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The earth is abundant. If you don’t believe me, just join your local community garden. Join James as he takes a trip to Osaka to learn about Japanese organic gardening and gets his hands dirty in the soil.
Watch on Archive / BitChute / Odysee / Rokfin / Rumble / Substack / Download
SHOW NOTES:
Who is Behind the Great Food Reset?
The Future of Food (Is Ours to Decide)
Episode 438 – The Future Food False Flag
Interview 1004 – The Asia-Pacific Perspective with Broc West
Episode 299 – Solutions: Guerrilla Gardening
Good News This Week – New World Next Week
Noh Mask channel on Odysee
Thanks for the shout out, You rock James! 🙂
Great episode. The Earth is indeed abundant and getting one’s hands into the soil and seeing the cycle from seed to harvest to saving seed really helps to shatter the illusion of scarcity that is being thrust upon us by various propaganda outlets.
Community gardens are an amazing way to get going in embracing and aligning with the Earth’s abundance to produce one’s own food (and they are accessible or able to be created by pretty much anyone that is motivated).
I like how you emphasized taking time to specifically learn from the more time tested (and/or ancient) locally specific food cultivation techniques (which are based in cultures that have deep roots where one lives now). Where I live that led me to learn about the so called “Three Sisters” companion planting technique. I have used that technique in community gardens and people really loved to gather around and talk about the function and history of the technique in the gardens (which was a great way for neighbors to get to know each other better and also to get to know the history of the land where they live better).
When I delved in deeper into history to learn about the more advanced ancient food and medicine cultivation systems that used to provide for the people who called this land (which is now called Ontario) long ago that led me to learn about Forest Gardens (aka Regenerative Agroforestry techniques) which is the focus of my research, experimentation and community garden project building time currently.
I have helped set up a few community and school gardens locally in the past and learned a lot from some trial and error.
The elementary school garden worked well as there was a teacher willing to take time to teach the kids about learning from the forest nearby on walks (observing and explaining things like how soil is created in a forest with decomposing leaves, sticks and logs) and then showing them how they can incorporate and accelerate that natural process in the raised beds at the school. They learned about decomposing organisms, composted lunch waste, built soil and then planted a three sisters patch (heirloom corn, beans and squash). This offered the kids a great way to learn a life skill while also learning soil science and cultural facts about the people that used to live here.
For those that are not familiar with the Three Sisters companion planting gardening technique, here is a link to a post where I explain the cultural origin and practical applications of the technique. I also share a recipe that you can use to enjoy your three sisters harvests 🙂
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-three-sisters-and-the-time-of
Continued..
(Continued from above…)
Another one of the community gardens I set up was at a long term (narcotic and alcoholic) rehab facility where I donated seeds, compost and time to help get some gardens get going and explained to some of the residents in recovery the history of the varieties and the recipes they could make with the harvests. Some of the people were stand off-ish at first, but once they saw me working out there harvesting and sharing the abundance with a few of the people that were living there, more and more came out to take part in watering, pruning and harvesting. After a while they became self sufficient in their ability to save seed and share their harvests (which was very rewarding to see). After a time the building was sold and rezoned for high end condos to be developed so they got rid of the gardens unfortunately, but while it lasted it was great. This taught me to plan for setting up community gardens on property where I know the owners (and/or public land use laws) well and understand if there is long term potential for the project going in from the start.
The next one I am goin to be working on is on an organic farm on the outskirts of town where the owners were kind enough to let me use some of their land to set up a community food forest. I will be creating a trial (scalable) mini-food forest and inviting others to take part in the planting, tending, harvesting, soil building and seed saving. I will making that saying that you shared about how you can’t count the apples in an apple seed come to life with seeds like these: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/you-can-count-the-seeds-in-a-single and also incorporating Paw Paw trees, Butternut trees, Tulip trees, White Pine, Blueberries, Goji berries and a wide range of nitrogen fixing and medicinal herbs for the ground level. After the trees get bigger we will add some layers vertically by growing things like grape vines and kiwi vines up the trunks and plant shade tolerant rhizomes like wild Canadian wild ginger, ramps and wild garlic under the trees. We will also eventually incorporate gourmet mushroom cultivation into the mix by using hard wood log sections to grow mushrooms such as Shiitake under the shade of the white pine trees.
(continued..)
(continued from above..)
I would like to now announce a special offer for all Corbett Report members regarding my recently published Regenerative Gardening and Recipe Book (Recipes For Reciprocity).
Any Corbett Report member who orders a physical copy of my book from now until the 1st day of 2024 will get a ‘bonus Corbett Report members only heirloom seeds set’ sent out with their copy of the book! 🙂
I will include heirloom Amaranth seeds (as a nod to all you ‘subversive empire toppling gardeners’ in the crowd https://www.corbettreport.com/december-open-thread-2022/#comment-143580 😉 ) Tulsi seeds for increasing one’s health sovereignty and boycotting big pharma through growing medicine at home and Goji Berry seeds for increasing your longevity, visual acuity and immunity so you can be more effective and able to peacefully resist tyranny, tap into the inherent abundance of the Earth and feel amazing at the same time!
If you do order a book and want the seeds just drop a comment below or email me to let me know you want the seeds and i`ll send them out with the book.
When I have more time in the next week or so i`ll swing back over here to share a recipe I like to use for making use of and preserving those big Daikon Radishes.
I am excited to read the experiences of other members of The Corbett Report with regards to community gardens.
Thanks again for the great episode and shout out James.
Much love and respect from Canada!
@Gavinm – I just went to take a gander at your book, and my husband and I would love to buy a copy, and share in your seeds if we might. How best to proceed?
THANKS!
Julianne
@Julianne
Thank you for your interest in my book.
I just created a discount code which you (and anyone else reading this who is interested in getting a copy and the seeds mentioned above) can apply when buying a physical copy of my book on my website (which will both give you a discount and let me know that the order should have the bonus seeds sent out with the book).
The discount code is:
𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦
Thanks for reaching out 🙂
@Gavinm – thanks so very much for your kind generosity. It’s very much appreciated.
Also, just in case you’re not already familiar, let me suggest you check out Sean Dembrosky right outside of Ithaca, NY, doing some truly fabulous permaculture work through his business, Edible Acres. Since you mentioned community food forests, I thought you might find his “air prune boxes” for growing thousands of tree seedlings at a time to be very helpful! Here’s a link to his playlist about them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab67eKU0ZeY&list=PLihFHKqj6Jeo64lENH9D-LCsjD0cVQVx1
May your gardens always be fruitful!
Julianne
@Julianne
Sorry to eavesdrop on your convo but I’ve been looking for a way to start trees on our land and/or starting a ‘food forest’. I’ve even scrolled threw youtube but I feel like their algoriths suppress people like this (maybe I’m imaging it). Anyways this looks like an incredibly helpful resource. Thanks for sharing!
@JCh129
That is great you are looking to plant some trees and begin to cultivate a forest garden 🙂
I agree there is active suppression of information (and individuals that are disseminating information) which empowers people looking to decentralize their access to food, medicine, clean water, energy and educational materials. I have experienced this down-listing/shadow banning type phenomenon myself. When the machinations of the oligarchy attempt to censor/silence me and/or deflect people from being able to access my work, I take it as a sign I am on the right path and re-double my efforts to share material through non-digital and un-censorable means (such as in printed publications).
Speaking of printed material that empowers people to regain their food sovereignty through decentralized food cultivation, here is a link to a list of books and other resources I put together that pertain to food forest design.
https://recipesforreciprocity.com/book-recommendations/
I hope this info is helpful to you and if you have any specific questions pertaining to planting or caring for trees I am also willing to do my best to answer those questions here (so that others may benefit from the info too).
Happy tree planting!
@JCh129
How has your growing season been in 2024 my friend? Any progress on food forest plantings?
I have been working on learning more about several key species for my food forest designs here including Shagbark Hickory.
Thought you might appreciate this article if you have not seen it already:
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/shagbark-hickory-carya-ovata
@JCh129
I also thought you might appreciate this, a big Urban Community Food Forest project in Atlanta. There are lots of cool ideas to build on and adapt to your local situation in their design.
https://www.conservationfund.org/our-impact/projects/urban-food-forest-at-browns-mill/
@Gavinm – oh dear, I may have screwed up… when I entered the code I got a message saying “outgrow the system” does not exist… help!
<:-(
@Julianne
Thanks so much for the link and for introducing me to Sean Dembrosky’s work! 🙂
I did a test run and went through the process to order a book (the product titled “Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table (Softcover book) × 1”) on my website and the discount code seemed to work fine on my end.
Did you enter it in the place above where it asks for your “billing details” and you click on the little highlighted text that says “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code” ?
Thanks again for your interest in my book, please let me know if you still have trouble with the discount code/check out process and i`ll find another work around.
