Permaculture's topics - tribe.net

funny yellow mushroom

2009-10-23T09:19:56Z

Hey guys! I have a begonia houseplant that has an absurdly rapid growth rate. It seems to have grown some white fuzzy mold on the top of the soil. I just noticed a strange light yellow MUSHROOM over the mold!!! What is this? Is it poison? Must I KILL IT? I have to know. I'm fascinated!
Thanks, friends.

Kristin

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Best Permaculture web sites you've found?

2009-10-07T20:45:27Z

Would you mind sharing links to the best Permaculture sites you've found on the Web? Thanks!

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Las Vegas Permaculturealists!

2009-10-02T20:27:10Z

I just moved to the area. Any active groups in the Las Vegas community?

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

any interest for an English 72h PDC in Southern Germany?

2009-09-23T19:37:29Z

Hello,
we are a non-profit foundation in Southern Germany offering permaculture education.
We are looking at doing a course in English beginning of 2010.
Any interest?
Check us out: www.hoellbachhof.net
Greetings,
Vivian.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

any desert permaculturists?

2009-09-21T14:28:37Z

I'm interested in applying permaculture practices back in my home bioregion of the Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico. I'd like to help implement the use of water catchment around the area, and use it to grow native useful food-plants like mesquite, yucca, pinon, juniper, along with staples like corn, beans, and squash. Anyone here in the area who would like to help? I've heard of a group of permies in Cerrillos called the Ampersand Project, and I will be contacting them also, but thought I'd check if anyone here is already doing permaculture work in this type of environment.

Thanks

posted in Permaculture - 16 replies

Legalize Hemp and Cannabis in California

2009-09-14T02:57:58Z

Hi Family,

We need to legalize hemp to save our forests and our planet. The fastest way to do that is to legalize the whole Cannabis plant. No part of it is a threat to society.

Right now there are two competing signature drives to put Cannabis legalization initiatives on the ballot in California in

November 2010.

One is found at www.taxcannabis2010.org

The other is found at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org

Please look carefully at the text of both laws (the text of each is finalized) and make up your own mind which one you support.

I am supporting www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org because our law will protect Cannabis users from discrimination in

healthcare, employment, and housing. It is a full legalization measure for industrial hemp and recreational cannabis which will restore full human rights to Hemp farmers and Cannabis users all across California. Of course supplying Cannabis to children will remain illegal just as it is today. Driving vehicles under the influence will remain illegal just as it is today. Cannabis users will still be fired from their jobs if they show up to work impaired.

There are two parts to our plan. The first part is to publicly post and personally distribute our "Freedom Lover's Call to Arms" in order to recruit volunteers. This document is available here-

www.imgur.com/dbU83

The second part of our plan is to ask everyone who volunteers to make a pledge for how many signatures they can collect in

the next 30 days or so. 15-30 signatures is a good number. If enough volunteers show this level of commitment we can succeed. You can probably get that number from your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors without having to solicit in public too much. This is an "out of the closet" movement. We will have to proudly advocate human rights for responsible, honest, hard-working Cannabis smokers in order to convince legitimate people to support us. I can supply stickers equivalent to each persons pledge number. These stickers can be used to generate interest and be given to voters who sign the petition. Here is the sticker design-

www.imgur.com/2cjvb

Feel free to distribute and use these images. Just don't copyright them.

We have 145 days in order to get the number of signatures that we need. Our petition is hot off the press on 9/11 and we

have started collecting the first signatures yesterday 9/12.

We are polling 56% public support for Cannabis legalization in California which menas that this is an initiative which is not doomed. Its time has finally arrived; we are at the tipping point right now. Now is the time to do this and to do it right. We may only get one chance. If a law which is not exactly what we want is implemented then we may lose our critical mass and our ability to set it right.

I believe that less adults will smoke cannabis after it is legal. This is the case in the Netherlands where it has been

available over-the-counter for 30 years yet only half as many citizens (percentage-wise) smoke as do citizens here. My economics professor has taught for years that prohibition has not succeeded in decreasing usage by increasing penalties. Instead it has destroyed lives and families without substantial benefit to society. After legalization hard-drug usage will decrease due to a "separation of the markets," a decline in the price of Cannabis relative to hard-drugs, and the restoration of honesty and common sense in drug education. Violence, thievery, and the incarceration of honest people will decrease as well. I also believe that a well regulated market will decrease the availability and appeal of cannabis to children. In fact teenage Cannabis use in California has fallen steadily since the passage of Proposition 215. Furthermore the adults who smoke Cannabis after legalization will be better able appreciate the majesty of nature in peace and unity without learning to fear and disrespect authority figures. This will be better for their spirits and better for society. Finally the human rights of legitimate medical Cannabis patients will be better protected than they are today. Legalizing Cannabis will create a safer, healthier, and more humane California for us all to live in.

If you want to help us in any way please contact the CCI campaign at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org or write me at

deep_space_underground@yahoo.com I give you my encouragement to modify this message if necessary and distribute it to anyone who might help on any forum or by any mechanism.

Love,
-Fully Committed

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

looking for people to help us create our self sufficient, renewable energy driven, organic homestead in France

2009-09-10T10:40:31Z

We are looking for people to help our communal dream become reality...

French Manoir / farm in Normandy with organic kitchen garden, 2 fields of 2 hectares, chickens etc..We now want to create Biosphere/Geodesic dome, full organic self sufficiency aiming towards being carbon neutral and using renewable energy. We are looking for people interested in the technological side of self sufficiency as well as running a small organic kitchen garden. Creative people welcomed, We are both musicians, non smokers, not drinkers. The house contains a studio and we work developing and recording bands and artists..,Ideally we would want to feed ourselves and our clients with vegetables and food from the farmstead. Over the years we have had quite a few WWOOFERS (world organic farming volunteers) which has proved successful but unfortunately most people are only available for a few weeks or months as this organisation is more geared for shorter stays, we are looking for someone, or a couple who would like to become a more permanent part of our team.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

pond?

2009-09-10T03:25:23Z

hiya folks, i'd like to place a small pond in my garden to attract frogs that will eat the bugs that eat my veggies... but i'd like to go without an electric pump. is this possible? or will the water turn too anaerobic to support life? i've read about some aquatic plants that cleanse the water, but as far as adding oxygen i'm not having very much luck. thanks!

posted in Permaculture - 19 replies

Pesticide Poll

2009-09-04T12:24:27Z

I'm curious as to what states have banned what pesticides so far, and what people's practices are. We still have a fair amount of herbicides available, I live in B.C., Canada, Ontario has taken away far more than we have (which puzzles me, but I'm sure we're not far behind.) Also, do you spray with anything, including bacterial agents like BTK or the mosquito one, Bti?

posted in Permaculture - 16 replies

Where to put my money

2009-08-26T21:01:37Z

Any one heard of the Permaculture Credit Union?
I live in LA and am interested in removing my money from my current crappy bank to one that thinks more locally, sustainably and has morals. Any ideas?

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

BAN MIND CONTROL/ DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

2009-08-22T16:27:56Z

I know this sounds like science fiction or a conspiracy theory, but it's not. It is a complete reality and a huge danger to humanity. Please check out the following petition and sign it. As crazy as this may sound but mind control energy weapons is a reality. Millions of people are suffering from the mental abuse and torture of these weapons that are not openely talked about or known, or "declassified." The abuse is largely sexist and racist and targets people who are of certain ethnicities... primarily who are not white. The abuse is deliberate, cruel, and is done by directing energy beams, via satellite or other means, onto the body/person/ brain of the individuals targeting certain centers of the brain to elicit responses or actions. The companies, military, governments who are doing this also use sound weapons to direct sounds, subtle or not, vibrations and energy in the mind or environment of the victims to harrass, abuse, and control the actions of these individuals. Whether they are able to do control the person or not, they definitely abuse and severely mentally and psychologically hurt the victims.

BAN MIND CONTROL/DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

To: the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, see more...your Governor, Members of your State Senate, Members of your State House, the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Started by: Soleilmavis L

WE CONCERN ABOUT THE ABUSE AND TORTURE OF THE FOLLOWINGS :- DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS; NEUROLOGICAL WEAPONS; MIND CONTROL WEAPONS; BODY AND BRAIN MANIPULATION WEAPONS; PSYCHOTRONIC WEAPONS; SPACE WEAPONS; NON-LETHAL WEAPONS; COINTELPRO; ANDany other unacknowledged or as yet undeveloped means inflicting death or injury on, or damaging or destroying, a person (or the biological life, bodily health, mental health, or physical and economic well-being of a person) through the use of land-based, sea-based, or space-based systems using radiation, electromagnetic, psychotronic, sonic, laser, or other energies directed at individual persons or targeted populations or the purpose of information war, mood management, or mind control of such persons or populations.Please help to ban abuses and tortures of above-mentioned weapons.
Yours Sincerely,
Soleilmavis
peacepink.ning.com

"Mailtem" members of THE WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN AGAINST the (secret) Abuse and Torture That Uses Mind Control, Directed Energy Weapons and Manipulation Weapons on Every Living Being.
peacepink.ning.com/forum/to...m-members

1.

This petition ends on Dec 31.

posted in Permaculture - 15 replies

Can you recommend drought resistant plants for urban parkway project in Los Angeles?

2009-08-18T17:36:24Z

Part of a larger urban renewal plan, an Urban Farm Network. Your knowledge and generosity about sharing it literally goes right to the heart of Los Angeles urban renewal.

posted in Permaculture - 7 replies

Nobody gives a sh*t!

2009-08-14T19:01:35Z

Ive been back in America for 4 whole weeks and i'm just tired. It's worn me out! I don't have enough steam to continue to be in a place where working hard gets you nowhere, except in the eyes of dispicable human's beings who just want to support my failure. Permaculture in New York! ??? What a joke! Maybe, this is my time to vent, donno! I just feel that people don't care. I posted in this discussion before and I think I bore the heck out of everyone or nobody gave a sh*t and that was that! So...Whats my point? Where are all of the Permaculuralists in this country? Who knows who Rudouf Steiner is? Raise their hands, cause I don't think anyone in this forum does.

!

posted in Permaculture - 31 replies

Finally, a new thread!

2009-08-02T14:34:51Z

The fact that people keep posting only to negative threads, and the lack of other threads here, is really upsetting to me.
I definitely don't get excited when I see there are new posts on this tribe anymore, as I know it will more than likely be
Benjamin's thread on the top of the page.

I am just got off of a Permie farm from the past year and am now focusing on other things. If only I were able to have some vicarious permie experiences!!!

What is eveyone doing? Even ordinary permie things or small projects are uplifting to hear about. I am living in a small house where we are setting up a worm bin, a small garden area, and an herb spiral. I realize these aren't huge things, but doing even the small stuff sure is nice. Once it cools down, maybe we can make the bicycle powered washer that drains into the three bathtub bioremediation tanks that I have always wanted!!!

SO, what's up?

posted in Permaculture - 6 replies

Permaculture for Kids

2009-08-01T13:17:42Z

Would anyone be interested in collaborating on a "kids cultivation" project?
Teaching kids about plants, seeds and taking field trips to gardens?

Just curious about thoughts and possible gatherings.

It doesn't have to be here in New York, anyone can do it, anywhere and perhaps it can be a great way to connect community, especially this one.

Any thoughts?

Or does anyone give a sh*t?

posted in Permaculture - 8 replies

How?

2009-07-31T23:25:29Z

I am new to the tribe and am very interested in the permaculture experience. I am interested in reading an learning as much as I can and eventually I would like to take some permaculture design certification classes. What would be your best advice on how to begin on a small scale with your own land/property? Over the last few years, my husband and I have brought the land where we live back to its natural habitat. We began that process by cleaning it up and healing much of the scarring and abuse it took from former residents. At this point we have many of the indigenous plant life back, which we let grow as it needs to.
any pointers on how to do more to really get it going? Next year I am thinking about "food not lawns" concept, but may have to do that with raised beds. We live in a small town which has blood trauma on the land, in general...feel like raised beds are the way to go, as the soil seems "tainted", so to speak...almost anything we have already tried to grow...eventually ends up dying off or tasting bitter....incredibly bitter, despite our attempts to balance the soil...I swear it's the blood trauma that this town endured!!!

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

Meet Up Aug 8th Alabama Intentional Community

2009-07-30T02:13:52Z

Meet Up August 8th Alabama Intentional Community

Meet Up - Alabama Intentional Community Get Together Aug 8th. Details: http://bit.ly/CJQ7w or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject Members & Potential Members Only. Those interested in joining our intentional community/eco-village/co-housing/commune [now forming], please see links for more information, and get involved. We plan to move this project ahead immediately to come together as friends and family to do a wonderful thing together. RSVP after you get the details so we can plan this accordingly. Those coming from out of town can find out about camping or local motels.

We are listed in the directory at IC.ORG

Thanks,

The Eden Project
The Eden Experiment
The Essence Of Eden

http://intentone.ning.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject
knightsintention@yahoo.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

North West/ West coast projects?

2009-07-27T20:12:49Z

Does anyone know of some permaculture projects going on in Aug. and Sept. in the Northwest and West Coast area that are in need of volunteers? I am very interested in getting involved. Please email me if there are any opportunities.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Washburn School Garden

2009-07-22T17:00:33Z

Check out this AmeriCorps Farm to School program currently going on!

http://washburnschoolgarden.wordpress.com/
http://fox21online.com/onthejob/washburn-students-grow-their-own-lunch
http://www.burnerswithoutborders.org/washburn-farm-to-school-program

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Any permie related people of Turkey?

