My goumi is going crazy. So crazy I can't figure out what to do with all the berries as I can only eat so many raw before the astringency gets to me. I actually signed in her for the first time in awhile to see if anyone has actually figured out what to do with them! I know I only have a couple of days before they hit that magic stage of ripeness and the birds eat them all.
My plan was to try steam juicing them and then making jelly. Steam juicing them resulted in a watery pale liquid that smelled strongly of tomatoes. Must be the lycopene. I cooled the juice off and mixed it with some sugar to test the flavor. Not great. Steam juicing them knocked the sweetness out of them and the tomato flavor was just bizarre in what had been a fairly sweet fruit.
Sooooooo, I would really love to find a way to get the seeds out and make jelly or fruit leather or SOMETHING with them. Almost all the references I read suggest that they can be used in pies and jams and wines but I have yet to stumble across an actual recipe for any of this!
I kind of doubt your high iron levels are causing hoof problems on your horses, I would sooner think it was protein levels.
Actually, high iron levels are a serious issue for equine health. Excess iron levels can contribute to laminitis. Katie is 100% correct to be concerned. The iron levels need to be balanced with copper, selenium, and zinc. I also live in an area with acidic soil, high iron levels and very low selenium and zinc levels and without supplementation, the pastures and hay inevitably leads to poor hoof health.
Katie, I'd probably spring for pulling some blood and running a mineral panel so you know what you're dealing with while you sort out the pH in your pastures.
Everyone here has lost due to thankless arguing on the internet. What a disservice to the instructors for your course and the people who participated in your Kickstarter. And the comments both on this thread and the YouTube thread just make everything worse for everyone.
What's probably the most sad is whether this will affect how people view in the information from your instructors because they are now affected by this brouhaha. What a waste.
Paul, I've unsubscribed from Patreon not because of the video but because of how it was handled here. I am 100% sure neither party is blameless in this meltdown and I don't find interpersonal train wrecks educational nor entertaining.
A couple weeks ago, I planted mint in an area that I truly hope it becomes invasive. Because it will give me a reason to beat back the bindweed and blackberries if I have something useful and invasive in there instead.
If I wanted to get rid of it, I'd probably mow it, cover with cardboard, and pile with mulch. It's not that hardy of a plant.
So, my comfrey reached nearly six feet high, remarkable given that I don't think it's gotten above maybe three or three and a half feet before. The bees had exhausted it and it it was flopping everywhere, so I chopped it down and put it around two new plum trees. So, yeah, mulching with comfrey is, in fact, a thing.
If you google "kinesiotaping lymphatic drainage" and pull up the photos tab, you'll see a ton of examples. I'm sure there are some how to videos out there for each body part. The basic concept is that you're pulling fluid towards a lymph node so the lymphatic system can remove the swelling more easily. Great first aid for homesteaders and stubborn non-homesteaders. In addition to reducing swelling, it does provide some immediate pain relief.
The comfrey comment was directed towards the earlier accident with the femur, not the wrist!
I think anyone serious about at-home remedies should learn the basics of kinesiotaping*, particularly lymphatic cuts to help with swelling in cases like these. So far, I have taped a broken hand and a broken foot on other people, which tided them over until they could get to the doctor during daylight hours. It reduced the local swelling and helped managed the pain. I have to say, personally, I would not have messed around with a femur. In general, I would also take great care with comfrey until you know that the bones are positioned to set properly. But for those cases where you're thinking "I don't know if this is a sprain or a break and nothing is sticking out and I can survive a day or two, kinesiotape can make all the difference.
*the materials of kinesiotape are decidedly not "permie", but I do consider this a very useful tool for any homesteader, particularly given the current state of health care in the United States. Maybe think of it akin to using diesel to dig earthworks.
Do report back on how the ollas with the floats go. I'm on my second year of simply sealed clay pots with a lid. They worked great for me last year and really cut down on both plant loss and wasted water.
Cedar is naturally resistance to bacterial and fungal decay, which means it isn't going to go through the nice breakdown process in your pile. Perhaps better chipped as a top layer and placed around the new trees as mulch?
