Received 'Stereo' seed, will grow and report further. I plan to start in the greenhouse, then transplant out as soon as soil can be worked. This all depends on getting water from spring to greenhouse...
"Box 13-7 Cooperation or Competition? The Chicken and the Egg.
'Chicken breeders did an interesting experiment that sheds some light on the cooperation versus competition question. The goal of the chicken breeders was to increase egg production in chickens. They used two approaches, each beginning with nine cages of full of hens. In the first approach, the breeders selected the most productive hen from eachof the nine cages, then used these hens to produce enough chickens to fill another nine cages. In the second approach, the breeders selected the cage that produced the most eggs, and used these hens to produce enough chickens to to fill another nine cages. They continued the experiment for six generations.
Which approach resulted in the greatest increase in egg production? As it turned out, the experiment was truncated after six generations because the treatment using the most productive hen from each cage could no longer produce enough hens to fill nine more cages. Many of the individual hens were the most productive because they bullied the other hens into underproduction. The breeders were selecting for the hen version of psychopathic bullies. The cooperative hens, in the meantime, had doubled egg production.' D. Wilson, Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives New York: Delacorte Press, 2007", as quoted in Daly, Herman E. & Farley, Joshua Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications, 2nd edition, Washington DC, Island Press 2011.
Joseph Lofthouse wrote:Here's what one of my fava bean patches looked like this week. The plants are about 3 feet tall. I planted 3 patches: One last fall, one via transplants this spring, and one direct seeded this spring. This patch is the transplants put in the ground a day or two after winter snow-cover melted. It seems to have done the best.
Hi Joseph,
About fava transplanting: How old were the transplants? Do you recommend this?
cv. 'Stereo' reportedly has stringless edible pods as well as edible beans - Has anyone grown it? If so, how did they turn out?
Also, has anyone transplanted fava beans successfully? Here in North-Eastern North America (NENA), our hot summers end fava bean production - I wonder if early fava starts, transplanted as soon as soil can be worked, might extend the fava production season usefully.
How to Cook Chinese Chestnuts – J. M. Nave
If you have some favorite way of cooking Chinese chestnuts, I'm not trying to change that. I'm just trying to show people how you can best bring out the flavors of Chinese nuts and get better textures. Cooking Chinese nuts the same way you would cook European or American nuts is not optimal because Chinese nuts are much denser. And if you are cooking Chinese nuts optimally, you don't need to cut the shell. Low and slow is the optimal way to cook Chinese chestnuts.
The most interesting way, and most common way, to cook chestnuts in China is to roast chestnuts at low temperatures (240F or less) for extended periods of time (60 minutes or more). Roasting at lower temperatures for longer periods of time breaks down the dense Chinese nut and fully releases the flavors in the nut. It also gives the nut a softer texture, more like an American or European chestnut. A Chinese chestnut that is cooked at 350F or above for short periods of time (30 minutes or less), will normally have a burnt or hard exterior and an almost uncooked interior. The flavor will not be well developed. Cooking Chinese chestnuts in this manner has led to the common belief in the US that Chinese nuts are inferior to American or European chestnuts. American and European chestnuts that are cooked at high temperatures for short periods or time will be mostly cooked and falling apart and the flavors will be well developed. Because Chinese chestnuts are much denser than American and European chestnuts, they benefit from slower more thorough cooking at lower temperatures. Their density also gives Chinese nuts greater versatility in cooking. For example, Chinese chestnuts can be used in many dishes such as soups and stews without falling apart.
To fully understand how the density of the nut impacts cooking, it may be helpful to compare cooking chestnuts to cooking beef. Different cuts of beef have different textures and densities. Tenderloin (so named because of the soft texture of the meat) is quite different than brisket. Tenderloin may be cooked at high temperatures for short periods of time. The result is beef that is soft and full of flavor. Brisket on the other hand is a much denser cut of meat. Cooking it at high temperatures for short periods of time will result in a burnt exterior and an uncooked interior. The meat will also be tough and difficult to chew. To properly cook brisket requires cooking for longer periods of time at lower temperatures to allow the heat to penetrate to the interior of the meat. This results in a much more flavorful brisket with a softer texture. Chinese chestnuts are the brisket of the chestnut world. They are exceptionally good eating when properly cooked.
