Sandy Cromwell

This is very effective if, as you say, there are external parasites (diatomaceous earth also helps with internal parasites) but if the itching stems from an allergic reaction other than that, the DE won't help. but certainly won't hurt. It's vital only to use FOOD grade DE.[/quote wrote:

DE (diatomaceous earth) only works at killing insects/parasites when it's DRY. Once it gets wet, the killing mechanism (the way it pierces the insect body to dehydrate it to death) no longer works.

This link does a great job explaining why that's true.
https://thepoolandlawn.com/what-happens-if-diatomaceous-earth-gets-wet/

Or a very harsh area! We occasionally hit -40 C/F and potatoes overwinter for me too, but it depends on the variety. A theory I'd been playing with is that our sand allows all water to drain away from the tubers, but I've also seen people on clay say taters overwinter for them as well. So I guess genetics is my current best theory.

That being said, it may be interesting to find out what type of potatoes have overwintered well, types of soil and region grown. For me, that information could really help - I'd love to be able to have a plot of spuds that can reproduce themselves, overwinter and still be edible, etc. Mom eats a LOT of potatoes, and growing our own is the safest way to ensure quality.

For reference, we are in Eastern TN, and our 'soil' can be mostly clay, mostly shale or a combination. We have plenty of livestock too, to create an amazing compost that really helps.

paul wheaton wrote:

I was on the road and visiting a homestead and there it was.  I know that I need about a quarter of "dawn" compared to what I'm used to.

Let me plug what I use quickly:  

   oasis brand dish soap for greywater systems
   oasis brand laundry detergent for greywater systems

If they have it, get it now.  Because it is available only half the time.  So when it is available, you need to stock up.

Yep, I went there, and then I found the ingredients (listed way down low on Amazon).
There are so many that cannot be pronounced by normal people - so I looked them up. The second ingredient is listed by PubChem as corrosive, irritant and an environmental hazard! So, thanks, but I'll stick to Zote - grated or chopped, soaked in water, then blended until smooth (otherwise it gets gloopy and chunky). I use it for EVERYTHING. It's cheap, made from lye and fat, and, depending on the color you pick (I use white) dye and fragrance. The fragrance of the white is citronella, which I believe also helps keep some bugs off my skin.

When a product claims to be 'biodegradable" and 'safe', then lists off multiple chemical ingredients that are NOT safe, I question the use of the product.

Cassie Langstraat wrote:Maddie was recently at Wheaton Labs and tooks a bunch of great pictures. You can see them all here. But here are a few good ones of wofati 0.8.

I love the wood floors.... Hoping that this year I'll get my own Wofati started - been waiting too long already!
Any chance a bit of detail on floor installation could be shared? What's under there: vapor barrier, beams, etc.?

Love this thread! Thanks for the info.
We definitely have some sugar maple as well as plentiful birch we could tap, but not enough to make syrup a viable option. I love the idea of saving the sap as a resource and would appreciate any more information and updates on this subject.

A 'few' years ago, I made myself a cloak. I was living in the Pacific Northwest, East of the mountains where the rain wasn't anything like Seattle. Winters were COLD. And I didn't have a car, so walked everywhere.

I made the cloak out of polar fleece, and it had the lovely voluminous hood and slits for armholes. The closure at the front was 3 'frog' buttons, which looked really cool. It was almost ankle length.

Even on windy days, walking around getting things done, walking to and from work, etc., I stayed REALLY warm. In a light rain, that polar fleece actually repelled most of it, and even when it started getting wet was still much warmer than a coat. The inevitable snow could be brushed off, and hanging the cloak once I'd arrived at my destination allowed it to dry before heading out again.  I didn't need gloves, because I just pulled my arms in and my hands stayed toasty.

Practical for homesteading? Really not sure I'd want to use one!! Made with different materials, shorter, and removeable hood (really like the idea of a hood with a shoulder cape!), and repellant to hay, I might consider one.

Now I have more food for thought.....

Thank you for the pictures - they are from the book.

paul wheaton wrote:have you read mike oehler's book?

Yes I sure have!! Started reading that far too many years ago to admit....
But I still have a rough time actually "seeing" the uphill patio.... it's a blind spot in my imagination.
Especially where he talks about covering it with the greenhouse corrugated material and using that to harvest rain water.... I 'get' the idea, just can't 'see' it.

I've been reading this thread a lot lately - soaking up the info a little at a time.
But I still haven't seen any pictures or drawings of the uphill patio... There is one right?

Reason I'm asking, is I'd like to construct my own Wofati structure, and my mind's eye just can't envision the uphill patio...

paul wheaton wrote:

Here are two pictures I just made up that attempt to express what is in my head.

Okay, not sure if I am replying to this correctly - I get lost in the intricacies  of html.....

What I'm replying about is the images you put here Paul - I was referred to this thread from another thread - my purpose being the planning of building my own home. It's on a hillside that is kinda steep, but not horribly so. We average 4" of rain per month (more or less depending on season) and I want something that will last without being soggy-fied.

So far this whole conversation has been pretty confusing - do it this way, no THIS way, and your way is wrong, my way is right, they work this way, but also that way.......

Your images here finally stuck in my head as a plausible explanation of what works and why. Light bulb moment, ding ding ding!

I love your images, Paul, and hope you continue using them to describe what's going on in your head. They really speak to me (most of the time).