Botulism Buzz
Being an Extension-certified Master Food Preserver, I am of course interested in all things botulism-related. Here’s a great piece analyzing the causes of last year’s botulism outbreak in commercially canned food.
I love dirt (and dirt houses)
Does anybody want to help me build this house? Despite having no natural affinity for Hobbits, I’m rather taken by the design.
Finishing floors naturally
With copious amounts of help from friends, I recently installed reclaimed Douglas fir and long-leaf yellow pine flooring on the second floor of my house. I got the flooring at the Habitat ReStore to replace the gross carpet, which I recycled at a local carpet distributor. After sanding the old finish off the old floor with help from my friend DeKalb, I threw … Read more
Selling my car
And now for a commercial message: I’d like to sell my 2005 Toyota Prius. It came with an upgrade that included Smart Key entry, rear and front side curtain airbags (aka “head SABs”) in addition to the usual front airbags, and vehicle stability control. It has 13,500 miles on it. I am asking $18,700. Great condition, passed its last state … Read more
Biking is cheaper than driving, despite the cost of fuel
On days when I log in a lot of miles on my bike, I long for a calorie source that is as inexpensive as gasoline. A gallon of gasoline can get me 47 miles for $2.81 (or $3.09, depending on the day). To bike 47 miles, I need about 2,000 calories. Where can you get 2,000 calories for three bucks? … Read more
Sensationalist recycling
An Idaho veterinarian has had a brilliant idea. Deal with the manure from farms by feeding it to maggots, who use half of it to build their own bodies and break the other half down into a clean soil amendment. Then feed the maggots to rainbow trout. Alas, this article from the Associated Press sensationalizes the process a bit, stating … Read more