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Saturday, November 17, 2018

Butterfly Ship Presents a Winter Spectacular

I am very excited with this event.  It brings me back to my roots when at Jungle Vibes Toys we did arts and crafts for kids on the riverside deck.  I will be personally staffing a booth making paper kaleidoscopes, yarn craft and leaf prints. All the paints and supplies are provided.  Kids can make art cards and gifts for the holidays.  So sweet....and I don't have to tell you how sweet and talented are the crew of Butterfly Ship

Picture

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Can Better Photosynthesis Help Feed the World?

The science here is funded by Gates so OK I guess and it will ultimate involve Genetic engineering. I am not of the persuasion to think GMO baaaaad! I just think it's science. Commercializing it and releasing it on the world helter skelter has turned out bad of course. Herein lies my caution. Gate is all about increasing yield in crops in a system that has already proven to be unsustainable because of depletion of soils 
As human population growth fuels the need for increased crop yields, researchers look to engineer plants that perform photosynthesis more efficiently
If you go to the link for the article that crop they are standing amid appears to be tobacco.  Hum, there's money in it but I am not sure the planet need increased yields of that particular vegetable. 
Of course, plant researchers have been thinking about using improved photosynthesis to increase crop yields for decades, but recent leaps in computer modelling and genetic engineering techniques have started to bring that goal within reach. In 2011, and again in 2015, a group of scientists came together to publish an article that called for research into the improvement of photosynthesis as a means for meeting the increased yield demands of coming decades, as well as laying out potential strategies. One of the strategies the group highlighted was the possibility of engineering plants to use near infrared light.
While this tech could be used to allow inter cropping food crops under canopies which certainly has promise if it can be done safely, its primary use will be in field crops to get the immediate short term gain in yield while continuing other destructive practises.  

Re-engineering shade loving plants to efficiently photosynthesize under canopies of trees in deep layers could turn the forests into carbon sucking monsters which of course would accelerate drawdown and thus be of good use, this may not be the ultimate planet we want. I can imagine a kind of sci-fi out of control jungle and I kind of like the one we have so how do we contain the genetics so that it can be normalized in the future. Also who will live in these new carbon sucking forests? It is not a niche that has yet been adapted to so you would expect die offs and unwitting population explosions to happen. Hum, I think it should stay as science until understood better.



https://undark.org/article/can-better-photosynthesis-help-feed/

This undark site is really cool on their about us it explains the name --

EDITORIAL MISSION

The name Undark arises from a murky, century-old mingling of science and commerce — one that resulted in a radium-based industrial and consumer product, called Undark, that was both awe-inspiring and, as scientists would only later prove, toxic and deadly. We appropriate the name as a signal to readers that our magazine will explore science not just as a “gee-whiz” phenomenon, but as a frequently wondrous, sometimes contentious, and occasionally troubling byproduct of human culture.

As such, the intersection of science and society — the place where science is articulated in our politics and our economics; or where it is made potent and real in our everyday lives — is a fundamental part of our mission at Undark. As journalists, we recognize that science can often be politically, economically and ethically fraught, even as it captures the imagination and showcases the astonishing scope of human endeavor. Undark will therefore aim to explore science in both light and shadow, and to bring that exploration to a broad, international audience.

Undark is not interested in “science communication” or related euphemisms, but in true journalistic coverage of the sciences.

FUNDING
Undark is a non-profit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society. It is published with generous funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, through its Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Low Impact Development Making a Positive Contribution

This is the information on the project in Wales that I first came upon in a youtube about the Lamis ecovillage project.  I am proposing that little ecosettlments could be proposed in otherwise protected land such as riparian and other important watershed areas in this county that are the current responsibility of various water and conservation agencies and that by putting people in the landscape in this way we can advance sustainability goals, hasten regeneration while providing protection for habitat.

My proposal would additionally provide livelihood, shelter and food.  While the structures and infrastructure constructed would be un-permitted and low impact the overall project would nonetheless be self-monitored using science based tools and reviewed by agencies to insure that the plan is working to provide a positive contribution, extremely low inputs and substantially according to plan.

The following excerp from transcript of that video

Welsh Assembly is one of the few governments in the world to have made a legal commitment to sustainability.  As a result of this commitment Pembrokeshire County Council adopted something called policy fifty-two in 2006 which was intended to provide for eco small holdings in previously protected open countryside on the basis that they make a positive environmental social and economic contribution.
Paul initially formulated his proposals for the land mass project in direct response to this policy but still the council didn't make his life easy. Three years two rejections and thousands of planning application papers later the lamis project was given the green light in the summer of 2009.  The opportunity that we are celebrating here at lamis is now available across the whole of Wales because the the Welsh Assembly government see that actually the way forwards in terms of sustainability to get people back onto the landscape working the land in that way the landscape becomes more productive the landscape becomes more diverse and we can take more carbon out of the atmosphere

This is a PDF guide from the Pembrokeshire County Council that helps applicants apply for this.  This is a very useful 19 page read that covers many of the questions that may come up in discussions with policy makers.  It is true that Wales is a much more rural culture than California and to some degree issues like defining livelihood and economic contribution my be incongruent with levels accepted in Wales owing largely to our absurd economy and lifestyles.  This will no doubt have to be addressed.


This is a link to a planning software that Pembrokeshire recommends and could be integrated into the reporting of restoration efforts that agencies would like to see. With a  tools like this our project would be putting a low tech low impact farmers in the riparian landscape but providing a very sophistocated tech to report out that could provide substancial proof of concept in just 4 or 5 years.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Workers Fear Injury as Administration Clears Way for Faster Chicken Slaughter

Factory farming baaaaaaaad. Speeding up the slaughter machine worse for everybody but the profiteers.

by Claire Kelloway

Late last month, the Trump administration cleared the way for chicken plants to increase their processing line speeds from 140 birds per minute to 175 birds per minute. The change deals a blow to workers and reverses the efforts of labor and animal welfare advocates, who fought to halt poultry line speed increases in 2014. It also indicates the administration will likely soon remove line speed limits in hog slaughter and lower workplace injury reporting requirements throughout all sectors of the economy.

