This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains.
U.S. researchers create 30 genetically modified human babies
By D Holt
US fertility researchers from the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas in New Jersey have created 30 healthy babies who have been genetically altered. It has been confirmed that two of these children have the DNA of three parents.
The babies were created when women were treated for infertility by Professor Jacques Cohen and his team. Their eggs had defects in tiny structures in their egg cells called mitochondria. They had mitochondria from donor eggs inserted into these eggs, as well as DNA from sperm cells. The mitochondria contain DNA and therefore have carried the donor DNA into the egg. The babies will now pass on this genetic change to their children down the maternal line when they reproduce.
Professor Cohen is regarded as a controversial but brilliant pioneer in the world of reproductive medicine. His work on helping infertile couples has resulted in advances in the ability to help infertile men have their own offspring, by inserting genetic material from sperm into egg cells so that donor sperm is not required. However, many see that some of his research, and some of his claims, to be a step too far, such as the claim that he could clone children.
Worthless and dangerous tinkering
Lord Winston, of the Hammersmith Hospital in West London, told the BBC yesterday: "Regarding the treatment of the infertile, there is no evidence that this technique is worth doing . . . I am very surprised that it was even carried out at this stage. It would certainly not be allowed in Britain."
A spokesman for the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) agreed that due to the possibility of altering the human germ line, it would not license the technique in Britain. However, the less rigid rules on fertilization treatment in other countries mean that this kind of technology could allow modifications to the gene pool worldwide. Whilst these are the first "healthy" babies that have been genetically modified, the long term effects of carrying DNA from three parents is not known.
The technique used could allow the parents of a child to choose a third parent with traits they wish their children to have, such as being taller, and would open up the whole debate about the ethics of designer babies. As a species, we have to be very careful that our inventions, such as this technique, do not cause damage to the genes of our future descendants.
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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Homeschool Without Homework
By Karen Andreola
The Andreolas are the founders of Charlotte Mason Research & Supply Co. They publish the Parents' Review newsletter, which is dedicated to reviving the principles of Charlotte Mason education.
Charlotte Mason was a Christian educator who lived and worked in Britain during the latter part of the last century. Today her work is undergoing a revival in home school circles. Why? This article will attempt to answer that question!
For Charlotte Mason, education was not a list of skills or facts to be mastered. Education was an atmosphere, a discipline, a life. I think most of us would agree with her that education is a life process which is not confined to the classroom. Are we practicing this concept, or are we duplicating the public school classroom regimen in our homes? Are we educating our children for life or for achievement tests?
In the Charlotte Mason method, whole books and first-hand sources are used whenever possible, rather than textbooks. Textbooks tend to be crammed with facts and information, at the expense of human emotion. This is deadening to the imagination of the child.
Miss Mason advocated what she called "living books." Children, she thought, should read the best books, not graded readers or textbook comprehension paragraphs. Educators think they are doing children a favor by taking scissors to cut out pages of the best books. Charlotte called this putting literature in "snippet form." Children deserve to have more than just a nodding acquaintance with the best authors.
A child gains knowledge through his own work digging out facts and information. He then learns to express what he has learned by clothing it in literary (conversational) language -- in short, narrating it back to you. Miss Mason said that asking children to narrate back what they have learned is the best way to acquire knowledge from books. Because narration takes the place of questionnaires and multiple choice tests, it enables the child to bring all the faculties of mind into play. The child learns to call on the vocabulary and descriptive power of good writers as he tells his own version of the story.
Miss Mason's schools never gave homework? Correct. If you follow her method there is no need for homework in the elementary years because the child immediately deals with the literature and proves his mastery by narrating what he just learned back to you. Instead of homework he gets a cozy evening with a good book and parental attention. We want our children to be eager to learn, don't we? So why do Christian private schools bow down to the American homework grind?
Charlotte Mason believed in introducing the child to the humanities while he is still young, while he is forming his personality. In her view education is for the spiritual and intellectual benefit of the child, not just to provide the skills needed for making a living. Short goody-goody stories are shunned for whole books that follow the life of an admirable character. Morals are painted for the child, not pointed at the child.
Miss Mason wanted children to be motivated by admiration, faith, and love instead of artificial stimulants such as prizes, competition and grades. What, there were no grades in her elementary schools? No As, Bs, Cs, or Fs? No happy-face stickers or gold stars? Correct again.
Lessons in the Charlotte Mason scheme of things end at 1:00 p.m., and the afternoon is free for leisure. Leisure for children usually means running, climbing, yelling, and so forth, all out of doors. Handicrafts or practicing of an instrument, chores, visiting lonely neighbors, observing nature, or cooking, may also be accomplished during this time. Unfortunately, public school children arrive home just in time to see the sun set and do homework. What a waste of time and ability! What drudgery!
Through Charlotte's method a child gains the skill of educating themselves. Students do not depend upon notes they have taken of a teacher's lecture where most of the information has been predigested by the teacher. With Charlotte's method the carefully chosen words of an author are commented on by the child in essay form, either oral or written, starting at age 6-7. Much explaining by the teacher (this includes you, Mom) is a bore. Why is this lecture method still begin carried out in high schools?
