Homesteading

[samsonlonghair]

Back on topic, What vegetables do you think are well-suited for raised beds? I'm thinking about building my first raised bed this spring... if I can even get my seeds to germinate in the first place.

What's the advantage of a raised bed vs the regular ground level? I've never made one but from what I understand a raised bed dries out faster.

I guess that the advantage is that a raised bed keeps the vegetables separate from the grass, the dandelions, and the rabbits.

Also, I know there are some vegetables (potatoes being one example) that need to be buried deeper and deeper as they develop. Raised beds help facilitate this.

Maybe there are other benefits to raised beds that I don't know about. Your thoughts?

Samson: from what I've heard, the windmills help quickly turn a profit, and offset their initial costs. They're quite plentiful in the UP, since there's plenty of wind that rises off of the lake, and the lands in the eastern part are vastly plains, and the west, mountains. It's a great idea, if you're okay with the aesthetics, since you're in a beautifully scenic area. Even for larger turbine farms, there's relatively little health impacts.

That's cool. To me, the aesthetics of a wind mill beats the aesthetics of a strip mine any day. Now I want a windmill more than ever. The "Friends of Coal" won't be happy with me, but they'll get over it.

Speaking of sustainable energy, I hear there have been big improvements in Solar cells in the past few years. Is this true? Do modern solar panels work more efficiently, or are we simply manufacturing more of them cheaper than before?

[Blu]

Back on topic, What vegetables do you think are well-suited for raised beds? I'm thinking about building my first raised bed this spring... if I can even get my seeds to germinate in the first place.

Samson, did you watch any of the videos fast linked about aquaponics and the geodesic dome? There's a video tour where he shows what he grows in his media beds vs. the raft beds. Check this one:

This one has some good tips too, but for raised beds:

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-a ... ble-garden

You have to dig for specific crops, but the strategies and tips shared I think are really helpful, in order to get a very nice yield.

[samsonlonghair]

Back on topic, What vegetables do you think are well-suited for raised beds? I'm thinking about building my first raised bed this spring... if I can even get my seeds to germinate in the first place.

Samson, did you watch any of the videos fast linked about aquaponics and the geodesic dome? There's a video tour where he shows what he grows in his media beds vs. the raft beds. Check this one:

I saw that video. It's really impressive, but also really daunting, you know? I wonder how much it cost to build all that.

This one has some good tips too, but for raised beds:

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-a ... ble-garden

You have to dig for specific crops, but the strategies and tips shared I think are really helpful, in order to get a very nice yield.

Good link, Blu. I hadn't seen this one before. Thanks.

[jp1]

Who knew homesteading was so controversial. I support anyone trying to be more self-sufficient or reduce their footprint. I don't have those luxuries at the moment, ironically it is cheaper for me to simply continue driving my V6 gas guzzler and purchase all my groceries at the store. I would support a farmer's market if we had one though. I simply can't garden because I suck at it. I don't keep livestock because I'm not an animal person and other than my dog I am annoyed by animals.

I have no desire to butcher my own meat, I don't think I could eat it if I did. Hypocritical I know, but true.

Dave, I assumed you were simply kidding around. Does the term really bother you? I don't really care what you call it, it's a positive thing, so I support it.

[samsonlonghair]

I simply can't garden because I suck at it.

I feel ya, man. I'm three years in, and I've managed to make three total failures for gardens. I'm going to try again this year. Eventually I'll get it right.

Don't fall into bad faith. You can do it if you keep on trying.

[jp1]

I simply can't garden because I suck at it.

I feel ya, man. I'm three years in, and I've managed to make three total failures for gardens. I'm going to try again this year. Eventually I'll get it right.

Don't fall into bad faith. You can do it if you keep on trying.

The problem here is it is a major expense. I have six feet of sand and then a 10 foot clay bed under that. To have any soil worth using I have to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of compost, own or rent a tiller, have some form of pest control, and the list just keeps on going. In the end it costs more than just buying the groceries. Which is ok if it works out, but if it flops it is a major dent in the budget with little to no gain.

I have family who garden and keep chickens, so I do benefit from their overstock at times. Even though they are successful at it, they don't do much more than break even. It is better quality food though.

[samsonlonghair]

I can see your position. I make my own compost from leaf litter, water, and time. If I was in you shoes I might take things the same way you do.

[dsheinem]

Dave, I assumed you were simply kidding around. Does the term really bother you? I don't really care what you call it, it's a positive thing, so I support it.

Yes...it bothers me in some contexts, and in my view not all "examples" of things that are called "homesteading" are positive, nor are all the people wrapped up in the recent incarnation of the "homesteading movement" aware of the cultural appropriations they are making nor the misalignment of their motives with those tied to the history of the term.

I am not often accused of being fun at parties.

[jp1]

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. I didn't read into the links you posted, so maybe there is something I'm missing. What term would you think is more appropriate? Sheer curiosity, not baiting.



I doubt homesteading is the main theme for a lot of parties.

[samsonlonghair]

Back in the day, Sears and Roebuck used to sell "catalog homes" out of the sears catalog that any reasonable able-bodied man could build with the right tools, a few friends, and a little sweat.

I'm fascinated by cabin kits. I'd have to build one of these guys higher up on the hill, not way down in the floodplain. In terms of real world "get it done" mentality, this is the closest thing to the Sears and Roebuck kit home.

720 sq ft for $34K. Not bad I think. No wheels or trailer here. This is a real cabin with electricity, running water, and sewer. I suppose I could build the house on an elevated foundation (say five or six feet) for flood prevention.
http://www.summerwood.com/products/cabi ... brook.html

You can also find modular kit homes that start small. Then you expand the house when you need a little more elbow room. Check out the Unit One cabin.
http://www.shelter-kit.com/kits.php?kit=unitone

These kind of DIY options for home ownership really fascinate me.