There are sewing machines that can take a computer generated graphic and turn it into a patch. Not sure what your budget is(new one from Brother is ~$500+, for now at least), but you might be able to find someone in the local area that already owns one.
With Nature doing Her thing, perfect wind turbine property sounds like perfect fire sector property, while perfect hydroelectric property sounds like the perfect flooding property.
Hello everyone. I'm recently retired and looking to move out of Southeast Louisiana. I can pretty much move anywhere, but New England is calling me. I particularly like Vermont, and have visited several times. While I've spent most of my life in the New Orleans area, I originally came from the northern part of the UK, so I'm not ignorant of snow. One of the problems of being able to move anywhere is that I have no reason to move anywhere specific, so I'm having a problem settling on a single location(or 3). What I'm looking for is a deciduous woodland on at least 10 acres. I want to set up a woodworking shop for personal use, and I'm leaning towards a managed woodland coppice. I prefer hand tools, so we're talking green woodworking with some carpentry thrown in. I'm not all that interested in modern tools, and Vermont's collection of 2nd hand tools is one of the big draws(I suspect most of New England is that way, but hurricane hit gulf coast has slim pickings).
I'd rather hang out with pagans than christians. I won't be going to church on sundays, but you might catch me at a fire festival. I'd rather hang out with liberals than conservatives(though New England conservatives seem to be a better breed than the ones down here...). I do like a drink every now and again. I do like a good burger. A real butcher would be nice(especially one that can make bacon and/or sausages like the UK/Ireland). A blacksmith that knows how to make tools would be great(I seem to remember a blacksmith by a huge store/mall type thing). Farmers markets would be nice. Since I'm up in age, closeness to a hospital from my inevitable first heart attack would be great(or good ambulance service).
I have no problem with owning a home in town for the winter, and relocating to the land once the land has thawed. But I need to settle on an area first. So my questions are:
Which areas are permaculture friendly(ie: lax building codes..on the land, I understand building codes in towns are usually for a good reason)?
You're looking for an intentional community, or something along the lines of a Transition Town. Another place to look for answers to your local question may be in groups that do things like tool libraries and the such like https://www.shareable.net/ It will require people to work with each other either way you go about this, and that goes completely against the values of the dominant global culture. You can't sell 15 lawnmowers to a family/clan that shares stuff after all.
James Landreth wrote:I feel like part of living this lifestyle is breaking down current values and returning to or creating new ones. One example of this is turning lawns into food (valuing life, biodiversity, food, etc more than trends and aesthetics). Another might be going out of your way to produce something for yourself “the hard way” so you don’t have to buy it and contribute to an unethical production process.
I have faced near relentless criticism for living this way. I’ve received praise too, which is nice, but another subject. A lot of the criticism I’ve received has been about dressing (I dress comfortably and second hand) and other personal aesthetics. It’s hard. I don’t shave as often or neatly because of time and energy, I don’t care if clothes match, etc. Oftentimes I brush it off and continue about my business, but lately it’s been hard not to dwell on.
What are your strategies for coping with this? Do you turn to other permies and like minded folks when things get hard?
To put it into perspective for you: the current global culture is killing the planet by turning life into profit margins. So, why would you want to be commended by people living in that?
Alex Apfelbaum wrote:I see a few aspects that may give Permaculture a bad image to some people :
- It's seen as "unscientific" : A lot in Permaculture is based on the effects of inteconnections within a whole system, that makes it the oposite of a typical scientific experiment where you isolate things to pinpoint specific factors and results. Permaculture is also about trusting nature, the scientific mind doesn't like that.
Ecology is a (relatively) new science. Ecology and permaculture are very close cousins. There are a lot of people who don't have a firm grasp on science, or have kept up to date since leaving school.
- There is a "new-age/hippie/hipster/alternative/callitwhatever" side to Permaculture that attracts a certain kind of people who may not be taken seriously by the average professional farmer.
Yeah, I feel this vibe sometimes too. But I'm no hippie, I'm not a hipster. I might be considered alternative(and likely callitwhatever).
