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2 Nov 2010

Earthships – Michael Reynolds

Posted by Jake. 8 Comments


SO, my questions are, WHY is this message not spreading like WILDFIRE???  Why are people like Michael Reynolds not being awarded the NOBEL PRIZE??

I think about staying warm and living well, especially when it starts getting close to freezing around here…so many people, including myself, would find themselves hungry, freezing and worried, if the power went out, mid winter…SO WHY WORRY??  Why not do it now, because it’s the right choice, on so many other levels than just surviving.  My opinion is these houses are MUCH nicer and kind to the body, than the boxes most of us find ourselves living in currently.

I’m done asking…..WHY….I’m getting started…… TODAY!!!!!  My dream is to build an Earthship, near a spring and grow food for all who are hungry…..WE CAN DO THIS!!  WE CAN DO IT NOW!!

I love this message and this technology….my prayer is that it does spread….and FAST!!  If you haven’t seen the Garbage Warrior yet…watch it ASAP!!!  So much info being given to us by this man’s work.

Thank YOU… Michael Reynolds!!!!!!


Books are available too, with detailed schematics on building one of these yourself….such powerful info!!!

Earthship: How to Build Your Own, Vol. 1
Earthship: Systems and Components vol. 2

Earthship: Evolution Beyond Economics, Vol. 3

IF this speaks to you:  PLEASE HELP SPREAD THIS MESSAGE -

www.earthship.com

22 Oct 2010

Grow your own SUPERFOODS!

Posted by Jake. 2 Comments

This is SO INSPIRING!!

If you want to grow…mineral rich food… check out these videos.  The Blackbird Naturals Crew, is sharing HOW to do this, and they’ve even come out with a beautiful line of wild, organic seeds to make it even easier. Check out the seeds they’re offering, do your research…it’s the GOODZ!! These are the plants I want to be growing and eating!!!

The Utah, Arizona and Minnesota food forests are on the rise.  Join us in re  growing PARADISE on Earth….while feeding ourselves.

Just made my order, I’m pumped to get some nettles in the ground!

YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!!!!

Learn more here – Great website with tons of info – check out all the videos

Blackbirdnaturals

11 Oct 2010

Toby Hemenway – How Permaculture Can Save Humanity and the Earth, but Not Civilization

Posted by Jake. 3 Comments

This is the kind of info…that can heal the planet.

So much to glean here.  Thank you.

Toby Hemenway

11 Oct 2010

The Minnesota Permaculture Food Forest – Before and Afters!

Posted by Jake. 2 Comments

SO inspiring!!

HUGE gratitude to Anthony Anderson and Blackbird Naturals..for setting the pace!!

Join us..in REPLANTING PARADISE!!

rawmodel.com

blackbirdnaturals.com

29 Sep 2010

Willie Smits: How we re-grew a rainforest

Posted by Jake. 9 Comments

When I think of the words HERO..and INNOVATOR….I think of the name Willie Smits!!!

The clever work Willie is doing..absolutely BLOWS MY MIND!!  So touching!!!

You spark great hope in me… my friend.

THANK YOU!!!

3 Sep 2010

Summer 2010 Food Forest Update and…evolution of an almond tree

Posted by Jake. 18 Comments

This is last Summer 2009. Breaking ground on the front yard FOOD FOREST. The first trees go in: Peach, Almond, Cherry dwarf and semi dwarves will create the backbone to this front yard guild.

Here we are now in Summer 2010..and that's just over a years worth of growth. Can't wait...to watch as this forest thicken up...and produce massive amounts of food!!

***Here’s a few things I’ve done to help the food forest GROW!!  As well as a year in pics…as the front yard food forest evolved.  I also threw in a few pics from the backyard FOOD FOREST, which has been growing for about a year longer than the front. ***


Every tree..or whatever I'm planting, gets a healthy dose of mixed rock dusts. Pictured here from left to right are: Greensand, Gaia Green Glacial Dust and Azomite

We also use LOCAL ROCK DUST. This is volcanic cinders, from an ancient volcano 20 minutes from our house. This material is amazing...LOVE IT!! So far...we've brought in about...15 truck loads of this stuff. It gets mixed with the garden soil. It's also used as a mulch and path cover.

Close up, of the cinders. It's very pumice like, which aids in drainage. I love the different sized particles...from pebble size...down to dust size.

I also add Mycorrihizal Fungi whenever I plant something. This is Paul Stamet's soluble Mycorrhizae. LOVE this stuff!! Very powerful!

This is right after last summer’s planting….nice and cozy. Ready for winter. You can see the stakes, and the orange paint on the grass. This was from blue-stakes. In our town, it’s the law, to have the utility lines staked out, before one shovel of dirt is displaced. Glad I did, or I would have planted these guys right on top of a gas line. I was amazed how many utility lines there are..tucked all into one small space. You have to allow a 2 foot setback on each side of the lines.  HUGE FINES, if you don’t call and hit a line.  I fit them all in juuust fine!  Check them out at www.bluestakes.org

Gave each tree a big ring of compost..and mulched HEAVILY…with straw around every tree.  That’s a dormant volcano in the background.  This whole neighborhood, sits on a lava bed.  In my backyard, about 4 feet down, is PURE LAVA ROCK.

During the winter months, I worked on digging a nice swale on contour…and then mulched it…with about a 6 inch layer of straw.  The raingutter, on this side of the house pours right into…this swale.

In early spring 2010, came large doses of compost…SPREAD EVERYWHERE. Front yard and back..and in every raised bed. Two full trailer loads. I also spread tons of mixed clover seed.

Dug one more swale near the sidewalk…to catch and hold extra runoff. Didn’t want ANY water…running down into the street.

…then came the buds. Here’s almond

..and then... the blossoms!! Almond blossoms have to be one of the most pleasant smells EVER!! This little bee was helping out!!

Here's another one of my garden helpers....they're everywhere around here. In all sizes. Great insect and bad bug control. Who needs sprays??

All in ONE dwarf almond tree

Here come the almonds...this was fun to watch...over the months

When the almonds pop open like this...they're ready to GO!!

Pure JOY...to open and eat your first home grown ALMOND!!!

The creamy white inner flesh.

One of the most interesting events of the season. Hummingbirds hatched and nested on the back porch. You can see the other ones little beak, behind its siblings. I watched them take their first flight too. This is the third year this nest has been occupied by these little guys. I wonder if it's the same birds...returning to nest...their offspring? Very cool either way...they LOVE the honeysuckle!!

My brother Gage, helping install the GROWING DOME. Behind him, you can see the backyard FOOD FOREST, before it got rolling. Just grass, and a few young apple trees.

The backyard FOOD FOREST today, Summer 2010. This is the furthest zone from the front door, in the backyard food forest...called zone 5. We also call it the land of OZ!!!

East side of the house, in Zone 5....that's honey suckle and hardy kiwi to the left...and a volunteer melon on the right, that decided it wanted to climb the support trellis. I have yet to identify the strain. Very cool!

This is in zone 5 (OZ) of the FOOD FOREST, looking back toward zone 4, the DOME ZONE!

Here’s a a video tour of the front and backyard food forest.  As well as a tour of the GROWING DOME.  Much more to come!!  Filmed this a few weeks ago…and it’s already changed quite a bit.  I’ll do a FALL UPDATE…in a month or so.

ENJOY the TOUR!

Have FUN…GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD!!

YOU…CAN DO THIS TOO!!