'Eco-Friendly' and 'Green' do NOT mean what people think!

Picture Citation

I am very uncomfortable using terms like ‘Eco’ or ‘Green’ these days.  They seem to have been stolen and twisted into marketing strategies with no real meaning behind them.  To be honest I am tired of hearing these words and I never use them.  It has become a way for people to be complacent and stop thinking.  People are really kidding themselves if they think they can working within our crumbling, industrial infrastructure without causing environmental damage.

Eco-Friendly laundry detergent is all fine and dandy, but is it really?  Inert biochemistry is great and it definitely helps.  But even if what is inside of it is biodegradable, how did it get onto that shelf?  It was probably created in a very un-green way with a very ecologically damaging infrastructure and supply chain.  The collateral damage associated with its production, distribution and packaging are not eco-friendly in any sense of the word.

Buying a Prius is not green.  Do you have any idea how much energy and infrastructure go into making a car?  It doesn’t really even matter what powers it.  Not having ANY car would be truly green.  Riding a bike is more green.  Riding a horse is pretty dam GREEN.  An oxen pulled wagon carrying produce to the neighborhood market is REALLY FRICKIN' GREEN.

What matters is the lifestyle choices you make, not what purchasing choices you make.  What matters is what you can provide for yourself or go without so you don’t have to buy it!  If you burn carbon but sequester far more than you are burning through agroforestry or rotational grazing, then you may be on the path to becoming ‘green’.  Becoming a carbon and pollution sink is what makes you ‘green’.

These are a few questions I try to ask people before I work with them to find out if we have a similar vision.  I am probably forgetting some stuff and it is by no means a complete list, but it gives me a good idea if we will be able to work together.  There is almost nobody that does all of this so the answer to every question does not have to be yes.

1)      What does ecological farming or homesteading mean to you?

·         What do you think the difference is between organic and ecological farming?

·         Would you be willing to sacrifice productivity of one particular crop in order to increase overall productivity and fertility through diversification?

·         Are you willing to be flexible and adapt to the ecology instead of forcing it to adapt to you?

·         Are you willing to adapt your gardening and farming strategies to work with the least amount of inputs possible?

·         Are you willing to move away from intensively managed annual systems and towards perennial grasslands, plants, orchards, and natural systems?

·         Are you willing to set aside portions of your property to exist in a natural, unmanaged state with native plants?

·         Are you willing to save money by putting some energy and capital into building infrastructure that will decrease the need for energy and inputs later?

2)      Do you use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and if so would you be willing to stop?

·         What chemicals have you used in the past?

·         Would you be willing to use ecological diversity to solve these problems instead?

·         Are you willing to us medicinal plants to keep your animals healthy as a pre-emptive measure?

3)      How do you feel about ornamental lawns and landscaping?

·         Would you consider converting your lawn to pasture, orchard or gardening space?

·         Are you willing sacrifice order for a more chaotic and natural beauty?

·         Are you willing to let crops, trees, pasture and shrubs grow naturally and allow the animals and livestock to do their job?

4)      How do you feel about managing and encouraging insect populations and wild life on your property?

·         Would you live along side insects such as ants, bees, locusts, spiders, wasps, sow bugs, earwigs, centipedes, millipedes and aphids without using destructive measures to control them?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to live with moles and gophers?

5)      How do you feel about livestock and eating animal products?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to take on chickens, rabbits or guinea pigs?

·         Would you be willing to take on goats, pigs or cows?

·         Would you be willing to manage your animals in a rotational grazing system using a series of hard fenced paddocks or temporary fencing?

·         Will you try to produce their food on-site?

·         Are you willing to eat, sell, or barter your animals as a population management strategy?

6)      What does the word ‘Green’ mean to you?

·         Are you willing to try and supply as much of your own food as possible?

·         Are you willing to make increasing fertility and building soil a priority?

·         Are you willing to harvest water for consumption and irrigation?

·         Are you willing to re-use grey and black water?

·         Are you willing to compost or mulch any organic waste you have?

