From time to time, I think it is healthy to be reminded of what can be done, what we are working toward. Hope you enjoy!
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tour of a Permaculture Garden / Food Forest
Here is a great video (about 40 minutes long) that takes us on a tour of a Permaculture garden / food forest in Portland, Oregon. This is just a fun walk through of just one Permaculture design. The host is John Kohler from Growing Your Greens (www.growingyourgreens.com). John is a good host and quite knowledgeable.
From time to time, I think it is healthy to be reminded of what can be done, what we are working toward. Hope you enjoy!
From time to time, I think it is healthy to be reminded of what can be done, what we are working toward. Hope you enjoy!
Friday, December 30, 2011
What is the single most important thing we can do for our health?
This is a great video! One of the best on preventive medicine I have ever seen. I highly recommend taking the 9 minutes to watch this. Enjoy!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Permaculture Master Plan
Inspirational!
From the Permaculture Research Institute's page on the Permaculture Master Plan:
The answers to the world’s woes – waning energy supplies, depleted and contaminated soils and water, reduced biodiversity, the dismantling of communities, etc. – are all there. We know how to get the job done, we know how to restore natural abundance where before was only desolation. But, we can get the job done a great deal faster with your help!
Watch this video to learn more:
Click here for more information...
From the Permaculture Research Institute's page on the Permaculture Master Plan:
The answers to the world’s woes – waning energy supplies, depleted and contaminated soils and water, reduced biodiversity, the dismantling of communities, etc. – are all there. We know how to get the job done, we know how to restore natural abundance where before was only desolation. But, we can get the job done a great deal faster with your help!
Watch this video to learn more:
Click here for more information...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Midwest Permaculture Videos
Here is a great video series on Permaculture. Bill Wilson, founder of Midwest Permaculture, has created a free 90-minute webinar series called "The Case for Permaculture". This video series provides information on what Permaculture is and why it is growing so fast around the world.
Take a look at it here: Midwest Permaculture, the Case for Permaculture
Enjoy!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Gabions for Creek Restoration
Gabions acting as a retaining wall.
Gabion is a word that comes from Italian meaning big cage. In typical civil engineering use, a gabion is a cage or box filled with sand, soil, or rubble used to stabilize a slope, build a retaining wall, build a foundation, or direct flow of water especially to prevent erosion. The military will uses gabions to protect artillery crews from enemy fire.
Gabions used to prevent water erosion.
I recently came across the following video showing how gabions are being used to restore a creek and surrounding riparian zone and vegetation. (Riparian = the interface between land and river or stream) In this case, the term gabion is loosely applied to piles of rocks and trees. These piles form a leaky dam. The water upstream builds up, the water level rises, and the water irrigates the surrounding land. The water downstream initially slows down, but soon after construction the water leaks through the gabions and flow returns to previous levels. This allows a landowner to utilize water more efficiently. Also, by keeping the downstream flow unchanged, no downstream neighbors can complain.
This is a beautiful system that builds ecosystems. It is a great example of Permaculture in action. Here is the video from the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia:
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Survival Medicine Videos on YouTube
So, this is a bit of a different kind of post. There are a LOT of video links, but they are really good.
Being a physician who is very interested in Wilderness Medicine and self-sufficiency, it is not uncommon for "non-medical" people to ask me about "medical things" they could do at home. There is so much great information on the internet, but there is also a lot of bad information on the internet. So how do you determine what is good or not? Here is one series of videos that I would recommend. While not the best video or audio quality, the content is very good.
The following videos have been created by Dr. Eric Wilke who is an Emergency Medicine physician. Based on his medical mission work around the world, he wanted to give solid and reliable medical information for people "where there is no doctor". These videos have good information on a variety of topics, and they are a great place to start learning how to be more medically self-sufficient.
Being a physician who is very interested in Wilderness Medicine and self-sufficiency, it is not uncommon for "non-medical" people to ask me about "medical things" they could do at home. There is so much great information on the internet, but there is also a lot of bad information on the internet. So how do you determine what is good or not? Here is one series of videos that I would recommend. While not the best video or audio quality, the content is very good.
