Thanks Ranson, I would have to agree that observation, especially over time is a huge advantage. Soil does interest me very much. In fact, no matter where I live I'm always growing something and have compost worms and compost.
I'm glad you brought up the metal work and wood work. My job in the Air Force we do rough carpentry, fine woodworking, welding, sheet metal layout, interior finish, roofing, doors, protective coatings, drop ceilings, masonry and concrete, should I keep going? Haha
This job has provided me with the skills to build my own house. Although I don't do electrical, which would be another skill/certificate I would like to get
James Freyr wrote:If I could go back in time, I would get a degree in soil biology/science. I'm not sure if accredited universities offer permaculture or gardening degrees.
Thanks James! Soil science is on the top of my list."If I could go back in time" advice is some of the best advice
Hello,
I would like to have a farm in the future. A permaculture/polyculture farm. What college degree would best compliment having this type of farm?
I am active duty military and we get money for college while on active duty (not the GI Bill). I have seen so many different degrees which makes it hard to choose which would be most beneficial.
I have seen certificate programs which are great, but I need to be in a bachelor's program that is an ONLINE course.
I have seen degrees in agriculture, soil science, horticulture, crop and soil science, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, agroecolgy, sustainable food and farming. There are just so many!
A degree which is more science based than business based would be what I would like. Dankeshön
As mentioned, Olomana Gardens sells composting worms, vermicast, vermicast with eggs and worms, and large burrowing worms. His farm produces worms and vermicast everywhere on the farm. in his grow beds, under his chicken coupes, and in bins. He has an abundance of worms from years and years of raising them. I visited his farm and i saw at least a dozen 50 gallon totes filled to the brim with pure vermicast. He also sells numerous things grown on his farm.
Another lady in Honolulu has a workshop to set up a worm compost bin she also sells the worms and vermicast. At the time it was $30 you get 1 ounce of worms and a small plastic pot to put your worms in to start you compost bin. She teaches you how to care for, raise, and harvest worms and castings.
So yes it is possible to make an income, yet it looks like some time may be needed to build up a supply of worms without wiping out the population selling them all.
I'm doing a 15 min speech on permaculture to people who have most likely never heard of the term. I have been doing lots of searches on the internet. I have found hundreds of definitions, yet most if not all of them are over complicated and confusing to a person who may not know what it is.
I need help to come up with a definition for my introduction of the speech.
I know if you make EM and spray that on compost it really helps develop lots of beneficial bacteria. is also a way to make EM with rice, a google search will lead you in the right way for the recipe.
I made bokashi 1 time using bran. Didn't really see any benefit to it, but I may have done it wrong.
I am planning a trip, Dec 17- 24 to Arizona. Looking for places in Cochise, Apache, and Navajo counties to do some work trade in exchange for a place to stay. My main mission for going to Arizona is to get a feel for the area and check out land.
I have never been to Arizona before, but have been looking online at land. I would like to start an off grid farm in the future, so this would be my first step into checking things out.
I would offer a few hours a day of work in exchange for a meal and place to stay. I cook, clean, and garden. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks to the last 2 posts. I like hearing about others stories. Hawaii and Arizona are on the top of my list as of right now, but things can always change.
Nathan Johns wrote: Wanted to make a slight update today, though I have no pictures. I buried the colonized phone book in the garden. I dug a shallow pit, lined it with some wood chips, put the phone book in a paper bag, and set it on top of the chips. Then I covered it with a pile of wheat straw so it had a solid 3-4" of mulch. I have barely watered it - only when it gets hot - but today I found 7 or 8 nice thick oysters growing out of the little mound. Not bad - this is the 4th flush of mushrooms I've gotten from the one phone book this year Now I just need to start more so the whole garden is eventually infested
I consider broth, made with meat, and stock made with bones. Actually either way I always use the term stock, whether it has meat, bones, or all veggies. I guess it depends on where one learned to make it. But there is a difference in viscosity, flavor, and nutrients between "seasoned water" made with bones or without bones. Also cartilage will also give "flavored water" viscosity or that gel factor. The cartilage in younger animals will also produce more viscosity.
That is why in classic french cooking demi glace is made with veal bones. For flavor and incredible texture. When it cools it gets so firm you can hold chunks of it in your hand.
I like the crock pot idea and will try the apple cider vinegar.
John Polk wrote: The original post was "the problem with importing wood chips", not "making wood chips". Granted, 'making' wood chips consumes energy, but most people buying, or receiving wood chips are not spending the energy...that has already been expended by the person making the chips. Tree trimmers use the energy converting the branches into chips to actually save energy and labor. Any decent chipper will give a 10:1 ratio. I ran into this when I did tree trimming. Do I make 10 trips to the land fill with branches (spending gasoline, time, AND tipping fees each load), or do I make one trip? A decent chipper will pay for itself in one week!
A truck load of chips will break down within a couple of years, whereas a truckload of branches may take a decade or more. You often need to spend energy to save energy.
If "spending" energy to convert branches into chips is an issue, I could make the same argument against composting. The spent energy buys time.