·         Are you willing to use worm or insect cultures to manage waste?

·         Are you willing to make bioremediation a priority?

·         Are you willing to create products like soap, fuel, or clothing from the byproducts of your operation?

7)      Are you willing to change your habits and design priorities to meet the needs of the system as opposed to your own preconceptions?

·         Will you give priority real estate to plants and animals based on their needs?

·         Are you willing to place labor intensive and high traffic areas like composting systems and chicken coops close to your home for quick access?

·         Are you willing to eat new foods or sacrifice old ones based on the needs of your system?

·         Do you and would you be willing to eat ‘in season’ and store food for the winter?

8)      Are you willing to use design to decrease your need to expend energy?

·         Would you buffer your house using vegetation?

·         Would you consider a rocket stove for heating?

·         Would you use passive solar energy to heat and cool your home?

·         Would you use stone, cobb, earth, bricks, concrete and water to create thermal mass?

·         Are you willing to manage woodlands for fuel wood and construction materials?

·         Would you switch to solar or hydro-generated electricity?

·         Are you willing to build with natural, existing, or recycled materials?

Invasive Crab Species Returns Balance To Cape Cod Salt Marshes

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardiidae_Carcinus_maenas.JPG

Most of the time a new species are introduced, they cannot survive the local ecology.   But there are instances where they fill a role and are able to reproduce. Most of the time this ends up being a bad thing.  In some cases it can be a good thing.

In this particular situation the native crab species Sesarma Reticulatum population has grown out of control.  They subsist on marsh grass and have thus done great damage to the ecosystem in the area.  The reason this has happened is that the native fish species who prey on them have been overfished and they can no longer control the crab population.  Despite the fact that all native species are present, an imbalance remains which is causing devastating consequences.

Enter Carcinus Maenas.  This green crab species kills or displaced Sasarma from their burrows.  Their food needs are different and they do not feed on the marsh grass.  Since their accidental introduction, the marsh grass is restoring itself to health.

This is another example showing that nature will often find a balance if we allow it.  We can try to eradicate invasive species, but there is often a point at which more harm is being done than good.  It is always prudent to prevent the introduction of invasive non-natives.  But healthy and diverse ecosystems are often able to protect themselves.  Disturbance creates opportunity

Whether or not this new species is truly a good thing remains to be seen.  When the scenario balances out will the native crabs still remain?  Will the marsh grass over grow?  Will the invasive crab switch its diet when the native crab species are suppressed?  This story warrants careful observation in the future.

Invasive Crabs Help Cape Cod Marshes

These are the types of stories we try to bring you.  It helps to understand the kind of damage that mono crops and non-ecological food production methods create.  Modern food production is the single most destructive thing that our civililzation participates in.

Here is a list of a few other stories we have brought you in the past:

Gypsy Moth Problem Beginning To Resolve Itself
Beavers Are Engineers Of Structural Diversity And Biodiversity
More On Beavers And Trophic Cascade

The Newest Big-Ag Answer To All Our Woes! More Systemic Toxins And More Dependence On Them!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_bullworm.jpg

Commercial agriculture already reached the point of lunacy back in the 50's.  Its been clear over the subsequent decades that it is both extremely destructive and unsustainable.  Not only that, life has found a way to fight back as it ALLWAYS does.  Their product is becoming less and less viable as pest species adapt to their model. 

What is their answer to this issue?  More of the same!  More GMO with more systemic toxins.  More poison going into our food and our bodies.  Isn't it interesting that their solution involves more dependence on them

I am sorry but this is absolutely infuriating.  Thankfully, it seems that the backlash is much bigger this time.  People are beginning to wise up.  But honestly I doubt anyone is going to do anything about it.  Its time we began to remove ourselves from this model voluntarily.  If there is no market for these products, nobody will produce them. 

It is also interesting that one of the solutions to resistance has been to provide a trap crop for non-resistant insects.  This is a Permaculture principle that has been around for a long time.  Chicken soup anyone?

