Man (not that I'm recommending that; I hope you find an easier way). The cubicle escape mechanism will be activated soon, hopefully.
Hi Leila! Thank you! You made my day!
I posted a question under Plants/ Help with seed ID. Maybe you know what kind of seeds I found. Everyone is saying HoneyLocust but I'm still uncertain.
HAPPY MONDAY! ET/Ellie!/Elaine
Hi Johnathan, My group will be meeting near Taos, NM. next month. We are planning on looking at land 2+ hours west of Abuquerque, near a town called Ramah. Would be glad to let you know what we find. Hope to post pics. After much searching thru www.landwatch.com and several other websites we feel that northern New Mexico might be just what we are looking for. We are forming a sustainable, permaculture, off grid, farm. If interested you can email me at lylamoore56@yahoo.com or Frank Escalante at gonacopo1946@hotmail.com. We would love to have like-minded neighbors. Good Luck Lyla
paul wheaton wrote:
The bottom line is that once you take a PDC, you get to use the word permaculture on your stuff. I took a PDC. I have visited a lot of farms that say that they are doing permaculture and I really don't see it. But they took a PDC so they get to call it permaculture. That's the system. People that have taken a PDC can put bubble gum on the end of a stick and call it permaculture if they want. It is unfortunate, but that's the way it is.
Desert Aboriginal people collect certain species of Spinifex and bash it with a stick on a clean surface to begin the extraction of resin [gum] which occurs at the base of the stems. The chaff is heated with a fire stick causing the resin to melt. It is then rolled into a ball and used as an adhesive, mainly for attaching stone cutting chips to wooden implements such as spears [sticks].
Source: Alice Springs Desert Park (no date) Nature Notes - Spinifex
I thought my signature was a bit much, a bit like tooting my own horn in some weird way... but I assume people find it helpful in regards to giving/receiving advice so I went with it.
I agree Zones are not a perfect system, I wish there was an easy system to effectively label your conditions.
Interesting about the white rocks--I bought some columbian rocks (a white rock cross) a year ago and one surprised me just before Christmas by going broody. I expected my Easter Eggers to start brooding this coming March or April, but not the columbian. She successfully hatched out 5, some EE/CRs and some pure EE (my roo is an EE) and they are thriving in her care. Thrashed several of the other hens that got too close to the babies. She had been nurtured by an old New Hampshire who was herself a hatchery chick...that old hen is the only bird in the flock that can approach the chicks in fact. At the time I purchased chicks last year I was down to the then 11 year old NH (still gave an occasional egg) and a 5 year old EE. The NH eyed the 50 peeping chicks curiously when I added them to the coop, but didn't bother them. When I went to check on the birds that night I couldn't find 8 of the babies and started to panic...til I realized that Big Red was sitting on the floor nearby. Yup--lifted her off the floor and found a pile of sleeping chicks under her. She nested on the floor wiht them for over a month, tucking as many as she could underneath her and the rest huddling around her. Scared me when I heard distressed cheeping coming from the henhoouse after that first month--when I entered the coop I found that Red had decided it was time for the kids to sleep in the 'big bird' fashion. She was on the top roost, a chck under each wing, and the rest peeping their poor little heads off because the all coulnd't sleep next to Mom.
Hi Alex,
To answer your question- you probably wouldn't have to "feed" your chickens under those conditions. The only suggestion I would make is feed them a bit of something like grain or laying mash in their shed in the evenings to "ground" them to the shed. Sometimes free range chickens that aren't grounded to their shed, begin to roost in trees and laying eggs in the brush. If you don't want to feed commerical chicken food to ground them, try emptying your kitchen scraps into their shed each evenings. I call kitchen scraps, "chicken candy"
Steve Heckeroth shows his Model 12 electric tractor. This one is 20 horsepower, although since it is electric it has power comparable to a 40 hp diesel or a 60hp gasoline tractor. Steve explains how this has to do with torque peak performance of the electric motors being so much better than gas or diesel.
In this video we see the loader in action. The three point hitch and the PTO (power take off). We move some bales of straw and do a little bushhogging.
One problem with electric cars is range from the charging station. But an electric tractor rarely strays far from its charging station.
Another problem with electric tractors is battery weight. But with an electric tractor, the extra battery weight gives better traction!
