The Round Table (Rational Pagans Forum)

And another.

Okay, I'll stop now.

Nah ... No reason to stop.

How's the gardening been going this year?

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If you can't stand the heat, don't tickle the dragon ...

I’m enjoying it quite a bit, actually. We commissioned four new patches earlier this year. I’m using the compost from the wormery, which relieves me from having to do the planting. I just let the seeds that were in the compost grow. We’ve had so much rain this summer that I haven’t had to do any watering either. A breeze!

I do dig you Hrovje!!

this is what we do
For water conservancy
low flow shower heads
front loader washer and dryer
I really want to get the 1:2 flushing toilets
I have reduced our grass lawn by 60% and plant many bushes and perrenials to take up the existing space, and of course the garden area!!

Paper reduction
toilet cloth
cloth napkins
I shred all of our papers mail, etc newsaper and such and run it through as bedding for our guinea pigs, then that gets put into the compost tumbler then finally out to the garden.

cfl light bulbs
replaced all of our windows, made a huge difference and they have already paid forthemselves.
I use the air conditioner as little as possible and the only time I use it 24/7 is during that 10 day spell we are over 100 degrees.

Jess I have the same baking soda set up and its in the bathrooms too. I also love vinegar to clean about anything. I do have a standard arm and hammer cleaner...those concentrated bottles and that lasts me a long time.

I rarely ever use fabric softener and use very little laundry soap. Vinegar is the best laundry softener I have ever found. I need a clothes line. not sure where to put it.

I buy second hand, support local mom and pop business, barter for goods, trade for goods,


My garden I will exhaust every organic possiblity before I get out the big guns for bind weed, or even bugs.....pepper garlic spray works wonders.
I give away what we cannot possibly eat in the garden.
I am diligent about returning the black plastic packs to the nursery.

I gotta go run errands.
ciao.

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"Be the change you want to see in the world" --Mahatma Gandhi

Uhm… Okay.


Does anyone know of a toilet flushing system that makes use of waste water from the bath and shower?


I’m also trying to support local businesses. Recently the health care insurance company that I work for partnered with a large retailer to provide what they call the Healthy Food benefit – discounting nutritious food at their stores to people covered by the health insurer. If I make full use of all of the options, the discounts add up to 55%. However, since I’m trying to move away from large chains of retail stores in favour of small local businesses, I’ve decided not to make use of the benefit. It’s pretty tough, though, given the current economic climate.


Is anyone aware of Community Exchange System? To me, it looks like a better alternative to traditional currency.

I don't know of any specifically produced to do so, but if your shower/bath were on the second floor, it would be an easy matter to install a 'waste cistern' (with overflow to regular sewage) that could gravity-feed a regular toilet. And, a simple float-valve meant for a regular toilet could even be installed in the cistern to insure that you'd have water to flush with, even if the shower/bath hadn't been used in a while ...



It looks interesting. But in making it a multinational/ worldwide type of currency, is there any means of setting prices, or making the credits equitable if people move about the globe and 'take' their credits with them?

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If you can't stand the heat, don't tickle the dragon ...

Hrvoje: I'm trying to picture your compost enclosure... Can you describe it, and how easy is it to turn the compost? I gave up on composting basically because the turning was such a pain in the ass. I would love to know if there is a better way to do it than the messy, strenuous way I tried already.

I have a whole barn full of 10-20 year old, compacted sheep droppings that need to be repurposed.

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If you make a similar post I will suspend you myself, if no-one gets there first, while we consider what to do. Got to get back to cooking now. - David B

ok, I think you win the pack rat contest...

There are rolling composters that you spin instead of trying to flip.

something like this



(why that's not in the sun confuses me)

You just spin it around once in a while. My Uncle had one.

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Chloride and Sodium: Two terribly dangerous substances that taste great together!

I need like a big dump-truck sized one of those.

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If you make a similar post I will suspend you myself, if no-one gets there first, while we consider what to do. Got to get back to cooking now. - David B

D3, you may want to look here.

http://www.composters.com/compost-tumblers.php

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ALL gave some, some gave ALL.

Dude,if they are that old they would be considered well rotted and good to go on a garden.
The manure used in composting barrel tumblers like mine has to be fairly fresh for the Nitrogen to break down the carbon. Put an add on craigslist or freecycle to get rid of it. or better yet get your own garden going.

The benefits of hot composting is to kill weed seeds, your 20 year old manure will have weed seeds in it, but the nitrogen content wont burn your garden plants if that makes sense.

I agree turning a compost pile is a pain in the butt, I do the "bobcat" method if I have large amounts to get done. as I did last fall. So that stuff is ready for this spring as it has aged through the winter. The barrel tumbler is for what would be for my small batches through out the warm season, and it holds all my kitchen veggie waste and used guinea pig bedding through winter.

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"Be the change you want to see in the world" --Mahatma Gandhi

Bobcat method?

Eh, I'll just leave the sheep poop there if it's not useful. It's completely dried out and is basically like a dry mulch at this point. It's even in layers, and you have to chop at it to break it up. Do you think it's still useful for compost if I get another source for nitrogen? Not sure what that source would be, but I'm pretty sure there are some plants that can supply it...

Thanks for the link, MT. I think I'll just build one, though, if I decide to try composting again.

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If you make a similar post I will suspend you myself, if no-one gets there first, while we consider what to do. Got to get back to cooking now. - David B

LOL so what your saying is you'd have to dig down deep eh?LOL! its still very useful really it is. it just may be more work than your willing to do at this point. If its not hurting anything leave it, but if its really stacked up, I am sure anyone with a Skidsteer or Bobcat would be willing to clean up your barn just to have it for their garden..I know we did that 10 years ago for a neighbor down the road. I was just over on Frugal Dad, and they were talking about the going off grid and homesteading type way of life. Gardening, canning blah blah blah.

I am getting sleepy, i need a nap.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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"Be the change you want to see in the world" --Mahatma Gandhi

Oh, okay. Bobcat. Duh. I see what you're saying now.

Nighty night.

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If you make a similar post I will suspend you myself, if no-one gets there first, while we consider what to do. Got to get back to cooking now. - David B

I don’t turn the compost. The compost from the wormery doesn’t need turning and that from the garden compost pit is just too much hassle to turn. I don’t have any animal manure, though, just garden refuse – grass, leaves, etc. Besides, I’ve got tomatoes and pumpkins growing on top and I wouldn’t want to turn them.

I can speak to my brother-in-law about getting in touch with the people who supply him with horse/cow manure to see how they do it. He orders a truckload of the stuff every so often.