http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=8cvc0dxcg2
this is about the electric car. It should help put into real perspective why we do not have inexpensive and efficent electric transportation.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Time to pick..
The potato plants are beginning to wilt. The flowers have been dead about 4 weeks , and now the plant stalks are falling over and separating ..Im assuming this is an indicator of time to pick them.
I have several larger brown paper bags that I have saved up , and am now, putting my new crop white potatoes into them . I have not washed them, and I am hoping to find them a place cool and out of the way.
Someplace in my font of useless knowledge I have seen where Im supposed to put one apple into the bag to keep them from becoming seed potatoes, but further research is showing that to have mixed results. commonly the answer seems to be cool and dark. At this time, my house is much cooler than it is outside .
I am selecting to pick half my potato crop now, and giving the other half a week or so before I pick it. perhaps leaving it in the ground will work, but I have lost potatoes to rot this way as well.
I will let everyone know which gives me the greatest success.
Other news on the homefront :
I have completed a puppet, That I will be sending off to the Oprah Winfrey show on Monday. to see this puppet, go to my tomato-patch blog where I have posted new pictures of my latest fiber art sculpture.
Tip for the day:
the old Parmesan cheese containers can be used as a duster for your garden if you use a pyrethrum dust.
some people feel that pyrmetherin dust is NOT organic I beg to differ. Pyrethrum grows from a plant. Pyrethrum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Pyrethrum refers to several Old World plants of the genus Chrysanthemum (e.g., C. coccineum) which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flower heads. It is also the name of a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of C. cinerariifolium and C. coccineum. Some members of Chrysanthemum, including these two, are placed in another genus, Tanacetum, by some authorities. Both genera are members of the daisy (or aster) family, Asteraceae. They are perennial plants with a daisy-like appearance and white petals.
C. cinerariifolium is called the Dalmatian chrysanthemum, denoting its origin in that region of the Balkans (Dalmatia). It looks more like the common daisy than other pyrethrums. Its flowers, typically white with a yellow center, grow from numerous fairly rigid stems. Plants have blue-green leaves and grow to between 45 to 60 cm in height. The plant is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. Kenya produced 90% (over 6,000 tonnes) of the world's pyrethrum in 1998, called py for short. Production in Tanzania and Ecuador is also significant.
C. coccineum, the Persian chrysanthemum, is native the Caucasus and looks somewhat like a daisy. It produces large white, pink or red flowers. The leaves resemble those of ferns, and the plant grows to between 30 and 60 cm in height. The flowering period is June to July in temperate climates (Northern hemisphere). C. coccineum also contains insecticidal pyrethrum substances used for centuries as a lice remedy ("Persian Insect Powder", "Persian Pellitory") in the Middle East, but it is a relatively poor source compared to C. cinerariifolium.
Other species such as C. balsamita and C. marshalli also contain insecticidal substances, but are less effective than the two species mentioned above.
Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum (pyrethrins); one common example is permethrin. A common formulation of pyrethrin is in preparations containing the synthetic chemical piperonyl butoxide: this has the effect of enhancing the toxicity to insects and speeding the effects when compared with pyrethrins used alone. These formulations are known as synergized pyrethrins.
so, IMHO if you get a pyrethrum dust and use it sparingly in your yard or garden , it is not being non organic. I DO avoid dusting in the early morning though because the bees are visiting. I also avoid any kind of dusting when the blossoms are really heavy , and if the plant looks healthy.
You can also use the canister for a mix of ,
20 mule team borax, baking soda and if necessary a few tbsp of pyrethrum dust. I take the wick from a scent oil product that are usually used in room deodorizers. I use mine for so many other things. I remove the wick and soak 2 cotton balls with the oil. I then re-insert the wick and save it for the last time I would make a batch of "carpet deodorizer, flea killer" I allow it to stay on my carpet for several hours and then yes, vacuum it up well.
the canister can be used over and over...
I have several larger brown paper bags that I have saved up , and am now, putting my new crop white potatoes into them . I have not washed them, and I am hoping to find them a place cool and out of the way.
