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Old 09-12-2008, 11:21 PM   #1
Carol
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Big Island, Hawaii
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Default Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

I've been accumulating this list for awhile now. Please feel free to add to it.

Vortex Hand-crank blender
http://www.rei.com/product/684259

It's cheaper at: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...p;CS_010=82074

A great kitchen tool for off-the-grid living. These blenders are great quality, will chop ice, blend smoothies and soaked beans for soup, etc. You can find them on Ebay much cheaper than the new REI model shown here.

Lamp Wicking
www.wickstore.com

If you buy loose wicks on Ebay they cost a small fortune. Go direct to this manufacturer, and you can buy a 25 yard spool of 1" wicking for $10.61. The round wicking is also great.

Denture Repair Kit
www..ebay.com

This Ebay'er sells very high quality denture repair kits. For under $25 you can get a full set of loose teeth along with adhesive components. The quality is first class. When you receive the teeth, you can match them up to your own and, if needed, return them right away for a free replacement with a new set that's a few shades lighter or darker, and a size bigger or smaller, to match your own. Now that's service! They also sell denture re-lining kits.

Fresnel Lenses
www..ebay.com

If you're not familiar with Fresnel's, you'll want to read-up. This is an extremely affordable way to capture solar power for heating water, cooking, etc. They're not toys and you have to handle them super carefully – they'll start wood burning within seconds of focusing the lens, and will melt zinc and cement in less than a minute. You can also buy wallet-sized versions for emergency fire-starting. For less $130 you can buy one of the bigger lenses, which will boil water in seconds just by capturing and concentrating sun rays. They're amazing! This Ebay seller has great products and interesting videos embedded in his auction ads.

SPOT AND LINEAR FRESNEL LENSES
Both can be used for solar cooking and solar hot water heating.

There are two basic types of Fresnel lenses, Linear and Spot. Both lenses look identical to the naked eye in terms of the circular Fresnel pattern but a Spot lens will always appear more transparent. Spot lenses produce a very small tight beam at optimal focal length and are generally more powerful size for size. Linear lenses produce a long flat beam ranging from 1 inch high by 3 inches wide up to 1" x 12".

Linear Fresnel Lens Advantages:
• Less chance of damaging equipment if liquid evaporates
• Long beam can be spread the length of a pipe
• Powers a Steam Engine slower but more safely
Disadvantages:
• More opaque due to physical nature, less light (power) transferred to project
• Cannot be used for melting metals

Spot Fresnel Lens Advantages:
• High power heat transfer (available in Crystal Clear Acrylic perfection cutting)
• Can be set to less of a focal length (ideal for cooking)
• Melts copper and many other materials
• Powers a Sterling Engine and Steam Engine
Disadvantages:
• Instant flame and work hazard
• Equipment damage
• Does not spread over a pipe surface evenly"


The Ultra-compact Backpackers Grill
www.wildernessdining.com

These grills are just great. They're compact stainless steel, basically a complete grill set-up that fits into an 11.4" tube, 0.9" dia. Easy to set-up & clean, gives you 100 sq. in. grill surface for pots or food right on the grill. Take up no space in your backpack, and double as a self-defense tool. $29.99

Misting Systems
www.ebay.com

Here's a great water misting system for gardens and people. If you're faced with bugging out in heavy-duty heat and you have a menopausal wife (lucky you), you'll want to have a good cooling system at the ready. You can hook this gear up to a gravity feed system, suspend it over your head, and stay wonderfully cool in a super-fine mist. And once the wife is cooled down, move the hose and keep your plants watered. This is particularly helpful if you're having to start an emergency garden under tough conditions. Getting tender seedlings to start is always tricky. If your food supply depends on them, it's crucial. This misting gear is the perfect water-regulation system. This Ebay'er sells complete sets, and also sells the plastic nozzles and T's so you can build your own. They're well made. $29.99


"Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth
www.seedsavers.org

Seed Saving: You've stocked up on your heirloom seeds. Now you'll need to know how to save seed each year, and that's a bit of an art form. Here's a great book on keeping seed that's easy to follow yet very detailed. $24.95


Heat Sealed Foil Barrier Packets
www.seedsavers.org

And here are some great heat-seal foil packets to store seed in. You can write on them, store in them, and they'll double as 'product packaging' so you can sell extra seed each year. 50 for $10