2009-07-19T11:00:09Z

I am going to Greece and Turkey and am interested if anyone here can provide me with any information beyond G.E.N
(global eco village network) for points of interest and need in either of these areas that they have been to before.

thank ya

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

H2O~Water~H2O

2009-07-08T03:07:28Z

As I observed the tribe moving to discuss water, I thought that the topic of water deserved a thread of it's own....

In June I attended a local presentation about water. The first presentation was from the Women's Earth Alliance and the good work they are doing in bringing clean water alternatives to women in Africa. http://www.womensearthalliance.org/article.php?id=377

The second portion was a local permaculture expert who presented water catchment and containment methods that we can implement in our homes and gardens. She gave a strong presentation about the principles of permaculture in use with earthworks as well. As she said "we (in California) don't have a drought! We have a water management problem!"

I recently viewed the film (available from netflix) FLOW-For the Love Of Water. An eyeopening documentary on the state of our water supply, and the direction world water management is moving.

I own (but do not currently live on) a large parcel located in the high desert of the Sierra Nevada Range. I hope to be living there in five or so years. It is my desire to create a permaculture demonstration farm, and in view of what I am learning about water, and the dry climate I have to work with, I expect to focus on water catchment and containment. A "Greening of the Desert" Sierra style!

Currently I rent my house, and am interested in implementing water catchment and conservation measures that are relatively low cost and easy to remove. One of the things I have done is obtain a free hot tub to fill with roof run off. More suggestions are welcome!

What are your thoughts on the state of water?

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

How much food can I grow around my house?

2009-07-04T01:25:22Z

An interesting woman from Port Townsend, Washington who decided to see how much food she could grow on her small city lot. I particularly like her rainwater catchment system (Port Townsend is in a rain shadow and has a low annual precipitation).

view the the 30 minute video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyVNAgrbQz4&feature=related

What little permaculture systems have you developed or are considering installing around your house?
p.

posted in Permaculture - 7 replies

Dendro Power

2009-07-03T17:10:03Z

My interest in biochar led to looking into wood gas for engines and for stoves and then into its potential for moderate and large scale power generation and power/heat co-generation. All of this can fit together quite nicely. I am seeing the potential for a radically decentralized, as well as cleaner power grid. My county has a lot of firewood and a lot of potential for growing more. These plants would offer a market for this, and employ local folk in preparing and hauling the fuel and in operating the plant, jobs which are now outsourced to distant places. Anyway, i've made these pages.

Dendro power
http://floydmuse.com/wils/Dendro%20Power.html

wood gas stoves
http://floydmuse.com/wils/woodgasstoves.html

Wood gas engines
http://floydmuse.com/wils/woodgas.html

Biochar and Terra Preta
http://floydmuse.com/wils/biochar.html

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Treehugger.com

2009-07-02T19:35:12Z

makes me happy. I know the problems we face are complicated and require investment of time and energy and sustained personal commitment. But every now and then I get down and I really need to read some good news.
Today on Treehugger I found a link to a renewable energy potential map of the US. Then found another page on that site that gave some profiles of what's being accomplished in just a few states. There is a switchgrass processing plant scheduled to open this year in Tennessee. This plant will also use wood chips and other waste from logging and sawmill operations (stuff we usually throw away in a landfill).
Good news that I needed to read today.

Not affiliated with the site at all... just like it.

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

Bamboo?

2009-07-01T20:05:53Z

Yesterday I read an article about a business that wants to start bamboo plantations in the Mississippi Delta. While I love bamboo as a building material, I'm concerned that we'll be introducing an invasive non native plant into an already stressed ecosystem. Is there any way to contain bamboo so it doesn't become another kudzu?

posted in Permaculture - 14 replies

His Holiness the Dalai Lama : introduction, current international schedule, resources

2009-07-01T00:31:54Z

This one is also for Bill Mollison, who got the Big Picture. . .

Keywords : HH The Dalai Lama, public Dalai Lama talks on world peace, Dalai Lama resources and current schedule, Nobel Peace Prize, universal human [ secular ] ethics, deep permaculture ethics.

Summary: Provided here is (1) the current tour schedule for His Holiness the Dalai Lama [ for California Massachusetts, New York, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, India, Germany ], (2) an introduction to the life and work of HH the Dalai Lama, (3) book references and resources, and (4) curriculum vitae.

HH the Dalai Lama:
“Never give up.
No matter what is going on.
Never give up.
Develop the heart.
Be compassionate.
Not just to your friends but to everyone.
Work for peace in your heart and in the world.
Work for peace and I say again:
Never give up.
No matter what is happening.
No matter what is going on around you.
Never give up.”

Introduction:

All Our Relations. Mitakuye Oyasin.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the pivotal figures of our time. He is, more than anyone else that can be presently named, a world citizen and world teacher.

His work in ethics, human rights,world peace, psychology and education, Buddhist teaching and East West relations, is second to none in our generation.

In addition to a Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Gold Medal, HH the Dalai Lama has received scores of honorary Doctorates ( in Laws, Philosophy, Human Letters, Divinity, Buddhist Philosophy, and so forth ) from major teaching centers worldwide. These include Columba, Brandeis, Universite de Paris, Benaras Hindu University, Hebrew University Jerusalem, U California San Francisco, and Rissho University Tokyo. He is an honorary citizen of Canada, of Roma Italia and so forth.
He speaks worldwide and has published more than seventy two books.

He is one of the most respected and revered persons on the the planet. On one visit to New York City some years back, forty thousand people turned out to see the Dalai Lama in the park.

When the Dalai Lama give the Highest Yoga Tantra initiation ( abhisekha ) of Kalacakra, the attendees sometimes number 100,000 or even 200,000. HH the Dalai Lama has given this initiation thirty times in different parts of the world. In addition to being a master of the Great Seal ( Mahamudra ) lineage of Buddhist tantra, he also gives initiations of the Great Perfection ( Mahasandhi, Atiyoga ), for example in London, in San Francisco, and Paris.

You can see him this year at public talks in several areas, such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Europe, and India. A current schedule is provided below.

I have seen HH the Dalai Lama give extremely worthwhile empowerments in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and represented him to the State Legislature of Hawaii in 1993, where he was invited to give a talk, and did. I have listened carefully to him conferencing with Hawaiian elders in public and was struck by the care and attention he gave in listening to others, and in asking questions.
HH the Dalai Lama has written extremely important books on psychology and ethics, and I recommend these to the general public for self-help purposes, and also recommend some of his books to those committed to public service, especially in the area of multiculturalism, international human rights work, and the international Green Party movement.

Because of the profound confluence of modern events, global economics, environmental issues and human cultures, the importance of broader and deeper human co-operation becomes more and more important.
To obtain a broader and clearer understanding and principles for working with these most important issues, studying the secular works of the Dalai Lama is of great value and importance.

Similarly, His Holiness is one of the few people who can and does speak for the diverse Buddhist populations and traditions worldwide. He has taught senior Japanese tantric Buddhist gurus of the Shingon lineage in their country, for instance. His Holiness is a paragon of the Buddhist renunciate order ( bhiksu-sangha ), of Buddhist scholarship, and of the Mahayana Great Way lineages, all of which are profoundly universal.

This teacher is one of our very very best, be you a psychologist or academic, a diplomat, a tantric yogi, or a Buddhist practitioner. He has completely revolutionized Buddhist teaching, parts of popular modern culture, the understanding of international diplomacy and so forth in our lifetime.

This is someone who actually embodies many of the key principles of the United Nations treaties on human rights, and also the key Buddhist Mahayana principles and teachings. It is important to note that the Mahayana Buddhist principles and the principles of the UN human rights work are essentially identical. There are universal principles that take us all forward, individually and together. In Buddhist Sanskrit these terms are, for instance pratitya-samutpada and karma. Now you know.

The final point I wish to put forward to all is this: the Dalai Lama believes in all of us as people who *already* have sensitive human hearts that can be educated and developed, and he shows all of us a very real and practical way forward, a way based on self-understanding, listening and mutual respect, and patient co-operation.

You could do worse, and please remember that due to impermanence, this elder teacher will not live forever. It is not clear how anyone anywhere can replace him.

I see no real alternative to respect and co-operation for the common good, because we are one world. For this broader and deeper reason, and not specifically because he is a Buddhist guru, I support this teacher. He was not allowed by their government to attend a recent peace conference in South Africa, but he is available to you, and he is here for All Our Relations. May he live long and may his brilliant consciousness reach many many more.

Thank you,
KT, Rio Earth Summit Green Party organizer and so forth

In partial fulfillment of my formal Mahayana teaching responsibilities.
Sarva mangalam! Siddhi rastu!
[ May it be auspicious! May there be accomplishment! ]

John David Bartoe, Challenger 8 NASA space mission, July 1985:
“As I looked down, I saw large river meandering slowly along for miles, passing from one country to another without stopping. I also saw huge forests, extending across several borders. And I watched the extent of one ocean touch the shores of several continents. Two words leaped to mind as I looked down on all of this: commonality and interdependence. We are one world.”

Some of the following materials are taken from
http://www.dalailama.com/
Published books and multimedia materials are available at libraries throughout the world, and from Snow Lion Publications at
http://www.snowlionpub.com

From the official web site:

“Universal Recognition

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

“His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists.

“Since 1959 His Holiness has received over 84 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. His Holiness has also authored more than 72 books.

“His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.”

“Three Main Commitments in Life
“Firstly, on the level of a human being, His Holiness first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.

“Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world's major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other's respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
“Thirdly, His Holiness is a Tibetan and carries the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in him. Therefore, his third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. His Holiness has a responsibility to act as the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment is concerned, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese.

However, His Holiness will carry on with the first two commitments till his last breath.”

Upcoming Schedule
2009
Lecture in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a lecture on The Nature of Mind organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a public talk on Ethics for Our Time organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Berkeley, CA, USA on April 25: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Compassion organized by the University of California, Berkeley at the Greek Theater. Contact Website: www.berkeley.edu

Public Talk in Boston, MA, USA on April 30: His Holiness will give a public talk to the Harvard University Community on Educating the Heart organized by Harvard University at the Memorial Church. Contact Website: www.harvard.edu
Inauguration of The Dalai Lama Center on April 30: His Holiness will inaugurate The Dalai Lama Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by giving a talk on Ethics and Enlightened Leadership. Contact Website: www.thecenter.mit.edu
Panel Discussion in Boston, MA on May 1: His Holiness will participate in a panel discussion on Meditation and Psychotherapy – Cultivating Compassion and Wisdom organized by the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education at Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Contact Website: www.cme.med.harvard.edu/index.asp?SECTION=CLASSES&ID=00292525&SO=Y
Teaching in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a teaching in the morning on What Is Buddhism & Commentary on The Four Noble Truths organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a public talk in the afternoon on The Path to Peace and Inner Happiness organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in New York, NY on May 3: His Holiness will participate in a conversation with Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and moderated by Pico Iyer on Wisdom & Compassion for Challenging Times and organized by The Tibet Fund at The Town Hall. Contact Website: www.tibetfund.org

Teaching in New York, NY on May 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on The Quintessence of Compassion organized by The Tibet House at The New Beacon Theater. Contact Website: www.tibethouse.org
Public Talk in Albany, NY on May 6: His Holiness will give a public talk on Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times organized by the World Ethical Foundations Consortium at the Albany Palace Theater. Contact Website: www.worldethicalfoundations.org

Teaching in Copenhagen, Denmark from May 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel) & Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa) at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk
Public Talk in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 31: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Inner Peace at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk

Public Talk in Reykjavik, Iceland on June 2: His Holiness will give a public talk on the topic on Values, Attitude and Happiness at the Laugardalsholl Sporting Arena. Contact Website: www.dalailama.is

Teaching in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on Shantideva’s Chapter 6 on Patience from A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl
Public Talk in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a public talk on The Power of Compassion At A Turbulent Time at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl

Teaching in Kaza, H.P., India from July 10 to 12: His Holiness will give three-day teachings at the request of the Sakya Monastery in Kaza. On July 10 His Holiness will give a Buddhist teaching (topic yet to be decided). On July 11 and 12 His Holiness will confer the Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wangchen).