Someplace in my font of useless knowledge I have seen where Im supposed to put one apple into the bag to keep them from becoming seed potatoes, but further research is showing that to have mixed results. commonly the answer seems to be cool and dark. At this time, my house is much cooler than it is outside .
I am selecting to pick half my potato crop now, and giving the other half a week or so before I pick it. perhaps leaving it in the ground will work, but I have lost potatoes to rot this way as well.
I will let everyone know which gives me the greatest success.
Other news on the homefront :
I have completed a puppet, That I will be sending off to the Oprah Winfrey show on Monday. to see this puppet, go to my tomato-patch blog where I have posted new pictures of my latest fiber art sculpture.
Tip for the day:
the old Parmesan cheese containers can be used as a duster for your garden if you use a pyrethrum dust.
some people feel that pyrmetherin dust is NOT organic I beg to differ. Pyrethrum grows from a plant. Pyrethrum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Pyrethrum refers to several Old World plants of the genus Chrysanthemum (e.g., C. coccineum) which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flower heads. It is also the name of a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of C. cinerariifolium and C. coccineum. Some members of Chrysanthemum, including these two, are placed in another genus, Tanacetum, by some authorities. Both genera are members of the daisy (or aster) family, Asteraceae. They are perennial plants with a daisy-like appearance and white petals.
C. cinerariifolium is called the Dalmatian chrysanthemum, denoting its origin in that region of the Balkans (Dalmatia). It looks more like the common daisy than other pyrethrums. Its flowers, typically white with a yellow center, grow from numerous fairly rigid stems. Plants have blue-green leaves and grow to between 45 to 60 cm in height. The plant is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. Kenya produced 90% (over 6,000 tonnes) of the world's pyrethrum in 1998, called py for short. Production in Tanzania and Ecuador is also significant.
C. coccineum, the Persian chrysanthemum, is native the Caucasus and looks somewhat like a daisy. It produces large white, pink or red flowers. The leaves resemble those of ferns, and the plant grows to between 30 and 60 cm in height. The flowering period is June to July in temperate climates (Northern hemisphere). C. coccineum also contains insecticidal pyrethrum substances used for centuries as a lice remedy ("Persian Insect Powder", "Persian Pellitory") in the Middle East, but it is a relatively poor source compared to C. cinerariifolium.
Other species such as C. balsamita and C. marshalli also contain insecticidal substances, but are less effective than the two species mentioned above.
Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum (pyrethrins); one common example is permethrin. A common formulation of pyrethrin is in preparations containing the synthetic chemical piperonyl butoxide: this has the effect of enhancing the toxicity to insects and speeding the effects when compared with pyrethrins used alone. These formulations are known as synergized pyrethrins.
so, IMHO if you get a pyrethrum dust and use it sparingly in your yard or garden , it is not being non organic. I DO avoid dusting in the early morning though because the bees are visiting. I also avoid any kind of dusting when the blossoms are really heavy , and if the plant looks healthy.
You can also use the canister for a mix of ,
20 mule team borax, baking soda and if necessary a few tbsp of pyrethrum dust. I take the wick from a scent oil product that are usually used in room deodorizers. I use mine for so many other things. I remove the wick and soak 2 cotton balls with the oil. I then re-insert the wick and save it for the last time I would make a batch of "carpet deodorizer, flea killer" I allow it to stay on my carpet for several hours and then yes, vacuum it up well.
the canister can be used over and over...
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Attention to the details...
looking outside the window. Listening to the normal sounds of your area and home. Knowing when someone pulls up in your driveway. Not walking and takling or driving and talking on a cell phone.
No wonder so many people are victimized these days and we arent teaching our kids to "pay attention to their surroundings" They know more about the cable channel line up than they do about the exterior of their home.
Because I live on a farm Im dealing with city kids who come up for the summer, cousins...
the horses could be loaded up in a trailer and carried off... dogs could be killing off my entire flock of sheep and these kids would not bother looking out the window. Its not as if we are on 100 acres and they would be seruiously far from the crime scene, we are on 6 acres..
