Sarah Chapman

This is all super helpful, exactly what I needed! Thanks so much everyone!!

Hi All!
I am using goldfish to keep mosquitoes and algae down in my stock tank. Right now I have a few in a 100 gallon tank that is near electricity where I can run an aerator. I would like to expand this to my other stock tanks that are not near electricity. I'm experimenting with water plants and so far my animals are not bothering them too much. Can I get by with just a solar powered bird bath pump to keep the water circulating or will I need other pumps, filters, cleaners, etc to keep the goldfish healthy and the water clean for my animals to drink?
I've also been using 35% hydrogen peroxide in our little family fun pool and am curious if anyone knows if that would be helpful to keep the tanks clean?
One of these days we will have an actual pond for swimming, livestock, etc. but until then, I need a water solution!
Thanks!!

Haha, Cassie! I actively dislike football as well but we do celebrate around here by eating! I was going to post the food renegade cheese dip, but Zenais already covered that one!!
She's got lots of really good ones, my other fav is fried chicken skins. They are amazingly delicious!

copied from www.foodrenegade.com/fried-chicken-skins/
The Players

chicken skin
tallow, lard, etc. (any fat that takes well to heat, butter may burn) (where to buy good fats)
salt (where to buy real salt)
hot sauce
honey (where to buy raw honey)
The How-To
In a large, well seasoned, cast iron pan melt a tablespoon or so of your fat choice over medium heat. Working in batches, as to not overcrowd the pan, lay the skins into the fat. Let the skins render and cook until a nice, golden brown color has developed. Flip to the other side and fry until golden brown. Place the fried skins on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

If the skins shrivel up & constrict too much when you lay them in the fat:

Turn down the heat a bit.
Immediately flip the skins over to the other side; this will sort of ‘unfold’ the shriveled side and keep the skins straight.

Serve immediately, doused with hot sauce and/or drizzled with honey.

You said you're going to be filming. Will this be available for us to watch / purchase? Thanks!

Great, thanks everyone!!!

Hi All,
Does anyone have experience feeding scraps from restaurants to chickens? My biggest concern is feeding chicken to chickens. Will restaurants separate this or do people usually do this at home? Will restaurants expect scraps to be picked up every day?
Thanks so much for any help and ideas you all have!!
Sarah

paul wheaton wrote:
And, yes, I think it is lovely for people to enjoy purple and enjoy permaculture. It's just not okay to use purple as a weapon on non-purple permaculture people.

Agreed! It would be great for us to all get to that place where we're not trying to one-up or assert our beliefs onto others. Thanks Paul.

Dale Hodgins wrote:I consider many non scientific dogmas to be silly and dangerous. Their purveyors do us all a disservice. I really like James Randi. I've watched him challenge charlatans on several occasions. He never disappoints.

Here's a Ted Talk

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

An excerpt --- " The rotting of the human mind, the business of believing in the paranormal and the occult and the supernatural -- all of this total nonsense, this medieval thinking -- I think something should be done about that, and it all lies in education. Largely, it's the media who are to blame for this sort of thing. They shamelessly promote all kinds of nonsense of this sort because it pleases the sponsors. It's the bottom line, the dollar line. That's what they're looking at." James Randi

Wow. Really? If I want to believe that I am so much more than the part of me that is focused into human form, Source, and other things we can't see, I don't see how that's bothering you, rotting the human mind, or doing anyone a disservice. It's worked out fantastic for me so far (and many others!). Not everything is roses and sunshine, but I have created a life I love that is flowing perfectly for my experience in human form and it doesn't feel like nonsense to me.

It's great if that's not for you, I'm sure you have many other fabulous things that you bring to the table, but I still do not understand why there's so much hatred for us "rainbow breathers" just because we're different from you. And I'd love to go on a rant about how we're all one human race and seeing each other as "different" is what perpetuates strife and war, etc., but I should totally stop there..

I am a total purple breather myself, or as someone else in one of the podcasts called us rainbow breathers which I happen to like. Yes, just like any other institute doing their best to create certification standards, why wouldn't they stick to the permaculture material in their certification classes? Massage schools don't teach woodworking to build your own massage table, but if I have an interest in woodworking there's nothing that says I can't build my own functional massage table for my practice. They don't have to be mutually exclusive for the small niche interested in both metaphysics and permaculture.

For many people who believe in permaculture and metaphysics I think there is NO separation, both things are so connected that it can be difficult for us to see when one needs to be in the spotlight and the other to be behind the scenes. I don't think everyone realizes the respectful thing to do is to stick only to PDC material when taking a PDC course or if they become teachers and want to teach from a metaphysical perspective, market it that way and state clearly that is not part of the PDC certification. But no one, not even my hero Paul Wheaton, is perfect - gasp! It's really too bad that Paul seems to have had some bad experiences with "purple breathers" as he talks about in some of the podcasts. Assholes can be assholes no matter what subculture they identify with, it doesn't mean that whole group is full of idiots.

I very much believe in earthwork (and LOVE running heavy equipment), I just may commune quietly in my own way to honor the earth and ask it's permission before I make changes. I also give my animals essential oils and massage and then ask their permission to take their life to bless our table and nourish our bodies before butchering them. Those things make me happy and satisfy who I am on a soul level, but I'm not running around telling everyone else they have to do the same things. I've not yet had the opportunity to attend a PDC or meet Paul Wheaton, but when I do I feel like no one would have any idea that I'm a rainbow breather until I share that information, and if I did I very much get the feeling that I would be the outcast sitting at the lunch table all alone. Yes, this is a permaculture site so let's stick to that, but I don't quite understand all the strife and hostility towards the metaphysical community.

I had a hard time hearing all the questions in the video but I do believe the point about Americans being so competitive had nothing to do with metaphysics; while it could possibly be more predominant in America, that was a later subject in the video and America was not mentioned during that discussion.

Thanks!!

Hi All, I'm so glad to hear there are other Permies in the area! I live about an hour of KC near Ottawa and I work in Westport.