Another benefit to cooking Chinese chestnuts at lower temperatures is that the shells do not need to be cut. In the US, chestnut shells are normally cut when nuts are to be roasted to allow heated water vapor to escape. If the shell is not cut, the expanding water vapor will cause the shell to explode. But when a Chinese chestnut is cooked at 240F or below, it will not normally explode because the buildup of water vapor is very slow and it can escape without exploding the shell. This also results in another benefit. When the shell is not cut, the cooked nut retains more moisture which results in a better texture for the nut. To some extent, not cutting the shell also results in a partial steaming of the nut. It’s simply a better way to cook Chinese chestnuts. Which brings up the point that Chinese chestnuts can also be cooked by boiling for at least 60 minutes. Boiling is not optimal for American or European chestnuts because the nuts tend to get very soggy and fall apart which also makes them difficult to peel. Because Chinese nuts are denser, they don’t absorb much water and tend not to fall apart after boiling, which also makes them as easy to peel after boiling as they are before boiling.
Here are chestnut flakes for sale, from Ardeche France: https://www.bulkeez.com/collections/organic-cereals/products/organic-chestnut-flakes Interesting chestnut product, with a long storage life and they fit into a breakfast bowl well. They have a mild taste, different than what I expected. The weights of the ones I bought were mislabeled. the '5 pounds', actually weighed 2 kilograms.
"Ardèche is the largest chestnut-producing department in France, with nearly 5,000 tonnes a year. Awarded AOC status in 2006, the Ardèche chestnut is used in many specialities, from the celebrated candied chestnuts to the famous chestnut purée, by way of chestnut liqueur, the cake Lou Pisadou, chestnut soup and chestnut flour bread.
To know more about this mythical nut and its nutritional value, and the world of chestnut growers, go to the House of the Chestnut (Maison du Châtaignier) at Saint-Pierreville, in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, where three floors of exhibits will reveal the world of the chestnut.
There is also a museum dedicated to the history of the chestnut, from the Middle Ages to today, in the centre of the medieval town of Joyeuse.
From mid-October to mid-November the emblematic nut of Ardèche is honoured during the traditional chestnut festivals, the Castagnades, at Antraigues-sur-Volane, Désaignes, Joyeuse, Meyras, Saint-André-Lachamp, Privas and Saint-Pierreville."
https://www.france-voyage.com/gastronomy/ardeche-chestnuts-6.htm https://en.ardeche-guide.com/sites-to-visit/museums-sites/chestnut-house-152846 I hope to learn more about the making of these chestnut flakes. Does anyone know more about it?
Happy Holidays
Brian
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Every search I came up with for flattening the metal used a household iron on linen (highest heat) setting and 3 minutes of work. I followed along and after five minutes, there was still significant curl and the smell wasn’t good. I also didn’t want to spend two or three hours for the fifty sheets. I decided to go old school and use cast iron and my gas hob. I flattened stacks of ten, for 1 minute. It worked. Some of the paint stained the next sheet down, but a small price to pay for the savings in time and energy.
...
I thought I'd heard that the aluminum can sheeting can be heat-treated in a toaster oven to return it to a soft condition that better suits writing on it with a ballpoint, for plant labeling. Anyone know about that?
Ellendra Nauriel wrote:I'm currently testing nematodes as tick control. The advantage, other than the lack of toxins, is that the nematodes will keep reproducing as long as there's something to feed them. I didn't see any beneficial insects on the list of bugs these nematodes will eat, but I'll be keeping an eye out for that.
If it works, I might see if I can convince my neighbors to do the same.
Western-USA-Invasive Peganum harmala contains the original parent compound of bromhexine; named 'vasicinone', and a whole lot more potent phytochemicals.
'Bromhexine is a mucolytic drug used in the treatment of respiratory disorders associated with viscid or excessive mucus. It was originally derived as an extract derivative called vasicinone from the Indian plant, Adhatoda vasica.' [=Justicia adhatoda] Wikipedia.
