Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.
To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.
The Frugal Roundup
How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)
Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)
Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)
Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)
40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)
Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)
5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance
THX THX
Nzu, Traditional Remedy for Morning Sickness
Audience: Consumers, Obstetrical healthcare professionals
The Texas Department of State Health Services and FDA notified healthcare professionals and consumers, especially pregnant or breastfeeding women, to avoid consuming a product called “Nzu”, taken as a traditional remedy for morning sickness,because of the potential health risks from high levels of lead and arsenic, noted on laboratory analysis by Texas DSHS.
Exposure to lead can result in a number of harmful effects, and a developing child is particularly at risk of effects on the brain and nervous system.
Arsenic is a carcinogen, and excessive long-term exposure to it has been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including cancers of the urinary bladder, lung and skin.
Nzu, which is sold at African specialty stores is also called Calabash clay, Calabar stone, Mabele, Argile and La Craie. It generally resembles balls of clay or mud and is usually sold in small plastic bags with a handwritten label identifying it as “Nzu” or “Salted Nzu.” Anyone who has been ingesting the product should contact their health care provider.
Any adverse events that may be related to use should be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program online [at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm], by phone 1-800-332-1088, or by returning the postage-paid FDA form 3500 [which may be downloaded from the MedWatch “Download Forms” page] by mail [to address on the pre-addressed form] or fax [1-800-FDA-0178].
Read the complete MedWatch 2009 Safety summary, including a link to the Texas State Health Services press release, at:
Thank you for the updates on Rush, I did not listen to the radio today, so am running behind again.
Interesting history lesson.
Leaves’ me saying ouch, watch out for stickers and splinters.
Today, save your phone books, almost as good as a Sears catalog.
Thanks for the link, spring will be here soon, think of it and all it brings with it.
The animals give birth, flowers and food, wow, what a season.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2416197/posts?page=53#53
Drug-resistant urinary tract infections spreading worldwide
Faculty of 1000: Biology and Medicine ^ | Dec 28, 2009 | Unknown
Posted on Monday, December 28, 2009 6:19:14 AM by decimon
A sudden worldwide increase in an antibiotic-resistant bacterium is cause for concern, according to a review in f1000 Medicine Reports.
Black eyed peas with New Years dinner?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/599613/posts
Hopping John (Black-Eyed Peas On New Year's Day)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1760967/posts>
Wishing you all a very Happy, Prosperous and Safe New Year!!!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Homesteader News is a free online newspaper written by homesteaders for homesteaders!
IN THIS ISSUE:
Katherine Yarber- Anatomy of a First Aid Kit
Krystal Beers- Side Dishes and Hot Cocoa
Shannon Rizzo- Pull out your Gardening Books
Tanya Kelley- Winter watering and Solar Goat waterer
Survival skills- Ice Storm of ‘09 and Kerosene Heaters
Maggie Mae- One Mans Junk is a Raised Strawberry Bed
Yvette Allen- Cold Frames and Wood Carving
Greg Wilson- Stepping out & forgotten craftsmen
Homestead Humor- Roping Deer and Music Videos
Tool Shed- On Demand Water Heaters
LaMar- New Book Available “OFF-GRID SOLAR POWER”
Plus- Send your Homesteader stories and pics for The Homesteader Book
We have games, videos, stories, contests, and alot more some come by and pay us a visit!
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Homesteader News Staff!
http://www.homesteadernews.com
Dirt! The Movie - the importance of soil
Dirt! The Movie proves that times are changing. Brown is the new green. More than
25 renowned global visionaries in countries around the world are discovering new
ways of thinking as they come together to repair this natural resource with practical,
viable solutions. These participants include Paul Stamets: Mycologist; Andy Lipkis:
President, Founder of TreePeople; Vandana Shiva: Physicist, Environmental Activist;
Wes Jackson: President, The Land Institute; Majora Carter: Founder, Sustainable
South Bronx; Alice Waters: Founder, The Edible Schoolyard; and John Todd: Biologist,
Ecological Designer.
Urban farming gains popularity in the Bay Area
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) - Mix the troubled economy with the desire to eat healthy food
- and what do you get? A backyard turned into a barnyard.
Here’s a look at the
growing world of urban farming.
The farm is a small backyard behind a pink house.
It’s across the street from an abandoned building, just a few blocks from Downtown
Oakland.
There are rabbits living on the front deck, chickens patrolling the side yard and
a big vegetable garden growing in the empty lot next door.