Inspiring the love of knowledge in children depends on the presentation of ideas. Ideas are what the mind feeds on. To quote Miss Mason, "Ideas must reach us directly from the mind of the thinker, and it is chiefly by the means of the books they have written that we get in touch with the best minds." This includes all forms of human expression. This is why Charlotte said, "Varied human reading as well as the appreciation of the humanities is not a luxury, a tid-bit, to be given to children now and then, but their very bread of life."
Homeschoolers following Charlotte's philosophy and method try to give their children abundant portions of the humanities at regular periods. They don't allow themselves to get stuck in a routine which emphasizes skills alone. "Oh, we only had time for math drill, spelling, and grammar, and a few pages from our history textbook today. Tomorrow we will hopefully have time for poetry, and maybe a little music appreciation." When fear of a poor showing on the achievement test allows skills to take precedence, humanities take a back seat. The result: lessons become wearisome, children become fed up, mom gets burned out. The children are starving for knowledge touched with emotion, and for ideas.
In the Charlotte Mason method, lessons are kept short, enabling children to develop the habit of attention and preventing the contrary habit of dawdling over lessons. "Oh, you're not finished with your one math page yet? Well, then there is no time for a short romp in the back yard. Perhaps you can finish your math page in less than 15 minutes tomorrow."
Charlotte didn't concern herself with grammar lessons until the children were well into the habit of narration. She thought it was more important that the child learn to express himself correctly. He should have daily opportunities to have an opinion, make a judgment, no matter how crude, develop a train of thought, and use his imagination. Are you using grammar lessons for first, second, third grade children that replace this free use of expression? I am disturbed at curricula that claim to be based on Charlotte's method, yet spend time inappropriately breaking down parts of speech to the exclusion of familiarity with the literary content. Let's be careful not to prune the child's natural inclination toward language. In the early years, he might score slightly lower on achievement tests, but you can't serve two masters. I have notebooks I've filled with my children's narrations.
When Charlotte says education is a discipline what she means, in Victorian-day terms, is that proper education inculcates good habits. The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days. On the other hand, she who lets habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction. The mother needs to acquire her own habit of training her children so that, by and by, it is not troublesome to her, but a pleasure. She devotes herself to the formation of one habit in her children at a time, doing no more than watch over those already formed. Remember, to instill habits:
- Be faithfully consistent. The danger is when we let things go "just this once."
- Forming a habit is using perseverance to work against a contrary habit.
- Formation is easier than reformation. Nip the weed in the bud.
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What are the symptoms of an unsatisfied curiosity in either teacher or student? Simply this, "Do we have to do school?" Why not follow Charlotte's advice?
- Whole books; very few textbooks, if any.
- Narration in place of workbooks; grammar is saved for a little later.
- An emphasis on the humanities.
- Short lessons, especially for drills and skills.
- Formation of good habits.
- Free afternoons; no homework, no grades.
- Unedited literature; no readers.
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I'm sure I could add more to the list, but my word processor tells me I'm on my last line. I hope my hodge-podge of notes has given you a peek into the life work of that fascinating woman, Charlotte Mason.
http://www.home-school.com/
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Charlotte Mason Homeschool Method
Are seedless fruits dangerous to your health?
by S. D. Wells
What could possibly be the harm in picking up a seedless watermelon and some seedless lemons at the grocery store and having some refreshing, ice cold watermelon and a little homemade lemonade? After all, they are really shiny, a little larger than usual, and the price is just right!
Corn obviously is not a fruit, but there is a special kind of corn grown that you may not really know much about. This corn is engineered in a laboratory to contain pesticide which kills worms that enjoy corn and "gobble it up" in the corn fields of America. If you consumed this same pesticide, even just a couple of droplets a day in your orange juice maybe for breakfast, you would die of cancer or from some other horrible disease quite quickly. Consuming this form of genetic modification of food is nothing but a slow poisoning of your body, and you may as well throw those watermelons and lemons into some toxic waste disposal barrel, and stay as far away from them as you can.
Rinsing off your food does not rinse out the GMO
It used to be that you go buy your fresh fruits and vegetables, take them home, and rinse them off, just in case there was some dirt or pesticide on the outside that you didn't really want to eat. Now, between 80% and 90% of all fruits and vegetables sold in the United States contain pesticide inside the plant, not just on the outside, and putting them in your kitchen sink for a quick rinse isn't doing anything to get rid of this cancer causing, 4,000 plus chemical concoction which is about to become part of your genetics.
Did you know you can pass on newly acquired DNA genetic deformities and disorders to your children in one generation? Babies all over the world are being born with reproductive disorders and deformed organs because of pesticide consumption and GMO food. Massive research and long-term studies have now been done on GMO. We are approaching twenty years of a twisted Agricultural Industry that's warping cells and strangulating them, depriving human and animal cells of the oxygen needed to fight disease.
Before you waste money on toxic foods and "hybrids" that look super shiny or have fewer seeds that you won't have to "bother" removing, think about this: You always have the choice to buy organic food. Go to the farmer's market, or the closest small farmer kiosk you can find, and buy some organic detoxification for your body, to flush out the insecticide-laden strawberry smoothie you had last week, or the herbicide-laden watermelon you gave your kids as a "treat" last month. Yes, those toxins and poisons stay in your system until you cleanse, robbing your body of its ability to build natural immunity.
