Category: Ethics

  • Step It Up Wednesdays: Garden Geeks Anonymous

    Step It Up Wednesdays: Wednesdays will now offer mind-expanding, mind-blowing elements of plant and garden.Please Share these posts to help Step Up our understanding, awareness and knowledge. And to start this series: From The Salk Institute – forever working for well-being. This is fascinating! And it explains why avocado skins at the bottom of my

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  • Radical and Root Have the Same Origin

    Most folks who follow me have no ‘edge’, no passion for the radical approach. Their gardening comes more from the institutionalized Master Gardener dogma perspective. I engage with them believing that there will be a moment when the light will go on and they will realize how strong they can be from seeing their place

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  • Spring Into Action 2

    Tasks for April 18:Pasture Management – move cows into Hayfield #2 to graze cheat grass and foxtail coming up. Duck Mulch – continue cleaning out duck pen and shelters and move to storage to compost. Also reduces mice, which reduces snakes close to the cabin. Rain Capture – install new parts for 250 gallon poly

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  • Spring Into Action 1

    Spring Task Series:Welcome to Spring at the Refuge!! A lot of the things you see here will be things you might also be doing around your landscape and gardens. Activities for April 16, 2023Plant herb seeds in window pots – #basil and #cilantro (how I miss homemade #pesto!!) Hook up all rain barrels- NOAA has

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  • Redemption

    My heroine & guruette:Alicia Bay Laurel #AliciaBayLaurel . In 1970 she wrote the handwritten, hand-drawn Living On The Earth. In recently re-reading it I became very unhappy with myself. So today I sought redemption. I split Russian olive firewood. I had forgotten the Zen of wood chopping, hurt my shoulder, regrouped and finished in the

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  • Response to the Question: Does planting by the moon really work?

    “Each plant in each specific location under each specific moment of conditions responds specifically. You can work to create the best set of circumstances to support and encourage the best ecology for that plant even to its best death. Study in-depth or take a seed and stick it in the ground and water it. Then

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  • Permaculture Strategies: Recycle,Reuse & Restore and Technology Transfer

    Permaculture Strategies: Recycle,Reuse & Restore and Technology Transfer

    Rural folks know that everything will eventually have a use. Parts and pieces pile up in sheds, barns, fields ~ frustrating the more organized members of each family. In this very short presentation the permaculture strategies of Recycle,Reuse, Restore and Technology Transfer might just clean some of that up and put it to good use.

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  • Permaculture Strategies: Restore, Conserve Resources & Observe Processes ~ Home Vineyard Cover Crop

    Permaculture Strategies: Restore, Conserve Resources & Observe Processes ~ Home Vineyard Cover Crop

    Wedge shaped tap roots, rhizobium bacteria in alkaline clay soil, rotational grazing by African Geese, restoring the compacted space of The Refuge’s small experimental vineyard. This short video describes the use of appropriate – custom blended – cover crop. There is genius hiding in the warehouse of the local feed and seed store; just have

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  • Permaculture: Question Authority

    A culture of personality, permaculture Fathers and their “North of the 38th Parallel” off-spring (again I have to say no Earth Mothers here) have found notoriety through online videos, bits and pieces of beautiful, lush and verdant landscape. One Father that has intrigued me for some time is Geoff Lawton. His most well-known project is the

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