Experienced homesteaders suggest that if you want to attract birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife to your rural homestead, plant and grow sage. Sage is a favorite in homestead herb gardens because it is one of the easiest plants to grow. A member of 200 genera and more than 3,200 species of the plant family Lamiaceae, […]
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6 Reasons Why I Chose Clover as a Living Mulch
I mentioned in my post about building raised beds that I chose to add New Zealand white clover to the edges of the raised bed to act as a living mulch. First off, I should explain what a living mulch is, and how it differs from a cover crop: “In agriculture, a living mulch is a
Hoop Houses
The earth may be giving, but the winds and the snows often conspire to take away that which the earth gives. So, for thousands of years people have been trying to protect a patch of earth from the vagaries of the weather. Enclosing an area and letting light in as a solution first appeared in
Like Mushrooms? You Could Grow Your Own House
A truly green home should use materials that are benign, from the factory to the 30th year of habitation. Impossible you say? Planetary ONE begs to differ.
Raising Baby Chicks: A Helpful Guide For First-Time “Parents”
My first baby chicks were an impulse buy. We had an empty chicken coop in the backyard and my roommate and I got over-excited. A week after moving into that house we were in the car with a heat lamp, a sack of chick feed, and six cheeping chicks in a box on the back
Straw Bale Greenhouses
Straw Bale Greenhouses
Outdoor Earth Ovens: What Are They, How Do They Work, and Photos
Outdoor Earth Ovens
Stacking Firewood
Stacking Firewood
The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature
The Fibonacci spiral appears not only in the perfect nautilus shell… …but in events and objects viewed from afar. An energy system in the shape of a fibonacci moves with limited losses. Hurricane Irene. What is the Fibonacci Sequence? The mathematics of the golden ratio and of the Fibonacci sequence are intimately interconnected. The Fibonacci
Flame Retardants
Flame Retardants are everywhere
Terrace Farming
Farmland shaped into terraces are built for long-term success. When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next level. Terrace Farming In China Terrace rice fields in Yunnan Province, China. Rice paddy cultivation has been in use for
Algae Streetlight
Microalgae Street Lamps (in prototype stage). French biochemist Pierre Calleja has invented a streetlight that is powered by algae AND which absorbs CO2 from the air. Pierre reports that one lamp can take 1 ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere per year. This is as much CO2 as an average tree absorbs during its
Microscopic Images Of Seeds
The diversity and intricacy of shapes and sizes of seeds is extraordinary. Even more amazing is that within even the tiniest of seeds lies the complete genetic information required to birth and structure such organisms as the complex passion flower, or a 360 foot tall sequoia. Seeds are also amazing travelers, either with the help of
Human Urine As Fertilizer
A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus wood ash (collected from a wood stove) produced as well, yet with the added benefit of reducing the acidity of the soil. The
The Story Of Our Waste
Each day we create an excess of waste that builds up in landfills, in our oceans, and in our bodies. Here is the story of our waste. We create a ton of waste everyday, there is no denying that fact. This is especially true if you live in the United Statesโ we would need FOUR
Appliances Of The Future
What will kitchens look like in 30 years? Likely, they’ll need to be much more energy-efficient and take up less space. Like these! Dishwasher Under The Sink Drain Dishwasher under the sink drainer by Cristiano Giuggiol. Good idea! The washing cycle takes only 6 minutes and uses 23 litres of water. www.coroflot.com The Kitchen Hideaway
Acronyms
Green Acronyms & Abbreviations A A Ampere AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science AABW Antarctic Bottom Water AAC Antarctic Convergence AAIW Antarctic Intermediate Water A AMS Arctic Air Mass AAMW Australasian Mediterranean Water ABL Atmospheric Boundary Layer ABW Arctic Bottom Water or Antarctic Bottom Water AC Alternating Current ACC Antarctic Circumpolar Current ACIA
Tiny House Bathrooms
The most compact part of a tiny house, square footage to function, is the bathroom. So much utility is squeezed out of this small area, itโs vital to make every unit of space as efficient as possible. This guide will help maximize your bathroom design for your tiny house, as well as offer some money-saving
Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Red Covers May Leach Dye
According to a recent email from the Feingold Association of the United States, Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Mild Cheddar suggests that Laughing Cow “was unable to be sure if the dye in the red plastic cover will leach out into the cheese.” You know which red plastic (I thought it was wax!) covers we are talking
How To Make Maple Syrup
It’s February in Minnesota, and we’ve already tapped our maple trees! We typically do this in March, when the temperatures are above freezing during the day and below freezing at nightโthis is when maple trees typically begin to fill with sap. This year weโve gotten a taste of spring quite early! Hopefully, this will mean
๐ Chicken Breeds Guide
If you want just a few birds, call up your local farm and garden store, and find out if they bring in live chicks in the spring. Otherwise, you can get on craigslist and see if someone is selling. Check out our article on buying chicks. Browse By Chicken Breed: Which Chicken Breed Is Right
Leghorn
Characteristics The bright orange-red hackles, flame-red single comb, and iridescent green sickle feathers of a Red Leghorn rooster are a synonymous symbol with everything rural. Even those with no knowledge of chickens could identify a Leghorn–the image is found everywhere, from โWelcome Homeโ signs to sports mascots. The white variety of the Leghorn is just
Root Cellars: The Original Refrigerator
Root cellars are the original refrigerator. Back in the days before refrigerators were invented, homesteaders stored their produce, among other things, in the root cellar. They have been around for a very long time. Many homesteaders still prefer letting the Earth’s natural coolness keep our vegetables fresh, rather than refrigerating. Root Cellars: The Basics Root cellars
Chicken Feed
Mixing your own feed ration, rather than buying prepared feed, is one of the best ways to save money if you raise chickens (or any animal). You can also be certain about the quality and origin of what your animals are eating. However, to make sure your birds stay healthy, you have to mix the