Reid's BRK

BRK #6

today is another restful day. this morning before doing some cleaning, i checked on my sprouts.



from left to right in this image:
- quinoa sprouts, day 2. this is a new experiment for me. the quinoa holds on to water, and im hoping that doesnt result in rot. after close examination i can see a couple roots emerging.
- lentil sprouts, day 2. lentil sprouts are quick to grow. what started out as 1/3 of what you see will easily fill the jar with sprouty deliciousness.
- fermenting blueberries, day 3. yesterday after a taste test, i decided to add some honey. the main thing i could taste is salt.

not pictured:
- mung bean sprouts. i just discovered we have mung beans, so im trying these for the first time.


i highly recommend sprouting!

why?
- the easiest and fastest way to grow your own food
- can be grown indoors, even in winter, and even without light!
- sprouting results in an explosion of nutrients, a reduction in antinutrients, and improved digestibility



so how do you do it?

there is a lot of fancy equipment you can buy, but all you need is a jar and a lid! if you have a mesh "sprouting lid," the process will be easier than it already is.

1. add your seed to the jar, covering the bottom, about 1/2 inch deep.
2. fill the jar about halfway with water.
3. soak the seed for 8 hours. usually anything between 4-24 hours will work.
4. drain the water from the seeds. rinse them, and drain again. i usually use the lid to strain the water without the seeds coming out.
5. rinse the sprouts at least daily. if you rinse them more often, you will get faster and higher quality sprouts!

thats all there is to it! you can eat them at pretty much any stage, though i will eat them before the leaves pop out.

DISCLAIMER: raw sprouts are prone to contamination from harmful bacteria. do your own research. you may opt to cook them before eating. personally, i eat raw sprouts all the time.

my favorites to sprout include: radish, broccoli, clover, alfalfa, and lentil.

you can also sprout legumes such as chickpeas and black beans. they will need to be cooked after, but the cook time will decrease significantly. the taste will also change.

here is what my lentil sprouts look like today. they have expanded significantly, and you can already see the tails have popped out. i could eat them at this point, but i prefer to let them grow bigger to get a larger yield.






later in the day i took some time to brush off the sawdust to restore the pristinity of the willow bank. while doing this, i noticed some symbolism.



the water tank of this toilet is purely
decorative, filled with dry flowers and the like.

to me the flowers represent the value of the water we are saving with this system. plus at one point they probably contributed a nice scent to the space.

water is an essential resource for drinking, for growing plants, for cleansing.

if we use a compost toilet or willow feeding system, we can conserve water and responsibly take care of the "waste" we are generating (its not waste, its a resource).

plus, these systems can benefit individuals in areas with poor sanitation.

not everyone can just throw together an outhouse in their backyard. here are some easy things you can do to make a difference:
- pee outside
- dont flush the toilet after each time you pee
- put a brick or a few rocks in your toilet tank, to displace some water and reduce the amount used in each flush. (i read this one on Permies, i cant remember who said it.)


so thats all for today! i think this post will prove to be more informative and interesting than BRK #5. but whos keeping track anyways!

BRK #7

good morning.




this monday morning we took care of switching out the cans in the willow feeder. here are Stephen and Sarah in the process of removing the full cans.



Stephen noted this is his favorite technology at Wheaton Labs.

the process is painless and simple. close and label the cans, then open them up in 2 years.

we took these full cans over to what i am calling "the vault," in exchange for some old cans.

here is a true face reveal, me at the lab.




while at the lab i had to take a picture of Cooper Cabin. what a beautiful structure. it is inspiration for how a beautiful functional home can be built with natural materials.



upon return, we dumped some two year old cans to feed some cottonwood trees. the end result is no longer human "waste." it is decomposed organic matter and sawdust, and is completely free of any harmful microorganisms.

this is the miracle of nature - is anything permanent?
"form is emptiness, emptiness is form"

in the afternoon, a few of us worked on filling up the woodshed. i enjoy splitting wood. like many projects this has proven to take longer than originally predicted.

there you have it. have a great day!

