The last five years have been the hottest ever recorded. Sea levels are at the highest in human history . . . the point of no return is no longer over the horizon. It is in sight and is hurtling towards us. The United Nations’ Secretary General, António Guterres, stated this at a press conference … More #GivingTuesday: Help a Different Type of Sustainability Nonprofit
I was recently in our perennial fruit plot spreading straw over the strawberry beds. I was thinking of the word strawberry as I worked. In German, it is Erdbeere, which means “earth berry.” In Spanish, fresa, which comes from the Latin Fragum and can be compared to French fraise and Italian fragola. Most food words in … More Putting Strawberries to Bed for the Winter. Wait “straw”berries?
This article on the Restoring Mayberry blog, by regular contributor Brian Kaller. If you ever wanted to see what the world might look like after the Tribulation, you could do worse than visit the Burren land on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. Most of my adopted country still looks as lush and green as in … More A Different Kind of Childhood — Contribution from Brian Kaller
It might surprise you to read that our post on different types of beehives is the most popular blog entry of all time. About once a month I get a call or email asking to ship a long Langstroth hive out to folks in California, New York, or other far-flung locations. Unfortunately, the shipping is … More Long Langstroth Hive Build from Twin Bees Apiary
The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming novel EcoGuerrillas. Like agriculture, every aspect of our material culture is subsidized by fossil fuels. The idea of “energy slaves” allows us to conceptualize the degree to which we are dependent on cheap and abundant fuel to produce things and use appliances. In 1940, R. Buckminster Fuller … More Basic Stances – Materials
Marie Kondo has been exploding across social media and the news since her Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo was released around new year. January 1st is when so many of us try to start new habits, and the timing of this show was not random. Indeed, at this time last year, I read … More Marie Kondo, Minimalism, and Stuff
The institute will be assisting with an agricultural study in 2019. Please see below and get in contact with Scott if interested in being a paid participant in this study. Study Summary Companion planting has become a popular way to increase yield, better utilize garden space, and encourage symbiotic relationships among plants. This study will … More Call for Study Participants — Three Sisters, Companion Planting
Worms have their likes and dislikes, but luckily for any would-be worm farmer, they are not as picky as kids (or some adults). Worms are vegetarian and the bins need a carbon-and-nitrogen mix, just like a normal compost system. The “Do-Feeds” Worms like neutral or basic pH foods that are moist, soft, and bite sized. … More Vermicompost 101 — Feed the Worms
Cursory web searches for “vermicomposting” turn up images of stacked bins, but worms are not picky and thrive in many configurations. We can quickly satisfy what the worms need and then concentrate on what system is best for the worm farmer. The Worm Real Estate Market Red wrigglers are near-surface-dwelling earthworms, staying in the top … More Vermicompost 101 — Worm Housing
Red wrigglers are complex composting machines! They’re built to live underground and eat their way through decaying material, leaving behind worm castings, otherwise known as “compost gold.” External Anatomy Red wrigglers are tube-shaped animals made up of up to 120 segments. The name of their phylum — Annelida — comes from the Latin phrase “little … More Vermicompost 101 — Worm Anatomy