Teaching in Frankfurt, Germany on July 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa). On the morning of July 31 he will confer an Amitabha Empowerment (opakmey jenang). Contact Website: www.dalailama-frankfurt.de

Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
[ University Aula, Oslo, 10 December 1989 ] :
Your Majesty, Members of the Nobel Committee, Brothers and Sisters.
I am very happy to be here with you today to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. I feel honored, humbled and deeply moved that you should give this important prize to a simple monk from Tibet I am no one special. But I believe the prize is a recognition of the true value of altruism, love, compassion and non-violence which I try to practice, in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha and the great sages of India and Tibet
I accept the prize with profound gratitude on behalf of the oppressed everywhere and for all those who struggle for freedom and work for world peace. I accept it as a tribute to the man who founded the modern tradition of non-violent action for change Mahatma Gandhi whose life taught and inspired me. And, of course, I accept it on behalf of the six million Tibetan people, my brave countrymen and women inside Tibet, who have suffered and continue to suffer so much. They confront a calculated and systematic strategy aimed at the destruction of their national and cultural identities. The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated.
No matter what part of the world we come from, we are all basically the same human beings. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. We have the same basic human needs and is concerns. All of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny as individuals and as peoples. That is human nature. The great changes that are taking place everywhere in the world, from Eastern Europe to Africa are a clear indication of this.
In China the popular movement for democracy was crushed by brutal force in June this year. But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain, because the spirit of freedom was rekindled among the Chinese people and China cannot escape the impact of this spirit of freedom sweeping many parts of the world. The brave students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the world the human face of that great nation.
Last week a number of Tibetans were once again sentenced to prison terms of upto nineteen years at a mass show trial, possibly intended to frighten the population before today's event. Their only 'crime" was the expression of the widespread desire of Tibetans for the restoration of their beloved country's independence.
The suffering of our people during the past forty years of occupation is well documented. Ours has been a long struggle. We know our cause is just Because violence can only breed more violence and suffering, our struggle must remain non-violent and free of hatred. We are trying to end the suffering of our people, not to inflict suffering upon others.
It is with this in mind that I proposed negotiations between Tibet and China on numerous occasions. In 1987, I made specific proposals in a Five-Point plan for the restoration of peace and human rights in Tibet. This included the conversion of the entire Tibetan plateau into a Zone of Ahimsa, a sanctuary of peace and non-violence where human beings and nature can live in peace and harmony.
last year, I elaborated on that plan in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament I believe the ideas I expressed on those occasions are both realistic. and reasonable although they have been criticised by some of my people as being too conciliatory. Unfortunately, China's leaders have not responded positively to the suggestions we have made, which included important concessions. If this continues we will be compelled to reconsider our position.
Any relationship between Tibet and China will have to be based on the principle of equality, respect, trust and mutual benefit. It will also have to be based on the principle which the wise rulers of Tibet and of China laid down in a treaty as early as 823 AD, carved on the pillar which still stands today in front of the Jokhang, Tibet's holiest shrine, in Lhasa, that "Tibetans will live happily in the great land of Tibet, and the Chinese will live happily in the great land of China".
As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all sentient beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and com¬passion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.
With the ever growing impact of science on our lives, religion and spirituality have a greater role to play reminding us of our humanity. There is no contradiction between the two. Each gives us valuable insights into the other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us of the fundamental unity of all things. This understanding is crucial if we are to take positive and decisive action on the pressing global concern with the environment.
I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same.
As we enter the final decade of this century I am optimistic that the ancient values that have sustained mankind are today reaffirming themselves to prepare us for a kinder, happier twenty-first century.
I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we succeed in building a better world through human under-standing and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
Thank you.

[ end posting ]

posted in Permaculture - 17 replies

Suggestions for tree wound dressing?

2009-06-29T17:12:05Z

I am planning to start a remediation project on an abandoned orchard. I was wondering if anyone here had opinions on dressing the wounds on the trees I prune/graft? Any other tips/ideas? The orchard has been feral for over 60 years.

Thanks a lot!

~melissa

posted in Permaculture - 18 replies

Yay

2009-06-29T03:19:29Z

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/go-dry-movement-spreads-californians-rip-grass.php

A step in the right direction.

posted in Permaculture - 4 replies

Guilds for annual crop plants?

2009-06-24T02:03:39Z

Does anyone have guides/charts to tried & true permaculture guilds for annual crop plants (veggies)? I live in the northeast.
esp looking for brassica & cucubit guild suggestions

thanks,
hrana

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Biochar

2009-06-21T12:32:56Z

Somehow i have not known much about this until about a month ago.

I made a page for it.

http://floydmuse.com/wils/biochar

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Swimming pool water catchment

2009-06-14T00:14:11Z

When I lived in Hawaii , we caught the water from the metal roof and it fed into a huge dough boy swimming pool. It was then gravity fed to the house, thru a filter, and used for washing dishes and showering.
I live in Oregon now, and havent seen this practice used much. My partner says he thinks the pvc leaches out into the water, and maybe bad for the garden, or us to consume the garden plants.
Any ideas out there? Whats the best catchment for Oregon? Ive got some rain barrels, but those are only 50 gallons. Those are plastic also.

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

Self-intro

2009-06-12T15:37:58Z

Hi, I've just joined this group and it seemed only polite to introduce myself before jumping in to the discussions :)

I'm in the UK; I've recently taken on a very overgrown allotment which I'm trying to slowly turn into useful food-growing space (so far all I've managed is a batch of dandelion wine, but I'm slowly getting a few useful herbs and fruit bushes in there!)

I'm far from being an expert in anything, except maybe the art of working it all out for myself as I go along.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Permaculture South America

2009-06-04T19:37:37Z

Hey Yall-

I'm looking to spend the winter in South America working on a permaculture project. Anyone know of any possibilities? Especially looking toward Bolivia, but anywhere would be incredible!

-gg

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

chippers shredders grinders mulch makers

2009-05-28T21:49:03Z

aloha all. writing to hear of experience with different chippers out there. i found a used bearcat 70380 for 2000 (usually 3600)...
however 2000 is still a lot when i can go pick up truckloads of decent already ground mulch, i just want the ability to do it on site.
just curious to hear about your experiences with turning available small trees into mulch.

posted in Permaculture - 24 replies

Permaculture Food Skills Course, Class 1: Beer Brewing for Beginners

2009-05-18T19:04:23Z

May 24, 2009 10 am - 5pm Beer Brewing and Hop Growing for Beginners

This workshop is the first in our Permaculture and Food Skills workshop series. You can find out more at www.lostvalley.org Learn to make your own beer and grow hops in this day long workshop. Home brewers around the country are learning to make their own signature brews for a fraction of the cost of you pay in the market.

Tobias Schock of Valley Vinter and Brew will lead this hands-on workshop teaching you all you need to know to get started brewing. We will also spend some time in the field learning how to grow your own hops. Organic, vegetarian lunch and home brew tastings included.
Cost: $25.00 includes organic vegetarian, lunch and beer tastings
Space is limited to 25 brewers so pre-registration is recommended.
Where: Lost Valley Educational Center, Dexter, Or, 97431
Call: 541 937-3351 x 112
Register: events@lostvalley.org

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Permaculture Eco-Community in Costa Rica - Sustainable Tropical Living!

2009-05-16T06:25:09Z

Are you looking for your slice of Eden? A place with eternal spring weather, tropical fruit trees dripping with fruit and a clean, crystal clear river that you can dive into?

Just outside of San Mateo de Orotina, Costa Rica, Eden awaits!

Kopali Communities is now selling 40 lots in the Rio Machuca Valley, only one hour from the San Jose international airport and just a half an hour to the beautiful Pacific beaches. Each lot has breathtaking views, clean drinking water and its own legal title. There is also a hotel & retreat center site on the property, providing potential business opportunities for the residents of the community.

Lots available starting in the $80's. For more information check out our website at www.kopalicommunities.com |email info@kopalicommunities.com or call Jeff @ 305.542.5400. If you are interested in seeing the project, just let us know. Come be our neighbor in paradise!!

Love,
The Kopali Family

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Permaculture garden in brooklyn!

2009-05-05T17:21:16Z

Maybe a few of you will be interested to know that I have a space. I will be posting the location soon. If your interested let me know.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Urban Food Growing in Havana

2009-05-05T12:09:30Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

Air-layering modification for plant propagation

2009-04-27T16:11:49Z

‘Tis springtime and many of us want to extend/expand our berries, ‘forest gardens’, or just have people that are interested in getting plants from us. This time of year I usually propagate a few gooseberries, goji, bush cherries, and currents for my use, for family, and for friends. A couple methods I use are cuttings and air-layering. The cuttings are the prunnings I collect and place in tall pots with only 2-3 buds showing and 7 inches or so of the stem in the pot. Keep in a semi-shady location and keep the soil damp until they root out. You can also make nicks or other wounds along the stem with a sharp knife and dip in rooting hormone to increase success rate. I tend to put 6-7 cuttings per pot, so don’t really care if half (or more) don’t make it. It only takes 1-2 per pot and I can cut out dead ones later. I also cheat and put the potted cuttings in my greenhouse under shade cloth to give them and easier start.

I also air layer like described here:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8701.html

http://plantpropagation.com/airlayering.htm

I do a modification though to make life easy for myself. I use the cardboard roll from a spent roll of toilet paper, masking tape, a couple nylon zip ties (wire ties), and a plastic bag donated generously from my supermarket each time I shop. I also use regular potting soil, but use a liquid root starter (with rooting hormone) from a local nursery, mixed according to the directions, to moisten the soil to a fairly wet stage. Decide where on the plant stem you are going to do your air layering and make a couple angled cuts (not all the way through) to wound the stem.

Take the cardboard center from a spent roll of toilet paper and put two strips of masking tape parallel to each other across one end. That will be on the bottom of the layering. Thread the stem between the two pieces of tape and up through the cardboard roll until the section of ‘wounded’ stem is in the roll and 6-8 inches of the stem protrudes above. Push the wet potting soil in to the roll around the plant stem and fill to the top. I try to get it in fairly firmly. The tape strips keeps the soil from dropping out the bottom. Wrap with the plastic sack around the roll (quite soggy by now) and secure underneath and on top with the zip ties. The sack keeps everything from drying out. If it does seem to be drying after a week or two, cut the tie on the top, add water next to the stem and re-seal. After 4-5 weeks you can generally cut the stem below the roll, remove the zip ties and sack , and plant the whole thing as is. The roots will grow right through the cardboard. If giving away to someone, you can also plant in a small pot at this time and keep it going until you can give it away. During the time the new roots are forming, the ‘cutting’ is still drawing strength from the main plant so the success rate is quite high with this method.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Even MSN is starting to report some news that may be related to permaculturists

2009-04-27T14:29:52Z

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/live-off-the-land-in-the-city.aspx

Live off the land -- in the city
Wild greens, mushrooms, fruit and even fish and game can be harvested in America's urban jungles. Dandelion salad, anyone? Or some batter-fried squirrel?

[Related content: savings, save money, groceries, food prices, Donna Freedman]
By Donna Freedman
MSN Money
Feeling squeezed at the supermarket? Maybe you should be looking for food in the parking lot, or in your neighbor's yard.

We're talking dandelions, feral mushrooms, gleaned fruit, local fish or even those wascally wabbits that overrun city greenbelts. Ingenuity plus a little sweat equity can put fresh, healthful food on the table and possibly provide other benefits as well: exercise, relaxation and a different way of looking at your neighborhood.

For example:

Chauncey Niziol fishes for bass and bluegills in downtown Chicago.

Steven Rinella traps squirrels and catches pigeons in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jeff Yeager harvests shoots from bamboo that grows in his suburban Washington, D.C., yard.

Katy Kolker harvests tree fruit that otherwise would have rotted in Portland, Ore.

"Radical ecologist" Nance Klehm plucks salads out of city sidewalks and leads urban foraging walks around her home city of Chicago. A few clients are survivalists, she says, or foodies who are looking for "unusual tastes." But most are simply "curious about the world around them." Foraging is "about a connection and an interaction with an environment," she says.

Chowing down on chickweed
According to her Spontaneous Vegetation Web site, Klehm grows or forages nearly everything she eats. The wild greens she harvests are what most people would think of as weeds: wood sorrel, mallow, chickweed, wild mustard and the like. Some can be eaten only at certain times of the year; dandelions, for example, are best when very young.

Klehm recommends using wild plants in moderation at first, because their flavors can be strong. Besides, "if you don't have a very flexible or curious palate, you might not find them tasty" in large quantities.

Urban farms: US cities get their green on

What's most important, however, is knowing what you're eating. The difference between the right plant and a look-alike is the difference between a nice salad and a trip to an emergency room. Where you find your food is important, too, because you could be sickened by food from polluted soils or waterways.

Klehm recommends buying a reputable field guide to local flora. It's also smart to seek out community-college classes or local plant walks; if neither exists, get a group of like-minded folks together and pay a local botanist to educate you on what and where to pick. Keep that field guide handy whenever you go out on your own, though.

Mushrooms, bamboo and ferns, oh my
Books by the late naturalist Euell Gibbons introduced Yeager, aka "The Ultimate Cheapskate," to wild edibles. Yeager, who grew up in Ohio and now lives about 20 miles south of Washington, doesn't harvest as many wild things as he once did. But he still keeps his eyes peeled when walking or bicycling.

For example, why pay for chicory when you can find it growing volunteer? "The wild stuff is much more potent," says Yeager, whose mom and dad were pleased when he brought home this coffee enhancer. They were also fond of the wild onions that he dug up and pickled: "My parents liked those in their martinis." (Yeager preferred the onions in a cream soup.)

Sometimes a "wild" plant is a cultivated variety that jumped a fence or was spread by birds or carelessly dumped garbage. Yeager has found asparagus, zucchini, black raspberries and even watermelons growing in fields and along roads. His own yard is "packed with bamboo" -- an increasingly common landscape plant -- so he cooks the young shoots in the spring.

While Chicago native Niziol focuses mostly on fishing and hunting in his weekly ESPN radio program, he's not strictly carnivorous. Niziol swears by a good plate of fiddlehead ferns, fresh wild carrots (aka Queen Anne's lace) or a mug of sassafras tea ("it tastes like root beer").

And mushrooms? Don't get him started. "I use them every which way I can. I put them in stews, I dry them, I make a killer mushroom soup," says Niziol, a former outdoors columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Mushrooms must be picked with care, he notes, because some fungi are poisonous. A good field guide is essential. What's even better is to find a local mycological society and start taking walks with experts.

Catfish are jumpin'
Some people assume fish from urban waterways are poisonous. At times this reputation is justified; check your state's department of fish and wildlife for advisories. But many metro areas have healthy fish and healthier fisheries: Anchorage, Alaska; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Miami; Detroit; and Phoenix, for example.

Phoenix? Seriously?

Seriously. The Phoenix area has 16 lakes stocked with trout, catfish, bass, sunfish and carp, and you can keep up to 17 fish a day. Demand for fishing licenses is up 18% this year, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Crab and shrimp cost a bundle at the market but can be had for free in some regions. Nancy Leson, who writes the All You Can Eat blog for The Seattle Times, recently pulled up a dozen Dungeness and rock crabs from the waters near her home in Edmonds, Wash., population 40,000.