BRK #8

the snow is coming down today.



though snow is cold, its beautiful. it dims the noise, covers everything in a white heavenly looking blanket.

tomorrow we are celebrating Fukuoka day. in honor of Masanobu Fukuoka, we are making seed balls. this entails coating seeds in a layer of clay, to protect the seeds while they germinate in the field.

i loved reading his book One Straw Revolution, so im sure my post tomorrow will include some info from there.

here is some clay...in my hand...



Grey and I devised our own formula- still in progress. it consists of clay, compost, manure, and sand. the other materials add fertility and volume to the mix.

over lunch, i checked on the fermenting blueberries.



in the image you can see the first signs of bubbles! AKA carbon dioxide emitted by lactobacillus bacteria at work!
it tasted a little fermenty, and still too salty. some research today told me that the bacteria will break down some of the salt. so when its not too salty, and tastes perfectly sour, it will be time to eat.

this fermenting stuff isnt as complicated as i originally thought. the bacteria do all the work. and with experience, i hope to understand their rhythms to harness their abilities.

in the afternoon, we set up a new shelf in the shop. this shelf serves as a place to house shorter 2x4 boards. taking advantage of vertical space.

its always fun to do projects in the shop, because all of the tools you need are at hand-- no need to "go back to the shop" three times for all of the tools you forgot.

i think little by little the shop is becoming more organized. organization is one of my FAVORITE things. pleasing to the eye and efficient.

check it out:



we incorportated some labeling, in hopes the system will take care of itself. because what is the point of organizing, if youre just going to let entropy take over again?

thank you for reading!

BRK #9

today is Fukuoka day. which means making seed balls, and eating sushi.

first, check out these sample balls, made from yesterdays incomplete batch of clay:



the ratio of clay could be higher, but they seem to work! they look just like chocolate cookies, and i had to resist the urge to eat them.

after perfecting the mixture by adding more clay and more sand, in the afternoon we made the balls.

since i was on sushi duty, i only had the chance to make a few. i made sunflower seed balls, using seeds that Stephen saved from a happy sunflower at the lab.



the team will be drying these in the rocket assisted solar dehydrator, considering the lack of sunshine today.

Moto Jeff and I got to work making sushi. it turns out rolling enough sushi for ~10 people is no small feat.

here are some stats:
~8 cups of dry rice
12 nigiri with raw ahi tuna
30 nori
many wasabi overdoses

i got extremely fast at rolling sushi. now i am just praying that nobody gets sick from the tuna. i mean...weve eaten this stuff in restaurants many times...but once im preparing it, the doubt sets in.

Jeff did an amazing job with the presentation. here are our first few vegan friendly rolls:



and what was leftover at the end of the feast:



anyways, its time for me to lie down. that was a whirlwind in my head.



here are a couple favorite quotes from One Straw Revolution:

"when it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the effort to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized"

"nature is in constant transition, changing from moment to moment. people cannot grasp nature's true appearance. the face of nature is unknowable. trying to capture the unknowable in theories and formalized doctrines is like trying to catch the wind in a butterfly net."

definitely some words to grapple with. because the whole point of them is to see where they are pointing, and then let those words go. we cannot understand the unknowable through thinking.

this book is beyond farming. it's connecting Buddhist philosophy into farming. bringing the omniscient knowledge of nature into the way we live our lives.