I think there are occasions when it is important to show up as the best version of yourself. I'll bet Joseph gives his beard a little trim. I, heaven help me, go digging through my closet for my dreaded foe, the blow dryer. We dig out our nicer clothes, wash our hands, trim our nails. Showing up as the best version of yourself is a sign of respect for the other person's event, whether that be a wedding, dinner, funeral, whatever. As my as I am loathe to get out of my yoga pants, they probably aren't my best self just because I'm comfortable. So, when it comes to body hair, I think the answer is just whatever is the best version of yourself.
On the other hand, I did get myself thrown out of my sister's wedding party for refusing to wear a strapless gown and play the viola that I hadn't played in ten years in front of 400 people while she walked down the aisle. Epic bridezilla fail.
We could have an entire thread on what people do to each other surrounding weddings...but that would probably drive everyone to drink.
A source of medicine: If you develop a good, ongoing relationship with a veterinarian, many will write basic prescriptions as needed. In the last two weeks, I got about $900(really) of prescription meds all via phone and text. But this is a vet I know very well who knows what I can assess on my own and when I need to ask for help. I imagine if you had the vet out once or twice a year for affordable tasks to develop a relationship, it would open the door to being able to do things on your own. Especially because, if you have a relationship, you can get on the phone and get guidance without them coming out. My vet is so busy, he'd prefer to not come out if it is something we can reasonably work through on the phone.
I just reread this thread and I am happy to report that I did just come in from working in Zone 1. It did get overrun in the endless rains this spring, but reclaiming it is going surprisingly well.
Last year, when I was writing my posts, I was in the process of planting sedge has the base mosaic of my perennial-food-polinator-hedge. Even without enough time to really be a ground cover, it did start to appreciably reduce the reappearance of grass. I had to help somewhat, but I've gained a huge amount of ground over the year. Within that I have currants, blueberries, raspberries, goumi, yarrow, nodding onion, goldenrod, a bunch of native flowers, and plenty of flowers that I like. Zone 1, doing lots better. And it's pretty.
I have, however, completely abandoned any attempt to grow annual vegetables in a polyculture. It's just been a slug-riddled mess. Maybe in drier areas you can get away with this, but in our damp climate, it's been nothing but disaster. Uncle.
Mark, I started committing to one section of lawn last year. I spread compost in the spring and fertilized, then spread compost in the fall and threw down fresh seed into the bare patches the were covered in compost. That dramatically helped its look this spring. In fact, I need to get on spreading another load of compost before it gets too dry. This fall, I would consider a low mow, a thick layer of compost in those bare patches that are getting outcompeted, and fresh seed.
And what were you waking up thinking every day before you moved? Is this all my life is? Am I never going to go after a dream? Something compelled you to move.
Our inner critics are very persuasive, needlessly so.
Tim, you might enjoy this book. It has a number of recipes and methods for hot-infused and cold-infused sodas.
I just made a cold-infused soda with lemon balm, yarrow, and spruce tips. I probably would not use lemon balm again as its relaxing properties came out a bit too strong when I was actually looking for a fizzy pick me up.
You should be able to do a cold infusion with elderflower. Keep in mind that to get the carbonation, you'll need to add sugar or honey, which will result in some alcohol. So, depending on your level of abstinence, that may be important to you. How long? I think it depends on the type of starter you use and the temperature. I used a wine yeast I had on hand to get the fermentation going. I let it go slightly longer than I should have, so it did have a slightly yeasty, boozy taste. Next time, I will stop it sooner. I also want to try a natural fermentation with either raw honey or maybe some pine cones, which are supposed to be yeast-laden.
With the PNW having the coldest wettest winter in recorded history, it's been a slow year on the annual vegetable front. But, my comfrey is shoulder-height, so nearly five feet tall. We're about to get some heat, so I imagine it is going to struggle at this size, so I'll chop it back. But, right now, how glorious it is!
@Hans, I love it! It'd be kind of interesting to put together a self-care program for homesteaders...something that evened people out but also didn't make them feel like they were suffering through the gym.
