Spotlight On: Dan Phillips

By Kate Murphy for the New York Times

AMONG the traditional brick and clapboard structures that line the streets of this sleepy East Texas town, 70 miles north of Houston, a few houses stand out: their roofs are made of license plates, and their windows of crystal platters.

They are the creations of Dan Phillips, 64, who has had an astonishingly varied life, working as an intelligence officer in the Army, a college dance instructor, an antiques dealer and a syndicated cryptogram puzzle maker. About 12 years ago, Mr. Phillips began his latest career: building low-income housing out of trash.

In 1997 Mr. Phillips mortgaged his house to start his construction company, Phoenix Commotion. “Look at kids playing with blocks,” he said. “I think it’s in everyone’s DNA to want to be a builder.” Moreover, he said, he was disturbed by the irony of landfills choked with building materials and yet a lack of affordable housing.

To him, almost anything discarded and durable is potential building material. Standing in one of his houses and pointing to a colorful, zigzag-patterned ceiling he made out of thousands of picture frame corners, Mr. Phillips said, “A frame shop was getting rid of old samples, and I was there waiting.”
So far, he has built 14 homes in Huntsville, which is his hometown, on lots either purchased or received as a donation. A self-taught carpenter, electrician and plumber, Mr. Phillips said 80 percent of the materials are salvaged from other construction projects, hauled out of trash heaps or just picked up from the side of the road. “You can’t defy the laws of physics or building codes,” he said, “but beyond that, the possibilities are endless.”

While the homes are intended for low-income individuals, some of the original buyers could not hold on to them. To Mr. Phillips’s disappointment, half of the homes he has built have been lost to foreclosure — the payments ranged from $99 to $300 a month.

Some of those people simply disappeared, leaving the properties distressingly dirty and in disrepair. “You can put someone in a new home but you can’t give them a new mindset,” Mr. Phillips said.

Originally Published Sept. 2, 2009, in the New York Times.

Want to learn more? Check out one of Dan's tutorials:

• Getting Started
• Tile Shard Floors
• Lumber How-To
• Fans of Fans

The Timeless Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Originally published at Alternative Health Zone

by Howard Jamison on December 14, 2009

I recently acquired this amazing booklet: A Friend in Need – Facts worth knowing about Arm & Hammer Baking Soda as a proven medicinal agent. (copyright 1922!!)

Here are some excerpts from the publication:
“The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following voluntary testimony of Edward R. Hays, M.D., in his letter to the Church & Dwight Company (Owner):

“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks. I have since that time treated all cases of ‘Cold,’ Influenza and LaGrippe by first giving generous doses of Bicarbonate of Soda, and in many, many instances within 36 hours the symptoms would have entirely abated. 

Further, within my own household, before Woman’s Clubs and Parent-Teachers’ Associations, I have advocated the use of Bicarbonate of Soda as a preventive for “Colds,” with the result that now many reports are coming in stating that those who took “Soda” were not affected, while nearly every one around them had the “Flu.”

Baking Soda Treatment For Colds and Flu
Recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1922 were:

• During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals.
• During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals.
• During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Arm and Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured.

In addition to the above, a hot Soda Bath is very beneficial. Use half pound to one pound of Bicarbonate of Soda in as hot a bath as can be borne. Remain immersed in the water for about fifteen minutes. It is important to go to bed at once after this bath in order to avoid exposure.

A bath taken in this way causes the Alkali to penetrate the system and is a material aid to the human system in throwing off the germs of Grippe (flu).

On another page, an additional health tip:
“In continuous hyperacidity and in fermentative conditions a dose an hour before meals will tend to prepare the stomach for the next meal; or sometimes a dose will be necessary immediately after eating, because of abnormal acid or base having been present at the commencement of the meal. (For the average person one-half hour after meals is recommended).

“A dose at bedtime tends to check the early morning acidity, or a dose on arising cleans the stomach of acid and mucus before breakfast.”

Whenever taking a bicarbonate solution internally the soda should be dissolved in cold water.
Dr. Hays also stated:

“Besides doing good in respiratory affections, bicarbonate of soda is of inestimable value in the treatment of Alimentary Intoxication, Pyelitis (inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney), Hyper-Acidity of Urine, Uric Acid disturbances, Rheumatism and Burns. An occasional three-day course of Bicarbonate of Soda increases the alkalinity of the blood, assists elimination and increases the resisting power of the body to all Infectious Diseases.”

