Saturday Linkages: Sidewalk Koi, Papercrete, Jaywalking and How to Grow Fresh Air

August 3, 2013

...uildingblog.com/straw-bale-dome-home-in-france/ … Do-it-yourself Pole-barn Building http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/do-it-yourself-pole-barn-building/ … Fitness Healthy Design: 3 Core Engaging Chairs http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/three-unusual-ergonomic-task-chairs-191874 … Gardening How to Grow Fresh Air http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/how-to-grow-fresh-air/ … Secret Garden of Survival – How to Grow a Camouflaged Food Forest http://www.na...

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Composting the Deceased/ My DIY Funeral Fantasies

Mrs. Homegrown

December 9, 2013

Composting

47 Comments

...of Composting Humans or Animals: This is entirely above ground. First you build a platform of sticks/small logs to provide drainage and aeration, about 1.5 feet high. The deceased is placed on the stick pile. The body is covered with a 1 foot layer of mixed greens and browns–the makings of compost. Then over that goes a massive pile of carbonaceous material (“browns”: dry leaves, wood shavings, etc.). This layer is to be 10 to 12 feet deep. Huge!...

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Extreme Low-Tech Communication

Mr. Homegrown

December 10, 2013

Appropriate Technology, Preparedness, Water and Power

5 Comments

...over 1,000 miles by yelling Morse code with his own voice into this primitive home-made transmitter, nicknamed “El Silbo.” No power was used other than that generated by his own voice vibrating the microphone (which was a re-purposed speaker). If you want to build your own here’s the circuit schematic and more details. And here’s Rainey, back in 2009, using El Silbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6G_yGDbgEY#t=0 On a side note, can we please app...

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Straw Bale Garden: What I Learned

Mr. Homegrown

November 12, 2013

Gardening, Straw Bale Gardening, Vegetable Gardening

29 Comments

...decided to continue straw bale gardening on a smaller scale. I’m going to build some raised beds and fill them with soil, but I’m leaving room for two bales to grow nitrogen hungry crops, principally squash. I’m also planning on building a box to hold those bales so I don’t have to stake them every season. Like most things in life it’s not an either/or proposition. You can have a conventional vegetable garden and save some space for straw bale ga...

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Book Review: The Urban Bestiary

Mrs. Homegrown

October 10, 2013

Animals, Reviews

8 Comments

...s and basements. We can stop leaving pet food and garbage outdoors. We can build sturdy chicken coops. Name your pest, and there’s something we can change about our environment to make it less attractive to them. As they say, the best offense is a good defense. Beyond that, we can accept occasional messes, losses or frights as part of what it means for us to be alive, to be animals interacting with other animals in the world. I’m writing this with...

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