Monday, July 21, 2008

The Next Step - Farm Up-Date

As many of the readers of my blog will recall, the farm and its orchard were devastated by a fire some six or so years ago, in which my original house, which held many nostalgic memories was also destroyed. In many ways, the gods were smiling upon me at that time as all the other buildings survived with minimal damage. When I find the photos of the damage I will post them for you to share. In the meantime I would like to share with you the "next step", as I move into the next phase of the clearing and re-planting of the orchard.



Since the fire, the guinea grass has grown profusely, and thickly, more so than prior to the fire. So thick, that in this instance I decided it was too much to clear it all by hand as I had previously been doing, so I called in a contractor with his tractor and slasher to do the initial cutting, and from there proceeded with my smaller ride-on mower and hand slasher.


To give you a much better idea of what all this involves, assisted and directed by one of the guests who is very knowledgeable in this area, we shot a short video for you to view. And as this is my first attempt, not only of making a video, but also of posting it, I am most interested to see just how successful this will be.

Well the first one turned out to be quite successful, so I will post a number now showing the sequence of events - cutting by hand - mowing - and the fruits of our labours - yellow sapote fruit or Lekume. I have as yet to master voice over. That will need to wait for a later date.





SIt appears that it does take some time to download the videos, so I must apologise to any-one who is on dial-up, or has a very slow connection. May you enjoy the still pictures at least. Enjoy!!

It has been my experience over the years, that if mulch of any type was applied to the plants, then in the initial stage at least, and this could be for twelve months or more, it leached essential nitrogen, and slowed the plant growth, in some instances, if the plant was very young and not well established, to the point where it died. And when planting out new plants and trees, this can be crucial to their survival.

Recently I had the experience where I ignored my previous experience on the advice of a friend who advised me that with this particular mulch the leaching did not occur. Needless to say, and as it turned out, leaching did occur. So now I have returned to my previous practice of adding a high organic nitogenous fertiliser at the same time and the plants and trees are flourishing.

I felt I should share this with you, so that you may not require to have the same experience. At the same time I felt I should share with you the method(s) used.

In this instance I am using a method which is described as sheet composting in which the materials to be applied are laid down in layers. In this instance the materials consist of wood mulch and an organic fertliser.




In the first instance all the grass is cleared from around the tree or plant, then a layer of the organic fertliser is applied, upon which is placed a layer of mulch. This is then repeated, layer by layer till the desired amount has been applied. Naturally enough the amount applied will depend upon many factors, including the amount of mulch and/or fertliser available, and if an adeqaute source is present, how much you, as an individual believe is necessary.

I do use another method too, which I find highly successful, and one which I personally prefer. And that is to mix the fertliser with the mulch prior to applying it to the tree or plant. The organic fertiliser which I use is a mixture of cow,sheep, and fowl manure, mushroom compost, blood and bone, fish and kelp, worm castings, trace elements, and zeolite granules.

Sustainable Water Supply

Sustainable Water Supply from Forests

15/07/2008

Forests are being viewed as a sustainable source of clean water by agricultural scientists. The water needs of both urban and agricultural areas are increasing and some of that need is expected to be achieved by managing forests more efficiently.

For most of the last century, forests were viewed as simply a source of wood and to a lesser extent valued as a natural control to global warming. Now they are seen as a valued source of clean quality water.

From Oregon State University, professor of geosciences Julia Jones who is also the vice chair of a National Research Council committee, said "Historically, forest managers have not focused much of their attention on water, and water managers have not focused on forests, but today's water problems demand that these groups work together closely."

Jones also said that "Because forests can release slightly more water for a decade or so following timber harvest, there have been suggestions that forests could be managed to increase water supplies in some areas," however "We've learned that such increases don't last very long, and often don't provide water when you need it most."

The committee released a report on the 'hydrologic effects of a changing forest landscape,' (in the US). Some of the points in the report are as follows:

Roughly one third of the country's land area is covered by forestation, and despite the fact that they are important for wilderness, timber production, habitat and recreation, their most important contribution is water.

Due to their natural filtration and storage systems, forests process almost two-thirds of the U.S. water.

The amount of forestation is declining and what forest lands remain are susceptible to fire, climate change and epidemics of disease and at the same time the requirement for water keeps on increasing due to population growth.