Isn’t this amazing! In 1922, people knew about a simple inexpensive way to avoid colds and flu and yet this information is not widely known now. Try it—use baking soda to be more alkaline and avoid getting colds or the flu – it works.

Alkaline Lifestyle

Review my other post on the importance of balancing your body pH: use-baking-soda-for-better-health

To learn more about living an alkaline lifestyle, click pHMiracleLiving.com I enjoy using several of their products


Sodium Bicarbonate is inorganic, very alkaline, and like other mineral type substances supports an extensive list of biological functions. It is fundamental to life and health.

Sodium Bicarbonate Can Heal Cancer

Sodium bicarbonate is probably one of the most useful substances in the world; no wonder the pharmaceutical companies don’t want doctors or anyone else to know much about it. It is essential when treating cancer, kidney and other diseases.

We do not have to fear bicarbonate intake. And in fact, people who live in areas of the world with high amounts of bicarbonate in their drinking waters have a striking decreased mortality rate and a decreased prevalence of disease. Sodium bicarbonate, though often used as a medicine, is unlike pharmaceutical compounds. It is a natural non-toxic substance that does not require clinical trials for an assessment of toxicity. Spring waters contain bicarbonate ions which are coupled mainly with sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium ions. 

A deficiency of bicarbonate ions in the body contributes to a range of chronic diseases and medical conditions.
Sodium bicarbonate helps to save countless lives every day including cancer victims. Get your eBook copy today: Sodium Bicarbonate

This eBook is full of contributions from universities, hospitals and clinicians who have for decades been researching and using sodium bicarbonate for many medical applications.
Take the actions necessary now to avoid chronic diseases.

Subsidized School Lunches Get Meager Nutritional Overhaul

Pffft. Nice work, Team. Photo from Healthline.

Free and low-cost school lunches subsidized by the government for low-income children have met their first nutritional overhaul in more than 15 years to include less sodium, more whole grains, and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables on the side, the Associated Press reported. Yet backlash from potato growers, food companies that produce processed, frozen pizzas for schools, and congress (!) kept the regulations from actually going the distance to provide students with unprocessed, truly healthy meals.

Under the new rules, pizza won't disappear from lunch lines, but will be made with healthier ingredients (read some of those "healthy" ingredients here). Entire meals will have calorie caps for the first time and most trans fats will be banned. Sodium will gradually decrease over a 10-year period. Milk will have to be low in fat and flavored milks will have to be nonfat.

First lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the new guidelines during a visit Wednesday with elementary students. Obama, also joined by celebrity chef Rachael Ray, said youngsters will learn better if they don't have growling stomachs at school.

"As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet," Obama said. "And when we're putting in all that effort, the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria."

The nutrition standards will additionally extend for the first time to other foods sold in schools that aren't subsidized by the federal government, including "a la carte" foods on the lunch line and snacks in vending machines. Those standards, while expected to be similar, will be written separately and have not yet been proposed by the department.

Despite the improvements, the new rules aren't as aggressive as the Obama administration had hoped. Congress last year blocked the Agriculture Department from making some of the desired changes, including limiting french fries and pizzas.

A bill passed in November would require the department to allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. The initial draft of the department's guidelines, released a year ago, would have prevented that.

Congress also blocked the department from limiting servings of potatoes to two servings a week. The final rules have incorporated those directions from Congress.

Among those who had sought the changes were potato growers and food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools. Conservatives in Congress called the guidelines an overreach and said the government shouldn't tell children what to eat. School districts also objected to some of the requirements, saying they go too far and would cost too much.

A child nutrition bill signed by President Barack Obama in 2010 will help school districts pay for some of the increased costs. Some of the changes will take place as soon as this September; others will be phased in over time.

While many schools are improving meals already, others still serve children meals high in fat, salt and calories. The guidelines are designed to combat childhood obesity and are based on 2009 recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences.
Vilsack said food companies are reformulating many of the foods they sell to schools in anticipation of the changes.

"The food industry is already responding," he said. "This is a movement that has started, it's gaining momentum."

DIY Hugelkultur

A great alternative to paying for your dead trees to be hauled away and mulched—or for anyone out in the country who's got some big logs on the property.