There is definitely a limit movement. When I worked for a horse trainer, I was breaking down despite being young...I was working a literal 14 hours per day, 7 days per week, with a half day off every other week. That amount of movement broke me down. In that case, rest is what was required.
But my clients...oh my clients...how they need to move. They aren't homesteaders. They aren't farmers. ANY movement would be better than the status quo.
Tesla announced this week that the shingles will have a warranty for...infinity...basically, as long as your house is upright. That, of course, assumes Tesla will be a going concern, but that's true for anyone issuing a warranty. I'm looking at building in 3-5 years. By then, we should have a good sense of how well they are working. I will seriously consider them. I want to know how they handle serious, ongoing rain as a functional roof.
People are designed to MOVE. I strength train 3-5 days a week, do pilates twice a week, ride and care for two horses 7 days a week, will probably log 1000 hours as a massage therapist this year, and I am *still* an easy keeper. That doesn't even include any work around the property or in the garden. I could easily be 15-20 pounds leaner and still be a curvy, robust woman. I don't have to imagine what would happen to me if I quit moving...I know what that looks like...60 pounds heavier and less muscle...so probably like 80 pounds of extra fat.
Move, move, move! I am very lucky to be able to have a job that allows me to move. My clients are stuck at computers. It is slowly killing them. I've been the one stuck at a computer. It was rather rapidly killing me.
BUUUUTTTTTTTTT, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I work with a kettlebell trainer....it's just moving pieces of iron around...no machines....and it has changed my life for the better. There is improved health in physical symmetry and good posture. As a massage therapist, I can tell you that computer posture is not corrected just by moving around the farm. Oh, I wish it were so! Basic postural retraining would benefit anyone who uses a computer or a phone.
There are great benefits to being stronger. Hay bales move easier. Grain bags fly up stairs. Injuries (should) go down.
But no matter what, the higher the ratio of movement to rest, the better I feel. I think I probably look younger at coming-36 than 26. Sure, a few laugh lines in the face, but movement + muscles = reverse aging.
For example, today I learned that some places double the cost of insurance if we have hay upstairs vs storing hay downstairs.
This is probably related to fire-associated risks. Or perhaps simply the weight of having tons of hay upstairs. Probably the combination of having literal tons of flammable material overhead.
Our stable is moving to a brand new facility where the horses are stabled separately from the hay. This is a huge relief as the hay has currently been stored overhead. The risks of losing animals to fire goes dramatically down if the flammable material is stored elsewhere.
I would write down everything you want in a barn, which is going to vary from operation to operation. The needs of a sheep operation are going to be very different than a riding stable. Write down your dream wish list and then figure out what you can actually afford to build.
To me, fiber arts means the act of making things out of fiber by hand, either functional or artistic. Similar to the culinary arts, the fiber arts exists at many levels. You don't have to be an "artist" to participate in fiber arts.
I do like the term "fibershed" because there is not a lot of awareness about where fiber comes from.
Given that comfrey is a plant this is going to stay where you put it, I'd start with your four and decide whether you are in love with the plant. I started with four plants the size of yours and now have massive plants. They are waist-high and absolutely stunning this spring. I transplanted them to other areas of the garden, but I do regret putting it in one particular area and it has already dug itself in deep. In the areas that I want it, I love it. Grow it, observe it, have a think about how much you want of it and where you will really want it. It's the easiest stuff in the world to propagate.
My comfrey just went through the coldest, wettest six months in the recorded history of the state. It came up in absolutely massive, gorgeous heaps of leaves. It's never looked better after sitting in nothing but wet since last October. Yesterday was literally the first day that the soil got a good hit of sun and warmth since probably last September.
Maaayyyyybbeee, it was too wet for new roots, but I'm guessing there were too many amendments and needed time. Comfrey needs almost nothing to grow. That is what make it an amazing plant.
The first year, my comfrey put up a few nice leaves and did fine. This year, it has reached a level of providing meaningful levels of mulch, if I can bring myself to cut it back. It's stunning in the garden and the bees love it. Last year, I let it run its course until it wilted in mid-summer heat, cut it back, then had a lovely second bloom in the fall.