So next time you're walking around the produce section at the grocery store, take a glance around and look for fruits and veggies that just don't look normal (ie: blue strawberries and basketball-shaped watermelons), and imagine yourself in a hospital bed, and the critical care physician is explaining to you that your white blood cell count is low, and they may have to operate to remove a tumor. Then picture the words CERTIFIED ORGANIC in your head, and imagine yourself decades from now, enjoying your healthy life, surrounded by friends and relatives who are also healthy, because you shared the knowledge and insight you gained from some GMO research that was done back in the year 2012.
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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42 Flowers You Can Eat
By Dr. Mercola
Edible flowers are ordinarily associated with haute cuisine and wedding cakes, but you may have several tasty varieties right in your own backyard.
Adding flowers to your meals will not only make an ordinary dish look gourmet, they can be quite flavorful and nutritious.
Historically speaking, many different cultures valued fresh flowers in their culinary endeavors; rose petals were popular among Asian Indians, daylily buds often appear in oriental dishes, Romans used violets, and stuffed squash blossoms were popular in Italian and Hispanic cultures.
If you're used to adding fresh herbs to your food, adding in a sprinkling of fresh flowers is not much different, but there are some unique guidelines to be aware of.
Not Every Flower is Edible
Before eating any flower, you need to make sure it is edible. As a general rule, assume any flower from a florist, nursery or garden center is not edible, as these are nearly always heavily treated with pesticides. The same goes for flowers you find near a roadside or in any garden that has been treated with chemicals. Stick to organically grown flowers, or those you grow yourself (without pesticides/herbicides).
Some flowers, however, even organic ones, can make you very sick if eaten. Daphne, foxglove, daffodils, and hyacinths are just a few examples of poisonous flowers that should not be used for food purposes. The slideshow above contains 42 examples of flowers that are safe to eat, but there are many others. Consult a reference book on edible flowers, or ask an expert in this area, before branching out further, and if you're not sure, don't eat it.
Flower Power: Are Flowers Good for You?
Flowers are natural plant foods, and like many plant foods in nature often contain valuable nutrients for your health. For instance, dandelions contain numerous antioxidant properties and flavonoids, including FOUR times the beta carotene of broccoli, as well as lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. They're also a rich source of vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, pyroxidine, niacin, and vitamins E and C. Other examples include:
- Violets contain rutin, a phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that ay help strengthen capillary walls
- Rose petals contain bioflavonoids and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, B3, C and E
- Nasturtiums contain cancer-fighting lycopene and lutein, a carotenoid found in vegetables and fruits that is important for vision health
- Lavender contains vitamin A, calcium and iron, and is said to benefit your central nervous system
- Chive blossoms (the purple flower of the chive herb) contain vitamin C, iron and sulfur, and have traditionally been used to help support healthy blood pressure levels
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Flowers are Fragile, Handle with Care
Flowers are extremely perishable and do not do well when stored in the refrigerator. Ideally, pick them fresh and serve them as soon as possible (store them upright in a glass of water while preparing). If you must store them, place them carefully between two moist paper towels, wrap in plastic or place in an airtight container, and put them in the fridge. When ready to use, rinse each flower gently with water, and blot it carefully dry. You can use a knife or tweezers to remove the stem, leaves and pistil, then separate the petals (generally only the petals are eaten).
Flowers can be eaten raw in salads (nasturtiums, dandelion and primrose are popular for this purpose), added to appetizers or infused into sauces and other dishes. Every flower has a unique taste, so you will find the ones that appeal to you most just like any other herb or spice. For instance, bee balm tastes similar to oregano, carnations have a clove-like flavor, and marigolds are sometimes called "poor man's saffron" because of their peppery, saffron-like flavor.
If they're not available for free in your own backyard, you can find edible flowers at gourmet food shops, farmers' markets and other specialty food shops.
Start Slowly When Eating Flowers
Flowers are tiny but they can pack a powerful punch, especially if they're new to your diet. Introduce them sparingly at first to avoid any potential digestive upset or allergic reactions. This is especially important if you have allergies to pollen, as eating flowers may exacerbate your symptoms. Even high-quality, nutritious edible flowers can cause an unexpected reaction in some people. Try them one at a time and in SMALL amounts to see how your body is going to react.
http://articles.mercola.com/
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Edible Flowers - Flowers You Can Eat, Right from Your Garden
Earthing is essential for optimal health
By Dr. David Jockers
Walking barefoot on the earth has been a staple part of human and animal life since the beginning of time. In the past couple of generations, humans have made shoes, sandals and boots that insulate us from the natural energies of the Earth. Although these shoes protect our feet they also deprive us of the free electrons present in the ground. Grounding our bodies with barefoot exposure has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that is a genetic requirement for optimal health.
Our world has more medical technology than ever before. Much of this is good however there is no substitute for the healing forces found naturally on Earth. Nature itself is a powerful healing source. The sun produces vitamin D3, the plants and vegetation give us anti-oxidants, trace minerals and chlorophyll among other things. The Earth itself provides a powerful form of free electrons that are available to everyone by merely exposing our bodies to these natural energies present on the ground.
Our bodies are a living matrix of energetically charged biochemical circuits that are charged and coordinated through the activity of the central nervous system. The Earth itself is regulated by subtle but dynamic electrical circuits. The electrical crosstalk between the Earth and our central nervous system helps to program trillions of biochemical reactions.