- There are no big corporations and celebrities endorsing it, no marketing, no big brands. In effect it doesn't really exist in the global media world, so how can it be serious ? (some people think like that.. sadly)
It is unfortunate that some people think this way. There's also nothing of real value that actually gets advertised these days. So this might be for the best.
It really depends on the people you talk to, these three points can also be seen as giving Permaculture a good image !
Sweet, now we have more Asiatic insects to go with our Asiatic plants.
Maybe the US and China can just trade landmasses. We give them all of their familiar plants and insects, while we get the beginnings of an industrialized nation so people can get rich quick while raping new land. /sarcasm
Reading a little on wikipedia, it seems they take a fancy to legumes in general and not just soybeans and kudzu. I guess it's time to use less annual nitrogen fixing legumes and more shrubs/trees. I assume the reason soybeans were mentioned is because people make lots of money from them.
MOST heavy metals only become an issue with low pH, they just aren't soluble, so plants won't uptake them in to their roots. I'll be damned if I can find anything on this, however(outside of the normal chart showing plant nutrients at pH). Compost is an amazing substance and can make some highly toxic substances inert and it also raises the pH. Again, finding a source of information is troublesome. But at least this is a starting point for your research. If I were doing this project, I'd just turn the entire lot in to one big compost pile and let nature take her course for about a year. See what grows, how well it does and let observation be your guide.
Thank you so much for responding, I hope I have not presented myself as too harsh. I also did not want to sound to culturally biased or judgemental, so please forgive me if I came across that way. We all have our "thin spots," and one of mine is what seems to be a never ending "we (Anglo Culture) know what is best for you" mentality. I probably read too much into things sometimes, (please forgive) but I grew up in the south under the parentage of mixed race, and more often than not, I see things from the minority or "3rd world," perspective.
I was born in Scotland, I am British by birth and my mother is German. You don't get more anglo saxon than me. I know what western civilization has done, and continues to do. I also live in Louisiana, so I know what you're talking about there too. Being a white male, I get to listen to a lot of it, even if it's not directed at me. The 3rd world is the majority of humans, which the 1st world continues to abuse, even if we're ignorant about it. Sustainability and ecofriendly are just advertising cliches these days and are becoming meaningless, they're the new "Extra Strength" and "New and Improved". Ah, consumerism, which the CNC built house promotes. I won't deny that it has a cool factor(and speaks to my inner geek), but that's all it has in my book. Seeing consumerism for what it is has to be one of the bigger benefits to learning permaculture.
What I'm saying is that you have no need to apologize. I was just joking, hence the ":p". Text does not do a good job of transmitting emotions.
While I like the open source aspect of the project, I have to tentatively agree with Jay about the care for earth aspect of this project(even though I'm a white European male :p). I realize that there are shanty towns and towns even made of cardboard across the world, but using sheet goods that last 25 years even when pressure treated is not the way to go. Most houses built these days have a 50 year life expectancy, I can't see the wikihouses lasting half that. This has a large possibility of forcing people to be greater consumers of forests, which we can't really afford. Not to mention all the chemicals that go into making sheet "lumber". Teaching people how to build traditional housing would be a much better approach(earthen housing that lasts 1000+ years for example and there are plenty of houses built during the Tudor period that still exist). We, as 1st world nations, need to approach 3rd world standards, not the other way around. True craftsmen need to make a comeback.
Allan Babb wrote:It's the same with Energy Star. What you read on the tag may have absolutely nothing to do with the model you're buying. Like it's so difficult to connect a usage meter to an appliance...
that's not the hard part.
But do you do it on an appliance in Alaska or Florida?
Or somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure what temps people keep up north, but mid to high 70's sounds about right for us southern folk, inside the house at least. Though cooler is better for most electrical devices.
It's the same with Energy Star. What you read on the tag may have absolutely nothing to do with the model you're buying. Like it's so difficult to connect a usage meter to an appliance...
Wesley johnsen wrote:i want to get some opinions on preserving forests and do you think forests are better off being owned fully by organizations and or gov for full commons ownership or do you think private stewards like tree farmers should be the owners? i fear commons will take away the rewards of private timber sales but i still like land being open to the permies. i know in the northeast u.s. they like the easement route where a private stewards work the land while a conservation easement and public access easement are placed on the land through the state gov, land trust or organization like say the nature conservancy. any opinions would be helpful.