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Wind Turbines

First Totally Wind Powered Village

16/07/2008

Rock Port, Missouri has become the first town in the US to be totally wind powered. Four powerful wind turbines provide all the 1,300 inhabitants of Rock Port with all the electricity they need. As the residents average electricity consumption is 13 million kilowatt hours per year and the turbines produce 16 million kilowatt hours per year there will be no shortage.

Any electricity that's not used by Rock Port will be transmitted for use in other areas and bought by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities.

There are a total of 27 wind turbines in Atchison County and land owners are able to get from $3,000 to $5,000 leasing their land for the turbines.

Commenting on the $1.1 million taxation that the total amount of wind turbine sites will bring in, Missouri University Extension community development specialist, Jerry Baker said that "This is a unique situation because in rural areas it is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues."

Baker added that "We're farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," and "The payback on a per-acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it's as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."

"It's a savings for the community in general, savings for the rural electric companies, and it does provide electricity service over at least a 20-year time period, which is the anticipated life of these turbines," said Baker in his closing comments.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

2008 ROW Lecture Tour - Salt Lake City

The very day I arrived in Salt Lake City it was 34 deg. somewhat warmer than anywhere else I had been and there was snow on the surrounding mountains. The very next day the temperature had plumetted to 6 deg. and stayed there, raining off and on, for most of the rest of my stay. I was fortunate in having clothing with me to deal with almost any eventuality, my wet weather gear enabling me to be out and about whatever was occurring.

The city had a very warm and friendly atmosphere. This was not only my observation, it also appeared to be that of all those I spoke to. And in spite of it being desert country, the streets were most tree lined, and in fact the surroundings seemed quite lush. This may well have been due to it being the end of winter, and it may well have appeared different at the height of summer. SLC is also the Capitol of the state of Utah, as well as being the centre of the Mormon church in the US and the world for that matter. One whole block is dedicated to their activities and is called Temple Square. There are also many other buildings owned and operated by the church in the city.

The Temple, after which the square is named, is not open to the public, and is available to the members of the Mormon church for prayer and contemplation only. As I understand it, no services, as such are conducted in it.





This is the entrance to the Tabernacle which houses the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which has now become known as America's Choir, due to its outstanding performance. As can be seen, every-one had on their wet-weather gear as it was raining most of the time. You may read more about them by going to:
www.mormontabernaclechoir.org



This is the Salt Lake Tabernacle Organ. Originally built in the 1860's, it has been rebuilt and enlarged through the years, most notably in 1948. It is a magnificent piece of workmanship, especially if we realise that each one of its pipes is laminated wood.
I was fortunate in being able to attend daily recitals on this organ with a different organist, each day I was there.




Here we can see a view of the interior, or auditorium of the Tabernacle. I am not sure of its seating capacity, yet I am sure it runs to a thousand or more.






To quote from the Mormon brochure,"The organs at Salt Lake City's hisorical Temple Sauare represent four distinct approaches to the art of orag building, supporting a longstanding tradition of fine organ music."
Of the four organs mentioned, I was only able to see three, and hear two - the Tabernacle organ, and the Conference Centre organ.


The organ pictured above is to be found in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, to be seen on the right. It is distinctly different and unique in many respects, and was built by a French-Canadian firm, and is said to be decidedly French in its tonal orientation





The Conference Centre, pictured on the left is outside of, and adjacent to,Temple Square. In fact you walk out of Temple Square, and just across the road is the Conference Centre. On another side of the Square, yet not in it, we have the Family History building, in which you may trace your family history. It has been said, and justly so, I believe, that they have the largest data base on family history in the world.


The Conference Centre Organ, the second organ which I was able to see - and hear, is the newest of the organs, having been built between 2000 - 2003. Again to quote from the Morman brochure,"This organ of the American Romantic style employs a symphonic tonal approach with the richness and warmth characteristic of English instruments.



As mentioned, SLC is the Capitaol of Utah and, fortunately as it turned out,in my endeavours to visit the Legislative building, I inadvertantly walked up a street which was on the other side of a very steep valley or canyon down the centre of which was a very fast flowing creek, fed by the melting snows on the surrounding mountains. At first I thought I would need to back-track to find a way around it.


