Judy J Johnston

Looks the same 😀

Lots of info here...three things I'll add....if you want to try different oils just google lye calculator...I have one saved. That way I can look up any oil and calculate how much lye. I also don't bother with scent. I would only use organic eo and the amount you need to make a difference just defeats the purpose of being cost effective, except if you want lavender or lemon grass...which I don't. A tablespoon or two of ground oats is a good soothing exfolliant

Making calcium vinegar by adding baked shells to vinegar...cool experiment for kids...makes a very bio available calcium mix...but it's extremely concentrated...so not helpful if you have a whole pile of shells....

Definitely fact. I am in NSW Australia and have a friend with a regenerative farm and they hire out goats for clearing...particularly good for clearing undergrowth for bushfire prevention. The fire brigade out here hires them(the goats) as they can get into areas that are hard for people...and they aren't as likely to cause unwanted fires  as back burning can. "Dry Creek Farm" https://www.drycreekfarm.com.au

Hoping someone can help sort out my thinking! I have a polytunnel...actually almost 2 of them, but one is just a tunnel and can't be ventilated very well and gets too hot in summer. I was going to use some sort of shade cloth to cool things a bit...but most shade cloth is dark and I was concerned if the dark shade cloth was actually draped over the plastic...the dark colour would absorb more heat, transfer heat to the plastic..hence the tunnel, actually making it even hotter.....

Spring come to us now
So we can have pie
Sitting in the sunny day

Has anybody used a thermal pot...as in one you get food really hot in, then put that pot into an insulated outer pot that keeps it cooking with no added fuel. Any suggestions?

Well...I'm asking a question related to composting heating....but prompted by the video of the guy warming his greenhouse. I live on 100 acres in Australia so have fallen wood aplenty for heating my cottage....but I'd love to keep my grow tunnel warmer in winter. I followed the video step by step and I thought it was doable for me (70 years old Grandma and new to living in the bush)....but he lost me when the pipe had to go into a water barrel....that wasn't explained...and it didn't seem to be working....any ideas on why he needed the water to run, and what the connection with the compost heat was....other composting greenhouse warming systems have lots of pipes in trenches I can't physically handle.

You said you'd try shade cloth to maybe dial back the heat....I have a polytunnel that doesn't have ventilation except the doors at either end so gets way to hot in summer...it surprises me that stuff still grows in there! I was thinking of putting shade cloth over it...but was concerned that being dark in colour it would have the reverse effect and make it even hotter! Any ideas about this?

Definitely sweet potato leaves. A definite winner. It serves well even in our 40°C days. Malabar spinach does well, unfortunately no-one in my family like it....it's a texture thing, a bit slimey sort of ..not the outside...more the juice/sap sort of.