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Anupam Mishra: The ancient ingenuity of water harvesting

Anupam Mishra: The ancient ingenuity of water harvesting

Terra Preta: Biochar And The MEGO Effect This month's edition of National Geographic has a feature article on "Soil", which looks at the steady degradation of agricultural land and the problem this poses in world where the population is heading for 9+ billion people - effectively calling attention to the "peak dirt" problem (however soil is renewable, so any "peak" should be able to be reversed if sufficient time and effort is put into doing so). The article uses an acronym I've never come across before to describe the problem faced by those trying to draw attention to the issue: MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) - a phenomenon which should be familiar to anyone who has ever talked about peak oil, global warming or any of the other "limits to growth". This year food shortages, caused in part by the diminishing quantity and quality of the world's soil, have led to riots in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The History Of Terra Preta The key ingredient is apparently the activated carbon in the charocal. Pyrolysis and Eprida Criticisms

How do I develop a conservation or land use plan for my property? - For New Farmers : New Farmer Q and A : develop a conservation or land use plan Whether you own, lease or rent your farm property, or work as a farm employee, a land use or conservation plan is a vital part of the farm business. Such plans consider the natural features of the farm. They provide guidelines and strategies for addressing the land use and conservation goals for the property as part of the overall business operation. They are a valuable tool for a wide range of natural resource concerns, from soil-building to manure management to sensitive areas management. Here are some things to think about: A land use plan includes an inventory of the natural features and resources of the property -- the soils, waterways, and woodlands, for example. Here is a sample of resources: General information and fact sheets on farm conservation practices is available from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Your local NRCS office can help with preparing farm conservation plans. Check out Conservation and Resource Management publications from NRAES.

Project Guide: Building A Wood Raised Bed Raised beds are a great cure-all for many types of soil or landscaping problems. You can build them on flat or sloped ground, or even right on top of concrete. They can be sized and shaped to meet your exact needs and you can fill them with topsoil and compost purchased from your local Home Depot, or found on your property. This project guide shows the basic steps for creating a rectangular raised bed with wooden sides. Preparation • If the soil within your raised bed area is workable, it should be broken up and improved. • Any wood you use should be naturally rot-resistant (cedar, redwood and others) or have been pressure-treated to prevent decay. Safety • Modern pressure treated lumber utilizing MCQ or MCA technology will not leach harmful chemicals and is considered safe for use around edibles. Savings • To save money on materials, consider using less expensive materials found locally, including landscape timbers, wood boards and scrap lumber.

Soil FAQ [Information extracted from several Internet sources] Newsgroups: rec.gardens From: Dave Platt Subject: Re: Artificial Lighting Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 19:44:02 GMT >I have heard and read warnings that Quartz-Halogen lamps which are >unprotected (through plain glass) are a source of damaging ultra >violet light. Damaging in the sense that it might cause skin cancer. There are two sorts of lamps that you might be referring to. One sort of "halogen" bulb uses a tungsten filament (just like a normal incandescent light) with a halogen added inside the envelope... they are "socket compatible" with ordinary incandescent light bulbs. The halogen helps keep the tungsten filament from evaporating (actually, it sequesters the evaporated tungsten and redeposits it on the filament).

Branched drain with exposed pipes | Greywater Action Goals: To reduce water use and grow fruit. Site description: The plumbing from the shower is exposed in the unfinished laundry room downstairs. There is enough height to travel outside to the landscape. The yard is already planted with fruit trees, fruiting vines, and veggie beds. Fixtures and output: One shower that is used for about 10 minutes per day (2.5 gallons/minute X 10 min= 25 gallons). Old plumbingThe plumbing from the shower was exposed in this section of wall. installing the 3-way One section of cast iron pipe was removed. Labeled 3-way valveAfter the valve is connected with the couplings, it enables the shower water to either go to the sewer (the pipe going into the floor), or outside through the new section of pipe exiting in front of the valve. ABS pipe going out ABS exiting house The shower water travel outside in an 1 1/2 inch ABS pipe with a continuous downward slope of 2% (1/4 inch per foot). Trench into mulch basin Home made valve box One year later trench for mulch