How can we teach kids to pay attention to the world around them without them learning from a tragedy?
How can I send a kid out on one of my horses on a trail ride if they cant look out a window at a blaring horn? How can I expect kids like this to look for the best ways to adapt and be more "green" if they cannot look outside the frame of that video game?
No wonder so many people are victimized these days and we arent teaching our kids to "pay attention to their surroundings" They know more about the cable channel line up than they do about the exterior of their home.
Because I live on a farm Im dealing with city kids who come up for the summer, cousins...
the horses could be loaded up in a trailer and carried off... dogs could be killing off my entire flock of sheep and these kids would not bother looking out the window. Its not as if we are on 100 acres and they would be seruiously far from the crime scene, we are on 6 acres..
How can we teach kids to pay attention to the world around them without them learning from a tragedy?
How can I send a kid out on one of my horses on a trail ride if they cant look out a window at a blaring horn? How can I expect kids like this to look for the best ways to adapt and be more "green" if they cannot look outside the frame of that video game?
Monday, June 4, 2007
paper? plastic? or corn???
From a "fact" based reply from Gristmill : when asked for more info about "plastic and petroleum, (this is cut and pasted , )
You are probably familiar with the basic types of plastic, though you may not know their science-y names, which are often abbreviated on the bottom of your household products. Polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE) is the soft one you likely encounter most, in milk jugs, shampoo bottles, plastic bags, and so forth. Polystyrene (PS) is the hard plastic that makes casings for computers and other appliances, and also the basis of the foam product we fondly (but trademark infringingly) call Styrofoam. Polypropylene (PP) is used in dishwasher-safe containers and is also the magical fiber that rugged outdoors people favor. You'll often find polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in soda bottles, and it is sometimes recycled into fleece, upholstery fabrics, and other useful materials. And then of course there's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) -- no vinyl, and that's final.
How does plastic stack up in terms of oil use?
So how much oil is consumed by this process? This is the tricky part. From what I can tell, plastic production is a bit like leather production: it's one part of a complicated harvest. When crude oil is refined, its various chemical bits are separated. Some become gasoline, some diesel fuel, some motor oil, and others the raw material for plastics. The best estimate I could find says that about 4 percent of the world's annual oil production of some 84.5 million barrels per day is used as feedstock for plastic, and another 4 percent or so provides the energy to transform the feedstock into handy plastic.
Let's say a foam cup is what you had in mind as a "typical" plastic. In a classic study that closely examined the inputs for a foam cup vs. a paper cup and found the paper cup wanting, the petroleum inputs to the foam cup were 3.2 grams. (I'll leave it to you to weigh a foam cup if you want to, because I do not have one on hand, and I want you to feel empowered and participatory.) I've also seen it described slightly differently, that it requires about 1.78 kilograms of petroleum feedstock to make a kilogram of polystyrene.
We could make and use fewer petroleum-based plastics, but I don't know how much that would cut into oil drilling. Recycling, however, does cut into energy use. According to the U.S. EPA, manufacturing new plastic from recycled plastic requires two-thirds of the energy used in virgin plastic manufacture. I have more numbers, too: one ton of recycled plastic saves 685 gallons of oil. You can find lots of these "x amount is saved when we recycle" numbers in recycling promotional literature.
Abruptly,Umbra
But it got me to thinking, I had heard recently of new things being done with and in Of all things corn again ( any wonder the price keeps going up?) . again the below article is a "curt and paste" from "The Christian Science monitor"
A new corn-based plastic disappears into the dirt
By Liz Nakazawa Special to The Christian Science Monitor PORTLAND, ORE. – When you next buy a tub of potato salad, the container it comes in may be made from another vegetable - corn.
A new line of corn-based plastics, called polylactides or PLA, has begun to land on supermarket shelves. Its strongest selling points are that it fully degrades in 47 days, doesn't emit toxic fumes when incinerated, and requires 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuel to manufacture than regular plastics.