Interesting article on storing seeds -- a formal approach. These guys also use the foil heat-seal packs. FWIW.

www.naturebase.net

www.ULine.com
3.99 per pail
1.09 per lid

--Plastic Pails And Lids
--Safely store or ship your products in these durable pails.
--High density polyethylene construction withstands temperatures up to 180°F.
--Stackable but easily separated due to tapered design.
--FDA, USDA and NSF approved.
They'll ship all over, but shipping can be spendy. Still, if you can't get the pails in your local area, this might help.
www.uline.com

SEARCH: pails

ULINE carries the Vermiculite in 4-cubic-ft bags. We bought 5 bags tonite for $100 plus $8.75 taxes. It's what we use in the SQUARE FOOT GARDENING method. Wish we'd known earlier...coulda saved some money. Lowe's charges nearly $9.00, and that's for only 10 dry qrts.

SEARCH: vermiculite

The company also sells Carboys for water (and shelves to hold them) plus new containers for all sorts of food items. They are oriented to business packaging, but they do sell things like 1-gallon water jugs, etc.

Check local health food stores for smaller quantities for wheat berries and other whole grains.

For bulk

www.honeyvillegrain.com

www.waltonfeed.com

BATTERIES:
cgi.ebay.com

This Ebay'er (batterymonster) has a great deal on rechargeable's. You can buy sets of 8 AA's, 2,600 mAh, for under $10. AND, they include four converter canisters that turn your AA's into D's. You just put two AA's in the canister and plug that into anything that needs a D battery. Viola! Bob's your Uncle (or your Aunt, if you come from a weird family). The converter cases are really sturdy and the metal contacts give you a good connection.


CANNED BUTTER:

There are plenty of US vendors selling New Zealand canned butter, but the costs to have it shipped across by someone like Survival Enterprises is steep… shipping is more than the case of butter.

But here's a great alternative – can your own. You'll get the same consistency and taste of regular butter, and won't pay a dime more than the price of the butter (assuming you already have you Mason jars in stock).

1. Use any butter that is on sale. Lesser quality butter requires more shaking (see #5 below), but the results are the same as with the expensive brands.

2. Heat pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals. One pound of butter slightly more than fills one pint jar, so if you melt 11 pounds of butter, heat 12 pint jars. A roasting pan works well for holding the pint jars while in the oven.

3. While the jars are heating, melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a large spatula, stir the bottom of the pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes at least: a good simmer time will lessen the amount of shaking required (see #5 below). Place the lids in a small pot and bring to a boil, leaving the lids in simmering water until needed.

4. Stirring the melted butter from the bottom to the top with a soup ladle or small pot with a handle, pour the melted butter carefully into heated jars through a canning jar funnel. Leave 3/4" of head space in the jar, which allows room for the shaking process.

5. Carefully wipe off the top of the jars, then get a hot lid from the simmering water, add the lid and ring and tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool. Once a few lids "ping," shake while the jars are still warm, but cool enough to handle easily, because the butter will separate and become foamy on top and white on the bottom. In a few minutes, shake again, and repeat until the butter retains the same consistency throughout the jar.

6. At this point, while still slightly warm, put the jars into a refrigerator. While cooling and hardening, shake again, and the melted butter will then look like butter and become firm. This final shaking is very important! Check every 5 minutes and give the jars a little shake until they are hardened in the jar! Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.

7. Canned butter should store for 3 years or longer on a cool, dark shelf. [It does last a long time. We have just used up the last of the butter we canned in 1999, and it was fine after 5 years.] Canned butter does not "melt" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated upon opening, provided it is used within a reasonable length of time.

A lovely glow seems to emanate from every jar. You will also be glowing with grateful satisfaction while placing this "sunshine in a jar" on your pantry shelves.

You can buy butter on sale, then keep it frozen until you have enough for canning 2 or 3 batches of a dozen jars each.

As for solar tracking...

www.motherearthnews.com

Click on the graphics icon to see the nuts and bolts of the system.

A Tesla turbine

www.phoenixnavigation.com

Exploring the solar angle...

All leading scientists agree that the hydrogen future depends on free energy systems -- wind, geothermal, hydro and solar being the best pollution-free sources of power. Since solar energy has the highest energy density of these, we are going to continue to focus on this 21st century energy source.

