One thing for sure, raking up the scythed grass and putting it around your fruit trees really is great. I prefer to think of my lawn as a producer of mulch...
For a while, I was cutting my grass with a scythe, which worked very well, but I discovered an easier way, sort of by accident. I ran out of pasture for our horses, so I put them in our lawn (which is more an orchard truthfully). Amazing results. Granted, I have to go around with a wheelbarrow and collect their "presents" but they tend to deposit those under the large trees - and this really works out well for my garden. They produce about a half a wheel barrow a day...
A bit of history, or so I am told, lawns originally started as a place for the knights horse to graze. Chargers were very valuable, so they sure didn't want them to go far, and it was a sign of wealth to have a lawn. Horses eat about twice as much as cows of roughly the same size, and their presents are a lot easier to handle.
Anyway, probably not what you are looking for - but just thought people might find it interesting.
One more thing to add that might make you perhaps rethink this.
If one continues to mature and remain open in their thinking and willing to change, there is a very high probability that your future self will consider your current self a douche-bag. So, you might wish to treat those you don't agree with more gently, or expect in the future to have some very harsh thoughts about your younger self.
For example, I know that my 21 year old self would have thought for sure I am a tree hugging liberal now. lol
I tend to find those who are so certain they are right, and anyone who doesn't agree with them are wrong, or a douche-bag, are either young, or not open to personal growth.
It isn't so much has having a different opinion that matters, but a lack of respect for the right for others to be wrong, including ourselves that makes a person an undesirable person to be around, and to discuss ideas with.
Having bought more than my share of equipment - the problem is that people assume they can use a piece of equipment because they can buy it, and start it. Honestly, unless you are going to use it A LOT, you are better of renting the equipment, with the operator. As your nightmare points out, it is easy, so easy, for something to go wrong, and then, hopefully, the least you will be out is money - too often, someone gets hurt, badly.
just my dos colones, only worth about 1/5 as much as two cents.
I think if one wishes to live simply, the first thing is to cut off listening to advertisements. lol One thing I have noticed is those who live back in the forest here in Costa Rica don't even have television - and are happy. Once a tv shows up, all of a sudden, more trappings of an industrialized life show up as well. As a species, we ten to be happy with food, clothing, shelter, till we start seeing others with much more.
I know for myself, I rarely want more than I have, until I travel to the "flesh pots", and then it takes a bit to get over it.
Having an affluent life style AND living in an intentional community may be at odds.
keith s elliott wrote:Dale...those are saplings, not trees! Hehehe! Just kidding...
Shrubbery... a sixty foot tall tree here is pretty short, on average, about 120 usually. Dale, I agree, you generally don't bother with a hinge on smaller wood. We had to drop a 3 year acacia that sprouted up in my garden area - about six inches in diameter, hardness of maple, if not more. a worker took it down with a machete..., but it was at least 80 feet tall.
Keith your point regarding tree type is very important, there are some trees here in Costa Rica that are very "brittle" so you have to be very careful when dropping, since the hinge isn't going to work very well.
When I was up north, I used to cut wood for firewood, you get pretty good dropping trees after a while, since I would go into tree farms and thin out the weed trees. Of course, the farmer isn't going to be too happy if you damage a good tree in the process.
Hi Keith, I dropped it complete, limbs and all. I had nothing to climb with, now, I have everything, so now I would go up top and de-limb it first, if I had an option.
What really makes it fall correct is a properly cut hinge, just like a door. I can usually nail within a foot where I am aiming the top of the tree. But, impressive. I once had to drop a large walnut tree between power lines - not fun at all. It was huge and so I had to use 3 wedges just to be sure. The funny thing is I contacted the power company and they wanted nothing to do with it, they wanted to wait till it fell over - I wanted the wood.
One other thing which is interesting is that sometimes you can tell that a tree is starting to develop a hole, because the base is much larger than normal.
Mangos grow slowly!? Perhaps if your soil is poor. I have two mangos, which are about 6 year old now, about 30 feet tall - and 20 wide, and yes, they have been bearing mangoes for two three years now.
Didn't hurt that I planted them near the run off from our septic system... lol
Here in the tropics we get huge toads - some of them nearly 12 inches across. Our dog used to get pretty upset with one who would get into his water dish during the night. lol
My solution, which is always effective if I can find the ant hill, is boiling water, about a gallon for a moderate sized ant hill. Works very well, I have found no ant hill survives the queen and eggs being cooked. And of course, no poisoning of the soil from boiling water.
