Sara Hartwin

Thanks so much for squishing all the spam posts this morning (8 April 2026)! The 50 or 60 non-permies threads that took over the Recent Topics didn't get to stay long.
Very nice to see the post counts go to zero on the spam accounts' profiles.

I figure for every time it gets seen, there are dozens (hundreds?) of times your work doesn't - but what we (users) are all enjoying depends on that.

Big appreciation to you, staff!

I don’t mind switching things up, so I think playing around with my home page view will probably be my good-enough solution.

Thanks for linking that thread, Jay. I thought it was a similar issue too.

Thank you both!

Maybe this post is relevant here?

r ransom wrote:The thing is, Recent Topics has been buggy for years.  Every few years we say it's going away, people scream "NOOOO!!!" and someone caves in and the buggy page stays. Because of the bugs, it's quite a hassle to maintain.

I appreciate the options for site personalization in our profile pages, but I don't think I've ever been able to get this particular feature to work for me on my preferred Default View "With Bookmarks and Watches." I still see recent posts from that forum on my home page, despite having attempted to change my preferences different times since I registered on permies.

As far as I can tell, this is consistent
whether I have cleared my browser's cookies or not;
whether I am using Windows or Linux;
whether I am using Brave or Firefox;
whether I have uBlock origin activated for permies dot com or not;
and whether I log out and back in to permies or not after saving my changes.

In fact, the only way I can get this feature to work is if I choose a Default View that includes "Recent Forums" in a sortable table. That is, only the following 3 Views:
Recent and Top Forums
Recent as sortable table full
Recent by sortable category and top forums

So my question becomes:
Can someone help me get this working for my preferred Default View ("With Bookmarks and Watches)?
or, put another way:
Is there a way to merge two Default View options - meaning, have Recent Forums in a sortable table (so that the don't-have-to-see feature works) AND have a list of my Bookmarks and Watches on the side?

I found something neat!

Is anyone familiar with Monterr's work? The Mexico City-based lab featured in Architectural Digest recently (Mexico and Latin American edition).

They're apparently growing interior design elements (source)



as well as product packaging (source).


This looks to me like adjacent applications to Beau's work on mycoinsulation, detailed in the following threads:
Homegrown Mushroom Mycelium Insulation Panels
Building a Mycoinsulated Roof: Practical, Homestead-Scale Mycelium Insulation R&D *webinar recording
and
The Long and Winding Journey to Easy, Cheap, and Earth-Friendly Mycelium Insulation

I like the packaging idea, a lot.

As a texture-matters sort of person, I think I'd need more anecdotal info on what it's like to sit on a mycelium cushion,
and
how long or well would it hold up? Put plainly, and most importantly - does it smoosh?!?

But growing your own modular furniture is a pretty neat prospect. So maybe it wouldn't have to last as long as conventional foam cushions, if you kept enough growing.

So I say
Yes, a box! Erm, maaaybe a chair? Yes, I'd shroom them. Yes, I'd dare!

Good work, y’all!
Keeping it all going for us, thanks.

Hugelkultur Forum Video Database

The videos here have all been posted to the Hugelkultur forum at some point.
If you find videos posted in this forum that are not yet listed in the table, feel free to add them. There's information on how to do that in the first reply to this post.
This is an ongoing project. See our progress in future replies to this post. Hopefully each forum will have its own video database!