Graphic
Making biodegradable plastic
Related stories 01/20/00
Tough as soybeans
In May, 11 Wild Oats Markets on the West Coast became the first grocery stores in North America to switch from conventional plastics to the new corn-based product, with plans to roll them out nationally into all 90 stores later this year.
As part of the roll-out, Wild Oats has installed in-store bins where customers can return their empty containers. "We then take them to an industrial composting facility and they turn the containers into compost, which we then sell in our stores to people who buy it for their gardens," says Sonja Tuitele, communications director of Wild Oats.
A European retailer has also been selling the new plastic products. IPER, a 21-store chain in Italy, has been using the packaging for a year and has expanded its use from deli departments to dairy and bakery areas.
The new plastic has a few quirks, however. The biodegradable materials won't break down in regular landfills; they have to be taken to special industrial sites and treated like compost. Nor will they decompose in home compost bins: Temperatures there don't reach the required 284 degrees F. Yet the containers will melt if filled with hot food, or placed in the dishwasher or microwave.
Cargill, an international agriculture corporation, and Dow Chemical, have a joint venture making one line of PLA. Within 10 years, says Cargill spokesman Michael O'Brian, the company expects to be making 1 billion pounds of corn-derived plastics each year. That would mean 10 percent of the nation's annual corn supply would be converted into plastics and fiber.
PLA can also be used as an alternative for molded foam products, electronic packaging, and cups. For instance, the Coca-Cola Company used 500,000 cups made from corn at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. And instead of creating a huge trash problem, the used cups were composted and turned into dirt.
What separates biodegradable plastics from their more long-lived cousins are polymers. Plastics based on natural plant polymers, derived from wheat or corn starches, have molecules that are easily broken down by microbes; traditional plastics have polymer molecules too large and too tightly bonded together to be broken apart by decomposer organisms.
Most biodegradable plastics currently on the market are between two and 10 times more expensive than traditional plastics. Yet plastics constitute 9 percent of the 156 million tons of trash Americans generate each year, and many consumers would be willing to pay the extra costs for a replacement product that biodegrades. According to a recent survey from market research firm RoperASW, 51 percent of respondents would pay a premium of up to 10 percent for environmentally safer versions of plastic packaging.
I say, if we request it, there may be more and more alternative plastics. I can say we are already seeing some of this in the textile industry with additions like soy silk, ingeo, and bamboo. Makes me hope we can make a difference , in time.
Tip for the day: put your thermostat at 78 degrees. If your home holds temp well, and it dosent become too hot inside 78 is very tollerable. BUT if you notice it is growing increasinly hot, you may want to check the state of your roof and shingles, and the caulk around your windows.
a reasonable caulk can be as low as 2$ a tube .
You are probably familiar with the basic types of plastic, though you may not know their science-y names, which are often abbreviated on the bottom of your household products. Polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE) is the soft one you likely encounter most, in milk jugs, shampoo bottles, plastic bags, and so forth. Polystyrene (PS) is the hard plastic that makes casings for computers and other appliances, and also the basis of the foam product we fondly (but trademark infringingly) call Styrofoam. Polypropylene (PP) is used in dishwasher-safe containers and is also the magical fiber that rugged outdoors people favor. You'll often find polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in soda bottles, and it is sometimes recycled into fleece, upholstery fabrics, and other useful materials. And then of course there's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) -- no vinyl, and that's final.
How does plastic stack up in terms of oil use?
So how much oil is consumed by this process? This is the tricky part. From what I can tell, plastic production is a bit like leather production: it's one part of a complicated harvest. When crude oil is refined, its various chemical bits are separated. Some become gasoline, some diesel fuel, some motor oil, and others the raw material for plastics. The best estimate I could find says that about 4 percent of the world's annual oil production of some 84.5 million barrels per day is used as feedstock for plastic, and another 4 percent or so provides the energy to transform the feedstock into handy plastic.