"Hugely expensive had we bought it at the store," says Leson, who notes that some of the best shrimp hauls she's seen were pulled up in homemade traps made out of hardware cloth.

Outdoors expert Niziol concurs that you don't need to spend a bundle on gear. Rods and reels can be found for pennies on the dollar at yard or estate sales. Some Illinois libraries lend fishing gear to kids for free. That plus Illinois' $13.75 annual fishing license equals "lots of cheap protein," Niziol says.

"There's this thing called catch and release," he says. "But I also believe in hookin' and cookin'."

Pigeons in the 'hood
In recent years cities such as New York, Cincinnati and Washington have had special archery hunts to thin out deer herds. Some areas of Arizona are experiencing nuisance populations of rabbits.

"We have got bunnies galore," says Arizona Fish and Game spokesman Rory Aikens. Rabbits can be taken in the city limits with a bow and arrow or slingshot. So can "very edible reptiles," including the chuckwalla, a large lizard that Aikens describes as delicious when barbecued: "high protein, zero fat." Pigeons are also fair game, he notes; as a domestic species gone wild, they are not classified as wildlife, and no hunting license is needed.

Steven Rinella, the author of "The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine" and "American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon," catches pigeons in his Brooklyn neighborhood. (Because they carry mites, he recommends they be cleaned and plucked outdoors.) Rinella also traps squirrels, which isn't strictly legal because in New York you're supposed to hunt them. He doubts anyone will press charges, given the huge population of the rodents.

"I like to catch some squirrels and pigeons and do them up in nice ways," says Rinella, who's hunted since his Michigan boyhood. The best pigeons are the flightless young ones, also known as squabs, which taste "just amazing."

Aikens, who grew up in Los Angeles, says that in his boyhood he and pals would swipe young pigeons from nests under bridges. Then they'd sell them to "two very famous restaurants where the movie stars went."

Many cities host decent populations of other animals once commonly eaten, such as opossums, raccoons, muskrats and armadillos. Though these may seem a little gamey to some, there are plenty of Americans who'd gladly throw a possum on the barbie or roast up a "Hoover hog" (a Depression-era nickname for the armadillo). Detroit retiree Glemie Dean Beasley finds plenty of
takers for the raccoon meat he sells to supplement his Social Security checks.

Check your state's department of fish and wildlife to see which species can be hunted, and how it can be done legally, in your area. (Here's a place to poke around for squirrel, squab and opossum recipes.)

Lastly, many states offer families, churches and charities the chance to salvage game animals (such as deer, moose and elk) that have been struck by cars. A moose can yield hundreds of pounds of meat. Of course, you can't be squeamish, but it's fresh, and it's organic. Make sure you check locally on the rules, because salvage is illegal in some places.

Free fruit for the picking
If sautéed fiddleheads or batter-fried squirrels are a little too adventurous for your palate, how about a freshly picked apple? An organic fig? A juicy pear or a handful of black cherries?

"Urban gleaning" programs such as the Portland Fruit Tree Project help put fruit that would otherwise go to waste into the hands of hungry people. Co-founder Kolker says that in 2008 the group harvested more than 4,500 pounds of fruit with the blessing of homeowners who couldn't use all their backyard bounty. Half the fruit goes to Portland food banks and the rest to those who do the picking; at least 50% of those pickers are low-income residents.

"There are so many people who can't afford to buy fresh fruit," Kolker says.

No urban gleaning in your area? Craft your own. Last summer I posted a Freecycle ad offering homemade jam in exchange for the fruit with which to make it. I proposed the same deal to a neighbor, whose response was, "I'm glad someone wants it." Thus, a little chutzpah landed me with the makings for several dozen pints of jam plus enough apples, pears and plums to preserve in jars.

This year, I'm hoping the ad will net me somebody's surplus raspberries. Don't neglect sources of wild berries either. In Seattle, that's mainly blackberries -- they grow just about everywhere. In Anchorage, I picked blueberries and cranberries. No wild nuts grew there, but they're abundant in some cities. Ask around.

Want to live off the land? Here are a few more tips from the folks I interviewed:

Obey local fish and game laws.

Don't pick without permission. Check local regulations about harvesting on city, state or federal land.

Don't take more than you can actually use.

Don't try to memorize the entire field guide overnight. "Get to know one or two (plants) well," Klehm advises. "Then you can add to that (knowledge)."

Search online for local sources such as Urban Edibles, a "community database of wild edibles" in Portland, Ore.

Save money today
Hanging it up: On the Smart Spending blog, a writer from partner blog Wise Bread woman explains how she copes with having "cut the cord," i.e., ditched her land line.

How to speak frugalese: Are ECBs and MIRs your friends? Do you know the difference between a peelie and a blinkie? Smart Spending co-editor Karen Datko provides a quick primer.

Reduce, reuse: I've found a new life for bags from 16-ounce bags of frozen vegetables. Readers chimed in with some pretty cool ideas of their own, including a new use for those mesh bags that onions and oranges come in. Read about it here.

Published April 15, 2009

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Walking through the solution

2009-04-27T04:11:13Z

Hey group,
A bit of shameless back patting about to happen...

3 years ago I chose to take a stand and be responsible for creating a strong solution to climate change that anyone could follow.Also to demystify the web of green options each person has in front of them.

It became a software application that took every known source on going green I could find and summarize it into one place. During this research I also did the math needed, so every action has a specific savings in $ and CO2.
Knowing that the average person does not have the same amount of time to educate themselves...I created an online assessment that would give the program clarity into each persons unique options and give a day by day coaching plan on how to green their lifestyle.
No matter where you are starting from...skinny or huge footprint.
I have just finished and launched yesterday.
I am going to market the complete program for $29 and give $15 of that to a non-profit also needing money to further their own Global Warming solutions. It took some time to build those partnerships but they are good and solid programs.
Here is a bit more information and the URL
Please support this effort and spread it out to your connections( if you find it useful)
This has been a labor of love and I hope you find it useful.

PS. I have a certain number of "free" memberships I can give if you need it just email me through the website or here on Tribe.
PPS . WE DO NOT SELL ANY PRODUCTS

Going Green Today is an in-depth online program that looks at your lifestyle and creates simple green living options just for you. We give you an easy-to-follow action plan that walks you through reducing your carbon footprint by at least 35% and helping you to save $2000 this year.
visit us at
www.goinggreentoday.com

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

New York Permaculture

2009-04-26T02:21:24Z

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in starting a community garden in Brooklyn. I'm a permaculturalist and would love to teach folks on raised beds, composting and seed saving! Would anyone know or is anyone interested in helping me organizing this thing?

Do let me know.

Spring is here and there is much to do!

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

New Movie coming out on the food industry

2009-04-24T14:49:17Z

I like what it seems to say about the power of consumers....

http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=foodinc

http://www.takepart.com/foodinc/

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

Germany bans Monsanto seed

2009-04-21T19:02:18Z

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,618913,00.html

yay!!

posted in Permaculture - 4 replies

Strawberries are Red, Violets are blue....

2009-04-21T09:49:32Z

( Ozark bioregion) In the realm of ground covers are either strawberries or violets detrimental to the soil? Either possibly nitrogen fixing? Any benefits ,other than dense cover for weed blockage?

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Magazines

2009-04-16T14:22:36Z

It is nice to note that several magazines have expanded their on-line offerings to include good informative sites with some of their past articles posted on-line. I just recieved my May/June issue of Backwoods Home magazine and saw that they are planning to start offering a digital edition to subscribers. What may be of interest to some here is that they are going to put the entire May/June issue online so potential subscribers can get a feel for the content. I checked this morning on their website and the digital issue isn't up yet, although there is still a couple artciles from the March/April edition there still:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/

Also, in addition to the standard gardening and permaculture content some of us subscribe to, you may also want to check out Countryside Magazines website as they also put on quite a few articles (in the 'library' section) that are quite good. Especially for those of us who dabble in livestock like chickens, rabbits, or goats:

http://www.countrysidemag.com/

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Monsanto.

2009-04-12T20:54:47Z

H.R. 875 and H.R. 759

Does this mean anything to you? Maybe, maybe not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZL6q-3LOw

posted in Permaculture - 12 replies

Bullock Brothers Homestead (Orcas Island WA)

2009-04-11T22:07:55Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7LcNAYBWg

posted in Permaculture - 6 replies

May Design Course in Colorado

2009-04-09T20:17:48Z

Permaculture Design Course – Durango, CO, May 2009

Be a part of history as Culture Brothers offer our first full, residential 72-hour PDC since becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization. For nine days in sunny La Plata County, Colorado, we will create community on the land and immerse ourselves in building soil, plant propagation, water purification and conservation, herbal healing, earthen building, mushroom cultivation, people skills, animal care and much more! From our ten-acre mini-ranch headquarters, we will visit people and places in the region that show nature's wisdom can create abundance in many forms.

Better your life, land, work and society

Proper Design, Energy Accounting, Pattern Recognition and Use, Regenerative Resource Management, Collective Security, Consensus Process, Sustainable, Natural and Regional Agriculture, Architecture, Wildcrafting, Landscaping, Healing, Living and CULTURE

When and Where: May 2 - 10, 2009

Culture Farm in Ignacio, Colorado

Taught by Michael Freeman and Chris Ricci

Cost: Sliding scale for the nine-day training is $750 - $1150, including meals and camping.

Contact: www.culturebrothers.org; chris@culturebrothers.org or call Michael at 970-903-1764

Donate: Please help shape the future with a contribution to Culture Brothers scholarship fund, or an in-kind donation. Your donations are tax deductible. Contact us for details.

Deadlines:

Early Registration ($50 off): March 15

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

wind power

2009-04-07T17:13:52Z

Howdy all. Do any of you folks have experience with wind power? I am considering a hybrid system (wind/solar). Let me know your opinions.
thanks

posted in Permaculture - 4 replies

Training for Transition in Oakland on May 30th & 31st

2009-04-02T15:55:41Z

Why is the Transition Town model taking off so rapidly? How is it that a grassroots movement intent on the downsizing of modern life is receiving such a groundswell of enthusiasm? What can we do as communities do to address the overwhelming and intertwined issues of peak oil, climate change and economic instability?

Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town model and author of The Transition Handbook, From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, writes, “It is one thing to campaign against climate change and quite another to paint a compelling and engaging vision of a post-carbon world in such a way as to enthuse others to embark on a journey towards it.” Hopkins proposes that cities might be transmuted from “large, bland places with a few ‘entertainment’ venues, to diverse places with gardens, ponds, artworks, more opportunities for meeting and working with people and generally more to see and do,” where people had “less reason to travel to be entertained.”

“Rebuilding local agriculture and food production, localizing energy production, rethinking healthcare, rediscovering local building materials in the context of zero energy building, rethinking how we manage waste, all build resilience and offer the potential of an extraordinary renaissance — economic, cultural and spiritual.”

Come together to explore the aspects of life that this area needs to develop in order to sustain itself and thrive in the face of oil depletion, economic instability and climate change. How do we increase the resilience of our communities and drastically reduce carbon emissions? Many organizations in the Bay Area have been devoting themselves for years to essential issues related to this question. The Transition Town model is an opportunity to bring all of the ongoing good work into a cohesive framework aimed at creating a sustainable life for all.

Training for Transition is a 2-day "fundamentals" course for those wishing to know how to set up, run, and maintain a successful transition initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition.

Price for the weekend is $215.00 if you register before May 15 and $235.00 if you register after May 15.

For more details on Transition Initiatives and Transition Training, please visit: transitiontowns.org/Transiti...ingDetail

Facilitators: Scott McKeown (Transition Sebastopol) and Kat Steele (Transition Big Sur). Both are certified Transition Trainers and are part of the Transition US Training Pool.

To register, please visit: www.regonline.com/transitiontowntraining

Questions? Contact Chris Kresser at transitiontowntraining@gmail.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Cooperative living in beautiful Oakland home

2009-04-02T14:54:15Z

Summary:

Local-healthy-organic-artistic-community-loving couple seeking another like-minded couple to share spacious Oakland home and garden. The rent is $1150 and includes a bedroom, another room that could be used as an office/workspace and shared use of the meditation/movement space, kitchen, living room and bathrooms. Shared meals ala Weston A Price, shared gardening including chickens, and shared intention of inching ourselves closer to sustainable living. Wanting to live with others who are tidy, openly communicative and committed to living cooperatively. Move-in date is negotiable, sometime between May 1st to June 1st.

The House:

The main house is approximately 1900 sq. feet with wood floors, natural light, a living room, large meditation/movement room, and two rooms that were designed as bedrooms but are currently being used as offices/workspaces. In the back is a large “cottage-style” studio bedroom with separate entrance, and on the ground floor we recently built another bedroom which also has a separate entrance.

The kitchen is spacious and well-equipped, with a sweet little breakfast nook. There is one full bathroom and another half-bath. We also have a full-size clawfoot tub with hot & cold water spigots in a cozy corner in the garden that we use for outdoor “Esalen-style” baths.

There is a large basement with plenty of space for storage, bikes, equipment etc., as well as washer, dryer and additional freezer.

We have a large backyard garden where we grow a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers year-round. It gets a good deal of sun and the soil has been tested and is free of heavy metals and chemicals. We also have a small garden in the front of the house.

