Hi Perry, I'm glad you liked the link. I'll have to read with more
consideration your reply when I return home as I have just read your
reply in Seattle having just shared a bottle of wine :). I hope you
will invite me to your land, I'll bring a sack of white clover seed
:). Hello to everyone, am heading to Vancouver Island tomorrow,
yipppeee. Having some time to think about it I feel that Spaceman's
stationary auto driven mixer would work very well for you.
On 10/20/10, Perry Way <perryway@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you Evelyn for this link! I started reading it and instantly
> intrigued. I am willing to consider unconventional maverick methods because
> quite frequently it's the exception to normalcy that allows us to discover
> new ways. This next bit I'm about to share kind of dovetails in with the
> unconventionality that might wind up proving to be quite a cost effective
> (and portable) method to purify water. I am reading now a great deal on
> DCMD, which is Direct Contact Membrane Distillation. This is really a
> creative thing. I don't know how this was discovered but apparently it
> works because the government is spending grant money on it or has spent it,
> rather. I don't know where to find any commercial products yet. Perhaps
> there are none and someone would need to engineer their own solution. How
> it works is there is a hot water supply that passes over a hydrophobic
> membrane that allows water vapor to pass through. The membrane seems to be
> similar (but very different) to the membranes used in reverse osmosis. The
> other side of the membrane is cold. Differing pressure levels cause vapor
> to pass through the membrane. And the vapor condenses there and it's pure,
> or as pure as reverse osmosis can deliver. Unlike reverse osmosis, there
> is no waste water output. On the surface it seems like a cost effective
> thing because you could make the water hot simply by solar water heating.
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 7:29 PM, Evelyn Vollmer
> <evelynanne8@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Perry and all, I want to apologise before I send this because it's not
>> about papercrete but I think this info is wonderful. It's about a Japanese
>> farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka, he is no longer living but actually toured
>> around
>> educating. In a nut shell his method will show you how to take land that
>> can
>> not grow anything and bring it back to life. I read a lot about him some
>> years ago, from what I remember the first thing I would do is lay a much
>> of
>> white clover seed all over your property, right now would be a good time
>> to
>> do this with the rain we are having or at least before spring.
>> Anyway.....here is a start to reading about him
>>
>>
>> http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1982-07-01/Masanobu-Fukuoka.aspx
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 7:08 PM, Perry Way <perryway@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Joel, I know where you're talking about in a general sense. Are you
>>> east of the lake? There's a large whitened section of land on Google
>>> Maps.
>>> If that's anywhere near you then I think we both have similar issues.
>>>
>>> My first orientation regarding soil is vegetation! I don't want to
>>> retire
>>> in some desert where I can't grow my veggies and always have more than I
>>> need so I can trade or sell things as my ultimate goal is to be self
>>> sufficient, no longer working for the man, and living a life from morning
>>> to
>>> night exactly how I want to which is independent and free. I'm nearly
>>> vegetarian, I would say 90% vegetarian, so it's important to me to have a
>>> working setup. If I have to do raised beds for veggies, no problem,
>>> thats a
>>> pretty good way of going about things. I am prepared for that. But at
>>> the
>>> moment my heart sank because I have asked more questions and gotten more
>>> responses from the lady at the Community Center. Looks like fruit trees
>>> are
>>> out of the question for the time being :( I can say that because I've
>>> gotten a lot of clues to go by. I am close to saying this is Sodium
>>> Carbonate. Possibly Sodium Bicarbonate which is baking soda. It is
>>> gritty
>>> and pure white and gets really small pieces that rub your skin smoother
>>> when
>>> you rub them together with some wetted down. I'm told the water in my
>>> area
>>> tastes like baking soda. But I recall somewhere some time ago a word or
>>> two
>>> regarding Soda Lake not being baking soda but very similar which is why I
>>> say Sodium Carbonate.