How to Build a Simple Earthship

From Hubpages.com:

What do you get when you put together pop cans, glass bottles, old tires, chicken wire and concrete? Would you believe, it's a house? This would be a special earth friendly house design called an Earth Ship.

Michael Reynolds is the architect who developed the original design which has now been constructed all over the world. It is the ultimate for those interested in sustainable living. The concept is to take waste materials like pop cans, glass bottles and old vehicle tires and recycle them into a valuable commodity, something everybody needs, a house. The resulting house costs nothing to heat or cool, can be built by the owner, has no utility bills, can grow vegetables year round, and is a very earth friendly structure because it becomes part of the land rather than just being perched on top of the land.

An Earth Ship can be as simple as a one room with a loft or as complex as a multi-family apartment complex. One of the most famous Earth Ship homes was built by the actor Dennis Weaver and cost millions of dollars to complete. A small one can be constructed for a few thousand dollars, basically just the cost of the cement mix and if you are in a climate that is compatible with adobe type construction, and will do the labor for yourself, even less.

So, how is an Earth Ship constructed?
The design concept utilizes modules that can be mixed and matched to form a unique finished product. For those wishing to build on a shoestring, the modules can be added as you go, allowing for the expansion of your living space as money allows.

The simplest way to describe how and earth ship is built is to walk you through the construction of the basic module called "The Hut". The structure forms a circular "tower" so to start off you would lay out a circle of whatever size you wanted for the interior of the building. A break would be left in the circle on the southern exposure for the greenhouse front.

1. On the bare earth, mark the outer walls in a circular or U shaped layout.
2. Lay the first row of tires, shoulder to shoulder along the wall line.
3. Using the dirt from the inside of the wall line, firmly pack the tires until they are solid bricks. The earth cliff on the inside would be excavated down to roughly three feet in depth.
4. Stack the second row of tires, in a staggered layout, on top of the first, paying attention to keeping them level with each other. Continue this pattern until the walls have reached the desired height.
5. Fill any voids with empty pop cans and/or glass bottles and cover the tire walls, inside and out, with mud adobe, cement or stucco to create a smooth finished surface.
6. The roof can be domed shaped, formed from rebar that is wired or welded together then covered with chicken wire and cement. Other options would be log beams or even traditional trusses. A skylight/vent is included in the design to the rear of the structure to help regulate internal temperatures.
7. The front of the structure is a sloped greenhouse wall built upon a low wall of earth rammed tires and includes a large planter box on the inside. The glazing is recycled sliding glass door panels or similar materials. The entry door is constructed at either end of the greenhouse hallway.
8. Any interior walls are constructed of a cement and pop can matrix that is covered by an adobe finish. All the planter boxes are built the same way.
9. The house systems include a rain water catchment cistern, a battery bank, solar panels, power inverter and a composting toilet. The kitchen waste water is filtered via the greenhouse planters which grow fresh vegetables year round.

Finishing touches include tile or flagstone floors, glass bottle accent windows and wood inlays. Two story designs can include spiral staircases and just about any kind of custom design feature you can imagine.

The exposed surfaces on the outside of the structure are coated with a layer of cement, mud adobe or stucco as the climate demands. Most of the external tirewalls are earth bermed and the roofing material is chosen to facilitate capture of rain water for use inside the house. Of course attention must be paid to things like drainage and choosing the best southern exposure for the greenhouse front of the dwelling, but otherwise it is a pretty simple design.

JCJDC's New Business Venture Award

Each year, the Jefferson County Job Development Corporation (JCJDC) recognizes a company established and located in Jefferson County that has been operating for at least two years, but not more than four years, and has shown that it is effectively implementing its business plan and experiencing growth. The winner of the award will be presented with a check for $1000.

We are so thrilled to have been one of four finalists for this award, and offer our most sincere congratulations to this year's winner, Fourth Coast Inc.!  Above is the video reel of the four finalists. Better Farm's clip starts at 3:02!

Lasagna Made with Stinging Nettles

Photo Tour: Winter is finally here!

 

 

All photos by Nicole Caldwell, Mike Brown, and May Daniels.

JCJDC Nomination Lands Us on the Front Page of the T.I. Sun!

For more information about this award, click here.

Winter Semester of Creative Writing Workshops Set in Watertown

The North Country Arts Council will begin on Jan. 29 its winter semester of Sunday-afternoon creative writing workshops.

