Homesteading and Permaculture by Paul WheatonHomesteading and Permaculture by Paul Wheaton

158 – Diapers

Susanna — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:12:32 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to Kelly Ware about eco-mom-ing, and going diaperless. They talk about telling when your infant is about to go pee or poop. They talk about peeing in the sink. Kelly talks about knowing when to pee at night. Chaya from pantryparatus.com asks some questons. Chaya says kids that use cloth diapers are easier to potty-train overall, but she explains she used one disposable diaper per night so they slept better. Kelly talks about some psychological dynamics that go on with potty-training, positive and negative. They mention about pee being good for the soil. They talk about diaper pollution. Paul mentions the third ethic. Paul talks about Wal-Mart, and who has funded all of the anti-Wal-Mart campaigns. Chaya talks about fertility later in life and diaper chemicals. She also talks about a chemical in mainstream diapers that used to cause toxic shock syndrome in tampons. Another woman shares about her experiences using cloth diapers in a daycare.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

157 – Knapweed

Susanna — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:54:14 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to Michael Pilarski (Skeeter) on day 3 of the spring PDC in Dayton, MT. They talk about knapweed. Knapweed makes for good honey. Skeeter talks about it as a mulch, and he talks about successfully eliminating it. Knapweed is allelopathic, and exudes niacin out of its roots. Paul suggests planting trees. Knapweed doesn’t survive well around irrigation and grazing. Knapweed makes for good cooking fuel. Skeeter isn’t shy about a lot of weeds and their seeds in his mulches. Paul talks about hay vs. straw, and using alfalfa. Skeeter is not a fan of hound’s tongue. Paul talks about using bugs on knapweed. Skeeter talks about weeds as a symptom of bad land management, rather than bad in and of themselves. Paul talks about the paddock shift system. Paul talks about Allan Savory‘s work with grazing.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

156 – Ethics and Principles

Susanna — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:23:41 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to George, Mike, and Kelly at the May PDC with Michael Pilarski (Skeeter) in Dayton, MT. It is day 2, focusing on ethics. Everyone shares some things they’ve learned, and Paul talks about Skeeter’s observation exercise he did in the PDC 7 years ago. Paul talks about the value for him of writing his observations down. They then get to the 3 ethics, and focus on the third ethic: returning the surplus, recently interpreted as fair share. They then learned the permaculture principles. George talks about learning by making mistakes. Kelly lists a bunch of permaculture principles, and the goals within permaculture. Paul talks about patterns in software engineering and compares it to permaculture.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

155 – Professionalism

Susanna — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:23:13 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to Bill Schneiders in Lakeside, MT. They talk about the corporate world. They talk about money, and how people value networking. Paul talks about starting permies.com, and setting up the PDC with Skeeter that is going on right now. Paul talks about favoring those on his daily-ish email. They talk about being a corporate whore. Paul talks about emotional attachment and getting things done. They talk about being professional. Paul talks about the PDC he took 7 years ago, and participating in the chores. Paul shares about his discouragement around being treated unfairly at the current PDC. Paul did a ton of promotion work for the event for free. Paul is tired of being “the bad guy.” Paul shares about the respect he felt when he went to Great Falls, MT.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

154 – Maddy Harland Books

Susanna — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:06:33 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine talk about how many people they reach. They talk about Skeeter, aka Michael Pilarski. Maddy shares about a digital Permaculture Magazine app on iPads. They talk about printing on paper. Maddy talks about what will be in the next issue. They compare Permaculture Magazine to Permaculture Activist Magazine. Maddy has three new books: Designing Ecological Habitat: Creating a Sense of Place, Permaculture Design Step by Step Guide, and People in Permaculture Caring and Designing for Ourselves, Each Other, and the Planet. They talk about the permaculture concept of fair share, and the three permaculture ethics. Maddy shares about restoring an old Navy base into an educational center for permaculture. They are in the process of translating another Sepp Holzer book on water. They talk a bit about spirituality, in particular Sepp Holzer’s spirituality. They talk about DVDs put out, including Natural Swimming Pools and Ben Law‘s Roundwood Timber Framing.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