“This decision and the ones we expect are coming up is the pattern of the Trump administration to be cutting back on protections for workers and making decisions in favor of corporations rather than working people,” says Joann Lo, Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance.

The change comes in response to a 2017 petition to the Food Safety and Inspection Service by the National Chicken Council, the lobbying group representing poultry corporations. While FSIS denied the NCC’s request to lift all poultry line speeds, the USDA agency announced in January that they would set criteria by which poultry processors could apply for waivers to increase their line speeds to 175 birds per minute. FSIS released those criteria in February and published their final guidelines and public response to comments on September 28th. The agency is accepting applications for waivers.

Working conditions in poultry processing are already extremely hazardous. According to the Department of Labor, workers in meat processing plants are injured five times more frequently than all other private workers and are nearly twenty times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. But true injury rates are likely even higher, as studies by the Government Accountability Office suggest that federal data does not capture all meat processing injuries. One reason is that an estimated 28 percent of meat processing workers are foreign-born, and these workers are less likely to report injury or workplace misconduct due to fear of retaliation or deportation.

Surveys by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Food Chain Workers Alliance found that at least two-thirds of poultry workers suffered significant work-related injuries, dwarfing officially reported injury rates.
http://www.foodandpower.net/2018/10/25/workers-fear-injury-as-administration-clears-way-for-faster-chicken-slaughter/

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Mexico’s Native Corn Varieties Threatened by New NAFTA

The original NAFTA was very bad for Mexican corn farmers, putting millions out of business and losing land by the forced import of cheap, subsidized corn from big ag in the United States.  Trumps new version of the trade agreement is the next step in the corporate plunder of Mexico and is even worse.
“It makes it easier for the United States to challenge any rule or regulation or process governing biotech crops that it contends are illegal trade barriers,” says Woodall. “It is designed to provide a brand new avenue of attack against regulations … and enshrine Trump’s deregulatory purge into a trade deal that will outlast this administration.”
Over 8,000 years ago farmers in present-day Mexico first domesticated corn from a wild grass, teosinte. Corn holds incredible cultural, economic, and ecological significance in Mexico to this day. Mexico has maintained a vast array of diverse corn species, with 64 recognized strains, called landraces, and over 21,000 regionally adapted varieties. Over two-thirds of Mexican corn farmers still save their own seeds and plant native strains. 
This diverse genetic trove is “absolutely critical to modern crop breeding,” says Tim Wise, the Director of Policy Research at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. “It’s a critical natural resource for the modern world,” he says. When researchers look for drought-resistant strains or corn that can requires less fertilizer, they turn to Mexico’s native corn gene pool.


Yep, it's all about deregulation.  This article posted is by Claire Kelloway from Food & Power who I have featured here many times and is very authoritative.  She runs a DC institute started by LEAH DOUGLAS who is also a journalist with an amazing body of work in the area of food, farming and policy.  I recommend reading the entire short article and also perusing other topics in there archives at the above links.

http://www.foodandpower.net/2018/10/10/mexicos-native-corn-varieties-threatened-by-new-nafta/#bookmark/0/

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Soul Circle

Steven Lewis (Rama) who lives on the farm has done two of these and they are joyful and beautiful.  He is planning another for Dec. 21st and I provide this bookmark here so  you will not miss it.


Thursday, August 16, 2018

Ag Bank Mergers Exacerbate the New Farm Crisis

Not only is Big Ag a very sick system of growing food for the planet, it is very bad for farmers as well.  While access to operating loans keeps them in business doing the same old bad practises and thus it is hard to sympathize, it nonetheless keeps them out of bankruptcy.  If there are no farmer -- only slave labor -- there will be no farms or farmers or rural culture to convert to best practice. They need loans despite our differences and then they need access to organic and soil building technology to transition to sustainable farming. This article from Food & Power
Last year, the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline, which connects farmers and ranchers with legal, financial, and mental health services, set four monthly records for the number of new callers in financial distress. This spike reflects the broader hardship facing rural Americans in the midst of what some are calling the new farm crisis. 
The crisis has many causes, including falling commodity prices and the rising cost of farm inputs like seed and fertilizer. But another contributing factor that is already making the consequences of these deteriorating fundamentals far more severe is the massive consolidation of ag lenders that has occurred since the last farm crisis in the 1980s. 
Grain and dairy farmers, in particular, depend on annual operating loans, which can be more than $1 million dollars, to pay for their upfront costs. But according to Joe Schroeder, an advocate with Farm Aid who takes calls from farmers in crisis, “it’s getting tighter and tighter across the board for people depending on operating loans,” to the point where accessing credit “becomes an annual nightmare.” 
Farmers are finding it harder to get new loans due to their declining income and mounting debt. But another cause is the displacement of local agriculture banks by large distant lenders with which farmers have no personal relationships. 
“So many banks have consolidated that the local bank is not locally owned, it’s just a branch of another bank,” says Vern Jantzen, Vice President of the Nebraska Farmers Union. “In the old days there was a relationship there, the banker knew how this family was operating and he could figure out if this is a good risk or not, but all of that is gone.”  Posted by Claire Kelloway in CommoditiesGrainsMergers & AcquisitionsNewsletter


http://www.foodandpower.net/2018/08/16/ag-bank-mergers-exacerbate-the-new-farm-crisis/

