Welcome Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden!

Thank you so much for stopping by and answering my questions, Toby! I plan on sharing your work with as many people as possible! I especially appreciate your post "Is Food the Last Thing to Worry About?" Since I only recently had my peak oil "moment" and have been kind of obsessed about this type of issue, it really put my mind at ease. I am looking forward to reading all of your archived blog posts.

Dear "H": We have some existing threads on this topic where you might want to add your comments. This thread is more for welcoming Toby and talking about this week's event.

Okay, I moved it. Thanks, Paul. ~ Holly

So I ran the program and it came back with Tim Eastham as the first two. His email is in the daily-ish email list, so I gotta say the permies.com server somehow loves this guy. Who am I to argue?

From the remaining eight, there was one from Toby, four with emails not on the daily-ish email one fluff post and one name that looked like it didn't meet the new naming standards and one from Jesus Martinez.

So we have two winners and need four winners.

So I ran the program again. Another Toby post, another from Jesus, several more with emails not in the daily-ish email list and Nancy Sutton and Brenda Groth.

I will notify the four winners via email to get their snail mail details. And they MUST respond withing 24 hours.

To the rest of you: go buy Toby's Book! If Toby sells a big gob of books today and tomorrow, it tells other authors that visiting with us here at permies.com pays off big and then we'll be giving away a big bunch of books every week!

Thanks everybody!

Bryan Milne wrote:Hi Toby,

https://permies.com/t/10818/organic-sustainable-practices/Biochar-Biofuel-already-existing-Invasive

My question is a bit complex and involves multiple areas of controversy:

1. "Invasive" plants

look for uses and appropriate control measures before resorting to mass removal
mowing is commonly used to control autumn olive for example
never use herbicides to control invasives regardless, power equipment is always better as a last resort

For expanded discussion of this see the archives of the permaculture and nafex lists at ibiblio; use the Google site: search feature to facilitate and narrow your searches to discover relevant posts

2. Systemic herbicide application for "invasives" (particularly the degree of toxicity to ecology and soils such practice poses?)

NEVER.

3. Biochar

Hugelculture, sheet mulching/composting or aerobic cold composting with diverse raw materials, not biochar
never create biochar with fire which is a polluting, unhealthy and wasteful process

Thanks a lot for the free book, Paul.

And thanks to Toby for participating, answering my questions and writing the book to begin with.

Congratulations to the winners. I am happy for you. Thank you very much, Paul for putting this whole thing together. It really got me to register and participate in the forums, and I am deeply impressed with what you have put together here. A very valuable resource. Thank you for answeringour questions, Toby. The wild henbit is big enough to eat in Portland, Oregon. The light returns. Happiness, Health, Peace and Abundance for All! Many Thanks and Many Blessings, Pamela Melcher

paul wheaton wrote:So I ran the program and it came back with Tim Eastham as the first two. His email is in the daily-ish email list, so I gotta say the permies.com server somehow loves this guy. Who am I to argue?

From the remaining eight, there was one from Toby, four with emails not on the daily-ish email one fluff post and one name that looked like it didn't meet the new naming standards and one from Jesus Martinez.

So we have two winners and need four winners.

So I ran the program again. Another Toby post, another from Jesus, several more with emails not in the daily-ish email list and Nancy Sutton and Brenda Groth.

I will notify the four winners via email to get their snail mail details. And they MUST respond withing 24 hours.

To the rest of you: go buy Toby's Book! If Toby sells a big gob of books today and tomorrow, it tells other authors that visiting with us here at permies.com pays off big and then we'll be giving away a big bunch of books every week!

Thanks everybody!

Yippee! The server just knew I was new to permaculture and I didn't have a copy of the book yet. It wasn't until Jocelyn and Paul explained the forums during the contest that I finally understood how the forums are organized. Now it makes sense. I have listened to all of Paul's podcasts and have learned bunches lately. Thanks Paul and Toby for the book and all you do.

Thanks to all for the great threads. Congratulations to the winners. There are some good folks here, doing great work, and I continue to be reassured that the people who are doing this work are making a huge difference. Thanks again.

--Toby

Thanks, Toby. We love you. Blessings.

and he signed it too, making a sweet prize even sweeter. Thanks Toby!