Earth's electrical rhythms
The Earth's electrical rhythms play a significant role in the natural circadian rhythms that govern our sleep/wake cycle, hormones, mood and energy production. Studies taken on people fully disconnected from this natural electrical rhythm have shown abnormal circulating cortisol levels indicating abnormal stress responses. Additionally, disconnected people often struggle with issues such as insomnia, hormone disruption, chronic pain, headaches and fatigue among other things.
Human have always connected with the Earth's electrical energy through our feet. This is evidenced by the 1300 nerve endings per square inch on the sole of the foot. Compared to other parts of the body that is an incredibly high density of nerve enrichment. This is necessary for balance, stability and coordination of the foot but also to absorb the electrical energy present on the Earth.
Modern shoe soles have separated man from the electrical energy of the ground with insulating covers. Most people go weeks to months without ever having direct skin to ground contact with the Earth for longer than a minute. These people live completely disconnected from the planet which leads to a disrhythmic function within the mind & body.
The human body has a very similar makeup to the Earth being they are both a combination of water and minerals. This combination is what conducts electrical currents. Our bodies were made to be connected with the Earth and this subtle electrical energy has extremely powerful effects on our health and well-being.
Earthing Basics:
- Avoid wearing shoes whenever possible
- Sit outside barefoot with your feet on grass or soil.
- Walk or run barefoot outside on grass, sand or soil. Moist ground or grass is the perfect electrical conductor.
-Expose any part of the body to the Earth, ground or any natural waters like lakes, streams or oceans. Walking in salt water is one of the best grounding techniques due to the combination of earth, water and electrolytes.
-Sit or lean on the trunk or limb of a tree to share some of its natural electricity.
The benefits of earthing include reduced inflammation and better internal stress management. This results in better sleep, enhanced immunity, less pain and better state of mind and quality of mind. Many individuals report significantly better memory, creativity, innovativeness and spiritual direction after spending time connecting with the Earth.
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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7 Health Benefits of Going Barefoot Outside
By Stephanie Slon
Even though we've come to think of them as a vital part of our lives, only 20 percent of the world's population today wears shoes. Although in western society, shoes are necessary in certain situations, now that spring is here, and summer is on its way, there's nothing stopping you from finding a park or beach, taking your shoes off and going for a barefoot stroll. The benefits might surprise you.
1. Clear Your Mind
It's hard not to pay attention to every step when you're walking barefoot. You have to be on the look out for sharp rocks and thorns. Awareness of what's in front of you in this moment quiets your inner chatter and clears your mind and helps you focus on the here and now.
2. It's Free Foot Yoga
Walking barefoot strengthens and stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet, ankles and calves. This helps prevent injury, knee strain and back problems. Not only that, but because it works muscles not used when you're wearing shoes, it strengthens and stretches your core, helping keep your posture upright, and your balance spot on.
3. It's a Free Reflexology Session.
There are reflex points to every part of your body in your feet. Every little bump and rock in the road helps to stimulate all these little reflex points. If it hurts at first – especially in specific areas, this means your feet need the stimulation they're getting by being barefoot. Over time, these sensitivities will go away, and the areas the tenderness corresponds to will be rejuvenated, helping decrease the symptoms of whatever it is that ails you.
4. Decrease Anxiety & Depression.
Walking barefoot in the grass can help decrease anxiety and depression by 62 percent, and increases the levels of those feel good endorphins. Awesome!
5. Get a Good Night's Sleep.
The ancients believed that walking barefoot in the grass was the best cure for insomnia, and many people still swear by it today.
6. It's Grounding. Literally.
Our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, which is great for conducting electricity. The earth has a negative ionic charge. Going barefoot grounds our bodies to that charge. Negative Ions have been proven to detoxify, calm, reduce inflammation, synchronise your internal clocks, hormonal cycles and physiological rhythms. The best places to get some negative ions through your feet are by the water. Everyone knows how good it feels to be barefoot on the beach – now we know why!
7. Get Back to What Matters.
To be barefoot outside doesn't just involve your feet – the rest of you has to be outside too. You get to connect with Mother Nature all around. Feel the sunshine on your face; hear the wind in the trees. It's easier to connect to a higher power when you're in touch with Nature; it's easier to put things into perspective.
Who knew something as simple as a barefoot walk could be so good for you – mind, body and soul.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
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Barefoot Walking Tips for Consciousness Expansion
Top Tips for Great Fall Gardens
by Vicki Mattern
With tomatoes, peppers and melons now hitting their late summer stride, it's easy to forget that autumn and early winter can be as abundant as spring and summer. Those who seize the opportunity for a second season of growth will find the planning and planting well worthwhile.
The steps to a bountiful fall garden are simple. Choose crops suited to fall growing conditions (see the list of crops and recommended varieties at the end of this article). Ensure your chosen site has organically enriched soil and adequate water. And start now. If you don't have seeds on hand, use our online seed finder.
You can replace spring-planted lettuces, peas and brassicas (broccoli and its relatives) with new plantings that mature in fall. Seeds and transplants will take off quickly in the warm summer soil. They'll appreciate cooler nights, too.
Look forward to peak flavor and performance for many crops that do not prosper in summer heat. Lower temperatures are ideal for producing crisp lettuces without the bitterness or bolting that can occur in hot weather. Frost-kissed kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage have a special sweetness. Carrots, beets and turnips also thrive in the fall garden and, after harvest, can be kept in a pantry or root cellar so you can enjoy their goodness well into winter. Collards, mustard and other greens also like cool weather.
