Oscar Daniels

I was reading a Kate Downham blog post about sourdough starters and the usefulness of converting your starter to an anaerobic starter if you're struggling with mold.  And this opened my eyes up to the fact that there are many different microbes that could populate your starter and things you could do to encourage some and discourage others.
Does anyone know if anaerobic starters taste different than aerobic?   And are there any techniques to capture and cultivate specific aerobic or anaerobic microbes?
I've been watching Matt Powers nerd out on soil microscopy all week and it makes me wonder if there's anything to be gained by looking at our starters under a microscope?  Feel free to tell me quit procrastinating, shut up and make some bread.  

https://thenourishinghearthfire.com/2026/04/21/fresh-milled-sourdough-starter-from-scratch/

Hi Kate!! There may be too many factors to explain easily, but I was curious why whole-grain flours behave differently from refined flours even when their nominal hydration and other baking conditions are the same?  Thanks, Oscar

Matthew Nistico wrote:

In his YouTube poster notes, he links to a set of plans for building the washer.  Currently, the photos at that link illustrating his construction process seem to be broken, rendering the plans fairly useless.  I have the full plans in a text document, but don't see how to attach one to this post.  Instead, I have posted it to the cloud.  I think anyone should be able to view and download that document.

Plans: DIY off-grid clothes washer

If you couldn't access the link that Matthew Nistico posted,  Here it is also

Plans: DIY off-grid clothes washer]washing machine plans

https://1drv.ms/w/c/274af3d84f706095/IQArCyIdoSG1QZCQL1Hyr7gqATF-CfGDR84K0eOv0seVHW8?e=vJSDCm]Plans:%20DIY%20off-grid%20clothes%20washer

Yes, please provide an update. I would be very interested to know your thoughts after 5 years of use. 😀

This is our favorite easy dressing.
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Trader Joe Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

That's it. And it's amazingly good.

Just drizzle olive oil on your salad to your desired wetness.
Follow with a splash of lemon juice
Shake Everything by the Bagel Seasoning on it to taste.

Mix it all together.

If you want organic, Frontier Herbs sells an Everything but the Bagel Seasoning that is organic.

So easy. So good.

Cody Hahn wrote:Bumping an old thread here. So, I have the Handmade House Guild package, and I can comment and weigh in on it and what it offers/teaches, as it currently stands (it's a slowly and so far ever-evolving and growing series of courses). I'll try to come back and comment on this when I have a chance, in a way that might benefit/steer those taking a look at any of the currently offered individual courses, or on the Guild package as a whole.

Hi there Cody,
I'd appreciate any thoughts you had on the value of the course. I'm thinking about getting it.  

Welcome Kate!!  I had a question.
If I cut some green grass to use in my compost pile and it turns brown while I am collecting all my materials to put in the pile. Maybe months pass.  Is it still a "green" because I cut it when it was green or is it now a "brown"?

Carla Burke wrote:Awesome! Congratulations, Andrea, Mary, Oscar, & William!

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to reading the book.  

Cristobal Cristo wrote:
I wanted to dry farm them, but it was failing in my climate. I decided to set up an irrigation system to help the trees establish themselves. Trees do grow in my area, but they need solid help in first few, most difficult years.

Then I decided that if I'm already irrigating then why not to try species that I would not normally consider, so I added plums and sour cherries and planted them within existing rows, but with 5 m spacing.

Cristobal, is dry farming still an option once all the different species get established,  or is it no longer possible because of the varieties that you planted?

Thank you so much for all the detail. I live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains up near Redding so it was helpful hearing how a "neighbor" was approaching things.

helen atthowe wrote: I would test your soil and choose a cover crop mix based on your soil nutrient and texture needs. ...It is worth doing the homework to know your soil and site very well before you choose cover crops, living mulches, and soil amendments. Good luck building your soil organic matter and microbial community.

Helen, do you have any book recommendations for how to choose cover crops based on "soil nutrient and texture needs".  From the Table of Contents, it didn't seem like you covered that in this latest book. Or am I mistaken?

Thanks,