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Morality of Eating Meat

I am glad somebody raised this issue.  I have long held that factory farms are the problem and that keeping animals on a family or village farm that are integrated members of the farm that give and recieve care and value are morally justified especially it they are eaten in moderation, (not greedy, selfish and childish.)  This article challenges even this position.
    “The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being? … The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes … ” Jeremy Bentham, father of the theory of utilitarianism
     Making factory farming more humane misses the point of immorality and injustice of the use of animals as resources. Indeed, there are those philosophers who believed that animals do not have moral status equal to humans. Human exceptionalism
     Human exceptionalism is based on the premise that humans have superior abilities compared to other animals. For example, humans can have social relationships, in particular family relationships; they also have the ability to use language; they can reason and feel pain.           
French philosopher Rene Descartes
     More astute observations and scientific studies, however, have shown that animals do experience pain analogous to humans and have feelings. For example, elephants have complex emotional lives, including grieving for loved ones, and complex social and family relationships.
     Animals can reason, communicate with one another, possibly use language in some cases and behave morally.
     Thus, excluding animals from moral consideration and eating animals cannot be justified because they lack these characteristics.


https://www.alternet.org/heres-what-philosophers-have-say-about-eating-meat?src=newsletter1095151

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Oasis' place in a world in crisis

If Oasis can be a sanctuary that speaks to connecting visitors to the earth it would be of value beyond ourselves in a world alienated from the very dirt beneath our feet and sky above our heads and the imperative to change our relationship to it.. If we agree that part of our purpose here is to restore a sense of natural wonder  by "looking and seeing" and hearing what the land would say if it could speak and then helping it grow to its best sense of place, then we have found one part of our common cause in our relationship to this very land and our community.  Our activism can flow from this center.
PanGaia creations come out of the necessity and urgency for the protection of the Earth.  We share out of a fierce need, and out of an ‘inner call’ to give voice to what the Earth would say if it could speak in human language.
We have been listening and creating a unique sound in New Age music —primal, multilingual, multi-sensory— a sound that can help people connect to their original Nature blueprint and integrate some of their shadow parts such as grief... or awe. 
Our live performance ceremony blends world music, ancient instruments, poetry and collective ritual. PanGaia believes in bringing their medicine to the places and people where it is most needed, where a re-connection between humans and the land needs to be established, such as we did in “Offerings to the Russian River”.
 Listen to one of their sounds
click to listen

https://www.pangaiamusic.com/

Friday, July 20, 2018

Juice is like soda, without the bubbles

I saw a comment in some of Lydia's Natural Foods literature about how commercial juices are actually made and am both aghast and validated -- it is just mostly an unhealthy sugar drink when you look behind the processing curtain.

kid drinking juice

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/juice-soda-without-bubbles.html

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Whole earth catalog... I was there and indeed I was inspired

Although I did not see it until 1972, together with my communards I was inspired by the prospect of building a new world that was simple and functional, do it yourself and not destructive. I was a maker and this catalog was full of cool, simple ideas and gadgets.  At the deepest level we were dropping out of a system that seemed founded on abuse of spirituality of nature of people and that disregarded issues of social justice and wallowed in a crass plastic culture of consumption, war, violence and domination.

The book itself was in fact just a catalog of stuff and commentary. It was not deep nor academic but rather was a signpost at a time of  historic cultural shift that went mainstream with the counterculture and has left an indelible mark on consciousness in the West.

Colluding Pork Packers Accused of Pigging Out On Fixed Prices

This is not a food that I have eaten for over 45 years so I have not skin in the game.  So why is  it bad to collude to produce less pork so the price goes up?  Well I am just using this to show who has the power.  The pig farmer certainly is powerless faced with a relationship with a monolithic meat packing and distribution cartel.  In this case the packers got extra profits from not only higher prices to restaurant and markets but pig farmers lost there living as well in lower production and loss of outlets for their hogs, such life for a contract slave laborers that raise hogs and chickens as well.

Enough said -- as we well know meat packers are criminals so this should surprise nobody.






http://www.foodandpower.net/2018/07/19/colluding-pork-packers-accused-of-pigging-out-on-fixed-prices/#bookmark/0/

Monday, June 18, 2018

Agastache foeniculum Anise Hyssop | Prairie Moon Nursery

Agastache foeniculum Anise Hyssop | Prairie Moon Nursery:

Agastache foeniculum

"Anise Hyssop has very showy flowers, fragrant foliage and seems to be of little interest to deer. It self-seeds readily and often blooms the first year. New seedlings are hardy and can be transplanted easily. It's a bee, hummingbird, and butterfly magnet and makes an excellent addition to herb gardens, borders, perennial gardens, and prairies. When the leaves of the Anise Hyssop are crushed they smell like licorice and have been used to make tea and cold remedies.  Other common names in use: Lavender Hyssop or Blue Giant Hyssop" It is not particularly frost sensitive but may have some die back.  It is looks ratty you can cut them back strongly and they will bust out in the spring again.

difficult to germinate, cold stratify 30 days, surface sow and bottom water

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Children's Garden Ideas

Below was first offered and published on our facebook

                                         **********************************
As a summer project at Oasis Community Farm we will be working on creating a sensory garden and learning space for school groups and a space where we can host weekend workshops geared towards kids and families.
                                         **********************************
Below are random images to inspire ideas for future projects in and about the garden.

Here is a themed sculpture garden piece that connects the tactile to the dinner table a connection that many people in the modern world do not make

Related image

As  you know rubber tires are forever so they may as well be forever beautiful and something to play on and plant stuff in.
Related image

This is an example of a project that Arlo and Marina and have been thinking about for some time.  It is simply done by using cutting from our willow bog and then irrigating them until they sprout.  Planted in late winter they will look like this by April and May.

Related image

One of my favorites.  We did fairy houses in the back yard of our old Jungle Vibes store in Petaluma.

Image result for children's garden

A gate is an symbolic entry to place -- a child size gate would be perfect.