Favored Crops for Fall
When deciding what to plant now for fall harvest, gardeners throughout most of the country should think greens and root vegetables, advises John Navazio, a plant-breeding and seed specialist at Washington State University and senior scientist for the Organic Seed Alliance in Port Townsend, Wash., which conducts annual tests of crops and varieties to evaluate their cold hardiness.
Leafy greens (such as lettuces, spinach, arugula, chard and mâche) and root veggies (such as beets, carrots, turnips, radishes and rutabagas) as well as brassicas (including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and Chinese cabbage) and peas will all thrive in the cooler weather and shorter days of fall. In many regions, some of these cold-hardy crops will even survive the winter to produce a second harvest in spring. (See "Stretching the Season," below.)
If you garden in the South or other areas with mild winters, you can grow all of those crops as well as heat-loving favorites. "Here, we can set out tomato transplants in late August," says David Pitre, owner of Tecolote Farm, a certified organic farm near Austin, Texas. Pitre also plants okra, eggplant, peppers, winter squash, cucumbers and potatoes in August and September for winter harvest. Plant cool-season crops in the garden after temperatures cool — late September or later.
Fall is also prime garden season in the Pacific Northwest, where abundant rain and cool (but not frigid) temperatures are ideal for growing brassicas, root crops and leafy greens planted in mid- to late summer. The hardiest of these crops often hang on well into winter if given protection, such as row covers or cold frames.
Hardy Fall Varieties
After you've decided which crops to grow for fall harvest, zero in on specific varieties. "There are big differences in cold hardiness among varieties," Navazio says. "Some are better able to photosynthesize at cooler temperatures."
For the past several years, the Alliance has been conducting trials of as many as 170 varieties of 11 different crops for their quality and performance in fall and winter. Among them, kale, radicchio and Swiss chard have been tested extensively and confirmed cold hardy to 14 degrees Fahrenheit with no protection. Several varieties stood out for the Alliance and market gardeners.
Broccolis. Opt for varieties that produce plenty of side shoots, rather than a single large head. "'Diplomat' and 'Marathon' can survive the heat of late summer and thrive when cool weather arrives in fall, producing a second cutting as late as Thanksgiving," says Elizabeth Keen, co-owner of Indian Line Farm, a 17-acre organic operation in Great Barrington, Mass. In Austin, Texas, Carol Ann Sayle, co-owner of Boggy Creek Farm, grows 'Packman' and 'Diplomat' for harvest by Thanksgiving and cuts 'Marathon' by Christmas.
Carrots. Consider storage ability when choosing carrots for your fall garden, says Thomas Case, owner of Arethusa Farm, a certified organic farm near Burlington, Vt. Both Keen and Case like 'Bolero' for fall growing and winter storage.
Lettuces. Whether you garden in the North or South, lettuces are a mainstay of the fall garden. Several European heirloom varieties are especially durable: 'Rouge d'Hiver' (a flavorful romaine whose leaves blush red in cool weather), 'Marvel of Four Seasons' (also called 'Merveille de Quatre Saisons,' a sweet and tender butterhead with red-edged outer leaves) and 'Winter Density' (also called 'Craquerelle du Midi,' a compact bibb type with deep green leaves) are good bets. Even in Zone 5, these lettuces will hang on into December and, with the protection of heavy mulch or a cold frame, will often return with renewed vigor in early spring.
When the lettuces go dormant in winter, you can count on mache to fill your salad bowl. Mache (or corn salad) is delicious and will survive and continue to grow in colder weather longer than any other salad green, says Eliot Coleman in his classic book Four-Season Harvest. In his Zone 5 Maine garden, Coleman seeds mache inside a cold frame from September through early November for harvest until April, when overwintered lettuce resumes its growth.
Kale. Of the popular Lacinato-type kales, 'Black Tuscan' consistently rated best in the Alliance tests for cold hardiness, vigor, flavor and stature. The Alliance also recommends 'Winterbor' (a tall Dutch kale), 'Red Russian' and 'White Russian' (two tasty Siberian kales). It's hard to go wrong with kale in fall, no matter the variety: All have superior flavor when temperatures drop into the 20s or below. "Sugar is the plant's natural antifreeze, so as the temperature drops, more starches are converted to sugar, sweetening the flavor of kale and other brassicas," Navazio says.
Radicchio. Still considered a specialty vegetable by many, radicchio thrives in the cool conditions of fall and offers a wealth of possibilities in the kitchen. Of the more than 20 varieties tested by the Alliance in the past two years, a few Italian open-pollinated varieties proved most cold-hardy. 'Variegata di Luisa Tardiva' and 'Variegata di Castlefranco' produce upright, variegated heads similar to romaine lettuce, with beautiful hearts and radicchio's signature bitterness.
"Grown in cool weather, they are delightful, with a mild spicy flavor," Navazio says. Although some of the plants' outer leaves were "toasted" at 14 degrees in the Alliance trials, you can strip off any damaged leaves and enjoy the tasty interior.
Navazio suggests slicing the heads, then wilting the leaves in a pan with cipollini onions, as cooks do in Italy, or dressing the heads lightly with olive oil and roasting them on the grill or a campfire. For cold hardiness and flavor, Navazio also recommends 'Rossa di Verona' and 'Grumolo Rossa.'