"Vasicinone is a quinazoline alkaloid. It shows bronchodilatory activity in vitro but bronchoconstrictory activity in vivo. Vasicinone was shown to have an anti-anaphylactic action. It has been found within Peganum harmala." Wikipedia.
"Vasicine (peganine) is [also] a quinazoline alkaloid. It is found in Justicia adhatoda [was Adhatoda vasica], after which it is named. It is additionally found in Peganum harmala." Wikipedia.
This relates to SARS-CoV2/COVID by COVID's reliance on an human transmembrane serine protease called TMPRSS2, which cleaves COVID's spike protein, activating viral infection of human cells. Bromhexine inhibits TMPRSS2 and is being investigated as a prophylaxis or early treatment against SARS-CoV2 infection.
'Withanone and Withaferin-A are predicted to interact with transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and block entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells'
From Withania somnifera, known as Ashwagandha, these molecule may provide SARS-CoV2 prophylaxis.
'Identification of potential anti-TMPRSS2 natural products through homology modelling, virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation studies'
[TMPRSS2 is a human cell surface enzyme which the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus uses to infect our cells.]
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07391102.2020.1798813 Abs: "...six molecules (Neohesperidin, Myricitrin, Quercitrin, Naringin, Icariin, and Ambroxol) were found to be promising against the TMPRSS2. ..."
[These molecules, like bromhexine and camostat, might help slow or prevent SARS-CoV2 infection prophylactically.
teri morgan wrote:...
noah came after moses, elijah, and eli (ALL pyrenees...our years on that farm were many...where i raised my boys...the pyrenees kept safe, so that i could rest a little easier--3 BOYS)...they were all wonderful and they all did their job...all were able to live out our life on the farm...from 8 weeks to the end of their lives...except noah, he was the last...God saved the best to last... and although he lived out our life on the farm...he has yet to live out his. he was the light of the farm...taking care of our goats, chickens, pigs, us and believe it or not my mother...who became his number one when she walked out of the front door...mom came to my home when she was diagnosed with alzheimers in 2009...we bought noah in 2013 , and during the time we were on that farm, as her condition deteriorated...noah proved himself in a way i had never heard...he became her service dog...all on his on...no training...no urging...really, mother never did anything to or for him that i know...it was just....well...it was just that it seemed that he knew...and he stayed by her side...if she wandered...he would jump up...walk RIGHT BESIDE HER...and head her back when she got to the light pole...no crap...100% of the time...would just move right to the front of her and gently turn...around her...and bring her right back to the front door...it was the most INCREDIBLE INCREDIBLE thing i have ever witnessed...1 year gone and momma still asks about him!!!
Teri Morgan: Are Noah's offspring available? Where was Noah from?
Here's a long video booster on ondol-writ-large; including hydronic underfloor heating as ondol. It does have good footage of traditional direct-wood-fired ondols in operation and in parts.
Brian Cady wrote:
I'm trying to import an expensive little packet from France.
What's your source in France? I'd be interested in looking at it in Germany.
Morfydd, to answer your question directly, as I should have, I ordered from B & T World Seeds.
Brian
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Well, I gave up ordering through B & T World Seeds - neither one of us knew how to deal with the USDA import restrictions, which require Vicia seed treatment for Bruchidae seed beetles.
Brian
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Ryan M Miller wrote:
The fact that this plant has lower toxins than common vetch and has yields comparable to common vetch suggests this plant has high potential as an alternative food crop. I'll try to acquire some seeds of this plant species by Fall of this year.
I'm trying to import an expensive little packet from France.
What's your source in France? I'd be interested in looking at it in Germany.
Morfydd, to answer your question directly, as I should have, I ordered from B & T World Seeds.
Ryan M Miller wrote:
The fact that this plant has lower toxins than common vetch and has yields comparable to common vetch suggests this plant has high potential as an alternative food crop. I'll try to acquire some seeds of this plant species by Fall of this year.
