TPH Episode 28

Welcome back Homesteaders! Today we take a closer look at how we came by the idea of the perfect lawn and how we can change it. Today's Creepy Critter is the Big Eyed Bug and we have a real life tale from the Appalachian Mountains.

http://www.american-lawns.com/history/history_lawn.html

http://organiclawncare101.com/history.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/garden/in-philadelphia-a-garden-grows-wild.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper

Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community by H. C. Flores

Big Eyed Bug

Hot Hot Hot!

Can I say that again? Oh my gosh it's hot! We have been suffering with 100+ temperatures since the middle of June and it's really beginning to take its toll. The garden isn't looking to good due to the heat and the lack of rain. The zucchini plants and the squash have given up but the tomatoes are hanging in there.

This time of year it may seem impossible to grow anything but we do have a few plants that seem to be doing well despite the baking temperatures.  Being new to gardening we are still learning a lot and one of the big things we learned this year is we need to start earlier and we need to learn which plants do well in the heat so we can still have something growing in the summer. Sweet potatoes do very well in warmer temperatures and ours have taken off. They love the heat and have been growing quite well. Maybe we will get a decent sweet potato crop this year.

Several of the herbs seem to be enjoying the warm weather as well. The sage plant had taken off when it was cooler but its growth seemed to have slowed as the temperatures got warmer. I harvested the taller stalks and now it is growing vigorously again. Despite the temperatures the mint is doing great! One of the plants in particular is well shaded and has been growing like mad. I have already had to harvest some so it can continue to grow. Some of the other herbs that are thriving include the thyme, marjoram, lemon balm, and bee balm.

Recently we went to a feed store that we had not been to previously. We found tendergreen bush bean and wando pea seeds. Both of these are supposed to be heat tolerant so this may be something we go ahead and try this year. If we plant them soon, they could be ready by fall. If we don't try them this year we will definitely put them on our list of summer plants for next year.

I can honestly say that we have learned some valuable lessons this year with our garden. You can read all you want to, but by getting in there and doing it you will learn more than any book can teach you. Hopefully we can take our lessons from the spring and have a more successful fall garden. 

TPH-Episode 27

Welcome back Homesteaders! Have you melted yet? We're doing our best not to but the heat is taking a toll on the garden. In today's show we will be discussing the element of Fire and we cover Tennessee Fainting Goats in the Ancestral Animals segment. To start with though, I touch on the issues with the debt ceiling and rant on for a bit about gardens in the front yard.

Grow veggies = Go to jail
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/michigan_woman_faces_jail_planting_veggie_garden.php
http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/

Wood Cook stoves
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Stoves___Cook_Stoves___Wood_Burning_Cook_Stoves___The_Sweetheart_Wood_Cookstove___2603?Args=

Masonry Heaters
http://mha-net.org/
http://www.grannysstore.com/Do-It-Yourself/masonry_stoves.htm

Rocket Stoves
http://rocketstove.org/

Ancestral Animals



International Fainting Goat Association John Savage 1039 State Route 168 Darlington, PA  16115  USA Office phone: 724-843-2084 Office fax: 724-891-1440 Office email: IFGA@accuRegister.com www.faintinggoat.com

Myotonic Goat Registry Tara Lawrence 3174 Valley Ford Road Adger, AL  35006  USA Office phone: 205-425-5954 Cell: 205-451-9442 Office email: myotonicgoatregistry@yahoo.com www.myotonicgoatregistry.net

Books
Permaculture: A Designers Manual by Bill Mollison  www.powells.com

Earthbag Building by Kai Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer  ISBN 978-0-86571-507-3

TPH-Episode 26

Finally! After getting through some technical difficulties I finally was able to get this episode up. My apologies for being late but hopefully the next one will go a little smoother. In today's show I talk about wind turbines and introduce today's Not So Creep Critter, the Assassin Bug.