153 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 5 Part 3

Susanna — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:14:06 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda talk about permie swag. Paul talks about his not having a farm right now, and his plan for having a farm. He talks about a Paul Wheaton Community. He talks about making the big bucks with permaculture. Paul talks about husp (Horticulture for the United States of Pocahantas). They continue chapter 5 of Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture. Sepp talks about aphids. Paul talks about energy footprints and CFLs. Paul talks about rocket mass heaters not just being a “hippie” thing. Sepp writes about moles and voles spreading root crops. He then writes about the earth worms that he breeds to repair low soil pH. He talks about different varieties of earth worms. Paul talks about his experience raising earth worms. Paul talks about Sepp loving for kids to grow up around gardens. Paul shares about Damanhur.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

152 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 5 Part 2

Susanna — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:19:12 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue chapter 5 of Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture. They talk about untidy gardens and “what would the neighbors think?” Paul suggests a massive hedge. They talk about how to store food in a root cellar. Paul talks about storing roots in sand. Sepp writes about storing cabbage. Paul shares about spring houses. Sepp writes that manure only belongs on the surface, and how it is important to not turn the soil. He does not water his plants, but instead plans ahead with proper mulch or other water retaining methods. Sepp writes that fertilizer is not necessary. Paul talks about biochar being appropriate where Alex is in Florida, even though he prefers hugelkultur for where he is in Montana. Sepp does not think mulch material should be shredded, so the nutrients are released slowly and do not compact. Paul likes big chunks because of the edge it creates. Paul talks about wood lice showing up in a shredded-wood hugelkultur bed. Paul talks about avoiding creating an impermeable gley layer. Sepp writes about a stinging nettle plant feed he sprays to repel aphids, as well as using spring water over tap.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

151 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 5 Part 1

Susanna — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:35:05 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda begin chapter 5 of Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, which focuses in on medicinal herbs. Paul talks about the bone salve. It is made in a deep cast iron pot. They talk about the valuable of small, concentrated medicinal herbs.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

150 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 4 Part 2

Susanna — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:26:29 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 4, on cultivating mushrooms. This part talks about growing mushrooms on strawbales. It’s essential that the straw is organic, and is clean (not rotted). They talk about other uses for straw, and straw vs. hay. Paul talks about not bringing any organic matter in to your land. Sepp writes that it can be too wet for mushrooms. They talk about the symbiotic relationship between mushrooms and trees, and how location matters. Sepp writes about not leaving ripe mushroom parts behind, as they will rot, and the mold will spread and harm the mycelial net. They talk about button mushrooms, and morels.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

149 – No Soap or Shampoo

Susanna — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:31:38 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda talk about going without soap or shampoo. Paul talks about being poopaphobic. Alex talks about urine. Paul talks about peeing outside. Paul talks about saponin plants, and people using antibacterial soaps that go down the drain to their septic systems. They talk about water softeners. They talk about drinking various beverages.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

148 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 4 Part 1

Susanna — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:42:08 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 4, on cultivating mushrooms. Paul shares about symbiculture. Sepp mentions how Chernobyl affected his mushroom sales, and Alex talks about mycoremediation. Paul talks about Paul Stamets, and his ways fungi are saving the world. Sepp writes about the symbiotic nature of fungi helping other plants. Paul talks about innoculating logs with mushrooms. Since mushrooms take up harmful substances and retain them, you should not eat mushrooms grown on a tree close to a road, or straw grown using pesticides. In the long run, hardwood generally gives higher yields than softwood. Paul talks about using fresh wood, and starting your own spawn. Paul talks about finding morels. Sepp writes about bringing back dormant logs by soaking them and pounding or shaking them.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

147 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 3 Part 2 Continued

Susanna — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:46:58 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 3. Sepp writes about which fruit varieties work better than others, and which fruits he could get to grow that he was told he couldn’t. He writes about propogation and grafting, creating fruit forests, and the shock method. Sepp writes about the importance of fertile soils in creating a fruit forest. Paul talks about soil pH. They talk about suburban and urban permaculture. Paul reads about the shock method, and talks about marketing and selling. Paul reads a story, and talks about the cultural programming of “what will people think?” and going against a system. They talk about people of art being screwed too often, and how to empower yourself. They talk about owning your life, and supporting other people who do. Paul loves honor system farm stands. They talk a lot about Toby Hemenway’s Gaia’s Garden.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