Your Rooms:

The idea behind the arrangement of rooms is to have private bedrooms that are separated from the main living space of the house. This allows for more privacy and a sense of us each having our own space, while still enjoying the benefits of sharing a large house. Your bedroom would be a recently converted room on the ground-floor with a large, floor-to-ceiling “french door” that opens into the garden. It's a bit funky but it has a lot of character, and it is quite spacious. It also has a small sink with working plumbing and a separate entrance from the main house.

You would also get a room in the house that is approximately 12x15 with a small closet that sits directly off of the kitchen. This room could be used as an office, a workspace, a quiet space, or whatever you’d like to use it for (other than a bedroom). We share the meditation/movement space (gorgeous, large room in the front of the house), and all other living spaces.

The Neighborhood:

The house is situated in a friendly, centrally-located neighborhood right on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. We are two blocks from Ashby Bart and a block from the Nomad Cafe, La Pena Cultural Center, the Starry Plough, Essex St. Hot Tubs. We are walking distance from Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods and the Tuesday Berkeley Farmer’s Market, and a short bike ride to the Saturday Berkeley Farmer’s Market and the Sunday Oakland/Temescal Farmer’s Market. We are part of a local co-op offering raw milk, raw cheese and free-range, organic meats and pastured eggs, and the pick-up location for this is just two blocks away.

We’ve found that we rarely need to use our car anymore, but when we do freeway access to the 24/580 is very close by and parking is readily available on the street.

Kitchen/Food:

We both follow the Weston A. Price principles of nutrition and eat a diet of organic, nutrient-dense whole foods. We make our own sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, creme fraiche, and bone broths and bake our own bread regularly. We cook three meals a day for ourselves, so the kitchen is the hub of the home and the center of frequent activity. It is also a temple, of sorts, and we like to treat it like one. Dishes are washed and counters are cleaned after they are used, and our guideline is to leave the kitchen in the same state as we found it (clean!) before we started cooking.

Our relationship to food is a very important part of our life, and we would like to share those values with the people we live with. Ideally we are seeking a couple who is familiar with the Weston A. Price principles and follows them in their own life. Among other things, this means eating locally-grown, organic, nutrient-dense foods. Our hope is that you will be open to sharing meals together and sharing the weekly preparation of ferments (kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc.) and bone broths as well.

We aren’t dogmatic about this and we don’t make personal judgments about people who don’t follow this approach to nutrition. We have many close friends who do not. However, we’ve found through experience that the home is more harmonious when its inhabitants share a hearth.

We are also intent on producing as much food as we can in our own yard. We would love to share our home with others who garden. We are planning to get chickens and would be happy to have your involvement in the care and rewards of these little feathered friends.

Living Together:

We are both what you might call “homebodies”. We both do at least part of our work from home, and with our love of food and cooking we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Because of this we try to treat our home as a sanctuary and maintain a warm, comfortable and nourishing environment that serves as a “retreat” from the intensity of urban life.

Communication and personal responsibility are very important to us. We’ve both lived in community a lot over the years and recognize the necessity and benefit of having regular “check-ins” and house meetings to discuss issues as they arise and to simply stay connected to and present with each other.

We share weekly, rotating chores and contribute to the upkeep and general maintenance of the house.

Both of us are keenly aware of how resource depletion and climate change are effecting our environment and economy, and we make an effort to live consciously and minimize our impact. We compost, recycle, re-use plastic bags, avoid buying things packaged in plastic where possible, hang clothes on the line when the weather permits, ride bicycles, walk or use public transportation and try to reduce water use. We’re not zealots about this, and there are certainly areas where we could improve our efforts. But we’d like to live with folks who share an intention to live a more sustainable life.

We have a piano and welcome music in the home. We also enjoy playing games and inviting friends over for meals or tea, although lately we’ve been so busy that we haven’t had much time for social gatherings. We also have a television that we use to watch DVDs - no cable. The TV sits in a beautiful wood cabinet and is not an intrusive presence in the house.

We both go to bed and wake up early. While it’s not necessary that you do the same, we aren’t big fans of noisy house parties that go until late! Our bedroom is in a separate building in the back, however, so normal socializing in the house at late hours isn’t an issue.

Who We Are:

Elanne: 38-years old, Feldenkrais practitioner with a background in the performing arts. She lived a homesteading life in a rural community on a small island in British Columbia, and looks for ways to bring some of that harmony to her life in the city. She recently got her certificate in permaculture design and is busy experimenting. She is passionate about food and is an armchair sociologist/anthropologist, as well as a student of Zen at the Bay Zen Center in Oakland.

Chris: 34 years old, currently studying to become an acupuncturist, writes a blog on health & nutrition called “The Healthy Skeptic”, surfer, dancer, martial artist, photographer, enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends, reading, and being outdoors. Chris is a student of Darlene Cohen at the Russian River Zen Center.

We’ve been married for almost three and a half years and currently have no children. However, that may soon change so you would need to be open to living with a baby. We are also considering getting a dog in the next few months, so it wouldn’t hurt if you liked dogs! Of course if you have a nice dog that you want to bring with you, that might be just right.

If you’re interested:

Please reply to "whitneyhousemate@me.com" with some information about yourself. Please include any experience you have living cooperatively. If it seems like a good fit, we'll get in touch and set up an interview.

-------------------------------
Here's a notated map of the neighborhood:

http://img.skitch.com/20090402-tw4hyttb7rr2x1j9wncbxjcn8t.png

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Urban Market Gardening

2009-04-02T09:10:44Z

http://www.cityfarmer.org/urbanmarket.html

Above is a good article on the subject. Would love to hear from urban permaculturalists on this topic.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

PORTLAND EXHIBIT

2009-03-30T17:27:08Z

Designing the Future:
Architecture+Landscape+Urban Planning+Transportation+Social System Design

Art Exhibit Opening Reception: Thursday, April 2nd, 5-10pm
Exhibit Duration: April 1-April 31

As the future of the earth hangs in the precarious balance of an unknown fate, SEA Change's upcoming exhibit unites Portland's progressive designers, fostering cross-pollination that catalyzes future designs for an equal, peaceful, compassionate, just future. This visual fusion of evolutionary designers will put the puzzle pieces together of how to integrate nature and society. Architectural plans for coexisting with the environment, building community, and transitioning from oil to sustainability take shape in natural playgrounds, graywater systems, neighborhood energy utilities, and cat palaces...

Artists/Designers: Mark Lakeman + Tryon Life Community Farm + Ed Carpenter + Northwest Neighborhood Energy + Planet Earth Playscapes + Rick Potestio + TransitionPDX + Recode + Portland Peak Oil + Trimet + Cascadia Commons + Living Gardens + Alec Neal + MotiveSpace + Sebastian Collett + CON COR

SEA Change
625 NW Everett, Gallery 110, Portland 97209
Hours: Tue-Sat 11-6

www.seagallery.wordpress.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

California Seeds in Thailand

2009-03-29T06:04:29Z

I recently grew a garden of certified organic seeds from California in Thailand along the Mekong River. I bordered off a 10 foot by 5 foot space to throw my seed balls and let them sit for 2 months with out watering. As an experiment to see what has survived and what got eradicated by the local species, it has been rewarding. I have been cataloging my discoveries by comparing un-planted seeds to the new seeds now recovered and can say that there is a distinguishable change is the structures of those new seeds. Truly amazing!

The root systems have an incredible population of spores like I have never seen with these plants normally grown in the states. Gets me thinking about how to create the same circumstances in the states, using only seed balls and allowing mother nature to do the rest.

I personally don't believe in tilling and in most locations (like zone 4) will not water. Companion gardening is key and observation to see how plants communicate with one another is just as valuable.

Just wanted to report my findings.

Anyone have similar experiences?

Thanks.

posted in Permaculture - 4 replies

solar shower

2009-03-26T14:59:44Z

I built this solar shower last summer in addition to my composting toilet. It was for a big giant FEST we had in celebration of my partners 40th b day where we had multiple campers on our property.
I went to a lot of trouble and a fair bit of expense ( copper is far from cheap these days ) problem is the thermostatic pressure...wasn't. I got no flow. Inside the chamber was extremely hot.
Any suggestions you green smarty pants?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1979-09-01/A-Homemade-Solar-Water-Heater.aspx

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Interesting article: Perilous Optimism

2009-03-20T19:15:08Z

http://www.awok.org/perilous-optimism/

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

The Future of Food

2009-03-14T17:38:53Z

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3764995188693165078&hl=pt-BR

Collect the heirloom seeds, friends, and protect them as best you are able.

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

Mendocino, CA, Permaculture Design Course - June 15-29

2009-03-13T21:16:35Z

Permaculture Design Certification Course:

Creating an Eco-Village From the Earth Up

June 15- 29, 2009

Mendocino County, Northern California
at the newly forming Laytonville Ecovillage

Visit the Course website for More information

Including

PERMACULTURE & ECO-VILLAGE DESIGN
INTEGRATIVE ECO-SOCIAL DESIGN CURRICULUM
HANDS-ON ACTION LEARNING
SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS,
COMMUNITY BUILDING
SOCIAL PERMACULTURE
DESIGN TOOLS & MUCH MORE

Instructors & Facilitators

John Valenzuela, Emily Wacker, Erik Ohlsen, Max Meyers, Nan Kohler, Jay Ma, Dave Shaw, and more

Early Bird Discount - $995

Register and pay in full before April 12th and receive $250 off course tuition.

Register Now:

Course Description

This is a two week intensive Permaculture Design Certification Course that will be hosted on the beautiful site of the newly forming Laytonville Ecovillage in Mendocino county of Northern California. This course will immerse participants in the design system of Permaculture to create and maximize the beneficial relationships between our natural resources, our daily needs, and the regeneration the Earth. The course will integrate the theory of sustainable living with social permaculture through hands-on, real experience. Course participants will experience living in community and contributing to the design and development of a real Eco-Village project lead by an amazing cast of teachers and special guests in a fun and supportive community learning environment.

Site Details: Laytonville Eco-Village

The course is being held on an emerging Eco-Village development project on a ten acre, beautifully forested property about a mile outside of Laytonville, California. Laytonville is a small, rural town in Northern Mendocino County located right off Highway 101, about a three-hour drive from San Francisco. The property is zoned for subdividing and is in the process of being subdivided into five two-acre parcels that together will consist of the EcoVillage. Existing infrastructure on-site includes a two-story, two-unit farmhouse that’s about 65 years old, a barn with loft, a carport, and storage buildings. The vision of the Ecovillage is to develop the land and homes with community and sustainability as the core values. All of the models of ecological design, permaculture, green building, etc. will be applied to the fullest extent possible. Lots are available to people who agree to a common vision, to community, and to working with a set of guidelines that are developed by the community. Individual lots will thus fit into a “commons” wherein they co-create and agree to a set of sustainable and community parameters.

For more information on the Laytonville Eco-Village: Visit the Laytonville Eco-Village Project Website
or Contact Dan Antonioli at: dantonioli@earthlink.net

Certification Applicability

Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Permaculture Design Certificate.
Design Certification is applicable towards Gaia University Degree Programs.
Orientations being held in Ashland, OR, August 17-25 2009.

More Information

Visit the Course website for More information

For Question e-mail: laytonville@livingmandala.com or
Phone: (707) 634-1461

Tuition & Registration

Register Now

Course Tuition:
* Early Bird (before April 12): $995
* Regular: $1250 U.S. dollars

Includes instruction, basic camping accommodations, and 3 delicious, nutritious meals a day for the duration of the course.

Join Our Mailing List

___________________

Cross-Pollination Co-Opportunity

Help us Spread the Good Word about this Course and Earn Cash!

Affiliate marketing is a de-centralized and synergistic model in which affiliates help to spread the word (creating a viral buzz) in exchange for a referral fee or course discount.

Affiliates of the Laytonville Permaculture Design Course earn $55 for Early Birds and $100 for regular tuition for individuals who registers due to your marketing efforts. Marketing efforts include direct referrals as well as postings on relevant sites, list-serves, blogs, fliers, etc. Commissions will be paid after the course is complete on June 30th.

Download the Course Flyer Here

Mutual Benefits for Organizational Sponsors

Organizations with resonant missions also have the opportunity to sponsor the course by sending out content rich emails (which we will provide) to their mailing lists in the weeks leading up to the course. Sponsors can help to generate scholarships through referrals generated through these emails.

Sponsors can have their Logo displayed on the Living Mandala website and in emails regarding the course for promoting the course to a related list and/or distributing flyers, promoting the course with a live link on their website, or by donating resources to support the course such as money, food, tools, office supplies, etc.

Start supporting sustainable progress and Outreach today!

Email affiliates@livingmandala.com if you are interested in participating in affiliate marketing, or want more information for affiliate marketing opportunities for this course and others..

Final referral counts will be made following the close of the course on June 30.

For details e-mail: affiliates@livingmandala.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Moving to N Ca

2009-03-12T23:26:36Z

Im thinking of moving to Humblodt Cali area and was wonder who the permaculture community was. If anyone has any info that mite help i would really like the help. Please contact me by my email. mystipher@gmail.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

H.R. 857: Globalists claim dominion over US food supply

2009-03-12T23:25:35Z

thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z

www.americanpolicy.org/sledge...ies.htm

United States Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has proposed legislation, H.R. 875, which would literally prohibit Americans from raising food for themselves, their families, or even for their animals, without the uber alles national government's permission! Extreme statement? NOT! H.R. 875 makes Americans serfs on their own land! Read on; this one bill could wipe the United States, as a free nation, from the face of the Earth! We urgently need your help to kill this extremely dangerous bill!

H.R. 875, the so-called Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (FSMA) sounds innocent enough at first blush, with language purporting to "protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes." In reality, the FSMA is an extensive and all-controlling abomination that must be stopped!

