Hello, from Minneapolis

Submitted by spiritchi on Fri, 02/18/2022 - 18:47
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Introduce Yourself, New Green Wizard

I have been walking the way of the Green Wizard since 1981. At first I walked alone, and was lonely. Then I was joined by my husband, and we've been walking together since 1985.

We've been continuously walking forward all that time: paring back our lives, learning to live with less, developing skills, learning to eat and then to grow and preserve real food. We had a CSA farm for about 15 years--not ours but our farmer included all of us in her farm and it belonged to all of us! What a gift! We learned much and worked hard. We learned about seasonal cycles, and preserving food from seasons of abundance to provide during the long dark cold. Believe me, at 45 degrees, the dark is indeed long and cold. But then our farmer had to leave and go take care of her mother on the west coast. So that community dissolved and companionship became elusive.

In 2016 I discovered Transition, and our family expanded to include 2 more people...it's not a lot, but it is a joy and delight. Perhaps I will be lucky enough to introduce you to each other at some point! Now they have moved 30 minutes away by car. This is a long way when you try not to use a car, but the Pandemic has given us the gift of Zoom, and that helps.

There is not much interest out there, in general, in developing skills and doing more with less. To think about the dismal choices remaining to us after the choices that came before. Mostly, no one wants to hear it, or think about it, much less actually prepare for it. I'm delighted to have found you, to be here, and contemplate the possibilities-for conversation and interesting sharing. I would list my most intense interests, but I don't have to anymore. I can just say "I walk the path of the Green Wizard", and that pretty much says it clearly and concisely. What a delight that is!

Here is a link to a year-long plan to increase emergency preparedness, starting from wherever you are, one tiny step each week. I put it together with my friend from Transition. I bring it as a gift, and hope you enjoy it. If 'enjoy' is the appropriate, operative word. Hmmm, perhaps you can help me choose a better word....https://www.transitionlongfellow.org/preparedness

Please stop by and say hello to me!

ClareBroommaker's picture

ClareBroommaker

Sat, 02/19/2022 - 13:15

I'm glad you've come here. I wonder if there are others from the twin cities area here.

spiritchi

Sat, 02/19/2022 - 16:18

me too!

daview

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 12:39

= basically St. Paul.
Yeah, still lots of snow.
Time to start seeds in the basement. Gonna do in addition to Ace55 tomatoes (have been especially resistant to blight :) ......) some butterfly weed. That's spendy to buy plants, and we want to make enough plants to get it going in a ~ 5 acre field, so we will start as many seeds as come in a package.
I wonder when it's time to look for the 85% off seed sale at Menards?

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ClareBroommaker's picture

ClareBroommaker

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 15:54

Such a gorgeous plant! If you want to really increase this milkweed in your field, be cheered to know that it blooms and makes seed in the first year, though, for me, the first year plants are quite small. If I were carrying out your plan, I'd mark all the plants with a stick or something so that I could check them at the end of summer for seeds, then collect them, stratify them over fall and winter, then plant them in that basement about this time of year.

First year plant.

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spiritchi

Fri, 02/25/2022 - 16:24

Hi, I live right near the airport, so just across the river from you, I think. I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance!

spiritchi

Sat, 02/26/2022 - 11:22

You might think about adding joe pye weed. I have about 4 plants in the inner city, and they are always covered in an absolute cloud of pollenators and butterflys, including all kinds of small bees, monarchs, skippers, swallowtails....I can get you started with a few plants, and they will self-seed wonderfully.

Here is a pic of the rain garden. The Joe Pye weed had, literally, 100 monarchs and countless other pollinators on it in September.

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Ken's picture

Ken

Sat, 02/19/2022 - 17:54

I am saddened to hear that you are not finding receptive folks to share hard-won skills with; I am fortunate there is a wonderful and growing group of young farmer/homesteaders on our island. Most of these folks have young families and are around the age of my children, so it is easy to feel 'parental'. I can't imagine what it must be like to not have someone to share and learn with... Perhaps you are in need of transplanting?

