propane hand held torch that attaches to a bbq tanks and a dolly to put the tank on.
seen here harborfreight has them for $20.
Walk the driveway after a rain, or when there is dew and singe all of the plants to the ground.
I had a friend who made a potential boom squish attachment out of a small, hand pump sprayer something like this and copper pipe wound around the flame portion, it had pressure release valves, so no boom squish. it shot steam out so fire hazard was low.
it made good steam without having to pull the trigger on the porpane torch. that is, just the pilot light on the torch was enough to get good steam.
It's been a while, but I think we attached the wands together with zip ties and used the trigger on the sprayer for steam production.
not sure if that makes sense, it would require some tinkering, and careful planning to avoid death.
However, we used it and it worked great.
These folks make and sell black water systems that work with worms. Apparently, they have installed them successfully, in alpine areas, arid areas, sub-tropics, and tropics.
One can go away for a while, system slows down, and then when one returns, the worm eggs left in the system will hatch and back to poop fest.
http://www.wormfarm.com.au/domestic/ PRI's website had a nice write-up on them a while back, you could search there for the article.
My injection pump costs $1000 at a minimum, I am skipping all things WVO.
And, yes, sourcing oil seems to be a problem.
My friend uses WVO and his rig is always needing to be fixed -- way too much tinkering for me.
I had wanted to share one more thing.
Did you see Goeff Lawton's video of the design for 5 acres?
There was a part of that design which I wanted to describe, and now it's out on video.
He shows foot paths, on the bottom left corner, which are filled with gravel.
They irrigate the "islands" in between the paths and no standing water or pipes for irrigation.
I think he dug down 3,4,5 feet and then backfilled with gravel, now a nice path that irrigates too.
Not sure if that helps, at least maybe for some aspects best of luck.
Ponds with fish to mitigate skeeters.
Try some things, make glorious failures, and successes.
Let us know how it goes, eh?
Pics all along the way would be awesome!
Hey there,
I won a copy of the Microhydro book for a super stupid joke that beat out other jokes, many of which were terrible too.
Some of the jokes were good, however.
Anyway, the book never arrived, I was just wondering if I missed it in the mail?
I won the book b/c I am signed up for Paul's dailyish emails and he gave it away for dailyish email subscribers only.
So, if you aren't signed up, you are missing out on winning free stuff and advance notice on good info.
So, I will have some free time coming up for the next yearish, maybe more if our plans prevail, and I am wondering what sorts of things I can help with here?
I can do, linkage stuff.
I would guess I can figure out Reddit.
Appropedia's website is, for me, hard to navigate, however, I am a wordsmith by training, so if there are specific articles that need to be written, based on permies.com threads, I am happy to give it a go. Just tell me which threads to convert.
Maybe someone can point me in the direction of one of these areas, or if other more pressing things need to be addressed, that's cool too. Just let me know.
I met Paul at the earthworks class and discussed these things with him and he told me to pop up on this forum and say I'm here.
I am very grateful for this website and want to show my appreciation.
I think I can put in an hour a day, or 7 hours a week, and see from there.
So, here I am.
I have heard people say that stands of trees 20 years or older, should generally be left standing -- b/c of the benefits they are providing locally and globally I assume.
Perhaps, you might consider hugelkulture?
You don't have to put in swales, or dams, it is not a requirement for a permaculture design.
Small water detention basins might work for your site and will provide habitat for amphibians and other life.
It really all depends, but you may have some years with droughty conditions and water storage in the soil might help smooth that out.
Even in places up your way, ridge type areas can be quit dry despite fairly good rain, so water soakage is good then.
My 2 cents would be to survey the trees you have, identify high value ones, keep most or all of those.
Cut the trees that are less value for your goal, and/or good firewood, and build hugels with what isn't good firewood.
You will receive many benefits from hugels that are similar to swales. And some benefits that swales won't provide.
Swales and ponds can, however, really help to mitigate the effects of large rain events/hurricanes and I am not sure that hugels will provide this benefit as well as swales can.
However, if you are on the upper parts of a tall ridge, I suggest to cut almost no or 0 trees.
If the property was straight rows of pine, I would likely do much thinning.
Maybe ask yourself --"What is the least amount of work I can do, for the greatest benefit?" and "Am i working with nature?"
Welcome, Su Ba.
The Big Island is such a beautiful place.
I did some property scouting there this last winter. Found the perfect spot.
I really liked the North Kohala area and a little bit south of there too.
Incredible land, great soils, not too much rain, great people, views -- what more can you ask for?
I was amazed by the mequite that grows along the coast there -- a local told me it came over when folks brought cows -- maybe the cows brought it in there guts?