Related image

Color is important and participation can create a lasting sense of value, enhancing learning.  A picket fence like this is infinitely expandable and prettier than a name plate.

Image result for children's garden

This one seems quite ambitious but it reminds me of a play garden built around a water feature at the Hopland Solar Living Institute grounds.  Plans for water recycling and serene water features are already under way at Oasis.  Perhaps in the future we can extend the that infrastructure to the children's area.

Image result for children's garden



Friday, June 8, 2018

Bikemore

This is a great organization and one of their project is Meals on 2 Wheel and this could be a model for us to use as it collaborates with bike activists and the young.  We also have bike shops that may get involved in the program and many service organizations that can help refer clientele.  We are in conversations with several local caterers and local service groups on the idea of connecting farmers directly to people who need meals.

All Work — Bikemore:



'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Petunias

https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/growing-petunias/

Friday, May 18, 2018

Friday, March 30, 2018

Monday, March 19, 2018

Woods Rosa, Rosa woodsii

The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database:



 "At maturity, the Wood’s Rose can reach heights of 6’, but more commonly grow to 3’, with a spread of 3-6’. The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with five to nine serrated leaflets measuring ¼ - 21/2” long. The thorns of the Wood’s Rose are straight or slightly curved and tiny, only 1/5 – 1/3” long. The thorns are straighter and generally less troublesome than those of other roses, being less likely to tear skin and clothing.

The flowers of the Wood’s Rose are small, only 2-2 ½” wide, ranging in color from light to dark pink and smelling sweet and strong. The shrub is literally covered in blooms, and although each flower generally lasts for only one day, others follow quickly and the entire shrub blooms for many weeks.

After flowering, small, round fruit called hips form. The seed, which are covered in stiff hairs that can irritate the mouth and hands, are stored inside the fruit"




https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_rowo.pdf

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Feasting & Frolicking



DANCING  DINING  ♣︎  March 17 ♣︎ MUSIC  POETRY
6:00 - 10:00
L/Isa 
Lisa & Isa invite you to honor the Irish
Feasting & Frolicking
The Barn at Oasis Farm  

Please share this invitation with your friends 

Hot Spiced Irish Whiskey Tea ♣︎ Green Drinks

To begin..
Corned Beef & Cabbage Rolls
Wild Smoked Salmon Paté
Irish Cheddar & Green Apples
O'Guacamole
Petite pea Soup Sips

And then..
 Cleggan Bay Fish Stew
Spring Lamb Stew
Emerald Garden Loaf
Braised Cabbages
Colcannon
Irish Soda Bread 

Sweet finale.. 
Chocolate Stout Cake 
Irish Gingerbread   Pistachio Shortbread

Come with Libations, Limericks & Love!

$50.00
For more information & to RSVP go to   

A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle.
~ Irish Proverb ~

Friday, March 2, 2018

Legal Structures for Intentional Communities in the United States

One of the long range projects here at Oasis goes beyond the physical of plant and sun and water in the usual permaculture effort to the social.  When one delves deeply into permaculture thought one finds that this is not new.  Community is indeed baked into sustainability.  We are very fond of the folks at Twin Oaks that wrote this article up and plan to feature a film that involves many communes across the country.  Here we are just introducing some nuts and bolt.

 Legal Structures for Intentional Communities in the United States:

Friday, February 23, 2018

Echinacea purpurea - Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds

Echinacea purpurea - Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds:

Echinacea purpurea Echinacea

"Transplant (recommended): Sow 8-10 weeks before planting outside. Transplant into cell packs or larger containers after the first true leaves appear, 30-40 days after sowing the seed. Harden off and transplant outside in late spring or early summer.
Direct seed: Sow in spring when soil is warm, 65°F (18°C). Sow in groups of 3-4 seeds, 1/8" deep. Thin to one plant. Sow in the fall to allow the oscillating temperatures and natural rain to stimulate germination."



10-15 days at 70 degrees



spacing is 18-24 and it is a perennial that can be divided when they look crowded.  I may be best grown in a natural setting where grass may even occur.  Mow prior to left out as it will come up from root so you will have to watch them.  Otherwise can be grown in a bed and just wait to weed until leaf out.  They like rich soil.  I have 4000 seed






Seed germination occurs best with daily temperature fluctuations[4] or after stratification,[12] which help to end dormancy. Seeds may be started indoors in advance of the growing season or outdoors after the growing season has started. so perhaps can cook in day and out at night to get cold.

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Thursday, February 22, 2018

Chenopodium album - Wikipedia

Chenopodium album - Wikipedia: common weed that is edible and often grows in greens beds and thus may not need to be weeded out before harvest.
The leaves and young shoots may be eaten as a leaf vegetable, either steamed in its entirety, or cooked like spinach, but should be eaten in moderation due to high levels of oxalic acid. Each plant produces tens of thousands of black seeds. These are high in protein, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Quinoa, a closely related species, is grown specifically for its seeds. The Zuni people cook the young plants' greens. Bathua seeds also double up for rice and dal.
Image result for Chenopodium album

Rice and Chenopodium album leaf curry with onions and potatoes
'via Blog this'

Common Rush, Juncus patens

Common Rush, Juncus patens:



 "Juncus patens is a species of grass-like plant known by the common name Common Rush. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California, and its range may extend into Mexico. Within California it is found primarily along the coastal and coastal mountain, in marshes and other wet areas. However, it can also be tolerant of summer drought and garden conditions. It is a perennial herb forming narrow, erect bunches of stems arising from a central clump. The stems are thin, gray-green, often somewhat waxy, and grooved, and grow 30 to 90 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves have no blades; they appear as brown sheaths around the base of the stems. The flower cluster sprouts from the side of the stem rather than its tip. It holds many flowers, each of which has short, narrow, pointed petals and six stamens. The fruit is a spherical red or brown capsule which fills and bulges from the dried flower remnants when mature. It is popular in somewhat formal gardens, water gardens, and restoration projects. There are several available cultivars including 'Carman's Grey', 'Elk blue' and 'Occidental Blue'.