Laundry to Landscape Graywater Systems; Design and Parts Complete information from the original inventors by Art Ludwig We originated the Laundry to Landscape Greywater System and published it unpatented into the public domain in 2008 for the good of all. New Greywater Book and Video Set: The New Create an Oasis, Builder's Greywater Guide, Principles of Ecological Design, Laundry to Landscape instructional DVD $51.80 ($13 savings) Laundry to Landscape Instructional Video Produced by Art Ludwig, published by Oasis Design, 2010. 90 minutes DVD—$19.95 Soy ink color printed in a recycled cardboard case. Digital Download—$14.95 Choice of resolutions. The Laundry to Landscape system is the simplest, least expensive, lowest effort way to get the most greywater out on to the home landscape most effectively. Due to its inherent simplicity and low cost, it has been widely adopted, accommodated in building codes, the subject of numerous government rebates, workshops and government training. Here's the way it looks in print: Laundry to Landscape (PDF 1mb).

Landscaping Ideas > Landscape Design > Pictures: Learning Gardener Zen Landscaping Tips from the Eye of the Storm The Tao that can be spoken may not be the Tao, but the Zen that can be seen is definitely “on trend”. YardShare members Tracy and Wendy Evans show us how it’s done with their lovely landscape in Hurricane, Utah. Continue Reading Revel in These Charming Snowscapes Landscapes are usually most stunning during those times of the year when you can actually see the ground. YardShare to the Rescue in Sioux City YardShare member Masman35 in Sioux City is looking for some ideas to boost the appeal of a very plain yard. Video: Choosing A Site For A Vegetable Garden Ed Bruske, Master Gardener and president of D.C. The most expensive vegetables in your vegetable garden 5.3 years ago cheap, cilantro, garlic bulbs, organic, seedling, seeds, vertical gardening, winter garden Many vegetables can be expensive to purchase by growing the most expensive vegetables in your garden and buying the least inexpensive vegetables at your grocery store you can easily help drop your food budget. This especially important for people like me with very limited space to grow everything that I consume. It may be impossible to put a price on the satisfaction of bringing in a basket of produce fresh from your garden. As well as the enhanced flavors from having truly fresh produce from your garden compared to that of your local supermarket. I did a little research first to determine yields of various plants per square foot and secondly what the value (organic supermarket prices USD) of the yielded produce at harvest. Sources: for plant yield information, for current produce prices Like this: Like Loading...

» Frugal Methods on Dealing with Garden Critters Email My husband and I started a raised garden in April and our tomatoes are looking pretty good. They are plump but are still very green and hard. I was getting excited last week until I woke up one morning and something had taken big bites out of my best looking tomato! It looked like gnaw marks, so our best bet is that a squirrel has been in our garden. Here are a few frugal methods I have found to deal with garden thieves. Moth Balls The first suggestion that I was able to find online was to put moth balls around our plants. Before I go any further, please keep in mind that you shouldn’t do this unless you can monitor your pets and your kids at all times when they are anywhere close to the area! Long story short, I still had freshly gnawed marks on a few other beauties the next morning. Alternate Water Sources I grabbed a Styrofoam to-go container, washed it out, placed it about 5 steps away from my garden towards our tree, and filled both sides up with water. Alternate Food Source

raised garden beds: hugelkultur instead of irrigation raised garden bed hugelkultur after one month raised garden bed hugelkultur after one year raised garden bed hugelkultur after two years raised garden bed hugelkultur after twenty years It's a german word and some people can say it all german-ish. I'm an american doofus, so I say "hoogle culture". I learned this high-falootin word at my permaculture training. Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. I do think there are some considerations to keep in mind. Another thing to keep in mind is that wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen to do the compost thing. Pine and fir will have some levels of tanins in them, but I'm guessing that most of that will be gone when the wood has been dead for a few years. In the drawings at right, the artist is trying to show that while the wood decomposes and shrinks, the leaves, duff and accumulating organic matter from above will take it's place.

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