Students may choose between any number of one-day workshops or full, five-week curriculums. The workshops are scheduled based on demand; that is, the first workshop to fill up will be the first taught, and so on. Participants will have the opportunity to express their preferences for which class time and which sessions they desire. Students will be promptly notified when their choices are scheduled. Each class is $17, with five-week workshops $89. Classes are limited to only 12 students, so sign up today!

To ensure your seat is saved for ANY of the seminars, please visit the registration site by clicking here. Below is a list of the courses and workshops offered:

The single-session workshops the Writers Academy will feature are:

• Lessons in Enhancing Your Creative Abilities
• Overcoming Writers Block
• Keeping a Writers Journal 
• Style: Develop Your Own Unique Writing Voice 
• How to Win Over Agents & Publishers 
• Writing Detective, Mystery & Suspense Stories 
• Editing and Proofreading Skills 
• How to Publish an E-Book 
• Screenwriting & Stagewriting 
• Power Writing: Advanced Writing Techniques 
• Preparing Your Manuscript for Publication 
• Master Class in Writing Powerful Scenes 
• Crafting Authentic Dialogue 
• When the Well is Dry: How To Get Great Ideas For Your Writing Projects 

Here are all the 5-Week workshops members will be able to choose from:

• Constructing Your Novel
• Writing Memoir & Autobiography
• The Art of the Short Story
• Writing for Children & Young Adults
• Advanced Editing Techniques (or Preparing Your Work For Publication)
• Writing the Personal Essay/ Creative Nonfiction
• Poetry Writing Workshop
• Creative Writing 101
• Power Writing: Advanced Prose Techniques 

The workshops are taught at the Arts on the Square by retired literature professor and Watertown native Bob Comenole. They are designed for beginning writers who wish to learn fundamental techniques and seasoned writers wishing to acquire more advanced skills; there are no prerequisites.

The Instructor: For more than 20 years Bob Comenole has taught writing, literature and communications at several colleges, including Miami University, Siena College, the State University of New York and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Comenole, author of Bushel & Lamp and the novella The Long Night of Clement C. Craggogre, has just completed work on a collection of short stories, Perplexed by the Egg & Other Stories, as well as a collection of essays. He was also the producer of the children's television series, StoryBrook. 

For more information about these courses or to sign up, visit the North Country Arts Council website.

How to Afford Better Food

Originally published at Mother Earth News

There’s growing evidence that industrial food just ain’t what it oughta be. Lucky for us, the path to super-nutritious food at affordable prices offers many entry points. We’ll pilot you through the diverse options in this guide to shopping smart and eating better food.

Buy In Season

WHY? Like most goods and services, foods cost less when they’re abundant. Eat foods during their peak season for scaled-down price plus amped-up quality. Foods that get to you quickly lose less flavor and nutrients, and you can enjoy varieties of produce that can’t survive long-distance shipping. Buying in-season foods directly from farmers is the easiest way to save money on better food — especially at the end of market day, and especially if you’re willing to buy less-than-perfect items. Buying in season is also the best way to get good prices on more-expensive organic produce. 

HOW? Arm yourself with strategies for eating fresh during any season with the comprehensive resources we’ve compiled for you on our website at How to Eat Seasonally. 

Buy Locally
WHY? When you spend $1 on supermarket food, not much of it goes to the actual producer. Some of your dollar goes to the person who grew it, while some goes to the person who picked it. Some goes to the companies who processed, packaged and transported it, and some to the firm that designed the packaging and advertising. Finally, some of your dollar ends up in the hands of the grocery store owner, and also in the hands of the store’s employees. The fewer middlemen, the less the seller will have to charge you.

HOW? Find farms, restaurants, co-ops, farmers markets and other great local-food resources on our website (see How to Find Local Food and Farmers). In addition, locally owned specialty shops can often help you find things that local farmers can’t grow, such as fresh-roasted coffee.

Join Forces With Community Supported Agriculture
WHY? Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs used to be charming novelties in certain neighborhoods that enjoyed eco-abundance, but their huge surge in popularity in recent years means CSA programs are now available nationwide — more than 4,000 are listed in the Local Harvest database. A CSA program is essentially a local-farm subscription service, in which a group pays the farmer directly for the food she delivers. You can save money on super-fresh, high-quality produce, and many CSAs also offer meat, eggs, dairy, honey, flowers and herbs. Some offer free or lower-cost subscriptions to those who donate time or qualify for low-income shares.