Upon enquiring from a passer-by I was informed that just ahead was a path leading to the bottom. And a most pleasant walk it was indeed, down this long,steep, winding path, till eventually I arrived at the creek.




This was the view I was overlooking as I traversed the path to the bottom of the valley. The building which can be seen at the bottom of the valley, was originally the blacksmith's shop, which has now been re-furbished.
Behind it, and at the top of the hill was the Legislative building, and to reach it required climbing a similar path to the one which I had used to descend the valley. A most enjoyable, and picturesque exercise which I would highly recommend to any-one considering visiting SLC.
The valley was dedicated to the fallen in a number of differnt wars with memorials such as the one viewed here, to be found upon its length. It presented a most delightful atmosphere with its babbling brook and landscaped areas, along with its Memorials.





Opposite the Legislative building were two historic buildings of SLC, one of which was the 18th Ward Chapel of the Mormon Church.






The second building was the Old City Hall, which was now a tourist information centre.








In a city which was established, and dominated by the Mormon church, its historic buildings and businesses, I was quite surprised to find quite a presence of other denominations. The above church is that of the Presbyterians, which, as can be seen, is quite a substantial building indicating that there must be a rather substantial membership.




The Catholic Cathedral and its out-buildings, were also very substantial. Unfortunately due to the surrounding trees, I was unable to achieve a frontal photo. What can be seen though, certainly give an indication of the size and style of the church.

During my wanderings I had also viewed an Episcopalian Cathedral and the Salvation Army, and I feel sure that if I had been more diligent in ferreting them out, most probably would have found others too.

A feature of the Conference Centre was this sky-light of which only the centre is letting the light through, the rest all being mirrors which enhance and magnify the ammount of light received in the auditorium. A most fascinating, and unique arrangement for providing natural light. There was also a roof garden requring very little water due to the high water retention capacity of the materials used for the plants to grow in. These were all natural materials, such as crushed rock whic retained up to ten times its own weight in water.

On the last night of my visit to SLC, I had the joy of being able to attend a rehearsal by the Mormon Tabernacle choir where they sang "Amazing Grace" complete with three pipers from a local Pipe Band. It was most certainly a "grand finale", to a most memorable visit.

Monday, July 14, 2008

2008 ROW Lecture Tour - Houston

After leaving New York, I flew to Houston, to spend time with my good friend Anna, and her husband, and Anna in her usual inimitable style had lined up for me quite an extensive lecture programme. Anna and her husband live in a delightful home in what could only be described as one of the most beautiful and imaginatively designed urban areas where only minimal tree clearing has occurred, with winding footpaths separated from the roadways with trees and shrubs, thus quite effectively screening the traffic noise considerably, and at the same time reducing air pollution. Naturally enough, the area is called Woodlands.

During the time I spent with Anna, we put in four days with her assistance and expertise, designing, and putting up the website for the ISRN, a job which I could not have been able to complete without Anna. Thank you Anna. The site may be visited at:

www.naturcuresociety.org

The lectures I gave were to various groups, among them being, the Houston Natural Hygiene Society, and the Houston Raw Food Society, as well as at various libraries in the area. The photos I have to share with you are not from this time round, as, in New York, I must have had a further slack attack. Or perhaps I felt I had taken enough on previous occasions to satisfy all my(our), needs.

The meals that usually were provided by the different groups, prior to the lecture(s), were always most imaginatively prepared and presented. A gourmet's delight to be sure.




In this instance, I was addressing the Vegetarian Society. Their meeting was being held in a local vegetarian restaurant, the owners of which had supplied a msot delicious meal.






Mamiko Matsuda is a local identity of Houston, an author, and translator of Hygienic books into the Japanese language, a member of the Houston Natural Hygiene Society, and a very good friend.
She assists in the arranging of my lectures in the Houston area.





One of the venues for my periodic lectures is the Woodlands library.





During my time in Houston we had the pleasure of visiting an Hygienic colleague, Dr Ralph Cinque, who welcomed us into his home and very graciously supplied us with a most delicious meal.


Dr Cinque is the first on the left and, and my host Anna, is the second from the right. The group is standing in front of one of Dr Cinque's prize fig trees, a number of which adorn his garden, along with some other fruit trees.