BRK #10

ten!

this morning i worked on paneling the library ceiling with Wesley and Sarah. this project is finally gaining momentum. with the lengths figured out, we used up all of the panels available at basecamp.

here is part of the pattern, with the seams forming a zipper like shape



this ceiling is a lot more of a challenge than the solarium, but everyone is taking it in stride.

in the aftermath of Fukuoka day, i checked the dehydrator to see the clay balls. they look just like cookies in a tall oven. i cant get over it.



the whole process of mixing earth draws more than a few parallels to baking.

and if you think about it, baking is just mixing earth that has been processed by plants and animals (and other creatures) - then applying heat.

for lunch i had leftover sushi. i checked with the boots on whether anyone was feeling sick - a unamimous no brought me a sigh of relief.

aaand the afternoon was spent at the gregorian woodshed. things are looking - full. its been a few weeks of this same process....fell buck split stack. but at the same time, i enjoy splitting wood.



plus, the wood today was the driest yet. and it had a consistent crack that made the splitting even easier.



it felt like the settings were in easy mode.

still trying to figure out what makes the woodshed gregorian.

im starting to find a sort of routine here, but also hoping the routine doesnt detract from a beginners mindset, where i dont limit my options.

so...yeah. gonna stretch, eat, and log off right now. have a good one

BRK #11

its friday! a relief. its been a big week here at Wheaton Labs. as always, the weekend is much needed.

my morning started off doing ceiling panels in the library. its a lot of monkey business (climbing everything in sight) and octopus business (wishing i had more hands). we are getting faster and more precise every day! but also a job that requires some breathers. its fun to just lie on top of the shelves.

its great that all of our panels are coming from our sawmill - keeping it local.

here is Sarah taking care of monkey business:



to the right in that image, you can see a hanging electrical outlet. we had the chance to get that secured and make it look nice with a face plate.

in the library i found this artifact -



is this an attempt at comedy? or modern art? i just dont know.

we were blessed today to have a delicious lunch prepared. squash soup reminded me that winter squash is one of my favorite vegetables.

and after lunch, the cats decided to surprise me with a flash mob:



in the back you can see Stephen's lattice work on the fence, which is pleasing to the eye.

some time spent playing with the cats was just what i needed. i enjoy taking a twig and having them try to catch it. "time spent with cats is never wasted" - im not sure who said it, but i agree.

this afternoon, we collected more firewood. i somehow hurt one of my phalanges in the process. between the cold, feeling worn out, and my hand hurting...im glad the universe and i agree that its time for the weekend.

there was some talk of pulley day next week (our next holiday) and im excited. ill be sure to be here updating Permies on how it plays out.

so yeah...... have. a. good. one. everybody!

BRK #12

good morning!

here is a sprout update. my quinoa sprouts failed. i think they were getting moldy, and after a week there was hardly any growth. i was told that quinoa can be a touchy one.

but, the mung bean sprouts took off!



this jar is packed to the brim. well it was, then i ate a few to give them some room. they taste starchy and earthy. not my favorite raw. i have them in the fridge now, and hope to incorporate them into a stir fry or something.

this saturday was something different for me. a trip to Missoula with Jeff, Grey, and Sarah.

going into town is a stark contrast to life at the lab - seeing so many different humans. and life in the city runs on money. so i dusted off my wallet, and we were on the road! shoutout to Jeff for driving us.

i was having too much fun to remember to take any pictures, so i photographed a couple souvenirs.

the first stop was the winter market in missoula. farmers markets are my favorite. i see it as a way to see the best of what a town has to offer. and this little indoor market did not dissapoint!

i got some stickers to adorn my "stuff." Alex is a local artist who repurposes flowers used in weddings. i loved her creative combinations, and the theme of nature encompassing it all.

here is my notebook with a new sticker:



check out her art here: https://www.reloveart.com/about

the market had what youd expect: produce, pasture raised meats, kombucha, and crafts. i was touched by the kindness of the people here.

on a trip to the grocery store, i got some alter eco chocolate. the inside of the package:



this reminds me of the food forest systems i saw in Hawaii. the tropics are the home of food forests, where abundant light, heat, and rainfall create optimal conditions for a multi-tiered food forest. i saw canopy trees like the kukui nut towering over bananas and all types of fruit trees. the understory featured ginger, purple sweet potatoes, nitrogen fixing plants, sugarcane, and a mulch of chopped up banana trees.

this system produces a diverse yield, builds soil, reduces erosion, and creates favorable microclimates.

i am interested in adapting this strategy to temperate climates. there have been successful temperate food forests, but there is room for more experimentation!

this afternoon im going to gather materials to divide up the cubbies in the library. i will keep you folks updated as this project unfolds.