Good point! Some energy is going to be spent. I will definitely invest in a chipper of some sort. If there is a reliable source of chips from somewhere else, I would also bring those on as well, but only if they are free
hubert cumberdale wrote: thanks for the post auntythelma
i love making turkey stock its so good in the winter when its freezing cold out.
i skim off the fat after it cools and store it for cooking. just a little bit to add flavor to certain meals that would otherwise be pretty bland.
once again thanks for the tips
oh i also wanted to add that i have been reading up on how good gelatin is for you, and that bone stock is one of if not the best source of it. some people eat a tablespoon of gelatin a day to get them going and supply energy.
I love to make stock.
Mostly bone stock.
Or if I buy already cooked chicken or roast a whole one, like the roasted or fire pit kind I use those bones as well. Shrimp shells, lobster shells make good stock.
Add cold water to bones or veggies, bring to a boil, and simmer on low, this creates a nice clear, less cloudy stock.
Like Aunty said roast the bones in the oven until nice and golden brown for a nice flavor, also veggies can be roasted as well.
My usual ingredients in any stock: onion celery carrot parsley garlic peppercorns bay leaf thyme
Jeanine Gurley wrote: I just got around to watching that video. Yum! I want to also make the bars and cookies you mentioned.
Right now I have plum/yogurt roll ups and some tomatoes in there.
tomatoes are awesome in so many things, salads, pastas, soups, fillings and more. Glad you liked the video. Also shredded coconut is great for those cookies
I don't understand why the larva want to crawl up the gutter or out of holes in the bucket form? Why do they not just stay in and hatch inside of the compost/slop.
H Ludi Tyler wrote: Personally I would avoid Colorado because of the rainwater issue, even though it is a beautiful state. But there are other states with mountains!
Leila Rich wrote: I REALLY don't like this sentence. Passive-aggressive, non-apology. Hurrrumph I read these words, beloved of caught-out politicians and famous people everywhere, right here. Nooooo!
Im not sure I understand what your saying, but I would like to.
winsol3 wrote: I got lucky to be in a remote area in California (btwn Yosemite + tahoe... yeah there is remote there ) and as i was getting ready to pull permits, my neighbors 'enlightened' me that building inspectors aren't welcomed. So I took pictures, have dated receipts of material deliveries etc. I ended up pulling a permit for a BARN which does not require inspection...
One of the big issues with not having permits in some places are BACK TAXES... someday maybe the counties will enforce it and back value your buildings.. with interest and penalties.
Does that happen with back taxes, on permits not enforced, but later enforced? Has it ever happened to you? It seems like there is no way to predict something like that. It either happens or it doesn't, but good to keep in mind.
sparticle wrote: There are a lot of field mice. Will they only eat the tomatoes on the bottom or are they going to start going up the plant as the tomatoes ripen up top? If I put out cracked corn or peanuts will they eat that instead?
Im sure they will try to get what ever they can (top of plant or bottom). I have seen paper bags wrapped around tomatoes with a rubber band to help prevent critters from eating them. They may go after the peanuts, it is something to try. Setting traps may also help.
sparticle wrote: My tomatoes are pruned to generally one stem and tied up to help locate bugs and harvest the tomatoes. Early in the season I had a couple dozen hornworms, but they are down to almost nothing. A few little black worms and a few stink bugs. But nothing major. Maybe 2 horn worms a week now and maybe 3 or 4 stink bugs. That's on about 40 tomato plants.
However, something is eating a quarter size to half dollar size bites out of most of my tomatoes. Happening to the neighbor too. I've seen hornworms eat tomatoes and it's not the same pattern and there aren't any hornworms. The garden is double fenced with metal fencing then fine mesh bird netting around the perimeter as well. So it's not a rabbit. It's not birds because they don't make perfect bites that size.
I can relate. Most friends and family think I'm weird or not doing what I should be doing because I study about and am interested in permaculture. Or they do not understand why I am wanting to go this path. I refuse to convince them of the great things I see in permaculture. Why? Some people have their own agendas, beliefs, and perspectives that cannot be changed no matter how logical or great a point you show them. I just do my thing, if you wana come along for the ride, great, if not, great.
AZGuy wrote: It's pretty much windy there all the time, and I think that's pretty much how it is all over the state. I think it has a lot to do with how much the ground heats over the day from the sun. I know they get nasty winds in the north east and north west. I haven't heard about the south west part of the state though. The normal wind helps with cooling, but the strong stuff means you need to build tough, especially your roof. Gardens have to be set up with the winds in mind too. you either have to provide some protection or pick your crops accordingly.
I'm going the no permit/inspection route because I'm planning to build an alternative home (earth bag construction, earth bermed) which I plan to build myself, and live in til death. the location is on 40 acres far from any large town so I'm not concerned with resale, I just want a sustainable home that's cheap to live in as I see hard times coming.