I have mixed feelings look at this photo. This is a bed I inherited with my front yard right as I bought my house. The property is covered with landscaping fabric covered in river rock. Maybe this works in Arizona but it is the worst possible idea in Western Washington. I've incurred enough back injuries at this point trying to move it and rip it out that I've largely given up. It certainly is "tidier" than what I have now, but I'm fairly certain it was never maintained by the previous owners, just put down to try the make the yard look interesting for a sale. But I digress...
When I took this picture, I had just bought this property and hadn't even really heard the work 'permaculture" yet. It was the end of June, so I was feeling bad about not having much of a garden that year so was super proud of myself for finding some native costal strawberries and planting them. Into terrible soil. Which then got completely blitzed by the summer heat. And clawed up by the chickens. And died. Except one lone crown must have survived because three years later, I have this...
Admittedly, this looks like a giant mess. I can't capture what the whole area looks like now on my phone camera. This is the ground cover of my shade garden, which is actually my early-spring pollinator garden. It is planted with tall Oregon Grape (mahonia X aquifolium) and other early spring bloomers. Mid-summer it takes the back seat to the sunny side of the yard. What is interesting is that the lone costal strawberry and its brethren spent the first two years sending out a million runners and new plants with tiny leaves. This spring, all of the sudden, there are large-leaved strawberries everywhere and they are blooming for the first time. I don't expect this to be productive like my conventional strawberry patch but it would be fun to get a little production out of it. Strawberry experts, why now?
Now would be a good time to make suggestions for stretch goals!
I get the impression that there have been some updates in the thoughts about best practices for building RMHs since your DVDs came out. This may just be my impression based on snippets here and there. I'd love to see a video, start to finish, of a single-concept replicable RMH build using materials that anyone could purchase at their local hardware store, rather than bits and bobs and making do based on what's at hand or being muddled by different people. If I'm mistaken and that is already part of the last video set, please disregard and I'll just buy that someday...
*I* would hoe out anything you don't want. I like calendula, so I'd leave a little bit of it for the pollinators and because a few flowers can be easily dried and used to make a salve...and the plants were free. I would not till but would apply a complete organic fertilizer. Given the epically wet spring we've had, I'd probably start with some transplants to try to keep things from rotting in the ground. Nothing I have directed seeded this year has made it so far thanks to the relentless damp. And then I'd probably sow some things that are easy to grow like summer squash. Once things are in, you could throw in a handful of clover seed to create a bit of a cover. Mainly, have fun with your raised bed starting out. Have as much success as you can in this weather and start planning on your new home site. You'll have plenty of chances to go big and straight permie once you have your property.
I'd start it at $15 for a one-day pass. $5/$10 isn't worth fussing with and will decrease the number of options and variables you have to troubleshoot. And $14 for a full day is super reasonable.
I'd be thinking Minimally Viable Product that gives people what they need but minimizes fussiness.
I'm going for $100, so it doesn't affect me...just trying to help simplify.
I wish every book or podcast or video on permaculture would lead off with something like this:
Things Take Time. Polycultures take time. Just sticking a lot of different things into unprepared ground is not a recipe for short-term success. Quit watching videos of properties that have been established for several years and wondering why your garden seems to be failing in comparison. Meanwhile, go play with your growies in your irrigated, fertilized raised bed until things have had a couple of years to get sorted and then you can start to have some fun.
I planted several things two full years ago and now that they are entering their third year, things are actually starting to work.
I had planted garlic around my roses and it has multiplied to the point that I now have fresh garlic as long as I live on this property with no work. I had planted strawberries in that area but they looked pretty dismal the first couple of years but with enough mulching and daikon growing, they have gone crazy this spring and I should have a bumper strawberry crop with no work. I interplanted a few cabbages in this area and the soil is good enough and there is enough of a polyculture in this area that it looks like I will finally be able to throw in a few annuals here and not have them be stunted and inedible.