Let's say a foam cup is what you had in mind as a "typical" plastic. In a classic study that closely examined the inputs for a foam cup vs. a paper cup and found the paper cup wanting, the petroleum inputs to the foam cup were 3.2 grams. (I'll leave it to you to weigh a foam cup if you want to, because I do not have one on hand, and I want you to feel empowered and participatory.) I've also seen it described slightly differently, that it requires about 1.78 kilograms of petroleum feedstock to make a kilogram of polystyrene.
We could make and use fewer petroleum-based plastics, but I don't know how much that would cut into oil drilling. Recycling, however, does cut into energy use. According to the U.S. EPA, manufacturing new plastic from recycled plastic requires two-thirds of the energy used in virgin plastic manufacture. I have more numbers, too: one ton of recycled plastic saves 685 gallons of oil. You can find lots of these "x amount is saved when we recycle" numbers in recycling promotional literature.
Abruptly,Umbra
But it got me to thinking, I had heard recently of new things being done with and in Of all things corn again ( any wonder the price keeps going up?) . again the below article is a "curt and paste" from "The Christian Science monitor"
A new corn-based plastic disappears into the dirt
By Liz Nakazawa Special to The Christian Science Monitor PORTLAND, ORE. – When you next buy a tub of potato salad, the container it comes in may be made from another vegetable - corn.
A new line of corn-based plastics, called polylactides or PLA, has begun to land on supermarket shelves. Its strongest selling points are that it fully degrades in 47 days, doesn't emit toxic fumes when incinerated, and requires 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuel to manufacture than regular plastics.
Graphic
Making biodegradable plastic
Related stories 01/20/00
Tough as soybeans
In May, 11 Wild Oats Markets on the West Coast became the first grocery stores in North America to switch from conventional plastics to the new corn-based product, with plans to roll them out nationally into all 90 stores later this year.
As part of the roll-out, Wild Oats has installed in-store bins where customers can return their empty containers. "We then take them to an industrial composting facility and they turn the containers into compost, which we then sell in our stores to people who buy it for their gardens," says Sonja Tuitele, communications director of Wild Oats.
A European retailer has also been selling the new plastic products. IPER, a 21-store chain in Italy, has been using the packaging for a year and has expanded its use from deli departments to dairy and bakery areas.
The new plastic has a few quirks, however. The biodegradable materials won't break down in regular landfills; they have to be taken to special industrial sites and treated like compost. Nor will they decompose in home compost bins: Temperatures there don't reach the required 284 degrees F. Yet the containers will melt if filled with hot food, or placed in the dishwasher or microwave.
Cargill, an international agriculture corporation, and Dow Chemical, have a joint venture making one line of PLA. Within 10 years, says Cargill spokesman Michael O'Brian, the company expects to be making 1 billion pounds of corn-derived plastics each year. That would mean 10 percent of the nation's annual corn supply would be converted into plastics and fiber.
PLA can also be used as an alternative for molded foam products, electronic packaging, and cups. For instance, the Coca-Cola Company used 500,000 cups made from corn at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. And instead of creating a huge trash problem, the used cups were composted and turned into dirt.
What separates biodegradable plastics from their more long-lived cousins are polymers. Plastics based on natural plant polymers, derived from wheat or corn starches, have molecules that are easily broken down by microbes; traditional plastics have polymer molecules too large and too tightly bonded together to be broken apart by decomposer organisms.
Most biodegradable plastics currently on the market are between two and 10 times more expensive than traditional plastics. Yet plastics constitute 9 percent of the 156 million tons of trash Americans generate each year, and many consumers would be willing to pay the extra costs for a replacement product that biodegrades. According to a recent survey from market research firm RoperASW, 51 percent of respondents would pay a premium of up to 10 percent for environmentally safer versions of plastic packaging.
I say, if we request it, there may be more and more alternative plastics. I can say we are already seeing some of this in the textile industry with additions like soy silk, ingeo, and bamboo. Makes me hope we can make a difference , in time.
