Homegrown Evolution in the LA Times

...he summer of 2006 of tomatoes supported by one of the obelisks. With a backyard dominated by two large shade trees, the parkway, with its excellent sun exposure, is the best location for us to grow food. We invite neighbors to share our harvest, and to answer a commonly asked question, we’ve never had a problem with anyone getting greedy and taking all the tomatoes....

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Stoicism as a Toolkit for Modern Life

...iques for keeping our heads screwed on straight in troubled times. Growing food, doing stuff with your hands, drinking homebrew with friends–all these kinds of things help keep us grounded and hopeful. But sometimes you need a little more help. Maybe we’ll call these posts “When chickens aren’t enough.” Whether the world is ending or not, it’s important to have a tool kit for dealing with stress and anxiety. Stoicism, an ancient form of philosophy...

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Saturday Linkages: Makers, Haters and Beekeeping Donkeys

...zilian model offers post storm hazard tree assessment: http://ow.ly/1PuiKX Food Preservation Homemade Cranberry Jelly and Pickled Cranberries http://www.foodinjars.com/2012/11/homemade-cranberry-jelly-and-pickled-cranberries/ … Makers Step-by-Step Tiny Home Design & Construction http://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/2012/11/step-by-step-tiny-home-design.html#.UKbP0iPHQeI.twitter … Open Source Ecology’s “Build Yourself”: http://boingboing.net/2012/...

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Saturday Linkages: I’m tired of doom, let’s garden and make things . . .

...er planting: intuition vs. reality: http://ow.ly/1WWQXg Praise for Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land http://j.mp/ZekBDm DIY Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam + Rhubarb Recipes from the Archives http://www.foodinjars.com/2013/05/small-batch-strawberry-rhubarb-jam-rhubarb-recipes-from-the-archives/ … A home-brew helicopter in Africa: http://www.afrigadget.com/2013/05/30/kiambu-chopper-et-al/ … Small batch artisanal high-fructose corn syrup: http...

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Straw Bale Garden Part III: Adding Fertilizer

...a, on philosophical grounds, but blood meal, a byproduct of our industrial food system, doesn’t make me feel much better. Urea would be a lot cheaper. Perhaps the best solution would be human urine. Throw a week-long party, serve a lot of beer and invite your guests to fertilize your bales! Undiluted human urine has an NPK ratio close to that of blood meal. Those of you who have experimented with straw bale gardens please leave a comment on what f...

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