Lanie Veazey

This is an important topic for the South as well. As someone who was in the "hard" winter here recently, I can say it isn't just about the outside conditions relative to harsh winters elsewhere; it is what you are prepared for.

Houses here (North Texas) are NOT built for keeping heat in. They're not really built for keeping cool in, either. They're built stupidly. But while I was at my parents home with my young child sitting just a few feet away from a roaring fire and still shivering under blankets while wondering where all the heat was going, I was also trying to strategize for any future in which I'd be responsible not only for children inside, but also animals outside. Texas freaks out every winter there's a decent snow, or lower than normal freeze. And then IMMEDIATELY forgets about it.

We went through an entire pile of logs, an amount that would have lasted my parents normally all winter, in just a few days. Their fireplace is for ambiance, not for efficient heating. People died that year because they were not prepared to be outside, and the people running electricity mismanaged (opinion of my father) and were not able to handle that emergency.

Innefeciencies are sometimes difficult to detect until there's a stress-test. And then it's easy to forget about doing something. Also, there is always the assumption that things won't pile on so badly. We expect the electric to go out sometime, but not be out for days on end in some of the worst weather nobody was prepared for in a home that seems to have been built for the purpose of being massively inefficient.

And my parents have a NICE home. It was embarrassing.  

I know this is very old, but I am at a loss:

I have been trying to make a cultured cream. I'm a bit frustrated, because I remember having read in many comment sections and forums (though, somehow I can never find those by looking for THEM, it was only after reading the original post that I stumbled across them) about how raw milk is superior to pasteurized because it does not on its own spoil. MANY people who seemed to have experience with farm life or raw milk growing up seem to remember mothers or grandmothers leaving their milk out to sour or clabber, and know that it is unnecessary to add a culture for cultured cream, or making true buttermilk, etc.

What I also cannot find is a good recipe and trouble shooting guide for making cultured cream or really anything this way. Once again, when I go looking for this information...

More than that, I seem to be able to easily find many posts by people claiming the only way to make this or that IS by adding a culture, heating to desired temperature, etc.

And even though I haven't done many experiments, I'm a bit desperate because we don't own our cow. Cream is $40 a gallon, and from what I hear, that is a GOOD price. I can't afford to waste a few quarts with this or that.

I left a jar out, sealed, in my pantry. New cream, new jar. I washed the jar before used and dried with a clean towel. Every time I've opened the jar, the smell has been decidedly yeasty. It's been sitting for the maximum amount of time recommended, so I think this one is a lost cause, but I don't want to do this again. I know there are people here who are knowledgeable about the hundreds of ways to properly use their own raw milk, and I also know that many of those people want to be self-sufficient enough to not need to order a special culture to make them. In years past, I also have tried culturing yogurt in jars on the counter with just bacteria from capsules, and that was a loss, too. I know the answer shouldn't be that we need fancy equipment, because people for years have been doing this without.


Can anyone with experience speak to this?

Mother Earth News is hosting some fairs this year. One is in Texas, another is I think being hosted by Joel Salatin? Anyway, if you look into that, there is a class being offered at the Texas one by the "Dirt Doctor." I do not remember his actual name, but the talk is about soil health and detox for the sake of growing medicinal and edible plants. He'd probably be a good start for resources.

Is there anyone else doing this with success for cattle or other animals that can talk about their cost efficiency, and about the TASTE of the product(s)? Thinking about changes in both milk and meat? I saw a mention for not getting too much of an evergreen, but am wondering if anyone has any other warnings, or really, ways to make their meat taste better without grains or hay.

I have noticed that my sensitive teeth feel stronger when I reduce grains/legumes, and drink more raw milk!

Also, would like to maintain some hope as there are animals that regenerate their "dead" tusks. Sometimes it doesn't make immediate sense, but it is still worth trying.

I'd be very interested to hear of more people who are currently making a profit (big or small) in any way off of the land, especially from vegan resources! It seems more consumers have become interested in natural and organic within the last five years, and I have seen many recipes online, but ones I've tried have been lackluster, and also often include many ingredients that have to be internationally shipped.

Anyone using ALL local and finding success?!

As trucking in products, not knowing their treatment or source, and taking away leaves/plant material from one part of the property to add to another can all have downsides, does anyone know of a mulching method that could be more sustainable? I did see something about growing ground cover but am unsure about how far this goes, how much it will cover and how thick it will be.

