As part of the internship program Sarah sets up different field trips to local organizations which partake in some form of permaculture to further our education. This non-profit is the research arm behind bio-intensive farming. This technique is based upon the concept to be able to grow the most amount of food in the smallest amount of space. They have perfected the spacing factors and implement companion planting. This reduces the amount of water needed and helps reduce weeds, pests and disease. The founding principal is to not garden an area in which you cannot provide all the necessary compost. You want to grow topsoil not deplete it. At the SLI we have 10 different compost piles. All our yard waste, garden waste and food waste goes into our piles. I have been designated the compost manager for the site. Roby has been a big help. On our field trip we got some great tips on compost building and have since implemented them.
Our first stop was at Golden Rule. It is a sister project to Ecology Action located in an intentional community started on the homestead of where Sea Biscuit was raised. This farm provides all the food for the community and documents its analysis for Ecology Action. Our tour guides were a 40-something couple who were doing the same thing as Roby and I. They quit their jobs in San Francisco as a computer programmer and accountant to simplify their lives and learn the art of sustainability. They are on a 3 year apprenticeship with the organization. After our tour of the site they took us over to the community center for a dip in the pool.
Next stop the Home of Bio-Intensive-Ecology Action. It is nestled in the hillside outside of Willits. The interns and farm managers have quite a hike down to the garden from their homes. I want to work there just for the awesome shape I would be in after climbing up and down the slope everyday. We got a quick tour of the intern yurt definitely a step up from the SLI and then we headed down to the garden. They are definitely more intense than Golden Rule. Everything must be documented from the weight of the food to the yield produced. The goal is to determine the least amount of space needed to produce enough food for a person for a year along with growing the right crops to make your compost. These guys work their butts off. In addition to their chores they partake in classes and have homework and individual projects. All the interns were from other countries, one from Ecuador, Thailand, and two from Kenya. All of them have been operating farms in their own countries but wanted to learn the bio-intensive method to help promote a more efficient organic method and get Monsanto out.
After each field trip or workshop we take we become more inspired but our list of opportunities keeps getting longer. We want to be an activist in everything!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Mini Vacation to the Lost Coast
July 2010
After a long week with the circus and temperatures reaching the 100's we decided to take a break and do some backpacking on the Lost Coast. Since we had Monday off for the holiday we just took Tuesday off along with our regular days off of Wednesday and Thursday and headed to Humboldt. Our first night we spent camping in Humboldt State Park home of the famous Avenue of the Giants. Our site was along the Eel River surrounded by old growth redwood trees. We had to rough it without our big comfy air mattress because we were going to be backpacking the next couple of days.
After we set up camp we took a drive along the parkway mesmerized by the canopy created by the trees. Sometimes you wonder when the road will be taken over by them. We stopped and took a quick mile trail to visit the oldest tree in Founder's Grove. It won the award after the tallest and oldest tree The Dyerville Giant fell to the ground. One of earth's largest creatures, born a thousand years before Columbus, now lies in state to give visitors a new perspective on spectacular trees. When measured in 1972, the Dyerville Giant stood 362 feet tall and had a circumference of 52 feet four inches and a crown spread of 74 feet. At 1,010 total points, as measured by the American Forestry Association's scoring system, it was second only to the giant sequoia champion. The Dyerville Giant's crown is now in pieces, but the tree's final height has been estimated at about 370 feet, certainly within several feet of having been the tallest tree in the world.
Even for those who saw it when it was still standing, its size is difficult to comprehend. This tree was as tall as a 30-story building, 200 feet taller than Niagara Falls. It weighed more than a loaded 747 Jumbo Jet. If you stand up and look down at a quarter lying on the floor, you will see how small a person lying on the ground would look if you were on top of the once-standing Dyerville Giant.
The enormity of these trees is incomprehensible and you stand in wonderment of this ecosystem. Hopefully Wyerhauser and Home Depot don't destroy it!