Boiling water works pretty good instead of roundup too if you have a plant that just won't die. Again, cooked plants don't tend to recover. lol I built a rocket stove in my garden so that I always have access to boiled water. Here in Costa Rica, fire ants are an incredible problem, before I started doing this - I had about 30 ant hills, at least in about 2 acres of land around our home - now there are none.
People who are decedents of the original inhabitants of the land tend to not be very sensitive to poison ivy - I know it is true for me. My wife can't come near the stuff, and yet I can pull it out by the handfuls, without protection. The only time I had any reaction is when my brother and I made firewood out of logs covered with the stuff, and even then, it wasn't very bad.
Saying that to say if you can get some workers who are Mexican or from most of the areas south of the border, most of them have no issues with poison ivy.
Not sure if you can do it, but mulch is a great sod breaker, i.e. just pile organic material on top, and the sod goes away - turns into food for the plants. You might try contacting those who do the pruning of trees in the area, they often will delivery it for free - since they don't have to pay you for dumping.
Scott Stiller wrote:When I tell folks how I'm going to turn my property into a permaculture paradise I get lots of enthusiast support most of the time. However, I have had one vocal naysayer that seems to want me to fail. My response has been "watch me!"
Sometime ago a read a quote from Sepp where he said, "Thank God I didn't listen to anyone". He wasn't afraid of innovation and going his own path, neither will I.
BTW, I think you're pretty terrific Paul.
I have been were you are, what I learned was it is better to just ignore those who wish you to fail, never try to answer them, never try to do anything just to prove them wrong - just go about your own path and leave them standing, because those who are like this usually are doing exactly that, just standing. Those who are moving rarely have the time to do anything other than encourage others, or give them a bit of helpful advice.
I would say most people eventually reach a point where they are tired of the naysayers. People who have no ideas of their own, but feel their contribution to the world is critiquing what others do. Good for you Paul on pointing out that at this point, what is needed is ideas and examples - let those who disagree be the critics, lord knows there are enough of them.
One issue perhaps, and why I don't think of myself as a permaculturalist is that I just want things that work, with the least amount of effort for good results. I borrow heavily from permaculture because the ideas work. I then adapt these ideas to my situation.
In other words, it isn't a formula to me, but a collection of ideas which require intelligence to apply - after all, why would someone have to learn to design if it didn't need intelligence?
Probably what I love most is watching nature take my design, and doing something different with it - still good, but different. One learns to work with nature, or you lose eventually.
I think the root cause for the reaction that you are seeing Paul is people who embrace religion - and I don't mean people who believe in God. What I mean is people who seem to turn everything into "there is a right way, and if you don't do it this way, you are going to hell - and you are taking the rest of us with you." It is hard to talk to religious people (i.e. true believers in whatever, whether vegan, feminism, permaculture, etc.) - because their brains turn off because doubting the "one true way" is the road to hell too...
Though I have my believes, I try very hard to realize there is a road to arriving where I am, and hopefully I never stop on the road, but keep moving. After all, I wouldn't agree with ME of 20 years ago, and I sure hope I would still accept me, though obvious I was wrong... (well so I think now)
In other words, a bit of humility helps a lot when we are discussing things.
Stingless bees are native in Costa Rica - they make very nice honey too, but they are very small. Here they are called congas - don't say congos, because that would be a howler monkey...
That's a bummer. I thought I had stumbled upon an idiotic regulation which could be used for good.
Yesterday I was talking to a lawyer in the energy markets and he confirmed that most everything has died after 2008 and shows no signs of revival. The problem was, that unless it is done on the federal level, to start doing carbon credits makes you noncompetitive with your neighboring states who are not imposing them.
I am hard put to think of a single nut tree that DOESN'T produce beautiful wood. Black Walnut, Butternut, Hickory, just to name a few. Might not be in your lifetime though before harvest, but someone will thank you in the future.
Bev Huth wrote:E. Coli is natural in most animal guts, ours included but, my meat bird do get maggots form the quail droppings and, they get the rabbit droppings. I feel that as long as I am clean (don't rupture the innards) when butchering and, cook the chicken properly, it's fine. That's my choice and we have never had a problem because of our choice in feeding but, it's your call.
