Compressed sawdust logs – not a fan
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: 4. Energy Security 2 Comments »
While I like the idea of taking what was a waste product and making it useful, I’m less than impressed by the compressed sawdust logs I’ve purchased (seen here below our Go Bags).
Compared to regular seasoned firewood, they are more of a hassle to store (can’t be outside – absorb too much moisture from air), take much longer to light (even with a good hot kindling fire started), and don’t smell particularly pleasant (at least not compared to our aged doug fir).
I read many wonderful blog posts extolling their features, but I won’t be buying any more for next winter.
Day-ranging chickens in the snow
Posted: January 20, 2012 Filed under: 3. Food Security 1 Comment »
Chickens do just fine in the snow – even in a day-ranging scenario – when they are accustomed to the weather.
Since our 12 Golden Comets do not have a heated/lighted coop (and still producing 8 eggs/day in this weather!), their feather growth is appropriate for a normal outdoor bird. With their two shelters, they can get out of the rain/snow/wind to stay dry, but they do just fine maintaining their own body temperature. Our four Araucanas stopped laying regularly months ago but are still big, strong healthy birds.
Just in time for snow
Posted: January 18, 2012 Filed under: 3. Food Security Leave a comment »
Our first serious snowstorm of the year is here.
Greenhouse completed just in time!
Greenhouse benefits
Posted: January 13, 2012 Filed under: 3. Food Security 1 Comment »
Seedlings transplanted from our grow lights are adjusting well to their new setting in the greenhouse.
Still need to find more salvaged shelves, but looks like we’ll be eating salad out of the greenhouse within a week or two.
Back to the (micro) farm
Posted: January 9, 2012 Filed under: 2. Water Security, 3. Food Security 1 Comment »After taking off December from posting to sell one business, launch another, and take a much need vacation to see the sun again, we’re back and ready to dive into our winter projects as we seek ways to opt out en masse fro the typical North American culture.
First up was finishing up a lean-to style greenhouse so we can continue growing our own food throughout our dark winter.We started with digging in to lay a foundation and finished with adding water barrels to store emergency water and absorb heat during the day (to then release at night).
Side note on the water barrels: they also serve as a more long term economical (and environmental) solution for storing emergency drinking water. Several years ago we bought (lots) of 1 gallon plastic containers to keep on hand in case of emergencies. It’s a lot of plastic and cardboard that now, when it is time for me to cycle back in, I have to find other uses for. Oops. Since I don’t want to repeat this every few years for the rest of my life, the food-grade plastic rain barrels and a siphon are a much better long term solution.
Celebrating Cyber Monday!
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: 1. Philosophy Leave a comment »
…by turning off the cyber and turning on the Made By (Your) Hands.
Staying on top of sowing
Posted: November 12, 2011 Filed under: 3. Food Security 1 Comment »
My favorite new free online tool to help with our food production schedule is SproutRobot, a dog-simple website from a startup down in Texas.
It’s not only straightforward and easy to use, the diagrams and instructions are hip and enjoyable to read over with my kids. It’s not flexible enough (yet) to encompass special cases like cold frames, greenhouses, and grow lights into the sowing recommendation schedule, but it’s an excellent start.
Mobile app for emergency responders
Posted: November 3, 2011 Filed under: 6. Personal Training 1 Comment »
As a card-carrying member of our county’s emergency preparedness citizen team, I get these nifty ID cards which allow me access through roadblocks and such in order to get to the area which needs assistance.
But how will I know what to expect once I am there? How can I quickly share what I am seeing with all the other professional and citizen emergency responders?
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey team now has a mobile app that should prove useful until local internet servers get overwhelmed or lose electrical service.
Looks pretty useful…
Building resilient neighborhoods
Posted: October 24, 2011 Filed under: 1. Philosophy Leave a comment »
As part of writing a book about this topic over the next several months, I’m enjoying the links folks are sending me from around North America related to this idea of bridging the emergency preparedness movement to the sustainability movement. “Preppers and Permaculturalists” is the phrase I’ve been using recently to describe the book’s content.
Locally we are heading into voting season which triggered an acquaintance to send this post about a San Francisco event talking about opening up government in addition to the ideas of building resilient communities and neighbors helping neighbors. Hit the link to listen to the podcast if you like to geek out on this as I do.
