Ahimsa! Sustainable Agriculture: The Dirt On Soil.

Spring has sprung and many people are planting their gardens.

Some gardens display their showy array of colors others are preparing to plant their vegetable seeds for the season. 

Have you thought about how much nutrition is actually in your soil? 

A study from the University of Texas was published in the Dec. 2004 Journal of American College of Nutrition. They studied the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from the 1950 and the 1999 data for 43 varieties of fruits and vegetables, noting "reliable declines" in the mineral loss such as calcium, protein, iron, phosphorus,vitamin C and  Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) over the past 50 years.

Donald Davis and his team of researchers from the University of Texas concluded that the declining nutritional content to agricultural practices that devise ways to improve the growth rate, size, pest resistance not including nutrition. 

We also know that today's Big Agriculture that uses pesticides, GMO seeds, not resting the soil can deplete the soil of nutrients. There are other natural factors such as erosion, wind, drought that can affect the soil's nutrients. 

To some people it is just dirt. Did you know there is a difference between Dirt and Soil?

Dirt: Depleted of nutrients from organic compost. You can add organic matter that will help make food  for living micro-organisms, this helps the eco-system to regrow.

Soil: Is made up of organic, decaying matter such as dead leaves and compost. Earthworms and other insects are a good sign that the soil is a healthy eco-system, they aerate the soil and when they die they add to the organic matter in the soil.

There are so many pesticides and poisons in our soil today is there Alternative ways to grow a Sustainable vegetable garden?

Answer: Yes!

Alternative Agriculture: There are different ways to help with nutrient depletion such as

 

-Crop Rotation

-Chemical input reduction

-Integrated pest management

-Rest the land

Sustainable Agriculture: Ahimsa

Ahimsa Agriculture: Is agriculture that does not harm any living creature, this includes earthworms.

Ahimsa incorporates hydroponics which uses no soil. It is a method of growing vegetables in a water based , nutrient rich solution. The root system is supported by using an inert medium such as ,clay pellets, peat moss, coco peat (coconut husks), rockwool, perlite and vermiculite.

1. AHIMSA!

"RV Bug-Out"

Remember how your patio umbrella unfolds and stabs into the base through your patio table? 

Darwind5 renamed to Starwind5   Starwind5 Home 

Well soon this will be easy for every offgrid site needing wind power, even for preppers in RV Bug-Out Mode!! 

Starwind5 also combined with mobile solar power... from Mobisun Coming soon 

The above combo truly gives you nomad like freedom.  (Think 2012 Yellowstone and Woody Harrelson!)

Photo  courtesy of 2012 the movie 

Starwind5 and Mobisun will soon enable any Prepper in "RV bugout" mode (on a tight budget)  to be able to tow a small trailer behind your RV, and power everything in the RV Off Grid! (and store your portable bike from www.helix.ca in the trailer for low cost mobility once you are parked..) 

Photo courtesy of www.Helix.ca

Stop, lift the trailer lid into  position, unhook the trailer and roll the tilted panels into the best solar gain position, lock the wheels and anchor the trailer,  then angle the folded 2.5kW panels into the right tilt position, unfold the panels,, pull out the Starwind5 Model 1421 1.5kW NP low mount wind turbine and stick it's shaft into the Solar panel tilt shaft, then secure the guy cables to the trailer, plug the Starwind5  wind turbine power chord  into the controller, plug in the trailer to the RV, and voila you are off grid, in RV bugout out mode!

In 10 minutes or less! (Probably 5 minutes, once you get good at it. :) )

Stay tuned, this Starwind5 and Mobisun Combo is coming to a website near you in 2015!!

Off course remote work site folks will like this combo too, whether it be for irrigation systems pump operation, mobile tower off grid operation, or plain old construction and storage sites where power is needed off grid as a permanent or temporary clean power source.

And oh yeah! It's a Prepper's Dream come true for sure..., just add RV and you are there!

I can hardly wait to get mine!

Preppers rule, sheeple drool ;)

are2

Starwind5 Line Art showing Turbine Silhouette and Rotor Blade Shape 

It will be the Model 1421 (1.4m working diameter, 2.1m height) at 1.5kW Nameplate configured to plug into Mobisun

By Off Grid Gal March 2015.

       To RV or Not To RV? That is The (off-grid) Question!

Living off grid has become many People's dream. The onset of rising costs of electricity, high rents and taxes and lack of decent wages have driven many people to say "What am I doing? Is this really living?" "Am I in it to Thrive or just Survive?"

     In the end you can't take it with you so to speak. There are many of us wondering is it better to be mobile living on wheels like RVs and campers, tiny houses or something like Mike Reynolds Earthship? The Earthship is very cool made up of different recyclable materials. It can also be very expensive. 

With all these options what's an Off Grid Gal or Pal going to choose?

Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of both ends of the spectrum, The big mobile RV bus versus the VW Style Camper type of "off-grid" mobile lifestyle.

Have a look at the RV and camper scenarios below.

RV Bus- Gulf Stream Coach- Class A

1. Class A Motor Home: The Class A is your "Meet The Fockers", type vehicle. It is built on a bus chassis and look more like a modern bus than a classic "Winnebago".  The photo above is a Gulf Stream Coach. It's possible to add after market Solar and Wind easily to these types of RVs, or buy them with such features already integrated.

Pros: Spacious, easy to drive, most storage space, driving and living compartments are connected. Living area is easily accessible even when driving. Able to tow a vehicle behind it. It is a home on wheels, many people love this type of convenience.

Cons: Has the most structural problems according to the RV Consumer Group.The most expensive of all the RV types. Harder to navigate around in cities or tight spots. Needs more space to store them, this too can get expensive.

2. Class B: Camper:  Westfalia VERDIER Solar Power this Camper version is versatile and much easier to drive in the city. It is created from a standard passenger VW minivan in this case.The 200hp engine is a hybrid (electric, fuel/diesel), and there’s also a 40 Watt/12 Volt Solar Alternative Energy Input. Seats and sleeps four people (2 adults, 2 children) with 4 spots for cooking and a built-in sink.

Concept Westfalia Verdier Camper- VW.

Pros: Much less expensive than Class A RVs, the Off-grid Camper is easier to navigate in the city and to park. Living and driving area are connected. It can be used for local transportation. It can tow a small trailer. Fits in standard driveway. Solar panels provide off-grid electrical use.

Cons: Carries two to four people. Great for short trips, however space is limited, if you are considering extended living period on wheels. (much the same for the truck camper scenario).

Depending on the size of your family and your budget amount the RV is definitely a mobile  off-grid home scenario to consider versus a property set-up for off-grid living. However, RV's can be expensive to buy so my advice is to rent an RV for a holiday vacation first before you buy one. Be sure to research about which is the best RV to fit you and your family's requirements.

Same research  and try out effort goes for the  off-grid Camper scenario too, and the options in between, which are almost infinite! ;)

The great positives about testing an RV or Camper are:

• You can travel all over North America to various beautiful, outdoor wilderness locations.
• You save on motel/hotel costs and can bring your own food.
• A home away from home brings ease and accessibility to living and working.
• Mobility: where you can take off at a moment's notice to check out another scenic location.
• RV's have great security and privacy and are much safer than regular cars and campers.
• Fun for the activities you can do on the fly with your children. Some of the campgrounds have playgrounds, you can set up your badminton games and if it rains you can always play in your RV with some fun card games. (Works for empty nesters too!)  

Look into solar and wind options for your RV or Camper. It is better for you and the environment.

The most important tip is to remember to relax and have fun with your family, they are only young for a very short time and take lots of photos to create a family collage or album (you can do this right on your laptop in your RV on the fly). Remember Do Not Feed the Bears! 

Off-Grid Gal and the Coming Zombie Apocalypse

Zombies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are preparing for an Emergency flood in your vicinity,Ebola outbreak or zombies a gal must be ready and have a plan. Below are a few tips on preparing for a zombie apocalypse.

Step #1 Have a prepared Bug Out Bag ready to go.

• This should have main items such as water bottle with a specialized water filter in it. Santevia supplies these at your health food stores. Make sure you navigate your way near a water source that is fairly clean like a river or stream to fill your thermos when needed. Personal Hygiene products,underwear and heavy socks. Wear the appropriate winter wear and summer wear. Have a portable tent.
•  Include Emergency medical supplies such as bandages, gauze, antibiotic ointment, bug spray. iodine tablets, dehydrated food packaged and dry foods such as chia seeds, a bicycle-powered generator, a small solar crank am/fm radio,batteries,eating utensils, a swiss army knife, flashlights, an extensive tool kit, emergency flares, bungee cords and sewing kit purse size.

Step #2 Have the appropriate Zombie weapons of choice.

• Make sure you remember to kill a zombie you need to chop off its head.
• Chainsaw, hammer,hand gun, rifle, axe or flamethrower will do.
• Try a zombie repellant sound or spray

Step #3 Have several escape routes planned.  

• Have more than one escape route. One for using your vehicle and walking on foot, transit if urban zombie attack.A mountain bike is a great way of escape since vehicles can get stuck in heavy traffic. In heavy snow fall wear snow shoes or cross country skies.

Step #4 

• Build or find a fortress preferably underground like a bunker that is camouflaged from dumb zombies. Caves may not be very safe since other animals may reside in them. A tree fort may work but if they find you you may be mobbed and wait an eternity to get down.

Step #5 

• Stay fit in case you have to sprint, run long distances or lift a dead zombie off your boyffriend