Tip for the day: put your thermostat at 78 degrees. If your home holds temp well, and it dosent become too hot inside 78 is very tollerable. BUT if you notice it is growing increasinly hot, you may want to check the state of your roof and shingles, and the caulk around your windows.
a reasonable caulk can be as low as 2$ a tube .
answering recent questions.
As far as the question posed about sunflower plantations being as impactful as Palm oil plantations, I believe that sunflower plants do not require the specialized environment and growing zones that the plam oil plantations require. In order to grow palm oil , large rain forests must be destroyed. Sunflowers can be grown in prairie, or grass land zones, and do not require deforestation to grow.
As far as hay in between my rows in my garden , I do not have the seed issues with grass hay (coastal Bermuda) but DO grow tons of grass if I put down straw our straw here is full of wheat seed . I have also heard pine chips actually leech nutrients from the soil , but in all honesty I haven't ever looked that one up.
You COULD go to a local feed distributor and put up a sign for unwanted wool . some farms raise sheep purely for food and shear because its humane not because they use the fiber. That wool is great in the rows of a garden as a weed blocker.
and lastly I have seen many many methods for lasagna gardening. I improvised using what I had in ample supply around here keeping the "no till" Principal in mind and so far I love my results.
I did once raise chickens , never ducks and used to hatch out about 250 each spring.I have since decided sheep are easier and more of what I am into :)
I'm posting a photo in this one of my cashgora doe ling just because she is so cute.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
palm oil and its consequences
It seems a lot of things contain palm oil.
Deforestation is the cost. Removing natural trees from a forest and replacing them with field after field of palm oil trees. There has to be a better way. A better substitute.
How can I as a single consumer affect the expansion of these fields of palm oil plantations.
I can not buy things containing palm oil.
I will be looking for manufacturers that make things containing palm oil.
but until I can find a way to make an impactful list that we as consumers can "boycott" traditionally, here is a site with information about the palm oil problem
http://palmoilandtheenvironment.blogspot.com/
I personally use , regular sunflower oil to cook with, or olive oil. I try not to use corn oil because the price is climbing, and its not as heart healthy as I like, and I do not use oleo, or margarine.
apparently the human body can recognize butter as a fat it can get rid of . Whereas "whipped" (hydrogenated)fat, is harder to recognize and get rid of.
I am a hand spinner, and in our group of active knitters, there are many faceted talents.
I raise lamb, and veggies from my garden but there is another lady who bakes homemade bread. I may trade her veggies from the garden for some of her bread.
I am also drying herbs for teas for the winter. my paper bags work great for this as well. But some herbs are harder for me to grow here. I have another friend in NJ, that I mail care pkgs to once or twice a year, and I may request some of her goldenrod, for dyeing and allergy teas.
There are many ways we can network to save money, gas and energy. For example, When I go to the bulk foods store I pick up more than just for me, because it is closest to me. When I meet up with my friends at a neutral point like the knitting shop I take their flour and spices, etc.
Where I am then reimbursed.
and I promise, I will slow down my writing, check my spelling more,
and try to insert more text breaks and punctuation where it belongs. In short proofread before I post . Thanks !
Deforestation is the cost. Removing natural trees from a forest and replacing them with field after field of palm oil trees. There has to be a better way. A better substitute.
How can I as a single consumer affect the expansion of these fields of palm oil plantations.
I can not buy things containing palm oil.
I will be looking for manufacturers that make things containing palm oil.
but until I can find a way to make an impactful list that we as consumers can "boycott" traditionally, here is a site with information about the palm oil problem
http://palmoilandtheenvironment.blogspot.com/
I personally use , regular sunflower oil to cook with, or olive oil. I try not to use corn oil because the price is climbing, and its not as heart healthy as I like, and I do not use oleo, or margarine.
apparently the human body can recognize butter as a fat it can get rid of . Whereas "whipped" (hydrogenated)fat, is harder to recognize and get rid of.
I am a hand spinner, and in our group of active knitters, there are many faceted talents.
I raise lamb, and veggies from my garden but there is another lady who bakes homemade bread. I may trade her veggies from the garden for some of her bread.