Swiss Chard. The Alliance has found that chard hardiness generally corresponds to leaf color. Green varieties tend to be most cold hardy, followed by gold, then pink, magenta and red varieties, which tend to be the least tolerant of cold. "Old-fashioned 'Fordhook Giant' is very cold hardy," Navazio says.
Based on their most recent (2009) trials — which evaluated vigor, stature and flavor — the Alliance staff also recommends the following varieties for fall.
- Arugula: 'Astro,' 'Sputnik'
- Beets: 'Chioggia Guardmark,' 'Red Ace,' 'Shiraz,' 'Touchstone Gold'
- Collards: 'Champion,' 'Flash'
- Spinach: 'Olympia,' 'Space,' 'Tarpy'
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The Matter of Timing
Right now — late summer — is prime time for starting your fall garden. To determine starting dates for each variety you plan to grow, first check the "days to maturity" listed in the seed catalog or on the back of the seed packet. Add an extra week or two to factor in the shorter day lengths of fall, which delay plant maturity. Then count backward, subtracting that number of days from your average first fall frost date.
Find your average frost date by visiting the National Climatic Data Center website's U.S. Climate Normals Freeze/Frost Data. Keep in mind that these dates are based on meteorological data recorded at weather stations around the United States from 1951 to 1980. The NCDC is developing new frost/freeze maps to reflect more recent data and hopes to have these maps available by the end of the year. "We are seeing a general warming at a lot of our stations and are recomputing the 'normals' for fall frost dates," says Anthony Arguez, a physical scientist for the NCDC in Asheville, N.C.
Sow and Grow
Start seeds of broccoli and cabbage in flats or pots indoors (outdoor soil temps may be too high for good germination), then transplant the seedlings to the garden about four weeks later, when temperatures are cooler and seedlings are large enough to compete against weeds. Direct-seed carrots, beets and other root crops, as well as greens, into prepared beds.
Because you're likely planting your fall crops in soil that has already fed a spring planting, be sure to replenish the beds with a generous helping of organic fertilizer and/or compost before planting. "People often forget you need to prepare the soil and you should do it a little earlier than you think," Pitre says. He mixes compost into fall garden beds a few weeks before he plants.
Sayle reshapes her farm's beds in fall, using a hilling disc to move soil from pathways up onto the surface of the raised beds. "We hill the beds higher in fall to improve the drainage of our clay soil during the cooler, wetter fall and winter conditions," she says.
Before fall planting, incorporate soil amendments, such as sulfur and gypsum (as needed), as well as compost.
Seeds and transplants take off quickly in the warm soil if they have adequate water. To help retain soil moisture, surround seedlings with a thick layer of mulch. Finely shredded leaves or straw will keep soil moist while slowly contributing organic matter to the soil as they decompose.
Keep plants growing strong as temperatures drop by giving them a mid-season nutrient boost. Sayle makes her own foliar fertilizer by mixing 1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, seaweed and molasses in a gallon of water, then sprays it on using a backpack sprayer. A spray bottle works, too.
Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm simply side-dresses plants with compost. "With brassicas, especially, the compost really helps," she says. "We've found the best time to apply it is when plants are in the teenager stage — about four weeks after transplanting. It's foolproof."
Another tip for your most bountiful fall garden: Harvest early and often. Frequent cutting stimulates continual new growth and gives you plenty of chances to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Stretching the Season
Extend your fall harvest an extra month or more by shielding plants from hard freezes. Simple methods include blanketing low-growers with a thick layer of straw mulch or leaves (pull it aside during the day), a clear plastic tarp or a floating row cover. Lightweight floating row covers protect crops down to about 28 degrees; heavier-weight covers will protect to 24 degrees. Go further with a simple cold frame, like the one shown in the Image Gallery. See a reader's simple cold frame warmed with a birdbath heater or crock pot, or paint gallon jugs black and tuck them inside your cold frame to absorb warmth during the day and radiate it at night.
Plastic-covered tunnels supported by hoops are also excellent for stretching the fall growing season into winter (and also for getting a jump-start in spring). See details on building and using low tunnels.
Master gardeners Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch in Harborside, Maine, give greens, broccoli, carrots, beets and other cool-weather crops a double layer of protection from the cold by growing them in a cold frame inside a high, plastic-covered tunnel.
Coleman estimates that "each layer of covering is equivalent to growing your plants one and a half USDA zones to the south." Thus, for Coleman in Zone 5, a single layer moderates the temperature to that of Zone 6-plus; a double layer moderates the climate to that of Zone 8.
These tips should help you see that your garden's useful time is only half over at summer's end. Don't miss one of your garden's most productive seasons!
Breed Your Own Fall Garden Superheroes
Create more-cold-hardy varieties by growing different open-pollinated varieties of the same crop in your garden, then saving the seeds of the best performers, suggests John Navazio, of the Organic Seed Alliance.
"After you find the most cold-hardy varieties of the same crop, give 'em hell — don't use any row covers — then save the seeds of any that survive 14 degrees Farenheit freezes" (about the coldest temperature most cold-hardy plants will tolerate without a cover).
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
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Fall Garden Cover Crops
Growing a fall cover crop is one of those good garden tasks that we all know we should do, but often don't find the time for. Cover crops control erosion, attract pollinating insects, break up heavy soils, improve soil fertility and structure, and reduce weeds. Plus, some, such as red clover, have edible flowers. (Even though this story is about cover crops for your soil, you know there has be to something good to eat in it!)
