Category Archives: Uncategorized
How to build a tumbling composter
When I first moved into my current home last August, I really wanted to compost. I built a bin out of wire fencing that I bought through craigslist and constructed a cylinder of sorts using concrete blocks (my favorite gardening … Continue reading
Growing microgreens inside or out
As time goes on and I continue to neglect this blog, I keep learning new techniques, experimenting, and thinking, “this would be really great to post…” but never doing it. With that in mind, I bring you some practical knowledge … Continue reading
My interview with Courtney Tchida, University of Minnesota Student Organic Farm Manager
I recently began working for Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture with Cornercopia Student Organic Farm at the University of Minnesota. My days are spent with Courtney Tchida, Cornercopia’s farm manager, MISA’s student programs coordinator, and long-time permaculture advocate. For this interview, we … Continue reading
Autumn: a new era
It’s been awhile… September has been filled with harvest all over the region, a killer frost or two, and exciting plans for the future. In the coming week, I hope to plant garlic in my yard for harvest next summer … Continue reading
How to build a raised bed with cinder blocks
This is actually an extremely easy thing to do. Last week I moved into a new place in the Powderhorn neighborhood, where the soil is rumored to be full of arsenic. Not wanting to bother to test for it before … Continue reading
My interview with Northfield’s Paul Sebby: Transition Towns, time banks and energy efficiency
This week I got the chance to speak with Paul Sebby, a Transition Town activist and permaculture homesteader. Paul got into permaculture through Transition Towns, a movement “comprised of vibrant, grassroots community initiatives that seek to build community resilience in … Continue reading
How to compost with worms: vermiculture
Composting is great. It’s a fairly simple and easy part of a sustainable lifestyle: It cuts down on your landfill contributions, creates usable nutrients for growing plants, and as I’ve been learning recently, you can do it while you play … Continue reading
Smart planning
As the summer progresses and my own permaculture ventures fail to pop up overnight, I’m struck by how comforted this actually makes me feel. Planning is such an important aspect of permaculture. It says so right in the introduction of … Continue reading
A great weekend & a promising future
Last Saturday was a PRI day for me. In the morning I bussed over to the U of M’s Student Organic Farm to attend the Harvesting & Handling Produce practicum of PRI’s urban farming certification program. We got a comprehensive … Continue reading
House of Hope’s new community garden: a Design and Demonstration project
Hello again! Here it goes, the first example of permaculture in the community — it’s a good one, and it comes right from us at PRI. Just a few weeks ago, PRI worked with members of the House of Hope … Continue reading
Permaculture Musings for Cold Climates 