Rethinking the way we source our food: a tour through the first eco settlement hub in Poland — ARE WE EUROPE For a long time industrialized agriculture, seemed to some the only solution to feed an ever increasing global population. After the World War II many farmers followed the path of Green Revolution and the governments created policies supporting use of fertilizers and monocropping with hope of creating more food stability and eradicating malnutrition. But industrialized agriculture hasn't eliminated hunger and starvation and some of the scientists and farmers associations now argue that the ecological damage arising from such farming practices has worsened food security in many parts of the world. Family Grows Garden in Backyard Swimming Pool When Dennis McClung takes a dip in his backyard swimming pool, it isn't to practice his backstroke or cool off from the hot Arizona sun. It's to tend to the subterranean garden – chock full of vegetables, fish and even chickens – that has become his family's primary source of food. That's right. Instead of spending thousands of dollars fixing up the crumbling swimming pool in their backyard or filling it up with dirt, the McClung family turned the potentially dangerous, run-down pool into their own minifarm in the desert.
Family of Four Grows Their Food in a Swimming Pool Images: Youtube screen grabs Food Doesn't Get More Local Than That A family living in Mesa, Arizona, has decided to convert an old unused backyard swimming pool into a very productive DIY urban greenhouse, which they named Garden Pool. Within a small, mostly enclosed space, they grow all kinds of vegetables and herbs, as well as raise chickens and tilapia fish. They started this project in 2009 and expected to be "self-sufficient" by 2012, but they've reached that goal this year, getting "8 fresh eggs a day, unlimited tilapia fish, organic fruit, veggies, and herbs 365 days a year" (though I'm not sure if by self-sufficient they mean that they could theoretically live off the amount of food the Garden Pool produces, or if they actually do it). Check out the video tour of the Garden Pool below.
UN Report Says Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way to Feed the World UN says small scale farming could save the world. Industrial farming in the U.S and indeed across the world is at breaking point. The way many of the worlds natural habitats and once lush pastures have been stripped for large scale industrial farming is one of the biggest crimes of the last century. The U.S government seem to have put all of their faith in chemical and unnatural farming methods despite the obvious damage it is doing to the environment. The United Nations have spoken out against these harmful and unnatural large scale farming methods and instead have said that the way forward is more natural and organic ways of creating produce, led by small-scale farming.
Cob Home Photo Gallery Pat's First Cob (1998) This was Patrick's first cob project on his own after taking a one week workshop with Cob Cottage Company (CCC) in 1997. He built the foundation and then used beach logs for the frame. CCC then taught a 2 week course, after which Patrick finished the walls and roof. Tracy and Patrick did the plastering. Omega Hydroponic Garden Gets Five Times As Much Food Per Watt We often wonder about the benefits of indoor hydroponic gardening, given that the sun is free. After all, Illegal hydroponic installations are often discovered by their abnormally high electricity use. Last month Sami introduced us to the Omega Garden system; looking at it a bit more closely I wonder, can it make high tech urban gardening economically feasible and actually more energy efficient than growing outdoors? But Vancouver based Omega Garden's Carousel system rotates the plants around the bulb.
Jellyfish Barge: 750 sq ft Floating Agricultural Greenhouse Thinking about having your own greenhouse but not sure about how to be practical, efficient and environmentally friendly? If you want to check the previous 3 points and at the same time use simple materials and low-cost technology in an innovative approach to growing plants, than this following project will be perfect! The 750 square feet octagonal shape barge is probably the most creative greenhouse in recent times. Jellyfish Barge, as it is known, floats on the water due to recycled plastic barrels but it is also a solar powered greenhouse. Besides the solar and wind sources, which by the way provide with enough energy to power-up the pumps or any fans included in the greenhouse, you even have the water waves giving energy! How cool is that?