SUCCESS! Thanks again, Gavin, for your kind generosity and technical help – both were greatly appreciated, and my husband and I can’t wait for the book and seeds to arrive.
I’m delighted you were able to check out Sean Dembrosky’s work! I’ve been following him for the past nearly 4 years and have consistently been so impressed with his approach and execution. The air prune boxes are astonishing – he uses them not only for sprouting hundreds of tree seeds at a time (e.g., pawpaw, hazelnuts, shagbark hickory, oaks, walnuts, chestnuts, et al), but also as a means to prepare the area where the boxes are placed to transition to actual garden beds once the tree seeds are sprouted and ready for sale or planting out. He’s a master at “stacking functions”!
Looking forward to the next time our paths cross!
Best regards always,
Julianne
@Julianne
🙂 You are most welcome! Thanks for ordering a copy of my book!!
I just sent you an email (FYI sometimes people tell me the big tech algorithms are sending my emails to their junk folders).
I am looking forward to experimenting with air prune boxes (and thank you for reminding me about shagbark hickory as I have a friend who offered me some seeds and I would love to get those re-introduced into our area in greater numbers).
I am also looking forward to the next time our paths cross and looking forward to hearing what you think of my book!
@Julianne
Hey! How did the growing season go for you?
Did you get any of those seeds I sent planted and if so, how did it turn out? 🙂
Just let me know if you are interested in any specific varieties for next year and i will check my collection for them.
I really appreciate your support on Substack and wish you and your husband a joyful, peaceful and nourishing winter, with great germination rates and huge harvests in 2025!
Hi Gavin! Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge here and thank you for the seeds earlier this year. I’m looking forward to getting them in the ground. I will keep you posted on their progress. Happy Holidays!
@Torus
Hello my friend! 🙂
You are most welcome. I am very excited to hear how the malus sieversii seeds and trees do for you. I have 11 one year old seedlings (which I started indoors last winter) which I will be incorporating into some food forest projects in the spring (along with about 200 seeds stratifying both outside and some in my fridge) for other projects in the spring. The thought of hundreds of new heirloom apple varieties emerging in our local area in the next decade or so thanks to the gifts these seeds will provide fills my heart with hope and joy.
Both the wild apples (Malus sieversii from Kazakhstan) and wild chili peppers (Chiltepin peppers from Guatemala) I sent you seeds for will do well in the heat. Tulsi (especially Vana and Krishna Tulsi) also love the heat so they should thrive for you as well.
This morning I was separating Temperate Tulsi seeds from dried flower heads (I had them I had drying in our garage) in preparation for the deluge of book orders from Corbetteers (as per the offer I announced above) 🙂 . Rubbing the seed pods between my fingers released their essential oils filled the room with the aroma of cloves and mint. I find seed sorting to be very therapeutic and even meditative. Holding the seeds in my palm I sense their immense potential and the life pulse of all those that came before me who tended those seeds. I love how the act of saving heirloom seeds offers a tangible connection to engage with our ancestors and also connect with our descendants at the same time (through saving and sharing seed). I find that it offers poetry for the senses and food for the soul. I hope that when you grow out the Tulsi seeds I sent you and eventually save seed to share, that it provides the same nourishment for the soul and enrichment to your days that it does for me.
I will look forward to the updates on the progress of the seeds in the coming year and beyond. Happy holidays to you as well! Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment.
———————————————-
For those who are not familiar with Tulsi (aka “Holy Basil”) which I described above, here is an article with more info:
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/tulsi-the-queen-of-herbs
@Torus
How are those malus sieversii apple seedlings coming along?
I have been having a lot of aphids attacking our young trees this year but thankfully I rescued a bunch of praying mantis egg sacs from trimmings at work and placed them in our garden so now the mantis nymphs are going to town munching on the aphids.
Our bigger trees have a solid crop of apples coming along (despite the wacky weather fluctuations) so I am looking forward to making some cider and pies later this year 🙂
Wishing you many bountiful harvests this summer!
Here are some links to resources for those interested in starting their own community garden:
– “10 Tips for Starting a Successful Community Garden”: https://permaculturevisions.com/rebuilding-community-with-a-garden/
– “How to Organize a Community Garden” : https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-organize-a-community-garden
– “How to Start a Community Garden” : https://www.permaculturenews.org/2021/05/01/how-to-start-a-community-garden/
– “How to Start a Community Garden with Morag Gamble” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tl9dkywELw
Thanks, Gavin.
@mkey
My pleasure. I may have a chance to ask people who specialize in organizing and creating community gardens what they suggest as the best way to begin the process soon at a conference I will be contributing material towards. If I come across any other useful info on starting/maintaining community gardens when I am participating in the discussions with other speakers at the conference (in January) i`ll share that here as well.
@mkey
Hey buddy, hope december has been treating you well so far and you are excited to grow and learn about many new things in 2025.
Some additional books and links to pertinent resources on starting Community Food Forest gardens:
https://substack.com/@gavinmounsey/note/c-80833020 🙂
In the spirit of the holiday season and helping each other through challenging times as a community I also want to let you all know that if anyone cannot afford a physical or digital copy of my book, and you are someone that is interested in starting a community garden (or just your first personal garden at home) I am willing to donate a free digital copy of my book to help get you started.
My book contains a spectrum of info which helps to optimize the process of getting your first garden started (and/or expanding/fine tuning existing gardens) whether they be community gardens or gardens at home.
Thus, I want anyone who is motivated to have everything they need to take the first steps to grow some of their own food so if you cannot afford to buy the book and would like a guide that can help you build soil (using free widely available resources), instructions on how to plant, cultivate, and save seed from heirloom crops (and preserve your harvests) just send me an email with a brief description of the community or personal garden you would like to get started and what you intend to grow there, and I will send you a code to download the ebook for free.
Each of us can take steps to begin to connect our own health and wealth onto the health and abundance of the living Earth. All it takes is a willingness to learn, get your hands dirty, a handful of seeds and some tlc.
Once you start a garden in your community you are leading by example and begin to help normies around you to see how real fulfillment (food for the soul), health and abundance are attainable through choosing the humble path of our ancestors. This act sends out meaningful ripple effects and can transform entire neighborhoods (I have witnessed this my self!) 🙂
Here is to a 2024 of abundance, increased health and resilience!
I enjoy every aspect of nurturing and growing a garden: from hoeing the ground and planting the seeds in the springtime, to harvesting and preserving and canning in the fall. Especially look forward to those first tomatoes – BLT on homemade sourdough bread. Yum. Many gardeners in my area (the Great Lakes Region), including myself, experienced some disappointment, in that, for some reason this year’s harvest wasn’t a very productive one. I did in fact experience a barrage of slugs (diatomaceous earth works wonders but will certainly look into the momigara!!) but suspect the not-so-successful harvest was due primarily to the practically nonstop suffocating, sun-dimming ‘fires from Canada’ along with the subsequent fallout that blanketed not just the ground but my home – patio /deck furniture, bbq grill, windows, etc.
Anyway, a helpful and enjoyable episode, James! Love and many thanks!!
@KLolli
BLT on homemade sourdough bread… mmMMmmm Yes! 🙂
You know I think it was makin a homemade batch of tomato basil soup using my own homegrown heirloom Brandywine tomatoes that really got me interested in gardening more. The taste was in on a whole different level than that canned stuff! I had to have more!.. 20 years later, here I am growing tons of heirloom tomatoes, sharing seeds and sharing those delicious toasted heirloom tomato sandwiches with friends, turning them onto gardening to they can make their own at home 😉
Ya I am in the Great Lakes region as well and saw a lot of slugs, snails, aphids and grasshoppers this year. Thankfully we also had invited in a healthy mantis and ladybug population in our garden which took care of the aphids and grasshoppers for the most part, but those slugs did munch on some of my low lying stuff.
Wow sorry to hear about that ash fallout. I suppose in the context of soil health a little bit of ash is good, but it can be a mess.
Have you ever tried adding biochar to your soil?
Thanks for the comment.
@KLolli
“20 Ways to Control Slugs in the Permaculture Garden or Allotment”
https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/20-ways-to-control-slugs-in-the-permaculture-garden-or-allotment/
@KLolli
The reason I asked about biochar is that I have seen that adding it on the surface of the soil helps deter slugs and snails in my garden.
I recently stumbled across this product, and it’s ingredients seem to indicate I am not the only person who has discovered this benefit of biochar.
https://www.slugless.com/slugless-organic-slug-snail-deterrent-now-with-added-biochar/
I think you could back-engineer your own homemade version of that mixture for a lot cheaper than they are charging for it.
@KLolli
Biochar also offers a wide range of other benefits to the soil and increasing garden crop productivity and resilience.