As far as rechargeble batteries, look for Sanyo Eneloops...they're NiMH and of a low self discharge design...the problem of most rechargeble batteries is they're dead after a month or so...Eneloops hold the charge for a year...so far they are only available in AA size...coupled with a solar charger, you'll be set in emergencies...

Non rechargeble lithium batteries like the AA, AAA, and Cr123 may seem expensive, but they have a greater capacity, low temperature performance, and long shelf life...recent ones have "use by" dates of 2021...order them online for best savings... btw the cr123 size is for hi performance flashlight like surefires..


Making your own soap...

www.thefarm.org


Steel Tent Stakes
search www.ebay.com

Tired of cheap, crummy tent stakes that bend, split or break? Here's a California manufacturer of super-excellent steel stakes. Then come in 10", 12" and 14" lengths. They have a nice big nail head, and both a hook and ring that are welded to the spike. These babies will last you longer than whatever it is you're tying down.

The Picklemeister
www.wisementrading.com

Scroll ¾ of the way down this webpage to see a great set-up for making pickled foods. The Picklemeister is a 1-gallon fermentation jar with an airlock fitting that forces the fermentation process. Instead of having to wait many months for good pickles, sauerkraut or pickled beets, you can produce them in a week. That means you can process large quantities of your garden produce, get it pickled, then re-can it.

Soil pH Tester
www.cspoutdoors.stores.yahoo.net

Tools that guarantee your ability to produce a successful garden each year are worth their weight in gold. This Soil pH tester is a self-powered, 'never dies' tool that eliminates the need to keep buying the cheap pH strip test kits each year. This is the professional model. You poke it into the soil a few inches and get an easy-to-see digital readout on the top of the unit. I love tools like this that never wear out and aren't dependent on a power source.

Essential Oil Distillation:
www.crucible.org

It's hard for me to imagine going into a meltdown world without a good supply of Oregano Oil, one of the most potent natural antibiotics known to man. Oregano is very easy to grow, but extracting pure, potent oil from it is a lot more complicated. Buying it at the health food store is expensive… $30 for a 2 oz. bottle, where I am. Aside from growing/making my own, pure oils will be a great barter item in the days ahead. I think Oregano Oil will be especially valuable, because everyone's immune system is liable to get smacked due to anxiety. One solution is to buy your own steam distillation system. You could even get a little consortium of friends together to pitch in for one. My research led me to this as one of the best, most cost-effective units. If you're clever, and got an A+ in chemistry, you might be able to build your own based on the drawings here. ($399.00)

The Water Bob:
www.dehydrated-food.net

Those of you who listen to the Armchair Survivalist show on Saturday are probably familiar with this item. It's basically like a water bed liner, shaped to fit in your bathtub. If you think you're about to get nailed by a storm that will result in losing water services (electric off, water main broken)… or if trouble hits, this will allow you to quickly dump your hot water tank into a clean and more accessible receptacle. The quality of the Water Bob bag is great and it's equipped with a good hose and pump system for filling, transferring and emptying. ($29.99)

With a little work, this item can also double as a good means to move a lot of water overland. Here's one plan: nail a few heavy-duty skids together and attach two steel runners underneath (like a sled). Build a long box (roughly the same length & width as a bathtub) and secure that to the skids. Inside, line it with heavy Styrofoam or some cushioning material. Throw a couple wool blankets in the bottom, overlapping the sides. Now you can haul this apparatus to a stream or spring, put the Water Bob in the frame and fill it up. Tie it to your truck hitch or pull it by horse or other means, and you've got an easy way to transport 100 gallons, store it, and use it as needed. If you need to move the Bob out of the box, just pick up the blankets, which should support it for transport to another spot indoors, or whatever. (Of course, water is very heavy (8.3 lbs/gallon), so you'll be needing lots of help to move one of these plastic whales.)