146 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 3 Part 2

Susanna — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:26:47 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Alex Ojeda continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, chapter 3. Sepp writes about which fruit varieties work better than others, and which fruits he could get to grow that he was told he couldn’t. He writes about propogation and grafting, creating food forests, and the shock method. Paul talks about growing apples from seed. Sepp writes about creating microclimates for trees like citrus, and the importance of not fertilizing them. Paul talks about re-propogating apples that are good winter keepers. They talk about the medicinal properties of hardy plants. Paul compares Sepp to Masanobu Fukuoka. Paul talks about growing pineapple. They talk about grafting fruit bearing branches onto other trees. Paul talks about a Russian variety of apple that makes great root stock to graft other varieties onto. Paul talks about the Bullock Brothers grafting pear onto hawthorne. They talk about deer control and mulberries.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

145 – Steve Heckeroth Electric Tractors Part 3

Susanna — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:39:21 +0000

Paul Wheaton continues talking with Steve Heckeroth, who has made an electric tractor. Paul shares about his tractor and truck. Steve talks about linear actuators, and hydraulic cylinders. They talk about some more of Steve’s tractor designs, which have even more power despite being smaller in size. They talk about its having tracks, and how it impacts a farmers’ soil. The tractors can lift 1200 lbs. Steve talks about visibility and seeing forward and backward. Steve talks about making the tractors yourself. They talk about small farmers making money, and the market for small tractors. It is less expensive if you buy more than one. Paul explains his paddock shift system with his cattle, and moving the shelter around with his tractor. They talk about things you need a tractor for. Steve shares about being asked to help make a solar-powered Maharishi University in central India in ’95, and he was the only person in the world at that time making tractors that could run off the sun. Steve shares his contact info. They talk about how fast the tractors go. Steve shares about some unfortunate solar cell fate, courtesy of Chevron. They talk about gasoline. Steve talks about Revenge of the Electric Car. Paul talks about stopping by Steve’s when he goes on tour.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

144 – Steve Heckeroth Electric Tractors Part 2

Susanna — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:33:46 +0000

Paul Wheaton continues talking with Steve Heckeroth, who has made an electric tractor. Steve talks about linear actuators. Steve talks about regen, putting energy back into your batteries when you brake. They talk about in-wheel motors. You don’t need a clultch in an electric vehicle, which makes things a little easier. They talk about having a couple battery packs. Paul shares about his electric chainsaw. The solar charging shed can also serve the needs of the home if the grid goes down. All you need is an inverter. Steve shares about using electric cars. They talk about battery weight. Paul talks about reusing lead acid batteries, and Steve says they are 100% recyclable. Steve shares about how long his 2 Prius cars have lasted on one battery. They talk about the movie, Who Killed the Electric Car. They talk about fuel savings and economy. Steve talks about car-sharing for trips or picking up things that weigh a lot.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

143 – Steve Heckeroth Electric Tractors Part 1

Susanna — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:58:15 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks with Steve Heckeroth, who has made an electric tractor. Paul shares about his electric golf cart, which he used for a lot around the farm. Steve talks about the energy that goes into food production (moreso than its transportation). Steve uses DC motors. They talk about traction. Steve talks about using an 80 lb battery in the front rather than buying weights. Steve talks about the Scratchbuilt tractor, (Number 7) which also collects solar energy. He talks about making farming easier by not having to look backwards while driving. There are several positions you can sit in. The tractor is directed by a joystick, which can stick in place, and can go so slow that you can’t see it moving. This is great for going back to the back seat on the ground to plant flats or harvest as you creep along. The tractor is very quiet, and can turn on and off easily. They talk about using vegetable oil in hydraulics. The tractor also has a camera and can be remote control operated. Steve talks about minesweep tractors that would explode landmines in post-war areas. They compare Steve’s tractors and their efficiency to traditional 45 horsepower tractors. Steve talks about linear actuators. Steve talks about regen, putting energy back into your batteries when you brake. They talk about in-wheel motors. You don’t need a clultch in an electric vehicle.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

142 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 3 Part 1 continued

Susanna — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:28:13 +0000

Paul Wheaton continues talking to Alex Ojeda about Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, and how Sepp manages his fruit trees. Sepp writes about choosing not to prune fruit trees. Paul talks about exceptions to this. They talk about making money with permaculture. They talk about farm subsidies and net income. Paul shares about his windy experience in Great Falls, Montana, and the presence of Russian Olive trees there. You can’t buy the trees anymore there because it is being called a noxious weed. They talk about browsing, and the need to provide enough food for wild animals. Sepp also writes about his protective bone salve.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

