This poor, neglected blog...

Needs some sunshine.

 

 

 

 

This sucks

Why do we even bother creating our own environmental laws?

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

pomplamoose

funny

For all you cheese makers

I just read an article about using CLEAN men's handkerchiefs instead of cheesecloth for cheese making or any other form of fine straining.

Woolch

What’s Woolch Mulch?

Woolch. Made from 50 percent wool (a bi-product from yarn and blanket making industries) and 50 percent toothpick-size wood shavings (a bi-product from sawmills), woolch was developed by the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Makers Association and tested at the University of Minnesota. This combination of wool and wood shavings has been used on perennial fruits and vegetables such as strawberries with great success. Woolch prevents weed growth on top and below the mulch, retains soil moisture, keeps the soil cool, and lasts longer than other organic mulches such as straw. For strawberries it even allows the daughter plants to root themselves through the woolch material. The lightweight, felt-like mats of woolch can be cut to fit any fruit, vegetable, or perennial garden patch and generally lasts for 2 years in the garden before degrading in the soil.

For more information :

http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLNewsMay152009.html#art1

Remember Stumpy Tunes?

I have songs to share! And I am craving new music.

Any interest/ suggestions in a music swap? We had that email address a billion years ago...is there a better or easier way to share some music in 2009?

Must have music.

Crazy $, but cool...

and I bet I could make one! Wooly "hammock" for plants!

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/gardening/woolly-pocket-gardening-company-089775?image_id=212731

Rural America

USA Today has an article about a shrinking NH town that includes some stats that I've never considered before about rural areas.

• 17% of Americans live in rural areas (that seems so small to me!)
• Only 4% of rural Americans make their living farming

The general idea of the article seems to be that governmental policies and funds for rural America are focused on farming and therefore neglect the majority of the people and industries in those areas.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure what this is all coming to...thoughts?

Dont Move Firewood

With the Emerald Ash Borer recently discovered, just across the Niagara River-

I thought this website does a nice job of getting the message across-
Check out how many people in NY (or your state) have made the pledge not to transport firewood....

http://www.stopthebeetle.info

Beer endangerment

Is this true? Have you heard anything about it? Will you have to re-live days of going to Canada for beer?

Dear New York Beer Activist,

At the request of the New York State Brewers Association, we are alerting you to an issue which could dramatically affect your access to the craft beers made by small breweries all across the country.

As you have likely learned, the state of New York recently enacted a requirement that bottled products sold in your state must bear a New York-specific UPC code for bottle deposit and redemption purposes. This requirement will have severe negative impacts on many businesses, including and particularly, small breweries.

More...

Urban vegetable gardens

Read this story: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/syracuses_community_gardens_ar.html

Now, I have done some research on this topic and it turns out that heavy metal uptake in plants is minimal in normal soil pH.  It also seems lead in urban soils is a common thing.  So the fix would be to bring in some good soil to garden in.

Apparently that is exactly what they did, right Jon?

A Grand Chicken Day Out

It was a lovely day today, so we built our chickens a little temporary playground for some fun in the sun. They are one month old this weekend. The barred rocks - Rocket and his crew.

A broiler and a barred rock - these chickens are the same age!

The reason we call her Fuzzy Longbottoms:

Chillin chicken:

Tartan Day

Will there be celebrations tomorrow?

http://www.tartanday.org/

The Inverse Power of Praise

Yesterday, at work, we had a Youth Development Inservice that focused part of the workshop on the harmful effects of praising youth. This concept was totally foreign to me, but really fascinating. Of course a lot of it depends on context. The research behind reasons not to praise children and youth is very interesting- but what a total change and different way of thinking from what most people are accustomed to! Thought I'd share...


http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/

http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/gj.htm


What do you think?

March for Babies

We are going to participate in the March of Dime's "March for Babies" at Long Branch Park this April. If anyone would like to help support our walk by sponsoring us, please visit the link below. Thank you!!!!

The Somerlots

Keeping up with the Jones (or the Somerlots, or Moskals)

Happy Day. As of 4 PM this afternoon, Carrie and I are officially homeowners! We will post some pictures soon. The house is great and needs only a little work to be lived in but we do have lots of plans to slightly remodel it. Right now we need to raise the ceiling in one room and then paint. As of tonight all we have is new doorhandles, deadbolt and locks. We plan to move most of our stuff on the weekend of March 14th. Fairport here we come! More to follow.

Beer grains

From my favorite online cartoon, Toothpaste for Dinner.

New Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced last week the intention toestablish a new USDA Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets, whichwill promote markets for ecosystem services including carbon trading.According to USDA, agriculture producers provide many ecosystemservices which have historically been viewed as free benefits tosociety clean water and air, wildlife habitat, carbon storage andscenic landscapes. Lacking a formal structure to market theseservices, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are not generallycompensated for providing these critical public benefits. Market-basedapproaches to conservation are proven to be a cost-effective method toachieve environmental goals and sustain working and naturallandscapes. Without financial incentives, these ecosystem services maybe lost as privately owned lands are sold or converted to development.

Yarn Projects

The last of the Christmas weaving is done... to be made into 6 more placemats!

Here is the electronic image of the tartan, as designed by Chris's tartan designer software:

And here is the actual result:

And my first knitted baby sweater- for Caitlin.

Diet Soda...

'..Diet soft drinks are the epitome of wastefulness. According to Pimentel, it takes 600 calories of energy to produce the drink itself and another 1,600 to make the aluminum can, not to mention the energy required to ship it from plant to supermarket. The product that comes out of the can has less than one calorie, which obviously appeals to dieters—but to Pimentel, PhD '51, it offers one of the most egregious examples of the problems with America's far-flung food-supply system. And don't even get him started on iceberg lettuce. "It's 95 percent water," he notes, "and shipping water around is inefficient." One head has 110 calories and few nutrients—but shipping it from California to New York takes 4,000 calories of energy. Lettuce, Pimentel says, is "a real loser." '

Read more...

Good Eats

Healthy You, Healthy Planet?