I have more lemon balm and catmint than a person could possibly need to self-medicate herself (ha!)...no work. And many other medicinal herbs coming up. Currants are FINALLY growing. Raspberry patch is FINALLY sizable. Goumi will actually be worth harvesting this year instead of just grazing. Calendula...self-seeding...great for skin care. Daikon continues to self-seed and improve the soil. Perennial flowers are coming up beautifully and will make the bees very very happy. Lupines self-seeded like crazy this year, so nitrogen fixers are just popping up for free all over the place.
Fruit trees? Meh...I may have given up in Western WA. This is the second year in a row that we've been hit with a major storm just as they've blossomed and it had been too cold for pollinators yet....just not a good solution west of the Cascades. So...meh. That's fine. Fruiting shrubs do great here.
But this took three annual cycles before it even *started* to really become a thing. The mistake I made was not growing enough food in my raised beds because I was trying to "do permaculture" out in my various guilds...and it did not work. So I wasted a lot of good growing opportunities because I thought I should ditch traditional gardening techniques. Mistake. Should have gardened my little heart out while waiting for the other areas to settle in and start to do their thing. I sure would have had a lot more fresh food. Now I'm finally getting fresh food without having to do anything at all. That is awesome. But it took time. I shouldn't have expected things to grow well early on just because I mulched them and planted them in polycultures. They just simply needed time.
I'll second that you might need to check the mineral levels in your soil or add a mineral blend. Buttercup is indicative of poor soils...I'm surrounded by it. But after a couple of years of mulching and some minerals, I have chickweed instead of buttercup in those areas. Given you want to get some nutrition from the soil, it might be worth remineralizing your bed a bit.
Sheet mulching seems to work best if you have a year to basically ignore it. It is not great for then planting annuals. I'd just rip out what you don't want and get to it.
I think it's really going to depend on what you have in mind and the type of look and function you want. Is this a thicket or more of a planned look?
I was happy with how the test plot of my hedge came through the winter and interplanted the sedge with native flowers and bulbs. While some are just for pollinators, most are edible or medicinal. It is my interpretation of a woodland edge, but planned. Now to just finish the job. As far as a privacy screen goes, I'm finding my bushes / shrubs are growing way too slow and am glad I put in some larger trees to fill the space. I'll have three types of currants, blueberries, goumi, and raspberries this year...but they're not going to be do a thing for my privacy.
I remain impressed with my goumi. It's entering year 3 ready to rock and roll. It does not seem to care if it experiences drought, totally waterlogged earth, or anything in between.
I planted garlic cloves around my roses two or three falls ago and it has perennialized. Not only have the cloves divided repeatedly, it seems to have set seed all over that garden, which is just fine with me. But it did take three years for it to become abundant and not just a handful of cloves dividing. I love them as a soup garnish in the spring...a nice little spring tonic without being too pungent. More and more I understand that abundance takes time.
Keep in mind that our area got so hammered with cold and wet this winter that everything is terrible. But what a GLORIOUS day the West Coast is having today, no?
This is my fourth year working on this "permaculture" stuff. I have had lots of failures the first few years. The big reason is that I did not give things enough time to work, my designs weren't good, I did not plan well. And from that I have gained a huge knowledge about gardening and growing things and keeping things alive.
This spring, I am mainly going back to gardening in rows because growing annuals in a polyculture simply was not working out for me. But, I did do a much better job of growing cover crops in my raised beds and the soil underneath my rows is teeming with worms. Progress.
In another area, I had put a swale that killed off my plum trees. Sad. So, now it is a willow guild with a medicinal / pollinator garden. I *did* transplant some annual veggies into there this spring and it seems to be going much better because a) it's had three years of mulch and b) the polyculture already exists. I may write a thread about getting the polyculture going before for a few years before expecting any real results from it...
In the mixed hedge designed to screen my neighbor's house, I have *finally* established a polyculture that is a) visually attractive, b) provides berries and medicinal plants, c) should require very little annual maintenance. This took three years of mistake after mistake after mistake and total design failure.
Sometimes you don't realize your designs suck until they suck. Sometimes your designs don't suck...they just need more time.
The more permie failures I have, the better I get at this permie stuff. The books probably don't go into that enough.
In addition to reducing swelling, it does provide some immediate pain relief.