As a tribute to the Hygienic lifestyle, this young lady has been brought up this way, and has not experienced the usual chil-hood maladies, nor hardly a day of sickness.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

2008 ROW Lecture Tour - New York


After leaving Chicago, my next port of call was New York, and as my first venue there was at Westhampton, Long Island, it was necessary for me to catch the train which departed from Penn Station, in Manhattan. On my arrival at the station I was surprised to find there a busker, Sean Grissom, whom I had previously met some two years earlier in Grand Central Station. We had quite a happy re-union and he again shared with me some of his CD's for me to play on my radio programmes upon my return to OZ.
Unfortunately, even with the flash, there was in-sufficient light to enable me to get a clear image. At least, though, you are able to perceive some idea of the image he portrays, with his celtic acoustic cello. And I must admit that his presence certainly is very pleasant and up-lifting in a place which otherwise is not aesthetically pleasant, a huge cavernous area filled with hustling and bustling people.

This is the very pleasant home in which I stayed whilst in Westhampton. My host were most gracious, and I most certainly could not have had better accommodation in a five star hotel. It was a delight to be sure, and I indeed felt most priviledged to be given this opportunity to share in their home and lives.
By this time, and in this area, which must have been much warmer than Chicago, the trees were blossoming, with many of them already in full leaf.

This was such a grand display in an otherwise rather sombre view, that I felt I could not fail to photograph it for sharing with you. It again, was one of the few sunny days which I experienced, meaning that I certainly made good use of my wet-weather gear.


After leaving Westhampton, I visited with my good friends Rhio and Leigh, who live in Manhattan NY, and have a small farm at Port Jervois, New Jersey. You may read about them and their very wonderful and important activities by going to their website at:

www.rawfoodinfo.com

I must have been having a "slack attack" at this stage of my journeying, as I entirely forgot to take any photos to share with you of this time. Allow me to share with you with words the great time that I spent with these two lovely,vibrant people. Rhio has written a most informative, and helpful book for any-one wishing to follow the Hygienic lifestyle and raw food eating. It is entitled, "Hooked on Raw", and I am sure any-one would benefit from reading it, along with the scrumptious raw food recipes she has provided for our consumption.

Leigh, on the other hand, is most interested in radio, and as you well know, another of my loves, and has developed an internet radio station, Tribeca Radio, which can be accessed anywhere in the world, just as long as you have internet connection. And as you will observe, when you visit their website, I am one of the guest speakers on there. So as you can well imagine,we have much in common, and especially for endless discussion.

After spending one night in Manhattan, we traveled down to the farm at Port Jervois, a most delightful place, to be sure, where I had the joy of being able to share with them our areas of common interest, as well as be of some small assistance as they planted new trees and a vegetable patch. I look forward to their travelling to OZ and participating in some of our wonders.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Farm Update

I received an e-mail today in which the sender enquired as to what was happening on the farm these days. I then realised that many of the things that I see as of no interest, or mundane, others find informative and assists them in keeping in touch with the farm, in general, and myself in particular.

Since my return from my 2008 ROW Lecture Tour, my time has been fully occupied with dealing with the backlog of mail etc., which accumulates to an almost alarming degree over the two months that I am away.The kitchen table is almost swamped by the surface mail, and the e-mails although not being of anywhere near the same volume, certainly are many more than normal. Then we have the phone messages. Fortunately the grass has been well attended to by my good friend Randy - yet at the same time, the garden does require attention, for there are the new seasons vegetables to be planted as quickly as possible, to ensure we take advantage of the cooler weather months, and before it again becomes too hot for them. And to cap it all, there are the clients arriving and requiring attention. So life is not dull.

Our vegetable garden is now thriving. As you can observe, our garden consits of raised beds which are in sections of old water and molasses tanks, which have been filled with soil, and are adjacent to the kitchen for easy access. The other purposes for gardening this way is to overcome the problem with bandicoots, who dig up the plants searching for worms, and wallabies, kangaroos, and such like who would eat them if they were ground level beds, without protective fencing. It also ensures that the plants do not become water-logged in the wet season. Both the celery and the parsley you see here is in its second year. As can be seen, the beds are heavily mulched to conserve moisture. And for those who are unfamiliar with our method of gardening, we do not dig(invert) the soil. We clear of any other plants that are in the way and that we do not want, some of which may be regarded as "weeds", whereas we think of them as a plant out of place. We then mulch, and in the mulch make rows into which we place our compost. And it is in the compost that we plant our seeds, or seedlings.

