Bonnie Michelle

Rachelle Pinto wrote:Hey! I just joined this site and it's awesome that there's other permies in Manitoba. I'm currently in the East Kildonan neighbourhood in Winnipeg, "farming" up my yard and learning as much as I can about homesteading to one day farm. Ahhh one day...
Anyways, I hope to learn a lot on this forum...and I can't be a full apprentice or intern right now because I have a baby, but if anyone would like some help on their farm, I would be up for that!
I'm interested in permaculture on a decent scale (10+ acres), chickens & ducks, bees, Icelandic sheep (triple purpose- especially for the dairy), permaculture orchard, grafting, mushroom, flowers, foraging, hunting, other homesteading skills, that kind of stuff. So it would be great to learn from some other people! Pm me if you're interested!

Hi Rachelle!

I'm also in Winnipeg. I was going to suggest that you look up the Northern Sun Farm Cooperative if you're interested in learning more about permaculture and homesteading. I've been there a couple times and it's a decent long standing intentional community. There is a wealth of experience to be learned there. One of the women, Dawn, moved there with an infant and lived in a tent for a winter, another guy designed and built their windmill, and another raises some of the best wild honey I've ever tasted.

I am quite a knowledgeable forager, myself. I trained under Laura Reeves, http://www.psbotanicals.com/about/, when I was living out in the country and love gathering wild edibles. There are so many places to collect stuff in the city. I also am a proficient chicken butcher from being raised on a farm.

Your dream sounds beautiful. I'm headed that direction myself as soon as I have a down payment.

PM me any time!

Those are beautiful! I'd say that man is a keeper.

Salut Pier Luc!

Congratulations on getting a property. My husband and I are still saving up to make a similar leap in Manitoba.

I spent a summer in Quebec and fell in love. You'll have to post pictures some time.

Bonne chance!!

Bonnie

Pamela Smith wrote:Thanks so much for sharing. I would love to see this make a comeback. I remember many years ago travelling the countryside in Manitoba, Canada and see stacks of flax in the fields. Being a city girl at the time I asked my husband about it. He said the flax bales would sit for many years before it is gathered and processed. He thought it was used for paper fine quality paper though. Not sure if Manitoba still is growing the flax and if it is or was for paper or linen. I guess that is something I will look into with the family out in Manitoba.

I would love to find seed for linen flax as well. I might start experimenting.

We definitely still grow flax in Manitoba. They were my favorite fields to drive past when I was a child because I would pretend they were ponds of water. The blue flowers are so pretty.

10$ from me!

I have friends who have combined a red wrigglers vermiculture composting system into their washroom. They have 10 rubbermaid bins per person (approximately 6 inches wide by 12 inches long by 5 inches deep) They have dirt and red wrigglers in each bin. Each poop goes into a bin and then they rotate to the next one the next time they poop. By the time the get through all 10, the poop is perfectly composted. Their bathroom smells like healthy dirt. The only issue with this is that they have to pee separately. They have a drain set up. Hope this helps.

I plan on setting this up as my system when I finally get land of my own. Seeing it in action has been really interesting and they put the content back into the garden each summer to help improve the soil.

Hi Marion,

Our experience with the tin can rocket stove is definitely more of an easy camping stove that is not for long term use. We used Red River clay and rocks for our insulation but our proportions on the cans were all off so we never really got a proper hot burn on the inside. I had to empty out coals a few times. I still found it worth while and the food we ate off of it was delicious.

I am interested in making a better, more resilient version of this stove. Have you ended up making one yet? I'd love to see pictures if and when you do. It sounded from the discussion like you were planning on trying out some cob and I am curious about your experiences with it.

Bonnie
images of tin can rocket stove

We plant garlic in the fall in Manitoba and it freezes. It germinates every year without fail so I'd say you're okay. I know this is a little late but I figured I'd let you know what I've experienced.

I'm in the process of planning a wee house out in the bush. Thanks for posting such a comprehensive overview of rocket mass heaters. It helps narrow things down and see if it's suitable.

Good luck finding some people to help out! I'm in the wrong province but figured I'd send you my well wishes anyway.