Here are some links to additional info on what biochar is and why it is so beneficial to add to your garden soil:
– “What is Biochar” by Michael Wittman : https://youtu.be/8YDgr8BVtqc?si=DdJ9m9ogLR3jAECI
– “Biochars and Their Uses in Agriculture” : https://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/-biochars-and-their-uses-in-agriculture
Given my own lifelong passion for permaculture and gardening, I’m always delighted to see its importance recognized as being truly fundamental to our continued survival as a species on this planet. There are no other species whose offspring are incapable of feeding themselves once weaned, and surely we might all agree it is a shortsighted species which doesn’t at least provide this *one* skill to its offspring…
Which is why I certainly treasure my own years spent gardening in a community garden, in my local neighborhood “P-Patch” community garden, part of an (ultimately) extensive gardening system Seattle pioneered in the 1980’s. The garden was two blocks from the small, 3 story apartment building I lived in, and many of my neighbors were older Asians whom I gardened alongside. They taught me so many things! And their produce was consistently some of the most beautiful throughout a garden where 30 of us had plots.
I so enjoyed the display of the daikon radish, which of course, has so very many uses throughout Asian culture, but here’s another I’d like to share – there’s a species of daikon which grows so large it’s considered a “tillage” radish, and is used to break up soil in preparation for gardening in a new, untilled, area. By sowing the seeds in the fall, they’ll grow large enough that by spring, one can then much more easily work the soil, either in the process of harvesting for animal fodder, or they could be left to rot, and would not only break up the soil, but also fertilize it. Mechanical tillage destroys the structure of the soil. Natural tillage loosens and opens it up while maintaining the structure. Btw, perhaps needless to say, but – the original sowing of these radishes was to simply broadcast their seeds on top of the soil and then cover with mulch, so no unnecessary labor expended there either. >;-)
There’s so many layers to this process of gardening. And all of them are gifts to humanity, there for the simple act of stepping forward to participate. Thank you for championing this. It’s perhaps the most profound expression of humanity that any of us might ever experience – coaxing seeds to life for *our* continued sustenance and survival.
@Julianne
Thanks for sharing your experiences and that helpful tip about Daikon Radishes.
What you said about avoiding mechanized tilling and instead teaming up with nature to optimize soil structure and fertility is so important!
“There’s so many layers to this process of gardening. And all of them are gifts to humanity, there for the simple act of stepping forward to participate… It’s perhaps the most profound expression of humanity that any of us might ever experience – coaxing seeds to life for *our* continued sustenance and survival.”
Well said! Thanks for that 🙂
And once one builds up some solid living soil, learns to compost and gets into the cycles of seed saving and allowing prolific food crops to self-seed, the “coaxing” turns into simply appreciating, harvesting and sharing those seeds with very little effort!
For anyone else interested in learning more about Diakon Radish’s many uses, here is a link to a short video where Permaculture educator Matt Powers talks about why he considers Daikon to be “The Swiss Army Knife of Plants” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4ZXwlP58FY
@Gavinm – thanks so very much for that video! Yes, it is an extraordinary process when one comes to the garden, for learning *and* sustenance. And you’re absolutely right, once there and in the process, the “coaxing” becomes ever so much easier and settles into those cycles of life that fill the structures of our days and embed our lives with meaning.
For prepping purposes, what you need to do is determine the calorie output of your hourly input. I’m pretty sure it’s unsustainable because you aren’t growing crops to feed livestock.
A better use of time would be canning, or even just a second job to buy canned goods and other non-perishables.
Foods high in calories are typically low in vitamins and minerals. So if your thinking about more than surviving but actually being healthy you should also have an abundance of foods like the ones shown here.
Meat is loaded with minerals.
I love meat. I raise cows, chickens and pigs. I would absolutely argue that no diet is complete without a healthy source of animal fats, but I can’t imagine my life without fresh carrots, apples, strawberry’s, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, cucumbers and so many other amazing tasting plants…
I don’t disagree that calorie intake is important, vital even but I honestly don’t believe a diet of only animal proteins is sufficient. I don’t have any evidence to back this up only a gut feeling (no pun intended).
Canning is a great use of ones time I don’t disagree but there’s very few things from a can (especially from any canned item in a grocery store) that are going to come even remotely close to matching the health benefits from eating fresh well grown plants directly from a healthy garden. And this isn’t even accounting for the health benefits from being outside in the fresh air and sunshine doing a relaxing enjoyable task. This will serve anyone worlds better than simply working another dead end job just to buy extra crap from the grocery store just because it will last longer. That is terrible advice tbh.
@JCh129
“…there’s very few things from a can (especially from any canned item in a grocery store) that are going to come even remotely close to matching the health benefits from eating fresh well grown plants directly from a healthy garden. And this isn’t even accounting for the health benefits from being outside in the fresh air and sunshine doing a relaxing enjoyable task. This will serve anyone worlds better than simply working another dead end job just to buy extra crap from the grocery store just because it will last longer.”
Well said!
Another alternative (and/or supplementary) preservation method I like to use for our veggie crops (such as cabbage and many others) is fermentation. With fermentation it can be done in an off grid situation with low tech tools and it actually enhances flavor, bioavailability and nutrition (rather than diminishing nutrition as heat pasteurization based preservation methods do).
Here is a link to an article where I list 30 reasons why fermenting some veggies at home is a good idea (this is true whether one grows them or buys them at a farmers market).
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/30-reasons-to-make-your-own-sauerkraut?
Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for sharing, that looks like a very interesting article. I’ve actually been debating ordering your book for awhile so I finally ‘took the plung’ if you will. Really looking forward to reading it and trying out your recipes! Particularly looking forward to making kimchi.
@JCh129
My pleasure.
Ya printing and shipping books in today’s post scamdemic/ultra carbon taxed economy can result in quite a “plunge” having to be taken. I feel your pain with regards to the price of the book. Though there are many HQ color 400 plus page books on the market now for 60$ plus it does seem like a lot to me too (when I think back and compare that to what I paid for books a few years ago). The relatively high money cost is due to a combination of reasons (mainly that I chose a hand sewn durable binding and high quality paper to make the books last while being used in the garden and kitchen and the exponentially increasing shipping costs due to our government’s carbon tax scams).
I tried to make the cost a little bit more accessible with the various discounts I have going right now (as I know many, like myself, are struggling financially to pay the bills in this manipulated economy with insane food/energy costs amidst this ultra taxed involuntary governance dominated modern world we live in) but, those discount prices have me riding the line right close to material cost so it is the best I can do (without going into debt to get the books into people’s hands). I know it it would still a substantial investment in these times for me to pay that much for a book, so I try to make up for that seemingly high fiat currency cost by adding value with rare and highly productive heirloom seeds that I slip in with the books.
Speaking of heirloom seeds, i`ll throw in a few extra heirloom seed varieties from my personal collection with your book which produce crops that are great for adding to kimchi 😉
Thanks again for ordering a copy of my book, I look forward to hearing what you think of the recipes and hearing how the seeds do for you in the garden.
@Gavinm
I didn’t mean to make it sound like the book was overpriced. I probably chose the wrong words as I more meant it simply as a finally stopped hem hawling around. I have no doubt its worth the cost.
Thank you so much for including the seeds! I will let you know the results 🙂
@JCh129
Oh okay thanks for clarifying!
I think it was less about your choice of words and more about me wanting to be able to make the book more affordable and projecting a bit.
I may end up signing on with a publishing company (several have expressed an interest in my book) if I can find one that operates with integrity (and respects both human beings as well as the living Earth) in the way in which they publish books (as this would lower the shipping costs at the very least). We will see, I may just keep going the self-publishing route (despite that likely resulting in it taking more time for technical book formatting/printing and shipping logistics etc) and a more expensive end product, as that allows me to retain full creative control and not feel beholden to anyone. I am still weighing my options.
Anyways, you are most welcome for the seeds. I will write you an email tomorrow or the next day with details on the individual heirloom varieties I have packaged up to be sent out with your copy of the book.
I look forward to hearing how they do next year and beyond 🙂
@JCh129
I just published my recipe for our basic Kimchi on substack, i`ll share it here so you can have a little sneak peak into the book and you can get creating in the kitchen ahead of the book arriving if you want to 🙂
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/garden-chi?
PS – I also sent you an email with some in depth info on each of the bonus heirloom seed varieties I am sending along with your copy of the book (including heirloom chili pepper seeds for spicing up your future batches of kimchi 😉 ).
we have them in Vienna, too
https://www.cityfarm.wien/
warm regards
jimmy
“He who controls the Weather controls the world” LBJ
Vice President Johnson at Southwest Texas State University (1962)
Vini…
Let me help ya.