141 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 3 Part 1

Susanna — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:53:14 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to Alex Ojeda about Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture, and how he manages his fruit trees. Sepp is growing a variety of trees, including citrus, in the Austrian Alps. Fruit trees are well suited for animal paddocks as they’re a great food source. They talk about fruit tree wood for joinery or art. Paul shares about the movie, Alone in the Wilderness. They talk about Helen Atthowe who studied under Masanobu Fukuoka. Paul talks about participating as a permaculturalist in zone 5. Sepp writes about “becoming an expert” at ag school and applying what he learned to his wilderness garden. His gardens died, writes that he turned plants into “addicts,” and he went back to letting nature do her work. They talk about cancer. —–Sepp writes about choosing not to prune fruit trees. Paul talks about exceptions to this. They talk about making money with permaculture. They talk about farm subsidies and net income. Paul shares about his windy experience in Great Falls, Montana, and the presence of Russian Olive trees there. You can’t buy the trees anymore there because it is being called a noxious weed. They talk about browsing, and the need to provide enough food for wild animals. Sepp also writes about his protective bone salve.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

140 – Suburban Permaculture in Great Falls, Montana

Susanna — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:31:54 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks to some local folks after his talk on replacing irrigation with permaculture in Great Falls, MT. Great Falls is very windy, which dessicates the landscape. Paul advises building berms more than using trees for windbreaks. They have no morning dew. They talk about their snake habitat. Paul talks about snow drifts and drainage. They don’t have a lot of topsoil there. They get 13 inches of rain per year, and have a 7.5, slightly alkaline soil pH. There aren’t a lot of trees around, but they have some friends that can give them some wood for a hugelkultur bed. They talk about deer control, and livestock guardian animals. Paul suggests a farm terrier rather than a great pyrenees, since she has less than 5 acres. Paul suggests not bringing organic matter in from elsewhere. Paul talks about transplanting trees and losing the tree’s taproot.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

139 – College Education

Susanna — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:26:04 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Jocelyn Campbell talk about listener questions and their touring RV trip. They then talk about college education. They balance following your passion with the real world. Paul suggests wwoofing. Paul shares about Sepp Holzer‘s college experience. They talk about debt and Early Retirement Extreme.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

138 – Helen Atthowe Listener Questions

Susanna — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Paul Wheaton, Jocelyn Campbell, and Helen Atthowe respond to listener questions. Helen talks about soil testing and base saturation. Helen talks about “bad” compost, and the positive benefits of adding compost to your soil. They talk about some soils potentially being too rich. They discuss topsoil, and what is good or bad. Paul talks about organic matter for the soil, and the work of Ruth Stout. Helen shares what she has learned from Masanobu Fukuoka. Helen shares about Wes Jackson of the Land Institute, who has done work with perennial grains, and his analysis of human population numbers and what the world can handle. Paul thinks we can double the population and be fine. Helen talks about the value of forest gardens, and of thinking about a healthy population not just in terms of humans, but all sentient beings. Paul quotes Sepp Holzer saying that all the world’s food could be raised in Russia. They talk about whether polyculture yields more or less food.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

137 – Eco Farm

Susanna — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:13:38 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Helen Atthowe talk about Eco-Farm, a conference that goes beyond organic farming into integral land stewardship, and social justice. Helen spoke about veganic permaculture, particularly because people have been wary as of late of using animal manures due to E. coli scares. Helen teaches about green manures. Helen shares about a cover-cropping workshop she loved. She shares about a man who was able to grow organic fruit trees without spraying. Paul talks about using a sulfur treatment. Helen talks about putting in native plant hedgerows and woody species in vegetable farms. They talk about Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Paul talks about biodynamic vs permaculture farming. Helen talks about yield-thinking. Helen shares about her broccoli experience. Helen shares about her peppers with 2 months of shelf life that tasted great. Helen shares about an alternative to fruit tree pruning. Paul shares about Jack Spirko’s AgriTrue.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