The next day we got up at the crack up down to some nice cool temperatures, packed up our gear and headed to the Lost Coast. It is aptly named due to it being the only section where Highway 1- the famous coastline road of California- does not traverse. One can only visit this area by foot. It has a mysterious feel to it because of the low hanging fog and lack of tourists. We started out at Shelter Cove the southern most end of the hike after stopping to get our permit at the Ranger's station. Once they confirmed we had a bear can to securely store all our food we were off. We definitely had to be creative with our shopping to make sure all our food and provisions would fit in the bear can. I made up a big batch of brown rice and mixed it with some tuna and peas and stored it in a baggie. It would smoosh inside the can easily. No need for plates! Lots of raisins, nuts, and M&M's. Lunch consisted of salmon, cheese and crackers with a side of applesauce. Tuna and salmon, don't think we attracted any bears do you??
Once we reached the coast, although not foggy we had great cloud cover and a morning temperature of about 50 degrees-perfect football weather. Dressed in a light fleece jacket and hiking pants I was in heaven. We trampled along the beach at a quick pace but still not at our usual rate due to having to hike in pretty deep sand or through rocks. At times it felt like you were walking on the bottom of a riverbed. The only noise you heard was the roar of the waves and your feet click clacking over the rocks. Having checked the tide charts we had plenty of time to make it to our destination. At a few spots along the hike you have to be careful of the tides due to the narrowness of the beach. You will become one with the ocean if caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We chose not to have a schedule and decided to hike until we felt like stopping. With no pressure on us to reach a destination we took several breaks and had an hour and a half lunch. We pulled up a seat on the beach with our backs resting against a huge washed up log and talked about our "Plan B" starring out at the ocean. We probably would not have moved except we were in that critical tide path and the sun was going down. Thankfully we only had about another 45 minutes to reach the first camp site at Buck Creek Canyon. Upon arrival we scouted out the area. The Buck Creek flows down from Kings Crest Canyon into the ocean. Alongside the creek are several camping spots and we had the pick of the area. We chose a spot just above the beach with a perfect view of the ocean. The evening winds picked up and we put on our jackets and enjoyed a nice dinner listening to the waves crashing on the sea walls. Our neighbors below invited us down to their fire and we logged another evening with a "one night Stan". These guys were high school buddies from Napa but currently live in Los Angeles and Portland. Each year they get together and do an all boys backpack trip. During our visit they convinced us to take the Buck Creek Trail up to Kings Canyon upland instead of continuing down the beach. It would give us different scenery and a good workout because it was 2500 feet in elevation change over a 2 mile trail. Once the fire burned out we called it an evening and headed back up the hill to our campsite. Roby found a good hiding spot for our bear can about 75 yards from our tent. We snuggled into our sleeping bags and at least dreamed of a good night of sleep. I deliberately did not drink a lot of water that evening because no way was I going to get up in the middle of the night and stare down the local mother bear and her two cubs. My strategy worked and I made it to morning.
We had a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal bars and fruit. No hurry to get to our hike because we were going to leave our tent at the camp site and return for another evening. At about 11:00 am we packed up a small backpack with our lunch and filled our canteens with water and headed uphill. Immediately the terrain changed and we entered the forest. It felt like we were in the Hobbit Landscape. Lots of ferns, green lush vegetation and poison oak everywhere. I kept my hands by my side and did not get off the trail having just recovered from a bout of poison oak the week previously. The boys told us they had seen bear scat along the trail when they came down it the other day but did not have any sitings. With our luck and the salmon in our backpack we figured we were targets. They must have not been in the mood for fish because the only wildlife we found was mosquitos and flies!
The majority of the trail was shaded by tree cover except when we got closer to the ridge. The sun baked us for a short distance but we found shade and stopped for lunch. We had a very interesting view of low hanging clouds with bright blue sky above it. Felt like we were just above heaven. The hike up was a tiny Mt Rainer and we had forgotten our hiking poles which would have been extremely helpful for the adventure down. Good thing we did not have on our heavy packs because the majority of it felt like a 5k run. Coming out of the forest we were welcomed with a nice gentle breeze from the ocean and cooled off quickly. The fleece jacket and winter stocking cap were put on before we enjoyed our dinner. Another night of tuna and rice out of a bag.
