beth Cromwell wrote:If you are sprinkling, please consider a mask, the fine very sharp particles of DE can be very destructive on your mucus membranes, all the way to your lungs.
Oh, thank you for that reminder! I had read that, but wasn't keeping that in mind for this.
Herpes simplex is off the subject for this post as you are asking about a viral infection and this is a post about antibacterial activity. However, I don't want to leave you hanging here. For people in low selenium areas (lack of selenium in soil) they are usually low in selenium and selenium is necessary to keep herpes at bay. (some areas are high in selenium) For people who are having continual outbreaks that are low in selenium they usually need 200 micrograms per day. I don't usually give people more than 400 micrograms and only when necessary. Adequate zinc level is also helpful. Lysine also helps. Herpes simplex feeds on arginine and if someone eats high arginine foods such as chocolate or nuts etc. it will sometimes cause outbreaks. Taking Lysine to counter the arginine (both are amino acids and arginine feeds herpes while lysine will slow them down) will help. For people who note arginine rich foods causing outbreaks, they simply take 2000 mg (or amount found to work - differs in people and how much arginine they are eating) with the food and it keeps the outbreak from happening (in conjunction with having adequate selenium). For actual outbreaks I have folks use 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide at the beginning of an outbreak. I have them use it at the beginning sensations of tingling or itching that comes up and it often keeps the outbreak from taking place. It can be used to shorten a skin outbreak that has already taken place also. Be careful as too concentrated of hydrogen peroxide can cause skin irritation and burning itself. Zinc is used with success too as are all sorts of essential oils and most of them help to some degree. I find hydrogen peroxide works better topically than most anything else that has been used on the sores, however every once in a while someone likes the topical zinc better and I assume they have inadequate levels and this is why it works best for them.
If someone does these things, has good nutrition over all and still has outbreaks, I start looking for environmental toxins or other reasons for the person's immune system to be behaving inadequately. What other stressors of a physical/mental/emotional type is the person dealing with.
I absolutely love the idea of people swishing with colostrum for dental health. Except of course it would be a waste to spit it out. When my sheep lamb I save some colostrum in case of future emergency lamb needs. Its fun to get a friend or 2 to try drinking a sip. Icelandic sheep colostrum here in coastal Alaska is about the consistency of toothpaste. The nutrient profile must be incredible.
So the permaculture solution would be to get your hands on some local colostrum, most of us with livestock have access to it once a year. The energy required to dehydrate into a powder, label package and market seems unnecessary. I would also avoid mystery farm sources as most animals are treated with industrial chemicals like dewormers, antibiotics, topical insecticides, fed grains covered in glyphosphates etc (all should be assumed present unless one can trust otherwise).
Overall I think colostrum is truly the most viable "permaculture" option mentioned here as it can be achieved in a hyper-local closed loop system.
Gerry Parent wrote:Staci that looks totally amazing! What a great finish.
I love your barrel tree. A great way to disguise it during the off season.
I was wondering if you could give a few tidbits of your experiences in regards to some of the things I remember you having problems with over the years and how you solved or lived with them: smoke back, plaster cracking etc. and also things you may change or recommend to others.
Sure thing, Gerry. Might take a week or so to get it out- but will do!
Thanks!
It's a simple wrap skirt made of Latvian linen (bought in actual Latvia on a trip).
French seams inside, so I can actually wear it inside out if it's stained. Or I can swap which panel is in front (since it's mostly the front that gets spilled on). Which makes for four wears before it really needs to be cleaned. And yes, I've been wearing it every other day all summer so far.
It's insanely comfy even in very hot weather, getting softer with every wash, can accommodate bloating, and the natural ecru hides dust very well (dirt brushes right off).
Anita Martin wrote:Regarding mosquito larvae and small ponds:
I really wouldn't put in goldfish or any other fish at all. They unbalance any natural habitat and that's exactly what you want to create: a natural habitat.
I can't speak for all climate zones, but in my garden (Germany) when we installed our little pond three years ago it took some weeks to have the first mosquito larvae. But in the same period the first predators came and I would say today that the pond itself hardly allows to hatch any mosquito larvae. If we have any, they come from the rain water barrels and similar.