I would not feed maggots off road kill, no telling what diseases or other parasites that animal may carry. Now if I butcher the animal and can inspect the organs and such, then yes I will use the lungs to grow maggots for the birds, but not the digestive track.
One nice thing to remember is that pathogens rarely cross blood types, i.e. cold blooded to warm blooded, etc. There are exceptions, but they are very rare. In fact, many parasites are very specific to one type of animal. For example, cattle generally won't pick up parasites from sheep, and the reverse is true. In fact, one method for reduction of parasites is to rotate your grazers, and make sure they aren't in the same field for more than 45 days - or so I remember. The cows end up eating the eggs of the parasites for the sheep, and since they are not the right host, it breaks the cycle.
Make sure though to not feed birds to birds, etc. If you are raising fish, the offal is great for chickens.
I have looked into carbon credits more than a few times, since I own 900 acres of forest in the tropics. Yet to find anything worth the trouble. The last thing I heard was the availability of already certified carbon credits has created a backlog of 5 years compared to those buying them.
If I were to sell wood from trees from an urban environment, I might wish to invest in an inexpensive metal detector. Destroying your blades because you hit metal is one thing, selling a piece of wood to a client, which has metal in it is a great way to lose a client.
Lots of people who have portable sawmills have metal detectors for just this reason.
Sometimes people are reluctant to work with Urban lumber because finding a piece of metal in a log can be very expensive - saws don't do well with nails.
Nor planers, routers, etc.
Some urban trees are so full of metal that it is crazy.
That being said, there are some great trees available for harvesting. The problem is in selling is that you have to find people who want something different. Most people are used to hearing about just a few species of trees, and so don't know that maple would make beautiful flooring, etc.
As long as you keep picking them, pole beans keep coming usually, which is why a pole bean might not give much more than bush. Pole beans tend to work great for green beans, since they just keep coming all year (down here, my black eyed peas turn into pole beans and last for about 18 months!)
Not sure, but I wouldn't bet the farm on too many dried bean pole beans.
This is true for most annuals, keep picking, they keep flowering, let them go to seed, and they die off.
If you have back issues, you might want to look at a recumbent. I have been a cyclist for years and I know a lot of my friends as they get older will try one, and then fall in love with them.
Get creative. Life is about barter and most people never see the opportunities that come their way. One of the most expensive things for many people with assets is watching over their assets. Ask around and see if you can find an older farmer who doesn't want to give up his land just yet, but wants to keep it - but then again, can't live on it anymore.
Or, someone who owns lots of land that they use for vacation, but is idle the rest of the year.
Lots of ways that you can work with people, if you are stuck on owning the land.
The other thing is to develop a skill that you can use where ever you are. There are plenty of people who live whereever they want, and work doing what they love. We live in Costa Rica, work all over the world, from the comfort of our home. I work when I want and limit it to 20 hours a week.
If someone is just needing a little wood, not an issue as long as you are very VERY good with a chainsaw. I live in the tropics and own plantations of wood (like 900 acres) and I know all about people who act like they are indestructible. Seen the scars and worse from it too.
People in third world nations are more fatalistic than people from developed nations. You don't have to go overboard on protection, but you don't stand in front of a chainsaw, either.
I personally would be looking at making some kind of simple guide for the blade, doesn't take much to keep it straight. Lots of inexpensive solutions out there which are less than an Alaskan mill, or you could make your own if you are good with tools.
Beam Machine is usable and only cost about 42 dollars. I used to have one once. Hard work for sure, but much better than just using a chainsaw, free hand. I know those who cut free hand fell in love with mine when they saw it. Hard to go wrong for 42 dollars - you will probably make it back in wasted wood, if not gas since you will be able to cut much faster if you aren't struggling to keep a straight line.
Wood fights you, and when you see people cutting a log free hand, you can be sure that was a log with no knots, twists, or tension. Heck, it is hard enough to cut wood straight using a sawmill when you get a log that isn't perfect.
A full-size Alaskan saw mill is about 250 dollars - hope you are built like an ox if you use one with a Stihl 090. lol Just looking at an 090 can give you a hernia. Not sure you can even buy them anymore in the states.