I have often maintained that healthy populations of pest species are essential.  All this business about 'beneficial' insects is fine and dandy.  But healthy ecosystems and insect populations require ALL links in the food web.  Plagues come from unbalanced and unhealthy ecosystems.  STABLE pest populations develop STABLE predator and disease responses.  The more diverse the ecosystem, the more resilient any single crop will be.

The problem is that nature is now adapting to our overall strategy.  Nature does not compartmentalize issues and develop canned responses like scientists in laboratories do.  Nature develops whole-system responses to all issues.  If we continue to fight this, we will expend ever increasing amounts of time and energy maintaining a crumbling agricultural infrastructure that is quickly becoming obsolete.  Ultimately, however long we choose to drag this out, there can be only one outcome. 

We can no longer consider ourselves separate from nature.  Choosing to work within the framework we have been provided is the only solution.

http://phys.org/news/2013-03-multi-toxin-biotech-crops-silver-bullets.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-06-larger-refuges-sustain-success-transgenic.html#nRlv

Project Proposal - Ridgefield

One Green World Online - Check it out for Edible Landscapes!

I had a chance to see this place first hand.  Its an interesting operation.  They seem to be true edible enthusiasts.  I purchased a huge amount of bare root strawberries of different varieties here.   Virtually all of them have rooted and started growing in far less than optimal weather.  On my 10 acre project in Estacada the owner has already planted many trees and shrubs from One Green World, most of which seem to be doing quite well.

Many of their trees and shrubs are very small.  This is not a problem if you have patience and a green thumb.  Its the species and varieties that they carry which make them such a treasure.  If you are looking for that one plant like 'sea buckthorn' or any other obscure Permaculture perennial, check this place out.  They seem to specialize in temperate perennials but that is not all.  They have a huge catalog of all edible plants.  They mostly all over the U.S. so it would behoove you all to check it out.  Not sure about international.

Proposal - Hollywood District

Dandelion

Would pigs enjoy this dandelion? Does it break up soil? How many times has this plant been topped?  It is quite clear how this is a perennial.  The dandelion is soil busting, mineral mining, great food, and has great roots.

Video on How Composting Toilets are Combating Cholera in Haiti

It is interesting to see how bio-remediation can be such an easy solution to our problems.  As Bill Mollison said 'Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple'.

My Visit to the Healing Ponds Farm - Please Forgive The Formatting!

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Today I visited the Healing Ponds Farm.  Located in the coast range of Western Oregon, it is a 38 acre operation with several ponds and a multitude of animals.  It is run by a charismatic man named Mark who is an animal enthusiast in every sense of the word.  

The farm has a store located in Beaverton, OR where they sell their products.  Included are several invertebrates and their supplies.  Everything one needs for mason bees, nematodes, ladybugs, and red wigglers can be found.  Call ahead at 503-646-6859 for availability.  Share programs for raw milk products and pastured meat are available.  They also sell soap, seed, feed, equipment, eggs, ferment starters, live animals, and much more.

I was greeted at the front gate by a very intimidating, but friendly and enthusastic akbash guardian dog.  This beautiful dog is bred to guard livestock and roams the property freely.  Mark says that he has no predator problems and the dog is essential.

The central thrust of the operation is its fowl.  Turkey, Chicken, Geese, Duck, and Muscovy are found in mixed flocks.  There are several movable forage coops for meat birds on pasture.  The stocking rate for the meat birds was very low and I was pleased to see almost complete ground cover in their paddock.

The laying ducks and geese are furnished with a large half-acre plus pond which is spring fed.  Located around the banks of the pond are small laying houses where the eggs can be easily collected.  The dam of this pond was not provided enough free board and the sides were too steep.  The overall thickness of the dam is not substantial enough and there is a great deal of leakage, requiring a great deal of attention.  Mark is aware of this and is currently working with a specialist to resolve his leakage issue.

Inside this pen below the pond and dam, the turkey and their roost are located close to the house.  Chicken layers are located in octagonal, open aired chicken runs with attached laying houses.