Our predators for larvae are mostly dragonfly larvae (the dragonflies came really quickly) and backswimmers (Notonectidae). I once spotted newts in the pond and had a short visit from frogs, but unfortunately our garden is a bit off from natural occurrences of amphibes and so I am still waiting patiently for more to arrive.
ETA: Coming from the garden I remembered that another way of controlling mosquitos are Gerridae - english names I have found are water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, Jesus bugs, or water skimmers.
They take care of all critters on the surface of the water.
If your pond is the only natural water in the surroundings, you could inoculate your new pond with water from an existing pond to get the aquatic life going.!
This gives me a.lot to think about. I've always adored ponds with some fish but I completely see your point.
I have a creek that's actually been turned into an irrigational canal by the city. It does have water skippers and Nutria in it, as well.as lots of dragonflies flying around. I can hear frogs around so I know they're somewhere. I live in a neighborhood where people put poison on the lawns and sidewalks and that drains to the creek (at least it does when the rains come). If it weren't for that, I'd try to incorporate the creek somehow. The edges are grown over with blackberry and the city mandates that we cut them each July. So I can't get blackberries from them.
Anyway, thank you so much for your reply. I'm going to work on a natural pond and see if I can get dragonflies and frogs to come around. I once had an alligator lizard (not sure of the real name) get in the bottom of a bucket that had a bit of water in it. Not sure if they live in water or was just thirsty. I'll need to look them up.
Thank you so much for this information.
How is the permaculture project going?
We started ours in August of 2017 in South Putnam, half way between Jax and Orlando, and would be curious to see how you are doing. If you want to see our progress, we have a page on Facebook. Hamilton-Hoke Garden of Even.
Thanks so much Dennis Bangham for the info. I Will be starting this experiment next month, I will let you know how it goes. TOM, I will not eat the mushrooms no mater how tempting they may look. I always have more questions.. do puffballs detox the same way? I can find them readily arround the farm.
Mike, I am also starting rotational grazing ( or paddock grazing) with cattle next year that will help replenish the soil. I will start with goats followed by cattle then chickens...But I also wanted to follow the chickens with compost. and reseeding with more native fodder and a variety of native medicinal plants. will speed up the healing and make great soil, and good feed.
I currently have a 20" break between out fields and the conventional farming neighbor .. Thinking about using some trees as a barrier and detox planting.. Wondering if I plant ash then use it for fire wood if I will pollute the air and my land all over again. ? Ah, its so depressing trying to fight the toxic way our culture lives on the earth.
Thank you so much for the info.
Starting string with a very cool introduction to permaculture course.
It is free as of today you can still as of today. We are on week one.
https://open.oregonstate.edu/courses/permaculture/ Just wanted to share what I found. See you in there if you register. I'm student Yolybear ... Yolande Conran if you want to learn through it together.
"What bothers me is that, as with many teachings that end up going in the direction of a religion or philosophy, we lose the ecological context. What works for the soils in the Rhein basin, continental Europe or the Alps--or wherever Steiner actually came up with the preparations--of the early 1900s could very likely be quite different from whatever works in a different place and time. Understanding the processes behind the myths liberates the wisdom, making it accessible to other ecologies.
The use of animal parts worked great in those farms of central Europe, where dead cattle was a given, and, at a time when de-horning was a general practice, these recipes made good use of a resource that would otherwise become a waste. But, to me, importing cow horns just to be "true" to the original sounds like not the best ecological practice, no matter how biodynamically grown those cows were.
Funnily enough, one of the principles of biodynamic agriculture is flexibility: every farm being unique and different, requiring a lot of observation and individually designed amendments."
Just for interest, Biodynamics has not only been developed in Europe. There is a leader in the field called Alex Podolinsky, who grew up in Poland but emigrated to Australia, where he has been developing "Demeter Biodynamics" for over half a century.
In the past, I subscribed to the Australian Biodynamics magazine. What impressed me about this movement is how much time was spent observing their plants/soil. To me, it's the opposite of the approach that you get in industrial agriculture: "I read it in a textbook, so it must be true, and that theory fits with my other theory, so it will work, no need for study". I would far rather listen to a careful, thoughtful person tell me anything about the world, than one who has every degree known to humanity. That's not because I don't believe in science, because I do, but because humans often seem to be attracted to simplistic theories rather than complicated reality.