136 – Gaia’s Garden Chapter 9

Susanna — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:05:03 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Jocelyn Campbell review chapter 9 of Gaia’s Garden, by Toby Hemenway. Paul first suggests doing an RV road trip. Chapter 9 talks about guilds and super guilds, and how do you pick the plants for your area. Observation, looking things up, and assembling a guild based on function. A guild is a human made assemblage that mimics a natural community. Toby describes the trickiness of creating a walnut guild because of its allelopathic nature. He writes about hackberry’s complimentary allelopathy to walnuts. Currants will grow under walnuts only when hackberries are present. Russian olive and gumi will do well in the guild as well, as well as mulberries, elderberries, black locust, and acacias. They share about Toby’s perspective on native plants. They talk about snowberry (buckbrush) and soponins. Jocelyn shares about poison oak and lemonade berry. Paul reads a laundry list of functions plants serves both for wildlife and human use. A super guild weaves many guilds together. Buffer trees to go inbetween incompatible species. Paul talks abut how much birds love and prefer mulberries.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

how to render lard

Josiah Wallingford — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:06:12 +0000

Suzy Bean renders lard in her favorite way. And she talks about some other lard rendering techniques that she has tried and doesn’t like as much.

The way she likes: the stove top “dry method” (no water) in a cast iron skillet. She says a stainless steel pan would be good too. Low to medium heat.

Some ways she doesn’t like as much:

crock pot: the cracklins don’t crackle. they’re mushy. And there might be water in the lard

oven: it’s fine, but it takes a while

the wet method in a cast iron skillet: fine, but why bother when the dry method works so well

In this video, she uses “leaf lard” which is actually not yet lard. It is organ fat which will be rendered into lard. Leaf lard makes the very best lard – which makes the very best cookies, pie crusts and pastries! This is as opposed to “back fat” which makes a lard suitable for savory cooking.

Cut the fat up and toss it in the skillet. When the pork rinds look yummy, you’re ready. take the cracklings out and pour the liquid lard into a mason jar through a cheesecloth. Done.

Why do this? Because the fat does not store well. It will go nasty in a few days. The lard will keep for months or even years. Suzy confesses that she had some fat go moldy once.

I do some movie magic time lapse fast forward stuff in a coupla spots. I show the fat rendering quickly and I show the liquid turning to a solid quickly.

Relevant threads at permies:
http://www.permies.com/t/13996/cooking-food-preservation-food-choices/render-…
http://www.permies.com/t/2254/cooking-food-preservation-food-choices/good-lar…
http://www.permies.com/t/9306/cooking-food-preservation-food-choices/Lard-sta…
http://www.permies.com/t/2258/cooking-food-preservation-food-choices/preservi…
http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp

music by Jimmy Pardo

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

135 – Joel Salatin Part 2

Susanna — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:17:56 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Lacia Bailey continue reviewing a video on Joel Salatin at a google event. Joel talks about food innovation being impeded by a number of laws. Visiting a CAFO requires a haz-mat suit and shoes dipped in chemicals. Paul talks about how he prefers to innovate in secrecy, so he is not shut down. Paul talks about planting an inpenetrable hedge around his potential property for privacy. Paul shares about an art teacher that discovered none of her students owned a cooking pot. They talk about the devaluation of food. Lacia talks about leading the way. Lacia suggests outcome based rules rather than procedural based rules, such as a microbial count for selling raw milk. Paul explains how Sepp Holzer takes care of the legality issue. They address the question, Is there such a thing as being a good food elitist? Joel shifts the argument to still being about choice and priority. His position on owning your personhood and self-responsibility is very politically incorrect. Lacia is tired of hearing people say, “We can’t,” using the example of the NW Permaculture Convergence eating food from Costco. There are 36 million acres for recreational horses plus 35 million acres for ornamental lawns, and that’s enough to feed the country without any farms. Joel says, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly first, as opposed to getting stuck in analysis paralysis. He says innovation requires disturbance, and freshening up means cleaning out the old. If Joel were king for a day, he would eliminate all farm subsidies, direct and indirect. He talks about the Food Emancipation proclamation – food freedom of choice. Paul talks about the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Joel talks about tyranny abroad vs. food tyranny by our own government. He would not ban the bad guys, but eliminate the regulation against the good guys. Just offer choice and we would have an explosion in cottage industries. It used to be that we spent 9% of our money on health care, and 18 % on food, and now the numbers are inverted. Joel talks about freedom up, not top down, and scaling up without selling your soul. Cancer is a type of growth, growth is not always what you want. They talk about patenting vs. open source. Joel describes the intimate act of dining – sharing a meal with the people who grew it and prepared it. Google asks Joel how google can help with getting his message out? Paul would like a human influence on search results, so commercial interests and spam do not rule.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

montana buffalo – buncha fuckin weirdos

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:26:08 +0000

Just some buffalo filmed a little south of Missoula, Montana. Plus some new music from my friend Jimmy Pardo: “Buncha Fuckin Weirdos”

For the part where the buffalo glot close to me, i was humming the tune. That seemed to draw them in.