This electric tractor is solar powered. The whole homestead is solar powered! And Steve has a solar electric car too!
Steve talks about using hydraulic pumps for things like the load vs. linear actuators.
Steve mentions the porsche spider he once converted to an electric car.
The solar electric tractor is labeled SolTrac and Steve says that he is changing the name to SolecTrac.
We see the thing film amorphous solar stuff on his barn roof. Peel and stick roll out solar panels. 8kw (kilowatts).
Lithium batteries. 48 volt pack. Battery management system. Each cell is monitored during charging. A/C to D/C converter. A/C motor. Most electric cars use higher voltage for greater speed. 48 volts is great for a tractor. This tractor has a transmission including hi/low range. Linear actuators for the steering. Steve thinks this is better than hydrostatic.
Use a low geat for rototilling or mowing and a higher gear for using the loader.
Regenerative braking. $15,000 for an electric farm tractor. $30,000 for the fancy electric tractor (sans solar).
Great pics Jocelyn (regardless of the quality)! I had seen savory cakes made with a square loaf of bread and cream cheese, but I had never heard of meatloaf cakes before.
I need to get myself one of those t-shirts so I can be cool too.
To tge OP: do it!
Nothing that bad could come of it, and it could be great. I started out in sub irrigated planters, moved to raised beds, and am currtly building a hugel bed, amending my raised beds with wood, and peeing all over my two feet high and growing lasagna bed.
I have had some abject failures but the only plantings I regret are the ones I failed to try.
The last time I was at the Oregon Country Fair I kept telling my freind that the B's weren't silent, but it never failed all he could say when he spied them was OOOOOOOOOO.
Jordan Lowery wrote:You can always study soil, micro biology, geography, hydrology, ecosystems, Botany, all of these and more have major influence to things we do in permaculture. Just don't forget to keep the permaculture mindset as often people and scientists take these useful subjects and move in the wrong direction with them.
As a biologist with a former PhD in microbiology (and having also into ecology, botanics, etc), I must say I slightly disagree ...The academic world seems only to be good to use scientific method to investigate a narrow area of knowledge, that fits into consensual scientific status quo, that aims at publication, writing thesis and patenting. ...I felt it had nothing to do with the paradigmas that permaculturists aim towards. ... Probably better to try landscape architecture...
I have to agree with Paulo. I too am an ex-academic (biochemistry, veterinary medicine, molecular virology) and I feel that during my years in academia I was an unwitting accomplice in the perpetuation of terribly damaging agricultural practices. Now, 13 years after leaving that world, I have come to learn sooooo much about the planet and my role here that was shrouded behind all the indoctrination that comes with naively plunging into the academic research world. At one point, when preparing to start a new job as a professor, I was trying to convince myself that I could balance my work for the university with international development work (to feed my soul). I did not succeed in convincing myself that it was humanly possible to do it effectively, because I would never have had the required independence. I was also just plain ignorant of how best to go about things. I never took the job, moved to Quebec and eventually became a translator. Now I am, like you, learning about permaculture as fast as I possible can and will be implementing permaculture systems on my own land, and hopefully networking with likeminded folks nearby.
That said, I still think that hooking up with Will Hooker at NC State (in the department of Horticultural Science) would be a great move. He seems to have the right approach to make permaculture work in an academic setting. Notably, Mr. Hooker did not do a doctorate, so he apparently escaped from the form of indoctrination I refer to! Brilliant move! (He does say that when David Holmgren spent a few days at his house, he got the equivalent of doctorate training in those three days!!)
Burra, maybe running a 'perimeter' of something like that big rectangular wire mesh around the panels, so it sticks up, but doesn't block the light, might put them off?
I wouldn't suggest anything pointy: I love muscovies, but think they're a bit...dim...and I can visualise them impaling themselves!
Aside from the damage from their claws, a couple of good shits could reduce your light down to nothing
John Crawford wrote:
I pay $2.40 plus tax so say $2.65 per dozen, the boxes and dividers are free and I collect 15-20 dozen per year.
I wouldn't worry about smelly lids if I could find mason jars for that price either! The thrift stores around here have ridiculous prices on jars of all kinds.
Loving the suggestions of coffee grounds, citrus rinds, and now fat and alcohol, too! Thanks Nick! Still haven't tried any though.
