Steven Gibson

I have looked at Mat Walker's stuff, and a You Tube video showed up about a new model Liberator stove. These two very different routes have some appeal to me. I came here because I think this is where experts might post. Is the liberator a good stove?

I use a flow through bin, specifically the "Worm Inn". http://www.theworminn.com/products-page/ Food goes in the top, and finished compost comes out the bottom. Virtually impossible to over water, because it breathes. You know when to stop harvesting when there is a lot of worms and undigested stuff. Any accidentally harvested worms and unfinished material simply goes back in the top. Much easier than tubs. Larger scale flow-through bins are available commercially, and there are many examples of DIY flow through bins. The original "Worm Inn" prototype was simply a pair of blue jeans, suspended in the air, and filled up with bedding and worms. The leg openings were tied closed. It was affectionately called "creepy pants". It worked well enough to be developed into the current product.
Steve Gibson

Hi Rob, I watched some of your videos and realized I'd seen several before. Excellent work. Nice how you combine rocket heating, earth tubes and aquaponics. Seems a little permaculturish! Glad you have shared all of this information, Thank you!
Steve Gibson

I can't vouch for the effectiveness, this is the first year I've tried, but I'm recycling my potting soil in worm bins. The larger of the two is a 100 gallon stock tank in our living room. It sits next to a window and grows flowers and nurtures plant cuttings etc. They recieve regular amendments of food scraps, cardboard, shredded leaves and peatmoss. We also add house plant and aquarium plant trimmings. It is watered with stale dog dish water and water from our bird cages.
Steve Gibson

Just to start a little conversation: I compost indoors with a flow through worm bin, the "Worm- Inn", and I'm recycling potting soil in a 100 gallon stock tank in our living room. This is my first year for both, but they seem to be working quite well. House plant trimmings and aquarium plant trimmings, bird cage bedding and old bird seed, food scraps, shredded leaves, cardboard and peatmoss are added to both bins. The output from the flow-through is layered into the stock tank bin periodically. The stock tank sits next to large west facing windows and sprouts the seeds from the old bird food and some times tomatoes. The soil seems very fertile. Our Gouldian Finches forage on the sprouts. I put perches above the stock tank so the birds can make direct deposits. The stock tank was seeded with 5 lbs. of composting worms. The plan is to harvest the worms from the stock tank, reuse the potting soil in the window boxes, etc., and put he worms into the outdoor compost for the summer. With some luck I should be able to harvest the worms again in the fall from the outdoor compost and reuse them in the indoor compost next winter. Steve Gibson

I am currently using a vertically mounted, south facing, passive, hot air panel. I'm still in the experimental phases, but it will keep my house warm for about nine hours when the sun is shining. I think it would make a good food dehydrator or clothes dryer. I have a nice little album with descriptions on my Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4926519559697.2202053.1199640354&type=3
Steve Gibson

Hello, my name is Steve Gibson. I'm from and live in central Indiana. I currently collect rain water outside in a pond, in earth works and in stock tanks, but I'm also interested in building a cistern. Anyone have resources for information? I didn't see anything on this forum so I thought I'd ask.
Thank you, Steve.