I had to choose. I couldn't do it all. Seventeen Choices for the first hour, 17!!! I found 5 of interest. But since I lost my time travel unit. So I chose door number one, then two, then one. The one that most interested me was 'getting the most nutrition from your garden' . Now this was presented as putting food by but turned out more interesting. The color of the veg can tell you what bioactive phytochemicals it contains. They basically help us humans fight disease and repair cell damage.
So clearly, eating a WIDE VARIETY of COLOR is beneficial in more ways than just pretty for the eyes. I can tell you right now I am about tired of eating beige and brown food. ( I didn't put any food by this summer and I am hoarding what is left of my carrots...gulp) So when you decide to preserve your yummies for eating in the dead of beige food times... its important to retain all those nutrients, for beauty as well as nutrition.
Next the whole 2000 of us squished into a room the size of a NYC apartment to pik up trix on trellisin. We were entertained and took home some ideas for our beans and maters.
Time is moving fast and it was Saturday already and I barely have any swag.I even brought my large backpack! The vendor corridor was overwhelming, I got distracted by some chicks. Did you know that guinea fowl eat ticks?! I tell ya these peeps were very popular.
I loaded up on seed catalogs. Chatted up the Vermiculture dude. Picked up brochures on worms and compost and Bio Tech innovations. How to grow ginseng, blueberries and taters. No Till concept, Permaculture, seedsaving. and Lions and tigers and BEARS oh my.
But you know there are other classes to get to before the ice storm cometh....
The next choice was a favorite of mine, counteracted all the first day depression. Again it was so much more than the title exposed... Greenhouse systems for year round food production without fuel or pesticides. Now that sounds good all by itself. But Ana Edey founder of Solviva creates a world where we can all live self contained without having to buy food, but in fact selling what is left over. We use the sun for energy and heating and animals for heating backup and food. And its all right there in your 2,000 squarefoot green house. All the animal air is cleaned by what she calls an Earth Lung, sent into the plants for them to use and then of course they dispense the oxygen for us. The unit can produce fish, eggs, meat, vegetables and herbs year-round, without any heating fuel or cooling fans, and without any toxic pesticide. And the animal wastes do not cause water pollution.Here is a little looksee at One of her greenhouse sketches I borrowed from her website ( http://www.solviva.com/recommended_reading.htm) Website is a little frustrating, she builds these amazing houses, not websites... On the left is the veg & plants and a fish farm an the lower right is the animals and above right is the living quarters. I can't do it justice here, but if you look into it, it is absolutely doable and incredible. She lived and worked the green house for 9 years, so it has been done. Oh PS: composting toilets was another aspect to these houses. WOW.
Takes living sustainably to a WHOLE other level. check it out, whynot!...
So the only other exciting bit of news I have is that I am totally doing a worm farm, my little bit of sustainability; recycle kitchen scraps & newspaper, make dirt and compost tea for the health of plants. I will start small and who knows maybe by mid summer I will have compost tea for you to use ... afterall I did get a round tuit ....
Guineas are great!. They will clear bugs out of a property in very short order, but they make a wretched noise. And try to chase cars.
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