SPIN-Farming: advancing urban agriculture from pipe dream to populist movement
I began advocating for urban agriculture in Philadelphia in 1998. What appealed
to me is what draws many people to the cause: its social and environmental benefits
are obvious and easy to understand. But it quickly became apparent that, compelling
though they are, these benefits were not enough to motivate policy makers in a position
to help urban agriculture succeed on any kind of scale. Instead, the economic benefits
that many proponents had long acknowledged in theory, but few were able to demonstrate,
had to be proven. SPIN-Farming is a very powerful tool for validating the economic
viability of urban agriculture.
BK Farmyards
BK Farmyard reconnects farmers and consumers as co-producers of the landscape and
food culture. The strategy takes advantage of the existing urban fabric of Brooklyn
neighborhoods to reclaim privately held green spaces as farms. Residents pay for
a yard-farming service that delivers produce to their doors, while others without
green space pay for produce cultivated in these farmyards.
Additionally, some lots
would be converted to Dinner Party structures, public spaces for community dinner
parties.
Urban Plant
While providing numerous benefits, cities don’t provide food or energy for their
population. Energy is mostly carbon based and needs to be transported into the
city. Food production as well is based on carbon: chemical fertilizers, pesticides,
farm machinery, modern food processing, packaging and transportation. Processed
food is also rich in fat and sugar and has less useful nutrients like vitamins and
minerals, contributing to an obesity epidemic.
Vertically Integrated Greenhouse
The Vertically Integrated Greenhouse (VIG) combines a double-skin building facade
with a hydroponic greenhouse, offering one pathway toward energy-efficient cities
that can grow their own food.
Urban foraging in London: ‘It’s day two and I’m going to die’
Foraging is very now. On trend and magnificently seasonal, all you need is a pair
of gumboots, a set of Kilner jars, and the time and inclination to preserve everything
you see. There’s wine out there, and gin, and beer, soups, salads and soufflés -
a whole great Waitrose of stuff all just waiting to be turned into chutney.
“Everyone,” says one wild food expert glumly, “is making jam this year.”
Spreading Seeds - short documentary - a campaign for urban agriculture in Vancouver,
Canada
Three SFU Communication students aiming for social change in Vancouver through Urban
Agriculture: Alex Burr, Jeremy Addleman and Isabelle Jacques. Our interest for Urban
Agriculture grew out of a desire to engage Vancouverites in a grassroots movement
supportive of food security and sustainability.
Urban farming will be part of Detroit’s long-term redevelopment plan says Detroit
Mayor
Cottonwood trees grow through the collapsed roofs of homes stripped clean for scrap
metal. Wild grasses carpet the rusty shells of empty factories, now home to pheasants
and wild turkeys.
This green veil is proof of how far this city has fallen from its industrial heyday
and, to a small group of investors, a clear sign. Detroit, they say, needs to get
back to what it was before Henry Ford moved to town: farmland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More on these stories here:
City Farmer News [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102915710839&s=1304&e=001Cc89eDUt7TupGBq7CUD2rspo_DSwU3RZVMKAbdnD2R4IPc9EiWtkJkd_eUsUDHf0_xZS0YFz_Zzas378KXhFUP0pbCQbvkB_39DhJ6YMtjhzciKvYrYSKQ==]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture
1978 - 2010 Celebrating 32 years!
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm196024.htm
Nutty Guys Issues Public Notice on Voluntary Recall of Butter Toffee Peanuts and Yogurt Covered Peanuts
Contact:
Phone: 801-974-0633
Website: www.nuttyguys.com
Public Notice:
December 31, 2009 - Nutty Guys in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing a voluntary recall of all Butter Toffee Peanuts and Yogurt Covered Peanuts with sell by dates before March 15th 2010. Insects were discovered in some of these products. If you have affected Nutty Guys Products with a sell by date of March 15 2010 or earlier, please contact Nutty Guys for instructions and refund.
RSS Feed for FDA Recalls Information [what’s this?]
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Page Last Updated: 12/31/2009
Seed Shortage in 2010?
December 31, 2009
By Susan Reimer
Baltimore Sun
Will there be a shortage of vegetable seeds for gardeners in 2010?
It is possible, says Barbara Melera, owner of the oldest seed house in the country, D. Landreth Seeds, formerly of Baltimore and now of New Freedom, Pa.
xxxxLandreth just published a beautiful and historical catalog to celebrate 225 years of teaching gardeners how to garden.
(The making of the catalog is the subject of my Baltimore Sun gardening column today. The catalog is a collector’s item, and even if you don’t garden, you should order one by calling 1-800-654-2407 or going to http://www.landrethseeds.com)
After back to back good years — 2008’s salmonella scares and 2009’s poor economy send homeowners into the garden to grow their own food — you might expect a backslide in seed sales, Melera said. New gardeners get discouraged or bored.
