Willow feeder Kickstarter back-a-thon - LIVE! Today, Aug 3 at noon Mtn time

Questions from the other thread:

Timothy Norton wrote:Question for the stream.

How old is your oldest barrel/barrel storage currently?

What makes the perfect willow feeding site once the barrels have aged sufficiently?

What if you don't have willows?
We have live oaks mostly

We're live!

Click Here to join the backathon live now!

Liv Smith wrote:

Come hang out with Paul and guests, and help us reach the kickstarter stretch goal!

It's all about stool!

I love this level, what a cool stretch goal prize... on the upside, people are going nuts for courses on how to build willow feeders over here in Sweden now - I've held two weekend courses so far this year, and the family I'm building the light straw clay insulated sauna with are probably going to be adding one next year to make their new homestead more resilient. Right now, they're hosting a sauna building course, and it sure would be a benefit to have a few willow feeders here too.

That's what's caught on with the other courses too - we've seen a sharp increase in utility costs over the last few years, at the same time as systems have been failing. It's nice to have a backup when the systems are backed up... and a place to go when you need to go!

One of the willow feeders is on wheels - we've called it the Wheelow Feeder - not as heavy as the skidded ones at WL, and about 5x5 ft (see Alan, I can do imperial too!). I don't have the same tractor power to move them around, so a small wheeled trailer will have to do. I did get a whole bunch of basketry willow (Salix viminalis) to plant as a wind break, and I've been collecting cuttings and small plants from other willows this year too. So far, I've got goat willow (Salix caprea), weeping willow (Salix babylonica ), and one that's locally called globe willow, it grows like a big lollipop (Salix fragilis `Bullata`).
All beautiful, all useful. And, like I said, the bees' breakfast.

Hey Catherine,

did you get the answer in the live q&a?
The reason for willows is for an abundance of caution, putting the aged feces on a crop that won't be consumed by humans.
The risk of any pathogens reaching acorns is beyond minimal, in my opinion, much like I doubt it reaches the nuts on walnut trees.

Willows are abundant and grow heartily, so I'd suggest getting some cuttings from basketry willows if you have the chance and a little space for it. You can coppice them for fire wood or for making baskets, and they're alse oa great windbreak. But your oak trees will fare well with the willow candy (in my opinion, but again, Paul suggests willows because they're hungry and can eat a lot of candy, and people don't tend to eat them, breaking any potential cycle of hazardous contaminants.

Enjoy your oaks!

Catharine Slover wrote:What if you don't have willows?
We have live oaks mostly