Jeff:
>I just attended a day of garden talks and may be able
>to discuss the following topics if anyone is interested:
>
> John Jeavons - Bio-Intensive mini-farming
> Michael Ableman - Relationships and food
> Steve Rogers - hot beds in greenhouses
> Frank Morton - A natural farm
>
>The keynote speaker was Jeavons but I found
>the other speakers more interesting.
Jeff, I envy you the position to listen to all these good people, a prize,
no doubt, for living in a less boondockey place than I.
I find your reaction to Jeavons interesting. Those who have read my
Amazon.com review of his How To Grow More Vegetables, et cetera, know that
I come down on Jeavons pretty hard for the current condition of that title,
which you can read at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898157676/ref=cm_mp_etc/104-1399661-7660
715
I think Jeavons needs a good shaking. He has a lot of knowledge and I hope
he will stop coasting and start growing--himself, that is--for the benefit
of the many sincere gardening noviates who are attempting to grow their own
food.
>The Mar/Apr issue of Backwoods Home has an outstanding
>article on small scale hydro systems. The political
>content of this magazine isn't to my taste so beware.
Yeah, I often differ with Dave Duffey's political views. But we all might
profit from reading the current, The Coming American Dictatorship, which is
pretty much straight-forward and I find hard not to head-nod with.
By-the-bye, putting out a facsimile of the early Shuttleworth, Mother Earth
News, is a helluva piece of work, so I give Duffey substantial slack for
his personal political views. You have no doubt noted that Jerry Belanger
has hung up his keyboard from Countryside magazine. It's tough work, coming
up with a never-ending stream of how-to-do-it material, even if, as with
Belanger, most of the material is provided by readers. Gawd, how many times
do you think he has had to read the question and republish the answer to,
"Do I need a rooster to get eggs?"
All that aside, Jeff, I would be interested in reading what you learned
about hotbeds in greenhouses. It's that time of year when I, too, start
getting itchy seed-planting fingers. And I have built a new little addition
to the house that I hope will make starting maters, peppers, basil, etc., a
bit easier. So, fire at will.
Gene GeRue
Author: How To Find Your Ideal Country Home: A Comprehensive Guide
http://www.ruralize.com/
Gardeners can look their potatoes in the eye and feel good about what they
see there.
