Stephanie Jane

Wow…what a great thread!  I am getting ready (hopefully!) to build my first pond in a few weeks but at am a loss of the best way to make it all work according to permaculture principles.  My pond will be built by widening a portion of an existing springfed brook in a relatively flat landscape between 2 hills (on either side of brook).  The pond will be long (300’) and narrow (100’) with essentially a contour dam all around it.  I am going to dig down maybe 20’ at the downstream end and leave the upstream end rather shallow (4’) and lined with rocks.  I will use it for general water security but may hope to also stock it with trout once it has “developed”.  The footprint will be irregular with lots of edge but likely no islands.  I thought about adding some “fingers” to provide shallow habitat for smaller fish but because of the existing topography (ie. hills on either side of brook) it would be tough to do.

I don’t think a monk will work because a) I need to have a good size culvert (12” or more) because of existing peak brook flow and to meet local code (100-year flood), b) my water levels on either side of my downstream dam are only going to be maybe 2’ to 3’ different – at best and c) I live in Canada and I can see those PVC monks getting cracked pretty easily with any amount of ice on the water surface (the brook always flows but it does ice up on the water surface).

Any other design ideas I should be thinking about to help with aeration?  To improve fish habitat?  As options to a culvert?  Thanks

Hi All – I am trying to come up with a formula for feeding my pigs a mixture of barley, oats and wheat. I won’t feed them corn or soy. I am willing to supplement with diamataceous earth and I am giving them some whey (though not much). They are on pasture and so are getting grubs, dirt and other greens – but our pasture needs renovating (hence the pigs) so I wouldn’t say it’s great pasture. They also seem to be eating their hay bedding but I don’t think it’s great quality either so I’m not really relying on this for a lot of nutrition.

I am more concerned with keeping them away from GMOs than I am with rapid growth. Though I do want healthy pigs and tasty meat.

My plan is to ferment 1 part rolled oats, 1 part crushed barley, and 2 parts whole wheat for 48 hours and then feed it to them. But I have no experience in this (previously I only fed commercial feed plus excess fruit and vegetables and pasture) and I can find very little specific information on-line that does not include corn and soy (people say they do it, but are not specific as to exactly how).

Is anyone feeding a combination of these cereal grains? With or without fermentation/soaking? Any whole grains or all crushed/rolled? Please share your specific ration recipes, including any changes with weaners, feeders, sows, etc.

Thanks!