Steven Kraft

Hello,

Does anyone know of any people who are gathering and / or hunting a significant portion of their diet? Specifically I am interested in learning from these people and am curious to find those who would be interested in sharing experiences on this topic. Whether that be an afternoon with someone, or having an apprenticeship, either way I am very curious about this. I have experience and could share a list of relevant skills and experience, upon request. Temperate climates, with the US would be of greatest interest as I live in the north east mainly.

Many thanks.

_S

I am thinking about investing in a piece of land in mid-coast Maine. The land is 23.2 acres and I've spent some time there, with the owner, and it is quite appealing on many fronts. One of the things the seller was excited to tell me was about the very high pressure that came out of the wells in the area. The plot for sale is part of a large tract his father used to own that has been split up over the years. Anyhow, one of the neighboring pieces of land is a conventional commercial blueberry field. Is this something that would steer any of you away from purchasing this land? Do you reckon this could have strongly adverse effects on the groundwater? Are there other issues related to this that I should be aware of? Or is this not that big of a deal? The owner of the plot for sale believes the land is owned by a large business, so I haven't gotten any single contact who might be able to give me more information as to what they are spraying or how much, unfortunately.

Thanks for any help or advice. Best,

_S

P Thickens wrote:So did the piece go on the air yet??

I just finally got in touch with him. Thank you all so much for your input. I will certainly let you know what comes of all of this. Let's hope people can hear something inspiring and affect some positive change out there.

Peace,

_S

Hello all,

My cousin is a public radio reporter who regularly does pieces for NPR. Being one in the family who is heavily involved in land-based activities and 'the environment', he just wrote me an email asking this:

"Do you know of a big conflict happening among environmentalists or people interested in food production? Is there something that you wish had more news coverage?"

I have some ideas that I would like to share with him but also wanted to use this as an opportunity to get any ideas from all of you. This forum has a high concentration of people whose opinions I value, who might want the chance to have some input on what gets put out there for the public to hear.

Many thanks - I look forward to hearing what you all come up with.

_S

A steak should burn and stick to the pan, in fact. Read more about it in Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking"

Craig is right and I would recommend leaving the steak in place after it hits the pan - do not move it around. Once you have let it cook as much as you wish on the initial side, then carefully lift it with tongs and turn it over. Do not move the steak around on the pan as it cooks. Once the second side has had enough time and you feel the meat is cooked to your liking, you could turn the heat off, and put the steak on a warm plate, covered. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then enjoy it.

Check this out: How to cook a steak restaurant style

Enjoy,

_S

I can vouch that this opportunity is wonderful, and quite unique.  Surely it is not for everyone, in that it is rustic, and not even close to an organic row farm.  This is what makes the place so excellent!  It's permaculture!

In my experience traveling the US and the EU, it is rare to find someone so dedicated to living in a way such as this.  The OP has a vast knowledge of the bioregion and its history, and has developed a deep relationship with his land, carrying a lot of information about perennials, trees, shrubs, and simple living.  I stayed there for over a week this past winter and enjoyed the company of him and his community, meals together, hikes, learning from the plentiful books in the library, and especially from the life experience of someone who has worked for quite some time with a piece of land, using simple technology combined with observation and humility.

Have fun - I'll surely be going back again!

_S

Hello,

In "Permaculture Techniques" - Pamphlet IX by Mill Mollison, it is mentioned to use bee pollen as a flour substitute.  Has anyone done this? 

Recently I've been eating it as my host has a whole slough of it, but something I read said that an adult should not eat more than one tablespoon or so, per day.  Is this true at all?

Many thanks,

_S

Howdy,

I visited Mountain Homestead on a week-long work-trade in December.  They are the hosts of the Cob Cottage Company that Paul did a video tour of (aka Cobville).

Here is a bit I wrote, with some photos:

Mountain Homestead

Enjoy,

_S

Hello,

I'm living at the Newforest Institute in Maine [www.newforestinstitute.org].  We've got a young forest garden, and the seaberry bushes are a few years old, and the females are cranking out gorgeous berries.

I'd love to juice these and simultaneously save their seeds to make some new starts.  Does anyone have any recommendations or experience with this?

Many thanks,

_S

Hi,

I've been lurking here on the forums for a while and just registered as I am hoping to participate in the active discussion.

Anyhow, I'm just kindly asking that people take a bit of time to spell and punctuate to the best of their abilities, before posting.  Readers will be much more likely to read what you have to say, and take you seriously, if you write clearly.

Many thanks to all who make this place possible.

_S