landfills and falcons... perfect together!
10 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (9)
10 years ago
10 years agoRelated Discussions
compost/chicken & goat poop/nitrogen
Comments (12)Maybe this will help with the chicken poop. It is a summary of how to use Lacto bacilli to get the chicken poop deomposing in the chicken house, help eliminate some odor, and help your chickens' health. This is summarized from the Gil Carandong paper on the link above, with an alteration. 1. Get or make some plain yogurt--doesn't matter whether it is fat free or full fat or inbetween. Make sure it has live cultures. (Dannon and Stoneyfield do). NO flavors. (This is the alternative to gathering LB from the air..) 2. Put a sieve over a bowl and line the sieve with a coffee filter. 3. Pour yogurt into sieve and let the whey drain out. Depending on how long you let it drain, you will end up with more whey/stiffer "yo-cheese" product (which you can eat or feed to chickens) or less whey/firmer yogurt product that resembles Greek yogurt. Eat it yourself of feed to the chickens (and goats) if you don't like yogurt. (If you use a quart of yogurt and let it drain a couple of days in the fridge you will end up with close to 2 cups of whey.) 2. Two options with the whey. Store the pure whey in the fridge or mix 1:1 with unsulphured molasses to keep at room temp without it going anerobic. 3. If using pure whey, mix 1.2t per 2 gallons unchlorinated water (like in a typical 2 gal pump sprayer). If using the molasses/whey mix, mix 2.4 (2.5 for ease) in two gal sprayer. Spray the chicken house floor...how often? I would do as much as possible at first to really get the LB bacteria working in there. You can also use this same mixture for the chickens' water. It will be like natural antibiotic, good for their digestion according to the paper. It is supposed to be particularly effective against Salmonella and E coli. Refer back to that Janong article to look how they are HANDLING the chicken litter from the house. They also use it in piggerys to eliminate odor. As for the pile of straw... a. Perhaps you can screen it off with some split bamboo fencing (not too pricey) or another alternative...free wooden pallets? http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/sawyer69.html or, if you need taller, this one: http://summerville-novascotia.com/PalletWoodShed/ But, if you add the right stuff to the straw pile (as mentioned above) you will have some incredible compost...and the straw pile will continually be shrinking.. Thank you Luckygal and RJ over on the other thread for coming up with the "one step" method of dealing with the LB... Here is a link that might be useful: split bamboo fence...See MoreTying all this together for third graders: Need help
Comments (17)Hey rutgers, Back in the late 90's, I worked for the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. We applied and received federal grant money to teach about california native plants and animals to elementary students in urban, underfunded schools. Each class got to participate in 1 of 5 projects and had slide shows, etc. One of the projects was making a worm composting kit. Each kid got to "feed" the worms one week per year. We gave the teachers info on worm biology, ecology, etc for them to support the project. The program was called california alive, and it looks like its now taken off into some sort of educational program (google Cal Alive). Regarding lasagna gardening with the kids...I recommend you ask each child to bring in their compostable kitchen waste from the weekend in a plastic bag and then have them all dump their stuff at the base of the lasagna pile. Then cover it with grass clippings. Then have them tear up and shred used paper assignments, etc. Then convey to them that they are helping to keep land fills empty, not wasting fossil fuels by having their trash/waste driven to a landfill, etc. Then I suggest you consider growing something edible that they can plant (fall brocolli or lettuce), harvest, learn nutrutional benefits of, etc. Maybe you could also consider getting a class iguana or hampster or something and grow greens to feed the animal. Oh a million ideas are out there. Email me if you have further questions....g...See MoreEnd ALL landfills ..Help in writing to Corporate heads
