Invitation: I've downloaded the report = enjoyable reading

THE BELOW IS ALL QUOTED - see bottom of post: 
 
Let's summarize why it is so important
to grow our own nutrition.

1. Food carries nutrients from the soil to your body

2. As the soil so the food

3. To grow better foods first grow the soil

4. To grow better soil it must be crafted

5. To grow your health you must change your food supply

All of these points are covered in the
free report called *Grow Your Own Nutrition* but I would like to emphasize
point no. 4.

*To Grow Better Soil It Must Be Crafted* Soil is malleable. It can be
changed by your stewardship. As you apply what is deficient the pattern of
the soil changes.

The goal of crafting soil is a lot like a sculptor. Michelangelo could take
a large hunk of marble and chip away at it until it became a thing of
beauty. This is exactly what can be done in your garden.

Excessive nutrients are avoided while
deficient nutrients are added. Calcium, phosphorous, and potassium levels
and ratios play a huge role in sculpting a soil capable of growing
therapeutic grade foods.

This changing of the pattern directly
impacts the environment for soil biology and the quality of the produce
being raised.
As Dr. Reams used to say "Cause and Effect, Cause and Effect."

I wrote this report in early 2011 but did not publicly release it till now.
Why?
Because...

*A One-Winged Bird Cannot Fly*
It takes two wings for a bird to fly.
While this report centers on growing food its conclusion clearly points
toward soil mineralization. Soil mineralization is foundational for
revitalizing our food supply.
Call it the right wing.

At the same time the applied minerals need to be mobilized from the soil
into the plant.
Achieving this requires the other wing. The "other wing" will be described
in-depth in an up-coming video. Look for it in 3-5 days.

In the meantime can I ask a favor from you?
If you have friends who you know could benefit from this information please
forward this email to them. If this report leads to questions or comments
please leave them on the download page or email them to me. I plan on
compiling these comments/questions into a future video. Thanks.

Lastly, here is the signup page for the report.

http://members.mineralizedgardens.com/squeeze_pages/6371-free-report-intro-video

Enjoy,

*Jon Frank*
International Ag Labs
(507) 235-6909
Jon@...
www.aglabs.com

Avoiding GMO - bluntly put

What should one do to not eat GMO,  Just don't eat soybeans, corn, canola(seed) or cotton(seed)... ? easy... right?  well unbeknownst to most corn alone is made into thousands of ingredients and the Soy industry has a serious power of its own. (Why? I asked, over and over, did the canned tuna have to switch to soy broth polluting my "tuna in water.")
Easiest way, hands down, ....with no boxes in hand or a dazed expression in the grocery aisle.... is to not eat boxed/processed goods.   estimated 80% or more of it has GMO.
How is that possible?
well even if the main ingredient isn't corn, soy, or the oil isn't canola/cotton seed (which shouldn't even be eaten since even the nonGMO weren't fit as food) - Can any one say 'Breakfast cereal'?! then lesser ingredients are. Well there's barely any, So, does that matter? 
How much pesticide would you like to spray on your food right before serving? or sprinkle on right before eating?  Studies that haven't been squashed from the light of day by the power from the GMO Companies such as Monsanto have already started to show how the 'pesticide' genetically put into these plants are showing up in our organs as PART of our organs so that we are making our own pesticides (I can't find the study on that, so tuck that away as a maybe, not a fact for now) - (we are what we eat?!)  And pesticides don't come with a cellular warning label that tells human cells to not eat or be killed...  that translates in my brain processes as any is too much  !
What do you think these Rats thought? (rats are used in studies because they are proliferous, a mammal that is very similar to humans, but at 70 (?)%/times as fast so that we can see results in a concentrated time.. (sorry going off really old memory there)... (think this is inhumane? Just think then about what we are feeding our children and revisit the definition of inhumane - And pesticide as a whole - the entire system was flawed as soon as we killed the living microorganisms (took their lives) in the soil with the chemicals/fertilizers AND/OR stopped appreciating what God gave us and could teach us in regard to growing the food in the first place. don't have time today to process blunt thoughts to presentable ...sorry)

which leads us to the original point - how to avoid GMO. 
There are great lists popping up all over after the [failed] Prop 37 in Ca.