Google has the description all wrong. It should say ” how the crooks take over the world and you little bastards need to decide who’s side you are gonna be on.”…
yeah it was a different time.
https://texasarchive.org/2010_00003
HELP ME WITH WHAT? YOU DID NOT ADDRESS WHAT I WROTE
Veni….
You are correct there, I only provided a citation address that may connect to what you addressed.
How many people have every heard the entire speech? Or for that matter context or meaning of what I did not address for what you did not provide? Address for the address.
Texasarcive.com gives a statist description of what you alluded to which I could not let pass and gave a more colloquial editorially accurate description and having done it I realize no good deed goes unpunished. How kin I hep ya anymore?
I have listened to entire speech and also the one JFK made on the subject. There is no doubt in my mind that controlling the weather is one uses of our satellites. I also believe Dane Wigington is probably the number one authority on this along with some others.
Dane has some great intel but I think his somewhat materialistic/reductionistic view neglects to consider at least a couple variables.
1. This world is influenced by more than just physical stimuli (we are spiritual beings, inhabiting physical bodies, living on a world full of spiritual beings also inhabiting physical bodies). Conscious will and energy can influence physical particles more than he realizes and thus the situation is not as hopeless as he portrays (even just considering that variable alone).
2. The Living Earth is a conscious being that has millions of years of wisdom and experience under her belt. Her children in the ancient kingdoms of bacteria and fungi are extremely adept alchemists, capable of transmuting elements, biodegradation and other forms of bioremediation (mycormediation and phytoremediation). Thus, the soils and ecosystems are not as hopelessly damaged, crippled and doomed as Dean thinks they are. We can team up with ancient organisms in our gardens, farms and forests to swiftly transmute the toxic elements being sprayed from the sky and render them inert if we see nature as our teacher.
Some pertinent data on Aluminum Bioremediation in soil specifically:
– https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330511072_Removal_of_Aluminium_in_Contaminated_Soil_using_Locally_Isolated_Vibrio_alginolyticus#:~:text=One%20widely%20known%20method%20for,was%20isolated%20from%20contaminated%20soil.
– https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479719311302
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7511751/
– https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016913171630552X
(similar species of bacteria and other fungi are specialized for working on the other elements being sprayed in the skies, the solutions are myriad if we choose to be humble and learn from our elder species and the living Earth.)
We can apply the George Soros Principle
I think that Community Gardens – #SolutionsWatch is a perfect example of how we can shape our environment by being ACTIVE in our local communities, in our spheres of influence.
[For those who don’t know, Soros funded efforts to install judges and other influencers on a local level.]
It starts with just being friendly, talking to people and finding common points of interest and agreement.
Some of my examples with food:
~~ About 4 years ago, a neighbor told me about a tree by the Sonic hamburger place. He ate some of the tree’s berries and they tasted good, but he was worried they might be poisonous. I drove over there. It was a Mulberry tree…Mmmm good! I cut some 8″ twigs, put them in pots. Now I have two 8 foot Mulberry trees growing.
~~ A few months back, Pat, another neighbor had planted a Pear tree. I asked him if I could cut some twigs. “Sure thing!”, he said and he rushed to get a scissors.
I have done this sort of thing with many neighbors.
~~ When I have bumper crops of tomatoes, peppers, peaches or whatever, I give them to neighbors. When I have a useful, nice nicknack that I don’t want, I will ask if a neighbor wants it and then give it away (e.g. windchimes, glazed pot, toys, tools, electric fence, etc.) Sometimes, I’ll mow a patch of or the full neighbors lawn without asking. Sometimes I’ll pull their trash cans out on trash day, or pull them in.
Goodwill is a valuable commodity.
And we are in the Season: “peace on earth, good will toward men”
Neighbor BBQ ANECDOTE
https://www.corbettreport.com/flnwo43/#comment-158593
~~~~~~~~~~~
CAVEAT
Don’t be stupid or naive.
Some people, even in the ‘truth community’, have a criminal or “take advantage” type character, or even manic mental issues.
@HRS
Thanks so much for that heart warming and insightful comment.
I see much truth and wisdom in your comment about Goodwill and have witnessed the types of things you describe to be true personally. That kind of trust and being able to rely on others in one’s immediate vicinity is worth more than any amount of fiat currency, cryptocurrency or gold, as it has intrinsic value. It is one of the things I include in my definition of what I call True Wealth in my book.
Your comment makes me think of an excerpt from a video I watched a while back that touches on the value of good will and nurturing gift economics in one’s community.
Here is part of it:
“What survives collapse? What survives crisis? Community. What ever you give and contribute into your community and you generate that goodwill, and you generate those structures of taking care of each other and reciprocal (gift) relationships… that is an investment. That is a savings account that fires cannot burn and thieves cannot steal.
The best investment you can make is generosity, for only thing that cannot be taken from you is that which you give.”
( from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_8ZGq-FSE )
Speaking of community, you give a lot to this one and your comments often provide practical intel as well as insight to enrich the heart and mind, thanks for that.
I would like to offer to send you some heirloom seeds from my garden as a way to say thankyou for all you contribute to this community. If you have a spot for a Malus sieversii tree to set down roots on your plot I would be happy to send you a few seeds (and seeds for some ideal companion plants).
@HRS
oh and your description of your fun grafting adventures made me think of this interesting idea/movement:
https://www.guerrillagrafters.net/
“The [Guerrilla Grafters] graft fruit bearing branches onto non-fruit bearing, ornamental fruit trees. Over time, delicious, nutritious fruit is made available to urban residents through these grafts. We aim to prove that a culture of care can be cultivated from the ground up. We aim to turn city streets into food forests, and unravel capitalist civilization one branch at a time.”
@HRS
and i`ll share one more link before I sign off for the night.
Your anecdote about sharing your tomatoes, peppers and peaches etc bumper-crops with neighbors reminded me about a project my friend John started in Austin, TX which has really taken off and gone global. It is called The Food Is Free Project and it is all about connecting neighbors through growing food together and sharing the abundance to build and strengthen community.
For more info on the Food Is Free Project and links to resources for those interested in setting up their own Food Is Free Garden/Stand check out:
https://foodisfreeproject.org/
I looked over the studies but much more has to be studied. I also know about the “Mushroom Guy,” and the fantastic potential of Fungi. However, the first thought/question that came to mind was “Why dont’ we just take care or all or most forms of “pollution.” We have “now” discovered the microns of plastic in our water, air, and soil, not to mention all the other harms we have done with pesticides, chemical fertilizers reaching to a serous point of soil depletion. Dane talks all about this – I have been following him religiously every Sunday and so on. He just does not only talk about Chemtrails. He reiterates many similar points as Guy McPherson and the daily extermination of hundreds of species on the planet. In what way did you mean Dane was “materialistic?” I agree with your spiritual aspect of the Earth and us. However, we know the Earth can recover but, will we be around to witness it? Dane states/mentions this aspect too. He has also demonstrated wisdom and has self corrected himself humbly. His point which I also share is “Do you think the government cares?” Does the farmer now have to invest in soil repair while he continues to watch chemtrails being sprayed. This is the big variable to all of this an even to our spirituality. Will we as humans recognize these hazards and remedies before its too late? This is as brief as I can make it.
@venividivinci
Thanks for the in depth response and questions.
I shared the studies to provide a sort of window into perceiving a more ubiquitous truth about the natural world and it’s irrepressible capacity for regeneration which has been known and understood for millennia by many ecologically literate cultures long before humans invented microscopes. We have been conditioned to see modern science as the most “advanced” form of observing, measuring, altering and impactfully interacting with the natural world by the propaganda pushed by the architects of modern “civilization” but that is a fallacy based on hubris, primitive/limited mechanistic thinking and a worldview that neglects to perceive and acknowledge the more than physical (spiritual/multi-dimensional) world (and it’s very real influences on the physical world).
Thus, the studies above are not the basis for a measurable / quantifiable argument that can be test tubed and installed into government regulations, but rather it is a glimpse at the potential of this Living Earth (and her more ancient inhabitants) to be capable of transmuting toxicity into fertility and transforming wastelands into the beginnings for new life and ecosystems to thrive (through the limited lens of modern science).
Re: “Why dont’ we just take care or all or most forms of “pollution.”
Can you please elaborate on what you mean with that question and express it in different words.
Re: “In what way did you mean Dane was “materialistic?””
I do not mean materialistic in a money grubbing, being obsessed with shiny toys/cloths/cars kind of sense, but rather in the more philosophical/spiritual sense, as in, the way he expresses himself seems to only give credit to and acknowledge the existence of and influences of physical phenomena (mentioning nothing about the influences of the Creator of all things, nor the influences of our own eternal conscious spirits, nor the spirit and conscious mind of the living Earth).
Perhaps I have just not listened to enough of his material and he does address that side of things. If so, could you help direct me to pertinent material?
