Comments on: Skills, Infrastructure, and Experiments in Subsistence Farming /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/ getting the most out of life one penny at a time ... Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:01:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Joe /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-12732 Joe Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:10:10 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-12732 Hi I need activities that can help teach money skills to blind, multiply handicapped students.? Hi
I need activities that can help teach money skills to blind, multiply handicapped students.?

]]> By: Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2292 Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:48:36 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2292 Good for you for starting the learning process with gardening. There is so very much to learn about gardening, and so much specificity as far as climate and other issues to do with your particular location. However, don't let that intimidate you. I always have to step back from the labor of gardening and remind myself that even though there's a lot of digging, planting, mulching, weeding, watering, harvesting and processing to do, the plants themselves are still doing the *really* hard work. They accomplish things that I couldn't do no matter how hard I worked at it: they turn sunlight, water, and dirt into things that are good for me to eat. I just try to set the stage for them. That's all gardeners and farmers can do. Remember that as you begin to learn. And I have no doubt you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results of your early efforts. -Kate P.S. If you're looking for cheap containers for gardening, look in dumpsters at construction sites for 5-gallon buckets. Or ask for kitty litter buckets on Craigslist or from your friends with cats. You can sometimes also find free fill dirt around construction areas, if it's on previously unbuilt land. Other than that, start composting in a bucket too. Eventually it'll be a great soil amendment. Good for you for starting the learning process with gardening. There is so very much to learn about gardening, and so much specificity as far as climate and other issues to do with your particular location. However, don’t let that intimidate you. I always have to step back from the labor of gardening and remind myself that even though there’s a lot of digging, planting, mulching, weeding, watering, harvesting and processing to do, the plants themselves are still doing the *really* hard work. They accomplish things that I couldn’t do no matter how hard I worked at it: they turn sunlight, water, and dirt into things that are good for me to eat. I just try to set the stage for them. That’s all gardeners and farmers can do. Remember that as you begin to learn. And I have no doubt you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results of your early efforts.

-Kate

P.S. If you’re looking for cheap containers for gardening, look in dumpsters at construction sites for 5-gallon buckets. Or ask for kitty litter buckets on Craigslist or from your friends with cats. You can sometimes also find free fill dirt around construction areas, if it’s on previously unbuilt land. Other than that, start composting in a bucket too. Eventually it’ll be a great soil amendment.

]]> By: Money Hacks Carnival #35 at My Two Dollars | Money Hackers Network /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2215 Money Hacks Carnival #35 at My Two Dollars | Money Hackers Network Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:14:30 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2215 [...] Skills, Infrastructure, and Experiments in Subsitence Farming posted at My Family’s Money. [...] [...] Skills, Infrastructure, and Experiments in Subsitence Farming posted at My Family’s Money. [...]

]]> By: 35th Money Hacks Carnival - The 1925 Railroad Edition. | My Two Dollars /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2187 35th Money Hacks Carnival - The 1925 Railroad Edition. | My Two Dollars Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:00:45 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2187 [...] Skills, Infrastructure, and Experiments in Subsitence Farming posted at My Family’s Money. [...] [...] Skills, Infrastructure, and Experiments in Subsitence Farming posted at My Family’s Money. [...]

]]> By: Steward /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2174 Steward Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:48:09 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2174 @ Funny About Money - Thanks for the tip. After reading your comment it does make a lot of sense that container gardening costs a lot more than regular ol' ground gardening. We already had a few old pots laying around the house but would probably need to purchase a few more to give us some 'space' to grow. I'll have to see if available land space gets enough sun, but I think we might have to give the regular ground gardening a try instead of the container type. My wife might not think it will look at 'pretty' but let's be honest - gardens are for food first, prettiness second. @ Karla - Thanks for the heads up on the Square Foot Gardening. I seem to remember a bunch of personal finance bloggers doing something like that in the spring. It's time to do some research. @ Funny About Money – Thanks for the tip. After reading your comment it does make a lot of sense that container gardening costs a lot more than regular ol’ ground gardening. We already had a few old pots laying around the house but would probably need to purchase a few more to give us some ’space’ to grow. I’ll have to see if available land space gets enough sun, but I think we might have to give the regular ground gardening a try instead of the container type. My wife might not think it will look at ‘pretty’ but let’s be honest – gardens are for food first, prettiness second.

@ Karla – Thanks for the heads up on the Square Foot Gardening. I seem to remember a bunch of personal finance bloggers doing something like that in the spring. It’s time to do some research.

]]> By: karla (threadbndr) /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2163 karla (threadbndr) Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:55:52 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2163 Salad greens are very good for beginners, and are some herbs. Pepper (both sweet and hot) are easy when grown from starter plants and tomatos are a perennial favorite. Grow stuff you know you will eat. You might check out the Square Foot Gardening website for ideas on making raised beds. I've used their technique before and it's very good for beginners. Salad greens are very good for beginners, and are some herbs. Pepper (both sweet and hot) are easy when grown from starter plants and tomatos are a perennial favorite. Grow stuff you know you will eat.

You might check out the Square Foot Gardening website for ideas on making raised beds. I’ve used their technique before and it’s very good for beginners.

]]> By: Funny about Money /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2157 Funny about Money Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:35:27 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2157 Sure: don't try to garden in containers. That's an expensive way to go. You have to buy or build the containers; beg, buy, or steal the soil (often ordinary dirt is to heavy for container gardening); regularly apply chemical fertilizers to replenish the soil, whose nutrients wash through out out the bottom of the pot; and use lots more water than you do when plants are in the ground. Dig up the lawn, xeriscaping, or a flowerbed and create a garden in the ground. With the exception of a few hardy herbs, most plants prefer to grow in the ground. If bending over is hard to do, build raised beds by pounding some stakes into the ground so that they will brace old pieces of lumber to create the sides of the beds. Use fill dirt (often free for the taking at construction sites) improved with plenty of manure and your own compost. And if it's not too late where you are, start your garden with seeds, not expensive little plants from the nursery. Sure: don’t try to garden in containers. That’s an expensive way to go. You have to buy or build the containers; beg, buy, or steal the soil (often ordinary dirt is to heavy for container gardening); regularly apply chemical fertilizers to replenish the soil, whose nutrients wash through out out the bottom of the pot; and use lots more water than you do when plants are in the ground.

Dig up the lawn, xeriscaping, or a flowerbed and create a garden in the ground. With the exception of a few hardy herbs, most plants prefer to grow in the ground. If bending over is hard to do, build raised beds by pounding some stakes into the ground so that they will brace old pieces of lumber to create the sides of the beds. Use fill dirt (often free for the taking at construction sites) improved with plenty of manure and your own compost. And if it’s not too late where you are, start your garden with seeds, not expensive little plants from the nursery.

]]> By: Festival of Frugality: Free extra money edition | Mighty Bargain Hunter /blog/skills-infrastructure-and-experiments-in-subsitence-farming/comment-page-1/#comment-2145 Festival of Frugality: Free extra money edition | Mighty Bargain Hunter Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:20:40 +0000 /blog/?p=206#comment-2145 [...] My Family’s Money writes a nice post on their first shot at subsistence farming. [...] [...] My Family’s Money writes a nice post on their first shot at subsistence farming. [...]

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