Here is one source that was pointed out to me. 

printable shoppers guide PDF
from site Truefoodnow

article it had referred from

a list of companies etc (blog post I ran across)

One thing rarely mentioned until more recently is the meat. That is one reason I like that PDF above others, it addresses all the categories... even fruit! :) although I did not see potatoes listed - I don't eat Russets.
IF (that's a BIG "if" lol)  IF rats were part of our meat source in America - would you eat those rats pictured above? or would you prefer a healthy vibrant rat?  If someone else had already killed it (humanely) and butchered it in a super clean facility and carved it up so that it was only a very neat, clean piece of meat in a package,.. Then would it be ok??  of course not. 
Cows, pigs (especially), fish and chickens are all fed SOMETHING. If mom/buyer isn't looking, then in our God-less, immoral society, would a less than humane "producer" (I would never use the word rancher or husbandman here!) actually choose a more expensive "feed" over a labor intensive natural food?  .... duh,  Bring God and moral accountability back in, bring hard work back in, bring awareness from beginning to end of the world of choices we have, and we will have better meat.

Grow your own produce and/or buy lots of vegetables in bright colors (and onion :)) and lots and lots of green.  Herbs are indispensable - seaweed is a must. - The plants and their energy are your primary food/energy source!!
Sprout your grains/seeds of whatever type you are choosing - Masa is my choice with corn : "treated with lime" is "sprouted" for a short way of saying it.
eat an increasing percentage of both in it's raw, and/or partially cooked form
Eat fermented veggies/fruits/ etc and/or actively attentively support gut flora (no binging on sugar?)
and when it is your animal products think about where it came from before you bother at all!
buy organic cotton  (remember that byproduct of cotton is cottonseed - cotton is a major crop 'issue') and organic food products when price or situation deems possible to make a statement and do your part.

Long Term Food Storage Revisited

Long Term food storage isn't a new invention, but Quite the opposite!
And it sure does help us to eat it and use it... and it helps if there is variety (short term storage is great at variety, but has to be rotated). Here are lots of whole food ideas that double as long term or even indefinite storage.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai3zK3S0SNBWdDg0RHlHckRuejZ3N1JfVkxMWU5ZZnc

New Garden Product!!

Ok, so the previous post was just so I could say this post in a simpler way!

Now take what you know now about whole foods and what happens when they are fermented, esp compared to cooked, And how they benefit OUR bodies.

Now think of the soil = that living breathing system underneath your [future] garden and/or lawn.  (Remember Prerequisites to Gardening 101 [my style] are to watch Dirt The Movie (also on Netflix) and Back to Eden)

Life of any type requires certain environments and foods and is killed by certain environment and toxins.  The soil should be a location for an abundance of life, seen and unseen by the naked eye.  And a soil that is such, is a source of life for that which grows above.  It is inevitable... Soil Life supports Plant Life! (and likewise, Soil Death supports Plant Death.) 
And just as the energy of food is what gives energy to our bodies, it is the energy of the soil that determines what will grown from it.   (check out Reams)
The health of the soil is mirrored above the ground.  Weeds can tell you what the soil is like, But also, the pests and diseases, vs the health/energy and abundance of life above the soil.  I don't want to constantly be fighting the vultures off. I want to instead enjoy abundance to the fullest.  I can't do that from just above on my own. I have to rely on the soil and the life I can support in it.

Lots of foods support this soil life, such as Kelp and other seaweeds and fish feeding the life in the soil. Raw milk has also been used as a great soil food. The fish products I've mentioned before were partially cold processed, and were from part or whole fish instead of the typical unknown and heat processed byproducts that are largely useless and potentially contaminated with a multitude of chemicals.

With all this in mind,
There is a new product available from Green Pasture that I'm very excited to try!!

http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/Byproductsfarmproductsfishandbait/index.cfm

Liquid Fish Soil Rescue
This is a by-product of fermentation of the fish livers.  The product is liquid and can flow through both residential and commercial sprayers.  It can be applied on the soil or directly on foliage.  It is most commonly sold in 1 gallon, 5 gallon, 55 gallon drums, 250 gallon totes or tankers.
Discussion:  It is run through a 100 mesh filter prior to shipping.  Most view products to apply to the soil in terms of N P K.  But the real secrete, in this living soil additive, is it stirs the discussion pot on the topic of true soil fertility.  is it NPK or is it bacteria.
 A bio chemist, that specializes in the production of bio fertilizer, called me and provided the following description of soil and nutrients.
' Soil has x lb's of bacteria in the top 6" .  Lets call it 3000 lb's per acre of bacteria for a starting value (soil will be different depending on the amount of chemical used, soil type and weather).  When bacteria die off they give  15% of their weight in nitrogen, 3% phosphorus and 1% potassium.  When conditions and food are perfect bacteria can double in count every 15 min.  It does not take much  to put out 200 lb's of nitrogen through bacteria if you feed your soils/bacteria.'
What is the perfect foods for bacteria?  They need protein, sugars, water.  For explosive bacterial growth vitamin B's and enzymes need to be considered.     Liquid Fish Soil rescue is an excellent living food for your soil.  We do not destroy the enzymes or change the product through any other heating / processing steps... it purely fermented.
Visit the consulting page if you would like to broaden the discussion on possible ways to use  this product on your soil/plants.