Comments (26)Good points, greenguy :-) Unless you can get humans to stop generating garbage, you will never be able to do away with landfills completely. Not everything we throw out as waste is recyclable or compostable. And I'd venture to say commercial waste/garbage is a far bigger contributor to the problem than residential garbage production. And I'd avoid making generalizations about dumping of toxic wastes in landfills. I don't doubt that it HAS happened but I'd venture that it is an extremely limited occurrence. The EPA fines for illegal dumping of toxic wastes are enormous and can carry stiff prison terms as well. Rather than a blanket letter writing campaign, we would all be better served if we individually did our part in changing local practices. Focus on local municipalities and encourage recycling practices and organic waste recycling/composting. Make it a community outreach project. I am fortunate to live in an area that places a huge emphasis on recycling of all kinds. Local waste/transfer stations separate all recyclable products - old appliances, TV's and electronics, light bulbs, metal parts, car batteries and motor oil as well as the more common paper, plastic, tin and aluminum, and yard waste. In fact, ALL areas have curbside recycling for the common stuff and if it is not sorted and placed in the proper recycling pick-up container, you can be fined. Just last year, the yard waste recycling was expanded to include ALL domestic organic waste, including kitchen scraps and compostable food containers (like take-out and pizza boxes). This also includes all the organic waste generated by groceries and restaurants - they have the same recycling requirements. These get taken to a huge, state-of-the-art, commercial composting center and get converted to a highly desirable, certified compost product. Of course those who compost at home can still do so, but the alternative is out there for those who do not....See MoreFrench Drain under the SFG bed - Wise?
Comments (5)Hi fair0906. From the silence I figured that nobody knew what I was talking about. A french drain is used to divert excess water from a property. In our case, we dug a 12 inch deep trench along the back of the yard. It was then lined with landscape fabric then 2 inches of gravel was dumped inside. A 4 inch perforated plastic pipe is laid down, covered with more gravel, and wrapped up in the overlapping landscape fabric. When that's done, 2 inches of topsoil is placed on top, and all your water worries are a thing of the past! Unless, of course, your neighbour refuses to finish his. So, during the downpour of last week, I found my SFG underwater. I guess my drain just couldn't handle the water from both our yards. As of today, no water, but the bed is still a bit soggy. The cukes sure love it though! Not sure if the tomatoes will be ok. They look good, but I understand that fluctuations in watering might end up inviting BER. But thanks for asking! I have my fingers crossed! h....See More- 10 years ago
- 10 years ago
- 10 years ago
- 10 years ago
- 10 years ago
10 years ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDESDesigner Secrets for a Perfectly Styled Bathroom
Avoid a cluttered look while having all the functionality you need with these 10 expert tips
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESDIY: PVC Pipe Wine Holder
Rachelle Falcon shows how to make a spiffy modern wine holder with stuff from the hardware store
Full Story
GREEN BUILDINGHow to Recycle Your Kitchen
Instead of adding to the junk pile — and paying landfill fees — get rid of old appliances, cabinets and countertops the ecofriendly way
Full Story
MOST POPULAREasy Green: 23 Ways to Reduce Waste at Home
Pick from this plethora of earth-friendly ideas to send less to the landfill and keep more money in your pocket
Full Story
DIY PROJECTSFashion a High-Quality Cutting Board From Scrap Wood
Waste not, want not. This DIY project saves scraps from the landfill, hones your woodworking skills and produces a gorgeous kitchen piece
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNSuper Backsplashes to Pair With Recycled-Paper Counters
Aesthetics and personal ethics come together for most folks who opt for this eco-friendly material
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESHow to Decorate When You're Starting Out or Starting Over
No need to feel overwhelmed. Our step-by-step decorating guide can help you put together a home look you'll love
Full Story
FARMHOUSESMy Houzz: A Country Farmhouse With Modern Touches in Idaho
Farmhouse-style design details and DIY touches come together in this family’s updated home
Full Story
ARCHITECTUREDesign Workshop: 10 Reasons to Put Craft Into Modern Architecture
Technology has led us to expect perfection, but handcrafted details can provide something even better
Full Story
RUGSA Rug Can Make a Room — but What Kind to Choose?
The perfect rug may be all you need to complete your decor with color, texture and coziness. Here’s how to select the right type
Full Story
anoriginalOriginal Author