The following videos have been created by Dr. Eric Wilke who is an Emergency Medicine physician. Based on his medical mission work around the world, he wanted to give solid and reliable medical information for people "where there is no doctor". These videos have good information on a variety of topics, and they are a great place to start learning how to be more medically self-sufficient.
#1 Intro and Disclaimer
#2 Strep Throat - be sure to watch both parts
#3 Influenza - be sure to watch both parts
#4 Diarrhea
#5 Oral Rehydration Formula
#6 Potable Water
#7 Dental Infections
#8 Dental Pain
#9 Dental Trauma
#10 Broken Teeth
#11 Dental Kit
#12 The WAPI (Pasteurizing Water)
#13 Medication Shelf Life
#14 Where there is No Doctor - a book review (highly recommend this free book)
#15 Soft Tissue Infections
#16 Civilian Application of Combat Casualty Care
#17 Field Treatment of Gunshot Wounds
#18 How to Start an IV
#19 Honey for Wounds
#20 Cold Related Injuries
#21 Worldwide Top Killers
#22 Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
#23 Obtaining Prescription Medications... legally!
#24 Clavicle Fractures
#25 Radiation Exposure
(very interesting considering the fairly recent events in Japan)
#26 Basic Extremity Fracture Care
Saturday, June 18, 2011
A 2,000 year old Forest Garden!
I previously wrote about Food Forests in this post. Today, I want to highlight one amazing example of the longevity of a well designed Permaculture system as well as give a bit more education on Food Forests in general.
Here is a video clip of Geoff Lawton, the director of The Permaculture Research Institute, describing a 2,000 year old Food Forest that is still being used today. Fascinating!
Since I am on the topic of Food Forests, I thought I would show you another clip of Geoff Lawton showing the different stages of a Food Forest's progression (known as Food Forest Succession).
Here is a video clip of Geoff Lawton, the director of The Permaculture Research Institute, describing a 2,000 year old Food Forest that is still being used today. Fascinating!
2,000 Year Old Food Forest
Since I am on the topic of Food Forests, I thought I would show you another clip of Geoff Lawton showing the different stages of a Food Forest's progression (known as Food Forest Succession).
7 Food Forests in 7 Minutes
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Beyond Organic with Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin
If I had to point a finger at one person who started me down this road to Permaculture and seeking to eat and grow healthy, sustainable food, that one person would be Joel Salatin. (I wrote about this in more detail in this post.)
Joel Salatin is a farmer. He is rather non-conventional. He is outspoken. He is brilliant. There has not been a book, article, or interview by or about him that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. You may have seen him profiled/interviewed in the movie Food, Inc. which I highly recommend.
Joel showing off his grass-fed and finished cattle.
His mission at Polyface Farms in Virginia is to produce the highest quality food while improving the land and working sustainably while making a good living!
Because he doesn't agree, for a lot of reasons, with the government's control of the term "Organic", which requires a lot of money, paperwork, inspections, and time, and isn't always sustainable or improves the land, he labels his product "Beyond Organic".
Joel sitting with his "forest finished" pigs.
How many modern pig farmers would sit with their pigs over the slurry pit?!
As is with many alternative food producers who wouldn't call what they are doing Permaculture, Joel is all about creating systems that model nature... Permaculture!
Here is the book that caused a major turning point in my life:
I have a lot of videos below, but they all contain really good information. I think Joel does a fantastic job of motivating people to bring back, what he calls, the Jeffersonian intellectual agrarian. Enjoy!
Here is a video (10 minutes) where Joel explains raising grass-fed cattle:
This is another interview where Joel talks about why some "modern" farmers can't buy in to "alternative" farming. In short, he thinks its because it makes them feel like sissys. I love it!
If this interests you, you can watch a 90 minute interview and tour of his farm in 30 minutes segments. This is a very well done production:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Monday, June 13, 2011
Permaculture Projects: Make your own Charcoal!
Hardwood Charcoal
I recently purchased a new smoker/BBQ, and I have been barbecuing quite a bit as I season the smoker and just practice with it. This means I have been going through a decent amount of charcoal. I am hoping to be able to make all of my own charcoal in the future, so I thought I would explain how you can make charcoal at home. This is a relatively easy project. If you have access to wood from your own land or from neighbors (e.g. a tree knocked over in a storm) or even access to agricultural waste (as you will see in one of the videos below), then you have the ability to make your own charcoal.