Let me know if any of you try this! I'd love to hear about it!


Side Note:
NPK is the sequence most commonly associated with gardening: It can stir up quite the conversations! Here is my favorite tidbit regarding the "N" :
Nitrogen is found in nature and is changed into a usable form by Volcanoes, Lightening (,...comes down in rain), and Microorganisms! (Nitrogen fixation! such as with legumes)
If the soil is rich with life, then we are blessed up top by the nitrogen :) - And I love a good Summer storm's rain for greening up my garden :)

Fermented Cod Liver Oil review needed

Perhaps you're aware of the profound differences between Cod Liver Oil in it's Viking Traditional Fermented Purity and the fake illusion that is typically sold by those who don't know any better yet.  oh wait, I can't stop there, so I guess you'll get my rant:
"Typical" Fish oil is just damaged oils, yes there is unmistakable benefit, but it plateaus and only carries limited benefits. It has only a tiny list of actual nutrients much of which has been damaged by heat, processing, chemicals or even the acclaimed "molecular distillation" that ruined it for me.  It is a split food, a partial glimpse of the whole fish.
Fish Liver Oil has an increased scope of benefit esp when just compared by label on the bottle.... but it is also a split food that has been damaged and plateaus,  hopefully before it causes damage because of and (likely depending on the individual body) via it's synthetic additives. -- Notice: It isn't even just food - Sadly it is another food that has been adopted too much as just a profit making tool and instead of being what it should be it instead has been altered and unwritten on its label attempts to look like the real thing by merely matching some well published number goal.

The real thing is the uncommonly found and strikingly unique Fermented Fish Liver Oil:
This is the kind that isn't included on any comparison in the typical nutrition book or pamphlet and isn't included in the big market studies.  This is the real thing that even Norway has stopped most of it's production of. --- Instead, this is the kind that modestly placed itself in World acknowledgment and continuing survival from becoming History, maintaining it's reclaim by it's very real results in those aware enough to take it and discover it's profound benefits! 
It is just the real Liver, slowly, 'cold' fermented the way they've done it successfully for thousands of years - learned in the same region and from descendants of this heritage.

The ONLY company I know of still making it completely the traditional way is Green Pasture. They are great!  Lately I've been reaping the benefits from the Fermented Skate Liver Oil.  I have family members that love it as their joint supplement (and the elimination of their joint pain)
(buy in bulk with friends for a discounted price)

My little one's are "tough enough" to take it and smile. Why do grown men shirk? I'm reminded of Mark Twain's character Aunt chasing down Tom to get him his dose for his own good.  Perhaps a little more maturity is needed in our current generation of caretakers.

Many of the great historical cultures had one sacred food which they relied on to ensure strong mind, body, and spirit; fermented fish/fish liver oil. The Mighty Roman Soldier was given a daily ration of fermented fish oil. The Stoic Scandinavian Viking had a drum of fermenting cod livers outside the door of his home. Grandma always had a bottle of cod liver oil in the back cupboard. link

 Perhaps you've learned the benefits of fermentation and/or raw products such as the increase of nutrients and the enzymes and probiotic life in other foods such as sauerkraut/kimchi or yogurt.  Well, suppressing that sidetrack, this is similar.

And the list of nutrients is amazing.  That slow fermentation process ripe with living organisms has increased and enlarged it's density.  It has more than just the Vitamins listed on the label (One has to request which Form of Vitamin D is to be tested when sent to a lab.) This FCLO, of the Vitamin A and Ds tested, is "off the chart" in comparison to typical Fish liver oil on store shelves. But in addition to that, there is over 150 different types of Naturally occurring Vitamin A AND D.  Also, Because of the process of that fermented life, It is also a source of Vit K2 - something our diets are severely deficient in as well. (likely the X factor that facilitates the Minerals and such in our bodies - ie. beautiful teeth/ smiles/structures of the "Natives" that are so elusive now)

And that's just a glimpse of the fat soluble vitamins present.... A brief mention of the fat profile is equally impressive.  How many types should you be taking? Let's see, Omega 3, maybe 6, DHEA, CoQ, glucosamines for joints, antidepressants, painkillers, hormones, cholesterol control, etc?.....
.........Well, A tiny little dose of this Fermented Fish Liver Oil just blew your array of supplements out of the water! and with no synthetic attempts, fillers, or partials of a whole.  This is a seriously potent and dense whole food source of all them with their cofactors that we're unlikely to even heard of.... let alone understand!
Omega 3, 6, 7, 9, 12 in great ratios
Quinones, Vit E, Vit K, CoQ Enzymes
Vit A, Vit D, EPA, DHA,
Minerals, Life, Glucosamine, ETC!