I'm at 48 degrees north, but on an island in the Salish Sea, so the climate is quite moderate: USDA 8a, surrounded as we are by saltwater. Nevertheless, I wonder if you have some high-latitude tricks for extending the growing season, particularly regarding non-electric light/warmth for spring seedling propagation? We overwinter kale, garlic, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli with straw and leaf mulch for warmth in the ground and in my 100 gallon (horse trough) container garden next to the house.

Kay Robison

Sat, 02/19/2022 - 18:36

Glad that you could join the company. I think you will find a lot of fellow travelers here and I know I will enjoy hearing what you have to say about the journey.

Teresa from Hershey

Mon, 02/21/2022 - 16:43

Welcome aboard.
Feel free to comment often as that's the second-best way to learn: from other people's experiences.

We do want to chat about our adaptations to a challenging future that keeps coming towards us, faster and faster.

spiritchi

Tue, 02/22/2022 - 18:54

Hi Teresa, Is there a thread going now? Are you in Pennsylvania?

Teresa from Hershey

Wed, 02/23/2022 - 12:10

Hi Spiritchi,

Yes, I think this counts as a thread! I'm not terribly internet-savvy so more experienced members can correct me.

I do live in Hershey, Pa. It really is the sweetest place on earth and the air really does smell like chocolate. I can see two chocolate factories from my house: Reese (home of peanutbutter cups and KitKats) and the new chocolate factory making kisses by the billion. Our street lights are kisses, both wrapped and unwrapped. A few miles away in Elizabethtown, M&M Mars has a factory making Dove chocolates. Lititz is the home of Wilbur chocolates.

I've mentioned this before but it's always worth repeating. With time and effort, you can rebuild your 1/4 acre of hard-packed clay into several inches of topsoil and a barren rectangle of dead grass can become a thriving ecosystem.

We did and our property is -- compared to what we bought in July of 2001 -- unrecognizable.

spiritchi

Tue, 02/22/2022 - 18:51

So glad to make your acquaintance!

On the farm, we used to grow tomatoes inside poly tunnels tall enough to walk into. They would never come out, stay in there all season--open both ends during the summer/close them during transition. Keeps the bugs out, prevents predation, extends the season on both sides and the tomatoes grow gangbusters...best set up with irrigation. But other than that, its not really feasible for farm-scale. For my own backyard garden, I have cold frames that fit on the beds for early growth. I lift them out for the main season and put in place PVC frames that both act as trellis and are sturdy enough that I can throw temporary cover on late in the season. You can get a few extra weeks, but nothing dramatic. I am unwilling to heat. This is another thing you see on youtube: "heat your greenhouse all winter with an aquarium heater and a trash can". Hahahahaha. Our winters LAUGH at that, and would freeze it up lickety split. Recently, we've had 50 mph winds that just rips the heat away from everything....blizzard today. Still February? Yep, still February. Getting lighter though! We're gaining over 3 minutes a day now!

ClareBroommaker's picture

ClareBroommaker

Wed, 02/23/2022 - 12:51

Just before I read this, I flopped back, slack-jawed, face turned upward, in my hard chair with my arms dangling at my side and sent up a whiny plea to the heavens, "Oh, I need need spring."

The only thing I have ever used row cover for was to try to encourage ripening of winter squash or curing of sweet potatoes at the end of the season. I don't know how you Minnesota gardeners do it!

Teresa from Hershey

Wed, 02/23/2022 - 12:13

February in central Pa varies wildly. We have huge swings while the weather can't decide what to do.
Today, a warm front moved through so I've got all the windows open.
By 2pm, the high winds will start dropping the temperatures down to the twenties tonight so I'll catch my heat and fresh air while I can.
No open windows again for probably several weeks.

spiritchi

Fri, 02/25/2022 - 16:26

My goodness, I am so glad you took the time to savor your good warm winds of good fortune....

pygmycory

Fri, 02/25/2022 - 17:21

It sounds like you're already finding potential new friends and lots of fellow travellers. Glad to meet you.