After a wonderful night under the stars we chose to get up early and head back to Shelter Cove so we would miss high tide at 10::00 am. Having reached our destination early we decided to take the long way home down Highway 1. We were going to pick it up at its inception a portion we had not yet traveled and take it through Fort Bragg to Anderson Valley where we would stop for a beer at a solar-powered brewery. The coastline changes dramatically as you head south. We saw many out abalone diving. We can now say we have officially driven Highway 1.
Once we headed East the windows went up and the air conditioning came on-a reminder our journey was over.
After a long week with the circus and temperatures reaching the 100's we decided to take a break and do some backpacking on the Lost Coast. Since we had Monday off for the holiday we just took Tuesday off along with our regular days off of Wednesday and Thursday and headed to Humboldt. Our first night we spent camping in Humboldt State Park home of the famous Avenue of the Giants. Our site was along the Eel River surrounded by old growth redwood trees. We had to rough it without our big comfy air mattress because we were going to be backpacking the next couple of days.
After we set up camp we took a drive along the parkway mesmerized by the canopy created by the trees. Sometimes you wonder when the road will be taken over by them. We stopped and took a quick mile trail to visit the oldest tree in Founder's Grove. It won the award after the tallest and oldest tree The Dyerville Giant fell to the ground. One of earth's largest creatures, born a thousand years before Columbus, now lies in state to give visitors a new perspective on spectacular trees. When measured in 1972, the Dyerville Giant stood 362 feet tall and had a circumference of 52 feet four inches and a crown spread of 74 feet. At 1,010 total points, as measured by the American Forestry Association's scoring system, it was second only to the giant sequoia champion. The Dyerville Giant's crown is now in pieces, but the tree's final height has been estimated at about 370 feet, certainly within several feet of having been the tallest tree in the world.
Even for those who saw it when it was still standing, its size is difficult to comprehend. This tree was as tall as a 30-story building, 200 feet taller than Niagara Falls. It weighed more than a loaded 747 Jumbo Jet. If you stand up and look down at a quarter lying on the floor, you will see how small a person lying on the ground would look if you were on top of the once-standing Dyerville Giant.
The enormity of these trees is incomprehensible and you stand in wonderment of this ecosystem. Hopefully Wyerhauser and Home Depot don't destroy it!
The next day we got up at the crack up down to some nice cool temperatures, packed up our gear and headed to the Lost Coast. It is aptly named due to it being the only section where Highway 1- the famous coastline road of California- does not traverse. One can only visit this area by foot. It has a mysterious feel to it because of the low hanging fog and lack of tourists. We started out at Shelter Cove the southern most end of the hike after stopping to get our permit at the Ranger's station. Once they confirmed we had a bear can to securely store all our food we were off. We definitely had to be creative with our shopping to make sure all our food and provisions would fit in the bear can. I made up a big batch of brown rice and mixed it with some tuna and peas and stored it in a baggie. It would smoosh inside the can easily. No need for plates! Lots of raisins, nuts, and M&M's. Lunch consisted of salmon, cheese and crackers with a side of applesauce. Tuna and salmon, don't think we attracted any bears do you??
