Comments for One Straw: Be The Change http://onestraw.wordpress.com Learning to Make the World a Better Place Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:54:46 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on One Straw Lite by onestraw http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/one-straw-lite/#comment-2427 onestraw Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:54:46 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=911#comment-2427 @ Kate good for you! Empowering people is SO critical! @ Kory - I guess I try to remind people on what they have already seen - that we had food riots in multiple countries, that gas was $5/gal, and then take them to the present 1 out of 6 Americans are now hungry and that we are no better off than the planet, where one of 6 (that's a BILLION mind you) go to bed hungry. And then offer some gentle reminders of how it used to be: Victory Gardens are a great and appropriate crutch for this. I guess trying to tie peoples own actions (wanting to garden more) with larger macro-economic trends (peak everything) even on a small degree like lowering food miles or stressing the health benefits to heirloom veggies to fight obesity, may help their heads start to get into the right place. Save the Hellfire and Brimstones for the sidebars. ;) Or just hit them between the eyes - pussy footing around the issues hasn't really worked. That said, telling the truth isn't a good social move. Look at Jesus, Lincoln, King, and Ghandi. Scratch that, stick with the Victory Gardens unless you're wearing Kevlar. Yuck - enough doom and gloom. Grab a beer and watch this. You'll feel better. Best short I've seen in months. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOW-RdCFax0&feature=related -Rob @ Kate good for you! Empowering people is SO critical!

@ Kory – I guess I try to remind people on what they have already seen – that we had food riots in multiple countries, that gas was $5/gal, and then take them to the present 1 out of 6 Americans are now hungry and that we are no better off than the planet, where one of 6 (that’s a BILLION mind you) go to bed hungry. And then offer some gentle reminders of how it used to be: Victory Gardens are a great and appropriate crutch for this. I guess trying to tie peoples own actions (wanting to garden more) with larger macro-economic trends (peak everything) even on a small degree like lowering food miles or stressing the health benefits to heirloom veggies to fight obesity, may help their heads start to get into the right place. Save the Hellfire and Brimstones for the sidebars. ;)

Or just hit them between the eyes – pussy footing around the issues hasn’t really worked. That said, telling the truth isn’t a good social move. Look at Jesus, Lincoln, King, and Ghandi. Scratch that, stick with the Victory Gardens unless you’re wearing Kevlar.

Yuck – enough doom and gloom. Grab a beer and watch this. You’ll feel better. Best short I’ve seen in months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOW-RdCFax0&feature=related

-Rob

]]> Comment on One Straw Lite by kory http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/one-straw-lite/#comment-2425 kory Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:29 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=911#comment-2425 I'm going to push for the gardening class I taught at work this year to be a semi annual or at least yearly event. My question is... How do you gently instill a sense of urgency without seeming like a raving lunatic. That one has always been a difficulty for me. I’m going to push for the gardening class I taught at work this year to be a semi annual or at least yearly event. My question is…

How do you gently instill a sense of urgency without seeming like a raving lunatic. That one has always been a difficulty for me.

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by Craig http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2424 Craig Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:15:05 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2424 I think the transformation of your yard is amazing, and it's obvious you've done a lot of research as well as putting the time in to implement the ideas and learn from what you are doing. I am interested to hear your take on black locust, which I have come to view as a troublesome aggressor. Honey locust might be a tamer nitrogen-fixing option. With black locust, even small trees will start to turn into dense patches of thorny brush, as new shoots start to emerge from the roots; many more shoots are ready to pop up as soon as one is cut off. Is there a management strategy for dealing with this? I have always wondered if mythological tales of many-headed beasts or enemies that redouble in number every time they are killed come from the first farmers' and horticulturalists' struggles with plants like black locust. I think the transformation of your yard is amazing, and it’s obvious you’ve done a lot of research as well as putting the time in to implement the ideas and learn from what you are doing. I am interested to hear your take on black locust, which I have come to view as a troublesome aggressor. Honey locust might be a tamer nitrogen-fixing option. With black locust, even small trees will start to turn into dense patches of thorny brush, as new shoots start to emerge from the roots; many more shoots are ready to pop up as soon as one is cut off. Is there a management strategy for dealing with this? I have always wondered if mythological tales of many-headed beasts or enemies that redouble in number every time they are killed come from the first farmers’ and horticulturalists’ struggles with plants like black locust.

]]> Comment on One Straw Lite by Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/one-straw-lite/#comment-2423 Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:48:34 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=911#comment-2423 I can so relate to the feelings you describe, Rob. I've arranged to teach a very basic homesteading class next spring. I'll be taking a break from my usual round of cooking classes to do this. I've no idea whether anyone will enroll. We'll need at least 7 students in order for the class not to be canceled, and I've capped enrollment at just 10 students. I feel under-qualified to teach this course. The only thing that convinces me to offer the class anyway is the overwhelming feeling that we *must* have more people beginning to make such changes. Time is so very short... I can so relate to the feelings you describe, Rob. I’ve arranged to teach a very basic homesteading class next spring. I’ll be taking a break from my usual round of cooking classes to do this. I’ve no idea whether anyone will enroll. We’ll need at least 7 students in order for the class not to be canceled, and I’ve capped enrollment at just 10 students. I feel under-qualified to teach this course. The only thing that convinces me to offer the class anyway is the overwhelming feeling that we *must* have more people beginning to make such changes. Time is so very short…

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by onestraw http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2421 onestraw Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:20:19 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2421 Interestingly enough, no. We lost hundreds of photos from years 2-3 with a hard drive crash. Of course I should, I will try to take one this May or June when everything is popping. -Rob Interestingly enough, no. We lost hundreds of photos from years 2-3 with a hard drive crash. Of course I should, I will try to take one this May or June when everything is popping.