The FSMA mandates registration of every "food production facility," which the bill defines as "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation;" and every "food establishment," which the bill defines as "a slaughterhouse..., factory, warehouse, or facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients."

H.R. 875 makes NAIS look tame. This bill will not just sweep up commercial food operations. The fine print of the FSMA will subject hobby gardeners, home canners, anyone with a few chickens, or anyone who "holds, stores, or transports food" - including mushrooms or wild berries gathered in the wild - to registration, extensive management, and inspection by a huge new bureaucracy, the Food Safety Administration (FSA)- even if the food items will only be consumed personally. And registration must be via "an electronic portal," which will be costly and difficult for those without computers.

H.R. 875 exponentially advances the "Foodborne Disease Surveillance Systems" required of member states of the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes the United States. "Food establishments" will be required to adopt preventive process controls, including implementing recordkeeping and labeling of all food and food ingredients to facilitate their identification and traceability, including instructions for handling and preparation for consumption. This might sound rather reasonable... until you remember the definition of a "food establishment" above.

Immensely telling of how seriously this bill does not take "food safety," though, is Section 204(2)(C), which promises the Administrator will identify the "5 most significant (food) contaminants", and "not later than 3 years after a contaminant is so identified, the Administrator shall promulgate a performance standard..." Gee whiz, what's the rush?

Perhaps the Administrator's promulgation timetable has little to do with acting quickly and decisively to protect U.S. citizens (or even "all people in the United States" as required by the FSMA) and much, much more to do with the World Health Organization's stated desire in its 2004 report entitled "FOODBORNE DISEASE MONITORING AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS" that "the objectives and strategies (of food borne disease surveillance systems) established by each country should be acceptable to all member countries (www.fao.org/docrep/meeting...81e.htm)," which doubtless would take time.

Perhaps it is because "studies linking pathogens in food to the disease in humans would help quantify the risk of food borne diseases." In other words, no entity, not the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and not the WHO, can prove a significant problem exists in the United States.

The FSMA will not even quickly implement protections for Americans from contaminated foreign foodstuffs. The bill states, "(n)ot later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act" imported food products shall be certified safe "by the accredited foreign government (think CHINA!) or by an accredited certifying agent..." Again, what's the rush?

Maddeningly, the FSMA expects Congress to again approve a far-reaching bill without knowing the details. In this case, Congress will find out much later:

what federal resources would be dedicated to foodborne illness and food safety research;
what transfer of agencies, personnel, assets, obligations, and consolidation, reorganization, or streamlining of agencies will be involved; and
the details of regulations the new Food Czar (Administrator of the FSA) will promulgate after enactment of the Act.

Among the statutory foundations the FSMA claims for guidance and authority is the National Animal Identification System, which HAS NEVER BEEN ENACTED INTO LAW BY CONGRESS!

But beyond the mandated violations of our civil liberties in the FSMA - registration, traceability, inspections, seizures, etc. (all without court orders or search warrants), - the truly chilling language lays out civil and criminal penalties of up to $1 million per day, per infraction, and imprisonment of five or ten years, or both, depending how serious the violation(s).

Additionally, "(a)n order assessing a civil penalty against a person... shall be a final order unless the person-- (A) not later than 30 days after the effective date of the order, files a petition for judicial review of the order in the United States court of appeals... (and) (t)he findings of the Administrator relating to the order shall be set aside only if found to be unsupported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole." The FSMA is so over-the-top in its overreach that the bill's language states, "(t)he validity and appropriateness of the order of the Administrator assessing the civil penalty shall not be subject to judicial review."

And if you're by now thinking this is about as outrageous as this bill can be, you'd be very wrong. Section 406 clearly states, "(i)n any action to enforce the requirements of the food safety law, the connection with interstate commerce required for jurisdiction SHALL BE PRESUMED TO EXIST."

Now, for those who noticed, and questioned, why "foodborne" is spelled as if we reside "on the Continent," and why the United States government is attempting to implement a "solution" wanting for a "problem" - you guessed it - "Foodborne Disease Monitoring and Surveillance Systems" are a priority with the World Health Organization, to which our national government has committed US through its membership.

The 53rd World Health Assembly (a branch of the WHO) in the year 2000 adopted a resolution to recognize food safety as an essential public health function and called for the development of a Global Strategy for reduction of the burden of food borne diseases. The resolution (WHA 53.15) encouraged member states "to implement and keep national, and when appropriate, regional mechanisms for food borne diseases surveillance." All this, despite the WHO admission in a 2004 report (www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/006/j2381e.htm) that "(t)he true dimension of the burden of food borne diseases is still unknown..."

The FSMA is a "government solution" in seek of a problem! In the year 1900 at least some cases in two of the ten leading causes of death might have been food related (diarrhea/enteritis, liver disease). But the twin leading causes were pneumonia, followed closely by tuberculosis.

In 2002, WHO listed the leading cause of death in the U.S. (www.who.int/whosis/mort/pr.../mort_amro_usa_
unitedstatesofamerica.pdf) as ischaemic heart disease, killing ~ 514,000 people. The second greatest cause was cerebrovascular disease (stroke), killing ~ 163,000. None of the top ten causes bore any relation to foodborne illness.

In apparent support of all this brazen, strong-arm command and control attempt, the CDC reports its estimate that every year in the United States sees approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness (www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fro...oodborne.html), with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths (which equates to one death out of every 15,200 who become ill). Admittedly those 5,000 deaths are significant, and devastating to all those involved, but this figure must be put in perspective. We must consider the larger picture long before we even consider such draconian measures as those mandated by the FSMA.

Perhaps too little is known of reports that "iatrogenic events" - medical errors - kill almost 800,000 in the U.S. each year (www.whale.to/a/null9.html#...enic_Events_). That's the equivalent of six jumbo jets falling out the sky each and every day. Those who track these events believe as few as 5% and no more than 20% of these deaths are ever reported.

Clearly deaths resulting from foodborne disease are exponentially lower than these other major causes, which begs an obvious question: If Congress is so very concerned about our health, why haven't they felt inclined to tackle the much more significant incidence of iatrogenic deaths in this nation? Hmmm?

One need only consider the "Healthy People 2010" goals (www.healthypeople.gov/About/goals.htm) to understand the true (A)genda behind this initiative.

ACTION TO TAKE

The FSMA is an extremely dangerous bill. We recommend a multi-prong attack, as the more salvos we throw at the FSMA the better chance we have of killing this abomination.

Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, via phone: (202) 225-0100, or email: speaker.house.gov/contact/.

Contact the House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, via phone: 202.225.3130, or email: www.majorityleader.gov/email_an..._leader/.

Contact the House Republican Leader John Boehner, via phone: (202) 225-4000, fax: (202) 225-5117, or email: republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/.

On March 11th Congress will hold its first hearing in many years on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), conducted by the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee. It is vitally important you contact all the committees below.

Contact the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee members listed below. If one of the Subcommittee members is from your state, call that member.

Mike Rogers (R-AL)
Phone: 202-225-3261
Fax: 202-226-8485

Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
Phone: 202-225-6131
Fax: 202-225-0819

Jim Costa (D-CA)
Phone: 202-225-3341
Fax: 202-225-9308

Joe Baca (D-CA)
Phone: 202-225-6161
Fax: 202-225-8671

Betsy Markey (D-CO)
Phone: 202-225-4676
Fax: 202-225-5870

David Scott (Chair), (D-GA)
Phone: 202-225-2939
Fax: 202-225-4628

Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
Phone: 202-225-3806
Fax: 202-225-5608

Steve King (R-IA)
Phone: 202-225-4426
Fax: 202-225-3193

Walt Minnick (D-ID)
Phone: 202-225-6611
Fax: 202-225-3029

Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD)
Phone: 202-225-5311
Fax: 202-225-0254

Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Phone: 202-225-6435
Fax: 202-225-0207

Tim Holden (D-PA)
Phone: 202-225-5546
Fax: 202-226-0996

David P. Roe (R-TN)
Phone: 202-225-6356
Fax: 202-225-5714

K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
Phone: 202-225-3605 or 866-882-381
Fax: 202-225-1783

Randy Neugebauer, Ranking Minority Member (R-TX)
Phone: 202-225-4005 or 888-763-1611
Fax: 202-225-9615

Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Phone: 202-225-5431
Fax: 202-225-9681

Steve Kagen (D-WI)
Phone: 202-225-5665
Fax: 202-225-5729
Contact your own Representative and ask him or her to approach the Subcommittee member to urge them to oppose NAIS.

If you're not sure who represents you, click here: www.congress.org/.

We strongly recommend that you make at least your initial contact by telephone.

Additionally, H.R. 875 has been assigned to the committees on Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture.
Contact members of the Energy and Commerce Committee via phone: (202) 225-2927, or email: energycommerce.house.gov/index.php
content&task=view&id=1313&Itemid=1.
Contact members of the Agriculture Committee via phone: 202-225-2171, fax: 202-225-8510, or email: agriculture@mail.house.gov. Committee members are listed here: agriculture.house.gov/inside/...rs.html.

Make as many contacts as possible. Be polite, but firm.
Tell them Americans will not stand for this unwarranted and unconstitutional abrogation of our liberty!
Tell them THIS BILL NEEDS TO DIE IN COMMITTEE!!!
Visit the American Policy Center website

SEND THIS MESSAGE TO AT LEAST TEN MORE PEOPLE! APC is now offering you a quick and easy way to multiply your efforts and help win more battles! Simply click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends! It’s fast, it’s easy and most of all, it’s extremely effective in KILLING OPPRESSIVE POLICIES!

posted in Permaculture - 7 replies

Help save Organic Farming (urgent)

2009-03-10T18:44:27Z

Hello,

Please take the time to read the article by going to the link below,
and then take the action necessary described below.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-bills-being-rushe-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-0\90217-758.html
Monsanto bills being rushed through Congress, set to destroy organic farming.

After Reading, then take action by sending an email to your senator and congressperson here:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/t/1128/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26714

Feel free to send this to anyone who cares..there is only a 2 week window for this to be stopped.

Luigee

posted in Permaculture - 14 replies

Food for thought...

2009-03-08T18:00:28Z

Have you seen Eric deCarbonnel's prediction of catastrophic declines in 2009 global food production?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12252

Hmm. Drought stress is grim.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Yardsharing and Seed Angels - We need you!

2009-03-08T03:20:38Z

We have a couple projects going that don't need funding - just participants!

The first is hyperlocavore.com. Hyperlocavore is a yardsharing community - built to support people in the practice of creating 'yardsharing' arrangements to grow food together.

Many people want to grow food but they lack one or two of these four things:
-time
-space
-skills
- physical strength

Forming a yardsharing group with your friends, neighbors, family or with your religious communities is easy - and free! You can set up a 'seeking yardshare' group for your area (like Chicago, South Side) or a private group for your own yardshare "Grandma's Backyard Garden"

CSAs are filling up fast. Community gardens have waiting lists. Food is getting more and more expensive.
Find some people and start growing together!

The other project we've started is The Great Let's Get Growing Seed Share.
We are asking experienced gardeners to become 'seed angels,' to adopt a newbie gardener and send them some garden seeds! I have sent four newbie gardeners enough seed that each of them will have huge beautiful edible gardens this summer. It's easy - it cost me less than 4 dollars to get four gardens going!

If you are an experienced gardener we need you to become a seed angel!
If you are a newbie food grower - sign up!

It's FREE
hyperlocavore.wordpress.com/2009...hare/

If you think these are good ideas please help us get the word out to your communities! Blog it, tweet it, share it!

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

Need help with beekeeping in Portland?

2009-03-06T19:21:32Z

I live here in Portland.. Kept bees many, many years ago and would like to get back into it. Willing to trade labor, etc. in exchange for some exposure and possible future support when I find a place to keep a hive or two.

No, I don't drive (sorry, no truck!)... am interested in urban/organic beekeeping mostly.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

alternative gas

2009-03-06T07:19:32Z

hello. i watched a video a year or 2 ago about a woman who put veggie oil into her jetta with no engine converter. does anyone in here have any info about putting veggie into a car like a honda civic. the woman said in the video, veggie cleans ur car out and it doesnt hurt the car. i dont have a car but when i do, i want to put veggie oil into the car. ive heard time and time again that u dont need an engine converter for veggie oil being put into ur car. what is true about this? i heard different things from different ppl yet i dont see anything factual about putting veggie oil into a car with an engine converter.

i was wondering does anyone know? can someone give me some links?

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

How to make Toilet Paper (Very Long Post)

2009-03-05T15:11:07Z

It was fun writing this. I work in herbal treatments and eco-friendly water and waste treatment. I generally write about how to cure hemmorids or HPV warts at home, and how to buld a composting toilet from scratch. Hope this helps. Its not as long of a process as it seems and its better than using leaves. Im sure at least someone will be glad its posted hahaha. I wrote this as PRIMITIVELY as possible, out of materials that someone would already have so that they dont have to buy tools for something they dont know if theyd ever do again. There are more "commerical" ways to make it, but they require going to a craft store and buying the kit to make homemade paper, or doing what I do, which is make my own kit. If you try this and want to know different ways, then Id be glad to help! P.S. I am going to post several different primative and modern ways to do this into a PDF file for my website. If you want it, you can respond to this post and I will send it to your tribe account.