But, she said, “In 2009, we had the worst growing season in 50 years.” Rain and disease destroyed crops and with them, the seeds for next year’s garden.
“Onion sets. And a cucumber seed shortage,” she predicted. “We are being told that the cucumber harvest was catastrophic, attacked late in the season by woolly mildew. There was fruit, but no viable seeds inside.
“We are being told that many, many varieties simply won’t be available.”
D. Landreth Seed Co.Likewise, Europe had a terrible harvest this year, and Europeans purchased much of their produce from the United States, taking with it, the seeds.
And, as further proof that we are in a global marketplace, Europeans and Australians have taken a fancy to eating sprouts — tons of sprouts.
“When you grow vegetables just to get the sprouts, nothing gets to fruit. And they are consuming gigantic quantities of seeds just for the purpose of sprouts.”
Word of possible shortages must be leaking out, Melera said, because retailers are telling her they had their best December in years.
It is certainly true that vegetable gardeners are ordering seeds earlier and earlier, but Melera, who attended Dulaney Valley High School in Baltimore County before MIT, said she thinks it is more likely that gardeners are acting out of fear of shortages.
It would be a shame, she said, if the young gardeners for whom it is just becoming a passion should face such a setback.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/gardening/2009/12/seed_shortage_in_2010.html
Happy New Years to you.
Sorry, I do not have the time to sit here and poke all those peas, so they will have a black eye.
LOL
Happy New year to you.
2010, the year that I did not expect to deal with..
LOL
The article makes good sense.
It does not surprise me that there will be a seed shortage, there was last year, for some types of food and even more people are planning gardens this year.
They will sell the seeds, where they bring the most money and more than likely they will sell for more in Europe.
You learned last year to order early..........naked oats and potatoes, as I recall.
>>>You learned last year to order early..........naked oats and potatoes, as I recall.<<<
You are absolutely right - and when I did get them, the oats failed but the potato source and the crop was great.(In fact, just had big loaded baked potatoes for dinner) Microwave works so well with potatoes that I use it very very often - even for hash browns - bake them in the microwave first, then dice and fry - faster and better in my book. Do you use a microwave?
In getting ready for this years garden, here is a neat little idea - germinate your seeds in paper towels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To2DlJwErao&feature=player_embedded
What Are the Hot Gardening Trends for 2010?
December 31, 2009
Penn Live
Gardeners will dig even deeper into old-fashioned values around the yard in 2010, trend-watchers predict.
Tops on the list: another increase in traditional vegetable gardening.
Veggie gardening was up nearly 20% this year on top of a 10% gain the year before, according to National Gardening Association research.
The leading three reasons: better taste, saving money and better quality food.
Hand in hand with that came hefty resurgences in seed-starting and the home-canning of produce — two other age-old practices that had tapered drastically in the last generation.
Annette MaCoy, who coordinates Cumberland County’s Master Gardener program, believes we’ll see even more of these trends in 2010.
“The economy will still encourage ways to save money on groceries,” she says. “Plus there’s the concern over pesticide-laden foods.”
“With the cost of gas and so many folks without jobs, it’s a way to feel satisfaction and accomplishment,” adds Hershey Gardens horticulture director Barbara Whitcraft, who also sees vegetable growing as 2010’s hottest local gardening trend.
Deb Laudig, a co-owner at Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses in Monroe Twp., believes even small-yard owners will get into the act by growing edibles in containers and in new products such as the “Pop-Up Herb Planter” — a $12 polyethylene bag that expands 2 feet tall in summer, then folds flat for winter storage.
Organic Surge
A second key trend is a continuing move away from synthetic-chemical fertilizers and pesticides and toward natural or “organic” products.
http://www.pennlive.com/hg/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/living/1262104806198000.xml&coll=1
‘Land Grabs’ for Rice Production Due to Supply Threats
To put it simply, there is not enough rice to feed the world. —Dr. Robert Zeigler, director general, International Rice Research Institute
January 1, 2010
Science Daily
Recent interest in “land grabs” or the international acquisition of land to produce rice is sparked by a looming threat of inadequate rice supplies.
“To put it simply, there is not enough rice to feed the world,” says Dr. Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
“To meet the need and keep rice prices around US$300 a ton – which allows poor rice farmers to make some profit yet keeps rice affordable for poor rice consumers – we need to produce an additional 8-10 million tons of rice more than in the previous year for the next twenty years.”
Many countries do not have the capacity to grow enough rice on their own land to meet existing or anticipated demand. To meet their needs governments or the private sector import rice and some are exploring ways to invest in rice production or rice-growing land in other countries.
IRRI is not involved in any projects on land acquisition for rice production, nor does it provide advice on land acquisition, but it does find ways to help increase the overall rice supply – with a mandate to help poor rice farmers and consumers and improve environmental health.
