John David Johnson

Never say never Matthew… I just moved to an apartment in Gastonia. It’s a temporary living arrangement while I explore the area.

Of course, the point is well made and I understand there are sustainable ways to raise animals for slaughter (small scale, proper rearing, etc.). I wish to do it myself someday, but that specific part my post was more a statement on the unfortunate fact the majority of meat production occurs in CAFOs. And (unless I’m misunderstanding your wording) climate change, environmental degradation, and inhumane treatment of animals is most certainly occurring as a result of those operations. I didn’t get much into because as you said yourself, it’s not really the purpose of the post.

I’m not on Permies too often, but glad to make the connection as well.

Hi everyone, I'm not sure how to start, but I just moved to North Carolina and am looking for someone that shares my dream of having a modest homestead and living with the earth. I want to garden, keep bees, have chickens, make soap, have fruit trees, have a pet Kunekune etc. – a permaculture paradise.

I try to cook about three to four times a week and do the dishes afterwards. Traditional gender roles be damned – let me cook for you. I’m not vegan, but I do the best I can to cut down on meat consumption, both because meat production is one of the main causes of climate change / environmental degradation and because the animals are treated inhumanely.

I like anything outdoors - hiking, biking, kayaking, paragliding, having picnics, blacksmithing, etc.

So I think that’s me in a nutshell. Please feel free to ask questions, I’m pretty open.

I was just going to put it in a pot and have it be a houseplant until I move to a warmer area and then plant it in the ground.

Haven't posted in a while and thought I'd get back into it with some photos of my avocado seedling!

The seed is from an organic avocado and this was my first attempt at growing one, so I feel lucky as I've heard it can be difficult. It took a good long while for anything to happen and I thought it was dead, but I gave it more time and it eventually sprouted. It's a little tall, so I pruned two small leaves this morning. We'll see what happens!

I believe it was started in February, so you're looking at a little less than four months.

I know it as Panela and was unaware of its nutritional value. From Wikipedia:

Panela manufacturers and advocates claim the substance to be healthier than refined sugar, suggesting it has immunological benefits, a lower glycemic index, and higher micronutrient content. As the authors of The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners point out, "it's still sugar", with only a trace amount more vitamins and minerals, and little research to support other claims.

I understand where you're coming from though. I definitely have a sweet tooth and have tried many times to quit cold turkey - it never works.

I haven't tried, but in my research on essential oils I've heard smelling grapefruit oil is supposed to help with sugar cravings. You could also try stevia.

Good luck in your efforts to eat clean!

I will look into tooth powder. I have a feeling I won't like it as much, but worth a try!

Rufus Laggren wrote:
Have you listed out what kind of waste you produce and how much? There may be low hanging fruit that's easier to score than trying to make custom toothpaste to eliminate the tube.

My toothpaste was also to experiment as I'm interested in this whole way of life, but your point was well received.

After I read your comment I dumped my kitchen trash on the floor and separated everything - it's mostly food packaging, paper towels and then food scraps. Since then I've stopped using paper towels and throw my food scraps (except animal products - mostly fruit and veg) in the woods surrounding my apartment complex. Still working on food packaging, though I've been looking for a recycling labels.

Thanks!

Amanda Launchbury-Rainey wrote:My favourite is Pandemic, because it is a cooperative not  a competitive game.  

Pandemic is a great game! My favorite game of all time, which sounds like it would be fun in the scenario OP described, is Betrayal at House on the Hill. Usually one person ends up being the traitor, but it's actually a lot of fun to be in that position. Another working together game is Flash Point. I find the co-op games to be a lot more fun than traditional board games.

I'm very much interested in zero waste and am slowly making the transition; however, I've hit a few bumps with the few attempts I have made. I tried making toothpaste from coconut oil, baking soda and peppermint essential oil. I tried it immediately after making it and found it a little unpleasant. The taste was not terrible, but could have been better. And unlike commercial toothpastes, it did not foam. (I believe the foaming is a result of sodium lauryl sulfate?) I could live with these two issues, but the next morning I found that the oil had separated a bit which was disappointing especially because I had distilled the essential oil myself. Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

I also bought a set of three (because I couldn't find just one ) metal earwax removal tools. They were a bit smaller than I thought and to be honest, they don't work as well as Q-tips. They're also from China which I didn't know at the time. I will check next time. I'm wondering if anyone has tried them and if maybe I just need to get used to them.

It's not a lot of progress, but it is progress.