I never particularly believed in the theories of Biodynamics, but I could see the real-world results they produced. Each edition would cover several Biodynamic properties, and would include a photo of the soil, often with a photo of a neighbour's soil. It was quite clear that the Biodynamic soil was darker, fluffier and more crumbly. They also talked a lot about increasing the depth of their topsoil, and testing that showed a large growth in soil carbon. To me, no matter the method, any practise that increases soil carbon content organically is pretty good.
I am very satisfied with Dr RedHawk's explanations. I always felt the Biodynamic practitioners were onto something, but because they didn't actually know what it was, various rather airy sounding ideas were given. Probably the magical sounding theories put people off, where just a list of tests and results achieved may have been more convincing.
Just thought I'd post this, for the benefit of anyone who had not heard of Australian Biodynamics.
Today, we just got a 1/4 of a free range local cow, and a whack-load of bones in bags with it!!! So I've already got a pot of them on the wood stove, but I'm going to transfer it to the slow cooker for the night. Super excited to get some of that in me.
I like to set up reed beds with strips of mycelium of different species starting at the inflow with oysters from there I might go to a line of wood with Jews ear or lions mane inoculant and I always do a final oyster strip that is at least 2 feet wide.
Stament has done such good work that following his methodology will always get good results, all I've been doing is following his lead and testing some tweaks just to see if it is possible to find any way to improve it for nuclear waste water leaks.
I suspect the best ones would have flowers that are easy to land on. Every year my mountain laurel is covered with large butterflies during it's short season. Another thing to look for in trees and shrubs are host plants for caterpillars. Oak is a good example. It doesn't have the most spectacular bloom, but I think I read somewhere that it is an important host plant for more than 20 butterflies and moths.
Just wanted to give an update on my dream of finding a restaurant owner or foodie to share my surplus with.
There is a relatively new foodie-oriented restaurant here in town. I saw an interview with the chef who talked about how they were trying to get their ingredients locally, and toward the end of the interview they walked from the restaurant to the weekly farmer's market to get supplies for dinner that night.
So I reached out the restaurant, explained my food forest and my desire to share my surplus. The owner responded right away and came over a few days later. He was very interested in some of the things I have (though had never heard of them), and took some home. I have since mentioned to him when other things are ripening, but he has been too busy to come pick so I just pick some extra for him, and put it out on my porch for him to pick up. That has actually been working out pretty well. Not quite what I envisioned, but definitely moving in that direction. The reality is that I don't have time to pick everything, and neither does he.
His staff has done a great job utilizing my surplus (how often have you had cornelian cherry + sea buckthorn vinaigrette). His customers seem to enjoy his staff's skill to come up with some really amazing things from the unusual things I am growing. I have also shared surplus from my foraging ventures, e.g. plums and nuts from my neighbors/neighborhood.
My wife and I went there for dinner last week. They didn't charge for our drinks, which is the sort of "barter" I was hoping to have.
I realize that most restaurant owners probably don't have time or interest to deal with a backyard food forester like me, but I think it works because the restaurant is pretty small, and they like to constantly change up their menu and experiment.
I'm not sure the OP is checking this thread anymore but I did want to say that I think it's brave to speak openly about mental illness and seek a way through that you can be proud of. Best of luck to you, Christopher.
Read somewhere long ago about putting kelp around fruit trees to help them be more frost tolerant. I use it on my peach trees all the time, and although in a border area for peaches with our late spring frosts, I often get a good crop.
Thank you for showcasing the Mudgirls and their book. I love how this addresses one of our most elemental questions - that our societies have only unsatisfactory answers to.
I hope it will find the exposure it deserves and it will point many people to building their homes again.
So glad that I opted for veggies meals Saturday and Sunday night, and had fun picking blueberries with 8 of my 10 grands Saturday morning. I love the songs, thank you! Happy Days, veggies are king!
Evening, a favorite idea, plants from our food...especially avocados, pineapples, I am eating from scrapped onions from last year still, just trimming the tops, free food is good : )
I have maybe 3 avocado plants that are about 3 years old now, but just this spring put into the ground, so, I can be hopeful...