Thanks Leila. The mulch was damp about two or three inches down, and that's about how far the soil level is for the plants. There is problably 8-10" of store-bought compost/potting soil above the cardboard (in 4-6" diameter "tubes" I burrowed through the mulch.. The soil under the cardboard isn't terrible, but was suffering from being bare through the heat of summer.
I don't have beeswax around, and it would be handy for candles and cutting boards. Those old boards around the compost get slathered with the scrapings after I make a hamburger, the drippings from a meatloaf. Its soft enough to apply with a ratty old brush. It just gives em a little bit of an edge.
My chickens have complete access to several heaps around here. They tear it up. The compost is a fine habitat for bugs and worms of all types, and offer an easy source of protein for the chickens.
You've got the right idea. You can save yourself some work by letting the chickens get to the heap.
My mother used to stuff them with cream cheese, set them out at Thanksgiving. It was the only time of the year we would have them. They never made it through the day.
For starters, I would put a link to the article in the very first post in this thread. Currently it is a pain to have to leave this thread to hunt around for it. Make the "end-user experience" fun an d easy -- not obscure.
Secondly, I would look to find ways to break down silos. Make a list of all of the ideas that are compatible with permaculture and then find leaders in each field and work with them?
Cheers,
Jock
Seconding Jock's idea here. Ideas that are compatible with permaculture have a common distrust of the "system" as is.
I would contact people like Lew Rockwell (liberterian freedom advocate), Alex Jones (conspiracy theorist), those at the survivalist forums, the conspiracy forums, natural birthers (home birth), non vaccinating families, homeschoolers (especially unschoolers), extreme green advocates (not sure who that would be), the people at the National Inflation Association (created the college is a scam documentary that went viral among youths last year), 4H national chapter, people that support medical marijuana, ron paul or gary johnson supporters. I'm sure there are more.
Can you think of any more of these leaders in compatible fields? I would love to help with this. Let me know what you want to do. Thanks.
Jeremiah, garlic will flower and sometimes seed, there is a noticeable difference between varieties as to their willingness to do this, and I'd bet that there is also a difference in fertility of the resulting seed. If you have the room and the inclination to experiment with growing out seed, it could be fun, but planting cloves is a more reliable way to get a crop.
Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada by George Barron published by Lone Pine is the best identification guide I've ever come across. (Actually Lone Pine is now my favorite go to publisher for all nature guides).
Chaga doesn't look like regular mushrooms, instead it looks like a large rough chunk of charcoal sticking out the side of the trunk of living birch trees. It doesn't kill the tree and can grow quite large over many years. It's only when the tree dies of other causes that the Chaga will grow fruiting bodies.
I like to try out new foods when I hit the supermarket. I picked up some sort of pimento spread last night, was going to try it on a bagel.
I found it to be coarse and vulgar.
Is that cottage cheese in there?
I hope the chickens like it.
Had luck this past year with malabar spinach (yeah, I know not a perennial and slimy to some).
Heard the growingyourgreens guy on youtube mention about a perennial corn (zea diploperennis from Mexico- has edible seeds). Haven't bought any yet. Ever tried runner beans?
I'm also in the central Tx. area and looking for perennial edible plants to grow well here. It's a challenge for sure.
from what ive read of growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms by paul stamets(im still working through it)
mixed substrates can be ok, but you have to make sure there is a good mixture of structure and aeration, too fluffy of a mix and the mycelium wil be exhausted bridging the gaps and will have a lot of trouble forming mushrooms, if its too tight then there is not enough oxygen and the mycelium inside not only suffocates but you make way for bacterial contaminants that will further weaken the mushrooms mycelium
normally stamets mixes sawdust with straw or other wood, but i guess if there isnt any previous info on the matter, than experimentation is the way to go, and i'd encourage you try at least one with the mix
Trophey White clover and its history is a good story of how we could /should breed plants
Basicly a collection of naturalized white clovers from our district and bred at our local ag station
unfortunatly PBR"s sold to glossy brochure seed producers
I read somewhere that it benefits to train trees to their environment. So they put down deep roots if they are in a dry climate for example. (no irrigation, if possible)
I was wondering if there is benefit to putting a hugelculture next to a few years old tree opposed to planting a tree after a hugelculture is already there? So the tree do not get dependant on the raised bed, since probably the tree will last longer than the bed.
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