New	Video Link	Video Length	Thread Link	Channel	Description	Year Created
New	Hugelkultur - proof that it works! (YouTube)	2:07	Is this a silly location for a hugelkultur bed? Lifespan of Hugelkultur bed?	paul wheaton	established, mature hugelbed rarely needs watered	2010
	replacing irrigation with permaculture - Sepp Holzer review (YouTube)	7:00	Sepp Holzer uses no irrigation	paul wheaton	Paul reviews a Sepp Holzer movie at the Missoula Public Library, topics include hugelkultur	2011
	hugelkultur - the ultimate raised garden beds, gardening without irrigation (YouTube)	4:28	old mill by-product safe for Hugelkultur? hugel beginner needs direction Hugelkultur in a community garden	paul wheaton	the why and how of hugelkultur	2012
	raised bed gardening without irrigation - hugelkultur (YouTube)	1:59	Sun scoop hugel bed?	paul wheaton	shows buiding process and scoop shape, discusses wood type	2015
	World Domination Gardening 3-DVD set Trailer (YouTube)	2:24	World Domination Gardening 3-DVD set - Kickstarter	paul wheaton	overview of topics covered in one of Paul’s DVD sets which includes hugelkultur construction using an excavator	2015
	6 ways mushrooms can save the world (YouTube)	18:17	Spongy'ness evidence?	TED	Paul Stamets discusses the potential of mycelium	2008
	Healthy Soils Build Healthy Ecosystems (YouTube)	28:40	This helps understand hugelkultur	Forest Service	describes decomposition of wood	2011
	Hugelkultured Swale (YouTube)	1:38	Hugelkultur vs. swales?	Midwest Permaculture	Bill Wilson explains the hugulkultured swale	2012
	garden tour (YouTube)	14:22	Wood chips vs Hugelkultur	tribalwind	short walk through small garden cooperative with hybrid raised/sunken hugel beds	2012
	Vegetable Root Excavation (YouTube)	12:07	Direction of sticks in Hugel? (vertical or horizontal)	GardenSeek	gardener investigates why one plant did better than all the rest	2012
	Hugelkultur-Creosote (YouTube)	2:38	Natural hugelkultur formation?	Laine McTague	Observations of nature mounding sand around sticks	2013
	Hugelbed Construction (YouTube)	3:35	Hugelculture Bed Building Video	RocketStoves	shows clearing of land and hugelbed construction	2013
	Contour Based Wood Core Beds from the First Ever TSP Workshop (YouTube)	4:33	Hugelkultur and Composting	TSPWorkshops	Jack Spirko talks about hugelkultur raised beds	2013
	Michael Pilarski's Permaculture Design Course: Week 3 Hugelkultur Demo and Discussion (YouTube)	6:34	Great video on hugelkultur from Skeeter's PDC	Melissa Pernell	PDC instructor discusses hugelkultur construction	2013
	Paul Wheaton Garden Friends Webinar: Paul Wheaton On Gardening (YouTube)	1:09:51	Paul Wheaton on Permaculture and the Home Garden Webinar - June 26th 12-1 pm PST	CamarilloGardens	Paul Wheaton live Q&A; mentions hugelkulture at 12:53 and discusses hugelkutlure around 44:00	2013
	hugelkultur 020 (YouTube)	0:58	Hugelkukltur on the Brazos	Frank Turrentine	small excavator building hugelkultur	2013
	farm hugel puppy 038 (YouTube)	4:35	Hugelkukltur on the Brazos	Frank Turrentine	hugelkultur progress update	2013
	Backwoods Cabin Series #3 Building a road to my off grid cabin. (YouTube)	8:27	Hugelkultur ROAD	OFF GRID HOMESTEADING With The Boss Of the Swamp	building a corduroy style road	2013
	My First Permaculture Hügelkultur Garden Bed Part 1 of 3: How to Construct It (YouTube)	2:20	Please Critique This New Bed	Daddykirbs Farm	Farmer documents his first experiment with Hugelkultur	2013
	My First Permaculture Hügelkultur Garden Bed Part 2 of 3: Watering Challenges and Mulching (YouTube)	2:30	Please Critique This New Bed	Daddykirbs Farm	Farmer discusses first hugulkultur progress	2013
	My First Permaculture Hügelkultur Garden Bed Part 3 of 3: Fertilizing & Planting (YouTube)	8:50	Please Critique This New Bed	Daddykirbs Farm	Farmer explains his methods for fertilizing and planting his hugelkultur	2013
	What is Hugelkultur? - Suburban Homestead EP2 (YouTube)	7:04	Hugelkultur: video of me setting up a bed	suburban homestead	setting up a hugelkultur bed in a suburban setting	2013
	Philip Forrer présente; "Le Jardin du Graal" (YouTube)	22:46	video on the making of a hugelkultur	InsightShare	innovative gardener in France demonstrates hugelkultur construction in a lush garden	2013
	pond and hugelkulture bed (YouTube)	8:05	building a pond and HugelKultur bed	JewelCreekFarm	New hugelkultur and pond construction	2013
	seeds onto the hugelkulture (YouTube)	3:31	building a pond and HugelKultur bed	JewelCreekFarm	seeding a new hugel bed	2013
	How to Grow a Raised Bed over Cement or Asphalt & more Organic Gardening Q&A (YouTube)	18:24	Need some ideas for old asphalt	Learn Organic Gardening at GrowingYourGreens	Q&A including building raised garden beds over cement or asphalt	2013
	Edible Landscaping - Part 1 (YouTube)	6:58	Please Critique This New Bed	Ryan Harp	Homeowner shows his hugelkultur bed as part of his landscaping	2014
	Cat Composting & Hugelkultur in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hilarious... (YouTube)	3:29	Cats, Composting, Sotol & Prickly Pear, HugelKulture Style	Jeff Alexander	Hugelkultur experiment in the desert	2014
	Hugelkultur (YouTube)	4:05	Michael Pilarski Video Tour of His 6 Week Old Hugelkultur	Chris Badgett	Skeeter's Montana hugelkultur after planting	2014
	Contour Soil to Hold Water with Toby Hemenway Video 7 of 13 Permaculture Design (YouTube)	7:37	Toby Hemenway Swales, Basins, Curb Cuts, Hugelkultur Video Hugelkulture and higher soil temps	Chris Badgett	Ways to shape soil to hold water including hugelkultur	2014
	Hügelbeet bauen - Hugelculture (Sepp Holzer Style) (YouTube)	3:25	Hugelkultur in a community garden Hugelkultur-"Sepp Holzer Style" with Johnny Peham	TriiightShowroom	hugelkultur built with help of excavator then planted via broadcast seed	2014
	Vertical Garden Wall (YouTube)	1:36	Hugelkultur FENCE!	Headwaters Farm	describes vertical garden using embedded wood to retain moisture	2014
	Swales & Hügelkultur (YouTube)	2:08	Hugelkultur 101 at Headwater's farm	Headwaters Farm	Both structures shown side by side, base principles of both are explained	2014
	Making a Hugelkultur garden bed (YouTube)	1:44:24	Starting Hugelkultur	George Price, Earthling	full hugelkultur build, by hand, lots of commentary	2014
	Hugelkultur 5, a swale, and Garden Update (YouTube)	2:19	Some huglekultur and swale progress	Sustainable Homestead Institute	update given on long hugelkultur on a slope	2014
	The Hugelkultur Garden (YouTube)	3:31	Hugelkultur, Holzer Permaculture, and Natural Swimming Pool Workshop	Raleigh Latham	Zach Weiss gives a tour of a hugelkultur garden using Sepp Holzer's techniques	2015
	Hugelkulture and Emelia Hazlip Garden July 2015 (YouTube)	6:30	Emilia Hazelip Technique	TradCat Homestead	includes two hugel bed updates including one in its third season	2015
	Clip #1Aquaponic passive solar green house Canada  (YouTube)	20:56	Aquaponic greenhouse with a tilapia loop connected to a Heugelculture bed in Canada	Sophie Wiebe	aquaponic feeding hugelkultur; tour of passive solar greenhouse aquaponic system	2015
New	Greenhouse Hugelkulture combination July 2015 (YouTube)	7:16	Hugelkultur Greenhouse Combination	TradCat Homestead	hugelkultur in a greenhouse, no supplemental winter heat	2015
New	Hugelkulture Greenhouse Update Aug 2016 (YouTube)	3:47	Hugelkultur Greenhouse Combination	TradCat Homestead	hugelkulture in greenhouse experiment, update part 1: older, established hugelbed	2016
New	Hugelkulture update...old vs. new!  (YouTube)	3:24	Hugelkultur Greenhouse Combination	TradCat Homestead	hugelkulture in greenhouse experiment, update part 2: the new bed	2016
	1, 3 & 4 Year Old Hugelkultur Results & Does Wood Deplete Nitrogen In The Soil? (YouTube)	12:44	1, 3 & 4 year old hugels	Plant Abundance	hugelkultur results over several years	2016
New	Taking apart a 3 year old Hugelkultur bed... look at the water in that log, you can wring it out (YouTube)	3:08	Hugelkultur dissection, 3 years later Lifespan of Hugelkultur bed?	Rugged Root	shows how moisture is retained in a hugelkultur	2017
New	Hugelmounds and Waterways - In-Depth discussion (YouTube)	10:03	Hugelculture with waterways [video]	EdibleAcres	explains rationale for designing hugelbeds and waterways together in a perennial food forest nursery	2017
New	Hugelculture in the Winter (YouTube)	4:28	Hugelculture development in the winter	Edible Acres	describes strategies for working on growing spaces in wintertime in a perennial food forest nursery	2017
New	Our First Hugel (YouTube)	2:07	2 minute video of our first hugelkultur mound and question	compgovernment	hugel built on steep, south-facing slope in Switzerland; more specific site info included in video	2016