First, some definitions:
Charcoal: This is the dark grey/black carbon-containing remains (usually of trees, but also bone or other organic matter) after all the water has been removed through pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis: Thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.
Lump Charcoal: Charcoal made directly from hardwood.
Briquettes: Charcoal made from sawdust and other wood by-products with a binder (usually starch).
Basic Steps for Making Charcoal:
- Fill a clean and dry metal can with material that will become your charcoal.
- Limit the amount of oxygen that can get into the can.
- Build a fire around that can.
- Wait 10 minutes to 3 or 4 hours (depends on the material) then let the fire die.
- Allow the can to cool and the ashes to become cold (usually the next day).
- Open the can.
- Charcoal!
It really is basically that simple, but the devil is in the details as they say. I have seen many ways that this is accomplished.
I'll take each step, one at a time, and show the options available.
Metal Can - This can be any size. 1 gallon paint can to 55 gallon drum or even larger. Just make sure it is clean and dry.
Wood - Any wood can be used as long as it is not treated with chemicals, stains, or paint. Make sure it is "seasoned" (i.e. not recently cut wood with a high moisture content.). You can use unseasoned wood, but it will take a lot longer and use more fire to burn all the extra moisture out of it.
Limiting the Oxygen - This is a crucial step. One thing to keep in mind is that as charcoal is being made, lots of gasses are being released. This can quickly build up pressure. In industrial charcoal production, you can create a safe, completely sealed environment. For the average person, this means you need to allow the gas to escape without allowing too much oxygen inside. I have seen many ways to solve this problem: seal the can with the lid and then punch holes in it, put holes in the lower sides of the can, place the can upside down on flat ground, weld a small exhaust pipe to the can, etc. Just remember that if the hole is too small, the can may explode (or more likely pop the top off).
Build a Fire - Fairly straight forward. Typically build around the can or under the can. I have a link below to a pretty ingenious method where the fire is built on top of the can.
That is basically it.
Chicken Satay grilled over a bed of charcoal... mmmm!
Here is the link I mentioned above on making charcoal by Gary Gilmore.
Here are a couple of videos showing a variety of ways to do this.
Fantastic video! Done by Amy Smith from MIT (yeah... that MIT).
She highlights how to make briquettes using a method she created for developing countries. Brilliant!
Vey informative. Sorry about the weird marketing text about halfway through.
Another innovative method by the Eco Redneck.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Fantastic Cooking Resource: Harvest Eating
Harvest Eating
Within a few years, he co-founded the local chapter of Slow Food (I recently wrote a post on Slow Food USA). He started filming videos on how to cook with local foods and seasonal ingredients. Most of these ingredients are things you can grow in your own backyard, make at home, or find local farmers producing. He started the website, Harvest Eating to post the videos, and it has taken off.
Chef Keith Snow, founder of Harvest Eating
The website is really interesting. There are a bunch of free videos on how to make specific meals, and you can browse by ingredient, meal type, course, or season of the year. If you want the written instructions, you can become a member (for a fairly reasonable fee... oh, and I make no money if you choose to join).
He has a TV show that looks like it will be really good. Apparently, they are still in the distribution phase, but you can watch the first episode here:
Episode 101
He has also recently published his first cookbook:
Harvest Eating is a great resource. Check it out.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Permaculture Projects: Coppicing
Coppiced Basswood/Linden Trees
Stand of Coppiced Sweet Chestnut
Coppicing (pronounced: KAH-piss-ing) is an ancient practice of woodland management where trees are cut down while dormant and allowed to regrow from the stumps/roots for a number of years before cutting again. The new growth of trees/forest from these cut stumps is collectively called "coppice".
Coppicing has been practiced for thousands of years throughout the world. It is still practiced on a fairly regular basis in the U.K. However, it is almost unheard of in North America. This is likely due to the fact that when settlers first came to America, there was such a surplus of forest that the settlers didn't think it was necessary.
Coppicing allows sustainable harvest of woody plant species without the need for replanting. Since the roots are well established, regrowth is MUCH faster than growing a new tree. Most Temperate Climate hardwood trees can be coppiced.