In September, most gardeners can plant overwintering cover crops. If you live where winters are mild, such as USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and warmer, you have time to plant and till under a green manure crop before planting a winter cover crop. Green manure crops are plants that are tilled under in summer, while cover crops are meant to cover the soil all winter and are tilled under in late winter or spring.
Benefits of Cover Crops
Most gardeners know about the benefits of adding organic matter to the soil. Many of us build the soil with annual applications of compost, manure, leaves, and grass clippings. However, in some areas, these forms of organic matter may be difficult to find or transport, making cover crops an especially good way to add organic matter. Plus, cover crops allow you to avoid importing soil amendments. By growing your own organic matter, you eliminate the fossil fuels needed to transport imported amendments, helping to make your yard a closed loop of energy inputs.
Cover crops provide many benefits:
They add organic matter. A primary reason to grow a cover crop is to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. Adding organic matter improves the soil's structure, increases its water retention and drainage, and improves aeration. It also provides necessary food for earthworms and microorganisms that increase biological activity in the soil. Increased biological activity in turn helps keep the soil healthy by enhancing decomposition; well-nourished beneficial microorganisms also compete better against disease-causing organisms.
They control erosion. Traditionally, cover crops were used to "cover" the soil during the winter. Hardy crops, such as winter rye, are particularly good at preventing erosion and topsoil loss, especially in areas with high winds and inconsistent snow cover.
http://www.garden.org/
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Fall Gardening
Living Off the Grid: A Consciousness Extender
by Robyn Griggs Lawrence
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| Ken Haggard and Polly Cooper |
Architects Ken Haggard and Polly Cooper have been designing passive solar buildings on California's central coast since the 1970s. In 1994, when a wildfire that plowed through Los Padres National Forest destroyed the couple's home and office complex just north of San Luis Obispo, they seized the opportunity to start all over again—and go active. "Once we got over freaking out about losing all our photographs, we saw that we'd been given the opportunity we had always talked about, to build a straw bale house and go off the grid," Ken says.
The fire had killed most of the mature trees on Ken and Polly's property, leaving abundant building materials that wouldn't require transport or industrial processing. Immediately following the fire, the couple built a 440-square-foot straw bale cottage powered by two solar panels borrowed from a local solar company, which they lived in while building their 2,000-square-foot straw bale home and 1,200-square-foot office out of 22,000 board feet of standing dead Sargent cypress, Douglas fir, Coulter pine and while alder milled on site. "It was an opportunity to do more with more," Ken says. "Those trees that burned would just be sitting there rotting" if the couple hadn't used them to build.
Designed to make use of the natural energies of the sun and breezes, Ken and Polly's home and office are masterful examples of the daylighting and passive solar techniques that they helped pioneer. Eight-inch-thick concrete block walls provide thermal mass that collects sunlight through expansive south-facing low-e windows and double-glazed skylights insulated with Skylids, an automatic louver system that opens when the sun comes up, closes when it goes down and can be manually turned off to provide shade in summer. "When people hear we're off the grid, they look at us like, 'Oh, you poor things,'" Polly says. "But we're sitting here with light streaming in; we're not terribly deprived."
Since they completed their home and office in 1997, Ken and Polly have begun building a cohousing community of sorts, welcoming two more families onto the property. Fifteen Seimens PC4JF panels supply ample power for six structures, including the office and a shop, during summer months, as long as everyone is conscious of their use and the Xerox machine isn't left on overnight. Two Harris Pelton hydro wheels—6-inch diameter adaptations of the water wheels used in gold-mining towns during the late 1800s—pull power from the creek when the sun is weaker during winter months. The system relies on a bank of 12 Trojan L-16 batteries and a 120-volt Trace inverter. A digital monitor keeps track of battery voltage, charging rate and use, enabling everyone to take preventative measures when stores get low.
"We've never found living off the grid difficult or inconvenient," Ken says. "There's a learning curve at first, but you have direct feedback—when you've got no juice, you've got no juice." A chart in the office keeps everyone apprised of how much power is coming from the sun and how much from the creek, as well as current voltage use. "It's another level of consciousness," Ken adds. "We're learning how the creek works, how the weather works. It's a consciousness extender."
After all these years, Ken and Polly have learned that they must clean the leaves and debris that have built up in the creek over the summer before the first big storm in late October or early November flushes everything into the wheels. "We hit that maybe every third time," says Ken, who doesn't relish crawling up the creek when it's raining and cold to handle the task. "It's not as much fun now that I'm in my 70s."
The gratification, he adds, comes from connecting so strongly with the seasons. "This is very nice in California, where the seasons aren't accentuated."
System outages are extremely rare on Ken and Polly's complex, and they love to celebrate grid outages by hauling out their 1950s waffle iron and feeding everyone breakfast. There have been occasions when power has gotten low and the architects have had to finish projects with candles burning on top of their computers—but those are rare. And besides, Ken says, "an occasional candlelight meal is nice."
Efficient lighting and energy-saving appliances including a Sun Frost refrigerator, a Staber 2000 horizontal-access clothes washer, a Jenn-Air dishwasher that allows them to turn off the heat during the drying cycle, combined with vigilant energy-miser habits such as turning off lights and eliminating phantom loads, keep the entire complex's power needs low. They charge laptops and power tools during fat times and work off their batteries when times are lean. The thick straw bale walls provide plenty of thermal protection, and the passive solar design eliminates the need for mechanical heating. "We use electricity for the things it's best for—not the things it's handy for," Ken says. "Using electricity for hating is the cardinal sin. It's so inefficient."