How To Make Toilet Paper

Basic Tools: Two Large Towels. A Large pot to cook with. A Ten gallon bucket or tub. A wooden plank or movable flat surface, Plenty of flat space, Scissors, Rolling Pin

Optional Tools: a cinder block, spray bottle, rubber mallet, pizza cutter. a cloth sack

Acceptable materials:
Newspaper, opened envelopes or general paper that needs to be recycled. Try to avoid papers that have a waxy surface as they may be chemically treated with synthetic gloss. (Generally the kind used in catalogs, food packaging and candy wrappings)

Grass, leaves, and other thin vegetation parts. Choose extremely pliable fibers that will not harden once the paper has been stored for long periods. Also be sure that the materials used are hypoallergenic. (Just be sure you know its not poison ivy…..)

Softening agents: Aloe, vegetable oils, baby oil, lotions.(Liquid fabric softener works best, but if you had access to it you probably wouldn’t be making your own toilet paper) This ingredient helps keep the tissue from hardening while its stored in heat.

Anti-bacterial: Witch Hazel. (While this step is not mandatory, if you decide to skip this ingredient or its not available, you may wish to boil the materials longer to kill off spores and micro-organisms that cause yeast infections in YI-prone women)

Step One: Soak any paper that contains ink in a bucket or tub to remove as much ink as you can. This part is mainly to keep the ink from getting on you when the tissue is used. Most inks and paper dyes are harmless. (I sometimes skip this step the results are fine for most people)

Step Two: Add shreds of dry papers, leaves, grass etc to your large pot. If you have wet paper that’s been soaked or was rained on, add that second to weigh down the loose paper.

Step Three: Fill the pot with water. The amount of water should be double the depth of the paper materials.

Step Four: Start to slowly cook the materials; don’t let it boil too much in the beginning to allow the dry materials to absorb some of the water. This step takes about an hour of slowly simmering. You can stir the pot to speed up this process but its not really necessary either.

Step Five: Raise the temperature of the pot so that it starts to boil. Let it rapidly boil for at least half an hour, adding water if it looks to be rapidly depleting. Sift out any foam that rises to the top, this is glue, ink residue, spores and other particles that should be thrown out. If you have to add water, try to remove the particles before you add water to keep them from being reintroduced into the materials.

Step Six: Turn the heat down once you see that it is starting to be more like a pulp. The paper will be broken down into clumps. The vegetation may not be as pulpy but that is fine.

Step Seven: Scoop out as much of the water as you can to lighten the pot a bit. Get as much of the water out as you can without disturbing the pulp. (If you didn’t get a lot of pulp and mostly got smaller broken down particles that cant easily be separated by scooping then skip this step)

Step Eight: When the remaining material cools down enough that it is comfortable to touch, (and the pot isn’t hot!) gently tilt the pot so that the water runs through a terry cloth towel or your cloth sack. This removes the water, and doesn’t allow the smaller particles to escape. Once the pot is empty, gently squeeze the water out, but don’t squeeze out enough to dry out the pulp too much.

Step Nine: In this next step we are going to return the materials to the cooking pot, but the pot is now used for mixing, you do not need to heat the materials any further. (Unless you skipped the witch hazel. If so, please repeat steps six thru nine, allowing the materials to boil rapidly for at least one half hour) You are going to add about a half cup of witch hazel for every ten pounds of pulp in your pot.

Step Ten: Next, add about 1/8 cup of your softening agent per every ten pounds of pulp. Gently kneed and fold it into the pulp, being careful not too remove too much liquid. If the pulp doesn’t have a slightly oily film on it then add more as needed. (It should be filmy throughout but not oily)

Step Eleven: Scoop out the materials with your hands onto a large towel that has been placed on a firm and flat surface. Use a greased rolling pin to spread the pulp into a thin layer. It is important to get the paper as thin as you can, this will make it more pliable and easier to use. If you get lumps that are significantly raised, you can use a rubber mallet to gently tap the tissue back into shape.

Step Twelve: Place a second towel over what you currently have, the pulp will be sandwiched between these two layers. Place a plank or rigid flat surface over the towel and place something heavy on top of it. (Or walk back and forth gently on the plank to squeeze out all of the water) After about twenty minutes remove the plank, and very slowly and gently remove the top towel. (If the towel sticks too much then you have used too little softener)

Step Thirteen: Dry off the plank used to press the towels together, and swiftly but carefully flip towel over so that the pulp is facing down. (Easier to do with two people if you are making a large quantity at one time!)

Step Fourteen: Gently pull the towel away slowly, leaving nothing but the plank and pulp.

Step Fifteen: Allow the sun to bleach and dry your toilet paper, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours if the weather is right. If it is too cold to do this step, then simply place the materials in any warm area where it wont be disturbed.
Step Sixteen: Once the sheet has dried, cut the pieces of toilet paper into manageable pieces. If you have large hands, then use your hand as your guide to how large the pieces should be. If you have smaller hands, then add about an inch and a half above your fingers.

Tips and Tricks!

Re-Boiling the materials a second time should take care of any micro-organisms you missed the first time, but if you are still concerned or want to skip the re-boil, any type of homemade antiseptic will do the trick, (yes even moonshine!) The trick is to wring out as much liquid as you can once its been sterilized, and allow a few minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. Then you just double the softening agent to insure that you don’t have a tingling sensation when you use it.. 

If you think your tissue is a little rough and want a more commercial texture, then try diluting your softening agent in a clean spray bottle and gently spraying the tissue just after you set it aside to dry. Don’t use too much softener, or it won’t be as absorbent.

For a stronger tissue use a little bit of raw cotton, chicken feathers, or even loosely mixed in animal sheerings. (Strangely dog, cat, sheep etc fur was once used in toilet tissue to add strength. Human hair briefly also!)

If your paper falls apart its too loose. You may have used too much dried or dead vegetation and not enough recycled paper and live materials. To combat this, put saw dust or green leafy vegetation in the bottom of your pot, as it breaks down it releases tiny beads of sap that act as a glue.

If it breaks when you try to flip it, spread softening agents on the tip of your fingers, and gently press it back together.

If you are making a large amount at one time, consider using a pizza cutter to cut the paper while its still damp to keep it from breaking as you maneuver it during the cutting process.

posted in Permaculture - 21 replies

Bioneers comes to Nevada City Sat 3/28/09 Miner's Foundry

2009-03-04T05:20:47Z

Sat Mar 28, 2009 10 AM - 8 PM
6th Annual Environmental Conference Featuring Bioneers
Location: Miner's Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA
Contact: margekaiser@att.net
Phone: 530-265-6649
Email: info@sndei.org
Website: http://www.sndei.org

Sixth Annual Environmental Conference Featuring Bioneers* on Film

On Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Miner’s Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, Calif.

Opening Keynote Speaker: Reinette Senum, Nevada City Councilwoman and Environmental Explorer, speaking on “Going Green Locally” followed by Speakers from the Recent Bioneers conference on the big screen.

Morning:
Reinette Senum: Going Green Locally
Paul Stamets, “the mushroom guy” Using Fungi to Help Save the World
Erica Fernandez, youth activist, Saving Oxnard from a Liguid Natural Gas Plant

Afternoon
Jenine Benyus, biomimicry spcialist, Nature’s Top Biomimicry Solutions to Environmental Crises
Dune Lankard, Alaskan Native American, Sustainable Solutions Over Centuries: A New Business Model
Rebecca Moore, CEO of Google Earth, Google Earth: Visualizing Change, Mapping the Future.

Day opens with Native American ceremony and prayer presented by our local Tsi Akim tribe, followed by speakers, films, Breakaway Discussion Groups, Silent Auction, Raffle, over 25 Green exhibits and vendors, Food, Eco-social begiining at 6:00 p.m. with no-host bar, and live music.

Tickets will be available in advance at the usual outlets and over the phone by callling 530-265-6649 to put it on your credit card. Advance tickets are 10% off. Cost: $25 for whole day, $15.00 for half day and $15.00 for students. We still have a few volunteer positions. call or email to volunteer.

* Bioneers are scientists and artists, gardeners and economists, activists and public servants, architects and ecologists, farmers and journalists, priests and shamans, policymakers and citizens. They are everyday people committed to preserving and supporting the future of life on Earth. They herald a dawning Age of Restoration founded in natural principles of kinship, interdependence, cooperation, and reciprocity. to check out their website see www.bioneers.org. Kenny Ausubel, co-founder of the Bioneers (aka Collective Heritage Institute) is on the advisory board of SNDEI.

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Dirt First

2009-02-23T20:40:07Z

community garden, capistrano beach, california.
dirtfirst.wordpress.com

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Questions on starting a small orchard in Northeast U.S......??

2009-02-12T16:58:29Z

Okay, so I do plan on looking into some other resources for info on this (i.e. the web/books) but I'm a big fan of people's personal experience/knowledge first/foremost.
I live in North Central PA and have been want to plant some fruit trees, probably apple/pear~ perhaps peach and plum (not quite sure how they'd do here) and have a few questions~
-What type of soil/sunlight exposure would they do best in? & also watering recommendations (is pure rainfall enough??)
-When would be the best time of year to plant them/ how far should trees be spaced?
-Anyone know of some great/or harder to find varieties of apple/fruit trees that would do well here/ where they could be attained? I'm not too far from Ithaca NY/ State College PA and was thinking there may be somewhere available in those areas to get *quality* fruit trees
Any other tips to keep my future babies safe and thriving in harmony with our surroundings???
THANK YOU!
namaste~

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Just bought some Blueberry plants

2009-02-12T10:01:18Z

What is the best way to plant these and when?

posted in Permaculture - 4 replies

Comfrey

2009-02-11T22:02:26Z

as a mulch, a fertilizing tea, and a speeder of compost, also medicinal.

Comfrey.

posted in Permaculture - 14 replies

Indian NGO permaculture project

2009-02-09T02:57:56Z

Hello
I had found an Indian NGO permaculture project under an acronym which i cant remeber. it was pronounced syrup and it was something like "chyrip", "cirep" or "cyhrep" or something like that. does anyone know what im talking about?

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Toona Trees

2009-02-06T16:45:32Z

Does anyone here know anything about these trees. The leaves are used as a vegetable in China, and the wood is said to be useful. Is it invasive?

I bought seeds from here:
http://www.agrohaitai.com/others/chinesetoon/chinesetoon.htm
About Chinese Toon: Chinese toon is a perennial hardwood, which is a member of Meliaceae family. The young leaves and shoots can be used as a vegetable called Hsiang Chun Ya (Xiang Chun Ya ) in China and thus Chinese toon is known as a "tree vegetable" . The fresh young leaves and shoots contain 84% water, 9.8% protein, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 and B2, and are rich in aromatic substances. They are uniquely aromatic and therefore excellent for stir fry ( especially with egg ), salad, fry, pickling, seasoning, etc. This plant is a native of China, and China is the only country where Chinese toon young leaves and shoots are used as vegetable. Chinese toon is also used in Chinese traditional medicine. So Chinese toon is widely planted in China.

Basically, there are two kinds of Chinese toon. One is called Purple Chinese toon, of which the young leaves and buds are a purple or dark red color, the skin is gray brown, the branches stretch out. The young shoots are strongly aromatic, rich in lipid, less fibrous. Green Chinese toon is another one. The plant stands up. The skin is green gray. The young shoots are less aromatic and contain less lipid.

Chinese toon is suitable for sandy but fertile soil. Tolerant to humidity to some extent. The favorable pH is pH 5.5-pH 8.0. It is good for areas with annual average temperature between 8 C° and 10 C°. Its tolerance to cold increases with its age.

During last decade, protective cultivation of Chinese toon (e. g. plastic tunnel, greenhouse) was developed and widely used so that the fresh Chinese toon vegetable can be supplied in the winter, especially during Chinese New Year holidays. An increasing portion of Chinese toon products (pickled, canned, dehydrated, but not fresh ) are exported overseas.

Chinese toon seeds can also be used for sprouting. Chinese toon sprouts are a nutritional, healthy gourmet vegetable and are more and more popular in China.

Seed pre-treating and germination: As the seeds are somewhat difficult to germinate, it is recommended the seeds be soaked in warm water (around 25C° ) 24 hours. Change the water 4 times during the soaking. Optimum germination temperature is 25C°. Direct seeding is possible, however germination may not good. Seed depth: 0.5 cm. Keep the soil moist by spraying with water when necessary.

Seed storage: Chinese toon seeds must be kept dry and at low temperature. We recommend to use the seeds as soon as possible when you get them since the seeds lose viability rapidly.

This is from the wikipedia:

Toona sinensis is of interest as by far the most cold-tolerant species in the Meliaceae, native in China as far north as 40°N in the Beijing area, where its tender shoots, called xiangchun (Chinese; pinyin: xiāngchūn), are a traditional local leaf vegetable. It is the only member of the family that can be cultivated successfully in northern Europe, where it is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree in parks and avenues. Until recently, it had no widespread English common name, though Chinese Mahogany (reflecting its botanical relationship) is now used
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toona

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Tree Collard seeds, anyone know where to get them?

2009-02-06T12:38:32Z

Cant locate a source just yet on the net. WHere to get theim?

posted in Permaculture - 15 replies

Hello, I am new here

2009-02-05T23:38:59Z

Hello, I am new to this whole concept and wish to know more. I have seen the word kicked around before on gardening mags and whatnot, especially at the local food coop in Port Townsend WA. i wish to start a garden in my back yard this spring, but know almost nothin about the process. Can someone here point my in the right direction or help me get started. I have always dreamed about growing my own food, but when it came right down to it. I would not have the motivation to undertake such a process. Please help. Thank you.

posted in Permaculture - 8 replies

Urban Permaculture Bay Area

2009-02-05T21:09:00Z

I just moved back to San Francisco after studying Permaculture in Australia. I want to continue doing Permaculture and put it into practice by volunteering in projects in and around San Francisco.
I want to participate in helping set up community gardens in poor neighborhoods, old peoples homes or in schools. Does anyone know of any organization or projects going on now?