-Rob

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by Joel http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2420 Joel Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:54:41 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2420 Do you have a more-recent photo from the same perspective as the tabula rasa and 24" corn photos? Do you have a more-recent photo from the same perspective as the tabula rasa and 24″ corn photos?

]]> Comment on Best of Show: Annie Leonard Kicks Ass by juliethorne http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/best-of-show-annie-leonard-kicks-ass/#comment-2418 juliethorne Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:21:01 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=907#comment-2418 Ain't Annie the greatest! I've been touting "The story of Stuff" to my family and friends but sometimes it falls on deaf ears. Not surprising. Hopefully it at least plants a seed that will grow in their consciousness. Ain’t Annie the greatest!
I’ve been touting “The story of Stuff” to my family and friends but sometimes it falls on deaf ears. Not surprising. Hopefully it at least plants a seed that will grow in their consciousness.

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2417 Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:32:45 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2417 Rob, thanks for the description. I hadn't considered the NJ tea or the lead plant, but after a little research, I can see the utility of these plants. Wow! there's a lot to recommend both. Can I ask your source for these two plants? Richter's does not carry them. I would like to incorporate a blackcurrant bush or two within a guild which will stretch between an apple and pear tree. I'm also going to try to find American ginseng to plant on the shady sides of the guild. That may take some tracking down as well. I don't know how much the ginseng will contribute to the other guild members, but it's a plant worth propagating, and it needs the help. Plus, it loves shade, so it fills a niche that would otherwise be hard to use. We have daffodils and to spare, so those are an obvious choice. Very sobering indeed, your takeaway observations from the conference. I am grateful to have examples such as yours to follow, even if at a distance. Thanks for inspiring us to be part of the change. Rob, thanks for the description. I hadn’t considered the NJ tea or the lead plant, but after a little research, I can see the utility of these plants. Wow! there’s a lot to recommend both. Can I ask your source for these two plants? Richter’s does not carry them.

I would like to incorporate a blackcurrant bush or two within a guild which will stretch between an apple and pear tree. I’m also going to try to find American ginseng to plant on the shady sides of the guild. That may take some tracking down as well. I don’t know how much the ginseng will contribute to the other guild members, but it’s a plant worth propagating, and it needs the help. Plus, it loves shade, so it fills a niche that would otherwise be hard to use.

We have daffodils and to spare, so those are an obvious choice.

Very sobering indeed, your takeaway observations from the conference. I am grateful to have examples such as yours to follow, even if at a distance. Thanks for inspiring us to be part of the change.

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by onestraw http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2415 onestraw Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:56:23 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2415 Tim - thanks for your comments. With the converging crisises of the coming decades workable, simple, off the shelf models for decentralized food, fuel, and resource production and the community to ensure that they are distributed equitably and peacefully are the most vital things we need to spend our time on. Just got back from the Bioneers conference. It was supposed to be hopeful, and with all the myriad things gaining momentum it often was. But listening to some of the greatest minds of our age say again and again that we have less than a decade to fix things, and that the next 3 years are the most critical, was very sobering. Keep fighting. Be the Change. Tim – thanks for your comments. With the converging crisises of the coming decades workable, simple, off the shelf models for decentralized food, fuel, and resource production and the community to ensure that they are distributed equitably and peacefully are the most vital things we need to spend our time on.

Just got back from the Bioneers conference. It was supposed to be hopeful, and with all the myriad things gaining momentum it often was. But listening to some of the greatest minds of our age say again and again that we have less than a decade to fix things, and that the next 3 years are the most critical, was very sobering.

Keep fighting. Be the Change.

]]> Comment on Bioneer Talk this weekend: Suburban Permaculture by timfromohio http://onestraw.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bioneer-talk-this-weekend-suburban-permaculture/#comment-2413 timfromohio Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:27:32 +0000 http://onestraw.wordpress.com/?p=893#comment-2413 Rob - I think we'll have to start thinking about transforming yards to bio-intensive agricultural sites much sooner than later. Whether it's due to the the massive inflation that we're likely to see, the mass failure of corporate-style agriculture (it's just not sustainable nor sensible to continue down the path that Monsanto would like farmers to), or ramifications from a spike in oil prices (that salad from across the country will cost an order of magnitude more) doesn't matter. Heck, maybe it will be a combination of factors, who knows. Doesn't matter - the more examples we have of using whatever resources are available to grow food sustainably the better - especially with some data!!! As an engineer, I love data ... that's why I really appreciate your in-depth analysis of various things you've tried that include yield numbers, etc. Most helpful. Now, off to continue Fall garden cleanup and maybe see if I can score a truckload of free horse poop!!! Rob – I think we’ll have to start thinking about transforming yards to bio-intensive agricultural sites much sooner than later. Whether it’s due to the the massive inflation that we’re likely to see, the mass failure of corporate-style agriculture (it’s just not sustainable nor sensible to continue down the path that Monsanto would like farmers to), or ramifications from a spike in oil prices (that salad from across the country will cost an order of magnitude more) doesn’t matter. Heck, maybe it will be a combination of factors, who knows. Doesn’t matter – the more examples we have of using whatever resources are available to grow food sustainably the better – especially with some data!!! As an engineer, I love data … that’s why I really appreciate your in-depth analysis of various things you’ve tried that include yield numbers, etc. Most helpful. Now, off to continue Fall garden cleanup and maybe see if I can score a truckload of free horse poop!!!

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