Try it and discover the famine you've been in.... Every cell in your body and brain needs these nutrients!

Water

I decided that a post about water should be in included here.

• Water is one of the basics that we depend on. It is needed for every function in our body for life; It is needed for the delivery of life and the removal of death.
  We need water to mobilize everything in the body and in our over toxic world, it may be the most important thing we intake for long term health.
• It is a basic need that should be considered during problem solving as well. ( I have __________ symptom.  Maybe it is because of ________? SEE link to book/site Water Cure. "You're not sick, you're thirsty" --  And I can vouch for his saying that a symptom of chronic thirst is lack of the sensation of feeling thirst. )
• There is a balance of water that needs to be maintained and balanced with the nutritional needs of the body.  Typically people just plain don't drink enough, but as metabolic needs ebb and flow in your body, you may need to be cautious about when and how much you drink.... Just remember adding more water to a soup thins it out - at some point it is too much, but without enough, then it isn't even soup.  (sugar and salt balances in the body needs to be maintained - sometimes a can of coconut water is in order ....times of day make a difference too.)
  On the simple view for improved decision making:
  drink (wet your mouth), then drink some more ("ehh, that's enough" = crossing the threshhold from chronic habits), then drink some more ("oh! that feels better" = finally getting enough), and then drink more (ok, now I feel topped off and my body is getting used to the new feeling so that I can always drink the sufficient amount), And then the "true not-feeling-like" drinking more.
• The type of water is often brought up.... This kind of filtering or that, etc. Really, as long as it is clean, then it is water. Sanitation is number one - An area where the only water source is downstream from an open 'toilet' is not clean water.  If there were an emergency, then clean water would become a focus.
  However, for a lifetime of drinking the "other" stuff in the water starts being a bit more important than basic survival.  Heavy water is heavy because of an abundance of mineral and other substance dissolved in water.  Remember making crystals it had to be a super saturated solution. Water can hold A LOT.  And not all of that is equal. Nor are we trying to grow crystals especially of only one type in our bodies! (that would be called a stone.  :) ~~~ )
• Depending on how far you have delved into the world and it's energies this subject can be very short or very long.  I don't think this is the place, nor do I have the time to attempt a summary.  Suffice it to say that, at the very least, everything has electric charge (remember the periodic table of elements and electrons?) and this applies to water, what is in it, and the abilities it would have in your body.   And be grateful for the water you are so blessed to have!
• Side note on Fluoride - here's is a link to update what you've heard about fluoride in water - remember if we go to a someone and offer to buy their trash, they will probably sell it to you. (even if you are of the mind that it is needed for your teeth, then remember that it is sold as rat poison because rats don't swoosh and spit... my suggestion is to at least stop eating and swallowing fluoride, minimize it to the one area you feel it would have a less negative effect on the whole body/thyroid, etc and remember that detoxing from fluoride is NOT pretty, but eating seaweed over time will help with a slow detox and an increase in health, energy, beauty, and organ capabilities.)
• A lot of the different nutrition and health 'Dr. Greats' I have read about and learned from in recent  years say that distilled is best.  Minerals are best for our body when integrated in a nutrient dense food.  Water is best when it is NOT super saturated.  It is meant to transport life and death in our bodies remember?  So a water that is, for example 50% saturated already has only 50% capacity to carry things in your body. Distilled water is ~100% open and active, ready to satisfy all your transportation needs at top capacity.  :)  If you are trying to absorb minerals better then make your tea and take your supplements such as min66 with distilled water!
• [some of]  My new habits,.... :)
  I have been drinking a full glass (try for over 2 cups) of distilled water in the morning a few moments after I finish oil pulling.  Then Wait a moment, (my body feels the difference) and then drink a full glass of our regular filtered water with ConcenTrace drops.  The process is very refreshing and then, And only after having water, do I eat anything. 
  Other alternatives: Even if you don't do the cleansing routine of oil pulling, and just the distilled
  OR even just ANY amount of water BEFORE eating, then you are giving your body a great boost right at the start of the nights "fast" that you are breaking.   
• Drinking before eating gives your body a chance to rehydrate before having to start the work of digestion.  Trying to transport enzymes, bile, and nutrients from digestion before hydration would be a laborious and sluggish process compared to a free flowing vibrant flow of hydrated liquids.
  The other reason I choose to do this in the morning is because our bodies are in cleaning mode in the morning (Chinese medicine I think it was) is from 6am to noon. (and from what I understand and believe is happening all night. I think a lot of emotion and mental, is "dealt" with during night/sleep.) 
  An evidence to this that I've experienced is the fact that Oil pulling only works if you have allowed any food or water to even touch your lips - If I wash my face and get my lips wet (lips are part of the mouth = food/water contact with your mouth tells the digestive system to get ready, enzymes rush to the mouth etc) before I oil pull then it doesn't even work as well, if at all.  (If I do forget, I try to pull my lips in to keep them dry as soon as I remember and it seems to work ok.)
  Once we start eating then we start digesting.  Eating processed foods in the morning puts even more energy and effort into digestion relative to their level of processing (junk food is not food, there is just junk or food....). The more raw, then the more enzymes and "self digestion" can happen, the less raw (more processed) then the more your body has to put into digesting it.  Same with whole foods vs processed/stripped foods.