I'd say start an organization just for the protection of specific forests. Government, usually, does a terrible job when it comes to local issues(there are exceptions, of course). The same issues can be applied to any other organization on a national, or state, scale. You can work with those agencies, but keep all decision making between the locals. With just locals being in control, you can easily set up guidelines and rules that are pertinent to your neck of the woods(pun intended!). That's my $0.02 on the subject.
Leila Rich wrote:Bill, permaculture's a complex design science, and growing stuff is just one facet. Permacultureprincipals website describes it well.
For me, it's a real learning by doing thing, supported by reading, researching, talking...
I'd start with thinking about ways to make wherever you live, and life generally, as integrated, practical and energy-efficient as possible.
For me these 'small, complex solutions' are at the heart of it.
Possibilities and potentials for creating/enhancing your environment just keep appearing once you get your 'eyes on'.
Then I'd think about a PDC or something 'official'.
I'll second this, because it's important to understand. Gardening is just one facet of Permaculture, although an important one. There are many things you can do with a "brown thumb". Having said that, if you like volunteer work(generally 40 hours a year +6 hours of ongoing training), you can sign up for Master Gardeners through your AgCenter(at Oregon State University). They'll train you in the basics easily enough and, through time, you will learn a lot more. A word of warning, MG is not strictly organic, but knowing about chemicals(fertilizers/biocides) can help too. You may also have a Master Naturalist and Master Farmer program. In the New Orleans area, we also have a Tree Troopers organization(through the city's parkway department, and yes more volunteer work) that will teach you about the proper care for trees. These are alternatives to a 4 year course(though I have to admit, I've been thinking about taking a horticultural course myself anyway).
Marc Siepman wrote:I changed my life considerably and yes, that helps a bit. People start eating organic, while you thought that they never would. But if you stop beating nature down, you start getting complaints. And there seems to be no way to get through to them; they are prejudiced beyond all hope, it would seem. How do you penetrate that?
And yes, resistance is our duty.
With sense of humus,
Marc
Sharing the surplus really helps keep down complaints!
james cripps wrote:i've read alot about all the ideas about verious ways to manage land to get as much crop out of as little space as possible i.e. SFG but what about adding another level?, by putting a rack unit over the top of the bed i.e.1.5 meters the ground crops will still get enough sunlight to do there thing while on the second level (using pots made out of recycled milk bottles (plastic) or some other container) another shorter crop can be grown therefore doubling up the potential harvist for one area of ground.
any thoughts?.
It would probably involve a lot of experimentation and be highly dependent on your hardiness zone as to what you can get away with. I'd think that the versatility of the bed would be reduced since you have to take in the height of the plants underneath too. For example: indeterminate tomatoes, runner beans, peas, cucumbers, pumpkins and other vining type plants would be of reduced worth in that kind of system. But if you were in an area where you grow cole crops(brocolli, cauliflower, etc.) and something like lettuce on the upper area, then that might be ideal. I'd reduce my yield during the summer, but for cool season crops, I might be able to get away with it.
Then there's the sun. Having my summer sun being almost directly overhead(89 degrees) might make having some shade during the sweltering summers a good thing too. During winter when the sun hangs lower, it probably wouldn't be much of an issue depending on the plants above.
I'm not sure you'd want the plants above dripping excess water directly in to the lower plants, especially when some nutrients and other things will be traveling with the water. You might need some plumbing/gutters.
I hope I didn't come across as being too negative, because stuff like this can come in very handy for people who live in apartments and/or have very limited space(deck garden for instance). Using PVC for experimentation might be a cheap way to go, say large diameter pipes cut in to gutters like many people do for aqua/hydroponic systems.
This is giving me some ideas for the back patio....
Mark Shepard wrote:... IRS Schedule F and IRS Schedule C and study them carefully.... Try to see how they fit together...
If someone would kindly say what this is to foreigners....
Internal Revenue Service forms(USA) ie: the tax man.
Schedule F is to report profit or loss for farms. Schedule C is a profit/loss form for privately owned business(I assume small business, but I could be wrong...tax codes suck).
