Here is a great idea, combining rain water harvesting and drip irrigation.

A couple of articles I came across, that explain more about it.

Drip irrigation with rain water | Green-Trust.Org

It’s gardening time here in the southeast, and our thoughts return to watering. Rainwater is my favorite source of water, as it’s free, and takes no energy to.

Why Start a Rain Water Collection & Drip Irrigation System …

There’s nothing new about the idea of a rain barrel to store water for future use. People have been catching and storing rain water for centuries and in many countries rain still provides the majority of the water for irrigation, …

Hopefully, these will give you some ideas that could help you.

Several organizations are building local communities, providing training and guidance to youth and young adults, working toward increasing awareness about the need for Sustainable Local Food Systems.

I’m sure there are more groups like these two:

• Real Food Challenge
• The Food Project

but I just learned today about them, and want to let you know about them.  Please go check them out.  They are providing very good models of what can be done with and by youth and young adults.

If you are aware of other groups like these, PLEASE let us know, leave a comment below and tell us.

Go to YouTube and enter the names of both of those groups and see what they are up to.  I think you too will be inspired.

There is also a local group here in Whatcom County, Washington, called “Transition Whatcom“, which I just joined.  I will be suggesting that one of the things on their agenda is to work on uniting as many local groups and work together, there is strength in numbers, to work on local food projects.  Ones that have come to my mind are, community gardens, with youth asked to join in and learn while they’re providing good food for those in need.  Also, getting local food into the schools and nursing home, and anywhere else possible.

This idea I challenge you with, to get this type of thing started in YOUR local community.  Contact these groups and ask them where you can start, or us.  We’ll see what we can do to help also.

Can you imagine what could be possible if we were to start local groups in all 3300 counties in the US?

I have a question for you.  When you look around your community, and see all the areas that have landscaping, how much of that area, both private and public (Parks, Schools, Buildings, etc) have edible landscaping???  Not much is there, with the exception of some homes.  Why not, promote making a change to this?

Leave me your thoughts.  This idea is one I will be encouraging.

Tell your thoughts.

Tom

This is a post that I had on my first site, altenergyradio.com, which I decided to change to this one.  I am now deleting that site.  I wanted to save/move this post.

Jean Pain is dead now, and has been for a few years.  He was a man ahead of his time, with lots of practical ideas.  Here is one of them.

I personally plan on doing this when I am relocated onto a farm.  If anyone of you has already tried this, or do try this, please pass along your thoughts and share it with us.

Jean Pain, a forest caretaker in south France, came up with a way to heat his water to 140F, get methane gas to use for his 5 bedroom house for cooking and generate electricity, and fuel his truck, PLUS fertilize his farm. Enough to last about 18 months. All this from a huge pile of woodchips. Watch these 2 videos to learn how!

Jean Pain – English – Part 1

Jean Pain – A french innovator who developed a compost based bio energy system that produced 100% of his energy needs. He heated water to 60 degrees celsius at a rate of 4 litres a minute which he used for washing and heating. He also distilled enough methane to run an electricity generator, cooking elements, and power his truck. This method of creating usable energy from composting materials has come to be known as Jean Pain Composting, or the Jean Pain Method.

Jean Pain – English – Part 2

Jean Pain – A french innovator who developed a compost based bio energy system that produced 100% of his energy needs. He heated water to 60 degrees celsius at a rate of 4 litres a minute which he used for washing and heating. He also distilled enough methane to run an electricity generator, cooking elements, and power his truck. This method of creating usable energy from composting materials has come to be known as Jean Pain Composting, or the Jean Pain Method.

I think this is a VERY practical home project, worth trying out. Personally, I will be, hopefully later this year. If I do, I will be sure to report all of the steps and the out come.

If anyone has duplicated this method, I would love to hear from you. Use the comment section below. Everyone is welcome to leave their comments too.

When I come across videos and information like this, I get excited!  Things are happening across this country.  Change is in the air.  Educational systems, people involved in local government are seeing the light about changing the way we live and conduct business.

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui’s mission statement:

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui is committed to optimizing Maui’s economy by helping people build skills that are compatible with the community’s cultural choices and economic aspirations; developing Maui as an exemplary and prosperous island that shares eco-effective methods with other communities throughout the world; and serving as a living laboratory and classroom for building and managing holistic communities.

If you know about other programs like this, be sure to let us know.  Help spread the word!

Most of us, well, at least myself, normally think about having land in the rural countryside, when we think about becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable.  This family that I’d like to report about, only have about 1/5th of an acre!  Live in a big city.  They have been doing this for quite awhile.  I only recently learned about them.

I think you will be inspired by them, just like I have been.  Enjoy these videos about what they ARE DOING!

The Dervaes are living the green life in Pasadena, Calif.

Living a Path to Freedom – uprisingradio.org

In Pasadena, the Dervaes family has transformed their residential lot into an urban homestead on which they generate more than half of their own food by literally growing it themselves, and 70% of their own energy via solar panels on their garage … And indeed tens of thousands have already been inspired by the food and energy independence such a life style offers. But, it’s not easy – as I found out yesterday when I spent the afternoon with Jules Dervaes and his family, …

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

Grow your own food, make your own fuel

Off-grid has been covering the Dervaes family’s eco lifestyle in Pasadena for years. Now the family is becoming famous – they are California’s leading off-grid ambassadors. … Anais Dervaes says her family has been living green way before green was in. Their home is paid for and they live on about $25000 a year. What they don’t sell, they eat. “Anything that can be cooked in a normal oven can be cooked in a solar oven,” says Anais. “And here we have some homegrown …