RE: “However, we know the Earth can recover but, will we be around to witness it? ”
Perhaps not, but even if we are not around to witness it, I still believe that we are capable of using our hands, our knowledge and the will of our eternal souls to live in service of life and plant the seeds for regeneration to be capable of accelerating in the time after we are gone. From the self-serving and self-interested thinking of the Atheist, giving one’s time, hard work and gifts in service of future generations yet unborn is unappealing, however, I believe walking the path of becoming a land healer, and agent of regeneration is an honorable path that the Creator of all things invites any and all who are capable to embrace in this time of obscene hubris and machine like thinking among humans.
I`ll share a couple pics to pertinent literature below…
@venividivinci
Literature that speaks to the imperative and value to choosing to cultivate beauty, regenerate life and live in a way that honors and serves life (regardless of the perils we face from the plutocracy and their insane geoengineering etc)
For starters:
select pages from The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic: The Parallel Lives of People as Plants: Keeping the Seeds Alive by Martín Prechtel
https://archive.org/details/seedsofcuchumaquic/Scregenshot%20%2863%29.png
(clicking on the left side arrow will bring you through the pages in the correct order for the first three, but then after that you have to go the other direction, sorry, i am not great at uploading to that platform)
Next up:
Select pages from Beauty in Abundance Designs and Projects for Beautiful, Resilient Food Gardens, Farms, Home Landscapes, and Permaculture By Michael Hoag
https://archive.org/details/beautyinabundance/IMG_2d761.JPG
(click on the right hand arrow to navigate through the pages in the correct direction.)
Next on the reading list:
select pages from Trees of Power: Ten Essential Arboreal Allies Book by Akiva Silver
https://archive.org/details/arborealallies/IMG_2675.JPG
and last but not least
select pages from Land Healing : Physical and Metaphysical Practices for Healing the Earth By Dana O’Driscoll
https://archive.org/details/landhealing/IMG_2906.JPG
Re:
“His point which I also share is “Do you think the government cares?” Does the farmer now have to invest in soil repair while he continues to watch chemtrails being sprayed. ”
Can you elaborate on that part of your comment a bit more? Not sure what you are trying to get at there.
Re: “Will we as humans recognize these hazards and remedies before its too late?”
Yes, many of us have, continue to and are applying “remedies” in many layers throughout our lives, gardens and daily interactions.
As stated in the books I shared pages of above, each of us is in a powerful position to “keep the seeds alive” (literal, cultural, intellectual, skill based and spiritual seeds) and we can do so at home to create “Refugium” through working with “trees of power” (or plants/fungi that serve a similar purpose) to create pockets of resilience and biodiversity that can survive the storm and serve as a fractal seeds. These Refugium gardens (and/or food forests) can feed us and provide medicine while also serving as and decentralized healing points for the Earth and ecosystems, emanating life and healing outwardly (seeds, soil building, habitat for pollinators etc) to help with the regeneration of the Earth after all these insane oligarch systems fail and collapse. That is worth taking action to be a part of whether we will be here to see the regeneration or not. This is where I focus my time and efforts now, through aligning with the ancient wisdom and regenerative capacity of the planet Earth.
The experience with the toilet paper was a wakeup call to many I am sure. That time itself, the rise of the covid scam, the rise of Trump and that psychological operation, all glaring examples of how THEY manipulate us, and how WELL that manipulation works.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I have always been a contrarian, if the group goes one way, I will find reasons to go another way. While that might seem anti-social, it has nevertheless served me well in my life. I think the Maui conflagration serves well as a cautionary tail about following the group, especially when the group trusts the system, as does covid and the vax (though to be clear, covid was obvious, the vax a bit more complex, as they allowed info that criticized the vaccine to be widely disseminated, thus anti vax was a desired outcome as well. I have thought the allowance for anti vax to become a thing was all about creating the evils of vaccinations, while Biden mandated the vax in the military and the government (what he said he would not do), thus those skeptical of the vax would get out of government or the military, sort of clearing out many of the AWAKE patriots out of the military and government, mission accomplished).
I have always had gardens, but more often than not those gardens were created for nature, bees and butterflies, oases for nature. During covid we moved to the South West, for Sun and, ironically, get away from the effects of mass immigration. We don’t have as much land now, but we use every inch of it. Lots of citrus, avocado, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and an array of Peruvian Apple Cactus, prickly cactus Mesquite Trees (their pods are edible) and more. We installed solar and a pool. I told my spouse, the minute things start to move sideways again, that pool becomes a fish pond.
The masses go along clinging to the delusion that our leaders only want the best for us all, ‘it’s incompetency that sometimes gets in the way’, but we know better. We are Germany’s Weimar Republic 2.0, and we are all being set up to be the next Palestine, and places like Maui are already there. They seem to be setting up every aspect of society in which to undermine us, pull the rug out from under us. They will RELSIH America’s fall and the unimaginable suffering it will create. Just like with the Great Depression. The human suffering is not simply an inescapable consequences of their financial and global machinations, but indeed the actual goal: suffering.
We are already far ahead of our countrymen, as we realize what is coming, just that understanding alone will sustain us while others WILL sadly, fall apart. They have purposely created a weak dependent society, strength and independence should be the primary response.
“We installed solar and a pool.”
– Care to share a bit more about your practical experience with the solar installation, how large output did it have and how effective it turned out to be?
Was it off-grid with batteries (12/24 V) or storage in/with hydrogen/ammonia/hydrides or fed into the grid?
Am in the process of installing one myself (off-grid, hydrogen storage) and interested in hearing about others`experiences..
@l.grav
I would like to learn more about your intended off-grid, (solar) hydrogen storage set up.
Does that mean the solar energy somehow extracts hydrogen gas from some other molecule (such as H2-O) via electrolysis, and then you burn the hydrogen gas to run internal combustion engines? Or how does it all work?
Thanks for the comment.
@Rexleo
Sounds like you have an awesome collection of perennial food crops going there!
Do you like hot peppers? Do you grow any heirloom varieties that were developed by the Hopi people? I have a few friends in New Mexico and Arizona and they tell me great things about Hopi Corn, Hopi Amaranth and Hopi Sunflowers.
“They have purposely created a weak dependent society, strength and independence should be the primary response.”
Well said!
I would like to add to that by saying
They have purposely created a weak, dependent, compartmentalized and hypercentralized industrial society which seeks to commodify and wage war on nature, and thus strength, independence, decentralization, acknowledging our interdependence with other organisms and intentionally cultivating symbiosis (in the garden/food production and in human communities) should be the primary response.
I will share a short excerpt from the Regenerating Communities and Nurturing The Gift Economy chapter of my book that pertains to seeing the concept of strength from an alternative perspective to how some may see the word and what it means:
…real strength is acting upon that which arises from the heart with the guiding compass of putting our gifts into service for the betterment of all beings. It is a lot more challenging to let our ego take the back seat and choose a path in service to our fellow beings than it is to train and use muscles to exert force and achieve some ego flattering display of physical prowess. Thus, true strength is determined not by our ability to exert force but rather by the degree of which we summon the courage to allow our spirit to take the drivers seat and the degree of which we see and act from the heart.
When we embody that kind of strength is allows us to tap into a deep well of spiritual wealth that exists within each of us. From that place we are capable of expanding our ideas of what forms Gifts can take in our efforts to regenerate our communities and nurture a gift based economy…
Thanks for the comment.
The assumption here of course is one HAS a “community” with which to garden.
In the 80’s in SF we had a great one in the Mission District. Now, living 50 miles from town on 46 acres AT 6000 feet, and in the past few years an astounding horrible daily chemtrails attack and daily UV ratings above 13, everything dies.
Had an 1/8 acre garden that used to be amazing. Starter plants from the Amish back East, well water, etc. Now we can’t even grow Zucchini, and they grow about anywhere.
The success of the destruction of humanity’s ability to stay healthy and feed themselves is a very big red flag. Best of luck to those who can still garden.
@ejdoyle
What about cultivating medicinal and/or food plants that can grow in the shade? I can provide a list of suitable species if it helps.
Also, have you considered cultivating edible and/or medicinal mushrooms (either in the shade outside and/or indoors)? You can use sawdust/wood chips enriched with some basic nutrients or hardwood logs and produce a lot of nutrient dense food without having to deal with the potent UV damage.
