I don’t even want to know how much chemical fertilizer, pesticide, fuel for hot houses and refrigerated air transport goes into “saying it with flowers.” My favorite option these days is just walking around my land, which is a constant profusion of flowering plants. When I have a minute, I […]
Straw is a natural material that can be sourced very locally. Isn’t it great to see examples of straw bale construction popping up all over the world? I can make such a grandiose statement because I have found a really cool application of straw bale construction in England. The other […]
Here is your chance to learn about straw bale in some great workshops coming up very soon that still have openings. Bear Paw Construction and Whole Trees Architecture and Construction are teaming up on the construction of a one-of-a-kind home – the Kara Woods Residence on the grounds of the […]
I was shocked when our timber framer, Mike Yaker, urged us to forget painting the inch-thick oak boards on our new barn. To me the prototypical barn was barn red. I have always loved to see red barns. They look great against a background or green fields, golden wheat or […]
When we decided to build a barn on our land, our daughter/architect quickly sketched up a shape that would maximize future solar panels and provide the most possible headspace for a loft area where we could camp. We took her plan to Mike Yaker, a local timber framer, who crafted […]
If bugs wrote books, they would probably begin their book on the human era, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times…..” They would probably consider it a slightly scary book. I thought the Master Gardener Volunteer program (see my post Becoming a Master Gardener ) […]
You can beat it, but don’t eat it You may have read that the root of wild parsnip is edible – and even sweet, after being exposed to cold. But don’t risk it. We are at war with this plant. It is armed and dangerous, and blatantly defies the Geneva […]
So, here is my most recent publication, the cover story for this week’s Isthmus. Researching this piece turned me into a believer in the benefits of whey, and Tera Johnson has made me believe that her whey is best for both my body and my planet. Check it out: Tera […]
I learned a ton this weekend at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair on everything from straw bale building to how to make a solar food dryer that works in Wisconsin, but what I want to share today are five tips on how to eat in a way that is healthy […]
Amphibians seem to be under siege these days, but in our little pond, they are thriving, so I hate to mess with success. Nonetheless, I have watched the pond pack itself more tightly every year with some kind of pondweed. I thought it was Eurasian Milfoil, but what is growing […]
Digging in the Driftless 