This plant is tough and easy to grow. It is happy in areas that are damp year-round, but also looks good and healthy in fairly dry soils with only minimal irrigation in summer."



'via Blog this'

Succulent Lupine, Lupinus succulentus

Succulent Lupine, Lupinus succulentus: may be really annual also see johnny seed http://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/lupine/perennial-lupine-seed-1820.html



still a question about defeating grass with ground cover

"Lupinus succulentus is a species of lupine known by the common names hollowleaf annual lupine, arroyo lupine, and succulent lupine. It is native to California, where it is common throughout much of the state, and adjacent sections of Arizona and Baja California. It is known from many types of habitat and it can colonize disturbed areas. The amount of fertility and moisture generally dictates the height of the plant. Prefers moist clay or heavy soils in full sun. The most water tolerant of all Lupines, it is popular as a native landscaping plant. Sow in a mass for best effect. This fleshy annual herb grows up to a meter in maximum height. Each palmate leaf is made up of 7 to 9 leaflets up to 6 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a series of whorls of flowers each between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The flower is generally purple-blue with a white or pink patch on its banner, and there are sometimes flowers in shades of light purple, pink, and white. The fruit is a roughly hairy legume pod up to 5 centimeters long and about one wide. Height: 1-4 feet. Optimum Soil Temp. for Germination: 55F--70F Blooming Period: April--May. Germination: 15---75 days Sowing Depth: 1/8""



'via Blog this'

California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum

California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum:



 "Known by the common name California buckwheat. This common shrub is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows on scrubby slopes and in chaparral and dry washes in a number of habitats. It is variable in appearance, forming a patchy, compact bramble or a spreading bush approaching two meters in height and three across. The leaves grow in clusters at nodes along the branches and are leathery, woolly on the undersides, and rolled under along the edges. Flowers appear in dense, frilly clusters which may be anywhere from a few millimeters to 15 centimeters wide. Each individual flower is pink and white and only a few millimeters across. This plant is particularly attractive to honey bees and is a good source of nectar over many months in drier areas.

There are four recognized varieties of California Buckwheat: 1. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum or Leafy California Buckwheat, a brighter green variety which grows primarily on the coast and western side of the coastal mountain ranges, and is often carried in nurseries, 2. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium, a gray variety which grows primarily in the desert regions and through the coastal foothills, and is sometimes available in nurseries, 3. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum, or Coastal California Buckwheat, which grows most closely to the coast, and 4. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. flavoviride, or Sonoran Desert California Buckwheat, which grows primarily in the Sonoran Desert and desert mountains.

California Buckwheats are tough and easy to grow, even in very dry conditions. Plant in a well draining sunny site. It shouldn't need supplemental water after established, but it will tolerate occasional summer water better than most extremely drought tolerant California natives. Form is variable, ranging from often open and upright in the foothills, to often dense and mounding closer to the coast. It produces profuse pink to white and cream-colored flowers as early as March that dry to a pretty red rust color as the soil dries. It sheds its dried flowers and a significant portion of its small blade-like leaves each dry season, and is an important plant for creating natural mulch. California Buckwheat is a keystone species for sagebrush scrub ecosystems, and a great choice for wildlife and butterfly gardens. Low growing forms of both Leafy Green Buckwheat and Interior California Buckwheat can be found in nurseries to use as spreading ground covers."



'via Blog this'

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis:



"Cardinal Flower is an evergreen species native to the Americas, from southeastern Canada through the eastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia. It tends to grow in very wet areas like stream bottoms, bogs and seeps. It grows to about a meter tall (when in flower) and has bright red flowers. Hummingbirds love it. Cardinal flower is often cultivated for ornamental purposes and has also been used for medicinal purposes.

The plant is very alkaloid and is considered toxic"



'via Blog this'

48 Million Sickened Every Year by Cheap, Dirty Meat

48 Million Sickened Every Year by Cheap, Dirty Meat:

a pigs nose poking through a fence

"If you live in the U.S., you’re far more likely to get hit with salmonella or some other foodborne illness, than if you live in the U.K.  You can thank the factory farm industry for that.

An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and the Guardian found “shockingly high” levels of foodborne illness in the U.S. The Guardian reports that “annually, around 14.7 percent (48 million people) of the U.S. population is estimated to suffer from an illness, compared to around 1.5 percent (1 million) in the UK. In the U.S., 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year of foodborne diseases.

Driving these grim statistics is the multi-billion-dollar industrial factory farm industry that not only makes us sick, but pollutes our water and air, exploits workers, is causing an antibiotic resistance crisis and is unconscionably inhumane.

And it’s all done in the name of “cheap food.”"



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Lysimachia nummularia - Creeping Jenny Perennial

Plant Profile for Lysimachia nummularia - Creeping Jenny Perennial: shaddy areas perhaps at pond edges Ther is a golden version that is good for full sun

Lysimachia nummularia

"Creeping Jenny is a vigorous, spreading groundcover plant that can be very useful in moist, shady situations. Plants form a low mat of bright green rounded leaves, bearing bright golden-yellow flowers from late spring into the summer. Excellent in pots and tubs, or cascading over walls. Too vigorous for the rock garden. Since the stems root into the ground wherever they touch, this plant is easily increased by simply moving new plantlets in spring or fall. Best as a lawn substitute, otherwise this can escape into lawns or borders. Semi-evergreen in mild winter regions."



