Making the Best of Basics
Posted By jasoneakers on February 7, 2010
I highly recommend this book. It is the food storage and preparedness bible!
Found a Great New Source for Trees!
Posted By jasoneakers on February 7, 2010
I was reading an old Backhome magazine today and came across a mention in an article about contacting state divisions of forestry to get cheap trees.
I searched for my state’s division and sure enough tons of cheap trees. And better yet, one of the nurseries is only about 30 miles from my retreat property.
I’m very excited about getting a lot of cheap pawpaw, persimmon and pecan seedlings!
Chicken Tractor–First Steps
Posted By jasoneakers on February 6, 2010
I hate living in the semi-suburbs (I live in a subdivision next to a large farm). Of all the things I miss about living in the country, owning chickens stands out in my mind. At one time I had well over 50 chickens of different breeds and varieties. Full size, bantam, feather footed, tophatted–you name it, I had it.
So today I started on my chicken tractor. A chicken tractor is simply a small movable chicken coup. The bottom is usually open so you can place it in your garden and allow the chickens to weed and fertilize for you.
By started I mean that I began to disassemble about 15 pallets that I got from work.
Disassembling a pallet is not hard but it can be frustrating. Some pallets are made with very thin wood so the best way is usually to cut the connecting points off of the larger boards and then work the nails free in the middle. I’m hoping to make this chicken tractor as cheaply as possible.
Think GMO Can’t Harm Us?
Posted By jasoneakers on February 6, 2010
I don’t like to just regurgitate articles I find on forums and other places but when I do find something important I disregard my rules.
In the early 1990’s, an European genetic engineering company was preparing to field test a genetically engineered soil bacteria called Klebsiella planticola. The plan was to then commercialize use of it on a major scale. The new mutant bacteria had not been tested properly. In fact, the minimal safety tests done were careless, very unscientific and done by scientists working for the biotech industry. The mutant bacteria was certified safe for the environment. (1)K. planticola is of the genus Klebsiella, which is a non-motile rod-shaped gram-negative enterobacterium. This is one of the exceptions to the enterobacteria family, which are mainly mammalian, gut-inhabiting bacteria. This however resides on the root systems of plants. K. planticola of strain SDF 15 is the environmentally-safe, natural bacterial strain. K. planticola (SDF 15) is the parent cell line for another strain, which is called K. planticola (SDF 20). K. planticola (SDF 20) is a genetically engineered version from Germany which was designed to increase the production of lactose fermentation of agricultural wastes. (2)
Careless testing of this mutant strain of Klebsiella planticola allowed it to almost enter the public domain, before research by independent scientists (Dr. Elaine Ingham, et al.; Oregon State University) showed that this GM-strain actually killed any wheat planted into the soil where the GM-strain was dispersed. Plant matter was to be collected along with Genetically Modified K. planticola in large containers for ethanol production. After the plant matter was decomposed, there would be a deposit left over that would be rich in nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur-basically a good fertilizer. It was after this residue was redistributed on to fields that it would do its damaging deed. The K. planticola actually sticks to the root system of plants by creating a slime-like layer. The GM- K. planticola would then be connected to the plants root system and while it is there it would produce ethanol in levels of 17 ppm (~1-2 ppm ethanol is deadly for plants). K. planticola can attach to any plants, not just wheat, so essentially all global plant life could have been put into jeopardy because of a genetically altered bacteria. (2)
Full article here: http://www.donabee.com/health/klebsiellaplanticola.htm
Not only should we avoid GMO seed suppliers because of the potential of us to get GMO seeds, we should avoid sending any money up through their system. They use any money they get to do stuff like this.
My Problem With Peak Oil
Posted By jasoneakers on February 1, 2010
is more a problem with peak oil people.
I became a prepper about three years ago and shortly after that I began my journey toward self-sufficiency. That was after I had woken up again after living the lifestyle for most of my childhood and then forgetting. I know, its a common story.
