25 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Michael R. Johnson
12 years ago

http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=35305.0;topicseen
I came across this on the forum Last night. there is a link to a youtube video with an hour long episode of Geoff Lawton putting in a dam and swale system. I thought it was very helpful to watch.

robertdseals
robertdseals
12 years ago

Interesting topic as I just had to replace my pump on my well yesterday. As the well is 220′ it makes me wonder what I’d do if we ever lost electricity for an extended period. Another project to work on!

Mark L.
Mark L.
12 years ago
Reply to  robertdseals

I am in the same boat my friend. The solution I am heavily leaning towards is a PTO generator to hang off of the tractor to run the well pump for maybe an hour a day when the grid is down. Durring this hour we’ll do all the water related tasks and fill water storage containers. We have a 600 gallon diesel tank to keep the tractor going for a while.

I can’t wait to listen to this episode as I have may water questions…

Roundabouts
Roundabouts
12 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrYziauGnGw&feature=related

Wow talk about being on the same page LOL. This is a you tube I found yesterday with Geoff Lawton “Harvesting Water the Permaculture Way” He goes through the entire process from design to building to first planting all on a 6 acre lot. It’s about an hour long.

Loved this show !!! Perfect timing. With this and the video I think I really get it now!

Lisapaintergirl
Lisapaintergirl
12 years ago

Rain is better than manually watering,not only because of the better saturation, but because of the energy in the atmosphere. Especially a lightning storm- the plants, and new seeds love all that electricity, ions, whatever it is- gets them excited. -I believe.

eternal_newb
eternal_newb
12 years ago

Jack,

very interested to hear about the Geoff Lawton event you want to hold next year. can you provide any additional details about this? is it going to be a PDC, or something like it?

great, great show today. water is life on the landscape.

Roundabouts
Roundabouts
12 years ago

Oh yes would love an event. Better start saving now. Experts don’t come cheap! Need as much time to save as possible. Or better yet I could get one of those credit cards so I could get the free miles. Then my plane ticket would be FREE.

Just kidding wanted to see if any one was paying attention.

decline
12 years ago

Hey Jack,

Any interest in doing a show about the new property search? I’m just wondering whats driving it. Is Arkansas simply too far away or is the property not what you ultimately want?

Are there plans for a large permaculture property as a business in the future?

Thanks!

LJH
LJH
12 years ago

Just ordered a Johnson Sight Level from Northern – cool tip, thanks!

I also bought a 3 DVD set of Lawton’s, ordered from the website for the same reason, to support what he’s doing, but it’s in the PAL format and won’t play on either my computer or DVD player. I just assumed they would ship the US orders in a format that could be used here, but not so. With shipping it was over $100 and I can’t use it (whine, grumble, bitch, bitch)!

LJH
LJH
12 years ago

You lucked out, they won’t play on my Dell (with brand-new DVD hardware). Oh well, I’ll find someone who can use them & barter for something. Thanks for the reply, Jack!

Moonvalleyprepper
Moonvalleyprepper
12 years ago
Reply to  LJH

You can also try:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

VLC player, it will play pretty much any format you throw at it. Those DVD’s will for sure play on a computer you just have to have the proper software installed. You could install some codec packs also, but the VLC is an easier route.

LJH
LJH
12 years ago

!!! Well, I’ll be dipped in dogshit, IT WORKS!

Dunno what I did wrong last try (digital idiot here), but it plays in Windows Media Player and I’m one happy old crone this evening. Jack, you’re worth your former weight in gold, thank you so much.

Vettezuki
Vettezuki
12 years ago

Idea for Lawton event or related higher end education: how about a suggested minimum reading/viewing so that people come in with at least a familiarity with the concepts and language? Probably not a problem with TSP audience perhaps, just remembering what you said yesterday about some people being at ground level for Holzer.

Also, if you get a hot arid place, maybe set aside a small area to try some Zai farming techniques??

Vettezuki
Vettezuki
12 years ago

Oh fantastic. If he’s coming to Cali, could be exactly what I’m looking for with perfect timing. Thanks for the heads up.

Jeff NH
12 years ago

I wonder if “what about the mosquitoes?” will become as popular as “but who will build the roads?”.

j.bradbury
12 years ago

Below is a video about a Natural Swimming Pool. Seems like a good alternative to the standard pools.

How to make a DIY Natural Swimming Pool. by PermacultureMedia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TMxTDm2WSiE

Paul Ely
Paul Ely
12 years ago

If you ‘walk’ your A-frame level then it will average any mirror mus-calibrations each time you flip it around.

jeff
12 years ago

I was thinking about your laser level idea and if you glue the laser on the side of the level, centered top to bottom then you can calibrate it by setting it on a stable surface not necissarily a level one then shine the laser at wall mark that spot, flip the level over mark the new spot, find the midpoint and adjust the laser to that midpoint. It should be good to go then.

Busma
Busma
12 years ago
Reply to  jeff

When Jack mentioned this idea it reminded me of a little tool I have for hanging pictures, curtains, etc. This link is to a similar item. http://www.amazon.com/Laser-Guided-Level-Perfect-Picture/dp/B007KLEM4W
The laser on mine isn’t all too powerful, but it would work.

Jen
Jen
12 years ago

Jack, this is one the very best episodes of TSP ever. Really. I will have to listen to this episode many, many times to accurately “picture” these concepts in my mind; I’m slow, and I haven’t been studying permaculture as long as many TSPers have. It will take a lot of repetition to absorb fully. I hope you do the white-board thing! Thank you, Jack, for this awesome episode.

Philip
Philip
12 years ago

I use a rotary laser level for a lot of my construction and permaculture projects. You can’t beat it for one person surveys and layouts, especially when you need to do long elevation shots out to 500 feet. A couple other tips, you don’t need a spirit level to calibrate your A-frame. You mark your cross piece of the A-frame where the string crosses then reverse the leg position where they touch the ground, mark again ,and measure to find center of two marks. That’s level. No-tech. I also have a small level with a laser built in that came with a tripod and a mounting base that lets you manually level it then rotate 360 degrees. It’s cheaper than the rotary level and you can still use a laser detector when it’s too bright to see the beam.

Jake
Jake
12 years ago

This would explain why I have 1 inch carrots growing :/