AZGuy wrote: I was amazed to find that water is available there. My well is about 110 feet deep with water only 59 feet down from the surface. Most places in AZ the water is 170 - 700 feet down. There are many orchards in the area growing pecans, apples and grapes. I have not started building yet, but hope to begin in the fall. Here is a link to info on the county and the fee schedules are listed here: http://www.cochise.az.gov/cochise_planning_zoning.aspx?id=334&ekmensel=c580fa7b_182_0_334_9 single family dwelling, owner-builder permit is $355 + Plan Review fee, or if you opt out of inspection and plan review as I will likely do, the cost is $105. The area is hot and dry, about 13" of precipitation a year, and it's windy most of the time. The wind gusts can be pretty intense, so that has to be taken into consideration when building or planting. Tumbleweeds are a nuisance and the Mohave Rattler lives there, a particularly poisonous creature that gives me the willies. Everything has its pros and cons. Living there is cheap, the weather is generally good, water is available, and the land is cheap, often less than $1000 per acre. Hope that helps.
azguy
Very useful info, thanks a lot. I am glad you mentioned the wind. How long does the wind usually stick around for and when? I would like a place where the wind would not get to crazy.
I'm also looking in Navajo, apache, pima, santa cruz, and yavapai counties. I like the mountain regions very much. Are you familiar or have you been to any of these counties?
Is opting out of the inspection just a way to save money?
I was also thinking of sand bag, cob, straw bale, adobe, or shipping container.
I have heard that bees will start collecting, I'll use blueberry, hahaha. But once they start collecting blueberry they will only collect blueberry. Or if it were clover they only collect clover. This doesn't feel right to me. Does anyone know?
Thanks. What does broodiness mean?l Also what is a chook (a momma)? I tried to find it online. It has something to do with the hen nesting? I came across this website it seemed informative at a quick glance.
I know absolutely nothing about this subject. I was reading an article about putting eggs in an incubator keeping it at exactly a certain temperature, turning the eggs every so often. Any ways it seemed like so much time consuming work.
Can't the person raising the chicken from eggs just let the momma chicken do all the work? Does the momma chicken turn the egg, like a human would be turning it in an incubator?
I have seen baby chicks hatched and raised in the wild, is it possible to just let the chickens raise them?
What do they eat when a human raises a chick compared to what they would eat if momma raised the little ones?
Ken Peavey wrote: My current flock runs around freely. They get into everything, but handle their own feeding demands. They have a routine and some favored hangouts.
I have several piles of compostable material. The big heap they hit regularly, poking around hunting for bugs. There are a few smaller piles of leaves which they have flattened. Sometimes the visit the bull and scratch around his calling cards. They enjoy shade under one of the trucks or under the shrubbery.
Their absolute favorite place is the hugulkulture bed that was covered with a blend of soil and compost, topped with a thick mulch of leaves and grass clippings. They won't leave it alone. if I planted anything in the bed, they tore it up the next day. They have scratched around to the point of uncovering the logs and sticks-these were a foot deep. The environment created in the bed offers them a desired food source. I'll be getting some more hugulkulture projects going specifically for the chickens.
The climate down here in northern Florida has something growing all year round. This past winter was especially cold. Several weeks of frost killed off all the bugs and the grass turned brown. I was not prepared with crops to offer the birds so I shot the lock off the wallet, investing in scratch grains to see them through to spring.
I've had a bug zapper in use to reduce mosquitoes. This is on their route. The bugs hit the thing, cook up fast, fall to the ground. This is a fine method of attracting food for the birds. They also clean off the front of the truck.
Until a couple of years ago I worked part time in a restaurant. Food scraps were saved in a bucket by the wait staff. This went to the hens, kept in a corner of the yard at my house in town. They ate everything, including the aluminum foil wrapped around the baked potatoes. Made for some colorful eggs!
When the birds were in the fenced area in town I did an experiment. I tossed in a few handfuls of scratch grains. They went after it immediately. Before they had made much progress, I threw in an entire collard plant that had a few bugs on it. The left the grain alone, went after the plant exclusively. While they were working on that, I tossed in some grass/weed clippings from the mower bag. The grass and weeds won. Seems they enjoy diversity and bugs the most.
WORMS I've checked into vermicomposting and have started to raise worms a couple of times. My schedule sends me out of town for weeks at a time. As a result I keep losing all my worms. I've added worms to the biggest compost heap in order to keep the population alive, hopefully nature will allow the things to populate. As a protein source for chickens, worms are outstanding and preferred.
A productive worm bin is my objective. I dump waste materials in to feed the worms, the worms turn it into the finest soil amendment there is, and offer a fantastic food source for the chickens. Left to their own devices, the birds will eat worms until they cant eat no more. Big fat birds and large eggs.
A typical full sized hen will consume about a quarter pound of food in a day. If that included a dozen worms, they would have ample protein, and you would have more eggs than you know what to do with.
Do you have any predators? If so, how do you prevent them from getting chix.
Now I just need to start more so the whole garden is eventually infested 
) and as i was getting ready to pull permits, my neighbors 'enlightened' me that building inspectors aren't welcomed. So I took pictures, have dated receipts of material deliveries etc. I ended up pulling a permit for a BARN which does not require inspection... 