Deb Pero

I have some pasture i would like to improve for eventual haying. But i need "hay field for dummies" type help.... really not sure what to start with. Would your mix be good for that?

I take the less than perfect kale leaves ( the ones with the grasshopper holes, etc.) And dried them till crisp. Crunch into bits, stuff into half gallon jars. These will be mixed in with chicken feed for winter green nutrients for the hens. The good leaves are dried and stored likewise, and go in our soups, etc.

Funny, we said this would make a great fort for grandkids..
its something to think about... just a place to relax, it does actually have a nice view. Would have to build a floor and some steps...

Hi becky,
thanks for more ideas. There is no floor. A pond isnt possible due to its location in the working area for tractors, etc. but a small animal shelter might be possible if we built up and added a floor. All good things to think about.
i considered grape vines, hops, or other viney food crop as a possibility .....

We have considered something similar except hadnt thought of the root cellar option..interesting... however i think things would freeze... we were almost 30 below this winter..maybe we could pile soil around it.
oh and i should update my profile. now in new hampshire!
Thanks.

we bought part of an old farm. Included among the various ramshackle structures is the stone foundation of a silo. Just the foundation... it is fieldstone and mortar, about 5 feet high, two feet thick, and maybe 15 feet in diameter. It is smack in the middle of a good usable area, but nothing is budging this baby, so I am looking for some creative uses for it. There is a small notch on the east side, where a hatch or door might have been. it is about 2 feet off ground level and maybe 2 and a half feet wide. currently there is a tangle of wild thorny raspberries growing inside.
what can I do with this? I thought maybe planting some runner beans for this first garden season, just for SOME use, but I need good ideas for long term.... anybody?

http://www.richroll.com/podcast/rich-roll-podcast-006-hendrikus/

In today’s episode I sit down with “soil whisperer” Hendrikus Schraven — a noted expert on permaculture, soil biology and rejuvenation, sustainable agriculture & lifestyle, factory farming, GMO’s, Monsanto, Proposition 37, nutritional density and what “organic” really means.

Hendrikus is a wealth of information and inspires with his unique and in depth perspective on the core and fundamental nature of food and nutrition and leaves us with some tips on how to be a better food consumer, and person in general.


There are many, many topics covered in this interview, so it was hard to know where to post this link. But Hendrikus is a delightful, intuitive person and the interview is informative and thought provoking, whether you agree with his ideas or not.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. You gotta be busy with many questions. I did soak everything, and water a couple of times after installation. But we've had no moisture. Was counting on the snow to start soon! Keep your fingers crossed!,!!

Gooseberries sound great! The donut idea might work... We are just SO DANG DRY that I wonder if anything is going to compost. The kill mulch I put down almost two months ago, under 6-8 inches of mulch and manure is still mostly dry as a bone. Ugh. Doesn't bode well for spring planting.
Thanks!

Hi Anna, small world! Good to see you over here as part of Paul's plot to take over the world! ( we could sure do worse!)
I have all the ebooks, as you know,but would sure love a hard copy. (pick me! Pick me!)
My question regards what might be the best berry bushes to plant here in zone 5. Raspberries are a given, but what do you think of elderberries, or some other options? I had hoped to start a hugel bed for planting, but I have no soil to put on it! So I guess that has to wait, or will just be a work in progress for now.
And in reards to that hugelkulture bed, what do you think of using wood chips and bark, in addition to whole logs?

Thanks! Deb