Not so Creepy Critters


Book Review
The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining by Inc. Foxfire Fund and Eliot Wigginton

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine

TPH-Episode 25

Life interferes once again! This is another shorter-than-usual show but I plan on recording again this weekend to attempt to get on a better schedule. This week I wax a little philosophical about the Summer Solstice and Pagan values. Also, I did manage to put in the Gardening by the Moon segment. And don't forget to check out the news headlines in the shownotes!

Headlines

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/12/06/america_collapse_2025

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/big-banks-have-sold-us-out-democrats-and-republicans-have-sold-us-out-no-one-defending-our-i

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/06/us-economy-decline-recovery-challenges

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2011/06/head-of-saudi-electric-company-says-oil.html

http://gregor.us/fossil-fuels/2010-oil-story-drawing-down-the-inventories/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Gregorus+%28Gregor.us%29

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/10/us-opec-idUSTRE75924U20110610

http://planetark.org/wen/62288 Colorado snow pack

http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/10/news/economy/drug_shortages_fda/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

http://www.countercurrents.org/greer290511A.htm

http://www.yahoo.com/?ilc=1 What happens after Greece defaults?

http://blogs.forbes.com/christopherhelman/2011/06/16/could-we-see-a-summer-oil-shortage-this-economist-says-yes/

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_blotter_0617.3ca001474.html Copper theft

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/trading-over-counter-gold-and-silver-be-illegal-beginning-july-15

http://www.businessinsider.com/nebraska-nuclear-meltdown-2011-6

http://www.businessinsider.com/ron-paul-1970s-stagflation-2011-6

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/greece-expected-to-default-even-after-a-second-imfeu-bailout-2299570.html

TPH-Episode 24

Despite the fact I had no shownotes ready I still managed to get a show out! So enjoy today's ramblings about chickens, worms, and whatever else comes to mind!

http://rivenfae-wolfwoods.blogspot.com/

http://www.redwormcomposting.com/buy-composting-worms/

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm

News Links
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/us-house-price-fall-beats-great-depression-slide-2291491.html

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/berlin-conference-20-russia-bail-out-hyperinflationary-belarus-colonization-scramble-heats

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/spiegel-reports-greek-bailout-2-surpass-%E2%82%AC100-billion

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/20-facts-about-us-inequality-everyone-should-know

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-03/crude-oil-declines-as-u-s-jobless-rate-climbs-to-highest-level-this-year.html

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/are-nuclear-chain-reactions-still-occurring-fukushima

http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/9335-the-peak-oil-crisis-an-announcement.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-02/moody-s-says-u-s-may-be-cut-if-no-debt-limit-progres.html

TPH-Episode 23

Welcome back Homesteaders! Today we will be looking at the Earth element and discuss how to build and use an A Frame Level and a Bunyip Water Level. Today's Ancestral Animal is the African Goose.

Song: The Earth is My Church by Freedom People from Peace, Love, Music

http://reap-eastafrica.org/blogs.info/reap/AmLeaflets/A%20Frame.pdf

http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Bunyip-Water-Levels-and-A-Frame-Levels-Appendix-2.pdf

Bender, Marjorie; Sponenberg, D. Phillip; Bixby, Donald. 2000. Taking Stock of Waterfowl: The results of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's Domestic Duck and Goose Census. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Holderread, Dave. 1986. Breed Bulletin #8623, "African Geese."

Holderread, Dave. 1981. The Book of Geese: a Complete Guide to Raising the Home Flock. Hen House Publications. Corvallis, Oregon.

Johnson, Willis Grant, and George O. Brown, eds. 1909. The Poultry Book. Doubleday, Page & Company.

Malone, Pat; Donnelly, Gerald; Leonard, Walt. 1998. American Standard of Perfection. American Poultry Association, Inc. Mendon, MA.

Breed clubs and associations: The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312, (919) 542-5704, email albc@albc-usa.org, www.albc-usa.org

American Poultry Association, PO Box 306, Burgettstown, PA15021, email secretaryapa@yahoo.com, www.amerpoultryassn.com

Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, Dr. Charles R.H. Everett, Secretary, 122 Magnolia Lane, Lugoff, SC, 29078, email crheverett@bellsouth.net