ceiba Hatfield

I do something very similair to Paul's, but substitute the coconut oil for vegetable glycerin. I also add tea tree and thyme oil as well as peppermint. Propolis sounds like an interesting addition 

Puppies wrote:
Ireland is great for hitching, especially in the west. I've hitched the length of the country within a day on two separate occasions! Here's some advice from someone who's been doing it a few years.

I was just about to say that! Ireland is the best place ever to hitch  ! My bf and I got lifts just walking around with our packs, and one time even got picked up by a tour bus! I've hitched in Argentina and Chile without much trouble as well.

That being said, I generally don't hitch in my own country (Mexico) except in dire emergency, and never alone. I've had my share of strange interactions that way and would restrict hitching to known routes or necessity, especially the way things have gotten in the past few years    I have a few (male) friends that hitch and get by fairly well, but in general here it isn't that common. That in mind, I'd recommend more or less the same things Puppies said. I've found that hitching facing traffic (letting the drivers see your face) increases chances of getting a ride as well. I'd also toss in that as a woman I wouldn't hitch alone anywhere. I am a feminist and won't get into debates about submitting to patriarchy and suchlike; the fact is that it's a simple, practical precaution I'd take in any part of the world...

I've noticed that wild amaranth seeds start to drop soon after the rainy season (mid-fall in the northern hemisphere), and the plants spring up quickly with the rains as well (spring/summer). I'm pretty sure amaranth follows roughly similair planting schedules to corn. I would imagine that since it grows as a "weed" in many places it should be suited quite nicely to natural agriculture 

As far as growing amaranth as a grain, it's quite difficult to digest un-popped, and boiling it takes forever (not to mention that it doesn't taste particularly good that way). Sifting and popping is very labor intensive; perhaps quinoa is better suited as a grain crop, with amaranth as a compliment. That being said I have my doubts as to how well they would grow together, as they may compete for nutrients seeing that they are similair plants. Amaranth, however, works well in polycultures and produces delicious edible leaves (note: don't eat them raw). Quinoa leaves are also edible. Experiment with them! Good luck!

My partner and I started using a sawdust urinal a couple weeks ago and it ROCKS!!! We are renters a semi-urbanized setting (house with about 3x15 metres garden), so humanure wasn't really feasible for technical reasons. The sawdust urinal system seemed like a good compromise and so far it works really well. It's just a 5-gallon bucket half-filled with sawdust, plus a sprinkle of sawdust every so often to keep it covered with organic matter. The full bucket goes on to the compost pile. There are no smells, no flies, and it is generally simple to manage. I think this system is highly recommendable for anyone who has space for a compost bin, especially in an urban setting  . After reading this it seems like the "innoculated" sawdust could go directly on the garden beds as well 

I just moved into a (rented) house that I'm attempting to permaculturize. Fortunately, it has lovely rain spigots and a cistern! I've not, however, managed to think of a simple and efficient (and not-so-unaesthetic) way to get water from the spigots to the cistern.  Here are some photos that may be helpful:



There are 4 spigots (the little basalt cannons), spaced between about 5 and 15 metres from the cistern. My guess is a basic system would involve something to catch the water (buckets, perhaps?) and some kind of tubing (pvc? rubber?) to direct the flow into the cistern. One major catch is that this region has very rainy summers and is quite dry the rest of the year (think mediterranean, but backwards), so the system would only be operational during 3-4 months; something that could be taken apart and stored the rest of the time would be particularly useful. I also have an extremely limited budget, and as a rental nothing can be quite permanent... I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, ideas or suggestions. This is my first experience with anything like this as a former apartment dweller. Cheers to all! 

cimarrron wrote:
Popping amaranth seeds in the skillet with a bit of water? Or isn't it a bit of oil instead?

Definitely water. It has something to do with water vapor, I guess. I've never tried it with oil nor heard of it being done; oil might just toast the seeds without popping them. Worth a try, perhaps 

jacqueg wrote:
You will not save money, even if you don't count your time. You can buy cheaper at WalMart or KMart or at thrift stores.