Affordable Wind Turbine:
www.alpinesurvival.com

Instead of relying on a single alternative source of energy, our plan incorporates solar (regular panels and Fresnel lense) along with wind. If the day's sunny or stormy, we still pull down a good bit of energy into the battery bank. All the wind turbines I found were very expensive, but this one is really affordable, and high quality. Has a PLC controller that maximizes energy transfer to batteries, it's quiet, and easy to get a secure installation. The company has a whole range of more expensive models, too. ($725.00)

Hand-crank Cellphone Charger:
www.guardianangelpreparedness.com

A battery-free, hand crank charger for your cell phone. While you may not keep your cellphones long after TSHTF, this could at least serve you well during your bugout trip. Murphy's Law being what it is, your cell phone battery will probably be run right down just about the time you have to hit the road. For me, this is a must-have item for cruising around in the bush. Crank for two minutes to get six minutes of talking time, and you can crank & chat endlessly. This is a good, durable unit, unlike some of the cheap-o hand-crank flashlights and radios, which have handles that break after the first dozen cranks. ($24.99)


Food Grade Water Hose
www.beprepared.com

Not only is it unpleasant to have to drink water that tastes like an outdoor garden hose, it's not healthy. Most garden hoses are made from petroleum products. When they lie in the sun full of water, the contaminants seep into the water. Then your thirsty kid comes along and drinks it, or gives it to the dog. Not good. It's easy enough to just spray water until you've emptied the hose, but if you're in an emergency situation you won't want to waste all that water. Here's the solution. These food grade water hoses are 50 feet long, and are quite affordable compared to regular high quality garden hoses. ($25.95)


Pocketknives, Bowie's, etc.
search www.ebay.ca

A pocketknife really durable that would fit (female) hand, hold a good edge, and be enjoyable to use is beautiful hand-made knife. The auction ad text is in German (seller is in Canada), but you can use this online translator to convert text to English www.translation2.paralink.com

They're done in 200-layer Damask steel, in a beautiful 'wave' pattern. Super-well constructed. If you really track the auctions, you can pick one up for cheap. ($30 to $80)


Flashlight 'Comparison Shopper' Reviews
www.flashlightreviews.com

This person has put together an excellent research website on flashlights. He obviously knows his stuff, and is a diligent user and tester. My favour fanny pak light is the Fenix P2D-CE. It's a little pricey at $45, but super-quality in every way. The next best comparable I've found to this model is the Dorcy Metalgear Luxeon, which is half the price, but missing many of the great features.


Solar Battery and Cell Phone Charger
www.cgi.ebay.com
Seller's page (in case this auction is expired): www.ebay.com]

Now that you've got a great flashlight in your BO bag, you'll want a way to keep those batteries charged. This is the nicest compact solar charger, charges two sizes of batteries – four each of AA's or AAA's, and it has an adapter cord for charging cell phones. Depending on your phone, you may need an adapter to get from this plug to your input, but they're available out there if you look around.

This little solar charger folds open/closed so it's compact to carry. Has a hard case so you can jam it into your pack without worry. Has a blocking diode to prevent reverse flow and over-charge. Belt clip included. ($25.99)

Clay pot "Kandle Heater"
www.heatstick.com

There's a lot of information about how the Kandle Heater works and how it's made at that page, where you can purchase them. Something new uses a light bulb as well, 90% of a light bulb's energy is produced as heat, and only 10% as light. So the Kandle Heater helps collect that heat as a supplementary source in your home.

They were mentioning RVers using these heaters, that makes sense. Might be a good thing to have in the car too for an emergency although it is said the clay absorbs moisture which has to bake out before it's efficient and that it takes awhile for the moisture to burn out of the clay pots.


Tents
12' x 9' - STRAIGHT WALLS - SLEEPS 10 PEOPLE - 2 ROOMS $119.92
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll......N:IT&ih=023



Biomass stoves boilers wind solar...local company, great service
www.smartbuildingproducts.com


GLOBAL SOLAR OVEN
Bake, boil, or steam the natural way, plus... create all your favorite slow-cook recipes just like using a conventional crock pot while you're busy or away at work! Anything you can cook in a conventional gas or electric oven can be cooked in a Sun Oven.

Simply set it in direct sunlight, point it the proper direction, place your meal inside the oven chamber, and The Global Sun Oven will provide a superior tasting repast – for FREE!!!

The Sun Oven works even in subzero air temperatures, as long as the sun is out, the oven will capture the sun’s energy and cook as if it were a tropical day. The oven will heat up quicker on clear, low humidity days.

