Fourth Sunday of Advent Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on highSweetly singing oer the plains,And the mountains in replyEchoing their joyous strains.Gloria in excelsis Deo.Gloria in excelsis Deo. In a #sharethegift video, The Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir get together to sing "Angels We Have Heard On Hi...

Aquaponics and Iron

When I very first started learning about aquaponics I was under the misconception that if you kept the fish alive and happy the plants would automatically be happy.How many of you have fallen for the mis-information touted by some who only want to sell you their aquaponics-related product?  They will tell you that an aquaponic garden is a totally...

Manitoba increases biodiesel tax incentive

From Farm Credit Canada AgriSuccess Express news letterby Kevin HurshIn its 2006 budget, Manitoba has eliminated all provincial taxes on pure biodiesel produced within the province. This more than doubles the provinces tax incentive to spur biodiesel production.The province is no longer collecting the road tax and provincial sales tax on pure biodiesel that meets the American Society for Testing and Materials fuel quality standard. Manitoba says...

Aquaculture sees surge in worldwide production

A new report by an international team of researchers, published September 07 in the online edition of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), states that Aquaculture now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally.Once considered to be a fledgling industry not so long ago, "Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption," the authors wrote. Way back...

Book Review Growing Into a Farm by Anna Hess

Maybe its because Anna Hess and our childhoods and childhood ambitions were so similar, or maybe its because both of our primary life goals havent changed all that much since age nine, but Hess new e-book resonated strongly with us.  Her easygoing and open writing style make the book a quick read (weve read several of her books, and finished each...

A Video from Church World Service on World Food Day 2015

As part of its observance of World Food Day 2015, Church World Service (the organization that brings you the annual CROP Walk), created this video to raise awareness about hunger. By the way, there are five CROP Walks scheduled in New Mexico in the next several weeks, Gallup (Oct. 18),  Las Vegas (Oct. 24), Albuquerque (Nov. 1),  Carlsbad (Nov. 7), and Los Alamos (Nov. 22).  Four Corners (Farmington) held its CROP Walk on Oct. 3 and...

Squirreled War I Quick and Dirty Strawberry Cage

**NOTE** This strawberry cage didnt actually do much to deter the squirrels.  The holes in the woven wire fence seem to be too big, or our squirrels are too small.  But please!...read on for an epic adventure in cage making nonetheless.One of the more important tasks on a homestead is defense against destructive marauders, those pests that...

Are Our Nachos Healthy

When we wrote about our one-year meal plan a few months back, we had nachos in the mix for a not-insignificant number of meals.  After all, they take only a few minutes to prepare, are undisputedly delicious, and, with all the vegetables we tend to heap on top of the chips and cheese, surely not a poor choice nutritionally...right?While the first...

Early Letters to Congress on Global Nutrition are Helpful This Year

Bread for the Worlds 2016 Offering of Letters urges Congress to increase funding for the nutrition and health of mothers, newborns, and young children in developing countries.  Here is the full guide for this years letter-writing campaign.Hellen MbithiWe have scheduled a workshop in Albuquerque on Saturday, March 12, to examine how local churches...

Offering of Letters Churches in New Mexico

TheByteMan (via OpenClipArt)Please join us on Saturday, March 12, for our 2016 Offering of Letters workshop, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 5301 Ponderosa NE (map) 9:30 - 12:00 Noon.This years letter-writing campaign, entitled "Survive and Thrive," urges Congress to prioritize support for maternal and child health programs, emphasizing nutrition.Here...

Freezing Dandelions

As we were out in the yard this weekend, seeking some kind of gardening activity that didnt require digging in the still-too-wet-for-planting dirt, we decided it was time to weed under the chicken tractor row cover that was protecting our overwintered swiss chard and garlic.  The row cover is slightly wider than the garden bed, which meant that...

Winter Growing Season

The winter growing season was a smash! The lettuce did quite well, and I harvested about eight salads that fed four to six people each from February through April, about two-and-a-half salads per month! The first six of those salads came from the clay pebble bed that had densely planted seeds. The dense planting stimulated quick, vertical growth. It...

Mercy is that which God likes Most

"Let us abandon all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved. Instead, let us live the joy of encounter with the grace that transforms all."   -Pope FrancisThe Cloisters Museum, New YorkOn Dec. 8, Pope Francis launched the Jubilee Year of Mercy, an effort to focus the mission of the church and of the faithful on mercy...

Nutrition Important for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

As of 2013, nearly 2.7 million grandparents stepped up to become parents to kids once again. This is an increase of about 64,100 adults from 2008. In nearly 900,000 of these grandparent-led households, no parent is present and the median income is $35,685, the U.S. Census Bureau reports.For more than 569,200 grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren,...

Stuffed French Toast Strata

A question: what is the best part of coming home to ones parents house after being away for a while? An answer: moms cooking!  Another question: what is an extra special treat during such visits, even among moms cooking? Another answer: stuffed french toast! Stuffed french toast is pretty easy to make, just like regular french toast. ...

Steve Garnaas Holmes Autumn Blessing

Prospect Park in BrooklynAs the trees bear fruit and the harvest is bought in,blessings ripen in you.As the earth holds dear the roots of trees,God’s love for you holds you fast, and gives you life.As the trees shed their leaves in beautyand the garden gives up its riches in abundance,you learn to surrender gracefully,forgive deeply, offer gifts generously,and...

Butcher Block Counter From Reclaimed 2 x 4 Lumber

A few weeks ago, we mentioned that one of our main goals this year was to finish the butcher block counter (and corresponding cabinets) we built to give our kitchen some extra horizontal work space and culinary device storage capacity.  Finally, after more than a year of testing it in-place, we slapped some doors on it and put a water-resistant...

Hobby Farming and Good Food

Many people are starting to use simple easy to build low cost aquaponics systems to grow fish, veggies and herbs at home. It can be a rewarding and relaxing hobby, one that also produces great tasting food in a sustainable manner without using artificial fertilizers or pesticides. These mini sized eco-friendly aqua farm units can be built as a “do it yourself” project and a family activity that provides wholesome nutritious food year round. They...

Octopus Slayer Part 2

If you remember from a prior post last year, we made some changes to the large A-Frame NFT system that was being used over at the Together We Stand Aquaponic Gardens.  It had been designed with a manifold at the top to feed water individually at each tube and to drain each tube individually. It had so many hoses going so many directions we called...