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

Northwest Permaculture Design Course

2009-02-05T02:04:01Z

Hey everyone, I wanted you all to know that there is still time to sign-up for the Northwest Permaculture Design Course. The course is from February 22nd - March 8th and there are still a few spaces left to sleep, but it is filling up more everyday. Regional expert on permaculture and farming Michael "Skeeter" Pilarski will be teaching this 2-week immersion into the philosophies and practices of permaculture on the spacious land at the Sahale Learning Center north of hood canal. We will learn permaculture basic philosophy and practices, learn site evaluation, discuss the physical and cultural impacts permaculture can have on an environment, and do a lot of hands on practice. Food is provided for this course and lodging is available as well as camping space.

If you're interested visit www.goodenough.org or e-mail Laura Sweany at lauraflora@msn.com with any questions or to sign up!

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Sepp Holzer in Western Washington

2009-02-04T02:21:00Z

See here for his gigs:
http://www.perma-dise.com/workshop_sepp_holzer_2009#schedule

The natural farmer of the Alps, Sepp Holzer, will be giving a public
lecture and two workshops within Western Washington in the latter part of
February and beginning of March. In preparation for these events, there will be numerous free
movie showings about his property, the Krameterhof, at local coffee shops
and libraries.

Sepp Holzer's work in the Lungau region of Austria has received
international acclaim and was featured in Expo2000. At an altitude of 1500
meters (~5000 feet) in the “Siberia of Austria”, he has created a
self-sustaining landscape in which he produces many varieties of the best
quality fish, fruits, nuts, vegetables, mushrooms, pork, poultry and even
citrus without irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides or weeding. He has also
written books, The Rebel Farmer is the only one currently translated into
English. A handful of movies have also been created about his project.
Ciscoe Morris will have Holzer on his show on February 28th.

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

Financial permaculture

2009-01-27T23:33:12Z

http://www.financialpermaculture.org/

Localizing economies. Creating local resilience. Sustainable, ethical business.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Cold climate permaculture

2009-01-26T20:08:20Z

Hi to all! I live up north in Canada (Quebec) and I'm looking for information on cold climate permaculture like recommended plants, shrubs and trees. I'm also looking at ways to create microclimates. In fact, I'm looking for anything that might help with permaculture design in the cold season.

I'm in USDA Zone 3 (-30 to -40 F) so it's pretty cold in winter and many trees I see in books about permaculture won't survive here. The limiting factor here is the winter because summer is great and we can grow almost any annual vegetable like tomatoes and corn (maize) but winters are harsh... I've tried growing plants like Chia and the results were great, it grew to about 8 foot, but it never flowered, the season is too short for it I guess.

It's really hard to find information on that subject. I've found this article so far: http://lists.mutualaid.org/pipermail/fingerlakespermaculture/2005-November/000034.html

Any knowledge you have will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

WR

posted in Permaculture - 12 replies

theoretical experience

2009-01-26T03:08:46Z

hello folks,

I'd like to get into lecturing, and my interests are much more theoretical than practical. Especially in the application of permaculture principles to social design models.

Can anyone recommend an instructor or place / internship where I can get certified/experience with a more theoretical focus? I already know a good deal of theory, I have visited many places, and I attended a PC intensive back in 2007.

Thank you kindly,

Sebastian

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

permacultue in new zealand

2009-01-25T23:44:09Z

hi.
im going to be heading to nz in dec/jan and i am interested in some intern/apprentice permaculture possibilities there (i just recently got a pdc). does anyone have any knowledge of farms that might be a good place to check out, that you might have been to already? i'm doing some internet research but haven't found too much, maybe i am looking in the wrong places.....so any assistance would be super appreciated.

i'm also really wanting to learn more natural building....cob and such.....so if anyone has any info on that in nz too that would be great!
thanks so much.
~nick

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Permaculture Courses

2009-01-21T23:51:13Z

Hey all-
I'm on the lookout for an awesome permaculture course to expand my knowlegde and abilities. Ideally i'd like to attend courses before June so that i can be back in Colorado with the knowledge to help grow in the summer. Any recommendations?

gg

posted in Permaculture - 5 replies

green windmill and steam engine

2009-01-20T16:01:06Z

http://greenwindmill.com
http://greensteamengine.com

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

Seeking info on no-till ag in Michigan

2009-01-20T07:26:43Z

I just finished reading One Straw Revolution and I am very interested in starting some no-till experiments this spring. I run a mushroom farm in northern Michigan and we use alot of grain and straw in our cultivation. I would like to end up someday growing all the rye and wheat we use in a no-till system.

Does anyone know where I can find more information about implementing a no-till system for cereal grains as well as vegetables in zone 4-5 like we have in Michigan?

posted in Permaculture - 1 reply

SEPP HOLZER in WASHINGTON FEB-MAR 2009

2009-01-16T16:41:57Z

Howdy yall, a shout out to promote Sepp Holzer who will be touring Washington in February promoting the Secrets of Eden...

Temperate permaculture on steep slopes is Sepp's specialty, and while Mollison and Holmgren named the practice, Sepp clearly co-evolved it. His work demonstrates that true ecological design vision arises from observation, not from curriculum- he hadnt even heard of permaculture until his site was well established and thriving.

For info on the tour see http://www.perma-dise.com/workshop_sepp_holzer_2009

and for our site, March 7-8, with a focus on using machinery to create terraces which wont erode, see

http://www.abundancepermaculture.com/events.html

If you have questions, follow contact links on those sites as I dont tribe much anymore and the tour hosts don't at all!

best ya'll, and may you thrive!

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

thoughts from permaculturists.....

2009-01-10T19:33:40Z

Hey folks, so I've got a scenario I'm thinking about, it's my first time jumping into to implementing some larger scale design (2 acres) and was hoping some folks would want to post their thoughts on what I'm doing.

It's 2 acres, planted with rows of orange trees (about 5 years old), good rich deep soil, weekly canal irrigation, and really wide spaces between rows of trees.

Right now there's a ton of weeds I'm gonna remove most of with a tractor just turning the land in the rows over, and then try to get all the weeds out from under the orange trees. Salvage as much of the weeds as possible, turn into compost (I've got access to hay and horse-shit).

But once I remove the weeds out from under the oranges I want to plant there with species that will prevent other weeds from growing in, that are also beneficial, and not too hard to maintain. I was thinking maybe some lavender, rosemary, oregano, and other such herbs.

Then the rows between trees, nothing's been planted there in 8 years, I was thinking of composting, mulching, and then in fall planting some fava beans and peas, or maybe in other rows (there's 10 rows I think) planting some ground cover species.

Money is a factor, and I may just do small areas at first. The priority is getting beneficial species under the oranges, which are still relatively small (2 meters or a little bit more maybe). Plus I feel like maybe the oranges haven't grown as much as they could have because they're being choked by weeds and lack pruning.

Ok well, if you have any thoughts, suggestions, criticisms, etc. I would love to hear them. Thanks for playing along!

:)

Jav

posted in Permaculture - 7 replies

Action item: Michael Pollan for Sect. of Agriculture

2009-01-05T14:42:08Z

Background info and a petition for signing, requesting Obama administration please appoint Michael Pollan as the next Sect. of Agriculture.

http://www.pollanforsecretaryofagriculture.org/

Please invite friends to sign.

You may also be interested to view this excellent 2:35 minute YouTube clip speaking to the issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1V9cqPkcw&feature=channel

Thanks!

posted in Permaculture - 3 replies

We need your vote by DEC 31 on Change.org to further sustainable communities!

2008-12-30T03:23:49Z

Please vote for our idea on Change.org. We think this idea will greatly further the sustainable communities movement, and if your contacts are at all interested in sustainable communities please pass this on the them.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/sustainable_communities_pay_it_forward_fund

THANK YOU!

WE ONLY HAVE UNTIL DEC. 31 and his idea is currently in 14th Place in Social Entrepreneurship and needs 232 more votes to make it into the second round!
The first round will end on December 31, 2008, and the top 3 rated ideas from each category will make it into the second round. The second round of voting will begin on Monday, January 5, and each qualifying idea will compete against the qualifying ideas from all other categories. Second round voting will end on Thursday, January 15.

The top 10 rated ideas will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 as the "Top 10 Ideas for America."

With love and regenerative light,
Ryan and Mandy

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Home made water purifying

2008-12-27T01:00:58Z

Hi,

I'm interested in getting some information about methods to clean water. I remember seeing a documentary about 15 years ago where they showed a method of having 3 or 4 tanks, each with plants and animals in them. Each tank would do a different job on the water over time as it went through them, leaving the water very clean when it exits the last tank. In fact, the idea was to replace the methods used by sewage works with this method. But my thinking is that it can also be done on a more personal smaller scale.

posted in Permaculture - 20 replies

how to build a wind turbine

2008-12-26T16:05:36Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai27dyyuplA&eurl=http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=163378673&blogID=458717047&Mytoken=7F3FC19F-E2&feature=player_embedded

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

"Grow food"

2008-12-23T15:29:30Z

I was delighted to hear the narrator say that in this report. This is an important little tidbit of info that deserves attention. A little preparedness now might do ya good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXATSV8S3-M

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

Water from your roof

2008-12-14T01:31:49Z

This story was from our local news station yesterday. Some similar problems have been seen concerning water in the Denver/Colorado Springs corridor:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4001252

Catching rain water is against the law
August 12th, 2008 @ 11:49pm
By John Hollenhorst
Who owns the rain? Not you, it turns out. You're actually breaking the law if you capture the rain falling on your roof and pour it on your flower bed! A prominent Utah car dealer found that out when he tried to do something good for the environment.

Rebecca Nelson captures rainwater in a barrel, and she pours it on her plants. "We can fill up a barrel in one rainstorm. And so it seems a waste to just let it fall into the gravel," she said.

Car dealer Mark Miller wanted to do pretty much the same thing on a bigger scale. He collects rainwater on the roof of his new building, stores it in a cistern and hopes to clean cars with it in a new, water-efficient car wash. But without a valid water right, state officials say he can't legally divert rainwater. "I was surprised. We thought it was our water," Miller said.

State officials say it's an old legal concept to protect people who do have water rights. Boyd Clayton, the deputy state engineer, said, "Obviously if you use the water upstream, it won't be there for the person to use it downstream."

"Utah's the second driest state in the nation. Our water laws ought to catch up with that," Miller says.

So what about the little guy, watering with rainwater at home? Will anybody do anything about that violation of the law? Clayton said, "If she really does that, then she ought to have a water right to do it." He added that they would not likely make an issue out of it, though, because they have "bigger fish to fry."

After months of discussion, city and state officials worked out a tentative compromise with the bigger fish, Mark Miller Toyota. Jeff Niermeyer, the Salt Lake City director of public utilities, said, "He would basically be using a Salt Lake City water right and diverting it under our name."

State officials say the Mark Miller agreement could become a blueprint for other rainwater projects. Homeowner projects, although technically illegal, are likely to stay off the state radar screen.

posted in Permaculture - 9 replies

Fight aphids the eco-friendly way

2008-12-08T03:33:49Z

Aphids are a pain in the butt, but they're no reason to whip out the uber-toxic pesticides. Follow the link to an article about a bunch of ways to keep aphids from eating all your plants.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/968858/eco_friendly_aphid_control.html?cat=32

posted in Permaculture - 8 replies

newspapers & cardboard => permaculture

2008-12-06T00:09:20Z

I was reading about how the price of recycled newspaper & cardboard has gone down so much, that it's affecting the recycling industry - this stuff is piling up in warehouses, since buyers have dried up.

It seems that these recycling companies & public entities are somewhat unaware that newspaper and cardboard are often used in permaculture landscaping as an under-mulch, deterring weeds. Also, that various papers can be composted.

If you have the time, please make an outreach to your local recycling entity and school them on permacultural uses for these materials. (That's what I'm doing... via emails)

posted in Permaculture - 14 replies

Permaculture Eco-Community in Costa Rica - Sustainable Tropical Living!

2008-12-01T22:00:36Z

Come check us out! www.kopalicommunities.com
Hope all is well!
Kopali

posted in Permaculture - 0 replies

R.I.P. Fukuoka

2008-12-01T14:59:13Z

Just found out that Masanobu Fukouka, the founder of natural farming, passed away in late August. A visionary and pioneer of the first order, his books were my introduction to alternative ways of thinking to modern industrial agriculture. Still in print, check them out if you havent already.

posted in Permaculture - 2 replies

Toileting paper substitite when no t.p.?

2008-11-24T18:26:15Z

I do not know if this has already been asked here that I did not see? What would you use for cleaning after excretory functions if you don't have store-bought toilet paper with its convenient rolls of squared, cushy soft paper?
I'm thinking long-term use, not simply grabbing handful of dirt or questionable & possibly scratchy leaves durong a night of recreational backpacking.

posted in Permaculture - 28 replies

Question About Working In Intentionl Communities

2008-11-21T14:23:36Z

I am about to start wandering around working for trade on various organic farms and intentional communities. I am curious-what other people feel is a fair trade of time and labor for room and board? And what experiences and tips do other people have for striking fair bargains.

I have read about many farms and IMs which ask for full-time labor in exchange for housing. Unless one is invested in settling down for quite some time this type of arrangement strikes me as exploitive or at least not balance. If someone were being paid a minimum living wage of say $10 per hour, working 40 hours a week would be $1600. That's hardly reasonable rent money in my opinion. If I was learning new and valuable skills I could begin to rationalize this type of situation. What are the thoughts and experiences of those who have done this?

Thanks

posted in Permaculture - 8 replies