I'll be sure to check out your blog.
the trope of the enlightened aristocrat, turning his back on the evil ways of high society, figuring out the "real" answers and bringing it to the masses, is for me a tired story.
it reminds me of the bajillionaires who all of the sudden decide to adopt zen and eschew possessions, but have multiple houses and fly first class.
as cooky as some of his "questionable attachments" may seem to me, I still see some parallels with permaculture in that he is attempting to get people to move in a new direction.
whatever works -- if this guy gets people to see that alternatives exist, or might exist, it seems his message is of benefit.
even if his free energy stuff works -- I think a trompe is infinitely more elegant and has verifiable large scale use.
http://www.cobalt.ca/index.php/ragged-chutes btw, has anyone ever tried to find a book in a library that discusses trompes?
it's an interesting exercise.
I will suggest the old fashioned method of calling the dept in each state that regulates food sales.
Or, maybe even emailing the folks in each state's food/health dept with your question.
Sometimes the Ag dept has a say too.
Maybe other depts depending on state e.g. Department of Natural Resources
My guess is that every state has some laws re: this.
Make sure to ask what the statute #(s) is/are for collection and sale of wild procured foods.
It might help to specify if you are only interested in wild-collected plants vs. animals -- if that is the case.
If the person doesn't know offhand, they can easily email you the link(s).
As they are civil servants, I would make them do the leg work for you as much as possible.
I have also searched for similar info regarding food sales, not always easy to locate on google.
I found the info (not what you need), but for clarification of the "grey" areas, I called health dept.
When I called, I got answers really quickly and the people were more than helpful.
There may even be "food sources" labeled as noxious/invasive weeds. This might lead to some strange grey areas of the law if the plants aren't allowed to be sold.
But if you "manage" those plants . . .?
I think email is the easiest way, mass email with bcc for every state -- if no response, call.
Set up email filter by state to sort your responses.
That's my 2 cents.
I have found that importing the google date to sketch-up can give you a good rough starting point.
Your last sentence is telling in that it does miss what are major elevation changes for a landholder.
I have seen it gloss over 15' drops.
So, good rough idea, yes.
I think most maps, even super detailed, can only take you so far.
This thread here shows some of the limitations of google maps for this purpose.
For example, the house-- on the lower left side of the sketch-up file I loaded onto thread -- has about a 12' drop right next to it that googlemaps glosses over.
And other minor issues.
So, this gives a good starting point.
I forget where I read it, but something like "Don't mistake the map for the territory" (P.A. Yoeman I think) certainly applies in this example, and for me is appropriate in all cases of map vs. actual land.
Maps are great, but only offer so much for planning in the manner I like.
Hope that helps.
Cool!
I already own both of the Edible Garden books. I have only browsed them so far, but they look to be very useful.
The new text looks really interesting.
I would love to attend the class however.
Now to think of a question or two.
I would use that high water table as an advantage.
Chinampas systems.
It's kind of hard for me to say much w/out pictures and maps (visit makes it even better).
If water is that high, not sure you would need swales for water collection, I would think having dry tree roots is more of a challenge than soaking water into the landscape, since it is always?/already soaked.
I would use that dirt to texture landscape and create high, dry spots. Maybe some terraces for rice/fish/aquatic stuff.
It depends on a lot of different stuff
Dig out ponds and use the dirt from that to create more high ground.
Just a couple of ideas.
And with that much water, sounds like you have many advantages.
Here are some pics I took of the swales Bill Mollision walks through in his 1980's videos, I think entitled "Global Gardener"
It's just west of Tucson, AZ. The land looks similar to yours in some ways.
It is just tall berms and behind the berms water slows down. The last pics are interesting to see what can be achieved in this type of landscape by soaking the water.
this is the map of the area, maybe you can get some ideas from this
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/albumMap?uname=111260028013275681495&aid=5798268838872516273&authkey=Gv1sRgCNHGjZPu_L3P1gE#map
Do all of you give iron shots in the pigs first week?
If so, where do you get your iron and how to you administer it?
If you don't give shots, what is your method?
Thanks
I bought all of the podcasts back on Jan 8 2013.
Am just getting to the 81-120, but it appears to have downloaded incorrectly.
All of the other gobs are intact.
I even went back to try the scubbly link again, but it was expired.
Any thoughts on what to do?
Thanks
Tom
I don't think this concept is outside of permaculture and if there are people who think it is ugly, then whatever. I think that is a silly idea.
I have heard well known permaculturists talk about mainframe designing property and selling it on as a very profitable way to work with permaculture.
I don't think it needs to be years in the making either.
Installing water harvesting features, ponds, and roads using design principles e.g. keyline, permaculture, restoration ag -- will quickly increase the value of the land monetarily and otherwise.
You could design out the entire properties intended progression, for an added fee, or let the owners decide how to proceed.
You could quantify the improvements, but simple b/4 and after pictures might suffice, or the land may just radiate vitality and abundance and then no need for any qualifications.
If you choose the right time of year, I can see installing the mainframe, seeding pioneer species and nitrogen fixers immediately after installation and having land for resale in 6 months time or less, with the dams full or well on the way to full (depending on size of dams).