“IRRI’s primary focus is on helping farmers increase the productivity of rice farms on existing rainfed and irrigated land and do it in a sustainable manner,” says Dr. Zeigler. “Expanding rice-growing areas into previously uncultivated areas is considered a last option and this must be done with great care.”
As a nonprofit and independent organization, IRRI shares its scientific solutions and knowledge broadly with a range of different stakeholders, including farmers, and across the public and private sector. By doing this, IRRI contributes to improving rice production and the welfare of rice farmers in the broadest possible way, giving farmers more options to choose from.
Dr. Zeigler acknowledges that “many developing countries would benefit from financial investment in their rice industry to help them develop in a sustainable way, reach their potential, and benefit local rice farmers and consumers.”
“For IRRI, the most important thing about rice production, whether it is supported by international investors or not, is that it delivers benefits to poor rice farmers and consumers to help lift them out of poverty and that the health of the environment is maintained or improved,” he added.
IRRI supports the proposed code of practice for international land acquisition for food production, including rice, recommended by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which calls for
* transparency in negotiations;
* respect for existing land rights, including customary and common property rights;
* sharing of benefits;
* environmental sustainability; and
* adherence to national trade policies.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095335.htm
In going through Seed Savers Exchange website, I came across a very logical effective guide for assessing the quality of your storage conditions.....
“Store the seeds in an envelope or seed packet and place in a dry, cool location. You can assess the quality of your storage conditions by adding the room temperature in Fahrenheit plus relative humidity. Try to keep that number under 100; the lower the number the better the conditions for seed storage.”
http://blog.seedsavers.org/post/Saving-heirloom-tomato-seeds.aspx
Gardeners’ Resolutions
December 31, 2009
Carol O’Meara
Daily Camera
When the season winds down, gardeners look around at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the past year. Good things are celebrated; we nod smugly over a plant that thrived or a trellis that actually held something up. The bad is ruthlessly removed from the garden, pulled before it can reproduce.
But the ugly is somewhere in between, and most gardeners rarely wait until the end of the year to make their resolutions. In my garden, the choice for resolutions is vast, but I’ve narrowed it down to the top 10:
1. I won’t believe everything the seed catalog tells me. The people who write up the description for seeds are very good at their jobs; they make each and every one sound so wonderful I can’t live without it. For the gullible gardener this leads to catastrophe or, at least, an empty bank account.
2. I will not start more plants than can fit on the grow shelves. This past year the explosive growth of my seedlings was alarming, forcing my spouse to construct adjustable shelving out of two-by-fours and a few bricks. Since I start seeds in my home, not a greenhouse, this interior décor was a bit too rustic for our taste.
3. I will seek out other tomato lovers and start a fruit swap instead of growing a gazillion plants in my garden. Let’s face it: every variety is intriguing to an avowed tomato-geek. And with thousands of types, the problem is space. Surely there are other tomato aficionados who would like to try more varieties but don’t have the space to grow them.
4. I will succession sow stir fry greens spring through fall. Building on this year’s success in boosting our diet with vitamin-packed vegetables, I’ll hang a shade cloth over one bed and keep the crisp greens thriving through summer. Red Russian kale and tangy tatsoi should look beautiful together in the wok.
5. I will search for and try new recipes for cooking with stir fry greens. Flavored olive oil and cheese are only good the first 12 times greens are served.
6. I will increase the herb garden. One trip to the grocers to see the high price of herbs is all it takes for me to plan on adding more plants to the plot.
7. I will visit Colorado’s outstanding public gardens. Hudson Gardens, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the gardens at Kendrick Lake, or the Betty Ford Alpine garden are a few of our botanical treasures that should be visited often. When you need a break, a day spent strolling their paths is inspirational.
8. I will not judge my garden against others, particularly if those others are famous “garden gurus.” While they might have an army to keep their gardens neat and tidy, I don’t. Every garden is as unique as a fingerprint; mine just looks like a crime scene.
9. I have a landscape plan, and now I’ll use it. But renovating a landscape is a work of love and patience; it takes time to do it well. Phasing in a good plan over a few years is one way to upgrade without breaking the budget.
10. I will weed my perennial beds, giving them as much time and attention as the vegetable garden. This resolution is a golden oldie; a little lie I tell myself every year.
One thing I won’t do is renovate the back lawn. I love the checkerboard of grasses back there, where buffalo grass, bluegrass, and tall fescue duke it out, because the entertainment value is too great. The stunned silence of friends as they gaze upon my turf train wreck is amusing.
http://www.dailycamera.com/home-garden/ci_14082472
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