>>>
>>> Oh that reminds me, you asked where my property is. Okay, my property is
>>> located nearest to Coalinga Trail and Clarksberg Road in California
>>> Valley. Here's
>>> a map centered on my
>>> property<http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=35.295324,-119.944691&spn=0.002898,0.005681&t=h&z=18>.
>>> It is 330 x 330 feet or 2.5 acres and next to the northwest corner lot.
>>> All lots in California Valley are 2.5 acres unless they are odd shaped
>>> or
>>> different. It's interesting how that works out, you start off with 640
>>> acre
>>> section and then start dividing it down in 1/4's and you eventually get
>>> to
>>> 2.5 acres, and you will find that pattern all over the west, and perhaps
>>> even the midwest. So when you zoom out you will start to see little
>>> squares
>>> on the landscape and thats lots with homes or lots cleared and left empty
>>> or
>>> abandoned properties.
>>>
>>> California Valley is in the center of the Carrizo Plain, which is one of
>>> the or the newest member in the Federal Park system. Bill Clinton signed
>>> that one into existence and I thank Bill for that as the land was being
>>> razed every year and turned into a dust bowl. The Carrizo Plain National
>>> Monument/Park is being returned to its bygone era where there is seasonal
>>> grazing and they do not allow the ranchers to graze forever, they have
>>> time
>>> permits with BLM overseers. This is like enforcing a level of use that
>>> allows it to simulate nature as the Carrizo is long called the Serengeti
>>> of
>>> North America. The spring time is magnificent. I do not think you would
>>> disagree with me there. Look at this one photograph I took entitled "The
>>> Mountains and the Purple
>>> Majesty<http://www.flickr.com/photos/perryway/4861790857/in/set-72157624657047720/>"
>>> That is just a taste of the beauty there which is a rainbow of yellows,
>>> oranges, blues, purples, browns (chocolate lily), greens obviously, reds,
>>> whites and what else am I leaving out? But that beauty is short lived,
>>> as
>>> the Serengeti of Africa is. But I kind of think it's beautiful just vast
>>> empty land with interesting mountains on all sides, it's very picturesque
>>> I
>>> think.
>>>
>>> Soda Lake is the main centerpiece of the Carrizo Plain. I am very drawn
>>> to it. It can be absolutely breath taking. The wildflowers grow next to
>>> the salt brush lining the shores. A special variety of the same flowers
>>> found elsewhere. They have adapted to the soda water and they try very
>>> hard
>>> to live, and I solute them for what they are, prime examples of urge
>>> energy.
>>> That's why I uploaded this particular
>>> photograph<http://www.flickr.com/photos/perryway/4861842961/in/set-72157624657047720/>
>>> .
>>>
>>> You mentioned silt on your site. I think I have plenty of that too,
>>> actually. I did such a cursory inspection last weekend, next weekend I
>>> will
>>> be armed with more information and a great curiousity, I'm going to take
>>> a
>>> soil sample and send it to Western Laboratories. Maybe I should take
>>> two.
>>> One on one of the whitened areas, and one of the non-whitened areas.
>>> Well
>>> I am getting excited. I don't care if this property has problems. Shoot
>>> man, life has problems everywhere. Might as well pick a place to stop
>>> moving so you can start building a future based on what you can afford.
>>> I
>>> don't have it in me to slave for the man for another 30 years with a
>>> death-pledge (mort-gage), and post business failure I lack the savings I
>>> had
>>> before so I don't care if I have to work the soil for a long time to make
>>> it
>>> better. I am investigating things and I'll come up with some solution
>>> that
>>> works for me.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the interest and best wishes on your site too. Can you share
>>> some more about your property too?
>>>
>>> Perry
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 5:52 PM, joel <joelincalif@aim.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Interesting story Perry! I'm interested to see what you find out.
>>>> I too bought some land in California, mine is north of Reno just on the
>>>> California side - sorta near Honey Lake. Mine is covered with a layer of
>>>> silt and scrub plants from a very old lake bed. Where is your place?
