Dangerously organic!

October 2008 Blog Posts (25)

Living Off-The-Grid

Mycol giving a presentation at www.indigogreenstore.com workshop

(photo by Michael Levin www.zoobird.com)

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" ---Oscar Wilde

Living off-the-grid means living without public utilities like electricity. People who live off-the grid may not depend on municipal water, sewage, or natural gas. It also can mean you're self-sufficient in various ways. There are many third-world… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 30, 2008 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Bicycle Commuting

Why bicycle commute? Save money on gas, relax both your sphincter and your environmental footprint, and just have fun in general. You might have reasons not to bicycle commute like “I can’t run around sweaty at work”, “It’s not feasible to ride the distance to work”, or “I’m in no shape to bicycle commute” if you don’t commute already.

With a little planning and ingenuity you too can join the ranks of the commuters or forge our own trail and be a code…

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Added by Michael Levin on October 28, 2008 at 6:00pm — 1 Comment

Farming With Nature

Added by bob on October 24, 2008 at 11:56am — No Comments

Seeds of Self Reliance

Seeds of Self Reliance

Seeds of hope, through

fertile tilth of our imagination,

Join moist soil to

Promised Harvest.

Seeds of wonder, through

hard coat of innate knowledge,

Unfold the miracle to

Food and Fiber.

Seeds of life, through

herited labors of generations,

Nourish and bind ancestors to

Our Children.

Seeds of cooperation, through

shared work and common… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 24, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments

The Wings of Time

The wings of Time are black and white,

Pied with morning and with night.

Mountain tall and ocean deep

Trembling balance duly keep.

In changing moon, in tidal wave,

Glows the feud of Want and Have.

Gauge of more and less through space

Electric star and pencil plays.

The lonely Earth amid the balls

That hurry through [...]

Ralph Waldo… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 22, 2008 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

A Walk in the Woods

I like the woods first. All that other stuff is a lot of fun and a living, but oxygen, Trees, self-sufficiency, rippling creeks, coffee in the morning while everything is wet with dew and you're not, a good lantern, having good things to eat in the wild, coming back to the campsite - your campsite, then moving to another campsite, looking up at all the stars and recognizing a constellation and seeing a shooting star, then writing something in a journal by candlelight,… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 21, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Survival Garden

John Lipscomb shows how he protects his food in a situation of necessary caution. In case of emergency you will not suddenly retain this vital informative video on how to Obtain WATER and FOOD.…

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Added by bob on October 21, 2008 at 11:22am — No Comments

How to make a survival water filter.. Cheap and Easy, and may save your life!

SurvivalistSeeds

DOOMSDAY Water Filter: without water - you die! I invented this incredible nearly indestructible portable, gravity fed, 3 stage, all-natural inner filter system, collapsible 10 gallon water filter that will last 100 years guaranteed and can convert most any water into clean drinkable water. As a practicing survivalist, I've used it hundreds of times in every water situation possible and have… Continue

Added by bob on October 21, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

Seed Saving Secrets

Seed Saving Secrets

The Magic of Seed Saving

Brought to you by SurvivalistSeeds

We invite you to rejoin a ritual as old as civilization, a ritual in many ways responsible for civilization. Eons ago, a tribal farmer found a corn cob slightly larger than a fingernail. This farmer took care to save the seeds from the largest and best ears, plant them and harvest anew. There is no way to count the number of times this ritual… Continue

Added by bob on October 21, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

www.survivalistseeds.com/ HEIRLOOM SEEDS!!!!!!!

SurvivalistSeeds

Your order will contain 15 seed VARIETIES, a total of 12,000 - 100% HEIRLOOM SEEDS. Compare my healthy long-term food solution to retailers whom provide 10 - 20 sterile seeds per packet and charge $3.00 a packet or OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS for what you are getting at $158 from me.

I grow all that I offer here. Because of demand, I purchase 50 to 250 pound containers for each of my varieties so I can get these… Continue

Added by bob on October 21, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

A Trip to Villin Cycle Works

(photo from the Villin website)

I was browsing craigslist for bikes and ran across a "locally made" Villin fixie for $1200 "originally $1700". "Hmmm," says I. "What is this shop called Villin?" So, I googled Villin and found http://www.villincycleworks.com/ I read Villin's philosophy: "Consider purpose. Since the industrial revolution, workers have…

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Added by Michael Levin on October 19, 2008 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Garden Fresh Breakfast

Ron gave me some inspiration for this simple, amazing breakfast. He said tarragon went great with eggs. In my case, egg, because I read that the RDA is 300mg cholesterol and one cage-free specimen has 215 mg.

Read the… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 18, 2008 at 7:56pm — No Comments

Gainesville Regional Utilities Pays for Solar Energy!

(Photo of Zoobird Mycol Stevens by Mike Levin)

GRU offer energy incentive: Did you know that GRU currently offers a one-time rebate for installing solar panels. GRU also pays for excess… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 17, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments

Russell Home is in need of support

My need to share with all of you this information arised after visiting their location. It was the gratest eye opener of my life.

The Russell Home for Atypical Children in South Orlando has been in continuous operation for over 50 years without any government support,is the only private, non-profit facility of its kind for severely handicapped children in Central Florida.
Russell home web site: http://www.russellhome.org/

Added by Jose PM on October 17, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

Joe the Gardener

What a day at the garden!

I did some weeding. I'm planning to plant some of the heirloom daikon seeds that Sh'mal and I saved from his daikons. I also have some Mammoth Spineless Okra and Beauty Bell Sweet Pepper from Seeds of Change that I bought at local Ward's Grocery. Ron and I also talked about his work with Asian Elephants and the NGO he founded, The Conservation Initiative for the… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 16, 2008 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Peppers from McRorie Garden

The peppers from McRorie Garden are tasty, mild and addictive!

Ron Chandler gave me a handful of peppers the other day. I still have a few left. They are the ones you see on the left of the photo above. The 4 round ones are tangy and a little hot. Ron described the long one, the one you see with a little bit out of it, as hot. But, I think it's pretty mild.…

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Added by Michael Levin on October 15, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Desperate Needs for Haiti

* Many families have lost everything to recent storms.
*25,000 to 30,000 houses are destroyed and
*up to 500 people have died nationwide.
*over 300,000 People have very little access to food and clean water,
*and major crops have been destroyed.
Interested to help?: http://www.appealmma.com/

Added by Jose PM on October 15, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments

Composting

Today, McRorie Community Gardeners talked about composting. Maura said "When I was bringing my compost to the garden yesterday, I noticed a rat (I think) in the compost heap. I don't want to be supplying rats with a food source (in consideration of the neighbors, among other reasons). I'm wondering if anyone has any…

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Added by Michael Levin on October 14, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Grow Your Own!

To tell the Truth but tell it slant -

Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight

The Truth's superb surprise

As lightning to the Children eased

With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind

Emily Dickenson

A controversial YouTube video about high fructose corn syrup prompted one viewer to comment that some tea is… Continue

Added by Michael Levin on October 14, 2008 at 11:27am — No Comments

Another Great Day at the Garden

Another great day at the garden! Ron Chandler explained how his circular gardening techniques worked. If you click the picture below, you'll see the album and some are annotated with details about circular gardening. Mary was all smiles because her seeds were sprouting.