Jody Tracy

I have a question.

I want to purchase a piece of land in MN to develop into a permaculture food forest. The problem is that I don't have the time or skills to develop it.

If I offered an equal partnership, protected by an at-will mutual contract - i.e., I funded the project, you worked it, and we shared decision-making and the harvest - would that be interesting to anyone? How could I ensure the partnership was fair to all parties?

Thanks!

Jody

As another poster has said, I use no toothpaste at all and get along just fine. I read about the fact that teeth actually remineralize between meals (due to calcium ions that can only form in a mouth without acidic food residue) but this only works if there is not already a coating of glycerin on the teeth. Regular toothpaste all contains glycerin - even the natural stuff does - because it helps prevent staining, as well as providing a good texture. That is fine for people who are concerned about staining, but I am more interested in longevity and I wanted to give my teeth every chance they can get to stay nice and strong.

I was a little nervous about going without toothpaste at first but I went to the dentist after having gone 6 months without it, and I had the best check-up ever! I didn't tell them until the end of the visit. They were very happy with my teeth and gums although once I told them about not using toothpaste they made a little noise about the need for fluoride (which I don't agree with). Basically I can't see a downside and I've been toothpaste-free for several years now. Also it is cheaper.

My husband still uses toothpaste so if I feel like I might have garlic breath or it's a special occasion I might use it once in a while. Most of the time if you have bad breath either just plain brushing will take care of it, or it is not from the mouth but deeper in, so toothpaste just masks the problem anyway. I even kept it from my husband at first and there were no complaints about my breath at all.

I have a sonic toothbrush which was the best purchase I have EVER made! I wouldn't recommend doing this without it. So my recommendation is to get a good sonic toothbrush - they cost about $100 - floss and/or use a water pic (which I do not do because I am lazy but they DO help), and skip the toothpaste altogether. Honestly if you feel like you have bad breath you can dab a little mint essential oil on your brush or use a mouth rinse afterwards. If you have gum problems you can consider rinsing with hydrogen peroxide - it won't do any harm.

Good luck!

Jody

This kit might be a good start:



http://www.teachersource.com/product/668/electricity-magnetism?gclid=CKTBr_bA4rsCFepaMgod-VcA_Q



This one is the 'cheap and dirty' method (though I don't know why I wouldn't just use insulated wire):



http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/edison/000_lightbulb_01.asp



Also, this bulb provides some inspiration for improvement on the basic light bulb:



http://www.livescience.com/14700-longest-burning-lightbulb-110-years-livermore-california.html


I think I'll have to experiment with this and report back!

Jody

Frankly, I've been seeing some interesting properties in other states as well. I get notice from the Tiny House Listings at http://tinyhouselistings.com and some of them have quite a bit of acreage that goes along with. For the right partnership I might go in with someone farther away.

Thanks for the advice!~

Jody

We have a problem with clothes moths. They don't just eat wool, they eat holes in cotton clothing too! The only way I have seen to get rid of them is to hire a chemical company to 'bomb' the place which I do NOT want to do. How can we seriously get these guys to leave so we don't lose all our clothing?

Thanks,

Jody

Hi All;

I'm a newb in terms of permaculture, but I've been wondering something for a while. There's a lot of land up for sale here in MN, they are even selling off parcels in the middle of state parks. Here's some examples that the DNR is offering right now: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/landsale/index.html.

I would love to buy or go in on buying some land but I don't have the time or skills to take care of it. In addition, I am in the metro area but the best land is usually a ways away - maybe up in the arrowhead for instance. I would love to buy or partner up to buy a piece of land (5-40 acres) and have take care of it, even live on it, doing permacultur-ish things to it (food forest?) just to know that it is out there, and be able to visit it maybe once a year, and have it if I 'need' it for some reason. Receiving any food or other products from the land (black walnuts, apples, etc). to preserve/eat/sell would be a bonus.

Also need advice on how to determine what land would be best to purchase in order to create a sustainable and useful ecology.

Anyone looking for that kind of partnership?

Thanks!

Jody

Maybe this is too complex - but for the hopper which dispenses dry leaves/sawdust, just build a hopper which you can fill from the outside which has a two chamber dispenser on the inside (like cereal dispensers, http://www.amazon.com/Cal-Mil-Portion-Control-Cereal-Dispenser/dp/B001OK7Y3Q). Could be either the two stage vertical kind, or a rotating kind. The user would just have to pull the lever when they are done. Hope that makes sense.

Jody

WANT!!

Ed,

Thanks for the informative response! Yes, I'm saving up some money to buy some of the books and go to the classes. Your recommendations help!

It's good to know I shouldn't attempt to do it all by myself. Having an experienced designer involved would help a ton.

Meanwhile we have a 5 building cooperative property in Mpls which we are attempting to convert slowly to permaculture-ish uses. A little at a time because, again, we don't have a lot of money. However it's amazing what you can do if you just decide 'why not?'!

Jody

This is a question for Geoff or anyone who wants to answer.

I live in MN and there is a lot of inexpensive land available in relatively rural areas northern MN. I signed up to get emails from the Government (state/county) when they sell land.

Here's an example of what they list at the DNR Website: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/landsale/index.html
A lot of counties do the same thing, so there's really a lot to choose from.

Most of what I've seen for sale is at least partially, if not almost totally, wetlands. A lot of parcels border on state parks land, with restrictions not to build certain size cabins, etc. Other lots border on farmland.

So here's my question: If I were to purchase a parcel with the intention of creating a self-sustaining food forest, what should I look for in the parcel (i.e., running or standing water, highlands/lowlands, what type of vegetation/previous use - there may also be restrictions on what I can do with it for better or worse)? What should I make sure of when I walk the land before purchase? What should I do with the land, and what should I plant to create a stable food forest/ecosystem? How would I reduce the amount of maintenance needed over the years so that I can visit and take advantage of the forest (camp/hike, etc.) instead of living there?

I've been interested for a long time in doing this but am not sure it's practical considering the intense weather patterns here. Sometimes it seems there's more winter than summer (though this year has been beautiful!). Also my husband requires living in the city with public transportation, so visiting up north would be pretty much for weekends only, if that.

Thanks for any help or brainstorming you can provide.

Jody

Also very interested in getting the Geoff Lawton Food Forests book!