HOW? Find a CSA program in your area through the Robyn Van En Center or Local Harvest and start buying better food now.

Cook Your Own Food
WHY? The absolute fastest route to grocery savings is the path to your kitchen. Avoid eating out or buying packaged foods by cooking your own meals from whole, unprocessed ingredients. Simple breakfasts of whole grains, fruit and eggs eaten at home will kick-start your day with long-lasting energy. Take your own lunch to work or school for a meal guaranteed to be much more flavorful than fast-food or vending machine fare. Save time at dinner by spreading the work among family members and prepping double batches of dinners that freeze well. And save money all around by making your own staples, such as stock, pasta sauce, butter, condiments, yogurt and many others. You'll learn quickly that you can make better food than any of those packaged versions at the grocery store.

Did you know you could save at least half the cost of fancy fresh cheese by making it yourself? Plus it’s fun, I promise. And what about fancy artisan bread? Whoa nelly! Delicious rustic loaves from fine bakeries can cost up to $7 a loaf, but you can make your own loaves of comparable quality — again, I promise — for about 50 cents each. You’ll also be able to use more nutritious flour made with whole grains. Really serious about getting high-quality food at awesome prices? Grind your own grains for peak freshness and flavor. Grain mills start around $25 (though some nicer ones are in the hundreds), and if you buy 50-pound bags of whole grains, you could make that back with your first grain purchase.

HOW? Just search for “whole grains” at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS website, and keep reading for links to several fabulous homemade bread recipes, plus easy tips to keep more lunch money in your pocket. Check out a long list of our reader’s excellent grocery budget tips in How Do You Save Money on Groceries? and while you’re on our website, visit our Real Food page for all kinds of recipes and cooking information. 

Grow Your Own Food 

WHY? A sure way to rock your world with superior flavor and better nutrition, and still save money, is by growing your own food. Rosalind Creasy, author of Edible Landscaping, saved $700 on groceries in 2008 when she grew a simple, 100-square-foot garden. Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International, saved $2,000 from a 1,500-square-foot plot in 2009. Just think — grocery prices are even higher now.

Accumulating evidence is revealing the sad truth that today’s commercial fruits, veggies and grains contain fewer nutrients than their counterparts of yore, and many heirloom varieties are nutritionally superior to modern hybrids. Growing food yourself — with time-tested heirloom varieties, in healthy soil — is the best way to get those nutrients back into your diet.

If you’re unsure, start small! Try radishes, greens, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes to start. Even a modest herb garden could save you big bucks, as fresh herbs are usually pricey. If you’re adventurous, start big! You can grow whopping quantities of food by using your front yard, too (if your community doesn't forbid it). Many edibles, such as rainbow chard and climbing beans, are as beautiful as they are useful. No sun? Join one of the 18,000 community gardens dotted all over North America. Live in an apartment? You may be lucky enough to find a rooftop garden sprouting up near you.

HOW? Learn to grow better food and find gardens that need you with our deep archives (see Learn to Grow Food).

Preserve Your Own Food
WHY? Even if you’re not growing food yourself, you can save up to 75 percent on home-canned and up to 80 percent on home-frozen foods if you buy the produce fresh during peak season. They’ll taste better than store-bought convenience foods to boot.

Drying foods is another way to concentrate flavor and nutrition. Dried fruits and veggies make wonderful, easy snacks, and you can save quite a bit on pricey mushrooms by buying them when you spot a sale, then drying them yourself to reconstitute later.

HOW? Search for “canning,” “drying” and “freezing” at MOTHER EARTH NEWS online to find plenty of articles about the basics. Download our canning app for smartphones and tablets at Free MOTHER EARTH NEWS How to Can App. You can learn how to ferment delicious beverages at home, too (see Home Brewing), and you’ll find a neat kit for a hybrid solar/electric food dryer at All About the SunWorks Solar Food Dryer Kit.

 Buy In Bulk

WHY? The price differences between packaged foods and plain, whole foods sold in bulk can be astounding. For example, you can save about 50 percent on pasta and peanut butter, and up to 70 percent on oats and popcorn. You may be surprised at how much you can find in bulk sections these days — everything from spices, herbs, tea and coffee to beans, grains, flour, olive oil and more. Buying clubs and food co-ops also offer tremendous savings to grocery shoppers who don’t mind planning ahead and working with others.