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Friday, February 16, 2018

Permaculture hedgerow plan process seeking input

First a little definition.  A hedgerow is not a hedge, it is a habitat and in our case we are constructing a 300 foot band of shrubs, ground covers, trees, vines and thickets with a mix of nearly 90 evergreen and deciduous varieties.  This will vary in width from only 10 feet to 50 feet and traverse the property from the northwest (top) side, down the west fence line to the barn and then diagonally eastward down slope on the water course to the pond. The landscape will mature into a little wild forest over many year and yet within 3 to 4 will provide substantial protection from prevailing wind and a cooling effect in the hot summer for out fruit trees and garden which have suffered with too much exposure.

Permaculture principles

Most of what we are planting is native but we make exceptions for exotics such as carob, jujubes, Silverberry, Autumn Olive and a Capulin Cherry and much will edible and medicinal.  Some of my favorite standout natives are a cultivar multi-trunk Madrone, Ray Hartman Ceanothus, and a new favorite is the evergreen and flowering Bush Anemone.

Ceanothus likes it dry while Wild Ginger and Yerba Mansa likes shady places with its feet wet.  Fortunately we have such variety on this small 2 and a half acre parcel.  The site is south east facing with an overall slope of 56' or 8.6% overall and slightly bowl shaped which promotes drainage from subsurface water into a perennial seep which we have turned into a pond about midway down the hill.

We are about to begin ordering and planting and I would love help and constructive criticism of the project plan.  I am not an expert but my experience on the property for 7 years has taught me a lot. For further study I have provided resources and will respond to questions.

Or you can just give me a call or come by and I can take you for a walk and talk.

PDF Site Plan of the farm
hyperlinked plant index that links to plant descriptions in the blog or you can page through the blog starting here

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Full shade plants video study

Full shade plants:

At the link is a large study of varieties with videos and details.  A great resource
What we are calling full shade is shade under a dense canopy of evergreen trees, not under a deck or other solid structure. Some light must penetrate in order for the plants to photosynthesize. Don't forget that our full shade may not be like your full shade. Most people can give a little more sun to many of these plants. Look on each individual plant's description (the links) to get more precise information about each plant's needs or to order it.
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Rosa woodsii - Wikipedia

Rosa woodsii - Wikipedia:

Rosawoodsii.jpg

 "It is native to North America including much of Canada and Alaska and the western and central United States. It grows in a variety of habitat types, including disturbed areas.[1]

In the Sierra Nevadas, it grows to 11,200 feet (3,400 m) in moist, rocky soils in mixed coniferous forest, upper montane forest, and subalpine forest.[2]"



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Pittosporum tobira - mock orange

Pittosporum tobira - Wikipedia:  not a native but a dependable everrgreen grower that can get overhead and can grow in sun or part shade and likes heat.  This was on the south side of moms garage and took over most of the building.

Image result for Pittosporum tobira

"Pittosporum tobira is a species of flowering plant in the Pittosporum family known by several common names, including Australian laurel,[1] Japanese pittosporum,[1] mock orange[1] and Japanese cheesewood.[citation needed] It is native to Japan, China, and Korea,[2] but it is used throughout the world as an ornamental plant in landscaping and as cut foliage.


Fruits and seeds in Japan
It is an evergreen shrub which can reach 10 m (33 ft) tall by 3 m (10 ft) broad,[2] and can become treelike. It can also be trimmed into a hedge. The leaves are oval in shape with edges that curl under and measure up to 10 cm (4 in) in length. They are leathery, hairless, and darker and shinier on the upper surfaces. The inflorescence is a cluster of fragrant flowers occurring at the ends of branches. The flower has five white petals each about a centimetre long. The fruit is a hairy, woody capsule about 1 cm wide divided into three valves. Inside are black seeds in a bed of resinous pulp.

The binomial qualifier tobira derives from the Japanese name for the plant.[3]

This shrub is a common, drought-tolerant and fairly hardy landscaping plant. Many cultivars have been developed, including dwarf forms and the popular 'Variegata', which has variegated leaves.[4] It is used for hedges, living privacy screens, and indoor and outdoor planter boxes.[4] The stems, leaves, and dried fruits are used in flower arrangements.[4]"



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Climbing Penstemon, Keckiella cordifolia

Climbing Penstemon, Keckiella cordifolia:



 "Keckiella cordifolia (formerly Penstemon cordifolius) is a species of flowering shrub in the plantain family known by the common name heartleaf keckiella. It is native to the coast and coastal mountains of southern California and northern Baja California, and it is a resident of chaparral and coastal woodland plant communities. This is a spreading shrub reaching maximum heights in excess of two meters. Its shiny green leaves are oval to heart-shaped, pointed, and edged with small teeth. They are 2 to 6 centimeters long and arranged oppositely on the branches. The shrub produces hairy, hairy flower clusters of many flowers each. The flower is somewhat tubular with a wide open mouth. It is fuzzy on the external surface and any shade of pale orange to deep scarlet. It is up to 3 centimeters long and 4 wide at the mouth, which has three flat lower lobes and two joined upper lobes. Inside the mouth are long filamentous stamens and a flat, hairy, yellow sterile stamen called a staminode.

Best to place this plant in shady slopes in hotter inland areas, preferably in places with a little more natural groundwater such as slope bottoms. Place in sunny spots in cooler coastal areas."

winter evergreen summer semi desiduous


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Red Alder, Alnus rubra

Red Alder, Alnus rubra:

This is one of the largest trees in the world and ground in wet areas very fast, the wood is soft and burns not so good but is used in furniture making as it does not split much.  It is also nitrogen fixing and could be used to stablize the top of the fig swale below the parking area. and would make a wonderful addition there. In the meadow is another location in front of the barn but it will dramatically change the shade there although it would grow like hell.

