Global Minotor

2nd picture

Hi everyone,

We finally put in our much desired Holzer terraces about 2 weeks ago and planted it with grasses, brassicas and chicory for quick and rigorous root development and are almost ready to put in our fruit trees.

However, after a 24 hour, battering rain 4 days ago, we've started to sweat a bit... Parts of the terraces slipped and landed on the terrace below. Sepp never mentioned anything about this in his course so I'm slightly lost about what to do and prevent the whole thing from coming down...

In the attached pictures you can see how far it is now and what could happen.

Does anybody have any advice for us on how to stop this?

Mega thanks,

Pascal

This is a pretty old method but remember it's also quite dangerous as the tractor could go over backwards so you must attach the front of the tractor to something sturdy and refix that after every good bit of progress.

I remeber a really cool solution from the Sepp Holzer workshops. There is one condition though: you would need to have a good presence of predators.

Sepp explained that you take a (small) bale of straw or hay. Use a pole of something simular to create a hole from 2 sides (top and sides) to the center of the bale simulating the most comfortable rat or mouse house. For the cherry on the pie, add some grains and nibbly things in the centre hole.  Next, place the bale outside, uncovered and near where the rats of mice are located. Predators such as owls, foxes and the likes, will very soon realise that they can find something of their liking with minimal effort in the straw bale...

Good luck,

Pascal

I was interested in using Limecrete for a foundation and your post inspired me to have a google at it.

Have not found that much yet but did come across a site that says that the houses of parliament in London are built on a limecrete foundation so it must be feaseble.

http://ecoswitch.com/eco-build/eco-build-directory-1c-lime-as-building-material/

Brwmeister wrote:
@Brenda & Pippi: Thank you both for the info as well. Recently I was sent a link from a realtor in Colorado selling 5 acres at any where form 8,000-13,800,

http://www.landwatch.com/Costilla-County-Colorado-Homesite-for-sale/pid/144006380

Be very sure to check out what the water rights are on property in CO!

Good luck!

Alison Freeth-Thomas "heninfrance" wrote:

We don't like to run the dishwasher on less than full as it's still using electricity, ad cleaning chemicals (even though we only use half a block as it cleans just as well).

There's quite a few non-chemical alternatives for the dishwasher available. Even in France.
Check out: http://www.ecover.com/fr/fr/ or http://sonett.eu/france/home_f.htm. The Sonett tablets do require an adjustment of the settings of the machine by 1 degree.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:
Marina, how is that tooth powder with whitening? I once used a natural-ish toothpaste that I swear increased the tea and coffee stains!

I can personally recommend Weleda's Ratanhia toothpaste. Sparkle clean teeth and no chems (including fluoride) what so ever!

http://usa.weleda.com/our-products/shop/ratanhia-toothpaste.aspx

How about putting your tank:

1- In a sunny, all year round, spot and then
2- paint it BBQ black so it sucks up solar heat
3- Put it on top of hill/slope/elevation so cold air will run off

?

Opportunity wrote:
Quote from TCLynx:
"I agree here. You keep talking about ideals and vision but the only concrete thing you have said about what this "partner" needs to be is Vegetarians, and Non-smokers. Other than the ideals and vision of re-building a community after the crash, people don't know if you are looking for some one to do labor for your or be your bed mate."
I guess what I'm trying to do here is step out of the "employment opportunity" mindset and attract people who have moved beyond that trap.  This is not a "job offer;" haven't I made that pretty obvious?
Again, it's not about specific skills, resources, money, and labor arrangements.  All that is negotiable based on each individual's capabilities.  It's sort of a "my sheep hear my voice" type of thing, I mean, those who comprehend the basic purpose & goal usually already have a pretty good idea as to what it's going to take to achieve it.


Maybe human nature makes us lazy-minded.  We want someone else (like Big Brother government) to tell us what we want and how to get it.  People want everything spelled out in detail instead of using their own imaginations and sharing their own visions.  And they want guarantees that eliminate any and all possible risks.  Guess what?... anything worth doing carries some risks.
But just to make sure I don't leave anyone out here, I will list a few "requirements" that any homesteader should already know:
Can you operate a chainsaw?  How about using a small utility tractor?  Gardening.  Milk a goat.  Remodeling a shelter to make it more live-able.  Answer the phone when a client calls.  Drive a 4X4 pickup truck.  Run slash through a shredder.  Make compost.  Collect eggs.  Wipe your own... well, I think you get the point.  I'm looking for people with creative imagination and personal initiative.  Laborers and "bed partners' are a dime-a-dozen.
So, it's really up to the individual, but the basic ideology has to be there first, then we can talk.  Those that have a bit more motivation would be offered more advanced assignments, like working in the soil lab, formulating custom fertilizers, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc.  The sky is the limit.
Wow, this sure went further than I ever expected it would !!!  But I really want to thank all of you who made it happen.
What a great blog-site this is !!!

It is still quite hard to determine what exactly you are looking for other than the three very specific requirements: Veggy, no-smoke and share your convictions.
Let's try this:
I am a 33 year old male, Dutch but speaks English near native but with a UK accent. I have been a corporate trainer providing management development courses globally for 9 nine years so excel in facilitating (international) groups, instructing, coaching, communicating and the like. I spent 9 months on a BD farm in Wales, UK in 2008 while growing 123 types of vegetables (not including varieties), 3x poultry, pork, wool and beef. The only machinery we had were 2 40-year old tractors . The rest was done by hand but we sold to the most exclusive London restaurants and big name chefs and food writers/critics and also learned the market part of it. Learned most of my farming knowledge there and loved it. I attended the 12 day Sepp Holzer course in 2009 (together with Paul. Go to Wofati eco building page on richsoil.com, find picture of group of people posing for picture. I am the blondie, right behind Sepp and to Paul's left). Learned an incredible amount and still have all the notes and the books and really think Sepp's method is the way to go. Am currently working for a German energy giant doing training in customer services in The Netherlands

My dream is that of a homestead, alone or shared, as diverse as humanly possible but currently lack the funds to set it all up. Have been trying to set things up with a partner last year but that fell through. I am full of initiative, a hard worker and am told that i have a  well functioning brain, am social, kind and generous. Creative, persistant, a bridge builder, organised, good planner and recently learned to cook properly. I am very interested in permaculture,self-sufficiency, crashing economies, alternative economies, global current affairs and have been called a walking encyclopedia. I am even blessed with a good sense of humour but fail at maths. Would prefer working on/owning a piece of land in Western washington or the like.
I smoke (but will be quitting next month) and am a meat eater (chicken mostly).

Would this work?

Pascal