HOW? Look for the bulk section in your grocery or natural foods store. Connect with a food co-op or buying club through Coop Directory Service or United Buying Clubs. Go to Dry Goods and Staples: Costs for Packaged vs. Case vs. Bulk to see a detailed look at the cost savings of bulk items. See Get to Know the Wonder-Working, Timesaving Pressure Cooker to learn how you can save even more by preparing foods efficiently with a pressure cooker.

Choose Wisely
WHY? Supporting a reduction in our nation’s pesticide dependence by choosing organic foods is worthwhile — the effects of industrial, chemical-based agriculture reach much further than what we ingest as individuals and the effects it has on our personal health. But sometimes we must make strictly budget-conscious decisions. If you can only access organically grown food some of the time, you’ll want to make the best choices. For example, fruits with permeable skin, such as strawberries, absorb more chemicals than thick-skinned onions and eggplants. And did you know that apples and celery top the list of pesticide-laden foods, while mushrooms and sweet potatoes are consistently clean?

HOW? The Environmental Working Group maintains the most up-to-date list of which conventionally grown foods are likely to be contaminated with pesticides and which are safest to eat: EWG’s 2011 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

Go Grass-Fed

WHY? Foods from animals that were raised humanely on healthy pastures are no doubt more expensive than their factory-farmed counterparts, but that cost is coming down as more consumers become aware of the multiple benefits (tell your friends!). Along with top-notch flavor, pastured products offer better nutrition than industrial animal products. You can save money by choosing cuts of meat that are less expensive but still healthy and flavorful, such as bone-in chuck roasts, shoulder and shank cuts, round roasts, stew meat, and organ meats. You can also save a bundle by buying larger portions directly from the farmer, or by choosing to pay for what you value and simply eating meat less often. You might also consider investing in a deep freezer so you can store that quarter of a cow, half a pig or whole lamb that will provide many meals. Or split a large meat purchase with friends.

HOW? Use Eatwild to find farms and butchers in your area, or check with your local county extension for potential sources. For more information on sourcing and cooking all cuts of grass-fed meat, check out Good Meat by Deborah Krasner and Pasture Perfect by Jo Robinson.

Raise Your Own Animals
WHY? Pastured meat, eggs and dairy are tremendously more nutritious than their industrially farmed versions. The meats are leaner and have a fatty-acid profile that helps combat heart disease rather than contributing to it. Pastured eggs also contain these beneficial omega fatty acids, plus vitamins and minerals that are deficient in factory farmed eggs, including vitamin D, which many Americans may not realize they are lacking. Most importantly, homegrown meats usually taste better than products that come from the animals raised in crowded, stressful conditions in feedlots and factory farms.

Taking care of chickens is not much more complicated or expensive than taking care of a dog, and many urban and suburban areas are now allowing residents to do so. Plan on harvesting about one egg per hen per day. Sustainable agriculture expert Gwen Roland has raised her own flavorful broiler chickens at a cost of only $1 per pound of meat produced. If you decide to keep a dairy cow and calf, you’ll spend up to a couple grand, but will recoup between $4,000 and $6,000 in delicious, healthy grass-fed milk and beef. Plus, you’ll be among the lucky few who truly understand all that is required to bring meat to our tables.

HOW? Learn about grass-based farming at Choosing Natural, Grass-fed Meat and The Chicken and Egg Page. You’ll also find a wealth of information about raising pastured animals through one of our favorite magazines, The Stockman Grass Farmer, and via the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

DIY Outdoor Wall Art

Create weather-resistant wall art for your outdoor entertaining areas by using outdoor materials for a non-traditional canvas!

Article originally published at b. Organic.

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Supplies

• Wooden Frames
• Aluminum Window Screen
• Fiberglass Window Screen
• Landscape Cloth
• Burlap
• Staple Gun
• Artist Acrylics
• String or Yarn

Instructions

 

Step 1: Frame Material

Choose the material you want to use as your canvas and staple to your wooden frame. Staple taut to the backside of your fame or with your softer materials like landscape cloth or burlap, you can also wrap around your frame to secure. Both looks are great.