>>>>
>>>> Perhaps some of the farm extension offices in Central California would
>>>> be
>>>> able to provide some help to define the soil quality and what those
>>>> crystals
>>>> are.
>>>>
>>>> Joel
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com <papercreters%40yahoogroups.com>,
>>>> Perry Way <perryway@...> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > Hello papercreters, I have some happy news and not so happy news.
>>>> > First
>>>> the
>>>> > happy news, I bought a parcel of land! It is 2.5 acres in the Central
>>>> > Californian outback. It is off the grid but if I want to pipe into
>>>> > electricity it is one lot away.
>>>> >
>>>> > The not so happy news stems from my newfound apprehension about my
>>>> first
>>>> > holes dug on the property.
>>>> >
>>>> > I need to find someone who has some knowledge or experience on soil.
>>>> Before
>>>> > I build I need to know what I'm up against on this property. There are
>>>> > patches of the soil which are thin of vegetation and has a white
>>>> > powder
>>>> on
>>>> > the surface. So I dug some holes, the white part seemed to be kind of
>>>> > shallow and once I got down deeper than that it looked like very very
>>>> nice
>>>> > clay-loam soil. Easily breaks up and all probably because it is all
>>>> fluffed
>>>> > up from vegatation with a kazillion microscopic roots in just one
>>>> shovel
>>>> > full. As I dug deeper though, the soil looked very nice. It has
>>>> > practically no sand, but it has a lot of loam. So I grabbed a handful
>>>> to do
>>>> > a compression test on it. Squeezed and released and it stuck together
>>>> real
>>>> > good and it got smaller too. So I kept squeezing to see how compact I
>>>> could
>>>> > get it with just my hand and it had to have compressed at least 1/3 to
>>>> 1/2.
>>>> > Suddenly I had visions of a cob house. This soil is really good for
>>>> cob, I
>>>> > think. But maybe not.... A day later, I'm at work to pass the good
>>>> > news
>>>> to
>>>> > my buddy about buying this land. So I found my clay ball, it had lots
>>>> of
>>>> > white crystals forming on the surface! Now hours later, the area I
>>>> swiped
>>>> > with my finger is regrowing little hairs little crystals forming on
>>>> > the
>>>> > surface. Now this soil came from deep in the hole I dug. It had
>>>> > nothing
>>>> > visible white about it at all. It was only moist. (we just had a spot
>>>> of
>>>> > rain a couple of times in the past week at that location). Fast
>>>> > forward
>>>> to
>>>> > another hole I dug, I dug about half a dozen holes in various places.
>>>> This
>>>> > other hole I dug I got down to the clay where it is noticeably clay
>>>> > and
>>>> hard
>>>> > to dig and I got a half a shovel full of it and noticed white specks
>>>> > in
>>>> the
>>>> > clay. More than specks actually. About 1/4 inch in size they were
>>>> > everywhere equally. Not so the clay looked white, but more like how
>>>> much
>>>> > chocolate is in chocolate chip ice cream on one of the cheap brands.
>>>> Back
>>>> > to the clay ball forming white powder on surface, I had had visions of
>>>> > perimeter fruit trees, some row crops (its 2.5 acres) and an off the
>>>> grid
>>>> > cob house which is dirt cheap (haha) but now I'm wondering about soil
>>>> > quality not just for the fruit trees in my mind but also for anything
>>>> that
>>>> > would use the soil. In other words I'm wondering if I would be able to
>>>> use
>>>> > this soil in papercrete as an additive, or rammed earth, or cob or
>>>> adobe or
>>>> > whatever uses there are for soil for that matter.
>>>> >
>>>> > Back to finding someone with knowledge or experience on soil, if
>>>> > anyone
>>>> has
>>>> > someone they could direct me to, I'd appreciate it a lot!
>>>> >
>>>> > Perry
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If you give yourself fully to this moment the next moment will turn out
>> just right."
>>
>> - Sequoyah Trueblood
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
--
"If you give yourself fully to this moment the next moment will turn
out just right."
- Sequoyah Trueblood
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