Image result for red alder

"Alnus rubra (red alder) is a deciduous broadleaf tree in the Betulaceae (Birch) family native to western North America. In California it is found primarily along the coast from San Luis Obispo County northward. In southern california Alnus rhombifolia is the more commonly found alder. Red Alder is the largest species of alder in North America and one of the largest in the world, reaching heights of 20-30 meters. The official tallest red alder (1979) stands 32 meters tall in Clatsop County, Oregon (USA). The name derives from the bright rusty red color that develops in bruised or scraped bark. The bark is mottled, ashy-gray and smooth, often draped with moss. Large trees are often unbranched for a considerable distance from the ground. The leaves are ovate, 7-15 centimeter long, with bluntly serrated edges and a distinct point at the end; the leaf margin is revolute, the very edge being curled under, a diagnostic character which distinguishes it from all other alders. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn before falling. The male flowers are dangling reddish catkins 10-15 centimeter long in early spring, and female flowers are erect catkins which develop into small, woody, superficially cone-like oval dry fruit 2-3 centimeter long. The flowers are wind pollinated, and a large amount of airborne pollen is produced in early spring. The seeds develop between the woody leaves of the 'cones' and are shed in the autumn and winter.

Surface roots can be problematic if the tree receives frequent, shallow watering. Better to water deep and infrequently. Established trees with deep roots can be surprisingly drought tolerant. This is a large tree that requires plenty of space. Best suited for restoration or large gardens with bioswales or streams."



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Redbud, Cercis occidentalis

Redbud, Cercis occidentalis:

perhaps instead of crepe myrtel??? it is a native! and easy to grow both are a little slow



"The Western Redbud is a small deciduous tree or shrub found in the foothills and mountains of California. It grows in higher elevation mountains in Southern California, and foothills of central and northern california. The thin, shiny brown branches bear shiny heart-shaped leaves which are light green early in the season and darken as they age. Leaves on plants at higher elevation may turn gold or red as the weather cools. The showy flowers develop in the spring and are bright pink or magenta, and grow in clusters all over the shrub, making the plant very colorful and noticeable in the landscape. The shrub bears 3 inch long brown legume pods which are very thin and dry.

Best to plant Western Redbuds near seasonal streams, springs, damp areas or irrigated areas. With a little bit of water, this plant is very easy to grow in its natural range."



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Permaculture design course

Following this link there is a 13 Chapter course by Doug Crouch.



https://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-8-soils/chop-and-drop-of-trees-and-biomass-plants/

Western Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus

Western Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus:

recommended as better than salmonberry by paul odonnel





Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan and south to northern Mexico. It is widespread in California. It grows from sea level in the north, up to 2,500 meter altitude in the south of the range. It is a dense shrub up to 2.5 meter tall with canes 3-15 millimeter diameter, often growing in large clumps which spread through the plant's underground rhizome. Rubus is the genus of raspberries and blackberries, but unlike most other members of the genus, it has no thorns. The leaves are palmate, 5-20 centimeter across, with five lobes; they are soft and fuzzy in texture. The flowers are 2-6 centimeter diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. It produces a tart edible composite fruit 10-15 millimeter diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like other raspberries it is not a true berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core; the drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, perhaps giving the plant its name; it is also said that it may get its name from the Thimble Islands in Connecticut, though it is rarely seen there.

 "Rubus parviflorus"



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Morus alba - Russian Mulberry

Morus alba - Tehran.JPG



Morus alba - Wikipedia:

On young, vigorous shoots, the leaves may be up to 30 cm long, and deeply and intricately lobed, with the lobes rounded. On older trees, the leaves are generally 5–15 cm long, unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins. The trees are generally deciduous in temperate regions, but trees grown in tropical regions can be evergreen. The flowers are single-sex catkins; male catkins are 2–3.5 cm long, and female catkins 1–2 cm long. Male and female flowers are usually on separate trees although they may occur on the same tree.[10][11] The fruit is 1–2.5 cm long; in the species in the wild it is deep purple, but in many cultivated plants it varies from white to pink; it is sweet but bland, unlike the more intense flavor of the red mulberry and black mulberry. The seeds are widely dispersed in the droppings of birds that eat the fruit.[3][4][12]

The white mulberry is scientifically notable for the rapid plant movement involved in pollen release from its catkins. The stamens act as catapults, releasing stored elastic energy in just 25 µs. The resulting movement is approximately 350 miles per hour (560 km/h), over half the speed of sound, making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom.[9]"



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Peas for apple trees

These are part of the organic plow down mix and I am using them aroung the base of apple trees to crowd out grass and vine into the tree for support.  This will cool the trunk in the hot sun and also feed the tree.  We are using all three peas together, mangus, biomaster and dundale.  I may use one or other in some locations to test the variety.

Magnus Peas - Hearne Seed:

"Magnus peas are an annual legume used to produce organic matter & nitrogen, or as forage.  They do best when mixed with cereal grains and/or legumes which they use for support to climb on with thier upward growth.  As a cover crop they break down quickly after incorperation and can produce high amounts of nitrogen, this nitrogen can be available to the subsequent cash crop.  Magnus Peas are not winter dormant and grow rapidly through the winter producing more biomass earlier than winter dormant type peas.  They can get winter killed in cold climates."

Biomaster peas:

 "Biomaster peas are a fast-growing , proprietary  peas developed for outstanding forage and biomass production. Biomasters are a strong veining pea with large leafs and pink flowers. It is a very fast growing pea with most production made within 45-60 days after planting. Because of its rapid growth, it is an excellent plow down crop producing high amounts of nitrogen for subsequent cropping seasons. University trials have shown Biomasters to be one of the top nitrogen fixing legumes as well as produces  higher yields compared to other fall grown peas. Biomaster peas are a must for any cover crop/green manure crop"

Dundale Peas - Hearne Seed:

 "Dundale peas are an annual legume used in cover crops to produce organic matter & nitrogen, or as forage.  They do best when mixed with cereal grains and/or legumes; they use the other plants for support to climb on with thier upward growth.  As a cover crop they produce nitrogen by symbiotic association, this nitrogen can be available to the subsequent cash crop."

