Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2016 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Installing a home solar system may provide long-term benefits to your household’s bottom line in reduced energy costs — but there’s another key financial perk to consider. A report produced last year by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, analyzed just how much a home’s value could be boosted by donning solar panels. The report looked at data from eight different states, comparing the values of more than 22,000 homes with and without solar systems, and the results are sure to pique the interest of any homeowner looking to make improvements before putting their house on the market. According to the report, a home’s value will increase about $15,000 if it includes an average-sized PV system (about 3.6 kW). When analyzing the…

Corn and beans have long been related — in history, in the garden, and in the kitchen. As two of the “three sisters,” as Native Americans call them, they coexist happily. Vining beans climb cornstalks, while big leaves of squash carpet the ground below. Modern gardeners tend to give each one its own bed, and most grow sweet corn instead of the flint and flour corns traditionally used in three sisters growing strategies. However, varieties of corn and beans have long been intertwined. It’s a treat to have them together in the summertime. Cultivating a Corn Patch Americans do love their sweet corn. Summer meals leave indelible memories of munching on the ears with butter running down your chin. The whole experience of corn can be an outdoor one if…

Chili made from dried beans is great for winter, when simmering it for a few hours brings heat to the kitchen. But this summer version, with fresh shelled beans, takes less time. Make it even spicier if you want, or make it milder and provide a bottle of hot sauce along with the other garnishes. Pass bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, and scallions as chili condiments for a festive and filling meal. Yield: about 6 servings. Directions: Simmer the beans in enough water to cover them for 10 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Slice off and discard the stem ends of the tomatoes and put the tomatoes in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them (to cover) and let them sit for 2 minutes, or…

I’m a label reader. I pause in grocery store aisles and in front of drug store displays to puzzle my way through ingredient lists on everything from yogurt (sugar added?) to Q-tips (organic cotton?). However, the labels on my pets’ food bags have led to more confusion than clarity. Is “human-grade” really better? And what exactly is the difference between “meat byproducts” and “beef meal”? The following primer on common pet food labeling requirements, ingredient definitions, and marketing terms will answer those questions and more, empowering conscientious pet owners to put as much consideration into their companions’ diets as they do into their own. Pet Food Label Basics Pet food is regulated on both a state and federal level, while labeling requirements and ingredient definitions are created by the nonprofit…

At Green Pastures Farm, we’ve practiced high-density, or “mob,” grazing for almost a decade. In that time, I’m proud that we’ve doubled our stocking rate and reduced our hay usage by 70 percent — a massive financial relief. We’ve also cut inputs. No fertilizer, seed, and lime — just a regularly rotated mob of cattle. While some folks think of high-density grazing as the “new thing” in grassland and livestock management, mob graziers aim to recreate something quite old — the traditional behaviors that bison, deer, elk, and other ruminant livestock exhibited on native prairie and meadowland in response to predators and fire that we’ve largely removed from the equation. Thanks to some quick daily monitoring, we’ve found a “sweet spot” for pasture and herd health. Throughout the rotation, we…

DIY Chicken Tractor My homemade chicken tractor is simple to build, easy to move, and will make your life a lot easier. I used a lot of leftover pieces from previous projects, including old tin and lawnmower wheels. It took about half a day to build, but a lot of that was me trying to figure out a design that would be easy for me and my wife to easily move. This chicken tractor will hold between four and six laying hens, depending on breed size, and it measures 4 by 8 by 2 feet for the run and 4 by 4 by 4 feet for the coop. Zach Marlow North Bangor, New York Tools: Saw, hammer, wire cutters, tape measure, drill bits, and drill. Materials: 8-foot 2-by-4s (8); 8-foot…

“Without the forward-thinking content in MOTHER EARTH NEWS, the preservation movement of heritage breeds would be hindered.” EDITORS’ PICK Bring Back the Almanac I’ve been a huge fan of your magazine since I read my first issue back in 1994. I love what you guys do. I just recently came across The Mother Earth News Almanac, which was published by the staff of MOTHER in June 1973. This book contains a wealth of knowledge and information, but someone cut pages out of the book I found. How do I go about obtaining this book for my personal collection? Trent Troupe You’re in luck, Trent! We’ve updated this classic guide to self-sufficiency. Don’t worry, the bones of that 1973 book are still intact — those classic how-to articles, the clever writing…

Several studies have raised concern about the endocrine-disrupting effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a compound that’s commonly used in plastics manufacturing and other applications, including as the lining of many canned foods and beverages. Endocrine disruptors, such as BPA, have been linked to an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, infertility, type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, and ADHD. Today, you’ll find canned foods labeled “BPA free” in many grocery stores — especially co-ops and health foods stores geared toward conscientious eaters. So is the overall use of controversial BPA in canned foods really declining? And what exactly is the manufacturing difference for those BPA-free can linings? A March 2016 report (available at http://goo.gl/Wne4Qs) collaboratively produced by five nonprofit organizations says we still need to be concerned about BPA and…

I like corn chowder best when it’s made with fresh corn kernels, along with sweet summer onions and fresh-dug new potatoes. In summer, you can also use cobs as the base for a corn broth, which will make the chowder doubly flavorful. Puréeing some of the kernels will thicken the base without flour. While corn chowder is typically made with milk, I prefer the richness that a little cream gives to it. You can make this soup in winter with frozen corn. Making extra corn broth and freezing it will also enhance a winter version. Sometimes in winter I’ll add a little slab of bacon, chopped and browned, to make the soup extra robust. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Directions: To make the corn broth, cut all the kernels off…