Once we reached the coast, although not foggy we had great cloud cover and a morning temperature of about 50 degrees-perfect football weather. Dressed in a light fleece jacket and hiking pants I was in heaven. We trampled along the beach at a quick pace but still not at our usual rate due to having to hike in pretty deep sand or through rocks. At times it felt like you were walking on the bottom of a riverbed. The only noise you heard was the roar of the waves and your feet click clacking over the rocks. Having checked the tide charts we had plenty of time to make it to our destination. At a few spots along the hike you have to be careful of the tides due to the narrowness of the beach. You will become one with the ocean if caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We chose not to have a schedule and decided to hike until we felt like stopping. With no pressure on us to reach a destination we took several breaks and had an hour and a half lunch. We pulled up a seat on the beach with our backs resting against a huge washed up log and talked about our "Plan B" starring out at the ocean. We probably would not have moved except we were in that critical tide path and the sun was going down. Thankfully we only had about another 45 minutes to reach the first camp site at Buck Creek Canyon. Upon arrival we scouted out the area. The Buck Creek flows down from Kings Crest Canyon into the ocean. Alongside the creek are several camping spots and we had the pick of the area. We chose a spot just above the beach with a perfect view of the ocean. The evening winds picked up and we put on our jackets and enjoyed a nice dinner listening to the waves crashing on the sea walls. Our neighbors below invited us down to their fire and we logged another evening with a "one night Stan". These guys were high school buddies from Napa but currently live in Los Angeles and Portland. Each year they get together and do an all boys backpack trip. During our visit they convinced us to take the Buck Creek Trail up to Kings Canyon upland instead of continuing down the beach. It would give us different scenery and a good workout because it was 2500 feet in elevation change over a 2 mile trail. Once the fire burned out we called it an evening and headed back up the hill to our campsite. Roby found a good hiding spot for our bear can about 75 yards from our tent. We snuggled into our sleeping bags and at least dreamed of a good night of sleep. I deliberately did not drink a lot of water that evening because no way was I going to get up in the middle of the night and stare down the local mother bear and her two cubs. My strategy worked and I made it to morning.
We had a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal bars and fruit. No hurry to get to our hike because we were going to leave our tent at the camp site and return for another evening. At about 11:00 am we packed up a small backpack with our lunch and filled our canteens with water and headed uphill. Immediately the terrain changed and we entered the forest. It felt like we were in the Hobbit Landscape. Lots of ferns, green lush vegetation and poison oak everywhere. I kept my hands by my side and did not get off the trail having just recovered from a bout of poison oak the week previously. The boys told us they had seen bear scat along the trail when they came down it the other day but did not have any sitings. With our luck and the salmon in our backpack we figured we were targets. They must have not been in the mood for fish because the only wildlife we found was mosquitos and flies!
The majority of the trail was shaded by tree cover except when we got closer to the ridge. The sun baked us for a short distance but we found shade and stopped for lunch. We had a very interesting view of low hanging clouds with bright blue sky above it. Felt like we were just above heaven. The hike up was a tiny Mt Rainer and we had forgotten our hiking poles which would have been extremely helpful for the adventure down. Good thing we did not have on our heavy packs because the majority of it felt like a 5k run. Coming out of the forest we were welcomed with a nice gentle breeze from the ocean and cooled off quickly. The fleece jacket and winter stocking cap were put on before we enjoyed our dinner. Another night of tuna and rice out of a bag.
After a wonderful night under the stars we chose to get up early and head back to Shelter Cove so we would miss high tide at 10::00 am. Having reached our destination early we decided to take the long way home down Highway 1. We were going to pick it up at its inception a portion we had not yet traveled and take it through Fort Bragg to Anderson Valley where we would stop for a beer at a solar-powered brewery. The coastline changes dramatically as you head south. We saw many out abalone diving. We can now say we have officially driven Highway 1.
Once we headed East the windows went up and the air conditioning came on-a reminder our journey was over.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Circus is in Town
June 25th
After an intense week at the Magruder Farm, Roby and I came back to the SLI to help set up for the Chautauqua Circus Event. The institute graciously hosted the 65 member circus on the site for an entire week. Our quiet spot for the tiny house was no longer. As we pulled in hoping to get a good night's sleep before the setup the next day, we were surprised with two large school buses parked on both sides of the tiny house and a makeshift kitchen right next door. Within shouting distance were 25 tents erected under the solar panels. Quiet was not in the picture. We made the best of it and introduced ourselves to the carnies and enjoyed the juggling and trapeze practice. At about 4 am the band quieted down and we were able to go to sleep.
We spent the next day preparing the site for the evening event and then helped with parking the guests. We were able to take a break and watch the last half of the show. It is a vaudeville style circus with jugglers ( The Flying Karamazov Brothers), silk acrobatics, clown comedy, musicians, and singers. They travel together in makeshift buses and caravan for about 2 weeks to small towns putting on their act.