What?? Did you expect a post on water filters??  Well, perhaps another day.  I would have too much to say for my time today.

• Silver and copper are great for cleaning water = killing all kinds of cooties.  I'd love to learn how to do it myself, but there are also filters that have silver in them already.
• (Water can be sterilized in a solar oven.)  
• Ozone, with it's super short, super active 'life', breaks down all types of things = Mother Nature's pollution control!.  
• There is an abundance of filters easily available that catch the particles (99.9 is NOT enough,  it needs to have more 9s after that decimal!)
• There are many ways of cleaning and filtering water, depending on your preferences.
• I'm working on slowly learning about distillers.  

Update: Impressive water filter  http://www.righthererightnow.co/  AquaPail I was able to handle this personally at an expo recently and can definitely say it is in a whole category of it's own!  :D

Bottling Meat

Surprisingly simple way to store your food =
Pressure cooker, Glass jars, cut up Beef roast (or chicken), salt...
I add bay leaf and onion, dried or not. (It appears any herb can go in, but little bits may get in the lid edge and sage turns bitter in the pressure cooker)

 If you have the materials on hand, give it a try next time you are making dinner
- and eat just one of them that day
(perhaps chosen for you by the every time occurrence of one jar that doesn't seal -- seems is the standard when using the Mason jars from Walmart (Made in China?!))
putting the rest on a dark shelf for a day when you are in a hurry, the power is out, or meat prices sky rocket again.

Expect a flush of beef in the market now and through the next (few+?) months. = low and low(!) prices.
The ongoing drought is slashing the corn supply grown as feed for the cows and a higher % are butchered. (headlines news, no secret here)
With the following years of high and high(!) prices as the beef supply has been diminished.
(I'm reminded of Joseph in Egypt once again)

This, of course, will also mean deeper damage to food prices across the board as especially corn is in thousands and thousands of processed products (and I suppose the corn portion of our fuel) to further damage the prices of the already subsidized, cushioned, illusion of the food prices we are paying,.... as well as other midwest crops.

P.S. = I still don't promote the eating of the beef that is fed unidentifiable foods or foods that cows are not made to eat such as corn -- this would lead to sickly cows = sickly meat = sickly people -- but!! When the market is affected, grass fed beef prices are affected as well - and not always in the direction that your predict for your given rancher/source.

- And of course the corn based (GMO Contaminated) processed products are not food,  so I don't promote them as your primary food source either...
("There is no such thing as 'junkfood', only junk and/or food")
You know,.... use your common sense!  If it has been processed so far from it's God given identity to a product that kills rats (after they go looney tunes and eat their equally diseased companions) then it will eventually kill you too, just as a slower rate.

Sorry, I'm not sourcing my many mental references here, just use the phrases as search terms!

Physically, Spiritually, Rejoicing

Also, a beautiful slideshow in pdf
- open in new window -
http://www.awakeandarise.org/media/Warning!.pdf

(Remember that words have meanings and depth that are not necessarily common in our modern vernacular (We THINK we know what they mean without thinking about it! ~~~)
(such as satisfied (see use no.5 = no doubt))
- use a dictionary or thesaurus that educates us better than socialism has stupefied us.
(self proclaimed/visioned/organized socialists selected and sent groups to Europe to be educated and return to rewrite our textbooks, history books, and reference/education materials at least as early as the early 1900s (mostly after WWI).))

Are you an addict? to what?

What will it be like when the time comes to use your food storage?  Will your depression, irritability, anxiety, or moodiness, (etc) become the predominant face of your personality? or will your food be able to allow you to thrive?  Does your food storage support your cycle of dependency? or are you going to go through withdrawals and/or crash and burn?

How about this as an alternative?!