When transplanting our seedlings, we dip them in a mild seaweed solution which we find enables us to have an almost 100% success rate.

There are many other things which are required to be done, from time to time, on the farm. Keeping it free from accumulated rubbish, and getting rid of equipment which was effected by the fire which devastated the farm six or so years ago, is still an on-going chore. At the time of the fire we had a fuel tank which was almost empty. When the fire reached it, it blew up. It was most fortunate in that no-body was near it at the time, so it did not cause any great harm, except of course, to give us a great fright when it exploded with a loud bang. Today we had the opportunity of disposing of it.

In this photo you can see what remains of the tank being loaded onto the trailer prior to its dispatch to the scrap metal merchants.
To load it upon the trailer we used an old logging method where a chain was passed around the tank and it was winched into position, by the winch on the front of the Landcruiser.

2008 ROW Lecture Tour - Chicago

From Ireland, prior to flying to Chicago, due to my flying with Star Alliance, their partner airline, does not have a direct flight from Dublin, which necessitated my flying to London, changing airlines, and then on to Chicago. Although the partner airlines, as in Star Alliance, and One World, are very convenient for adding Frequent Flyer points, and a few other minor perks, they can considerably add to the time necessitated to fly from one airport to another. In many instances it requires a whole day, to fly via the hub of the member airlines, whereas a direct flight would be a matter of an hour or so.

The hostel into which I was booked, was close to the shores of Lake Michigan, and almost next door to Loma Linda University. It sounded ideal.The reality was a little different. The location was exactly as I have mentioned, and very beautiful it was too. Tree lined streets, quiet location, and one block from Lake Michigan, with the University next door.



The hostel itself though was a different matter,built, it would appear, as student accommodation in the 1940's, I would say, it did not give the impression that it had been refurbished since that time. It was cheap - yes, and it was far from being nice. The best I could say about it was it's locality. For the first time in my travels, I opted to move out and find other accommodation. I am most thankful that I did, for I do feel that my view of Chicago would have been greatly effected had I continued to stay in the hostel. My overall impression was that it was a very clean, friendly and pleasant, place to be and visit in spite of its rather poor reputation as one of the hubs of gangsterism of the prohibition era.

As the photos indicate, the days here were more sunny than otherwise, in spite of which it was still extremely cold, for they were still coming out of winter, with many of the trees as yet to bud. Fortunately though, it did not rain.

The streets were ablaze with early blooming flowers, a delight to see, lifting the sombreness of the concrete jungle, and giving it a much more human touch.

Most of the garden plots and the pots outside of the business houses appear to be maintained by the various businesses which they fronted. And this appeared to be an excellent arrangement for both the businesses and the civic authorities, the responsibility of their maintenance and up-keep not then falling upon the local authorities and adding to the tax burden.

The fountains were another delight to see, for there is something about them, and water in particular, which is most up-lifting to the spirit. I must say that they are sadly missed in my home town of Cairns.



The foreshore of Lake Michigan was being beautified with a magnificent promenade, parks and gardens, fountains, amusement park, and statues, prominent of which, was this one of Abraham Lincoln the sixteenth President of the United States.


Portrait of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.... You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it."

Lincoln thought secession illegal, and was willing to use force to defend Federal law and the Union. When Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter and forced its surrender, he called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The Civil War had begun.

The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party's nomination for President, he sketched his life:

Related Links

President Bush Biography
Vice President Cheney Biography
Laura Bush Biography
Lynne Cheney Biography

"I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families--second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks.... My father ... removed from Kentucky to ... Indiana, in my eighth year.... It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up.... Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher ... but that was all."

Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, "His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest."

He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.

As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.

Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.

The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.... "

On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln's death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.


These battery powered bicycles - I am not sure if this is the correct name for them, as I was never able to find out, were used for guided tours around the foreshore gardens, fountains, statues etc., something I must admit to not having seen before. Quite unique and seemingly very effective.