BRK #13

this sunday is the halving....

of the cubbies

i installed the dividers for all of the lower cubby shelves in the library. meaning that each cubby is now only half of what it was...

people may come to me with their complaints, but i had to do what i had to do....to make more cubbies.

here is what the cubbies looked like, pre divider



dont worry, i also took a couple things to the shop while i was at it.

for materials i used 3/8" boards leftover from our paneling projects. since the panels usually require some length removed, this was a perfect way to repurpose that section, and avoid taking too much space from the cubby with the divider itself. i ran these boards through a planer to get a nice finished look.

for supports i needed something a bit thicker. i used about 40" of 2x4 cutoffs. i used the table saw to cut the 2x4 into 6 pieces. i ended up with about 15 pieces, each 12" long.

these supports are perfect because they can house 18 gauge brad nails, which are already loaded into our nail gun. this sped up the installation process, instead of trying to fit myself in a cubby while swinging around a hammer.

because we were already doing work in the library, many of the tools i needed were already available.

so, here it is! my cubby.



due to the shape of the cubbies, some of my pieces required a notch cut, you can see on the top right of this image. the notches didnt need to be precise. i used a Japanese pull saw and also a chisel to make these notches.

you can see i left spaces between the slats to let light through. it also made the project less labor/material intensive.

all in all, 7 cubbies were partitioned today. next week i may proceed on the upper, larger cubbies.

im pleased with how this project turned out. before i came to Wheaton Labs this kind of stuff was beyond my ability. today it came naturally. i had the skills and confidence needed to put this together.

for the rest of today, ill be eating, meal prepping, and keeping in touch with family.

here is a photo of Midge for good luck.



thank you for reading!

BRK #14

so....good morning.

i think the art on this box is beautiful.



the concept itself is cool too, the box contains unused menstrual hygiene products for anyone to contribute to or use.

and...

this morning involved more willow feeder can switching.

which.....i already detailed out in a previous post.

so fast forward..... to lunch!

i keep sampling the fermented blueberries, and its still too salty! i like the flavor, but the salt level is only manageable when diluted, like in this yogurt.



i used about a 2.25% salt solution... though i will admit i was lax with my measurements. from my understanding i need a salt concentration of at least 2% to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. but if its too salty to the taste, what gives?

any experienced fermenters have any advice?

worst case i rinse them and lose all the precious juice...or another option is i just eat it all in diluted form.

the afternoon was all firewood shenanigans. fell, buck, transport, buck some more, split, stack.

one tree was hung up on another tree, but a rope and 3 humans working together was enough to free it.



heres a photo of Jeff making the split.



the task has definitely become "routine," but it (mostly) doesnt get old as i refine my abilities and make games out of it.

in the last 30 minutes of our shift, a blizzard spawned out of nowhere. perfect timing really.

all in all a successful monday (whatever that means). i am grateful for this lifestyle that allows me to move my body and encourages me to spend time outdoors, even when its cold.

Reid Robison wrote:here are a couple favorite quotes from One Straw Revolution:

"when it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the effort to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized"

"nature is in constant transition, changing from moment to moment. people cannot grasp nature's true appearance. the face of nature is unknowable. trying to capture the unknowable in theories and formalized doctrines is like trying to catch the wind in a butterfly net."

definitely some words to grapple with. because the whole point of them is to see where they are pointing, and then let those words go. we cannot understand the unknowable through thinking.

this book is beyond farming. it's connecting Buddhist philosophy into farming. bringing the omniscient knowledge of nature into the way we live our lives.

Does Fukuoka talk about Buddhism directly anywhere? I'm not familiar with any Buddhist tracts specifically, but that second quote sounds like pure Daoism to me. Apart from Lao Tzu being as far from a farmer as is possible that is...