Comments on: Chicago’s Vulnerability http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/ Sustainable Living: The Heart Of The Matter Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:24:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Deb http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/comment-page-1/#comment-8461 Deb Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:40:42 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=1108#comment-8461 I've been volunteering on a no-till farm in Rainier, learning about Native American farming methods that do not involve plowing or weeding or disturbing the soil at all. It's the easiest, most prolific method of gardening I've ever seen. Layer 4 inches of chicken manure, 20 inches of straw, 2-3 inches of compost. Scatter seeds and water. That's IT except for thinning & harvesting. He harvests the seeds by letting everything go to flower (and doing rotational plantings to keep things coming in between), then cutting the flowered plants down, laying them on a tarp to dry, then beating them with sticks to shake the seeds loose onto the tarp. The bees thrive on the flowers, we need to let our crops go to flower! It is amazing how much food can be grown in a small space. If we would eat seasonally as our ancestors did, and store foods as our ancestors did (root cellaring can be done in the most limited of spaces), we could avoid much of the waste and big carbon footprint that is occurring. It is frightening how dependent our food supply is on oil. We need to return to paddlewheels on waterways, trains, and locally grown whenever possible. Less waste is also key! incidentally, the no-till farm website is www.earthdoctorscommunity.org, and the farmer is Earl Renfrow. He recently relocated to a 22 acre site in Rainier, OR and hasn't yet updated the website, but he's working on it. I’ve been volunteering on a no-till farm in Rainier, learning about Native American farming methods that do not involve plowing or weeding or disturbing the soil at all. It’s the easiest, most prolific method of gardening I’ve ever seen.

Layer 4 inches of chicken manure, 20 inches of straw, 2-3 inches of compost. Scatter seeds and water. That’s IT except for thinning & harvesting.

He harvests the seeds by letting everything go to flower (and doing rotational plantings to keep things coming in between), then cutting the flowered plants down, laying them on a tarp to dry, then beating them with sticks to shake the seeds loose onto the tarp. The bees thrive on the flowers, we need to let our crops go to flower!

It is amazing how much food can be grown in a small space. If we would eat seasonally as our ancestors did, and store foods as our ancestors did (root cellaring can be done in the most limited of spaces), we could avoid much of the waste and big carbon footprint that is occurring.

It is frightening how dependent our food supply is on oil. We need to return to paddlewheels on waterways, trains, and locally grown whenever possible. Less waste is also key!

incidentally, the no-till farm website is http://www.earthdoctorscommunity.org, and the farmer is Earl Renfrow. He recently relocated to a 22 acre site in Rainier, OR and hasn’t yet updated the website, but he’s working on it.

]]> By: Alison http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/comment-page-1/#comment-8457 Alison Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:22:14 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=1108#comment-8457 Colleen, I like your idea. Trains are great. Also, I've read that 27% of U.S. food gets thrown out, often because we let it rot or otherwise haven't stewarded it well. That could change! At the least, if we have to throw food out, we can compost it so it becomes nutrition for our soil. Colleen, I like your idea. Trains are great. Also, I’ve read that 27% of U.S. food gets thrown out, often because we let it rot or otherwise haven’t stewarded it well. That could change! At the least, if we have to throw food out, we can compost it so it becomes nutrition for our soil.

]]> By: Colleen http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/comment-page-1/#comment-8454 Colleen Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:09:52 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=1108#comment-8454 Sometimes I wonder if we had a greater number of faster trains in America (and a better-connected network of tracks) if food could be brought into cities at a fraction of the carbon-footprint. This is not to say that I don't support the idea of urban gardens -- but people can't really have cows or grow wheat in the cities. Sometimes I wonder if we had a greater number of faster trains in America (and a better-connected network of tracks) if food could be brought into cities at a fraction of the carbon-footprint. This is not to say that I don’t support the idea of urban gardens — but people can’t really have cows or grow wheat in the cities.

]]> By: Alison http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/comment-page-1/#comment-8453 Alison Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:48:10 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=1108#comment-8453 Lou, good point. I'm enthused about the new generation, too, and their willingness to deal with climate change. Though I don't have children of my own, I engage with them every chance I get. Lou, good point. I’m enthused about the new generation, too, and their willingness to deal with climate change. Though I don’t have children of my own, I engage with them every chance I get.

]]> By: Lou Grinzo http://www.diamondcutlife.org/chicagos-vulnerability/comment-page-1/#comment-8451 Lou Grinzo Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:59:46 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=1108#comment-8451 The part of this (excellent) post that really resonated with me is the last graf, about not clinging too tightly to something destined to change. I think people have a natural tendency to do exactly this, and it's why the biggest changes will come from generational turnover. I did a series of presentations at a local middle school, and I was stunned by the sheer determination of those kids to "fix" our climate mess, Right Now. Sure, part of that was youthful exuberance and naivete, but I think most of it was simply that they're a new generation growing up in a much different world than what I saw as a kid. We need them to grow up quicker, sad to say. Time is running out. The part of this (excellent) post that really resonated with me is the last graf, about not clinging too tightly to something destined to change. I think people have a natural tendency to do exactly this, and it’s why the biggest changes will come from generational turnover.

I did a series of presentations at a local middle school, and I was stunned by the sheer determination of those kids to “fix” our climate mess, Right Now. Sure, part of that was youthful exuberance and naivete, but I think most of it was simply that they’re a new generation growing up in a much different world than what I saw as a kid.

We need them to grow up quicker, sad to say. Time is running out.

]]>