In 2013, I was working as a graphic designer in Boulder, Colorado, and making nearly $50,000 a year. Despite my steady job, I was deeply unhappy. I felt like a chronic consumer, and my urban apartment didn’t provide many opportunities for self-sufficient living. My partner, Jesse, and I decided to turn our lives around by saving for a rural piece of property in Idaho where we could build an off-grid home. For the next two years, we worked extremely hard to reduce our overhead living expenses and save money for a down payment on a piece of land. We spent huge amounts of energy selling Jesse’s brick-and-mortar business, building micro-businesses online, and fixing up an old house in exchange for reduced rent. No words can describe the chaos, stress, and…

Solar thermal has been the water-heating method of choice for homes near the equator for decades — back when many North Americans relied on a woodburning stove and kettle! Spared the threat of freezing, “batch” equatorial systems are simple, cheap, and effective. North Americans also have a long history with solar thermal, but wintertime freezes — found in much of the United States and Canada — forced the development of freeze-ready “flat-plate” collectors, which went mainstream in California and Florida in the 1970s. Today, the innovative solar thermal industry produces highly efficient models capable of heating water as far north as the Arctic Circle! As a solar thermal installer, I’ve met hundreds of people who’ve turned to solar water heating as a way to save money and to reduce their…

Assemble a Vehicle Emergency Kit My new home is on a remote road, so I’d like to put together a vehicle emergency kit. What should I include? The desolate road to our last property destroyed tire tread, shocks, and axles. One day, my husband got a flat tire, followed by the spare going flat, too. He possessed the skills and tools to deal with the situation, but someone else may have waited hours — or days — before help arrived. Even in the city, people can be stranded for long periods of time when a storm strikes. Think survival rather than comfort when choosing items for your kit. While this may seem extreme, deaths and injuries occur every year because of missing turns and getting lost in bad weather. The…

Have you ever wondered which pieces of pristine-looking produce to avoid at the grocery store because of chemical remnants? For 12 years, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) has conducted a thorough annual analysis of 48 popular types of produce to answer just that question: Which fruits and vegetables contain the most pesticide residues? The EWG publishes the results in its annual “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce,” ranking the worst offenders in its Dirty Dozen list and giving a shoutout to the relatively residue-free produce on its Clean Fifteen list. While apples topped the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list for five years running, strawberries came in No. 1 as this year’s most contaminated conventionally grown type of produce. According to the EWG, 98 percent of strawberry samples tested had detectable…

For years, researchers, environmentalists, and community members living near horizontal hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) sites have argued that this questionable method of extracting natural gas contaminates drinking water. In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a controversial draft report regarding an investigation of groundwater pollution related to fracking operations near Pavillion, Wyoming. After examining above- and belowground instances of contamination, the report found that fracking processes can contaminate drinking water. However, EPA scientists were unable to show a widespread, systemic pattern of risk, and the investigation was prematurely withdrawn. Eventually, one of the EPA scientists leading the original investigation, Dominic C. DiGiulio, left the agency for a job at Stanford University. This year, he and Robert B. Jackson published findings from the Pavillion study in Environmental Science & Technology.…

Succotash is a year-round treat, as you can easily dry, store, and reconstitute both corn and beans. But it’s extra special in summer when both can be fresh from the garden. I like to jazz it up with some color. In this recipe, that means bright orange carrots, fresh green herbs, and — because it’s summer — a few edible flowers. I use a mix of red and yellow marigolds if I have some growing, but calendulas and nasturtiums would also be beautiful. If you’ve grown some colorful beans, such as ‘Vermont Cranberry,’ all the better. This is an eye-catching and healthy side dish to bring to a potluck or cookout. Yield: at least 6 servings. Directions: Simmer the beans in enough water to cover them for 10 to 20…

You’ve finally got that acreage in the country, and, whether for profit or pleasure, you want to get some livestock out into the field. During the warm season, those grazers will feed themselves. But what about harvesting some of that grass for the other half of the year? Some folks find it easier to buy hay locally, while others prefer the independence and sense of accomplishment of making their own. For small-scale endeavors, making your own hay can be challenging, as most of the haying equipment on the market is designed for larger tractors and expensive implements. You could buy used equipment, but you won’t want to spend your time working on worn-out, half-rusted junk — you’ve got hay to make! You could also ask a neighboring farmer to harvest…

homesteading & LIVESTOCK COOL TOOLS: A CATALOG OF POSSIBILITIES Cool Tools features a selection of the tools considered to be the best, the cheapest, or the only ones available to do the job. This oversized book reviews more than 1,500 different tools, explaining why each one is great and each tool's benefits. By illuminating the possibilities contained in each item, the catalog provides readers an education outside the classroom. #7764 $39.99 NO RISK RANCHING Based on his personal experience, Greg Judy shows how to make a living from the land without owning it. He describes his successes as well as his mistakes to help others on the road to profit. By leasing land and cattle Judy went from 40 stockers to over 1,100 head and was able to pay off…