Sell on the property and let the new owners "decorate" with food forests and such. This is b/c most folks (not all) into this type restorative practice, in my estimation, enjoy planting and planning gardens.
Seems like one of the best ways to make a living to me.
I have heard numbers of $4 dollars in return for every dollar invested in earthworks. I think a lot of that ROI projection depends on fuel costs and other local factors.
So, if you are or can find a skilled heavy machinery operator or 2, you may be able to have better margins. And the local market demand will (of course) dictate how much ROI you will see on these types of projects.
Why would someone choose, clean, bare feet to mash the kraut?
Would you eat her ferment?
I ask b/c I met a person recently who was immuno-compromized and would eat no ferments that she did not produce herself.
I would guess this woman's ferment in the video is safe to eat if one is healthy -- right?
Also, she mentions to never can kraut as it kills the good stuff, she suggests freezing it to keep the goodness of the ferment.
What do you think about this claim?
Thanks for coming out to permies and answering questions, looking forward to reading your book.
Tom
I came across these in Volcano national Park in Hawaii -- one of nature's versions of pulling water from the air.
To me it was neat b/c I have heard of people creating them, I was amazed that it occurred on it's own.
The pictures didn't really capture how much life was there, but since the rest of the area looked like a parking lot of newish lava, I was astounded.
The pocket is shaped like a bridge and the air flows through, cools down and water condenses out and drips to the plants. You can kind of see the opening on the other side near the top of pic 2, a little light pokes through.
When asked about the Trompe (which is free energy of a much simpler form than this video talks about imo) I heard a well known permaculturist state that humanity is not "evolved" to a point where free energy would be a good thing. The rationale offered was, look at the destruction we have spread given the financial cost of current energy.
Interesting take, not sure I completely agree that we aren't "ready for it." I would love a compressed air tractor and free refrigeration.
This movie has some salient points and what seems to me to be questionable attachments.
I am guessing the world domination aspect has some appeal to the dictator of this forum (i haven't listend to that podcast yet)
And their solutions offered discuss the utility of the internet and websites such as this to "infect brains" in a "terminal" capacity -- for the better.
It seems the focus on power accumulation in monetary systems, energy production and food resources are directly addressed in Mollison's big black book, without the finger wagging at the bad guys. So, the movie seems to have some parallel points of focus as permaculture.
The movie talks about some of the superpower families, and interestingly, I have heard Mollison mention that he has taught 3 generations of Carnegies (who have a huge, treeless tract of land in Oklahoma or somewhere around there) about permaculture and they have done nothing with the info -- hmmm, I wonder why given their resources?
It seems really difficult to discuss this movie w/out discussing politics.
I have rooted basil by sticking the stems in a glass jar.
I have heard of people rooting tomatoes by burying broken limbs -- it hasn't worked for me.
But maybe these aren't vegetables.
I saw a video of a guy in Australia I believe. He had very poor soils with few worms. Probably similar to many parts of Tejas.
His strategy was to take a small chunk of earth (maybe a spade shovel round hole, so about 15" wide and shovel depth) with the grass and other plants that were growing, that was rich with humus and worms.
He would use that "plug" of good soil and dig a hole in a crappy spot, fill with plug.
Whalla.
He uses that as a worm incubator of sorts to spread them to parts of his property without much fertility.
And it worked.
He pretty much transformed his whole farm this way to lush pastures and credits this process for his success.
I wish I could remember where I saw that video, if any one knows what one I am talking about please share.
I have coaxed worms out of soil by just putting a food scrap/yard litter pile in a shady spot, and watering when it needed it.
The worms found it easily, in six months, I had bajillions of worms in a worm farm.
The worm farm maintained contact with the soil, since, I believed the conditions I provided were better than the surroundings, I noticed no decrease in population from doing this, and if any stragglers came by, they could join the worm orgy, roman food fest.
maybe try soaking willow branches in water and using that as your water.
have used that successfully with herbaceous cuttings of plants that can become woody stemmed.
it might be worth trying some in only willow water as the medium until roots form.
we would use a cuttings tray with clear plastic lid to avoid desiccation and the scions would be propped up/suspended in the willow water until roots formed.
change water daily.
room temp was in the low 60's F.
scions placed on bookshelf in dark hallway.
Cool, welcome to permies. It's a great place.
I used to be involved in an intentional community.
20 some people lived in a huge house, I had a key. I was a food member, so when the drama got too much, I got to go home -- very nice.
After listening to Pual's podcast, I agree that most of the "issues" arose over food -- I hadn't ever assessed why it got so whacky.
My favorite story was a neighboring co-op (all in the area are clothing optional), had a 6 month debate on whether or not utilizing the clothing optional portion of the community was a wise choice while sitting on the counter tops in the kitchen --seriously?
Butt-naked on the counter tops?! No.
Consensus at it's worst!
Good luck on your search -- should be fun.
(i haven't listend to that podcast yet)