Yes, I have seen people do this, and for rough, it can work. But, I caution you, be very very careful - and don't let someone stand in front of you like you see in the video. That guy in front is dead if the chain goes, which is always a possibility.
You honestly are better off finding someone local who will cut for you for half the wood, instead of turning half the wood into sawdust by using a chainsaw.
The best place to go to find people would be http://www.forestryforum.com/ - great people there, and lots of people who have their own mill and do exactly what you are saying. The membership is huge, so you should have no problem finding someone who can do it.
I would just ask my neighbors if I were you. Rice is a huge crop in Costa Rica. I don't know very many people though who grow their own, since it is subsidized by the government here (and price controlled too).
I personally don't eat much rice, I prefer to get my carbs from things that have nutrients, and white rice is just about like eating sugar - and white sugar at that. Brown is much better, but bananas, plantains, yuca, papa chinos, etc grow like weeds for us, so I don't bother.
But like I said, ask the local Ticos, they will know all you want to know.
This issue with chicken bones are after they are cooked, the bones in the legs will splinter, when they are raw, this doesn't happen. The splinters can cause a dog to choke, notice I said, can. Won't happen all the time, but it is a risk.
Our goats are picky eaters, and they don't really do well on grass. If you don't have browse, perhaps you shouldn't have goats yet? I think I would sell off the goats till you are sure you have your food in place - and start small.
Goats don't eat like cows, nor sheep. We have our goats with a horse, and they really don't eat the same things.
Often, the reason for having worms in an animal is because of not enough variety in their diet. Our goats never have worms, because they browse. Their favorite plant is a brush they make brooms out of in Costa Rica, which no other animal will touch. And the favorite food of sheep on our place is a plant that the cattle farmers hate because nothing will eat it - except for sheep. (it has spines - but lots of protein)
When you say, difficult to get rid of, do you you mean difficult to cut down, or difficult to keep from coming back?
Goats are a possibility, if they will eat the stuff, especially if they like the bark. Not sure about pigs.
Goats are pretty good escape artists, so keep that in mind.
Regarding clearing whatever brush, it is hard to beat someone from a part of the world where they use machetes. You won't believe how fast they can clear it.
Most people attracted to Permaculture are young, dreamy idealists looking for some kind of system to structure their activities and impart meaning. It does not matter much whether things ‘work’ because you are not obliged to depend on them. It is their symbolic value that counts. I have encountered numerous ‘permaculture gardens’ with abysmal levels of productivity that have nevertheless persuaded their creators that they are virtually self-sufficient in food.
While I certainly fit the profile of a not-so-young-anymore dreamy idealist with abysmal yields, this is a luxury afforded only to first world permies. The author should take a good look at the success of permaculture in the 3rd world. Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America...
What is interesting is most gardens I find here by the Costaricans are permaculture in nature. Not 100 percent pure, but basically, learning to make things work together. And I appreciate people thinking I am young, dreamy idealistic. Been a while since anyone thought I was young... perhaps someone will proof me in the grocery store some day... rather doubtful since my hair and beard is white. lol
I think perhaps the question is whether large scale farms are sustainable. My family had a 300 acre vegetable farm on one side of the family, and a 300 acre dairy farm, on the other side. Large money making operations like that would be interesting to see if they can be done with permaculture. The problem is that most industrial farms are of the nature of "just add water". And they are farmed, till the land is used up.
I actually am at peace with this. Land recovers rather quickly after it goes back to forest - and unless it turns into a desert, when it can no longer be farmed, it will be abandoned, and when abandoned, eventually be a forest again. How many people survive is another question. I honestly wonder if the human race as a group is capable of making long term decisions, or will it forever repeat the tragedy of the commons.
The promise (and delivery) of permaculture is food production without a huge amount of labor. Currently, we are dumping in 10 calories of fossil fuel to create one calorie of food or so I have heard. Obviously that is not a good idea. We are consuming millions of years of storeage of the energy of plants per year to grow food.
Any comparisons of yields from various methods of growing food must include all the inputs, especially if one of those inputs are not sustainable, like fossil fuels.
Never mind the mined fertilizers which are finite as well.
It didn't seem to work - the seeds never germinated. I suspect that the goat's digestive system destroys the seeds - they eat more woody stuff than sheep.