In summer months, when the system generates more power than it needs, a device burns off the waste as heat. "It kills me when that thing goes off," Ken says.
Once a month, Ken equalizes the system's batteries by overcharging them on a sunny day and turning the water wheels full throttle. He says this has made his batteries, which had a seven-year life expectancy, last for 14 years.
Now solidly off the water and electric grid—and loving it—Ken and Polly hope to get off the oil grid by buying an electric Nissan Leaf. The car's battery could serve as a back-up in emergencies, adding flexibility to the system. "The key thing is to have a supplementary, back-up power source," Ken says. While he's pleased to see that more communities are allowing net metering—in which the utility company buys back excess solar power from homeowners and makes power available when they need it, acting as a sort of battery—Ken says he just likes the bragging rights that come with being completely off the grid. "I feel a little more pure, just a little bit righteous," he says.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
Image Copyright: http://www.slosustainability.com/
Ancient building technique en vogue
by The Calgary Herald
Rammed earth, or pise de terre, is an ancient building technique that has its roots in the earliest civilizations.
"Rammed earth has been around for a long time," says Meror Krayenhoff, president, founder and inventor of SIREwall, an insulated rammed earth technique that has been perfected for use in almost every climate zone.
"Take, for example, the Great Wall of China, which was fashioned from rammed earth and is still standing today, 2,200 years after it was constructed."
The technique is experiencing a revival with both green enthusiasts and mainstream types alike because of its longevity and sustainability.
Rammed earth is non-toxic, biodegradable and the building process leaves topsoil intact.
"These homes last over a thousand years. That is definitely a gift to future generations and a solid investment in caring for the future of this planet," says Krayenhoff.
But if a house made from earth conjures up images of a leaking and lopsided sod home reminiscent of the pioneer days on the prairies, think again. Krayenhoff's rammed earth homes are stunning.
In fact, the NK'Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, B.C., designed by Hotson Bakker Boniface and Haden Architects, utilizes rammed earth composition and has garnered many accolades, including the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada Innovation Award in the Art category. The jury found this project to be a powerful, intelligent, and simple architectural statement.
But Krayenhoff is perhaps best known for his portfolio of almost 30 custom-designed rammed earth dwellings on Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Insulated rammed earth homes are made from locally sourced soil, often from the building site itself. After mixing the soil with a little bit of cement and iron oxides to provide earth-toned colour, the soil is then rammed into a wall mould that essentially can be designed in any shape.
"We are really recreating sandstone without the effect of time," says Krayenhoff. "How the soil goes together determines the outcome."
The finished walls, which are often up to 60 centimetres thick, showcase beautiful sedimentary striations that create a visually stunning effect.
In addition to their beauty, rammed earth homes offer another plus. "They provide a really healthy living environment," says Brenda Plaxton, who moved from Calgary to Salt Spring Island in the late 1990s.
"I really notice the cleanliness of the air when I come home."
She says that her introduction to rammed earth homes and Meror Krayenhoff was serendipitous. Two cottages graced the property she had purchased on Salt Spring Island, one of which Krayenhoff had renovated.
"When I bought the property, he came to check on the renovation and then told me about rammed earth," explains Plaxton.
She toured rock legend Randy Bachman's rammed earth home, which was featured on David Suzuki's the Nature of Things, Build Green episode in the spring of 2007, and she was intrigued.
"I fell in love with the concept, with the solidness and the beauty," says Plaxton.
In 2003, construction began on Otter Limits, Plaxton's 2,300-square-foot, two-bedroom rammed earth retreat designed by local artist, carpenter and registered home planner Ron Cooke, who at the time worked with Krayenhoff.
"We hit a really nice resonance with him. He brought our vision into reality," says Plaxton.
The home overlooks the ocean and is designed to take full advantage of the spectacular ocean views. Details like circular windows and marble built-ins abound. But it is truly the walls of this home that are show-stopping -- they appear to have been cut and fashioned over time by the forces of nature.
"With two foot walls, I feel protected and safe. The house is resistant to the elements, fire and earthquakes," explains Plaxton.
Otter Limits is heated by a geothermal system tied into the ocean that utilizes a heat recovery system that then pumps radiant heat through the floors.
Plaxton says that she knew that she had made a really good choice with rammed earth when, three years ago, a snowstorm knocked out the island's electricity. "We didn't have heat for five days and yet the temperature inside the house only dropped three or four degrees."
The reason for the excellent heat retention lies in rammed earth's high thermal mass -- a property which contributes to optimum energy efficiency. Temperatures in a rammed earth structure remain uniform -- that translates to no drafts or huge temperature fluctuations. In the winter, these homes are warm and in the summer, they are cool. And because of their high thermal mass, rammed earth homes work very well with passive solar heating systems.
Although Krayenhoff builds everything from cabins to castles, he highly recommends prospective clients take SIREwall's hands-on, two-day seminar on Salt Spring before building.
"It is a really great way for the homeowner or architect to gain a sense of what is easy and what isn't, as well as the enormous creative possibilities."
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Rammed Earth with David Suzuki
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