Relevant threads at permies (with more info about the music):

http://www.permies.com/t/13946/art-music-aesthetics/montana-buffalo-song-bunc…

http://www.permies.com/t/6301/art-music-aesthetics/china-pheasants-out-window

http://www.permies.com/t/13650/art-music-aesthetics/sandhill-cranes

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

underfloor heating system with a rocket mass heater

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:12:47 +0000

Erica Wisner shows us some of the latest innovation with rocket mass heaters. This time there are two innovations. One is sub floor heating. The heat of the rocket mass heater exhaust is routed under the floor and then outside. The other is heat bypass valve – the heat is the routed directly outside, bypassing the underfloor heating.

The cool thing about this design is that you run one small, hot fire, and it gives off heat for days. And there is no bulk in the building. And this isn’t nearly as expensive as other underfloor heating systems.

Erica talks a little about sub floor vs. in-floor heating systems. An earthen floor in a shed is dug out and replaced with a wood floor.

You can learn more about rocket mass heaters at Http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

You can also visit erica’s site at http://www.ernieanderica.info

Music by Jimmy Pardo

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

134 – Joel Salatin Part 1

Susanna — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:59:33 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Lacia Bailey review a video on Joel Salatin at a google event. Joel talks about how this generation cannot pronounce or make the food we eat in our own kitchen. Paul and Lacia talk about Salatin’s book: Folks, This Ain’t Normal. They get into topics like black and white arguments that leave no room for what someone isn’t used to hearing, using the example of an ethical dairy operation. Joel says, “We’re the first society to view having children as a cost,” and he comments on how having kids do chores is sometimes seen as child abuse. Paul and Lacia talk about the quality of life Joel’s kids have gotten to experience. They talk about chickens as garbage collectors and the ultimate recycling agents, and how every restaurant should have chickens behind it. They mention Joel’s book, Everything I Want to Do is Illegal. The USDA approves eating twinkies, cocoa puffs, and mountain dew, but not raw milk. Joel is not against Monsanto, but would take away the laws that give Monsanto an unfair advantage. Joel thinks the modern drying of grain (compared to fermenting) leads to grain sensitivities today. Paul and Lacia talk about “grass” – a plant you could get lost in, and the prairies as “biomass cathedrals.” Nature can do everything for us if we let it, and very abundantly at that.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

133 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 2 Part 5

Susanna — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:31:32 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Kelda Miller continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture Chapter 2. They discuss the section on Ways to Regulate Problem Plants. Paul talks about his master gardener teacher, Helen Atthowe. Sepp writes about the bark beetle, and Paul talks about the need to change one’s mindset. Paul prefers the land to be messy and textured, like nature would be. Without habitat, there are no natural defenses against pests. Paul says, “Down with tidy!” Sepp uses his pigs’ help and sows peas, beans, or sweet corn in between problem plants. Once pigs have left an area, it is a great time to plant there. Paul doesn’t use cardboard in anything horticultural. Sepp writes about the importance of hardy seeds that can be saved. They discuss wheat, and nutritional quality. Paul shares about Sepp’s perennial Russian corn. They talk about feeding animals off the land in the winter. Sepp writes about planting catch crops with his cereals.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

132 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 2 Part 4

Susanna — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:41:17 +0000

Paul Wheaton and Kelda Miller continue reviewing Sepp Holzer‘s Permaculture Chapter 2. They talk about creatively building markets, rather than doing what everybody else is. They also talk about turning problems into solutions. They talk about soil fertility and the polyculture approach in which nature lets you know what does well where. They talk about soil freezing, and how Sepp is proud when the soil biology is still active in the wintertime. Sepp lists good green manure crops. They talk about the concept of putting things to bed in winter. They talk about hemp and stinging nettles, and stabilizing slopes with deep rooted plants. They discuss terracing, and the pros and cons of farming in valleys with their floods. Kelda talks about trying to sell locally. Paul wants her to label her produce as petroleum free and polyculture 3. They talk about jerusalem artichokes as fodder.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