25 February 2026
Videos from the last 20 pages of the forum are in the database, woohoo! (that's pages 15-34, currently)

Edited to update completed pages. Progress!

Edited again to update completed pages, for the last time. Future updates will get a new post.

Tess Misch wrote:My hair on the other hand looks cleaner, but not clean.  I am going to use a vinegar rinse next time, just to see if that works.  My hair is kinda funky when it comes to excessive dryness in winter and oiliness in summer, so I have figure out a way to combat this the best I can.  I may need to find a super environment-friendly hair soap I can use if going pooless doesn't work for me.

Leaving a word of encouragement here for you, Tess - and anyone else embarking on this wonderful no-poo adventure. Breaking the shampoo/conditioner cycle for our scalp can involve some transitioning time, and it's hard to predict just how long that will take.
And by "transition" I mean the scalp can go suuuuper greasy for a while before it gets used to the new routine.

I can't really speak to water-only - I did that for a while but it was years ago and I've forgotten how it went in the beginning. But 6 years ago, I got serious about only cleansing my scalp and hair mechanically, and only using the sebum my scalp produces to condition the length. (In plain terms, I scritch my scalp with my nails or a wooden or horn comb, give it a quick but gentle fingertip massage, then preen the sebum down the length with fingers and a boar bristle brush.)
And yes - in the beginning it involved a rather long transition period of gradually decreasing oiliness.

My transition probably took longer due to switching climates twice a year (between low humidity summers and high humidity winters), my inconsistent diet, varying stress levels, and my less-than-religious SMP (scritch, massage, preen) practice - and who knows what else that I wasn't aware of.

Deane - it's so interesting how our hair picks up environmental scents. I've often been surprised by how a scritch and a brush session will remove or greatly decrease hair smells. Campfire smoke has been the main culprit...

Progress report:
All videos on the last 7 pages of the Rocket Mass Heaters forum have been added to the database (currently pages 79-85).