Matt McSpadden

Hi Tom,
I typically use my greenhouse for starts and then use it for chickens in the winter. There are a number of ways to accomplish what you are describing, but most of them will require quite a bit of time and work to build insulations walls, heat storage, heat producing devices, etc.

Probably the simplest concept I think would come from Eliot Coleman who lives here in Maine and wrote a book called 4 season harvest. You will notice he did not call it 4 season growing. But by changing up a little of what we grow and using a greenhouse and row cover, he is cable to harvest vegetables all year round. Changing some of what vegetables you grow is part of it too. You are not going to be growing a tomato, even in a greenhouse, in Maine during the winter without a source of heat.

**Edit
It is like the story of growing a lemon tree in the alps. Can you do it? Yes... is your time better spent on growing something that will grow more easily? Perhaps. I think you can absolutely do what you are talking about, but I worry trying to grow "normal" vegetables in a "normal" greenhouse may require more effort than you want to invest for the output you get.

I am in Maine, northeastern USA. I do want to make sure I follow codes... but I think there are a good many things above and beyond and sometimes sideways from the codes that can be done better.

Welcome to Permies!

Unfortunately, I do not have much experience with engines, so I would not know what to be looking for. There are some really handy people around, and they might be able to give some guidance.

Billy: The doctor said I can only eat cookies and icecream while sitting on the floor.
Bob: The doctor really said that?
Billy: Well... pretty much... He said I need to lower my sugar intake.

I suspect properly drying the seeds for long term culinary use would probably kill the seed, but I haven't tried growing any myself.

Just a little more... :)

I think 10 acres would be a good amount. 1 acre for the house, outbuildings, kids playground, berry bushes and flowers. 1 acre for a large garden. 2x half-acre ponds for water and wildlife. 4 acres for a couple cows or sheep or something... and leave 3 or so acres for woods for firewood and wildlife habitat. I think that would be a good life.

But... I like to dream big, and I would love the chance to use 100 acres to increase the life across that acreage. Beneficial for humans and animals alike.

Hi All,
I can see the benefit of house wrap when you have the sheathing -> house wrap -> siding. However, I intend to renovate a wall where I was thinking of doing sheathing -> 2" rockwool -> rainscreen/airvent -> siding.

Both companies of the rockwool insulation and the rainscreen both recommend housewrap... but I feel like it's rather redundant given the other layers. Is it really going to help anything?

We are now offering organic wild blueberry powder!

Let's be honest, blueberries are actually kind of purple on the inside. But that color comes from anthocyanin which is a little something found in many berries and vegetables of the bluish purple color, and happens to be an excellent antioxidant. The wild blueberries grown here in Maine have nearly double the antioxidants than commercial blueberries. These little powerhouses of health can benefit your brain, your heart, and your gut. Like berries in general, they only last so long before spoiling, which is why we have developed different ways to preserve them so you can have that great blueberry flavor and benefits all year round. Our organic wild blueberry powder is freeze dried and then turned into a powder.

- Great for tea, muffins, smoothies, yogurt, pancakes, coffee cake, meat rubs, and more
- Organic
- Grown, processed, and packaged in Maine, USA
- Packaged in reusable and recyclable glass bottles that hold in freshness and don't leave micro pieces in your food

Backstory:
Like many of us, I try to eat local and organic whenever I can. I am grateful to live in a place where I can usually find meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables, and fresh herbs that are local and organic. But whenever I got to the dried herbs/spices there was nothing local. It was all imported from at least across the country, if not from around the world. These containers smelled like nothing, had no color, and didn't add much flavor to anything.

One year, I had a huge crop of garlic and decided to make some home made garlic powder. We used some, and I gave the rest to family and friends. It was the best smelling and tasting garlic powder I had ever tasted. Everyone else thought so too. And while it was hard work, I had a blast making it. Then my life took a drastic turn, and I found myself in a situation where I had nowhere to grow things anymore. I still wanted to do something with local and organic food, but it took me a while to get from "I can't..." to "what can I...". When I did finally come around, I knew that dried herbs and spices was the perfect fit. My knowledge at the time was limited, so I started researching how to dry things. I learned a lot here at Permies.com and took it even a step further with a class from Meeting House Farm (a medicinal herb growing collaborative). Not long after, The Maine Ingredient LLC was born.



It certainly helped that there is a certified organic farm just up the road that sells wholesale herbs to restaurants. I bought some and started drying them in a small drying room I had created. I found I could create incredible dried herbs that actually had color, would make the whole room smell like that herb, and would still last a very long time. In this picture you can see the color difference between some thyme I dried and some store-bought.  


About:
The Maine Ingredient LLC specializes in Maine grown, organic ingredients, with a focus on dried herbs and spices.

Local:
The Maine Ingredient is proud to be a local business. Our products are sourced from certified organic farms in Maine, then dried in Maine, and then packaged into glass bottles, right here in Maine.

Color and Flavor:
Most commercial options dry their product too hot and too fast. The Maine Ingredient uses the same techniques that are used in the medicinal herbalist industry. By using these time-tested techniques, I can produce products that actually have color and flavor, unlike most store bought dried herbs.

Less Plastic:
While some of our products come in contact with plastic during processing, none are ever stored in plastic once we have them.

Products:
We currently sell the following products...

Maple Sugar - Has a subtle flavor that is perfect for cinnamon rolls, muffins, bread, cookies, coffee, tea, and anywhere you would use refined sugar. Also has more nutrients and has a lighter impact on the land than refined sugar.


Dried Sage - Has an aromatic flavor that is great for breakfast sausage, pork, chicken, compound butter, stews, and more.


Dried Rosemary - Has a pungent flavor that is perfect for beef, chicken, pork, lamb, stews, casseroles and more.


Dried Basil - Has a hint of sweetness with that classic basil flavor and is great for soups, sauces, pasta, tea and more.


Dried Thyme - Has a fragrant flavor and is great for beef, chicken, stocks, meatloaf, vegetables and more.


Dried Oregano - Has a pungent flavor, is most often used dried, and is fantastic for pizza, tomato sauces, Italian vinaigrettes, marinades, beef, salads, tea, and even more.


Dried Parsley - Has an herbaceous and slightly bitter taste, that helps accentuate other flavors and is fantastic for soups, meatloaf, dry rubs, baked potatoes, salads, and more.


Dried Tarragon - Has a mild licorice flavor that is signature in many french dishes and is great for potatoes, chicken, salmon, tuna, eggs, and more.


Garlic Granules - What is garlic NOT good on? It's good on meat, on vegetables, in sauces and soups, on pizza and popcorn.


Garlic Powder - This is the same as the granules, just smaller pieces. It's good on meat, on vegetables, in sauces and soups, on pizza and popcorn.


Blueberry Powder - Freeze dried blueberries turned into powder. Great for your brain, heart, and gut. Tastes good with tea, smoothies, muffins, yogurt, meat rubs and more!


If you need help drying your own, feel free to reach out with questions. If you have someone closer to you, who is drying herbs/spices in a proper manner, then buy from them. If you are not able to dry your own right now and don't have someone else closer... check us out. https://themaineingredient.com

John C Daley wrote:Matt, surely something must be wrong if your tank cannot absorb a boost in numbers ?

I suspect there is an issue... but I am hopeful it is merely a lack of biology and can be remedied easily.