maple trees, bows and primitive skills per skeeter

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:28:37 +0000

Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski talking about the uses of maple trees. Depending on the region, maple trees could make the best wood for bows. Skeeter talks a bit about maple trees and primitive skills. There is mention of the tie in with permaculture. Vine maple, big leaf maple and rocky mountain maple are discussed.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

outdoor kitchens at permaculture farms and ecovillages

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:20:04 +0000

A tour of temporary and permanent outdoor kitchens. Includes cobville, O.U.R. Ecovillage, the bullock brothers farm, lost valley and others. Outdoor kitchens don’t have to me elaborate and/or expensive. Plus, these outdoor kitchens are keyed more to communities and groups. Outdoor kitchens are also a great place for canning and processing the fall harvest on the farm. Salatin uses an outdoor kitchen for processing all of his chickens.

Outdoor kitchens are an excellent way to feed those farm interns! This video includes a lovely cob oven and cob bench.

And there is a quick peek at some amazing braided garlic.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

serviceberry – best wood for tipi fire per skeeter

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:14:48 +0000

Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski tells us that serviceberry is the best wood for a fire in a tipi. Serviceberry is also known as juneberry and saskatoon. Serviceberry has a freaky deep taproot and is an excellent permaculture plant!

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

Why Permaculture Folks Love Comfrey

Josiah Wallingford — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:40:02 +0000

Comfrey may be the most talked about permaculture plant. It is commonly planted under fruit trees because it does not compete with tree roots, but it does compete with plants that do compete with tree roots.

Alexia Allen of Hawthorn Farm tell us how she like using it as a poultice. We get to see bees and ants racing for the nectar of the comfrey blossoms. She also feeds it to her animals.

Toby Hemenway is the author of “Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture.” He calls comfrey “the queen of the multi function plants.” He talks a little about how easily it can spread when you don’t want it. And then he talks about how he is able to get rid of it through mulching – but why would you not want it? It’s a beneficial insect attractor; it is able to heal wounds; a dynamic nutrient accumulator; good for under fruit trees; good for a comfrey tree for soils; a huge biomass accumulator.

Tulsey Latoski of Portland, Oregon tells us about how comfrey makes a great green manure and living mulch. Mostly due to the tap roots that will pull nutrients up from down deep. She also shows us two different types of comfrey.

Norris Thomlinson of Portland, Oregon shares some observations about how comfrey fares as chicken feed; edible plant for humans; medicinal plant for humans;

Michael Pilarski is a famous wildcrafter and permaculture consultant. http://www.friendsofthetrees.net He tells us about how comfrey sluff material off into the soil to make for a richer soil. Apparently earthworms love comfrey! Michael tells us how comfrey is sometimes called “knit-bone” because it proliferates cell division – a great healer. His spring salads are loaded with comfrey leaves and blossoms. Michael talks about Dr. James Duke says that one bottle of beer has the same level of dangerous alkaloids as 100 cups of comfrey tea.

Matt from Feral Farm shows an understory heavy with comfrey.

Brian Kerkvliet of Inspiration Farm in Bellingham, Washington, talks about the challenges of getting comfrey out of an area where you don’t want it. He uses a hot compost pile on top of it. He also shares the idea that if you have comfrey, that’s a great place to plant a fruit tree! Then he shows a permaculture guild that includes comfrey.

Samantha Lewis describes how to tell the difference between comfrey, foxglove, mullein and borage.

Toby Hemenway wraps up with who is the king of the permaculture multifunctional plants (spoiler: bamboo!)

Relevant threads at permies:

