Down on the farm...The worm farm that is.

It occurred to me that some might wonder just what a lazy but dedicated Permaculturest (aka permie) might do to get their selves in line with the stated philosophy.

Some of my methods are simple things dictated by the fact that I can't afford to go out and buy all kinds of neat new toys. Toy's like solar panels, wind turbines, batteries to store the energy those two produce or even solar powered electric fencing to keep the goats in. Or any kind of fencing for that mater.

Permie method #1. My thermostat is set at 80 degrees. Unless the weather folks say it's going to be lower than that and not rain. Then I turn off the ac, open the window's and lock the screen doors I added onto my house. I added those doors just so I could open the main doors and keep the cats in and the bugs out. #2. I try not to buy stuff that is over packaged. I get my top up card for my cell phone at the DG because they put the info on my receipt and I don't have a chunk of plastic to worry about. Shoot, I can't afford to buy to much of anything anyway!. #3. I rinse out the cans I get soup or beans or whatever in and place them in the container with the plastic, glass and metal. #4. I store up the junk mail I get as well as any other scrap paper I generate and the odd newspaper. #5. I either use the paper to make paper mache boxes or some such or I take it, cardboard I've collected, and the sack or box of stuff from #3 to the recycling place there in Greenville. I'm trying to do this once a month. The result is I only add about one trash can of stuff a month to the local land fill. #6. My small left over food scraps, and tea bags feed my worms. The larger, non-meat, scraps...if any, go to the goats. To bad I don't have chickens to feed meat scraps to. To bad I don't have any meat scraps. #7. I have horses on this place too and I refuse to let the folks who clean the stalls try to 'dump' or 'put out for collection' the leavings in the stalls. (yeah, they get odd idea's like that) Instead, I insist on it being piled up where it can compost and eventually be used to either feed the gardens I plan to have or the worms I hope to eventually have working away for me. #8. I don't turn on lights unless I actually need them. #9. As there is no one here but me, I only do one load of washing about once a week. That saves energy and water. #10. I'm watching the way things grow, even weeds and such, on my place. Where they grow and where I and others leave trails or insist on mowing. This will let me know where I can plan to plant gardens and possibly even what kind of stuff I can grow in them. I'm also watching to see where would be a good place to set up a worm farm larger than the one presently setting on the counter beside my sink.

Umm. I'm betting that some out there are saying: "Worms? WORMS!!? Eeeeeyuuuuu! By the sink!!! In your KITCHEN!!!"
Yeah, I know you're also likely thinking: nasty, icky, smelly and gross.

Me. I like worms. I also respect them for the yeoman work they do keeping the biosphere going.

You do know that almost all life on this planet...including our whole civilization is completely dependent on about the 3 to 6 inches or so of arable soil that covers the some of the land masses of this planet. And don't give me that foolishness about hydroponics. Talk about energy and work intensive agriculture!! Besides, they aren't smelly and are only icky and gross if you are a sissy. (So says the gal whose always been a 'tomboy')

Worms keep the soil alive, healthy and able to support crops. They aerate and mix the soil as well as digest and make available all kinds of nutrients needed by the plants we need to live.

Yeah, even us meat loving carnivores need plants. Remember, those critters we like to eat? They need plants to live and the plants also make oxygen for us all to breath.

So if your ever looking for something or someone to thank for your continued existence, thank the worms and, also, the bees! If you are wondering; no bees, no pollination, no fruit, vegetables or such.