I know there is the chop-and-drop method, but I've only ever seen this in conjunction with other mulching/ground prep methods. Does anyone grow their own ground cover to be cut and used as a thick mulch right where the plant was growing, or grow enough mulch somewhere else on their own property? I'm picturing a small forest of sunflowers slowly rotting in place...is that enough to prepare a bed?

What doesn't involve a truck, a chipper, or stealing mulch from another area that would use it. (If I have trees on my property, then I want them to benefit from the leaves they drop every year.)

I'm very interested in knowing how to do this both on a larger and smaller scale.

Thank you so much for that. I have had it in my mind that anyone local or in any sort of authority would either not know how to do what we are wanting to do, or would be so skeptical and critical that they may try to stop us...I guess I am the skeptical one. I haven't even looked into who the experts are in the area. I will consider that.

I may be able to get decent pictures in a few weeks.

I was hoping to hear from someone with some insight or experience in building enough soil to make a difference, or maybe someone who can talk about experience with difference fungal inoculations and how some are more beneficial for holding the land together, or maybe about how one goes about choosing exactly which plants and how to place them.

There is a lot of information "out there," but I can get excited about a list of plants with supposedly amazing properties...and then draw a blank when I'm looking at the land and trying to draw up plans for it. I can't find a good resource for landscaping, the knitty-gritty details for planning a landscape, with all of these goals in mind, and from a permaculture perspective. Honestly, just a very informative and instructive book for landscaping from a permaculture standpoint whether on a slope or not would be great!

I've looked on other threads concerning slopes, but haven't seen these details being discussed. If I've missed some obvious resource, please point me to it!

I am very new to all things permaculture and natural AG, working on a garden at our rental, but my first big project will be helping my parents keep their land on, well, their land.

They have a water-front property, right in front of a riverbend. They have some exposed patches of land that are obvious problems. The majority of their yard is covered in grass, including two intersecting slopes.

I have a plan to do a sort of semi-permanent terracing with natural materials until better soil can be built and soil health/fungal life can increase to help hold the slopes together.
By all means, comment away on these ideas, including any help with plant selection.

There are a couple of trees on the slope further away from the house, and I want to encourage them with some guilds or something, plant life that encourages soil and other plant health over time.

Then, there's the border of the property. They are losing what I consider a good amount of soil every year right off the edge of their lot. Beneath this tiny "cliff," are bare rocks, handy in this case for walking on when the water is low, but then jutting soil/grass/wild plant covered rocks above those. I imagine that it is only the mesh of roots that allows this clump of land to stay together. Still, There are many exposed roots, and I can see the sandy soil washing down with every light rain, or raised water line. It will cause dramatic change in just a few years, I think.  

My biggest challenges for planning are making the choices for products to invest in, including plants. I know I want more plants, with varying types and depths to the root systems, on the slopes closer to the house. We need to get something there before serious harm comes to the foundation of the home, but I am also wondering what can be done for the edge of the property near the water. When I look down over the edge of the lawn it is just a thicket of unknown plants.

Do I try to identify and save the best ones for erosion control? Do I keep whatever I can as nursery plants, and plant other plants that are stronger, and longer-lasting? (I don't think the soil can handle any digging of holes to plants adult plants, so I would be growing from seed or seedlings.) Should I also identify trees and plant new ones if there are (theoretically) better ones for this purpose? Do I aim to work with only native plants?

Their slopes seem very sandy, and even a few days after the rain has stopped, I can sink in a few inches walking down the slopes. Every time I step, there is obvious damage to the side of the slope and the grass planted there. The few small plants at the top, lining the path are starting to tilt to the side because their base is going out from under them. I believe there is a red clay right underneath much of the sandy top. Perhaps the quick filtration of the water through the sandy layer stops at this clay level...? They are in Texas, in zone 7b. The slopes could have ornamentals and, as long as they are attractive, edibles. These could be plants that require a little bit of year-to-year maintenance. The edge of the property would need to be pretty much hands-off for the rest of its life, excepting the planting of a few more plants here and there. It's dangerous to get to, and I can't expect my parents to do that work. It is also underwater from time to time throughout the year.

ANY thoughts, insights, advice, direction WELCOME!