How do his veggies grow? The no-dig way

www.solardirect.com

Self-sustaining aquaponic garden (grows fish, fruits and vegetables)

There currently are about six such systems in the world. Organic farming uses aquaponics to grow talapia fish in tanks, recycles the fish water in long rectangular raised water filled flats encased in a wood frame about 12 inches high, 30 feet long, filled with the circulating fish water that is then cleaned and recycled back into the fish tank(s). These raised water beds are covered with 2 inch steryo foam insulation panels cut to fit the water bed and with 3 to 4 inch holes cut into the panel in long rows. In each hole is place a small 3" or 4" by 2"(inch) basket filled with a special mixture of soil where the seed is planted. Within 21 days one gets the most incredible lettuce, tomatoes, leeks, strawberries... all types of surface vegetables where the roots grow down into the fish water and get its nutrients for growth. Hydroponics does not need dirt or fertalizer and can be put almost anywhere. The whole system only takes about 50 gallons of water a day (about 5 toilet flushes worth of water total). The fish tank is covered with a shade fabric so there is no real evaporation there and the water beds are also covered. In the water beds are mosquito eating tiny fish to take care of that problem.

This system is completely weed free. However, root crops still need dirt. Anyway, they are developing whole family systems would cost about 5k and includes training, materials and set-up. One could easily feed their family fish and fresh organic produce from their own backyard. This would also make a great school project where children learn about growing fish for food and organic aquaponic gardening. However, if one knows how to do this I think the cost would just be the supplies. A water tank for the fish can be made out of plywood done up as a box which is lined, which was the starter tank at their place.

Info on this system is available from Tim Mann and Susanne Friend at kaimana@hawaiiantel.net


Pat Marfisi carries alfalfa hay into his Hollywood Hills backyard, but there aren’t any animals to feed. It’s for his “no dig” vegetable garden.

Pat Marfisi applies the low-water, layering technique to his Hollywood Hills plot and reaps an abundance of organic produce.

By Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 12, 2008
PAT MARFISI carries bales of alfalfa hay and straw into the center aisle of his Hollywood Hills vegetable garden and begins tearing off pieces of the stuff. He doesn't have any animals to feed, just his "no-dig" landscape: raised beds using lasagna-like layers of fodder, bone and blood meal and compost -- and remarkably little water.

Now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought, Marfisi's 300-square-foot patch seems more relevant than ever. It's his personal horticultural laboratory for a low-water, sustainable technique he learned working on organic farms in Australia last year.



Photos: Creating a no-dig garden

How to start a no-dig garden
Since he began gardening in this fashion, he says, he has been "inundated" with food. With the exception of some recent losses to raccoons drawn to the soil's abundant grubs and earthworms, Marfisi's garden is thriving with beets, collard greens, chard, celery, tomatoes, chives, peppers, basil, chives, lettuces and leeks. He estimates he grows enough food to feed three people daily.

When asked how much he waters, Marfisi shoves his hand deep beside some Swiss chard and pulls out moist, decomposed soil laced with remnants of straw. "I haven't watered in 10 days," he says. "This is what I want people to know: You can have beauty and abundance without a lot of water."

The retired Marfisi came upon the method while working as a volunteer farmhand Down Under, where the technique has been used since the 1977 paperback, "Esther Deans' Gardening Book: Growing Without Digging," promoted it as a solution to poor soil, rampant weeds, water shortages and costly food.

"Today, L.A. faces a lot of the same issues," Marfisi says. "In addition, we have global warming from pollution, and home gardening is a significant way to reduce transportation cost and related pollution."

He points out that noted food and science writer Michael Pollan, author of the recent "In Defense of Food," estimates that the distance traveled by food to the plate of an average American is 1,500 miles. "This number is 150 feet for most home gardeners," Marfisi says. "That is a huge reduction in transport cost and pollution."

UNTIL HE had time for hands-on yard work, gardening was a passionate intellectual pursuit for Marfisi, who likes to sit for hours studying bugs with reference books in hand. But after leaving his job as a management consultant, he enrolled in UCLA Extension's horticulture program, which inspired him to dump water-hungry annuals and replace them with California natives. Then last year, Marfisi, who has a doctorate in economics, decided he wanted to become a farmer.

At age 60, Marfisi became a WWOOFer -- he joined World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( www.wwoof.org), an international cultural exchange program that provides organic farmers free labor in exchange for providing workers with food and lodging.

The former consultant for big-name clients such as Sun- America thought it would be the ultimate work-study program to learn about sustainable farming and lifestyles.