PODhouse The dual meaning of the largest PODhouse is also reflected in its name: PLAUN (meaning: peaceful and space) is the largest of the series but does not compromise in the least its unique, exclusive charm. Due to the intelligent design of PLAUN, up to four persons find space in this PODhouse, also giving families the possibility to enjoy living close to nature. 100% FSC certified wood (outside: larch, inside: pine)Double glass windows and doorIntegrated air-flow-obligation in all windows5-point safety doorVery high insulation in roof (=wall) and floorElectric wiringIntegrated forklift iron beams for easy transport, load and unloadImpregnated construction
Gardening Tips - 7 Habits of Successful Gardeners Originally published January 2009 Or is it the Seven Pillars of Horticultural Wisdom? As everyone's resolutions remind us, we love attaching a number to advice, a number smaller than the one I regard as most realistic: The Twenty Three Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty-Two Things It's Important to Remember Before Getting Out of Bed. So be warned: I haven't really honed it down to only seven; these are just the first seven essentials that came to mind when I decided to do this. UN Report Says Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way to Feed the World Even as the United States government continues to push for the use of more chemically-intensive and corporate-dominated farming methods such as GMOs and monoculture-based crops, the United Nations is once against sounding the alarm about the urgent need to return to (and develop) a more sustainable, natural and organic system. That was the key point of a new publication from the UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) titled“Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late,” which included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world. The cover of the report looks like that of a blockbuster documentary or Hollywood movie, and the dramatic nature of the title cannot be understated: The time is now to switch back to our natural farming roots. The New UN Farming Report “Wake Up Before It’s Too Late.” The New UN Farming Report “Wake Up Before It’s Too Late.” Click here to read it.
How to Grow 100 Pounds of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet On many occasions, we've been tempted to grow our own potatoes. They're fairly low maintenance, can be grown in a pot or in the ground, last a fairly long time if stored properly, and can be very nutritious (high in potassium and vitamin C). Here's more incentive: according to this article, you can grow 100 pounds of potatoes in 4 sq. feet. Learn how after the jump... According to this article from the Seattle Times, potatoes planted inside a box with this method can grow up to 100 pounds of potatoes in just 4 square feet.
Managing Greenhouses for Intensive Summer Production Please read and agree to the following terms. If you disagree, you will be re-directed to the home page, and will not be able to attend on-farm events. For the opportunity to participate in this workshop, conducted through Living Web Farms (“LWF”), I hereby grant to LWF and its successors, licensees, assigns, employees and/or agents (a) the right to photograph, record, tape, film and otherwise reproduce my likeness, voice, mannerisms, image, appearance and performance during my participation in the Workshop, and (b) the right to use my name, likeness, portrait or pictures, voice and biographical material about me. LWF shall have the right to use such materials and information for educational, organizational and promotional purposes, and to exploit such materials and information in any and all media, including, without limitation, on LWF’s website.
Challenge 1: The install - The Human 2.0 Project Okay, here we are at the first week of the course. Last year, many students were very stressed out by the final project, and in particular about how to get the software working while at the same time trying to do a design and get it put up on the Internet, etc. I think we can make that whole process much easier by following a simple schedule throughout the course, so that by the time the design project is announced, you have everything you need and you know just how to use it. Depending on what the project is, you might even already have it done! This series of posts will be an incremental tutorial to get you familiar with my personal favorite collection of software for doing permaculture design. These tools are all free and open source, so you can go through the whole tutorial for no additional cost.
If You Want to Save the World, Veganism Isn’t the Answer ‘Calls for us all to switch entirely to plant-based foods ignore one of the most powerful tools we have to mitigate against these ills – grazing and browsing animals.’ Illustration: Matt Kenyon Veganism has rocketed in the UK over the past couple of years – from an estimated half a million people in 2016 to more than 3.5 million – 5% of our population – today. Influential documentaries such as Cowspiracy and What the Health have thrown a spotlight on the intensive meat and dairy industry, exposing the impacts on animal and human health and the wider environment.