tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post4677370427070745815..comments2024-03-28T00:20:01.688-05:00Comments on Little Blog In The Big Woods: A small danceGreenpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17224906349154302210noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-2683395381728833022008-10-07T18:14:00.000-05:002008-10-07T18:14:00.000-05:00Hi!This is my first post here. Greenpa--I read yo...Hi!<BR/>This is my first post here. Greenpa--I read you over at TAE and respect what you have to say and have missed you lately. I wanted to ask you a question, so I came here--and have just lost the afternoon reading your posts. It's like hiking through the wilderness and coming upon the most wonderful community. :-)<BR/><BR/>Now I'd like to ask all of you... Are any of you familiar with off-grid hydroponics? How it compares with soil gardening, pros & cons, and so on? Peggy Bradley at the <A HREF="http://www.carbon.org/" REL="nofollow">Institute for Simplified Hydroponics</A> has developed courses for people in Third World countries on how to feed themselves hydroponically. Apparently, people do not need soil in order to grow food--just sunlight, seeds, found pots, nutrient (organic or synthetic), and clean water. I find her work exciting. She writes: "When people engage in activities to sustain their personal daily needs, disaster healing begins.” She's done an extraordinary amount of work in designing and implementing survival gardens for families and communities. Her CD has about 500megs of data.<BR/><BR/>I don't know her and am not selling anything--but I haven't found any discussion of her work (or hydroponics, for that matter) in any sites like TOD, LATOC, TAE, Casaubon's Book, and so on--and am surprised. Is it because there's something inherently impratical about it I'm not aware of? Or is it because it's a relatively new, obscure technology? Or is it that the First World hasn't looked at something that may be of value in the coming years? <BR/><BR/>Bradley shows how you can get the benefits of hydroponics (increased yield, use less water, precise nutrient control (unless you're doing it organically), less labor, without electricity, or gadgets. <BR/><BR/>Like many, I'm now planning an off-grid greenhouse. I've worked as a laborer for many years in a university botanic garden and have no illusions about the amount of work required to grow enough food to consistently feed people--I'm not as young as I once was and want to mitigate my lack of brawn with brain; hence, my interest in off-grid hydroponics. You might ask why I don't just go out and do it--and then tell you about it. The reason is where I currently live has no soil or direct sunlight--doing this is going to take a major move/life change--and I want to do as much planning as possible. If any of you have any experience or thoughts about hydroponics, I'd sure like to hear them.<BR/><BR/>Greenpa--I'm in awe of how you've lived your life. I don't have your biology background or experience and am particularly curious about your thoughts as a biologist about hydroponics.<BR/><BR/>Bear hugs to all of you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-59459752036386408132008-10-06T09:41:00.000-05:002008-10-06T09:41:00.000-05:00Here in Canada - Vancouver Island to Ontario, ever...Here in Canada - Vancouver Island to Ontario, everything is 2 to 3 weeks late. Everbearing berries have had only a single crop - late. Lettuce, for the first time in >5 years didn't bolt early, but lasted until the middle of summer. The extreme wetness did the tomatoes in with late blight weeks before previous years. Trying a fall crop (as per Square Foot Gardening) failed yet again - we've never suceeded in 4 years of trying.<BR/>Yesterday I had to turn the furnace on - about 3 weeks early. It's been a cold summer; according to me; but not according to our weather station (calls it average). We had no hot spells, never had to use fans or retreat to the basement.<BR/>We're considering getting some land and going off grid and growing our own food. Issues are the current job, savings being wiped out by building a straw bale home and what to do with the kids as we don't want to strand them miles from anyone and having to commute for social interaction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-18888543039511746432008-10-05T04:39:00.000-05:002008-10-05T04:39:00.000-05:00Its all pink blossom here and lovely new green lea...Its all pink blossom here and lovely new green leaves. There are lambs across the valley and the snowfields have shut up shop.<BR/><BR/>I really ought to plant something :)<BR/><BR/><BR/>viv in nzknutty knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325560883289908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-46544997351188337512008-10-04T19:50:00.000-05:002008-10-04T19:50:00.000-05:00Very nice post, I appreciated it a great deal.Very nice post, I appreciated it a great deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-43053738127917804492008-10-04T19:05:00.000-05:002008-10-04T19:05:00.000-05:00Hello Greenpa, I am really enjoying your blog, tha...Hello Greenpa, I am really enjoying your blog, thanks so much for taking the time to write it. My hubby and I have started our journey living off grid, we moved to our place last December. I am always looking for other people who live as we do, but what I usually find is people who wish to do it or plan on doing it... someday... it's really great to find someone who is not only doing it for real, but who has been doing it for as long as you! I am very interested in the part about living without a fridge, that has been an issue for us, we have a small cube fridge, but don't use it most of the time because it sucks so much juice, we have learned to live without or with very limited refrigeration. With winter coming it's not such a big deal for now. This is our real life, not just a vacation or play (although it is fun!). I look forward to reading more of your blog. :)<BR/><BR/>WrethaWrethaOffGridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04941116263529261885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703718837080088488.post-6606382255426900662008-10-04T15:27:00.000-05:002008-10-04T15:27:00.000-05:00It's still in the 60s here in Oregon but it has st...It's still in the 60s here in Oregon but it has started to rain finally.<BR/><BR/>I love fall and am eagerly awaiting the real leaf drop here too.<BR/><BR/>We don't get a magical overnight kind of dance like you describe because our frosts are so late that that we have a gradual decline instead.<BR/><BR/>Your Sugar Maples sound so beautiful - take some pictures for us!Secret Garden Supper Clubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09582083653290441344noreply@blogger.com