Build a Solar Dehydrator

October 1, 2008

Appropriate Technology, Preparedness, Solar

...this “Appalachian Dehydrator”, designed by Appalachian State University’s Appropriate Technology Program, in the February/March 1997 issue of Home Power Magazine. The February/March 1999 issue of Home Power features a refinement of this plan, but we just built the original design and it works fine. The original plans and improvements to those plans are split between two articles: Issue #57 and Issue #69. You need to download and read through both...

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I don’t hear you singing in the wire . . .

Mr. Homegrown

June 14, 2008

Thoughtstylings

2 Comments

...radio (perhaps a good idea considering AT&T’s repair service–I’d hate to see what they’d be like in an earthquake). In the meantime we leave you with a song that seems appropriate under our circumstances, Wichita Lineman, often described as the “first existential country song”:...

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Allium ursinum

Mr. Homegrown

April 2, 2008

Gardening

1 Comment

...ves in moist, acidic soil–forest conditions, in other words. In short, not appropriate for our climate in Los Angeles, but folks in the northwest might consider planting some. Like all members of the Allium species it’s toxic to dogs, but we’ve never had a problem with our dog eating onions (he prefers raiding our avocado tree and tomato bushes for illicit snacks). Special thanks to Steve Rowell of the Center for Land Use Interpretation for the ph...

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Washing Machine Greywater Resources

Mr. Homegrown

May 26, 2009

Water and Power, Water Conservation

5 Comments

...sis Biocompatible detergent, the only laundry detergent we can find that’s appropriate for greywater use. It works great and, again, click through the link and we get a little support. A selection of three way diverter valves. Note the 1″ brass model for laundry systems. Use these diverters to shift between sending your greywater outside or back to the sewer. Great if you have to do a load of diapers. We don’t have one, but we’re both cheap and ki...

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What’s Your Personal Food Policy?

Mr. Homegrown

November 22, 2012

Food, Thoughtstylings

13 Comments

...chizophrenic food policies, I thought the Thanksgiving holiday would be an appropriate moment to define my own personal food policy. But as I started to write down my personal food policy I discovered so many contradictions and exceptions that I just stopped. My own personal food policy, when considered honestly, was almost as tangled as the USDA’s. Yes, sometimes we manage to grow all of our greens, but other times bugs/bad soil/forgetfulness in...

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