Step 2: Add Your Art
Embellish as desired. You can create some fun embroidered/stitchery looks to the fiberglass window screen material. Artist Acrylics work beautifully on all the other materials. Paint in whatever style you like and have fun with it. Hang outdoors proudly and you'll be amazed at how well they stand up to the elements. Do one up in every material.
Note: Some colored threads such as yarn or embroidery floss will fade after extended time in sunlight. 

 

Got a great DIY project you'd like to share? E-mail us at info@betterfarm.org.

Gourmet Vegetarian Winter Recipes

Recipes originally published at Mercy For Animals website.

Wheatmeat Roulade With Chestnut "Sausage" Stuffing
For the Wheatmeat Roulade:

• 1 package Harvest Direct seitan Quick Mix (or 1/3 lb. instant gluten flour mixed with water)
• 1/2 cup (100 ml) soy sauce
• Chestnut "Sausage" Stuffing (recipe follows)

For the Chestnut "Sausage" Stuffing:

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 small loaf whole-grain bread, diced
• 1 package (200 g) cooked vegetarian sausage, crumbled
• 1 cup (240 g) cooked shelled chestnuts (fresh or canned)
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) minced parsley

For the Wheatmeat Roulade:
Prepare the seitan mix according to the package directions. After kneading, place the raw seitan in a shallow bowl and marinate in the soy sauce for several hours or overnight. Roll out the raw seitan with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the surface of the seitan with stuffing. Roll up in a "jelly roll" fashion and place seam side down in an oiled, shallow baking pan. Pierce with a fork in several places. Add 1/2 cup water to the soy sauce used to marinate the seitan and pour over the roulade for basting. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. The roulade is done when the surface is browned and glossy. Cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices and serve with mushroom gravy.

For the Chestnut "Sausage" Stuffing:
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the bread, vegetarian sausage, chestnuts and parsley. Mix well. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of water or vegetable stock and adjust the seasonings to taste. The stuffing is now ready to be used in recipes, or transfer it to a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Citrus Coconut-Kabocha Bisque (Courtesy of Christy Morgan, author of Blissful Bites)
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium kabocha squash, seeded and cubed
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 5 or more cups filtered water
• 1 can (13½ ounces) coconut milk
• Pinch white pepper
• Fresh herbs, for garnish
• Sea salt, to taste

Heat oil in medium stockpot. Sauté the kabocha with sea salt for about three minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the kabocha starts to stick to the pan. Add orange zest and juice. Sauté for two more minutes. Add water and coconut milk and bring to boil. Simmer until kabocha is very soft (about 20 minutes). Purée with immersion blender right in the pot or in batches in a regular blender (return to pot when finished blending). Add pepper and sea salt to taste. Serve hot garnished with herbs. Makes 7 to 8 servings.

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Radicchio Salad with Figs & Pomegranates (Courtesy of Claudia Pillow, author of The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook)

• 1 radicchio, washed and torn into small pieces
• 1 small curly endive lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
• 2 navel oranges (medium size), peeled and cut into segments
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 8 small fresh figs, quartered
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 pomegranates, sliced and seeds scooped out
• 1 3.5 ounce bag pecan halves

In salad bowl, place radicchio, endive, orange segments, onion and figs. In small food processor or bowl, combine oil, vinegar, cinnamon, orange juice and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss lightly. Top with pomegranates and pecans. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

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Green Beans with Fresh Cranberries

• 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal
• 2 Tbsp. vegan margarine
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1 clove garlic, minced and pressed
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander and hold under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Blot the beans with a paper towel to remove the excess water. Put the beans into a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until the remaining moisture on the beans evaporates. Stir in the margarine, cranberries, garlic, parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat well. Cook until heated through. Makes 4 servings.

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Raw Pumpkin Pie (Courtesy of Susan O'Brien, Founder of Hail Merry)

Crust:

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1/2 cup pitted dates (presoaked for 1 hour in water and drained)
• Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor, then evenly distribute in the bottom of a pie plate.
Filling:

• 2 cups shredded pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato flesh
• 1 cup pitted dates (presoaked for 1 hour in water and drained)
• 1/2 cup soaked, thoroughly-washed Irish Moss
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly diced ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes and place in a high-speed blender (Vitamix) or food processor until finely shredded or chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more almond milk if necessary. Batter should be creamy. Pour into crust and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
 
Note: Roulade photo courtesy of veganyumyum.com