In my specific case I'd have to disagree; here in Mexico quality clothes (i.e. anything that will last after being worn 3-4 times) are incredibly expensive: $100 US will buy maybe 2-3 items (this is an important reason for middle and upper-class folk to go on frequent shopping excursions to the states). Discount clothes here will end up completely deformed after a few washes, and the fashionable short lifetime applies for pretty much anything. Granted, you can buy thrifted clothes quite cheaply, and although it takes a lot of time it's quite fun and I do my share of it. However, fabric is cheap! I just made a pair of jeans for less than $7 US, when in a shop a decent pair would cost upwards of $50 US (or a cheap, cheap pair would start around $20US); the same applies for skirts, dresses, pretty much anything except for cotton t-shirts and such. Although I wouldn't count on making my entire wardrobe, I do find it a good way to save money on certain items that would be cost-prohibited or would get a lot use. Also, since I make my own patterns I save in that bit as well (and there are plenty of free, stylish patterns on sights such as www.burdastyle.com and www.craftster.org). You can also find "retazos", which are like leftover reels of clearance fabric for really cheap ($1 or $2 US per meter), and if you're lucky you can find really cool patterns! I guess I'm lucky in this sense 

Has anyone here tried sewing/constructing their own clothing? I'm new to the subject, but for years it had drawn my attention for several reasons. First of all, I've always had qualms with spending a lot of money on clothes, in part because of industry practices/qualms with consumption/budget restrictions. It seemed frivolous in a sense, greatly because although many people think they express themselves through clothing, they're often choosing between things the industry laid out; what they have has always been chosen for them. Also, as a curvy gal it's always been hard for me to find flattering clothes, so it seems like making them could in fact save me time and effort.

Anyway, a couple months ago I started taking sewing and pattern-making classes. I hadn't once tried to sew anything, so I was starting from scratch. However, with a helpful teacher and much practice I've already made a few skirts and pants and I'm starting on my first dress. The whole thing has been so helpful to me in so many ways! I can make my own designs, save money and feel more in charge of what I'm wearing. Also, it's a very creative process and sooo fun! I also think that we can really change things through production, so taking the production of something as essential as clothing into our own hands can be, in a sense, revolutionary. So, any other permie-sewers in the forum? And how do you think clothing production can fit into the larger sense of permaculture/homesteading (or urban homesteading, in my case)? I would also think in terms of clothing recycling, reconstruction, etc. Throwing the topic out to see your points of view... Cheers! 

That's quite true. Many of these old adobe houses have stood for 400+ years and withstood plenty of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Granted, a bit of maintenance and structural restoration would probably be a good thing for them, or perhaps some adjustments that would make them more functional in terms of space usage. Something I love about these old houses is the way they spread out around a common space, usually a courtyard. In a way, they lead to different types of social interaction; although some courtyards are abandoned or merely decorative, there is something very appealing about homes being built around a central garden...

My folks experimented for years with electric popcorn poppers and different non-splattering methods with no luck, and finally decided that the ages-old way of popping works best. I also assume that if people have chosen to pop amaranth this way for hundred (or thousands) of years there's probably a reason. However, feel free to experiment with other methods; the range-top popcorn popper may work, although I'm not sure it exposure to air has to do with the popping process. As far as the splatter screen, my guess is that as soon as you lifted it to stir the amaranth would fly everywhere: part of the trick is to stir constantly. If you're new to popping, I'd suggest you try the traditional method first and then experiment after seeing how the process works. I'm lucky enough to be able to get it popped at the shop 

Once you get the amaranth popped, you can make a nice flour in a mill or coffee grinder which you can add to breads, pancakes, shakes, etc. You can also use it as a base for horchata. The plain popped grains are also lovely on cereal, fresh fruit, in oatmeal, etc. If you wish to use the flour in breads, always mix it with wheat of whatever flour you use, as it can be rather gooey on its own.