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Image | Building and Using Seedling Flats
Building and Using Seedling Flats
by threemealsfarm

With Spring just around the corner, it is time to start getting prepared for planting your resilient garden.  December and January have been spent looking through seed catalogs and placing orders for the new crops you want to try.  Maybe you acquired some fun new varieties from a seed exchange or neighbor.  Visions of a great garden harvest are clear in your mind.  But how do you help to ensure that your seeds will become vibrant plants?  In this article we will build a traditional seedling flat/box that allows for easy starting of seedlings and creates a sustainable, long-lasting container that can meet many of your garden needs.  

Advantages of using wooden seedling boxes:

  • Soil temperature is maintained better than plastic pots
  • Durable and will last for many seasons with proper care
  • Multiple varieties of plants can be planted in a single box
  • Very efficient use of space in the beginning of the season (Start a lot of plants in a very small space; less area to water, heat, and light)
  • Once the seed starting season is over, can be used for carrying in the harvest or displaying at local sellers' market
Building and Using Seedling Flats
 by threemealsfarm

With Spring just around the corner, it is time to start getting prepared for planting your resilient garden.  December and January have been spent looking through seed catalogs and placing orders for the new crops you want to try.  Maybe you acquired some fun new varieties from a seed exchange or neighbor.  Visions of a great garden harvest are clear in your mind.  But how do you help to ensure that your seeds will become vibrant plants?  In this article we will build a traditional seedling flat/box that allows for easy starting of seedlings and creates a sustainable, long-lasting container that can meet many of your garden needs.  

Advantages of using wooden seedling boxes:

  • Soil temperature is maintained better than plastic pots
  • Durable and will last for many seasons with proper care
  • Multiple varieties of plants can be planted in a single box
  • Very efficient use of space in the beginning of the season (Start a lot of plants in a very small space; less area to water, heat, and light)
  • Once the seed starting season is over, can be used for carrying in the harvest or displaying at local sellers' market
Image | Hand powered drilling tools and machines
Hand powered drilling tools and machines
by JW

A fascinating exploration of hand powered drilling tools.  When that 18V power tool set dies, having a mechanical hand powered tool set might come in handy.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/12/hand-powered-drilling-tools-and-machines.html

Hand powered drilling tools and machines
 by JW

A fascinating exploration of hand powered drilling tools.  When that 18V power tool set dies, having a mechanical hand powered tool set might come in handy.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/12/hand-powered-drilling-tools-and-machines.html

Image | Going Dutch
Going Dutch
by JW

Tutorial and recipes for cooking with a dutch oven.  An essential piece of cookware for any resilient homestead or kitchen.

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2013/02/going-dutch-the-art-and-practice-of-dutch-oven-cooking.html

Going Dutch
 by JW

Tutorial and recipes for cooking with a dutch oven.  An essential piece of cookware for any resilient homestead or kitchen.

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2013/02/going-dutch-the-art-and-practice-of-dutch-oven-cooking.html

Image | 10 Heirloom Seed Companies Pioneering a Revival
10 Heirloom Seed Companies Pioneering a Revival
by JW

A wonderful list of seed companies that are changing the availability and quality of seeds for the better. Grow a better garden this spring with localized heirloom varieties and try out some new and fun crops to shake things up. 

http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/corporate-responsibility/10-businesses-pioneering-heirloom-seed-revival/

10 Heirloom Seed Companies Pioneering a Revival
 by JW

A wonderful list of seed companies that are changing the availability and quality of seeds for the better. Grow a better garden this spring with localized heirloom varieties and try out some new and fun crops to shake things up. 

http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/corporate-responsibility/10-businesses-pioneering-heirloom-seed-revival/

Image | Small-Scale Beekeeping
Small-Scale Beekeeping
by apismellifera

My CM username is the Latin name of the common honeybee (“Apis mellifera”). So it should come as no surprise that I'm a beekeeper. I started keeping bees about seven years ago, long before I had any awareness of "Peak Everything" or the three E's. And I enjoy keeping bees more than just about anything else. It requires a small amount of regular attention to make sure my hives are healthy, and conversely, to make sure a hive is not doing too well and preparing to swarm, which really ruins honey production. But beekeeping is not really a lot of work compared to most livestock. So, maybe consider a few beehives in your plans for self-sufficiency. 

 
Small-Scale Beekeeping
 by apismellifera

My CM username is the Latin name of the common honeybee (“Apis mellifera”). So it should come as no surprise that I'm a beekeeper. I started keeping bees about seven years ago, long before I had any awareness of "Peak Everything" or the three E's. And I enjoy keeping bees more than just about anything else. It requires a small amount of regular attention to make sure my hives are healthy, and conversely, to make sure a hive is not doing too well and preparing to swarm, which really ruins honey production. But beekeeping is not really a lot of work compared to most livestock. So, maybe consider a few beehives in your plans for self-sufficiency. 

 
Image | That water from your shower?
That water from your shower?
by JW

Make better use of water by setting up greywater collection systems.  Good for the garden and the pocketbook.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/water-your-shower-it-could-water-your-garden

That water from your shower?
 by JW

Make better use of water by setting up greywater collection systems.  Good for the garden and the pocketbook.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/water-your-shower-it-could-water-your-garden

Image | Building a Solar Dehydrator
Building a Solar Dehydrator
by harmonyguy

This is a story of one of the steps my family has taken towards increased resiliency, including actions taken to build a more sustainable lifestyle and invest in our food security.  My family lives on mostly a vegetarian diet. We currently grow a large garden and plan to grow most of our food for the full year. Growing a year's worth of food brings up many questions, but the most critical one is how do we preserve the bounty of our garden?  Of methods that I know of, one can dry, ferment, can, or use cold storage. Canning heats the food and takes away some of the nutrients. Not all foods can be stored in cold storage (but I am working on this, as well). We have an Excalibur dryer but find it takes forever to dry things and the electricity to match.

So I decided to build a solar dehydrator. After researching different design ideas, I went with a design that I could use some recycled materials and materials left over from other projects, plus some new. I also wanted a high-capacity design that could dry a lot of food at once. This design has a heat collector and a tower.
Building a Solar Dehydrator
 by harmonyguy

This is a story of one of the steps my family has taken towards increased resiliency, including actions taken to build a more sustainable lifestyle and invest in our food security.  My family lives on mostly a vegetarian diet. We currently grow a large garden and plan to grow most of our food for the full year. Growing a year's worth of food brings up many questions, but the most critical one is how do we preserve the bounty of our garden?  Of methods that I know of, one can dry, ferment, can, or use cold storage. Canning heats the food and takes away some of the nutrients. Not all foods can be stored in cold storage (but I am working on this, as well). We have an Excalibur dryer but find it takes forever to dry things and the electricity to match.

So I decided to build a solar dehydrator. After researching different design ideas, I went with a design that I could use some recycled materials and materials left over from other projects, plus some new. I also wanted a high-capacity design that could dry a lot of food at once. This design has a heat collector and a tower.
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