Search Results for: label/animals

64 results

The Most Beautiful Shed in the World

Mr. Homegrown
Design
3 Comments
...mall tunnels under the studio bring rare reptiles and amphibians into view through the floor-level window. The water collection basin that doubles as the front step draws in birds and deer. At midday, the silhouettes of these animals project from the water onto the interior ceiling. Windows on the west and north sides frame different bird habitats—the tops of fence row trees and the patch of sky at a hilltop updraft. The roof diaphragm amplifies...

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What’s Your Personal Food Policy?

Mr. Homegrown
Food, Thoughtstylings
13 Comments
...217;s house. I’m not sure I can still do this. As Michael Pollan says, “Were the walls of our meat industry to become transparent, literally or even figuratively, we would not long continue to raise, kill, and eat animals the way we do.” And those walls have become transparent to me. I’ll happily eat meat, but only if I know it was humanely raised or hunted. So, dear Root Simple readers, what’s your personal food pol...

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Book Review: My Side of the Mountain

Mrs. Homegrown
Reviews
20 Comments
...his own in the wilderness, but also that once I got a little older maybe I could do the same thing, too. From an adult perspective, I can see why this book enchanted me as a child. George has a keen eye for nature, especially animals, and a deft hand with description. The basic fantasy of running away and living in a tree with animal friends was irresistible to me as a child, and still has strong appeal for me an adult. (I’d allow Mr. Homeg...

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Essential System #7 – Repair Kit and Tools

Mr. Homegrown
Preparedness, Tools
RLeave a comment
...ng! 4 split shot sinkers – also for fishing 1 snap swivel (#10) 1 filament (10 meters) Beyond having enough items to repair virtually anything, this tiny kit can be used for signaling, trapping, fishing, filleting small animals and first aid. A tip of the SurviveLA hat to Box and Enci for producing an innovative response to the problem of how to lug around basic essentials!...

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Country Wisdom

Mr. Homegrown
Resources
RLeave a comment
...letin published in the 1970s and oriented to the “back to the land” movement of that time. While geared to country living there is plenty in here for city dwellers such as ourselves. Divided into sections covering animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and wellbeing, and home repair/construction, Country Wisdom has straightforward advice with clear illustrations. While we don’t anticipate having to skin and eat bear anytime...

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Peat-free Planting Mix Recipe With Coconut Coir

Mrs. Homegrown
Gardening, How-to, Soil, Vegetable Gardening
21 Comments
Nancy’s coconut coir-based planting mix. Here she’s doing the squeeze test, which we talk about below. From an environmental perspective peat moss is a nightmare. Mining of this material is unsustainable, contributes to global warming and destroys habitat for many plants and animals. But, for starting seeds, we’ve used it for years. Our friend Nancy Klehm taught us recently how to make a seed starting mix with coconut...

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Leaf Litter

Mr. Homegrown
Permaculture
1 Comment
...need for “order” and “tidiness” in your garden will make a huge difference. . Order and tidiness by definition reduce structural diversity in ecosystems. Structural diversity provides shelter for many animals for many purposes. In short, when it comes to fall leaf raking, just say no, be a slob and be proud of it. The mulch created by leaf litter serves multiple purposes. All those fallen leaves provide shelter for benefi...

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So Much Poultry, So Little Time

Mr. Homegrown
Animals, Chickens
6 Comments
...ms to the inner city. Maybe it’s already been done, but from what I’ve been told urban 4-H clubs are all about nutrition, science fairs, and maybe training guide dogs. Kids desperately need contact with nature and animals. Let’s grow some food! But we may need to hippify the uniforms a bit . . . -When the economy hits the skids people start thinking about keeping chickens. I spoke to the editor of the always informative Backyard...

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Guyaba Guayabas (Psidium guajava)

Mr. Homegrown
Food, Gardening
9 Comments
...market. The tree seems fairly drought tolerant, but more productive with water. Guava expert Leslie Landrum notes that the guava is a “weedy tree, a tree that likes disturbance. It likes to grow along roads and in pastures. Animals eat the fruit and spread the seeds around.” It’s also a fruit so tasty that creekfreak occasionally has to chase off guyaba rustlers poaching specimens off his tree....

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California Buckwheat

Mr. Homegrown
Food, Foraging
RLeave a comment
Here’s a plant SurviveLA would like to see in more Southern California gardens. California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum) has multiple uses–it provides cover and nectar for animals, grows with almost no water, and best of all it produces edible seeds. We’ve gathered the seeds we’ve found in fields and baked it into bread and added it to cereal to both boost nutritional value and to add a nutty flavor. The...

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