@Gavinm
Thanks
@ejdoyle
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬:
̲B̲e̲r̲r̲i̲e̲s̲:̲
– Low bush blue berries
– Elderberries
– Raspberries
– Rhubarb
– Saskatoon berries
̲V̲e̲g̲e̲t̲a̲b̲l̲e̲s̲:̲
– Asperigus
– Bush beans (need part sun)
– Beets
– Kale
– Radishes
– Carrots
– Wild Leeks AKA Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
̲H̲e̲r̲b̲s̲:̲
– Cilantro
– Anise hyssop
– Aragula
– Dill
– Lemon balm
– Chives
– Mint
– Parsley
̲M̲e̲d̲i̲c̲i̲n̲a̲l̲ ̲p̲l̲a̲n̲t̲s̲:̲
– Mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus)
– American ginseng (panax quinquefolius)
– Golden seal (hydratis canadensis)
– Meadowsweet (spirea ulmaria Or filipendula ulmaria) tall flowers
– Oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium)
– Black cohosh (actaea racemosa) wall white flowers
– Wild ginger (asarum caudatum)
– Bugle (ajuga reptans)
(I can share more info on the specific plants listed above if you are curious to learn more. I can also share some info to helpful mushroom cultivation resources if you wanna go that route as well).
I am on a different journey, different goals, supplies, etc. But thanks, I’ll put the info in one of my folders.
I MISS THE OLD DAYS (song)
https://www.bitchute.com/video/o2Z7IlZLjadH/n
@ejdoyle
Your welcome.
Always glad to help people to be able to grow more of their own food and medicine at home.
Do you do any preserving of seasonal abundances you can get from local farmers?
More info on Shade Tolerant crops:
https://practicalselfreliance.com/shade-tolerant-perennial-vegetables/
Gardening really is a solution that anyone in an urban environment with a yard can do.
I live in Philadelphia, and I don’t have a community garden near me. I don’t need one: I created my own garden despite having a concrete driveway in part of my yard and a fair number of trees on the adjoining property which doesn’t give me full sun on the entire yard. I make the best of what I have. I learned from a course at the PA Horticultural Society that one can put raised beds on top of concrete, blacktop or anything else. I built 4 large cinderblock raised beds and 4 wooden raised beds with organic soil, all fenced to keep out the wildlife. I also have pollinator gardens in my front yard. I’m learning about seed saving and medicinal herbs. I also explore the medicinal qualities of native plants that grow in my yard and local habitat.
Although it’s December I still have a bit of lettuce, micro greens, kale and collards. And you can supplement your harvest even in the winter, even in the city. I discovered a method to grow sprouts, called soil sprouts, indoors all winter long without a great deal of expense. I’m about to explore this method based on this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Round-Indoor-Salad-Gardening-Nutrient-Dense/dp/1603586156
This is part of my personal plan for food shortages as seed supplies will yield fresh greens, many of which are high protein, without eating mostly out of cans. Seed supplies take less space than cans.
I also have a rain barrel and am considering raising rabbits rather than trying chickens because there are foxes in my neighborhood. You can make the most of the space you have.
Thank you so much for sharing! Such a positive outlook and it rings so true with my experience. I’m excited to check out that book.
My favorite time to garden is the winter thanks to this guys advice…
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Garden/dp/1890132276/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1FQQFUXAWB92S&keywords=eliot+coleman&qid=1702002995&s=books&sprefix=eliot%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-3
@annak
Right on! I admire your adaptability, determination and your understanding (and actions) which acknowledge how dependent we are on the more than human world (such as pollinators) to be successful in the garden.
I love your winter food production idea as well.
I find that growing Amaranth outside in the summer is particularly effective at stacking functions for winter sprouts/microgreens production since the plants produce such a prolific amount of seeds and the greens are edible at all stages.
Have you ever looked into using stuff like spent coffee grounds or straw to grow oyster mushrooms in mason jars inside? (you can also use 5 gallon buckets)
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth sprouts/microgreens are especially delicious, nutrient dense and colorful when added to sandwiches and salads. We grow them all winter using our own saved seed from a self-sowing raised bed in our back yard.
Perhaps we could do a heirloom seed swap some time? 🙂
Thanks for the comment.
Awesome solutions watch!!
I’ve never had any experience with a community garden but recently purchased a small farm and started (an even smaller) livestock operation. I love to garden as well but I’ve always been more successful with animals for some reason. The property came with a small apple orchard and although I had intended on taking care it, getting a livestock farm going is a big endeavor and the orchard care inevitably got pushed down on the priority list.
One day a middle aged couple pulled in my drive and approached me. They were wanting to know what the story was with this once beautiful but now degraded run down overgrown apple orchard (in nicer words of course). Now my natural reaction would have been to tell them to get lost (in nicer words of course) but for some reason a little voice was telling me to hear them out and at least consider their proposal which was basically helping take care of the trees in exchange for apples.
We talked for awhile and after finding out some random small town connections and having a good feeling they were genuine good hearted people decided to try it out. Basically they would help maintain the trees, pick the apples and also can/process the majority of the apples (apple sauce, apple cider and freeze dried apples) in exchange for keeping some non agreed upon portion of the final outcome and then giving me some non agreed upon portion back.
This is now the second year and it has gone tremendously well. I have help now mowing, trimming, pruning, mulching. We’re both completely on the same page as far as no chemicals/pesticides ext but we do natural sprays and compost teas. The orchard is doing well and producing way more than it ever was with me neglecting it. They are super nice people I’ve actually became good friends with and to top it off they love to can all kinds of other foods as well and are always wanting to share.
This is obviously not at all the same as a community garden but it feels like its in the same spirit a little bit anyways. I’m now contemplating ideas for applying the same concept in other ways on this property. Not sure how it will play out but excited to try.
Thank you for sharing. What a beautiful relationship! It’s not easy to trust people and build friendships, but these is necessary to thrive. Even with all the modern technology, we really can’t do it all alone. There is just not enough resources/time/labor/attention/self care for one family to be truly self-sustainable. Reciprocity is an incredible principle that humanity needs to start embracing. Another sustaining principle is also built-in redundancy. Storing seeds, preserving food, supporting CSAs(community supported agriculture),knowing local ranchers, etc… so if our home systems fail we have backup.
Good luck with your future endeavors!
In the UK we have allotments which are sort of community gardens, but I think most people just grow stuff on their plot and don’t work much with others. I don’t have an allotment but I am growing what I can at the back of my house. My main crops are just the usual tomatoes and potatoes.
I had a very good crop of tomatoes in 2022, but not so good this year. I think best potato crop was in 2021, and so far a little disappointing this year; but I still have a lot left to harvest.
I also tried jerusalem artichokes and oca last year but without great results, but I was harvesting some jerusalem artichokes this morning and dug up a bumper crop from a small area; now I have to work out what to make with them.
Not harvested any of the oca yet, but based on the size of area the foliage spread across I’m expecting a good crop of these too.
For tips on growing vegetables I highly recommend the videos by Charles Dowding on goo-tube. He uses the “no-dig” approach. With that I`ve been quite successful this season. If possible get yourself a little green house too. Once the seeds have germinated they need a lot of light. – Apart from that you need a little luck with the weather. Growing your own stuff is a bit time consuming I find, but it`s worth it.
@sabinep
That is the second time I have come across that name today. My friend Margaret Anna Alice on substack just mentioned his youtube channel as a valuable resource in a message to me. I shall definitely look into his videos.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Congratulations James! You look so out of place there. Your uncomfort is noticable and you persevered ! You completely wrestled that radish right out-a-da-ground.The next step will be less uncomfortable; I hope there is a next step. Great show.
Later on I’d double my subscription if you would go wrestle some livestock!
Seeing james tame a stallion would be nice. And I bet Broc would gladly wrestle some aligators (plural). That would be a hoot, healthy entertainment for the whole family!
Mkey,
Well he is from Calgary and that is the rodeo capital of the world.
Home to the Flames and Calgary Stampede. All gladiator sports.
He really is Spartacus under that English major sheepskin.
Impressive show James, the most practical/ “down to earth” ever in the history of the Corbett report and maybe start of a hands-on Solution-watch report-series dealing with the available (but usually disregarded)sustainable practical solutions to the main 3 human necessities? (:)
1.Food(/Water),
2.Energy and
3.Material (constructing, clothing etc.)?
1. (First step) Done.Well done.
2. Maybe worth talking to/ visiting practical guys like this (?):
https://www.sustainabilityenvironment.com/2023/07/26/the-first-solar-hydrogen-house-is-born-in-japan/
(Or the american pioneer of that -Off grid green hydrogen- technology: https://hydrogenhouseproject.org/index.html)
3. Maybe talking to/visiting (?): (Hemp- clothes/fuel/plastics/steel/concrete…) https://hemp-innovation.co.jp/en/
(or these european pioneers: https://allianceflaxlinenhemp.eu/en/industrial-uses-hemp)
All just my five cents of course, if anyone has other solution examples would interest me to read…
And while being in the flow/Zen of pestering you annoyingly with my ideas:
Would it be possible maybe to improve the comment- forum software/layout on this website by:
A) numbering the comments (makes it much easier to refer/reply to)
B) replies not only showing up added directly to the original comment (and thereby disappearing/invisible to those joining/reading later ones), but showing up as “latest post” in the main time line of the comments and thereby the latest activity always being easily visible and reply-able.