What woke me up again was reading about peak oil and coming across the peak oil sites. I believe in peak oil as much as I believe that an economic crash is inevitable. The evidence is irrefutable. I wrote an article about it and submitted it to several of the self-sufficiency magazines who don’t believe it. That is how dedicated I am to the idea.
My problem though is that the people preaching it are comprised of a majority of loonies.
If you walk up to me and tell me to be kind to animals, you had better not be wearing fur. And yet that is the equivalent to what some of these people are doing. I’ve read Kunstler, I’ve read Heinberg. You could cut the self-righteousness with a knife. Its disgraceful and its counterproductive.
So here’s my list of what’s wrong.
1. Peak-oilers link peak oil to climate change. They are not one in the same. Peak oil can be proven by looking at trends. There is evidence that once a field reaches a certain point, the oil becomes all but impossible to get out. Imagine if a person here didn’t garden and we called them out for not being a survivalist. It has gotten THAT bad. I believe in PO but not AGW.
2. Peak-oilers make it a political issue. Enough with the right-left finger pointing. Its true that Jimmy Carter pointed out peak oil (in not so many words) but he, like the rest of them, did nothing about it. And I guess that is the point, there isn’t much that can be done except mitigate the consequences and prepare. The world is not going to switch from basically free and compact energy to sustainable energy until it becomes necessary.
3. Peak-oilers use peak oil as proof that the free-market doesn’t work. This one cracks me up! So when peak oil happens for real and society breaks down, how will bartering and economic activity work? I guess we’ll have to find a central planner somewhere to set prices. Ridiculous.
4. Peak-oilers (in large part) believe in Keynesian economics. They believe that THAT system is sustainable.
5. Peak-oilers don’t believe in mitigating the consequences. Many of them believe in and actually seem to get giddy at the thought of die-off. Solar and wind be damned.
The sad part is that the concept can convert people if they were actually spoken to like people and not like an asshole using up all the earth’s resource. Unfortunately that’s how many of these people see others. In the meantime, they are living on the same system except they KNOW they are part of the problem. Maybe its misplaced guilt.
Tools for the Garden
Posted By jasoneakers on January 30, 2010
I hate tilling. I think it is one of the worst things that you can do to your garden soil. However, I think that in some instances for gardeners that have no other choice but use the soil they are given, breaking the soil somewhat is necessary.
I’ve found that the best tools for the job are made by Fiskars.
I use the Tiller (a misnomer if there ever was one) to gently break the surface layer (without mixing the layers) and then I use the cultivator to break up the bigger clods on the very top. If you do this, immediately plant, water and then mulch, you will find that you will loose no topsoil and your plants will thrive and take very quickly.
Now I don’t advocate using these tools haphazardly. But if you are planting carrots outside a raised bed, it is necessary to break the soil.
Cultivator
Tiller(?)
Row Tunnel
Posted By jasoneakers on January 27, 2010
I made a quick row tunnel from 4 pieces of 4 foot PET water pipe (from Lowes–about 6 bucks total) and some clear plastic I had in the garage. I’m going to give it a few days to warm and then measure the soil temp under the cover and outside the cover and see what the difference is.
The Self Sufficient Gardener Podcasts
Posted By jasoneakers on January 25, 2010
I’ve received a few inquiries about my podcast. I haven’t quit. I just put it on hold for the winter months since there is so little to do in the garden. Besides, with a 2 year old, I get very little quiet time! I plan on starting it back up again soon. Any suggestions for show topics? I haven’t run out yet but I want to make everyone’s time worthwhile.
Thanks
J
Newspaper Pots
Posted By jasoneakers on January 24, 2010
I placed the instructions for making newspaper pots in the helpful files section. There are other ways of doing this but this is what I found works for me!
Strawberry Tree
Posted By jasoneakers on January 23, 2010
Posted the Strawberry Tree plans under the Helpful Files/Links link
You can also find it here!
