David Nightingale

Jarret Hynd wrote:The new page is a great improvement over the original in regards to world domination. Good work to everyone who put it together.

Mass AI use the last few years has made images, similar to the original cartoon, one that many will just glance over because everyone and their dog are spamming AI images everywhere. People want real life images - I've seen this trend in various industries the last year. (reference the research article "Customer reactions to generative AI vs. real images in high-involvement and hedonic services")

Ideally, you'd want a video playing in the hero section instead of just the image of the RMH bench: say a 15 second loop of 4-5 clips.

New one Looks great, I like the multiple clip of different heater styles idea. RMH Design diversity and spatial adaptability are practical sales strengths here.  Beware kids can smell AI generated content even if true from a mile away, and it stinks to them.  So custom artistic aesthetic of living room RMH’s are in fashion again. Got asked about them at work the other day.  Cheers

I love the radical reminder,
That the internet is not all there is.
I mean the internet is this kinda of surface level of
the ocean of the common record of human thought and
wisdom and knowledge.
And we think if you can’t find it on the internet
it doesn’t exist…

Maria Popova, Interview David Perell

I’m always wild planting and integrating herbs all over our farm.  Seems quaint, like many small wall decorations in the house, but the sinister truth is I don’t like bland food.  Growing up my parents 1 acre garden, sheep, pigs, and chickens fed us for several years, with very little from the store.  Seems like the dream til you try it.  It’s tough to grow, gather, store, cook, and make food taste good.  Cooking is an art and after all that it takes to make food, the art of cooking part gets tough.  I and both siblings agree that we like foods kids will eat.  Aromatic, draw you from where ever you are too the kitchen.  Fresh picked Brussel sprouts roasted lightly salted peppered, basil (I grow pepper).  Salads deep into winter mustards, kales, arugula, dried basil and fresh oregano (seed from Torino, Italy winter can’t kill). Squash, baked potatoes with homemade curries many years, books, and help from 2 chefs to learn those.  Thai food with homemade fish sauce, Cuban cilantro.  Viet pork, and beans my son asks for weekly in December along with spinach Saag.  Pick and cool dry keep on the counter like pictures from old Sunset magazine, French country cabin, herbs make the food.  Good tea, great dinner, nice house:). Cheers

Yes, chickens the bringer of instant soil fertility, and sudden destruction like “I just planted that”.  First I just use Larger compost piles started quickly, compiled, and watered are harder to dismantle.  Kept wet and throw some dirt on it’s hard to move.  While this meets some requirements large shrubs Goumi, some trees.  My longer term answer is same with most predation Cows, sheep, deer, (not goats or bears)… Something quite thorny at the point of attack.  I prune roses and place clippings over compost in a heap. Rough for me later to remove, but usually just compost down over 2 years. I also plant blackberries Himalayan, at the base of new trees orchard/solo.  Trained out on the tree branches these thorns are remarkably effective, better than some fence with seasonal tending. Experimenting with other barbarous berries as well.  Last is cattle panels in smaller sections flat over sticks long enough not to get pulled up.  Hope these help. Cheers

Timothy Norton wrote:An interesting thing that I have found while reading.

Oats can accumulate high levels of nitrates. While high nitrate oat plant material may not be the best for grazing, this makes me believe this creates value in the realm of chop and drop for future crops? What do you think?

Thank you, Timothy, John W for the detailed biology.  Sometimes the wealth of information actually hides the practical application.   I was understanding the crop rotation Peas then Oats, but perhaps it’s reverse, or much more mutually beneficial.  I have been using oats annual, and field peas annual reseeding in succession fall and spring.  Peas on their own were half as dense, and year two harvest peas increased yield x4.  Oats increased slightly year over year it appeared.  I use sheep to chop and drop oats in December for a week or so.  I am worried about spreading pathogenic fungus and bacteria.  What do you think about planting Kernza in this field for protection and would I have to intercrop with oats?

Hello,  parsnips and parsley fare.  Does look like fun.  As a safety point might not want to bottle champagne straight off in bottles, especially if using real champagne yeast.  Primary fermentation in open glass or plastic containers or oak for traditional use is safe, more interesting to smell, and measurable.  Check the residual sugar after a day or two with a hydrometer or Brix meter to see how much undigested sugar is left.  Too much residual sugar continuing to ferment in a week or so inside a bottle is explosive even in champagne bottles.  Quite a brilliant recipe Kara Ann, biochemistry of parsley fermentation looks wonderful.  Cheers.

Hello Megan and Sara,
Sheet lasagna mulching is easiest to start.  Simple in design, really just layering organic substrates.  Add water and time.  Carbon from woody lignin, or grass cellulose is layered with Nitrogen manure.  Many other things can be added a few cannot, but main rule is C:N by weight 25:1ish ratio makes balanced compost.  You may need to amend your composting as you go.  If you research your Nitrogen manure choices like cow manure may need time before planting or bit of ag lime to balance pH.  Ruth Stout’s books are priceless. “Gardening without work”, and “No work gardening”.  These are some of the most adaptable and easiest garden cultures to start and maintain.  Hugelkultur is a project. I would read much before doing it as it involves a bit more work, and soil specific ecology knowledge.  The books are invaluable to really understand, re read, and, you’ll get it and be amazed.  I have sheet mulched on solid rock in 4a, pine needles in 6b, and now heavy clay in 8b my winter garden stirs. Cheers.

He’s a Baggins, not some blockheaded Bracegirdle from Hardbottle.

A post by Pearl Sutton 7 years ago has taken me to a broad smile.  Pearl’s post on “Brushcutting”, blended seamlessly with Sir Terry Pratchett’s Lady Sybil Rampkin-Vimes.  “Do no harm, but take no shit”.  This Pearl had painted across the front of her tractor.  A context of rural illumination I greatly miss.  While life can be hard we try all, in our way to advance our common equity.  This is real strength. This lightens my heart.  Thanks Pearl.  

Thanks for the information Chris.  Glad to see HR 9681 sponsors list geographically diverse Dems my local Rep. Randall WA-6, and Rep. Pocan WI-2 cosponsors along with an FL, AZ, TX.  That’s an all four corners of the US motif, excellent.  I’m weary of congress saying anything, much less legally about the functions of nature, but the word “No”, does appear at the beginning.  Now I’m wondering if there is no corporate angle here, what does this mean?  I’m a child of the 70’s back to the land and happy to see people/congress headed in that direction. Seeds are nature, and for all. Cheers