To illustrate what I mean -if interested- somewhat like the layout/software works on this website(The Unz review)`s comment-section (please ignore the unrelated topic of article attached to):
https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/towards-a-palestine-without-palestinians/
There they have also added other features like possibility to filter out comments according to interests and view the history of comments/commentors, but that would maybe be too big a task to add here..
As said, just an idea…..
One good thing to learn to grow and you can grow it inside your home so perfect for those even in cities is microgreens. And they’re ready to harvest in days instead of weeks and months.
So basically all you really need are the seeds, water and a little sunlight.
Although, unless you let some the seeds mature into full size plants you will have to buy more seeds.
Although once you have a stock pile of seeds you can grow a ton of micro greens in a relatively much smaller space in a much shorter time frame.
@microsurfer
Heck ya! I like to let a full 4×20 foot raised bed filled with self-sown kale and another one filled with self-sown amaranth go to seed each year so I can save tons of seeds for doing microgreens in the winter (i usually get about 5-9 pounds of seeds from each bed depending on the rain that season). Here is a clip of one of our Amaranth patches from a few years ago https://youtu.be/PJPdCrVqMVQ?si=wrmyvCkd01e__6xi
Do you grow Amaranth microgreens?
Regarding community-gardening, I think it is great, however small, any practical effort/experience is endlessly more than none and even a small patch of some dozens squaremeters (as Brian`s) can yield a harvest of about 50 000 kcal of vegetables/food, thanks to the (James-)mentioned amazing abundance of nature.
At the same time in my experience at least it is important to keep ones “feet on the ground” both literal-and metaphorically, nature is both abundant and absolutely finite and merciless at the same time, its parameters are non-negotiable and the art of farming is being able to work with /adapt exactly to that, a farmer more than anything is literally “judged by his/her fruits”, meaning simply kg(or kcal) per area produced and work invested and health of soil under management.
Since a human being needs at average 2500 kcal of food/day, i.e. around 900 000 kcal/year, and at average a squaremeter of land/soil/earth with effective farming can sustainably produce 900 kcal in average temperate european/american/asian(?) climates (in comparison f.ex. “forest-gardens” produce around half that yield/squarmeter: https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Jeremy_Pasquier_COMPARISON_CALORIC_YIELDS_FOREST_-GARDEN_VS_CONVENTIONAL_AGRICULTURE.pdf), a garden of Brian`s size (and choice of plants) produces food for one person for around 20 days to a month, no more, no less.
For whole food sustainability/self sufficiency
1. a varied/wholesome diet with more crops/products than vegetables need to be added like grains, oil-seeds etc…
2. the area at least ten-folded and
3. some sort of pasture animal raising included, thus making use of all non-arable land and leftover/ spill from 1. and 2. and gaining high calorie products and free fertilizing manure.
Which is not hard to accomplish (work effort required being approx. 0.5-1 hour/ kg of produce in small scale settings) either, at least judged from my background in both medium/large and (recently much more) small scale organic/biodynamic farming the last 25 years (I use workhorses).
If of interest, this year`s report:
One of the worst growing seasons ever seen, spring being unusual late and dry and summer too cold and rainy, ergo miserable vegetable yields especially carrots/rutabaga and onions down to 50% and even only 10% of the ordinary and the same with hay/silage, one of those years….
(Unfortunate) lesson of the year learned for me was
“when sowing carrots and even in slightest doubt if capillary groundwater is enough, ALWAYS irrigate…..”
@l.grav
I appreciate your in depth comments here, I like some of the suggestions you offered James in another comment and look forward to learning more about the hydrogen solar storage system you mentioned above.
With regards to the study you linked that compares some conventional agriculture metrics to the yields of a single food forest, I think it is important to keep in mind that measuring calories is not necessarily an effective measure of success with regards to food cultivation. The human body requires a diverse array of minerals, vitamins and other phytonutrients in order to function in an optimal capacity. Conventional agriculture can produce massive amounts of calories per acre (using unsustainable synthetic inputs and various biocides that contaminate the “food” such operations produce) but this “food” often results in obese consumers that are simultaneously suffering from malnutrition and on the fast track to getting cancer from all the glyphosate. Obtaining a certain amount of calories daily does not necessarily translate to one being healthy.
Also, that analysis above looked at one individual food forest (developed using one particular approach and in one climate/soil type). There are a multitude of different food forest design techniques that have grown out of ancient cultures all over the world. Each of them has its own set of benefits and each climate and soil type these approaches are utilized in yields different results (calorically speaking, nutritionally speaking and in other yields that are not food related). One theme that all functioning regenerative agroforestry food cultivation systems (aka food forests) share is that due to the inherent biodiversity and positive feedback loops that exist between the crop producing plants (and fungi) within that system and the soil organisms that support those crop producing plants, the nutrient density of the crops produced in food forests are superior to food produced in conventional agriculture systems. Based on my direct experience with such systems in a couple different areas, I am confident that if you looked at a range of different climates and approaches, you would find that that are forest gardens that produce a great deal more calories (as well as vitamins and minerals) per acre than conventional agriculture.
One can begin to glimpse the potent difference in the vitamins and minerals found in food that is grown as part of a functioning ecosystem composed of symbiotically connected organisms, vs food that is produced in a monoculture in dead dirt, via this study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35127297/
(…continued from comment above)
From the study linked above:
When compared to crops from conventional farms, crops from regenerative agriculture farms (which means grown in living soil like you would have in a food forest and/or regenerative garden) had 34% more vitamin K, 15% more vitamin E, 14% more vitamin B1 and 17% more vitamin B2. The regenerative agriculture crops also had 11% more calcium, 16% more phosphorus and 27% more copper.
The study also compared wheat crops. Regenerative wheat crops were planted in a crop rotation pattern that included cover crops between crops of spring barley and winter wheat. The regenerative wheat samples had 41% more boron, 29% more magnesium, 48% more calcium and 56% more zinc than conventional wheat samples.
When you grow crops at home or in a community garden (using regenerative and/or forest gardening techniques) in living soil (created via adding homemade compost, companion planting and mulching) the produce you harvest is significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown store bought.
Those metrics do not even begin to address the many non-food related gifts which are offered by regenerative farms, gardens and forest gardens that serve to enhance the resilience of individuals who tend them (and their communities.)
Thus, when considering where we put our energy with regards to food cultivation systems, I think we should consider a wider spectrum of metrics than simply calories per acre.
#SolutionsWatch = Action
Get your hands dirty, people! Connect with your Earth and your People again.
Related trivia. Bill Mollison, the founder of Permaculture, was inspired and mentored by a Japanese agricultural scientist named Masanobu Fukuoka.
I’ve shared before about my journey into Permaculture (jump-started by 2021 #SoultionsWatch “Choosing Chickens”). Which motivated me to take a course and earn my Permaculture Design Certification. Since then I’ve started my own successful part-time gardening business where I do maintenance and (limited) permaculture design. It’s been an empowering journey! Update-This year, I happy to say that I’ve completed a Permaculture Teacher Training course as well. I never had an interest in teaching, but since I’ve had the opportunity to actually practice these principles and techniques, I feel compelled to help guide others towards these alternative systems. Permaculture isn’t just permanent-agriculture; it is Whole Systems Design: water, food, energy, structures, soil, animals, appropriate technology, invisible structures, and social systems. We need Everyones’s niches in this space, all the talent and diversity of ideas. Maybe you don’t have a “green-thumb” but you certainly have knowledge and talents that I don’t possess. Permaculture is about building resilient land, and resilient communities. Being “self-sustainable” is nearly impossible, but being “self-sufficient” within your community is in the making. Join the movement!
A special thank you to James and Jack who inspired me to take action and choose my chickens. And gratitude to the many innovators and teachers and ancestors who have shared their experiences and wisdom. 🙏
@Torus
How was your 2024 growing season my friend? 🙂 What crop performed best for you and what are your plans for 2025 designs ?
Thanks for all the inspiring experiences, ideas and content you share in these threads.
It’s good to remember that water, food and wood was all given to us for free by God. All we have to do is a little work to make it all happen.
In my area, we don’t have a community garden, but we do have seed libraries which is cool. I save seeds and garden in my yard. I’m successful with green beans so far, and I have a new plan for my carrots, tomatoes and strawberries this year.
If things go sideways, I plan on doing a community type garden, or grow and give away or barter the things we don’t need. I’ve learned how to can for food storage, which also comes in handy when I get a lot of green beans. We are also planting food trees and berry bushes and my child is in a garden club, so we’re all about it.