1. Store healthy, live supporting foods that you can live and thrive on.  They are the basics used by people before industrial times - like the majority of time on this planet.  And are still used by healthy people today!!  Ignore all the expensive fancy packages for now. Ignore the most recent hypes and just get your basics covered. 
2. Take the mood cure questionnaire from here (has 5 categories) or Ross' book The Mood Cure and target your addictions, dependencies, controlling habits, depression and physical hangups from an amino acid perspective. 
   (Naturally any and all addictions, habits, etc are physical and spiritual and should be addressed from a WHOLE perspective). Releasing yourself from these will allow you to live life NOW and make changes you've been "choosing to procrastinate" while you've been shackled by them.)
3. Now, start eating your food storage - and restocking, of course. Remember that the amino acids are a temporary supplement plan to bring those amino acid reserves up to par.  The body's health should be maintained with God's whole foods.

 So what are the planet's traditional foods? Plants and animals (as you choose), not nifty looking stuff forced from a machine and boxed up for a nice subsidized price or market 'value'.
 The value is in foods that common sense and experience dictate as good for you.

1. "Plants" = leaves, roots, fruits, and seeds (oil/mineral rich fruits - if eaten whole are sprouted or soaked to turn into leaves/roots) including seaweed (in abundance esp. if the next section is limited)
2. "Animals" = whole (meat + fat + bone/bone broth + organs) or products (eggs + milk + butter + cheese)

I crack myself up!

now my identity will never be kept a secret

as soon as they link the databases they'll find out we're aliens from the fourth moon of Pluto http://gizmodo.com/5923980/the-secret-government-laser-that-instantly-knows-everything-about-you http://www.naturalnews.com/036452_laser_scanner_molecular.html

walk proud fellow travelers
-

but seriously, make your choices the best you can and be proud of who you choose to be

Are you still getting your news from the Funny Mirrors?

There is so much more to the events of this world than what is easily available
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/06/08/ron-paul-is-becoming-something-more-important-than-president/


And the thousands and thousands of people at rallies all over the country that are still happening that were never shown on any main stream media or conservative station can only be seen where money didn't leave a burning trail.
http://www.dailypaul.com/
http://www.ronpaul.com/
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

At least "some news" gets out now and then.... link  and then these great segments
http://www.ronpaul.com/2012-05-18/the-liberty-movement-takes-over-the-gop/


AND  understand why,.... What in this world's events applies to you?  What stand do you agree with on changes that are occurring?   This will not be decided for you without you ended up on the short end of the stick.  So take your chance NOW to find out how you believe and can learn to recognize the truth and "your team" when you see them.

Just one arena of importance...:  What are your principles??  Which Candidate is living them?  Is it actually the one you thought it was... And yes, You're too late for this election, but the power is in knowing and be ready for the next time.  One vote is important, your vote, even if all it gives is freedom and self governance for yourself, it is just as vitally important as 100 or 1000 individuals that had to do the same thing.
 http://www.latterdayconservative.com/ezra-taft-benson/united-states-foreign-policy/

Best Periodical, ever!?

I think it might be and I don't know why I waited so long to request my own... 

ACRES USA

Their website alone is a goldmine of information and fascinating perspectives - See Archive.  The Greats they've introduced to me are kept alive here and what they contributed to the science and traditions are still being tried and advanced.  Acres, to me, is an arena where maintaining their integrity is valued and makes possible the integration of a new generation of Greats (recognize this name?)
 The periodical is what I expected it to be and I read every page - It's nice when even the ads are interesting (although they of course become redundant at some point)   Now, if only they had a library for their extensive list of books.

Organic was never so easy

sigh, my nice long post got lost in deleted computer land -
The short version
search the words "high brix", nutrient dense, acresUSA (their toolkit archives has great articles)

I spray sea90 on my plants (leaves, flowers, fruits,...etc) for an immediate nutrient boost - the 90+ minerals gives nutrient density that the bugs can't stand  - They move on to scavenge weak plants elsewhere.
I bought it from Azure Standard along with the fish emulsion, (although I prefer sweetcornorganics', I ration that one in the name of frugality :) - it is 100% cold processed whole fish, not a heated or byproduct or ....etc ) - it works great with the same company's seaweed which I posted about here....
and the Thorvin kelp (which is best just sprinkled around the yard - feeds the micro-life and provides the phytochemicals, hormones, and mineral ratios (iodine,..)) of the kelps available is the one I've used in bulk.

