K Sweet

Have you had a chance to see "The Sugar Movie" on Youtube?  It's a very entertaining and informative look at all the hidden and not so hidden sugar in our diets.  We gave up all added sugar and most processed foods about 2 years ago.  It is actually not as much of an adjustment as we expected.  I had some cravings but they went away pretty fast. And my arthritis has disappeared as well as my husband's high blood pressure problems.  I still use some honey and maple syrup in baking but  that is really about it and we don't miss it.

Does anyone have any advice for how to make a mulch basin around trees and bushes that you want to keep when you begin your permaculture project?  Or how to use swales when you already have trees that may or may not be in the right spot?  All of the examples I have seen are starting from scratch.

Another way to hold down the edges of any row cover is to get rebar and roll it into the excess cover.  It is very adjustable and heavy enough that the wind does not bother it.  I use several pieces in long beds so it is easier to manage.

One thought I had about the curtains, have you tried to see how permeable they are to water?  I am guessing that it might not pass through as easily as it does through row cover.

Hi- If anyone is still following this thread, my husband and I would like some general info about climate, people and general living conditions in NM.  We are retired and probably not going to be able to start a huge permaculture project but we would like to find somewhere we can connect with like minded people and do what we can at our age.  We have looked at the Silver City area and are considering the Taos or Los Alamos areas as well.  What would be really nice is to know if there were people younger, stronger and more knowledgeable about permaculture that we could hire to get us started with the heavy work.  Does anyone have any input?  Currently we are living in Northern Idaho and would like to find somewhere with more sun and a longer growing period but not super hot in the summer.  Thanks for any help you can provide