They are based out of Washington and usually pick a different route every year. The group is a takeoff from the original community out of Chautauqua New York. Check out their website www.chautauqua.org
The show started at 7:00 pm and ended about 10:30 pm but the party was just beginning. Circus people know how to live it up. For the next 4 hours the band moved up to the beer garden on the site's upper patio and played an impromptu concert. Many stayed up until 4:30 am to see the Eclipse. Regardless of what time they went to bed, they were all up at 8:30 am getting ready for their next show. They used the SLI site as their base camp and would roll in about midnight each night and proceed to the garden and continue the festivities until 4 every morning. It was our own private seranade!
The group is an unique mix of people ranging from professionals traveling with their children to young struggling musicians. No bearded woman or four legged man in this circus!!
On their last night they held a private show for us called the Bent Show. This is where the performers impersonate one another and try and act out a different role on stage. Some amazingly talented people.
We were such good hosts, they gave Roby and me honorary Chautauqua t-shirts. If we do not find any jobs at year's end, the Circus is our Plan B.
Living Off the Land 2
On Monday we ventured up to the Magruder Ranch in Potter Valley. I believe I have written about the ranch before. Each time the place becomes even more amazing. The 2400 acres are breathtaking. You feel like you are at Walden Pond walking around the site contemplating life. Not that we had a lot of time for that because Massey put us to work right away. We put in 9-11 hour days stomping and slinging cobb, filling earthbags and earth plastering. Each day we started off with 4 hours of work then we would break for lunch, have an afternoon classroom session on natural building procedures, soil composition or plasters and finishes. In the heat of the afternoon we would venture down to the Russian River and take a swim before we got back to work for 4-5 more hours.
The project was a seat wall bench for their yard. Massey was great because she incorporated several different techniques into it to give us a more well-rounded education. The foundation was earthbags where we filled recycled "feed bags" with a screened gravel from the river. Yes, we had to hand screen all the gravel and remove the large ones which do not work well in making a flat base. The procedure to fill the bag is tricky. You get a really good shoulder and upper back workout though!
Once the base was completed which took almost two days,
we began making the upper lift seat out of cobb. We once again had to screen the sand but to an even finer level and prepare the clay. Once we got all the elements together we had to knead it with our feet. You heard a lot of oohs and awes from the class because the rocks were jabbing your toes and arches. 
Once it was mixed you molded it on the earthbags. Amazing how sturdy and tough the material is. We allowed it to dry for a day before we applied the lime plaster to the base.
This plaster is made of lime and sand and keeps the structure protected from the elements. It is permeable to help prevent mold. Our last section was building the back for the bench. We used a technique called waddle and dab which is a cob mixture but adheres to the bamboo in a layering fashion. Five days and 12 people later we had a completed bench except for the final plaster. The best part is the bench was made from all local materials from the Magruder Ranch and Solarliving Institute. We did not have to purchase anything. Natural Building is the wave of the future. Roby and I are going to build one as soon as we figure out where we are going to live!
Because the was for a week everyone camped on the site. They have an outdoor kitchen so we did most of our cooking there. The best part is the pigs wonder the site and we could just throw our food scrapes over the fence and feed them. The Magruders also offered a meal package with the workshop and several people took them up on it. The meals were amazing but dinners were mostly meat so we only took them up on their offer one night. In fact everyone participated and we had a group dinner. They raise only grass-fed cattle and pig. All organic.
It was a perfect week-made some new friends, learned a new skill and slept with the pigs!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Living Off the Land
June 18th through June 25th
This week by far has been the best workshop experience we have had so far. Our instructor Massey and Alan are great at their crafts and we not only learned a lot but sweated off a few pounds. Our first encounter was building a strawbale house. Sad thing is the structure is bigger than the tiny house.
We were able to build it in two days. Amazing the insulation value it has. I did learn that I am allergic to the straw and had to wear a long sleeve shirt while working with it. Each bale weighs about 75 pounds. We learned how to stack them correctly, install electrical and frame out the windows, doors and roof. The finale was applying the finishing coat of cobb plaster to the exterior. Basically we got to play with mud! (for those who do not know-cobb is a mixture of straw, clay and sand. The Solar Living Institute's Real Goods Store is a 5000 square foot strawbale structure and with the great insulation factor it does not need any heating or cooling. So who wants Roby and I to build you one?
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