So onto more aspects: Also this year I'm excited to try a blend of microorganisms that I need to inoculate and then spray onto the soil - it even has one that eats chemicals from previous applications/residues...!  But micro organisms just doin' their thing is the soil is what gives the plants their nutrients; They 'eat' the nutrients in the soil and create/turn it into a form that the plants can then use!  Nitrogen fixation is one of the most commonly heard phrases of that action, but it is by far not the only one .....but since I brought that up:

Nitrogen is one of those nutrients that we just can't seem to get enough of in our gardens - perhaps because we've strayed so far from Nature.   WWII stimulated weapons, chemical processes, and technological advances that left us with synthetic nitrogen and fertilizers.  I, personally, am trying to grow real plants, not synthetic plants ;),   and so am interested in where plants have been getting nitrogen since before half a century ago.   Well, that is from a short list :)  Lightening, volcanoes, and microorganisms - I looked for a few concise sources for you to read that briefly - so go ahead, I'll continue when you get back from Here and Here .....
 It also turns out that by using synthetic nitrogen and fertilizers that we kill the microorganisms in the soil.... and not just the nitrogen creating ones.   And it isn't like the microorganisms just walk back in off the next bus. There is a whole world under our feet that we need to be respectful of and aware that (hopefully) they outnumber us and we can't live on planet earth without them so let's feed them and show them a little respect.

(These amendments are a blended source of some great stuff - nutrients and such that can help restore and amend the soil to recoup from previous synthetic damage. see previous post)

So here are my words for motivation: remember that organic begets organic, synthetic begets synthetic.
And since I want to keep my organic self alive without a synthetic organ replacement or supplement I know where I want to start.  lol

Peter Reinhart's [Delectible] Whole Wheat Bread

This bread recipe is a cross between the best of all the bread worlds and is my first successful attempt at truly properly made whole wheat yeast bread.
See various webpages for the recipe or invest in his book which appears to have many other winning recipes! :)

• It is 100% whole grain = no white flour! (I used various ratios of Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat, Rye, Spelt and Buckwheat.)
• The recipe allows for proper soaking time! hurray! For those new to whole grain, this makes it 'feel' just like white flour breads and it would be hard for them to believe it is 100% whole grain. but also nutrition is increased, you get benefits from the enzymes and even increases the minerals you get by neutralizing the phytic acid which is holding them and taking yours.
• (I left mine in the fridge a few extra days longer than the days called for simply because of a busy schedule and it still worked!! usually the sourness causes failure, but not this time!)
• I used only part sprouted flour so I need to test it with 100% to see if it still works, but it looks promising. - this would increase the nutrients even more, including vitamins. It also improves the digestability of the gluten. (sorry, I'd have to dig up links to source that, but search for WAPF sites that talk about it for some basic info)
• And the end product is delicious! It rises into a beautiful texture good for soft sandwich slices or steaming with honey butter for a treat.
• (I replaced half the milk with water and next time will do just water - I am all for drinking milk, but prefer to cook with water since my milk is high in price from being politically incorrect.)

"canning" vegetables the world history way

Preserve your own raw vegetables in a method that INCREASES nutrition and does not use cooking. (personal opinion echoed from gardening posts - seeking out a higher nutrient density yields a superior product)

My original introduction to fermented veggies: http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/lacto-fermentation

video summary: http://www.westonaprice.org/beginner-videos/fermented-foods-and-beverages-video-by-sarah-pope

overview/ideas: http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=vegetables

I've done sauerkraut, I am currently doing pickles for the first time... peppers are next:
http://www.pickl-it.com/blog/410/3-way%20pickled%20peppers/
http://wellpreserved.ca/2011/08/18/naturally-pickled-fermented-jalapeno-peppers/
http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/10/marinated-peppers.html
http://realfoodlittlerock.blogspot.com/2010/06/peck-of-pickled-lacto-fermented-peppers.html

Anyone else's life busy?

It must be time to catchup and simplify.
Using self sufficient and non-consumer methods of course:

• Make Jam (and try a batch of marmalade) with no sugar needed (or other chemical to gel this) Pectin
• Any other seasonal food storage and pantry stocking up!
  
• Cool Weather Baking! try out a new bread recipe
  soak and dehydrate more grain/seed to use for part of the flour (improvement to nutrition - the longer day waiting options are a similar improvement)
  
• Spring Cleaning! Steam (verb and noun) (no chemicals needed) clean.
• During open window weather: Oil furniture and any other maintenance with smelly chemicals.
  
• Organize! Put away clothes in sizes the kids are outgrowing packing them away by size and cycle down the hand me downs.
  Pick up the bigger sizes from second hand stores (great time of year as they are receiving so many donations on good weather days!)
• Set up the garden! barefoot when possible ;) -- put in seeds and transplants (moon planting calendar and detail version)
  
• Fertilize the Citrus -option1, alternatewith, info2(wild rhododendron can be a source of the fungi mycorrhizae), inspiration3
  

APPLE TREE ORDER

The company we ordered our apple trees from last year is sold out

HOWEVER,

this company is doing a

very exciting,
amazing preservation
of HUNDREDS
OF ANTIQUE & HEIRLOOM VARIETIES

by offering the same method of apple trees at the same amazing price:

Please read below - the text is copy and pasted from their website:
http://www.wagonwheelorchard.blogspot.com/

Benchgrafts still available for 2012 – Please order soon, our rootstock is getting reserved. We will be grafting in late February through late April. When the rootstock runs out we will stop taking orders. We have a 10 tree minimum and no maximum. Please give us plenty of alternate choices in your orders as scion stock is starting to dwindle.