Closer still are the beehives.  Located on top of a hugelkultur bed, they have a prominent position, which gives them access to our infrequent winter sunlight.  Even in late winter, they can be seen coming and going.   These Warre hives are more square than the far more recognizable Langstroth hive.  Their advantages are that they provide a simple top bar with a triangular attachment.  The bees are allowed to build their own comb at the size they choose.  This helps them combat many of the common ailments they have such as tracheal mites and varroa mites.  The comb is not reused, which further helps the bees to keep their hive clean, healthy, and free of toxin build up.

The farm also has goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle for both milking and meat.  I had the pleasure of seeing two small goat kids just hours old.  Grass cover in some of the paddocks was patchy and drainage poor in our clay soils.  No doubt the situation will be drastically improved as summer comes.  A classic pig aerator very similar to that described by Joel Salatin was one of the first things that I saw as I walked in.  This pig is feeding on pungeant, fermenting bred buried within the compost.  Mmmmm yummie!

In this classic scenario, the goats have been put in a pen full of blackberry bramble.  While the other blackberry patches in Oregon still have leaves, these ones have been savaged and are nothing more than sticks.  Mark says that they do the job thoroughly and completely.  Goats are an underused resource in the battle against this highly invasive and destructive species.  Goats are notorious for eating just about anything.  Even the bark and the lower branches of these pine trees did not escape! 

Two connected geodesic greenhouse domes had aquaponics systems, which were unfortunately idle.   But the system was well designed for heat retention and thermal mass.  It was quite warm inside despite being in the 40’s.   The house was also designed for thermal mass and low energy consumption.  It was very comfortable. 

Windows allow sunlight in which easily heats the house.  Vents in the roof and side windows of the sun room take advantage of prevailing winds and thermal convection to remove excess summer heat.  Its one of the better designed systems I have seen.  The fireplace provides the needed thermal mass despite no sign of a fire going. 

If you are in the Portland/Beaverton are I encourage you to make the trip to the Healing Ponds Farm and Garden store.   Its hard to capture the essence of the entire place but I was pleased to see paddock rotation at work.  Its difficult to see what this land is capable of when grass growth is so slow during the winter.  But no doubt accelerated grass growth will help to mitigate drainage and compaction problems in the clay soil.  I hope to see this farm again when the paddock system is its its full summer glory.  

Mark has plans on expanding one of his paddocks into a large garden and move into produce production.  Diversification is a key factor in both business and ecology.  This will no doubt be a wise move for the farm.  Please take the time to visit the Healing Ponds Farm and Gardern Store website to see everything that they have to offer. 

Gypsy Moth Problem Beginning To Resolve Itself

Try not to interfere and nature will find a way.  Gypsy moths are succumbing to their own natural pathogens, which have followed them from overseas.  A deadly fungus, which is spread via spores on the wind and a virus spread by physical contact, are helping to put this invasive species in check.  Additionally, parasitic flies, which target the caterpillars, are helping to spread the pathogens even faster.

How does this connect to your garden or food forest?  Allow biological pestilence to resolve itself whenever possible.  Don't freak out at the first sign of aphids or hoppers and start spraying and dusting everything.  Doing so often does more harm than good.  You will end up killing many of your natural controls.  If a particular pathogen or pest is affecting your plants, are you doing enough to diversify your stock or provide competition from other fungi or bacteria?

If you have healthy habitat and biodiversity, then predators and other population controls will balance things out.  You should never expect to rid yourself of every last grasshopper or flea beetle, but you can render them relatively harmless by having a diversity of plants, animals, insects, fungi, and bacteria to begin with.  For every pathogen, there exists a biological control.  In some cases, the control will be extinction of the host.  But with diversity, this will not matter that much in the long run.  