I'm trying to import an expensive little packet from France.
What's your source in France? I'd be interested in looking at it in Germany.
Ryan M Miller wrote:
The fact that this plant has lower toxins than common vetch and has yields comparable to common vetch suggests this plant has high potential as an alternative food crop. I'll try to acquire some seeds of this plant species by Fall of this year.
I'm trying to import an expensive little packet from France.
Andrea Locke wrote:Last year I bought a box of garden doodads from a lady who was downsizing and among other interesting items it contained these two giant pine cones. I have not been able to figure out what they are.
Anyone recognize these? In lieu of a species identification I would settle for some good pine cone names.
Andrea, in the spirit of being helpful, I hereby name these pine cones Heidi and Greg.
While helping gather nuts a few years ago at Badgersett Research; Phillip Rutter's farm, he relayed how he had been given several select alder clones; hybrids selected for rapid growth rate in research before hybrid poplar research shaded out the research funding for hybrid alder. They were growing there in Canton MN. I didn't look at them closely.
Said to be very cold hardy and low in seed toxins. Has anyone grown it as a cover crop? Fed the seed to poultry? Does anyone have seed to distribute?
"Hungarian vetch is native to eastern Europe and Caucasus and is well adapted to severe winter cold. The cultivation of this
species is expanding rapidly in Turkey, replacing less productive Vicia spp. (Sabanci pers. comm.). Adapted to heavy soils it
tolerates poorly drained soils better than other vetches (Duke 1981). The species has distinct promise as a grain crop as
relatively non shattering lines are available. Similar to V. villosa it is an outbreeding species where fertilisation and fruit set can
be increased by visits of pollinators (Zhang & Mosjidis 1995). Like all vetches, its main uses have been for hay and green
manure. In Moldavia, Avedeni (1989), found lines with high cold tolerance, high biomass, seed weight, seed yield and protein
content. ICARDA is focussing on the selection of genotypes with higher harvest index, reduced shattering and resistance to
Ascochyta blight. Progress has been rapid and several lines have produced seed and biological yields equal to the best V. sativa
lines with seed yields of 1372 kg/ha recorded at Tel Hadya, Syria.
The species is extremely low in known vetch toxins (canavanine, beta cyano-alanine) in two samples examined. Bell &
Tirimanna (1965) found low levels of VA3, recently identified as GEC [= gamma glutamyl - S ethenyl -cysteine](Enneking et al., 1998) in the seeds of this species but the
seed is certainly worth testing by monogastric bioassay to assess its performance. Coupled with its resistance to extreme cold
it is a potentially a very valuable feed, if not a food grain, and deserving of a greater breeding effort."
Francis, C. M.; Enneking, D.; Abd El Moneim, A. (1999) When and where will vetches have an impact as grain legumes? In: Knight,
R. (ed.) Linking Research and Marketing Opportunities for Pulses in the 21st Century. Proceedings of theThird International Food Legume
Research Conference, Adelaide 1997 . Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture. Vol. 34. Kluwer Academic Publishers ,
Dordrecht/Boston/London, pp. 671-683
Brian Cady wrote:
Some protease inhibitors Webpagemay help slow SARS-CoV2 spread, since the virus depends on a human host serine protease present on susceptible cell walls to prepare to enter each cell. TMPRSS2 is a name for this serine protease.
One such inhibitor suggested, bromhexine, comes is derived from a compound from Justicia adhatoda, also known as WebpageAdhatoda vesica . This plant is related to Justicia americanaWebpage, which itself is hardy to zone 4, unlike much of the rest of the genus. It ranges into Missouri nativelyWebpage.
I have no idea whether American water-willow helps prevent COVID-19, though.
Here's a 4 inch auger attached to the shortest one of three extensions made locally, with handle attached. You can see water in the hole - it's been wet lately. That slows getting the dirt from the hole - it slumps off the auger before surfacing. I hope to hit a sand or gravel layer soon, to ease accessing significant water in dry periods. Then I intend to put in a four inch well screen and casing.
The location is a little plateau part-way up a rocky ridge.