Below is the complete 2012 benchgraft list. It does contain an entire inventory of several orchards – please note we will not graft apples or pears still under patent.

This is the most extensive list ever offered for custom grafting antique apples. Check our previous post for the pear list. Most likely you will never see such an offering again.

Please check your local rules regarding shipping in apples and pears.

Many of the varieties listed below will only be available for 2012 - please consider ordering additional trees to preserve these endangered apples and pears. One of our heroes, Nick Botner is retiring and his collection needs to be preserved (he currently has his massive orchard and home for sale) - the only way to ensure that is to get these fruit trees backed up in as many locations as possible. The list below is an inventory and benchgraft list only - we cannot supply scionwood from this list at our normal prices. We will pay on average $5.50 a stick from this list and then buy scionwood to graft to at a $2.00 average - then we will absorb shipping/handling/insurance costs to deliver them to you at $10/tree with a 10 tree minimum. We are primarily concerned with preservation of this collection - if you would like to swap or purchase scionwood please email us at wagonwheelmail@aol.com or call us at 913-893-6050.


Mail a check with a summary of your order to Wagon Wheel Orchard 15380 Edgerton Rd Gardner KS 66030. First requested/first fulfilled - please do not wait until last minute! We will be shipping in late March to early April or as weather permits.

Questions? - email wagonwheelmail@aol.com

GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR THEIR LIST OF hundreds! of APPLE
(AND PEAR) TREES AVAILABLE

Started Gardening yet?

So, we have four growing season here. really. Our mild winters lend well to crops all winter long. Anything that can take a light frost rarely if ever needs to be covered at all. And in next few weeks we can plant for one last burst of growth before the summer plantings (which is actually a smaller number) See the growing calendar here or in the side bar from the Urban Farm in Phx.

However, the more that I learn about nutrient-dense growing (better than organic - just how Nature would like to have it if she could have her way around us), the more I wonder if we are missing out on more than what we realize. Tomatoes, pepper, and others can grow and bear perennially here. Wouldn't you like to eat a tomato out of your yard... any month of the year? I sure would.

Here is a video and low key method to gardening that is definitely worth a look. If nothing else at all, it is a little hands on, free yard improvement. And a summer later (or longer), If you end up enjoying the results, then plant a few seeds. What can it hurt? = nothing really. And it could provide a great deal of benefit. So take a look at the video and see if you too are inspired to call a tree trimmer ;) http://backtoedenfilm.com/

(and since you may not be able to water your own yard or be legally free to even collect rain water in States and Federal in some not far distant future, It would be wise to be trust in the science under your feet. This brings to mind a certain story though)

Anyone else wishing they'd actually bought canned butter?

I found out about canned butter and cheese years ago - first weirded out by it (really rare here in the US) and then excited by it -, but I never actually bought it. Then I wished I had already when the price increased (slightly) and it was 'always' our of stock... I knew I'd regret it if didn't then but I didn't..... and now I'm there; I regret not buying that "overpriced" butter. Well, sigh, butter in the fridge section now costs more per pound than the canned butter did just a few years ago. (canned butter, dented for discount)

canning your own - I think that melting the butter first and skimming off the milk proteins ("clarified butter", ghee) and then canning just the oil may be a good way to go about it. The benefits of raw butter went away at the butter stage anyway, so might as well eliminate the portion that is more likely to be problematic. mmmm, the imagery of all that liquid gold on a shelf.

And as for cheese - I'm sure that is just as apparent to all of you in price increase.

When the people relinquished their freedoms to the gov't over and over in our past generations they sure weren't thinking of the future. And now we have a big scarred tangled web that is going to have to fall before the masses are willing to tear it down and straighten it out.
[educate yourself! recent subsidies in US and abroad, nutrition replaced by big power holders,...)

But while the masses catch up and the knowledgeable reject the truth there are some that are there still doing it right and so I do still have a source for raw grass fed butter that "I suppose" is still "cheap" enough. (How much longer will we have groups such as these be able to source it for us?!)
But I HAVE to track down cheese wax for a "cheap enough" price if I'm going to do that. So anyone have any ideas?! Yes, I know, I can buy it on the internet. (wax) I just have to make it happen. ( waxing cheese - many others are even better)

....and in the meantime, I'm going to keep my peepers [eyes] open for info on raising goats :)