Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2016 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

They’re both essential autumn crops that you can store in winter. One grows half-buried in the soil; the other hangs from one of Mother Nature’s most picturesque trees. And within their respective categories, onions and apples each hold a position of importance — no cook should ever be without them. Plan an Onion Patch As shoppers, we know that onions come in several colors: red ones sweet and mild, white-skinned ones with a bit more bite, and tan ones super-flavorful. As a gardener, you learn other distinctions, too. In the South, where summer days are shorter, people grow “short-day” onions that can form bulbs as soon as there are 10 to 12 hours of daylight. Northerners grow “long-day” onions, suitable for a colder climate and 14- to 16-hour summer days.…

As allergy sufferers, we’re acutely aware of seasonal changes in air quality. Earth’s reawakening in spring brings us welcome warmth, but it also delivers not-so-welcome tree pollen. Summer’s riot of plant bounty includes grasses and the associated output of pollen. Fall has its own offenders in the form of ragweed pollen and mold from fallen leaves. If you’re an allergy sufferer, you may be thinking about closing the shutters and latching the door. Venturing out into this minefield of airborne plant pollens can feel treacherous. Fortunately, Mother Nature has provided us with a phyto-pharmacy that can help carry you comfortably through each season. What’s an Allergy? Seasonal allergies are common, affecting more than 35 million people in the United States and more than 400 million people worldwide. Genetics, diet, over-cleanliness,…

Homestead Hydraulic Ram Pump A stream slowly meanders downhill on my property. How can I get water from the stream to my garden on top of the hill? First, make sure you have the legal right to take water from the stream, as water rights vary from state to state. If you do have the right, consider a hydraulic ram pump, which moves water without fuel, electricity, or solar power. The technology can be built inexpensively and is reliable and easy to maintain, which is why it’s been used for centuries. Here’s how it works: The “ram” relies on gravity and the kinetic energy of downward-moving water to pump a small amount of water to a higher elevation. Water funnels through a pipe from an uphill water source to the…

Living in self-reliance and simplicity is a dream many have but only some fulfill. My husband, Dennis, and I live that lifestyle on Deer Isle, Maine, where we built an off-grid homestead. We grow and store most of our food, rely on solar power, produce our own lumber, raise pigs and chickens, and meet our minimal financial needs by running Deer Isle Hostel during summer. I came to Maine from Sweden in 2008 to help Dennis start the hostel, and at that time, I didn’t even know what the word “homesteading” meant. Leading up to my move, I had an office job in Sweden in which I felt trapped in a grid made up of my office, the commuter train, and my apartment. Looking back, it was like wearing a…

In this excerpt from The Urban Farmer, courtesy of New Society Publishers, Curtis Stone offers an innovative approach to farm business — one that doesn’t require starting with acres of land in the country. In these models, which are based on his own experience and which have been refined over years, Stone outlines how you can start small, while still working a 9-to-5 job, and increase your commitment and profits over time. All the farming models I’m proposing are designed to be scalable. You can start as a part-time farmer in your own backyard (Model 1), and then, after you gain some experience and feel comfortable quitting your day job to pursue farming full-time, you can scale up to 1⁄10 acre (Model 2) or 1⁄4 acre (Model 3). From there,…

When the founders of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) started their nonprofit organization in 2010, they saw the writing on the barn wall: The average age of American farmers had climbed to 58, and many were expected to retire in the following decade. The up-andcoming generation of growers would need better access to tools, connections, and land to keep family farming alive in the United States. According to an NYFC survey of 1,000 new farmers, people who want to start farming face many hurdles, including a lack of access to credit, capital, land, and affordable health insurance. Young farmers especially may already be saddled with student debt, creating another barrier to entering the field. Before NYFC’s inception, there wasn’t an advocacy group out there for new farmers to rally…

For homesteaders and property owners with woodlots, the chainsaw is, without doubt, the most used, coveted, debated, feared, cussed, and crucial piece of power equipment in the shed, barn, or truck. And it’s no surprise why: A well-maintained chainsaw will keep you warm during winter, allow you to create your own affordable fence posts and lumber, empower you to respond to storm-downed limbs and trees, and enable a woodlot management plan. For the most efficient, economical, and safe chainsaw experience, remember these rules: Always size and style the chainsaw to the job, and inspect, maintain, and document your chainsaw’s “essentials” before and after each use. Assessing Your Needs Knowing what you’ll cut is the first step in determining the best chainsaw for you, and that means knowing the range of…

Not long ago, I got a gash in my foot, but it felt relatively comfortable propped up and encased in a gooey poultice made of crushed comfrey roots. Soon enough, my foot quit throbbing, and I marveled at how minimally processed roots had effectively eased my pain. Then again, processing has its advantages — drying the herbs, grinding them, and extracting their properties with water, oil, or alcohol can make herbal therapy more convenient, and, I thought (while flexing my mucilage-laden toes, which, thankfully, still worked), a lot less messy! Infused Herbal Oils Herbal oils are convenient and easy to use. These are made by extracting groundup herbs with organic olive oil. You can apply this herb-laden oil directly to your skin, where it will exert its healing influence through…

From Dog Kennel to Greenhouse When we no longer needed our 6-by-10-foot dog kennel, we decided it would make a sturdy greenhouse frame. We always see unused kennels in yards, so we figured others might like to try this project, too. You may have to alter the materials to fit the size of your kennel. For our project, we placed the roof 3 feet above the kennel’s tallest point, making the overall height 9 feet so we could hang potted plants inside. Materials: Dog kennel; eleven 1-inch pipe clamps; 6 treated 6-foot, 2-by-4 boards; footing anchors; wire hog panels; nylon zip ties (or other fasteners); tubular foam-pipe insulation; weed barrier and landscape staples (optional); UVtreated, reinforced polyethylene sheeting; 8 treated 6-foot, 1-by-2 wood strips; screws and washers; spring clamps; planter…