Dave Turpin wrote:I think newsdaily.com (or whomever they stole the information from) is just looking to discredit biofuel production by coming up with a problem.
I'm still not convinced that biofuels will help us or the planet in the long run. Running the risk of sounding like a terrorist(I found no right way to say this next bit), but I think lowering the populations in industrialized countries(ie: consumers of industrial products) would do more for the environment than anything else. To be honest, I wouldn't really care if only the rich people had access to industrial agriculture, industrial medicine, gasoline/oil, an electrical grid and refiltered drinking water that has too much chlorine in it. 99% of the population can easily offset the pollution of the 1% if the rest of us lived right and didn't try to emulate the rich(I realize that's easier said than done since we're born in to this insane civilization, yet we all know something ain't right since we're on Permies.com). Tonight might not be my night to type things, I hope that didn't come off as snobby or malicious. It wasn't meant to be.
Brandis Roush wrote:Anyway, my plans are normally bigger than what I actually accomplish
I know exactly what you mean...
1) can I plant potatoes in the same hugel bed again? (keeping in mind I'm going to seriously add to and amend the soil, probably after I let the chickens have a go at it after the snow melts).
You should rotate plant families(Solanaceae, Apiaceae/Umbelliferae, Brassicaceae, Amaryllidaceae/Alliums, etc.) to avoid the build up of pests, especially in the soil. The more rotations, the better for annuals(some say as much as 7 seasons, though 4-5 is more of a norm). Google crop rotation for more info.
2) Suggestions to plant in the voids- I was thinking siberian pea shrub, but they get taller than I want. As I said, it's along the East fence of my veg garden. My veg garden already has a row of full grown fruit trees to the West, so I don't really want to create significant shade on the East side. Perhaps some sort of perennial plant instead of shrub?
For me, I'd put in chop and drop mulch plants(now's the time to plant that comfrey!) with maybe a nitrogen fixing shrub such as goumi(Elaeagnus multiflora). Goumi can get up to 8' tall, but you can also trim it for some woody biomass. Gouomi berries are edible and birds love them.
3) I'm working on getting more permaculture elements into my annual garden. I'm completely changing the layout from rectangular raised beds to a more nautral, leaf vein type pattern with swales for pathways. But as I said, I do this all alone and by hand. I find digging with a shovel kind of soothing, but after a while and especially when it's hot or humid that wears off pretty fast. Is there a peice of equipment that might make some of the work easier? A tractor is out of the question, but like a wheel hoe or something?
I was looking at cheaper alternatives to a backhoe and came across this. I've done no real research on it, but I thought it was better than an all out front end loader with a backhoe attachment. Of course, if we're talking about a back yard scenario then it's overkill.
4) What about plantings on the swales- instead of mulching them, could I plant a non-invasive low growing something in them to keep weeds out? The garden is low lying and flat, not to mention sandy, so rainwater permeating fast isn't really a huge issue. Orchard grass? Clover? Alfalfa? Alfalfa gets really well established, and I could occasionally cut it to feed my chickens, but is it hardy enough to walk on, and would it spread? I'm trying to come up with a way to make my pathways as zero maintenance as possible- nothing makes me more insane than spending hours weeding freakin' pathways. Feels like such a waste of time! I've just been mulching them (I tried landscape fabric and wood mulch before, didn't have much luck). So any advice on achieving this would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
I'll have to agree with the white clover(white dutch clover Trifolium repens). Nitrogen fixing, insectary and a low growing ground cover that can take walking on. You can probably get some free seed out in the wild, though it's not terribly expensive to buy either.
Alder Burns wrote:(About planting sweet potatoes) Plant the tubers in a pot inside or in a coldframe or some such in early spring. They need warmth. As the sprouts grow up you break them off....most will have roots coming out of the stems, and you plant these out in the garden. Leave the tubers in place and they will sprout a second and even a third set of sprouts.... You can also keep the plants as growing plants, in a pot inside. To multiply them clip them up into 2-3 node sections and root as cuttings. This method hinders the spread of certain diseases on the roots. Here in CA I seem to have a bad problem with damping off on cuttings and seedlings in pots....moreso than GA, surprisingly. I may have to pour boiling water in the coldframe or some such drastic step next time.....