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Apple Tree Guild

Guild, or companion, planting is one of the fundamental techniques of permaculture gardening. It taps into permaculture ideas such as self-sufficient systems, plants providing multiple functions, and maximizing the productivity of a plot. Guilds are typically set up around a central fruit tree. Each plant species in the ecosystem performs one or more functions that benefit others in the vicinity, as well as interacting with animal species and soil microorganisms to create an ecosystem. Below are examples of species that can be used to make an effective guild planting around an apple tree.

following are three good discussions

Monday, February 12, 2018

Hibiscus syriacus - Plant Finder



Hibiscus syriacus - Plant Finder: "Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best flowering occurs in full sun. Prefers moist, organically rich soils, but tolerates poor soils and some drought. Very tolerant of summer heat and humidity. Generally tolerant of urban conditions. Prune to shape in spring. Pruning back to 2-3 buds in late winter may produce larger blooms. Easily propagated by stem cuttings. May be grown from seed, but seedlings may not have the exact same flower color as the parent. Species plants can self-seed aggressively in optimum growing conditions.

Noteworthy Characteristics
Hibiscus syriacus, commonly called rose of Sharon or shrub althea, is a vigorous, upright, vase-shaped, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically grows 8-12’ tall. It may be trained as a small tree or espalier. Showy, hollyhock-like, 5-petaled flowers (to 3” diameter) appear over a long, early-summer to fall bloom period. Each flower has a prominent and showy center staminal column. Palmately-veined, coarsely-toothed, three-lobed, medium green leaves (to 4” long) are attractive during the growing season but produce no fall color."



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Sunday, February 11, 2018

Hugelkultur: Building wood berms In the hedgerow- The Permaculture Research Institute



Step two in the hedgerow plan:

Turning waste unprocessed brush and limb on the Oasis Farm in to valuable soil. Interested in helping build one of these. There is no better time than the end of winter to build a bunch of these.  Over a short time this biomass will become the forest floor for the hedge.  By placing them down hill of our plantings we can actually build forest floor as our hedgerow grows overhead using all of our woody and brush waste in the future thus storing the nutrient in the soil. This is one of those long haul projects as we have 4 years of brush piled up.  That's a lot of soil!



This link below goes to a wonderful step by step methodology.  Very impressive presentation showing installations.  Ours will be a modified one of these because of the type of material.



Hugelkultur: Composting Whole Trees With Ease - The Permaculture Research Institute:



"Hugelkultur is a composting method that uses large pieces of rotting wood as the centerpiece for long term humus building decomposition. The decomposition process takes place below the ground, while at the same time allowing you to cultivate the raised, or sunken, hugelkultur bed. This allows the plants to take advantage of nutrients released during decomposition. Hugelkultur, in its infinite variations, has been developed and practiced by key permaculture proponents such as Sepp Holzer and Masanobu Fukuoka for decades."


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Saturday, February 10, 2018

OpenSprinkler Pi (OSPi) — Sprinkler / Irrigation Extension Board for Raspberry Pi « RAYSHOBBY.NET

This is a possible way forward so Arlo and I can be on the same page with irrigation.  It is also trainable and transferable to others who are less skilled because it is web based.

OpenSprinkler Pi (OSPi)

This system requires the internet in order to program and manually manipulate the stations.  It also provides an ap for using a smart phone to do this work.  This will come in handy for troubleshooting a large complex irrigation system such as we have. Replacing the old Toro controllers with Open Sprinkler Pi does ads some cost but does not actually increase work as we are under capacity already and the addition of an upper zone for hedgerow makes work necessary.  Open Sprinkler would also unify the controller in a new location under the Barn front porch and will require the addition of new 20 conductor control wires from barn to oven valve location and additionally a 13 conductors from the oven to old hoop house location.  This is needed so we have control to the upper orchard area and the lower garden, butterfly garden, chickens, house and fig area.  This is a total of 18 stations whereas we now have only 11 of which 5 are down due to the waterline brake last year.  Hence it makes since to make this change before summer as work will have to happen anyway, otherwise we risk crop and tree failure such as what happened to the figs last year.



We will need both the basic and the expansion which give us a 24 zone capacity also a new Pi so total of $162  where as the Toros are $70 each. The job will require minor trenching, conduit and wire which will perhaps another $50.



Other possible integrations may be path lighting, landscape pumps and irrigation pumps which will enable future economies.



 . OpenSprinkler Pi (OSPi) — Sprinkler / Irrigation Extension Board for Raspberry Pi « RAYSHOBBY.NET:



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Thursday, February 8, 2018

California Wax Myrtle, Morella californica

California Wax Myrtle, Morella californica:

This is a fast growing tree if you water it a lot.  it is weak soft wood  and so best grown multi trunked according to master gardeners this would like afternoon shade that the location at the steps of the barn will afford and so will substitute for the Calif. Bay


Image result for California Wax Myrtle

"California Wax Myrtle (Morella californica) is a native shrub in the Myracaceae (Myrtle) family that is found primarily along the coast in northern and central California, although it does occur as far south as Los Angeles County and as far north as British Columbia. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 33 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early summer. Leaves are lanceolate, dark green, and remain on the plant throughout the year. It tends to grow in dunes, hills and woodlands at elevations from sea level to 2,000 ft. This species makes an excellent small garden tree, especially in coastal gardens or inland if given slightly more moisture and afternoon shade."

at the master gardeners this is called pacific wax myrtle,  Myrica californica  same tree name change


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Salsa Guild including nasturtiums tomatoes basil and peppers

There is much more on this site than this one garden idea.



https://permacultureplantdata.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=488&Itemid=237