I am also drying herbs for teas for the winter. my paper bags work great for this as well. But some herbs are harder for me to grow here. I have another friend in NJ, that I mail care pkgs to once or twice a year, and I may request some of her goldenrod, for dyeing and allergy teas.
There are many ways we can network to save money, gas and energy. For example, When I go to the bulk foods store I pick up more than just for me, because it is closest to me. When I meet up with my friends at a neutral point like the knitting shop I take their flour and spices, etc.
Where I am then reimbursed.
and I promise, I will slow down my writing, check my spelling more,
and try to insert more text breaks and punctuation where it belongs. In short proofread before I post . Thanks !
Friday, June 1, 2007
Gardening
I read an article in I think it was mother earth news , about lasagne gardening,
about lasagne gardening , and here it is June first , and Im posting my results so far. I am in Southeastern part of NC and our growing season is usually long, however, this is better results than I have ever had 
Top photo shows spinich , though that is beginning to bolt,
and behind that is lettuce and broccoli.
to the rt of that row is my blue lake bush beans , cabbage, dent corn, beets and carrots
Below you see more of the area , with potatoes, cabbage, silver queen corn more beans and okra as well as tomatoes and cukes.
I have added zero fertilizer except compost and bunny manure. I have added several types of heirloom seeds, from some great companies, and am getting wonderful results im excited to see thhe amish paste tomatoes. my personal faviorite thing I do with herbs is store them in brown paper lunch sacks. whenI pick them I put them into the bag and let them sit. They dry that way and no need to put them on any dehydrator.
I can later use that same paper bag for the next spring and if for some reason they rip or I need to discard them I can then put them into the row portion of my garden as a weed blocker.
I also use belly wool and scrap felted wwool from the sheep into the rows. It helps to keep down some of the weeds. now Im off to put some old hay into the rows because some of the weeds are beginning to take advantage .
Rumor mill on bees and corn
We have all heard some of the latest stories that GM (genetically modified) crops are killing the bees. Organic bee keepers say this is not the case for them as much and they cannto keep hives near GM foods because the crops do not sufficently feed those bees, look here for more on this
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5094.cfm
Also rumor has it that this years grain crop is being counted on for more than ever before.
I know for myself, the corn prices have elevated to such a level that I can no longer afford to feed my livestock a base made of grain
http://mmdnewswire.com/content/view/1257/
My latest changes have included going to a base of beet pulp (a natural by product of creating sugar from sugar beets) and alfalfa cubes, with only about 2% of the daily feed consumed coming from grains. I have not seen signifigant weight variations, or health conditions arise from these changes, but I also offer good quality grass hay , a mineral salt suppliment,
and sometimes, rice bran , also a fat source by produuct from rice.
My protien sources though are now cotton seed meal and soy bean meal .
horse feed and whole corn has steadily increased in price but beet pulp and believe it or not alfalfa have not.
still feeding organic but now, feeding from a more available and steady supply.
a great place for more information regarding buying local food can be found here !
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
annd please, help this blog grow by sending us your ideas .
now im off to photograph for the blog from my garden !
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5094.cfm
Also rumor has it that this years grain crop is being counted on for more than ever before.
I know for myself, the corn prices have elevated to such a level that I can no longer afford to feed my livestock a base made of grain
http://mmdnewswire.com/content/view/1257/
My latest changes have included going to a base of beet pulp (a natural by product of creating sugar from sugar beets) and alfalfa cubes, with only about 2% of the daily feed consumed coming from grains. I have not seen signifigant weight variations, or health conditions arise from these changes, but I also offer good quality grass hay , a mineral salt suppliment,
and sometimes, rice bran , also a fat source by produuct from rice.
My protien sources though are now cotton seed meal and soy bean meal .
horse feed and whole corn has steadily increased in price but beet pulp and believe it or not alfalfa have not.
still feeding organic but now, feeding from a more available and steady supply.
a great place for more information regarding buying local food can be found here !
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
annd please, help this blog grow by sending us your ideas .
now im off to photograph for the blog from my garden !
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