Window Farms are a simple, do-it-at-home hydroponic growing systems. It is relatively small-scale, easy to assemble and using simple, accessible, recycled materials. Window farms were developed by an American woman named Britta Reily, who also coined the term 'R &D. I. Y' which means Research and Development - Do It Yourself. The idea is to experiment together on an open source basis, in order to enhance the development of the Window Farms. You can hear more about the idea on Britta's TED talk … Read more
Culticycle Pedal Powered Tractor
A Culticycle is a pedal powered tractor for cultivation and seeding, built from lawn tractor, ATV, and bicycle parts. With a speed of 3 - 4 mph, depending on choice of gearing and pedaling speed, it keeps the operator fit, minimises soil compaction, uses no fuel, is far cheaper than a tractor and is easily adaptable to specific needs. As a low tech machine it can be built and maintained using basic resources and skills. … Read more
How to Eat Local Ideas for fostering an 'all-local' diet and supporting local economy
'Organic' is just a label Some fruit & veggies can be labeled 'organic', yet still grown in conventional, monocultural methods with certain amounts of spraying. Some processed foods can be labeled 'organic' yet still contain lots of sugar, margarine or other harmful ingredients. In this article we stress the importance of eating local and becoming aware of where food comes from. So Why local? * More sustainable - eating local reduces our carbon footprint - less energy is wasted on … Read more
Grow Onions on your Window Sill Turn a Plastic Bottle into a Growing Container
Wouldn’t it be convenient to always have fresh onions on hand for cooking and salads? Sometimes the last thing you want to do is make a run to the local market. Besides, you can never tell how old the onions at the grocery store are. Now you can grow onions indoors easily with this clever vertical growing method. Just cut off what you need for a meal and the onion will grow back with more. For complete instructions on how to grow onions vertically visit the link … Read more
Guerrilla Gardening Make your own Seed-Balls/Seed-Bombs
Guerrilla gardening is an act of activism and focuses on gardening on land that we do not have legal rights to garden in, for example: abandoned, neglected or unused private or public spaces. By doing so, we are taking direct action for reclaiming land that is underutilized or neglected and promoting food security and sustainability education. One effective strategy for Guerrilla Gardening is the use of the Seed-Balls (aka Seed-Bombs). These are made by mixing earth with a high percentage of … Read more
Food Forests Sustainable agriculture in the form of forestry
There are successful experiences around the world in designing agricultural systems as an imitation of natural eco-systems. The idea is simple yet elegant: by implementing ecological principles in agriculture, we can design a system that functions sustainably like a natural eco-system, and at the same time yields products that are useful for humans, like an agricultural system. Some main characteristics of a food forests are: * High level and a variety of production of food, fiber, animal … Read more
Passive Solar Greenhouse Produce More Food Locally With Less Energy
Groundswell Community Network in British Columbia, Canada have constructed a passive solar greenhouse that greatly extends the growing season for a wide range of crops and reduces energy consumption to a minimum. The north side of the building is insulated and built with a high thermal mass to store heat and the glazed structure is placed on the south side. Surplus heat collected during the day is feed into a heat store beneath the floor. There are also photo-voltaic and solar thermal panels … Read more
Foraging Wild Edible Plants There is great food under our noses...
Traditionally, in every place around the globe, people knew the local wild edible plants and their various uses. This knowledge was derived from traditions, which were formed in a constant process of trial and error, and were passed on meticulously from generation to generation. We can choose to re-learn this tradition, get to know and forage our local wild edible plants! Foraging ads diversity to our diet, is highly nutritional and accessible and is a source for food which is 100% local. … Read more
Learn About Aquaponics Training Courses in Bristol UK
The Bristol Fish Project is a community-supported aquaponics farm in Bristol established to explore and promote the commercial viability of community-supported aquaponics. They have set up training courses with the expressed aims: 1) To make aquaponics accessible 2) To enable participants to overcome specific production issues through access to specific information and expert guidance 3) To enable participants to realise true product value, by taking a systems approach focusing on the … Read more
Build Your Own Bee-House Attracting pollinators to your garden, made easy
It is generally well-known that pollination is important for food production. Without pollinating insects (pollinators), some plants cannot produce fruits or seeds. How can we encourage pollinators to come to our garden (be it a rural farm or an urban balcony)? 1. Grow plants that attract pollinators. Bees love the colors yellow, blue and white. The lists of plants will differ according to your location around the globe, so it's good to do some searching in your local language. 2. Build a … Read more