Normally I'd just +1 this, but rooting the slips(cuttings from the vine) is really the best thing to do.
Steve Flanagan wrote:I know that there are topics on staple crops, but I want to know what people are growing personally and where they are from. I would like any to hear any relevant experiences in this area. By staples I am referring to calorie dense food high in either fats, proteins, or starches.
Sweet potatoes during the long summer in southeast Louisiana, then the single batch of yukon golds just after spring. As others have said, sweet potatoes are so easy and grow so well that I'd be silly not to let them take over my yard. I've started growing goumi, but it will be a few years before I see a harvest(essential fatty acids). For protein, I have chicken eggs. Someday I'll start growing things properly to provide food year round, but it won't be this year!
Jeremiah Temple wrote:Oh, I forgot to mention the citrus. There are cold hardy varieties that go fully dormant. Also, Sepp Holzer grows citrus and it gets -35 degrees where he is.
Here is a list of some cold hardy citrus.
Calamondin 16 degrees F
Chinotto Orange 16 degrees F
Changshi Tangerine 8 degrees F
Meiwa Kumquat 16 degrees F
Nagami Kumquat 16 degrees F
Nippon Orangequat 15 degrees F
Ichang Lemon 10 degrees F
Tiwanica Lemon 10 degrees F
Rangpur Lime 15 degrees F
Red Lime 10 degrees F
Yuzu Lemon 12 degrees F
John Polk wrote:
One crop you might consider is pumpkins. You can grow many pounds in a small area.
Chickens love pumpkins. Grow in the heat of summer, and feed during the following cold months.
You don't need the fancy "pie" type. Whatever will produce the most #/sq.ft.
I noticed that chickens love to go through "found" cucumbers and I was looking for another reason to grow pumpkins anyway. Thanks!
Have classes on hunting, preparation of meat, uses for feathers, skins, bones, antlers(including art). Then have a Deer Sausage Festival or something so you can sell it all at one convenient time and place. Allow the set up of a few local(or even portable) abattoirs. Drop the out of state fees on hunting licenses, or just make a special(cheap or free) license for only hunting the "problem" animals.
In these tough economic times, nature has handed them a solution. Managed properly, they could use this "problem" to their advantage. An overabundance of food and people are complaining...that makes no sense.
Derrick Eads wrote:I know, a problem many would like to have, but I still need help.
We have recently purchased 33ac in East Central Alabama, and what we hope to turn into our Permaculture Farm/Green Residence dream.
You should wait until you have seen how this land behaves before moving further with anything. I know you're eager to start(I would be!), but you really need to learn your land through at least each season first.
At the moment it is completely wooded, and with the exception of a steep slope on the very north and west side the property is primarily rolling to almost flat.
Our thinking at this point is to clear cut all but the steep hills and just start from scratch - planting alternating sections of food forests, pastures, greenhouses and gardens.
Permacultural practices would dictate small and slow solutions rather than large scale and abrupt changes.
Despite my intensive self education and personal experience over the last few years, the idea of committing to a design of something so large - and so permanent - scares the snot out of me.
Your instincts are probably right.
I have contacted the AG Dept at Auburn University (45 minutes south of the property) in hopes of getting some guidance - from anyone who may have more experience or knowledge than me, but have yet to get a response.
I knew in advance that contacting them (or any other college, including some AG specific colleges) was a potential long shot, especially since permaculture "knowledge" is not exactly conventional wisdom - even within the walls of "cutting edge" colleges, so any ideas as to where else I may turn to for (hopefully) on location advice or guidance on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your thoughts
Check to see if your AgCenter sponsors a Master Naturalist program(mine is starting one next year). These people should be able to guide you better in a "native and natural" direction. Though permaculture might be out of their purview, but then again, I'm a Master Gardener and hope to soon be a Master Naturalist!
Then talk with whatever person does their organic farming stuff, or better yet, take a Master Gardening class(it does require that you volunteer some time in the community) so you can network and find information easier. I've built a lot of inroads being a MG, but it does take time. And yes, even a few MGs will know about permaculture(they may even have some permacultural projects), you just have to find them. For some reason the whole Cooperative Extension system severely lacks in the advertising department(whether that's good or bad, I don't know).