"The attraction was to get into the heart of the world of permaculture and biodynamics and experience it firsthand," he says. "Being retired, I had the time. I thought, 'I'm still healthy and strong.' I figured now is the time to do it." (He hopes to join WWOOF again next year in Costa Rica).

He started on a farm in New Zealand. Moving to Australia, he eventually worked on farms in six cities in Tasmania, Southern Australia and the Northern Territory. His friends thought he was crazy.

"Here is a guy who made the transition from corporate board rooms to the deserts of Australia and New Zealand to examine horticulture," friend Perry Parks says. "I couldn't get my head around it initially. At his age . . . hiring yourself off to various farms? Digging fence posts?" he says, chuckling.

"But tracking him through his e-mail messages, it seemed to be a real change of pace and it took on a kind of a meditative quality. Everything seemed to be slower, simpler and clearer. He got a lot out of it. Now he's come back and put it into practice," Parks says.

THOUGH there is some debate over the origins of the no-dig method -- Ruth Stout's "How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back," first published in 1955, and Masanobu ***uoka's "One Straw Revolution," translated to English from Japanese in 1978, are other references -- one thing is certain: It is easy and it works.

Veteran gardeners will say that the greatest amount of work in creating a successful vegetable garden goes into soil preparation. One of the best things about this sustainable alternative: You don't have to break your back digging and pulling roots.

"It's a wonderful movement," says landscape designer and garden writer Rosalind Creasy, author of "The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping." "So many gardeners presume you have to start with a rototiller. That only destroys the soil structure and burns the organic matter."

No-dig beds are created by layering organic materials above ground on newspaper. Marfisi starts with alfalfa hay (Deans recommends Lucerne hay, but it's hard to find locally), then straw and finally compost. Marfisi dusts the newspaper, alfalfa and straw with blood and bone meal. (Details in accompanying story). The layers then decompose, turning into a nutrient-rich mixture much like compost.

Marfisi says no-dig is more efficient, water wise, because once a plant has a 10- to 12-inch root system, the layers of compost and straw keep moisture around the roots. And you can keep layering it over and over again as the organic matter breaks down.

Aside from its looking a little messy, Creasy finds few negatives to no-dig. She does urge novice gardeners, however, to learn about soil nutrients that vegetables need. "You still have to fertilize," she says. "You still have to renew the nitrogen. Peas are legumes and they have nitrogen-mixing bacteria. Broccoli is a heavy feeder. You [also] have to think about crop rotation."

Marfisi concedes that it is harder to get nitrogen and the acidity or alkalinity right in a fresh no-dig bed than in conventional soil. But once the organic matter has been in for two or three months and fertilizer is added, these imbalances seem to correct themselves, he says, and his harvests have been bountiful.

It seems Marfisi was destined to become a locavore from an early age. He clearly remembers the first seeds he planted as a 7-year-old in Missouri. The simple act of pushing seeds into soil and waiting to see what happened was the beginning of a lifelong yearning that would haunt him until he retired.

"I was blown away that seeds manufactured flowers," he says of discovering pink and orange zinnias weeks later. "Even to this day it still amazes me. . . . That picture remained in the back of my mind, while I was working 80 hours a week."

Now vegetables provide that same fascination. "Reconnecting to earth is huge for people who are contemplating retirement."

coffee can bread recipes | recipe goldmine bread recipes
coffee can bread recipes, including a recipe for Can Can Date Nut Bread.

www.recipegoldmine.com/ breadcoffeecan/breadcoffeecan.html

Coffee Can Bread: Breads and Rolls Recipe
Recipe for Coffee Can Bread, part of a collection of family breads and rolls recipes. This unique bread recipe is baked in coffee cans.

homeparents.about.com/od/breadsandrolls/r/coffeecan.htm

Coffee Can Bread - Pictures of Recipes For Families
Photo of coffee can bread, part of a collection of family recipes from our forum.

http://www.homeparents.about.com/lib...lphotoccan.htm

Aquaponics gardening and raising fish: www.friendlyaquaponics.com

Last edited by Carol; 12-13-2008 at 05:34 PM.
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Old 09-13-2008, 12:34 AM   #2
ISIS
Avalon Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Toronto/Markham....Ontario.. CANADA.
Posts: 49
Default Re: Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

Thank you for the value of information you have placed here.It is well appreciated...Blessings...ISIS
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Old 09-13-2008, 12:47 AM   #3
bluestix
Avalon Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 131
Talking Re: Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

Magnets for electrical generators.

