Archive for the ‘Post Topics’ Category

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Preparing for Disaster or Prolonged Power Outage

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

Cat’s note, Feb 2, 2015:

The following article is by one of our members in Columbia Falls. You may remember our video slideshow about repurposing (see Gathering Summary: Repurposing & Other Innovations, September 21, 2011), and the segment on using cob to build an outdoor sauna and other projects; those photos and text were his. I want to thank him for this wonderful article. See Preparing for Prolonged Power Outage for a printable pdf of this entire article.

Topics include:

  1. One man’s experience and learnings during super-storm Sandy;
  2. Lessons learned;
  3. Author’s notes;
  4. Sizing the generator;
  5. Setting up the generator;
  6. How to run your furnace, boiler or other heating units and stoves without grid-power.

(more…)

Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Energy | No Comments »

Event Notice: Workshop on Gardening, January 17, 2015

Wednesday, January 14th, 2015

By Cat, Jan 14, 2015

  • What: Workshop on Gardening with Bob Ford, Uber Master Gardener; presented by Bigfork/Ferndale Community Garden
  • When: January 17, 2015, 10 AM
  • Where: St Patrick’s Episcopal Church, corner of Hwy 209 and S. Ferndale (30631 MT Hwy 209), Bigfork MT; see LOCATION MAP. Please enter through the big red doors off the parking lot.
  • Who: Free and open to the public.
  • Contact:  Call Michelle at 871-3509 with any questions

Additional information:

(more…)

Posted in Events: Other, Gardening | Comments Closed

Household Pets and Christmas

Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

By Catherine Haug, Dec 9, 2014

The following is transcribed from an Oregon Humane Society Newsletter article by Tanya Roberts, winter, 2014 (1). I’ve added a few of my own notes in square brackets.  This article includes hints regarding:

  • Stress/anxiety relief for pets
  • Food safety, etc
  • Holiday plants and decorations
  • [Artificial trees (by Catherine)]

When planning a holiday dinner or party, what can you do to keep your pets safe and happy during this time? (more…)

Posted in Ecology, Health, Home & Ranch | No Comments »

Ebola cure from ZMapp: another type of GMO

Sunday, September 14th, 2014

by Catherine Haug, September 14, 2014

We know GMOs as a genetically engineered ‘food’ – for example, bT corn which is genetically engineered to produce the toxin normally produced by the bT bacteria. This substance is toxic to pests that eat the corn. Unfortunately, if you eat a food product made from bT corn, it includes the DNA that can produce that toxin, so that when ingested, it can potentially produce the toxin in your body too.

But that type of GMO product is just the tip of the technology iceberg. Bio-tech companies are rapidly expanding and modifying the technique for many other applications. For example, forcing a tobacco plant to produce a new type of antibiotic that helps the body fight off infection by the ebola virus. At first blush, this seems like a good, novel idea. But Science still doesn’t know the long-term effects of the application of this technology, just as it doesn’t know (or doesn’t admit) the long-term effects of GMO ‘foods.’

How does this new antibody technique work? (more…)

Posted in GMO, Remedies | Comments Closed

Montana Coop at the Dragon Boat Race

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

By Catherine Haug, Sept 9, 2014

The Montana Co-op is a virtual farmers market that currently encompasses food producers in western Montana, but will eventually include the entire state. Currently there are two food hubs: Ronan and Polson; work will start on establishing a Bigfork hub in the near future.

For more information about the co-op, you can see earlier posts on this topic at Postings about Montana Co-op; see also the Gathering Notice: Montana Co-op, a virtual farmers market from July 2012 for links to handouts from Jason’s presentation in Bigfork, and my post: Montana Co-op: Open to new Memberships, for lots more information. View the Co-op’s website: www.montanacoop.com.

The Coop is preparing for the Dragon Boat race in Bigfork, with a Kid’s Coop team. Two separate events are listed below:

  • Montana Coop, Kid’s Coop dragon boat team meetings and practice
  • Two Montana Coop Booths at the Dragon Boat Race

(more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Community, Events: Other, Home & Ranch, Local Food System, Shop Local | Comments Closed

Fermented vs unfermented soy: friend vs foe

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

Silk vanilla soy milkBy Catherine Haug, Sept 9, 2014 (photo, right, from silk.com (3))

The vegetarian, vegan and veggie-juicing communities all promote the consumption of soy and soy products as good for you. Many site that Asians consider soy to be a sacred crop as proof of its goodness. But is this really true? What are the facts and history of soy consumption?

It is true that many Asians consider soy to be a sacred crop, but this is primarily because of the nitrogen-fixing benefit it provides, as a legume, to the soil for growing other crops, not because of any dietary healthfulness. It is also true that many Asians include soy products in their daily diet, but not the same soy products sold in Western countries.

May people site the isoflavones present in soy as being beneficial for health, especially women’s health because of their estrogen-like (phytoestrogen) activity. However, one of soy’s isoflavones – genistein – is believed to have toxicity issues, though more research is needed as various studies report conflicting results (see Fact Sheet: Phytoestrogen Genistein, from Breast Cancer and Environment Research Centers, or BCERC (1). Genistein is present in other foods, including mothers’ milk, but in much lesser quantities than in soy.

What is one to believe? The answer lies in the differences between fermented and non-fermented soy. (more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Health | Comments Closed

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