http://www.permies.com/t/10864/organic-sustainable-practices/comfrey

http://www.permies.com/t/1174/permaculture/value-comfrey

http://www.permies.com/t/6888/permaculture/Comfrey-cultivars-life-expectancy

http://www.permies.com/t/11140/permaculture/Corn-Comfrey-Large-scale-polyculture

music by Jimmy Pardo

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

131 – Free Cycles

Susanna — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:44:50 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks with Bob Giordano of Free Cycles in Missoula, where you can get a free bicycle for 4 hours of volunteering. You learn how to fish rather than just getting a fish, aka, you learn how to put together a bicycle rather than just ride one. The bike is the medium for community. There are many projects going on there too, such as a bike bus. Is Missoula the most awesome bike town in the US? Yes. Bob says it’s easy to bike in the winter if you take the appropriate measures to keep yourself warm biking. Paul shares about making his own studded tires. The city of Missoula has a full time bike ped person. They mention Upcycles, where bike parts are reused for art. Bob talks about putting 50 green bikes on street corners for people to use whenever. He shares about the 2000 public city bikes in Copenhagen that are sprinkled around. Bike education and safety. Sometimes Bob barters bike work for goods. Paul talks about how the folks at free cycles carried a portable rocket mass heater by bike to Caras park. Bob talks about Sunday Streets of Missoula – 2 car free days a year on Higgins Street. Bob will be using the bicycle haywagon with a few other folks soon to help someone move.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

130 – The Beautiful Truth Movie Review

Susanna — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:15:31 +0000

Paul Wheaton talks with Helen Atthowe after watching The Beautiful Truth. Helen paraphrases a quote of John Muir’s, saying – when you pull on a single thread in nature, you find that it is attached to everything else. The movie follows a 15 year old, homeschooled boy who is investigating health. He discovers that “science” says fluoride is good for you. The film shows how science can be entirely taken over by politics and making money. For example, Dr. Gerson of the Gerson treatment made a cure for cancer by taking a good look at toxins and deficiency. Gerson therapy involves a vegan diet, organic fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, and no fats in order to cleanse the liver. Some toxins Gerson was aware of were mercury in fillings, GMOs, glutamates and aspartame. When he suggested cancer patients needed to stop smoking, he was poisoned. Helen says that the American Cancer Society does’t feel that diet can cure cancer – pharmaceuticals are the cures. Helen shares about what she learned about dairy at the Portland Veg Fest, and how industries cover up the truth. People with MS, diabetes, TB, fibromyalgia have all been cured, including a gal with stage 4 ovarian cancer. The teenager tried to interview the gal with her original doctor, but the doctor’s administration called the police. They were told they couldn’t make the tape as they would be suspected terrorists. The film demonstrated the off-gasing of a mercury-filled tooth taken out of someone 15 years ago, which was past “evacuate the building” point. The meter reads even higher when in someone’s head. Apparently, the average life span of dentists is 52 years old, compared to 76 in the general public. A food engineer was interviewed about aspartame, and all of her tumors. The film talks about vaccines and food irradiation. Helen suggests looking from a systems approach in everything. She and Paul talk about enhancing one’s immune system or agricultural system rather than killing cancer or pests. Paul mentions the thread at permies.com on beating cancer in a week. Helen shares about a conference she went to compared to a large scale organic farm she worked on last summer. They talk about the degradation of the modern organic label. Paul talks about MSG.
Discussing the podcast.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

best spoon wood per skeeter

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:07:58 +0000

Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski, permaculture and wildcrafting instructor, talks a bit about what makes the best wood for carving a wooden spoon.

This was filmed at sahale. As part of the washington state permaculture convergence.

Skeeter mentions why eucaluptus would make for a terrible wooden spoon (taste). Skeeter talks about serviceberry (I have a hand carved serviceberry spoon).

Skeeter talks a litle about cottonwood and yew.

My later research shows that maple might be the best, followed closely by apple.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

how to split cedar logs for rails or posts tutorial

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:04:13 +0000

Using wedges, mauls and sledge hammers to split rails. These started off as some really big, sick cedar trees. Useful for split rail fence.

Splitting logs for several hours. This video is just a taste.

Most of the split wood was used for posts. Deer fencing could use super tall posts that you just can’t buy in stores.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

outdoor classroom at bullock brothers permaculture homestead

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:59:16 +0000

This outdoor classroom is a kind of tee-pee-ish thing. Canvas, a few poles from the hillside and some rope makes an outdoor classroom for about a hundred people. … update – the roof of this outdoor classroom might be an old parachute!

Video taken during an open house at the bullock brothers permaculture homestead.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.

eco house – mike oehler PSP ridgetop eco

Josiah Wallingford — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:53:11 +0000

Author of the $50 and up underground house book is building another eco house masterpiece! This is an above ground structure on top of a steep mountain ridge in north idaho. This may be the sixth eco house built on this property. Some of Oehler’s eco structures are underground and some are underground-ish. This eco house is clearly above ground and just has a thick earthen roof.

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This post comes from the RichSoil.com Permaculture Blog.