Why spend all your time fighting the inevitable?  Allow nature to do the work for you.  If a pest exists in an environment long enough, it will eventually be mitigated.  Whether it be by disease, birds, insects, or a multitude of other reasons, the result is eventually the same.  With aphids this can happen in the course of a couple weeks.  In some cases it may take a couple of years, but it will happen.  Since gypsy moths are invasive and from another continent it took a little longer.  However, even they are succumbing to the inevitable.

http://phys.org/news195325791.html
http://phys.org/news/2011-09-viral-gene-sick-gypsy-moth.html

Picture Citation:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aleiodes_indiscretus_wasp_parasitizing_gypsy_moth_caterpillar.jpg

Aquatic Earthworms Play A Role In Rice Cultivation

This is something I have not heard of before but it makes sense.  There is a place called Workman Creek in the Sierra Ancha mountains of Arizona that I used to visit every summer.  It is an extremely rich environment within an old growth forest.  The creek is virtually choked with woody debris.

The picture shown on the left is something I saw on at least four occasions that I can remember.  Are these aquatic earthworms?  I am not sure to be honest.  But seeing them repeatedly leads me to believe that this is normal.

Evidently similar aquatic eathworms play an importand role in rice cultivation.  It makes sense that their actions would help to cycle nutrients into a form usable by the rice and and prevent stagnation by oxygenating the muddy soil.  When combined with aquaculture, they surely provide food for fish, birds, crayfish, and a multitude of other creatures as well.  Everyone knows the benefits of worm castings in the garden.  There is no reason to believe they aren't just as magic in aquatic environments.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130206121322.htm

More on Beavers and Trophic Cascade - Wolves, Elk, Willow, Beavers, and Geese

Unfortunately, it appears that simply bringing wolves back into Yellowstone is not enough to repair the the beaver population:

http://phys.org/news/2013-02-yellowstone-ecosystem-wolves-willows-elk.html

 

Let me explain from the beginning.  Wolves had been completely extirpated from Yellowstone by 1926.  This had a two-fold effect on elk within the park.

First off, the elk population skyrocketed.  With no predators to cull the herd, the population grew unchecked. This was in fact the intention at the time, but is an ill founded concept.  It was shown by a famous account from Aldo Leopold that the mule deer population exploded after the removal of predators from the Grand Canyon in the early 1900's.  Over browsing destroyed the ecosystem and the population soon crashed.  To further exacerbate the issue, the land has now been so damaged that the overall carrying capacity for mule deer and other herbivores has been greatly diminished.

Aldo Leopold on Trophic Cascades:

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/22138/RippleWilliam.FERM.LinkingWolvesPlants.pdf?sequence=1

A similar incident has taken place in Zion National Park.  Riparian cottonwood forests have been greatly diminished and the ability of the park to support grazing and browsing animals has been damaged.

Impact of a cougar decline on Zion Canyon, Zion National Park:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/parkscience/index.cfm?ArticleID=318&ArticleTypeID=28

Similar studies have taken place in Wisconsin.  So this is a well studied issue.

The second effect was that the eating habits of the elk changed.  Previously, they had avoided areas with thick cover where predators could hide, such as aspen and willow forests.  Sticking to open pastures and meadows allowed them more time to react to approaching wolves.  Without fear of predators, elk were free to move in and apply additional pressure to sapling regeneration.  As the trees aged and began to decline, they were not replaced by younger trees.

Of special importance in this instance is willow.  Willow are a species of tree which help to engineer their own environment.  Willow slows down streams and prevents erosion.  Their absence has caused streams to create deeper gullies and speed up as erosion increases.  Willows need slow moving water to establish themselves.  So this cycle is self reinforcing, without slow water, there is no willow and without willow, there is no slow water.

What does this mean?  This affects ground water and stream side plant communities.  Water quality is diminished by more silt and temperatures rise without tree cover.  This affects the ecology within the streams all the way to the microbial level.

But most of all it affects the ability of beavers to move back into the environment.  Beavers cannot function in fast moving streams and must have a certain set of circumstances present before they can do their job.  Without willow, the right conditions for beavers are not present.  Since they help engineer their own environment in the same way that willow does, their absence also negatively reinforces their ability to move back into the environment once gone.