The new individual growing stems are called poles, and they can grow from the stump (also called the stool) or from the root buds close to the stump. A variation of coppicing called pollarding is where the tree is cut above the reach of livestock. This allows the new growth to develop without being eaten by the animals.
Recently coppiced Alder stool.
New growth of a stool.
The length of time between cuttings depends on what species you are coppicing and what the intended purpose of the cuttings will be, e.g. basket weaving vs fence posts. The typical range can be anywhere from 5-30 years, but 100+ years is possible. Coppicing can truly be a multigenerational project.
Wood for fuel is a common use for coppicing.
Baskets made from coppiced willow.
Fence made from coppiced hazel.
Uses for Coppicing:
- Fuel, i.e. firewood
- Charcoal
- Mushroom medium
- Crafts (furniture, baskets)
- Tools
- Fences
- Other Structures
Other benefits of Coppicing:
- Lets more light to the understory. Prompts the flowering of many woodland plants.
- Creates more microclimates (varying degrees of light, shade, temperature, moisture, etc.).
- Allows certain animals specific habitats that they desire (e.g. pheasants like dense hazel coppice).
- Increase in sunlight allows more plant growth which provides more food for mammals, birds, and insects.
- Coppicing actually increases the longevity of the tree. One stand of basswood/linden trees in the U.K. is over a thousand years old... about four times the average age!
No idea how many times this Alder has been coppiced.
Trees that can be Coppiced in a Temperate Climate:
- Maple/Sycamore (Acer species) - 7-25 yrs
- Alder (Alnus glutinosa) - 12-40 yrs
- Papaw (Asimina triloba) - fruit
- Birch (Betula species) - 3-20 yrs
- Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) - 20-30 yrs
- Hickory/Pecan (Carya species) - nut
- Sweet Chestnut/Chinkapin (Castenea species) - 12-18 yrs; nut
- Hackberry (Celtis species)
- Hazel/Filbert (Corylus species) - 6-15 yrs; nut
- Hawthorns/Mayhaw (Crataegus species) - fruit
- Persimmons (Diospyrus species) - fruit
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus species)
- Beech (Fagus grandifolia) - nut
- Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) - 7-25 yrs
- Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) - nut/leaves
- Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) - pods
- Apples (Malus species) - fruit
- Mulberries (Morus species) - fruit
- Aspen (Populus tremula) - 6-25 yrs
- Cherries/Plums (Prunus species) - fruit
- European Pears (Pyrus species) - fruit
- Oak (Quercus species) - 7-50 yrs; nut (acorns)
- Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Willow/Sallow (Salix species) - 6-25 yrs
- Rowan/Service Tree (Sorbus species)
- Mountain Ash (Sorbus species) - fruit
- Basswood/Linden, called Lime in Britain (Tilia species) - 10-25 yrs; leaves
- Fragrant Spring Tree (Toona sinensis) - leaves
- Elm (Ulmus procera) - 7-25 yrs
- NOTE: any tree that is a nut or fruit producer may take many years for new growth to produce again
Here are a few videos on Coppicing... all from the U.K.
A basic introduction to Coppicing.
Coppicing with a chainsaw.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Permaculture Videos: A Farm for the Future
This is a great video that documents a woman who returns to take over the family farm in the U.K. She realizes that modern farming will bankrupt the family, and sets out to find new ways to make it work. What does she find at the end of her quest? You'll have to watch it to find out, but I think the answer is pretty obvious if I posted it on this site!
Be sure to watch all 5 parts. This was produced by BBC, so the quality is excellent. Enjoy!
Be sure to watch all 5 parts. This was produced by BBC, so the quality is excellent. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Permaculture Videos: Willie Smits Regrows a Rainforest
So this video is definitely getting more into the "tree-hugger" realm, but anyone who watches this video has to admit that what Willie Smits has accomplished here is amazing. In an attempt to provide land to raise rescued orangutans in Borneo, Smits developed a method to re-grow a rainforest on land formerly destroyed using slash and burn techniques. While he never uses the term Permaculture, what he has done is a prime example of design using nature as a guide... this is Permaculture!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Permaculture Videos: The Bullock Brothers
This is an interesting interview with the Bullock brothers. These three brothers own about 10 acres on Orcas Island off the coast in northwest Washington state. These guys have one of the longest running Permaculture projects in the U.S. I really admire what they are doing. Since I hope to be relocating to northwest Washington myself within a few years, I really enjoy it.
