Monday number two did not disappoint. It was a productively packed day and there wasn’t anything that I’m eager to gloss over, but I might end up doing though just by nature of trying to type what might otherwise be at least a half hour monologue about what was cool and why and what that means. We started off where many a morning might start for a boot, down at the willow bank. Instead of the usual business, we moved one of the full cans to the willow candy warehouse and took two cans out. We let them compost for 2 years before they’re put on non- food plants, so sanitation is pretty good. This high nitrogen fertilizer is great for nitrogen loving species of trees like willows, hence the name. The lack of putrid fecal smells when dealing with human waste was a present surprise.
We also assessed the wing walls of Allerton Abbey, they need a little TLC project. Stinging Nettle is, among other things, delicious. I tried some for the first time today, and I’m hooked. It’s crisp, fresh, and familiar, and it’s abundant. I’m excited to make some salads featuring the stuff.
We made bone sauce today which involves essentially using the biochar process on bones that leave behind a black, stinky, greasy sludge that can be applied to trees to keep deer away for up to 10 years and beyond. I’m dubious, but wiser minds than I trust it, and I’m excited to see how it works out. It does have me considering trying out some experimentation to see how it performs in trial.
We finished out the day working on the junk pole fence at base camp. There is work to do but it is doable. We have lots of rock jacks to rehabilitate, but it’s kinda fun; even more so when you consider the artistic side of making what looks like the wall of a pioneer settlement.
We received fruit trees in the mail right at the end of the day, so I’m looking forward to planting those tomorrow.
BEL #6 22 April 2025 Taco Tuesday
‘Twas the morning of Earth day, and all through the lab, every sapling was planted- at least those we could grab. The fire was set to the kettles with care, in hopes that some bone sauce would soon be there. The GAMCOD was finished, a 5 foot high bed, awaiting the weather to get it planted. And I on the tractor, and Steve with his hat, moved tons of sand to Fukuoka Flat. When up on the new trail there rose a great matter, it had to be wider, and straighter, and flatter. Cooking our supper we flew like a flash, adorning our tacos with avocado mash. The quicker we packed up the quicker the showing, to see where the rebel alliance is going.
We planted hazelnuts, apples, and blueberries today. They are marked for extra attention when watering, especially when it starts to warm up and dry out. We attempted to make bone sauce, but this attempt did not go so great. We successfully made biochar out of bones, but we did not have any leftover liquid for bone sauce. Notes were made about how we can improve and I’m sure we’ll be attempting it again soon. The GAMCOD project that we’ve been constructing is not completed. We just need to plant it out and watch it grow. I’m also interested to see the side by side comparison to last year’s GAMCOD in how they grow. I brought a little tractor experience with me, so I got to move sand from Arrakis to Fukuoka flat. We have a new trail coming on line that we’ve been making really good progress on. And to finish off the day we started taco Tuesday a little early so we could get done and watch the new episode of Andor. One of the really awesome things here is that there are some projects that have the ability to be checked off a list, and we don’t work on projects for more than half a day at a time. I see a mitigated potential for burnout or boredom when it’s done that way.
GAMCOD -check, plant new trees -check, Flatten Fukoaka Flat -half check, part one trail clearance -check.
Also included a pic of my first fully foraged fresh food at the lab. A dandelion, and stinging nettle salad with a few sprigs of baby kale. It was delicious, and apparently stinging nettle has a lot of protein.
BEL #7 23.4.2025
The highlight of today did not make my camera roll, because we were having so much fun finishing the roof frame on the house at the bark park. It’s very close to completion, so you will probably see some more pictures to come. Other than that, the new willow trees at lemon landing are starting to bud, and the blueberry buds are starting to open. Spring is in full swing, doing its thing, with the blooms it can bring. I’ve included pics from some of the more minor projects of the day.
On the short list: acquire a phone without a broken camera so the pictures are better.
Seth
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Taking lumber for roof construction
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Irrigating hugelkultur beds
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We fixed one of the homemade kitchen chairs with a bit of pine pitch.
BEL #8 The twenty fourth day of the fourth month, the two thousand and twenty fifth year
Today being my Friday for the week really made an interesting one. The GAMCOD plot at Allerton Abbey is now fully mulched and moistened, along with many of the other hugel berms and trees around the fenced area. A highlight was the fact that we got more done on the wing walls that need replaced. This process includes removing the old logs and replacing with new, being careful to wrap them in a “gravel sock” that sheds water and will hopefully prevent premature decay for those pieces. You can see me cutting one of the replacement logs in a picture below. I really like the aspect of this job specifically. There is a ton to learn about natural building. It was my original thought that, once placed, the structures were just there and done. But in this case I get to see firsthand what works and what doesn’t and why we do things how we do, and how to improve the next iteration of a design. This being a lab and all, it’s exactly in the spirit of what I’m here to learn. I don’t have much to learn if everything is done and perfect and nothing ever goes wrong. I’ve learned a lot more about bone sauce by failing once, than I would have had it been successful on the first try. Beyond the what and how of the workings on the lab I get the bonus of knowing why. I’m looking forward to some more future failures, and new iterations of ideas as they form and transform.
I’m heading down to Texas for a wedding this weekend, so no Friday BEL. Enhanced images and video pending.
Seth
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Cutting a log to length
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The Wing Wall in Question
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Holding the log in place while acquiring more gravel
Howdy and happy Monday, we’re back at the lab. Today really flew by. Maybe that has to do with the travel and pace changes resulting in altered perception of time. Nevertheless we’re taking care of business. This morning’s business was an investment in future food sources. We planted sunchokes and walking onions all around the berm at the tipi. Ideally these will take hold and begin to thrive on neglect as they have at base camp and Allerton Abbey. I really love the prospect of plant and forget crops that are hardy, vigorous, and palatable. You don;t even have to harvest sunchokes, they just chill in the ground until you’re ready to eat them. Following a hummus grilled cheese™ lunch, we set to experiment on wood drying methods. Split logs were placed out in the sun, in the solar dehydrator, and in the rocket boosted solar dehydrator. We’ll test to see which dries better. And before finishing the day with irrigation, we worked on some more roundwood furniture.
The blooms are blooming and the ants are crawling around. When digging sunchokes to plant at the tipi I found many starting to sprout and leaf. Life is rushing out into the sunshine and warmth of a new season. I can’t wait to see what other blooms, bugs, and birds come to join us.
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