Wire for making coils.

Solar Sea Salt for health.


Sonic Bloom for growing your garden.

SeaAgri also for your garden.

Victory Heirloom Seeds - Heirloom seed, Open-pollinated Seeds


Underwood Gardens Seeds


D. Landreth Seed Company

Full Circle Seeds

Halifax Seed

Heritage Harvest Seeds

Heritage Seed and Produce

Rare Seeds

Seed Savers

Seeds of Change

Seeds of Diversity

High Mowing Organic Seeds

Heirloom Seeds

WillHite Seed

Subtle Energy Gardening

Paramount Growth

Grow Organic

One Green World

Edible Forest Gardens



"These questions are, however, part of the process of shifting from a paradigm of command and control to one of cocreative participation as part of a natural system."




"There will come a reckoning, even within my own heart, where my life will be seen for what it has been. When that time comes, will I be ready? And what if it were to come today?"


2 ALL A DI MASSIVE DEM

"Search for the truth - don't accept what they are telling as the truth. Remember Truth is inside you - feel it and live it."
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Old 09-13-2008, 11:56 PM   #4
Baggywrinkle
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

Kerosene stoves.
These stoves are in common use in the Philippines. Combined with the box oven or a dutch oven and a
kerosene supply you are set
http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/MSemergencykit.htm

But what about water in your kerosene/diesel/gasoline?
I ruined a brand new generator during an extended
power outage because of water in the gas. THIS is the
solution!
http://www.mrfunnel.com/

Is life worth living without coffee? We buy a years supply
at a time in green beans here
http://www.greencoffees.com/?gclid=C...FRsRagod7nVtWw

Roasting coffee is an art and science. You DON'T want
to do it in the house, so this is the perfect opportunity
to get familiar with your new kerosene stove. It's like
popping popcorn. No Really! We do it on the stove top
with a whirley pop popcorn popper. Word to the wise.
Get the one with the steel gears. Trust me on that
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.stovetop-popper.shtml

Then you must grind the coffee. We grind a weeks worth
at a time, so FORGET the cute little hand grinders. Coffee
drinking is serious business and not to be toyed with. We
use our grain mill for the job
http://countrylivinggrainmills.com/

We dumped our microwave in our quest for simplicity.
It went right out to the curb along with our electric
toaster but I love toast in the morning. Who'd a thunk it?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8586944

My lawn mower is next. I still have one, but I'll never
use it again. Sometimes the old ways are better. Use
a scythe! Trust me, it's actually fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugSO54WKm8I
http://www.scythesupply.com/

Last edited by Baggywrinkle; 09-14-2008 at 03:17 AM.
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Old 09-14-2008, 12:18 AM   #5
Baggywrinkle
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Default Re: Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

We are students of simplicity and seek solace in the methods of our fathers. In a world where children believe
that eggs come from the store we struggle to relearn what
an Amish child, or our great grandfathers took for granted.

We do not limit ourselves to a culture, but seek the best
that other cultures have to offer. This growing season the grandfathers of the first nation spoke to us and we tried - successfully - a three sisters garden. Food that we grow ourselves that will sustain us, as it sustained the ancestors for generations.

http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html
http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html
http://www.imrisk.com/threesisters/threesisters.htm
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/wom...en/garden.html

Suffering Succotash! The native grandfathers were very
wise. They knew better than poor white redneck farmers
how to eat the corn. The red neck may be a symptom of
pellagra because the corn was not processed with lye.
http://www.knowthelies.com/?q=node/2269
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Old 09-14-2008, 12:35 AM   #6
Baggywrinkle
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Default Re: Self-sustainability gardening and off-the-grid tools

On a small plot of land 100 ft by 100 ft it is possible to
grow enough wheat to feed a small family. Using simple traditional hand tools which are inexpensive to buy, inexpensive to maintain and will last a life time. It is
no different from growing grass and can be a bonding
experience for a family, a neighborhood, or a community.

Gene Logsdon's book Small-Scale Grain Raising
is a treasure which should be in every permaculture library

You may obtain a PDF copy of this treasure here.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/copyfor...ookcode=030210
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