But, Q if I may, when my compost bin is in progress, that I don't want to interrupt, I just lay my kitchen scraps onto my 2 small raised beds, and when they dry out, I turn them under the mulch...now I have 5 avocado plants coming up in my one bed, and one coming up in my potted lemon tree (also from a farm bought organic lemon seed)...So 1. can I move them, and 2 will they ever fruit? If they will fruit, I can gift them, but I don't want to give away duds! Ah, the experiments continue : )
Travis I make a distinction between depression (as in a clinical physiological imbalance) and life simply kicking the crap out of you. In your case, I think your emotional state is entirely normal for someone going through what you're going through. My point being that I doubt you have a mental illness on top of your cancer.
Something else nobody has mentioned is that having cancer doesn't make you immune to Lyme disease. Since you spend a lot of time outdoors, you probably encounter ticks. If I were you I'd get tested.
Always such good advice! Thank you all for the information, help...my plants have struggled this year also, and I did have to import a lot from Lowe's, having just moved. I read the ucdavis pdf, and it suggested leaching the store bought potting mixes...3 to 4 times, before using, then adding other amendments...do they mean to rinse the soil? Leaching to me was always the bad effects of too much water, to nutrients we desire to hold in our soil, is this what they mean? And if so, do you have do do this rinsing in another area, away from your garden area? Right now, much of my stuff is still in pots, bags, and we have had a lot of rain, so I feel any leaching would have already happened! I have added some natural fertilizers, have seen some improvement. Thanks for all the help, and pray Florida makes it through this upcoming storm...I plan to move my plants up close to the house, and have tons of leaves to mulch them in with, so hoping that keeps them safe. Have a few baby fall plants in brick window boxes, so, maybe a lot of leaf and grass mulch for those too... God bless all those in Texas, and now, in Florida.
Sounds like you have ambitious plans, short and long term, so glad to see Stacey Murphy, (stacey@bkfarmyards.com) is doing a series for beginning planning a garden, and has a set of downloadable templates for every aspect. She has been a great resource, and I am thankful to share her information. On other forums, most advice cautions you to start small, and enjoy the time spent, especially with a toddler, this is good advice! May God bless your efforts.
Hi, thanks for answering. I was reading a forum, maybe critters, or homesteading, and Paul Wheaton was listing the reasons 4 type chicken coops don't work, his favorite idea was the 5th, and one person posted pictures of her set up. I can go back and look... but my computer sometimes acts up, so it might have just been my issue. sigh, sometimes I try to do better roaming around the computer world, other days, I don't even turn it on...
But I do thank you for answering.
Lincoln - I like your ideas. They go right along with what I was thinking, only yours might be better. It is a lot of work to prep for a camping trip, pack up, unpack, set up camp, then tear down, air out, clean up, pack back up, etc.
I was thinking of ways to get a little pickup and camper shell or trailer. But definitely putting up an outhouse and tool shed / bunkhouse make sense too....hmmmm.
Beth - thanks, maybe I will look them up for inspiration etc.
I am in zone 9 and I grow an N fixing shrub called amorpha fruticosa. It is native to California, in fact is found natively to the county in which I live, El Dorado.
I purchased seeds from J.L.Hudson Seedsman. The seeds sprout readily and I have several small specimens in my garden, which are now just old enough to have come into flower. It may be possible to train one stem into a tree but amorpha's natural growth habit is to be a shrub with many stems emerging from the crown.
Awesome set up idea. High Springs area? Wife and I Looking for 5-10 acres in High Springs for purchase. Saw a dandy blueberry farm on 80th. I would work for some blueberries. Haaa yum.
Daniel Palacios wrote:I am a woofer training to be a long term farm hand on this wonderful blueberry farm in north florida. Currently I'm the only one here and could use some help. Many hands make the load lighter. I also want to start a few sustainable gardening projects and raise animals as helpers and members of the farm. We just got ducks and we are looking to expand the 5 acres (8,500) bushes into a larger farm! I personally want to build a green house a shade house a few chicken and rabbit tractors, and grow some serious food! Organic and home grown Is serious good food. We have tractors golf carts and trucks. We do not spray harmful chemicals on the organic farm and we raise bees to proove it! Please if it's a first time to wwoof or 7th time please contact me. Let's talk and see if it's a good fit! Accommodations include room bathroom kitchen food and wifi. Great place to wwoof!