At least my AgCenter(LSU) has all the "pieces" of permaculture, just not the complete holistic view(though it does have some holistic points). Also, you're probably trying to contact overworked and underpaid/funded people(budget cuts have been bad for gov't). I know my Ag Agent works a horrendous amount of hours.
As far as I know, you can't reliably grow citrus that far north. Even in the New Orleans area, I'm pushing my luck growing it. Microclimates may play a part in her luck with that "orange" tree.
Fruit trees and plants that produce fruit(tomatoes, peppers, etc.) can be grown in lead contaminated soil. There is a membrane that prevents lead from getting in to the fruit. One caveat, the tree/plant itself should be considered toxic waste. Lead will also "sink down" in the soil over time(a very long time). It really depends what chemical(s) you're dealing with and what plants you want to grow.
As far as colored cardboard/paper goes, earth worms don't seem to be bothered by it(or can reproduce fast enough where I don't see an appreciable drop in population). I'd have to dig up parts of my garden in about a year to see if there is any microbial activity on the colored paper versus regular cardboard though. I recently reorientated my veg beds to take advantage of a contours, and all I found underneath were some plastic envelope windows and some tape that I failed to remove from a cardboard box that I used. This was only 8 months after I had put it all in at about 2" thick(which is why I moved up to 3" thick). I would assume from the observation that colored printed newspaper and glossy junk mail/catalogs/etc are indeed edible by microorganisms and that they keep a sufficient population to continue breaking it all down(just not plastic, but we already knew that). Since matter is neither created, nor destroyed(only changed), we can infer that any chemicals had to go somewhere unless they were changed by being consumed which is probably(not definitely) the case.
But I guess the big question is, was my food toxic? That I can't tell you unfortunately. Even in 20 years time, it might not have been toxic food that caused my death or whatnot. But I think the bigger question would be is it better to throw all of this stuff in a toxic dump or to release it in smaller amounts back in to the environment. I prefer the latter for absolutely no scientific reasoning other than lower p.p.b. are usually less deadly than higher concentrations.
As Mr. Watson said, "I think a lot of the time, people underestimate Mother Nature and/or overestimate the power of chemicals to move through soil."
Pine bark would do the trick. An unsustainable proven method has been to plant blueberries in straight pine bark and then fertilize/fertigate weekly. I'm trying a mix of pine bark/compost on my Camellia sinensis(50%/50% by volume). They seem to be doing alright, but only time will tell(Cameliia spp. require acid soil too). If you want to use pine bark as a mulch, I believe it can take as long as a year for the mulch to affect the pH of the soil(but haven't tried it). Also, mixing bark in with compost will probably deplete the nitrogen quickly. This is still very much under trial. I haven't had any luck whatsoever using peat moss to lower the pH of soil or a 50/50 peat moss/compost mix(plus peat moss/compost really needs something to add tilth..I ended up with a water logged mess and Camellias do not like wet feet).
Do I need to start calling Mr. Wheaton "My Liege"? I don't remember swearing an oath of fealty, but maybe he sneaked one in before my first cup of coffee. Is it legally binding if coffee was not drunk first?
Oh, so your problem is not only liquid building up, but you only get to use this stuff for 2 months out of the year. If you have any ground not covered in ice(small bit of lawn, maybe the community garden?), you could always pour it on there, but I see how storage can be an issue. I'd try to use a 5 gallon bucket to store the juice, just to see how much you get in a given period of time. The leachate(worm juice) will cause problems if not drained. I don't get a whole lot of worm juice, but then again, I'm not on a veg diet either and my worms get mostly coffee grounds(chickens get the veg).
Install a water faucet(tap, spigot, whatever you call it) to drain the worm juice. I'm unsure of your setup, but all commercial bins have a drain for the liquid(which you can use on the garden too). If you made your own worm bin, install a faucet on the lower section(or add a lower section just for drainage). You might have to tip the worm bin to get it all out. Also, do you have vent holes to allow oxygen in for the worms? Dead worms smell bad enough by themselves(never order worms in the middle of summer when you live on the gulf coast!).
