Jay Angler

Timothy Norton wrote:The outdoor run had some smell issues when there were rain deluges but with a recently installed roof that has been greatly mitigated.

Were you able to stack functions and have that roof water directed to a barrel that could then be used to water the chickens?
I want to do that with a shelter I have, but the catch is getting the barrel up on something so that I can easily put a bucket under a spigot to get the water back out of the barrel. The devil is in the details... always...

Eric Hanson wrote:And Jay, regarding buy once cry once…

I think that philosophy is contingent upon different stages of life and different circumstances.

Absolutely - very few things have exceptions.

My accommodations during University fit your description pretty closely - dishes were washed in a plastic bin in an old claw-foot bathtub! But the price was right, the guy who owned the house and my sister both lived there and were both awesome, and it allowed us to leave Uni with far less debt than otherwise.

But I see too much cheap plastic, cheap clothing, cheap everything, and in fact, I would prefer to check out the thrift shops and hopefully get the same item cheap, but long lasting! And I will still do just that rather than buy crap, just to keep stuff out of the landfill, even though I have the money to spend on quality, but find it harder to find than it should be.

So I totally understand your approach when you were younger, and I'm really glad you managed it, and are here to inspire the next generation!

Wow, Judith, you have had a totally awesome day!

Sorry, no story to add today - cold rain, so I'll work on some sewing presents I have started.

Susan Mené wrote:   So from that point of view, a solution could (must?) be to start with the children.  Instead of hard-core STEM education, teach also sustainability, the science of soil and gardening, and life skills.

Definition of STEM: STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Seems like permaculture fits this concept - particularly the 'integrates' part, not to mention biology and soil microbes qualify as science.

I think one of the biggest issues with education is the lack of genuine integration within and between subjects and with life. Early math - Son, run to the garden and pick me 10 walking onion leaves. Take your friend and get him to pick me 10 too. How many will that be all together? Son, your bike tires seem soft. They've only got 15 PSI of air - how much do we need to add so it reads 60 PSI?  This needs to be on top of actually teaching kids *how* to learn (Example: I did not know how to make my brain "rote memorize" - it was *not* intuitive for me, but it's critical for basic math facts. My Son had similar issues, but a professional got him bouncing on a mini-trampoline while practicing addition and subtraction. It totally worked for him when coupled with 3 years of a math program that worked to support his dyslexia.)

Lina Joana wrote:... I do think that it is human nature not to believe in massive changes for the worse like this, where a strategy that has worked well for generations, and weathered major shifts already (like the computer and internet revolutions, and multiple economic upheavals), is suddenly going to be a liability. So your message will naturally be met with disbelief …

I agree that this is a factor.

Problem is, that when I look around, yes, there are a few jobs for those with University degrees, and yes, there are useful things you can learn there, but there are a whole lot more people that I keep reading about who are stuck in service industry jobs - restaurant, retail, cleaning - and can barely afford rent and groceries, let alone college debt. Of my son's cohort, many are under-employed. However, three of them work in the building trade in various capacities, and they're at least making ends meet, and are enjoying the work. A few I know who are doing the white collar jobs, are getting paid worse when you consider that amount of overtime they're expected to put in. Then there are a very few that got the prize and are doing awesomely well.

Traditionally, only the wealthy got higher education. The rest made do with Grade 10, then gradually Grade 12. Now we are given the message from many places, that without a University Degree, you can't get a good job. I would study the path you want to take very carefully. What percentage of grads today, get that good job in their field? What percentage are still waiting tables? Are you genuinely capable of gradding in the top 10% of your class? Or do you have iron-clad connections? The young people I know who have done the best are ones who picked up practical skills at community college.

Will this change? Eventually yes, maybe. We currently still have a lot of Baby Boomer refusing to retire. Will their jobs still exist when they do retire?  Will different jobs exist? My sister was in a field which was constantly downsizing as computers did more and more, and companies sent more work to countries with lower wages. She was more or less forced into retirement in her mid-50's and only maintained a good standard of living because she'd started saving heavily at a young age. One can't do that if their school debt uses up that slack.

Ian Young wrote:...I think at times this can leave you feeling like it's not real permaculture if you're not on a large acreage. I'm biased too, of course, because I live in a city & like it, but I think permaculture must get better at crossing the metro area boundary if it's going to achieve its goals.