My next step this winter is learning to make sourdough starter and apple cider vinegar. Good to have goals.
Whoa! Kind of late to the party.
It is so heartening to see all of the comments and pointers posted here regarding community gardening, seed and soil preparation, self-sufficiency, etc. This drive, this growing awareness that we have to return to Nature and work with the soil again, is spreading around the globe. I’ve witnessed it happening back in my hometown in the States, and I’m seeing it here in Osaka as well. Plots are being snatched up, and it’s usually by a young couple with kids. Amazing!
When James first contacted me about collaborating on this Solutions Watch, I thought, “What? In this scruffy, little plot surrounded by utility poles and concrete boxes? Wouldn’t a nice, picturesque terraced garden up in the mountains be more appropriate?”
Little did I know at the time that that was James’ plan all along – to show his audience that anyone, anyone, can start gardening no matter where they live. Even growing something on your balcony (a shade-friendly veggie like kale, for example) is a step forward. A small paper cut upon the Great Food Reset.
And that’s what I really like about this episode of Solutions Watch and the concept of the series altogether. Rather than a retrospective look at the nefarious deeds of some globalist psychopath, these episodes are practical, forward-looking and quite encouraging. Returning to Nature and working with the soil really is the only solution.
When we do it together, we can pass on a shared knowledge that is so lacking today, especially in our youth. I mean, how many kids know how to distinguish between the male and female flower on a pumpkin vine and about pollination in general? Few, if not any. They just blindly assume that those perfectly formed, perfectly colored veggies will always be available at the Big Box down on the corner.
I think James sums it up perfectly when he says, “The Earth is abundant!” An immutable fact that we often forget. I am so proud that I could help him deliver this important message. Now, excuse me. I have some onions that need tending to.
Blessings,
Brian – Noh Mask Channel
By the way, I posted a video of the outtakes from this Solutions Watch. It’s a humorous look of what’s involved in making an episode of the Corbett Report. Suffice it to say, it ain’t easy.
https://odysee.com/@DoctorNoh:4/Great-Food-Reset-Outtakes:7
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
” and Bobs your Uncle ” ! …???
At 13:40 James tells Brian a quip about seeds, the thought caused me to think how uncomfortable James seemed at that moment.
The comment about “Uncle Bob” was unknown to me. The meaning unknown and so far out there the statement was like a cork screw into my brain. This I put away like an andromida strain in a protective vessel.
Then… Reading James Blish’ s novella ‘ Midsummers Century ‘that evening for study and entertainment, Blish’ used the same saying in the story. ” They might, also, have the element of surprise on their side. If not, he had had it, and Bob’s your uncle.”
Twice in less than a day. An idium I have never heard before. This brain food seems to have too much fat for my delicate palette. Some food can be bad for you. Like ear and eye candy.
Uncle Bob’s pedigree.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob%27s_your_uncle#:~:text=The%20origins%20are%20uncertain%2C%20but,apparently%20both%20surprising%20and%20unpopular.
The video linked below explores why seed saving in the context of a community garden is especially important.
This is a video presentation I put together for a talk I did at a local Horticultural Society meeting in 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCc0lTsMTeA
In the video I explain how saving seed not only serves to save one money and ensure food security for one’s household (and local community) but, it also offers one the unique sense of satisfaction that comes from the knowing that each successive year seeds are saved the varieties of seeds are becoming more genetically customized (via the natural processes inherent in seeds adapting) to flourish in the specific climate and soils they are being raised in.
I also share information on what Vandana Shiva describes as “Bio-Piracy” and how we can resist this corporate fraud and profiteering which is threatening the stability of our global food supply.
As I mentioned in my recent substack article titled 24 Reasons To Start A Garden In 2024 I also consider the act of saving and sharing heirloom seed as an act of sabotage as it throws a monkey wrench into the machinery of the global corporatocracy (that seeks to own all seed, buying out and shutting down the small family owned companies, seeking to patent what they can and perpetually profit from their false claims of owning intellectual rights to the genetic fabric of life).
Each time we save and share seeds (and share the resulting abundance of crops) we are taking steps towards divesting from/boycotting centralized food and monetary systems which are corrupt and do much harm to the Earth and our collective future.
Seed saving is an act of co-creating with the forces of nature to resist corporate tyranny and it is an act of faith for it means holding that hope in our hearts that each spring we will plant those seeds and share the resulting abundance with our family, friends and fellow community members.
Here is an alternative link to the same video about seed saving I described above:
https://odysee.com/@recipes4reciprocity:e/savingseed:0
Sharing incase the thought police of Alphabet Corp’s gootube decide to disapear my video since I included a clip that calls out Big Pharma/Big Ag/GMO farming)
Here is a recipe from my book that we use to preserve and enjoy many of our Daikon harvests
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/garden-chi?
The simple vegetable ferment recipe linked above is an amazing way to preserve a diverse array of extremely nourishing (and medicinal) crops together in one flavor packed probiotic rich package.
Kimchi is a fermented food that’s a staple in Korean cuisine. In fact, it is one of the corner stones of Korean Culture. In the old days it was not only a cherished tradition but also represented a necessity for it meant being able to preserve nutrient dense summer crops through the winter. It’s a tangy dish that’s known for its unique flavor. And it’s got plenty of other perks, too, including but not limited to:
– kimchi contains lots of important nutrients
– kimchi helps maintain a happy, healthy gut
– kimchi supports your immune system
– kimchi promotes heart health
– kimchi protects against oxidative stress
– kimchi includes beneficial plant compounds
– kimchi reduces inflammation
– kimchi boosts brain health
– kimchi offers a range of other health benefits as well
Came across a talk on the R-Future conference this morning that I thought would be worth sharing here
Keisha Ernst – Sharing the Workload; 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐎-𝐎𝐏𝐬
You can view the talk via this link ( http://www.R-Future.world ) in the Day 3 Module (for another two days at least).
Keisha talks a different way to imagine coop composting that will educate, empower, and enable groups to make compost that is full of diverse microbial life to use for enriching the ecosystem.
Here is a little something to add to the resources for this solutions watch episode.
𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐬
Some helpful resources and lists for all you seditious satyagrahi out there interested in resisting turf tyranny and embracing food sovereignty.
(this article is part satire but also packed full of very practical intel regardless of what type of neighborhood/community you live in and what ever kind of gardening you would like to do this year)
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/covert-food-gardening-in-the-era?
Greetings from Japan!
This is just an update on this issue of Solutions Watch that James and I did in my humble plot here in Osaka last year (Dec. 2023).
First, the bad news. The owner of that area of land which he has been leasing to me and to the other gardeners there for the last 30 years will be sold to his son next year, and his son plans to build an apartment complex upon it in 2025. I will withhold any scathing judgment about that, but I will say that anyone building apartments in this era of Japan’s drastically shrinking population lacks a certain amount of investing foresight.
Ask any one of the members in this particular community garden. They would gladly pay double (or even 3x more) in order to keep the community together. It’s not just about growing daikon radishes to eat at home. No! It’s about the community, sharing knowledge, and connecting with this abundant Earth under the Sun and fresh air and producing food.
The good news is that the same owner has seen the video that James and I made (with Japanese subs), was quite moved by it, and has reserved a couple of spacious plots for me on another plot of land that he owns.
So Brian’s Organic/Non-GMO farm can continue.
Thanks, Corb. I owe you one.
Brian
#theearthisabundant
@NohMaskChannel
Thanks for the update Brian.
I love that the owner is gonna facilitate you being able to continue cultivating your own food and connecting as a community in the garden on a different plot. It seems as though the choice to make the video and inspire others (“Paying It Forward” in a way) is sending some good vibes and karma back your way 🙂
Speaking of Paying It Forward, I found your video and story to be inspiring and uplifting. As my way of saying thank you, I would like to offer you the gift of some heirloom (non-GMO) seeds from my personal garden collection.
I would be happy to send a some of the abundance of heirloom seeds my garden has produced your way to help you start off your new garden plot with some increased diversity and so you can save seed and share with others in your community so we can potentiate Earth’s abundance.
Ps – Could you help me out by suggesting any trustworthy organic seed companies you know of in Japan (or the continent of Asia in general)?
I am trying to add onto and refine this list https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/regenerative-gardening-seedseedlingtree to help people all over to start their own organic gardens (while avoiding feeding into GMO corporations, Big Pharma owned groups or bankster hedge fund owned seed companies).
Thanks in advance for your time!
@NohMaskChannel
Thanks very much for the email with the Japanese heirloom Seed Company suggestions/info!
I added them to an updated version of list linked in my comment above.
I also linked your Odysee channel so my substack subscribers will hopefully go check out your great content 🙂
I would love to see some Community Garden update videos in 2024 on your Noh Mask Channel!
Keep up the great work brother!