Tyler Taglieri

That would be great AJ! I'm still trying to get a design together for my RMH. I'm thinking of just starting small, maybe even small enough that I could transport it. Either that or I'm going to try to build a full size one at my grandfather's. Once I actually get a design I will try to post it on here. Thanks for the offer too!

Hi Rick!
Sorry it took me so long to respond, but that sounds great! I would love to come visit sometime soon for sure. I work full time at a co-op here, so it's hard for me to get out a ton, but I'm sure my son (he's 5) and I could come see what your place is like! Although, I'm waiting to see how this hurricane pans out. A lot of of farmers within the co-op are bracing for it.
But yeah, I will look into meetup.com for sure. I actually went foraging for mushrooms about a week ago (after my friend foraged something like 40 lbs of maitake's), but I didn't have the best of luck! I found a few small puffballs and some other inedible monstrosities. I need to work on my foraging skills badly!

Anyway, the food forest sounds awesome. I hope I can get to that point someday and be able to provide basically everything for myself. That's my long term goal. I don't have much money being a 22 year old dad! Maybe we can organize something with the others interested on here, as far as a date to come to your place!

Thanks!

Rick Romanelli wrote:Hello! I'm in the Poconos, Reeders, PA 18352. I have a homestead / food forest / farm in which I implement all aspects of permaculture science. In the past few days I have set up my maple syrup extraction system. Fall weather in PA brings the one of the worlds most diverse and prolific mushroom fruitions. Foraging is is fun and relaxing. Nothing is more rewarding than finding a choice wild edible, and the mushroom is truly the pinnacle of gourmet foods. Finally, the end of October brings about the planting of over 30 varieties of garlic. The Pocono climate and soil make for some of the best tasting garlic anywhere.
Keeping with the permaculture ethos ... I share seed, plants and excess products from my forest garden. As well, I am always open to visiting and helping with other permies projects. Good luck to all and I hope to hear from fellow PA premies soon!

Hi Rick! I'm so glad to see that someone in this general area is implementing this! The Poconos are not that far from me. My long term goal is to get a plot of land and start a food forest so I can be self sustaining. I really want to apply every aspect of permaculture into my land (housing, farming, energy, etc.) I would be interested in checking out your setup one day if you are willing!

greg patrick wrote:

I found it filled with factual errors. Choosing to eat vegan should be made based on facts, and this film twisted them to make points. IMHO.

Greg, one that got me was Earthlings. It's really graphic, but it questions the belief that humans are above the other creatures on earth. It kind of put things into perspective for me and made me want to avoid the meat/dairy industry altogether. It's rough though. I cried.

If you want a lighter documentary, watch Food Matters. I took a lot of great things from that one.

Ken Peavey wrote:NOP rules specify that certified organic, and documented ingredients be used in producing certified organic compost. Also, the method of production must be monitored and recorded, particularly the temperature, and all records kept on site for several years.

Because city compost is produced with yard debris, and the origin of that debris is not certified/documented, and because homeowners often spray for everything under the sun, and municipalities often have insect abatement programs, it can be assumed the city compost is not going to be certified organic. If you do find certified organic municipal compost, questioning the reputability of the certifying agent would be in order.

Now...if the city does not add chemicals or MSW, they can describe it as 'All Natural', however, using the stuff on a certified organic farm should invalidate that farms certification.
In a perfect world.

My initial thinking was exactly that because I know for a fact that they have to follow strict guidelines for their compost piles. Maybe it was a simple misunderstanding on my part then! They are a dedicated crew of organic farmers, so there's no way that can be the case!

Thanks for the insight Ken! I'm looking into the NOP Regulations now!

This sounds like everything I've ever wanted in food. I got so excited when I saw the title of this. If it works out, you have to write what you did!

Growing your own food and creating your own dishes is the most satisfying thing! Organic farming/gardening has taken over my life in the past couple years. I actually work at a Co-op here, which is part of how I stumbled into permaculture. The bulk of the people here are like that though, but there are some really great people here as well. I feel like the area I live in has a lot of potential to grow in a positive way with the help of permaculture ideas. Me and a friend are actually going to attempt to build a (small-ish) rocket mass heater this winter when he is back from school. I am just working on sourcing my building materials now.

I'm relatively new to permies, I've been vegan for about a year now, and vegetarian for almost 2. Stoked to see that there are some vegans on here because, yes, veganism does seem a bit frowned upon in the permaculture world. Regardless, these forums are loaded with useful information and awesome people.

That being said, I have been thinking about my future, and somewhere down the line possibly creating/maintaining a food forest. My initial thought that I wouldn't have animals because because I'm a vegan and I wouldn't do anything with them aside from caring for them...which I now realize is ridiculous. It makes sense to have animals in a functioning ecosystem, which is ultimately what you're trying to achieve with a food forest. I guess I would just try to limit the amount of animals I have so they don't eat all the food!

Let me just say, I'm not a "junk-food vegan" all the time, but I do enjoy field roast sausage entirely too much. And I'm afraid I will always be a sucker for vegan pizzas. I do, however, work at a co-op and get a lot of produce for free, which has ultimately put me in the position to eat/cook new things all of the time, as well as with the seasons. Right now I've been roasting winter squash (acorn, butternut, etc.), frying kale in a bit of olive oil with garlic powder and black pepper and the end of this years' tomatoes. I eat the kale/tomatoes combo over the roasted squash, and it is just an incredible flavor!

Looking forward to seeing more things posted in here!

I recently had this same question, and I went to a certified organic farmer that I am friends with to ask him about this, and apparently it is considered organic. From what I understand, the length of time that they let it actually sit and compost kind of breaks down any chemicals that may have been transferred off of a lawn. According to his certifier, it is okay to use that compost on his farm.

Take this with a grain of salt though, as I am not a farmer myself, and this is simply what I retained from a close farmer friend of mine. If anyone else has information beyond that, I would love to find more out about that for sure.

Hi!
I live in Lancaster, which is just a few hours south. Haven't begun any projects of my own yet, but I'm definitely looking to connect with people interested in permaculture. If anyone knows of any events/classes/gatherings/etc. that are nearby, I would love to exchange thoughts/ideas!