I absolutely agree with this. I have tried hard for the last couple of decades to push concepts such as edible landscaping, relaxed definitions of 'pets' to include well managed small farm animals, and many more allotment gardens in pocket parks close to apartment buildings and garden homes.

Most humans on earth live in cities, and if we're going to sustainably support our population levels, we frankly have to continue doing that.

Personally, I do not see how it is possible to sustainably support our population level, but many countries are in a reverse pyramid of age groups already, or are heading that way. How can we use permaculture to ease that transition, help humans to settle at a lower, more human scale planet-wide population, and ideally turn our mega-cities into human compatible, high density living that supports our current economic benefits - like manufactured goods - without the current, unsustainable model of forever growth that math doesn't support? I see the attitude that a contracted human population will "hurt our economy" as a status quo excuse from the mega rich who benefit the most from an ever expanding, unsustainable population.  City Permaculture could prove that there are better ways.

Here's an intention I set a number of years ago that fits my expansive view of permaculture: do small things to build community and as a result, build collective resilience. I organize social events for our block a couple times a year. I volunteer with our neighborhood "community council", which gives residents a voice in local government. I helped secure a grant to install a bunch of rain gardens in neighborhood residents' yards. Last year, I recruited some immediate neighbors to replace sod with native plants on a bunch of the boulevard on our block. Next year I'm aiming to expand that to a bunch of other blocks. A different group in the city has been working on edible boulevards and just won an ordinance change to officially legalize them.

Yes, all these things! I have a vision of city blocks putting a different fruit tree in front of every house, instead of the current, sometimes invasive, ornamentals (which do at least help cool the city). As they grow, the hope would be that they could be shared with a group of families, as each different fruit/variety of fruit, comes ripe. I am not a purist - flowers are good for our souls, so not every plant has to be edible, but the idea is to have plenty that are. We need thousands more like you, who are actively working to makie this happen.

Nice new friend you have there - might help with any rat or mouse issues, but yes, I'd try and teach your chickens to run for cover.
I would have expected a Cooper's to have more white on their breast - could be a juvenile or just the lighting in the picture?

Hopefully a better birder than I will have a look. If not, I'll ping my expert.

This got me curious. What exactly is the definition of "homestead"? It's actually quite different based on both the country one is in, and the decade. Almost makes me think we need a new word for what Rachel and Toby Hemenway are/were trying to do (may Toby rest in peace - he was a wonderful author).

In general, I always figured that a great place to start was edible landscaping. Stealth food may not provide a lot in terms of calories, but if plants are chosen for their nutritional value, you can improve your micronutrient and health levels quickly. If no one seems to notice or complain, it gives you experience and a base to expand from. Like R Ranson's window ledge herb garden. At the moment, I have a bin of Holy Basil on my. If I accidentally brush it, I get a wonderful aroma experience! And it's nice adding a leaf to a pot of tea.

I'm always giving away baby walking onions and encouraging people to poke them in in different spots in their yard. Fresh green onions for about 9 months of the year with basically no effort. Having a "total noob plant" one can give away freely, can help engage others.

Municipal rules can impact this substantially. Some places are supportive of this concept, some will take a "blind eye" approach, and some will actively work against it. I would try to choose the right city to live in, if possible. There are some great ones out there, that actively encourage people to plant food producing plants/shrubs/trees. Sometimes, you don't need to change cities, but just look for enclaves that seem more open to alternatives. There's one in the local city that houses a "compost education center" and "Spring Ridge Commons" (a mini-food forest with paths and seating). I used to see houses there growing veggies on their front lawns. I understand Tyler's concerns, but one of the best ways to be part of the solution, is to start sharing plant starts with neighbors, hosting pot-lucks, and building some of that trust we've lost.

I know that my father's family raised both rabbits and chickens, as well as having a large garden that helped them sustain their teenaged children in Britain during WWII. Helping local people see how fragile our supply chains sometimes are is another way to help get them on board with what you're trying to do. I just hope it doesn't take another war to accomplish!

News Flash!

For the first time in 60 years, we saw bread in the grocery store with a cardboard bread tag! Biodegradable, burnable, not plastic! Won't pollute our beaches!

Yeah Humans!!! Keep up the good work!

Has anyone noticed any similar good works?

Was there any old curry spice hiding in the same closet?  I would just check before you put a lot of work into drying nettle leaves, although I have read that dried nettle leaves are good for top-dressing plants as a natural pick-me-up. I have done that in the past, and I don't recall a curry smell, but mine weren't in a paper bag.