It is not just a simple matter of reintroducing wolves and watching everything go back to the way it was.  Trophic Cascades are far more complicated than that.  In this case the lands ability to 'carry' beavers has been greatly diminished.  That is not to say that there has not been SOME recovery, but it just has not been what they hoped for.  Some areas may take longer and others may be permanently unable to provide beaver habitat.

Since beavers have such a monumental effect on riparian ecology and forest dynamics, this affects the entire system.  Populations of aquatic invertebrates and fish like trout may be affected.  Migrating birds and waterfowl like geese have less habitat:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213132328.htm

Other terrestrial birds, rodents, and invertebrates may be affected by loss of nesting trees and food sources.  Vegetation regimes are greatly altered and the list goes on and on.

This is the essence of a Trophic Cascade.

See our previous entry on the importance of beavers in their ecosystem:

http://agroregeneration.blogspot.com/2013/01/beavers-are-engineers-of-structural.html

Picture Citation: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Longford_Stream_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1398014.jpg

One Species of Bacteria Plays a Major Role in the Carbon Cycle

New discoveries are being made about a certain species of bacteria which plays a major role in the carbon cycle.  Its so important that changes in population density can actually effect atmospheric composition and disrupt food chains in the ocean.

It turns out that there is a particular species of virus which keeps this bacteria in check.  This constant pressure from the virus keeps the bacterial population steady. Interesting how something this important could be missed for so long but its not at all suprising to those that have an understading of ecology.

Making new discoveries like this just goes to show how infinitely complex ecology and nutrient cycling can be.  Seems dangerous to assume that disrupting ecology is OK in light of continued discoveries such as this.  Every time we think we 'get it' it turns out we are missing major pieces of the puzzle.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213132323.htm

Excellent Paper on Landscape Scale Polyculture

This is a really interesting paper I found on Polyculture.   It was dedicated to Bill Mollison.  Australia just seems to be light years ahead of everyone else when it comes to this stuff.  There is a bit of scientific jargon in there but its done in a way that is still easy to understand.  It could be a great reference resource for landscape-scale planning.  Its a PDF so enjoy!

Polyculture Production Principles - Benefits and Risks of Multiple Cropping Land Management Systems for Australia

Picture Citation: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Intercropping_coffee_tomatoes.jpg

Crop Residues May Produce Energy - But Is This Really The Path We Want To Take?

One of the last ways we can still naturally protect and create soil is through agricultural residue.  Existing soil is protected and nutrients are recharged by using this age old practice.  Even this meager resource is now at risk.  Don't get me wrong, its not that I can't appreciate the idea of utilizing all your resources and not being wasteful.  But in a system that is already so extractive to begin with, do we really want to take the last bit of organic matter out of the system?  I suppose that the land is probably so damaged at this point that it doesn't really matter.  Its nothing but a sponge for chemicals.  But it definitely highlights the fact that we are STILL moving in the wrong direction.

I would certainly rather they do this than to open new crop lands for ethanol.  But, bio fuel is a trojan horse plain and simple.  It is just not a viable solution to our energy issues.  There is no way that we can produce enough bio fuel to make a real difference without opening vast new tracks of farmland and/or increasing food prices dramatically.  It still emits CO2 and its simply a way to perpetuate the combustion economy while appearing to be 'green'.  The fact is that bio fuel can be MORE harmful than oil.  It takes more energy to make than it produces and would further stretch our dwindling resources.  Even if they don't open new farmland to this process, the crop residue they are using will just need to be replaced with MORE PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS BYPRODUCTS!

So how is this helping anything?  We need to stop thinking in an extractive way and start thinking in a more regenerative way.  We need to think about extending the energy we do have and using less of it.  That is the technology that is going to make a difference.  We need to invest in sources of energy that keep on giving.  We must change the way we use energy by capturing the energy that is all around us.  We must reorganize our economy and distribution to use the least amount of energy possible.  Lastly, we must take responsibility for our OWN food and energy needs.  This is more than possible and it is the only way to get away from this mega-centralized, Soviet-style energy and agriculture system we are addicted to.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130131121022.htm

Picture citation: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2004_0609_Italian_ryegrass_cover_crop

Aquaponics Paludarium running 6 years now...