I am not really familiar with the organization that is interviewing them, but if you can look past the interviewer and the cheesy intro, I think you may also find this video interesting.
I am not really familiar with the organization that is interviewing them, but if you can look past the interviewer and the cheesy intro, I think you may also find this video interesting.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Permaculture Projects: Seed Balls
Seed Balls: What are they and how do you make them?
Seed balls are a great permaculture technique for spreading seeds in a desired location. These are small balls of clay, compost, and seeds that are dried and are easy to toss. Because they are dried out, the seeds inside do not germinate. They are protected from predators (ants, birds, etc). When the rains come, the clay slowly "melts" away, and the seeds in the compost are ready to germinate and grow. This is an easy project with which even kids can help.
Sprouting Seed Balls
The basic recipe for seed balls is as follows:
1 part seeds (can be a single species or a seed mix that you make)
3 parts compost (ideally fresh, live compost or humus with mycorrhizal fungi soil inoculates)
5 parts powdered clay (ideally red or brown clay from a pond bank or other natural source, but you can buy red clay used to make terra cotta pots).
Water as needed
A Single Seed Ball
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Instructions for making seed balls:
1. Add 1 part seed mix in a large bowl
2. Add 3 parts compost and mix thoroughly
3. Optional - add dried red pepper powder or other natural irritant to prevent birds/bugs from eating the seeds if the seed balls only partially melt in a light rain
4. Add 5 parts of powdered clay
5. Begin mixing and slowly add water to a "bread dough" consistency
6. Take a small amount and role it into balls about 1 inch in diameter
7. Let dry (ideally in the sun) for 24-48 hrs, until hard
8. Store for use in a dry location
9. Spread anywhere you want your seeds to grow. They can sit in a field for months!
Dried Seed Balls Ready To Go!
Here is a very good video on making seed balls using a couple of techniques (it is not very well produced, but the information is outstanding).
The Von Bachmayr Drum
For those who want to mass produce seed balls, the use of a Von Bachmayr Drum is a huge timesaver. Here is a link to step-by-step instructions for a Von Bachmayr Seed Ball Drum.
Here is a human powered rolling drum adapted from the Von Bachmayr design.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Permaculture Videos: Temperate Permaculture Strategies
The following video is a bit old but still educational. It features Bill Mollison (the "father" of Permaculture). In this video is Joe Bullock, a former student of Mollison's and one of the featured permaculturists in Gaia's Garden. Also in this video is Robert Hart (author of Forest Gardening), the first known modern person to create a Temperate Climate Forest Garden. This is one of the few videos focusing on Temperate Climate Permaculture. Be sure to watch all four segments.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Permaculture Videos: Sepp Holzer - Farming with Terraces and Raised Beds
Sepp Holzer was probably the first person in the world to practice Permaculture. It could be argued that Permaculture has always been practiced by indigenous peoples around the world, but Sepp Holzer was probably the first to implement ecological or sustainable farming while being surrounded by "modern" farmers. He started implementing Permaculture a good decade before Bill Mollison and David Holmgren coined the word. This set of videos is a basic tour of his farm in the mountains of Austria (where he grows citrus trees in the snowy mountains!)
Permaculture Videos: Introduction to Permaculture
Here is an in-depth look at what Permaculture is all about. This video (YouTube has it divided into 9 segments) is over an hour in length. Host Geoff Lawton is the acting director of the Permaculture Research Institute, and he is one of the best teachers of Permaculture. I'm hoping to take a class by him one day soon.
NOTE: THIS VIDEO WAS REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE. I'M WORKING ON FINDING IT AGAIN ONLINE... IF POSSIBLE.
Permaculture Videos: Greening the Desert
Fruit trees in the Dead Sea Valley? Not out of the question with Permaculture!
Watch this amazing video highlighting the extreme application of Permaculture.
Watch this amazing video highlighting the extreme application of Permaculture.
Permaculture Videos: Backyard Permaculture
This is a great video produced by Gardening Australia. It's Permaculture meets HGTV. Highly recommended, especially if you live in the suburbs and think you can't adopt Permaculture without a large acreage. Be sure to watch all eight segments.
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