This my demonstration paludarium.  Its been running for about 6 years now.  It incorporates terrestrial, marginal, vertical, and aquatic elements.  Its made from 40 gallon tall glass tank which was drilled for an overflow and return.  Originally the pump was in a compartment underneath the terrestrial area but getting to it for any maintenance proved too difficult.  The solution was to build a sump tank (seen below).  There is a drip filter with bio balls, a sponge filter, and the rest of the substrate is hydroton clay balls.  There are guppies and a goldfish in the aquatic area and canyon tree frogs in the terrestrial area.  The plants are cilantro, philodendron, and bamboo. 

The canyon tree frogs are native to Arizona.  This one is 4 years old and still kicking.

Here is a side view.  There were agave in the cracks of the cork which is attached to the back wall.  These became too large and had to be removed.  I once had mint but it became too aggressive.  I also had a yucca which oddly enough did very well in the marginal area where its feet were always wet.  This eventually became too large as well.  The aquatic plants are anubias, red dragon, and bunching crypts.  I rarely ever change the water.  I feed insects to the fish and frogs.  Their manure fertilizes the plants.  When I clear out plants I am effectively 'cleaning' out excess nutrients.  I then feed the plants to my insect cultures and the cycle starts over.  The insects also process my food scraps.

For a picture of my roach culture see here: http://agroregeneration.blogspot.com/2012/07/blaptica-dubia-feeder-roach.html

Science Daily is Confused on Some Issues

I was actually going to write a whole article (and may still) on the many uses of willow.  But I came across all these articles that just had my head spinning by the time I was done reading them.  Evidently, Science Daily is very confused about both African savannahs and bio fuel.  I could go on posting other links, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  

What are your thoughts on this matter?  My guess is probably that fuel wood is being depleted in Africa and biofuel, while more than possible, is a trojan horse which will cause far more damage than good.  Isn't it time we move past combustion as an energy source anyway?  

Perhaps its time they stopped being so damned impartial and actually do a little investigation and research of their own!  Its not like I expect you to be out there with test tubes and sample jars.  Just explain how these articles relate to each other! 

I realize these summaries are from different viewpoints, timelines, dates, regions, and data.  I don't doubt that there is evidence to support all of these arguments.  But wow, if you are going to do a summary of each one, can we at least get a little bit of consensus?  Can we refer to other articles that WE have posted and perhaps explain their relevance to the subject in the light of the new data WE are presenting now?

At least I know that I can trust them to be impartial.  Really, really, impartial..... 

Savanna Study Highlights African Fuelwood Crisis

Africa's Savannas May Become Forests by 2100, Study Suggests

Savannas and Forests in a Battle of the Biomes

Photovoltaics Beat Biofuels at Converting Sun's Energy to Miles Driven

Wind in the Willows Boosts Biofuel Production: Trees Grown Diagonally Produce Five Times More Biofuel

Cost-Effectiveness of Biofuels and Their Ability to Cut Fossil Fuel Use Questioned

Environmental Benefit of Biofuels Is Overestimated, New Study Reveals

Algae Biofuels: The Wave of the Future

Portland State University Using BSF To Process Organic Waste

Evidently Portland State University is experimenting with using black soldier fly larvae aka 'BSF' to process organic waste on a large scale.  They really offer so many benefits its difficult to understand why this has not happened long ago.  We have posted about BSF before.  They are amazingly efficient and produce incredible amounts of protein.

Ladies and Gentlemen - The Amazing Black Soldier Fly

Beavers are Engineers of Structural Complexity and Biodiversity

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beavers_work.jpg

I find the link to the article below interesting since it seems to concentrate on how we can restore streams by mimicking beaver behavior.  Why not just bring beavers back into the landscape and they will take care of the job themselves?  This is a fundamental flaw in our way of thinking.  Even conservationists can fall into this trap.  If something has to be managed, then there is probably a better way of doing it.  Better to engineer an environment fit for the engineer, than to do the engineering yourself.  Humans should be the administration, not the labor.

Either way the article does stress how important beavers can be in the landscape.  This is something that anyone interested in nature knows to a certain degree.  They create ponds, braided channels, log jams, and add huge amounts of woody debris to streams and rivers.  Their actions create environmental complexity which greatly increases aquatic biodiversity.  They play a fundamental part in hydrology and recharge the water table.  They also play a fundamental role in riparian forest dynamics, creating structural diversity and keeping the forest in a state of flux.  There are entire ecological communities that depend almost completely on the actions of the beaver, making them a cornerstone species.

The fact that broad scale ecology-based agriculture tends to rely so heavily on retention ponds just stresses this fact even further.  Keyline design relies heavily on the retention of water in the landscape.  The idea is to keep it there as long as possible so it can percolate into the ground, recharging aquifers and smoothing out flood regimes.  These ponds and channels are often used for fish and plant aquaculture and to provide water for livestock.  Recharging the aquifers also increases plant growth and can create perennial water ways out of seasonal ones.  Biodiversity and micro climates are increased along with drought resistance. 

These are all benefits provided by beavers but even Keyline cannot provide all the services that beavers do.  Ultimately, Keyline is static while beaver activity is constantly in flux.  Keyline does not include the organic component of wood in the process, a major part of structural diversity and nutrient cycles.  It also does not include the forestry activities of beavers.  We can continue to try and engineer our way out of our problems, but isn't that what got us into them in the first place?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110331.htm

Permaculture Introduction by Jack Spirko

Jack is a dyed-in-the-wool survivalist in the truest sense of the word.  He has all the traditional values of a American survivalist.  Even if you don't agree with all of his themes, you will find his Podcast and his Video Series to be a very informative on ecology based farming methods and land use.  His pragmatic approach can appeal to those of all persuasions.  He is extremely intelligent, articulate, and has an incredible wealth of information.  This is the first of a series of many videos on his youtube site.  Please check out his podcast as well.  Its has many survivalist themes but hundreds of references to permaculture, ecology, and land developement.  With over 1000 podcasts, he has something for everyone and you can easily search for what you are interested in.   So don't let politics deter you from using this guy as a resource!

Here is the video:

Here is his podcast:

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/

The search field is in the top right hand corner.

EU considering ban on major pesticides

This is good news to everyone because it sets a great precedent.  I am not going to elaborate too much.  The title of th actual article is more sensationalist than reality.  The EU is considering a ban on neonicotinoides.  These are only a portion of the pesticides in use but are some of the most harmful.  Lobby action has prevented this for a long time and Europe is ahead of us on this issue.

http://phys.org/news/2013-01-eu-hints-insecticide-threat-bees.html

More on Forest Death vs Logging and Nutrient Cycling - Hugelkultur?

More on dead forests versus logging and Nitrogen runoff.  These Eastern forests have suffered extensive die off from the wooly adelgid.  They are seeing they same kind of nitrogen uptake by the surrounding plants as in beetle killed forests in the west.  In this scenario the nutrients leaching out of the dead wood are allowing the surrounding plants to take up the excess Nitrogen.  Since the dead wood is being left in this case just as beetle kill, is this scenario playing out in Western forests as well?  Just another part of the puzzle. This just goes to show that there really is more than one reason for this Nitrogen uptake and why leaving behind woody biomass is so important.  Logging can be very extractive and non-renewable if done incorrectly.  I cannot help but think that the remaining wood is also taking up Nitrogen as it decomposes just as it does in hugelkultur.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220143949.htm

See original and more extensive commentary on the beetle kill article here..

http://agroregeneration.blogspot.com/2013/01/lessons-in-hugelkultur-and-nutrient.html