Horse + Worms = Love

So I put about 20 lbs of horse poop in my compost about 5 days ago. Turned the pile as I do each week and blow me down I had a population explosion of Red Worms! Got more horse poop today and will be filling 55 Gal containers if Sweet Water/VGI wants some.
Boy so neat. Advice? Make friends with a farmer with horses.

When the shit hits the fan

Question being are you even remotely ready if the Shit hits the fan? I see so many who have no idea what is going on. Truly sad.
How hard is it to keep a few days of extra food/water? Extra blankets and medicine? Not only for you but your pets?
Be it a bad snow storm or a Katrena type event you could find yourself cut off from the local food stores or even cut off from power. Have a few days worth of stuff could be the difference from being inconvenienced to well much much worse.
Both FEMA and the Red Cross have information that can help get you started. The choise are be ready or be a sheep and hope that the magic elfs are coming.
Please please at least think about it

Wind in Cuba

Havana – DTC - Cuba's economic authorities have taken actions to make better use of renewable energy to boost the island's development and save resources. As part of those initiatives, the company Industria Mecánica Caribe (IMECA) has built 280 windmills to be used in agriculture and cattle raising farms. The windmills, which supply water to farms, have become a major economic alternative. In addition, experts are designing a new windmill that works better when the wind is mild. IMECA's production is expected to increase in 2010, considering that several companies are interested in acquiring the windmills.

As you can see Cuba understands how even little efforts can go along way.

Racine Urban Garden Network.

Racine Urban Garden Network, as you may know was formed in the early Spring of this year. A room full of folks from high school kids to retired elders met to talk about what could be done to start a network of Urban Gardens for many resions from to help improve diet to a fun hobby.
Well from a great start I must say in sadness nothing nothing has happened. Well not quite true the large group that met in May/June is down to 5 -7. Why? Well no mission, leadership from the hammer, a "goal" but no plan how to get there. Seams to me lots of meetings to have meetings.
Of course RUGN walks lock step with the Mayor/City so unsted of going for unused city land then RUGN waited until The City gave them 5 areas in Racine. At least one the City is back peddling on
perhaps because its near the Condos that I hear the Mayor has an interest in. I would think that have a place to garden would be a good thing, but I digress
Going to be a huge meeting about a food network in November but do nit know anything about it. Be nice to go but think I will have to crash it due to the fact that whats left of RUGN it pretty ellete the way I see them and not too willing to give out info.
A lot more to cover on this but need caffine

40,000 Wind turbines+

40,000 Wind turbines be nice, need more a good start however.

From Pike Research:

According to a recent report from Pike Research, the North American market for wind turbines will continue to grow through 2015, driven by new generation additions, as well as replacements of smaller, older turbines with larger, more efficient turbines.

Pike Research's study, "Wind Energy Outlook for North America," analyzes the opportunities and challenges facing wind power in North America in the current economic and political climate.

Key players in the wind energy business are profiled. The report includes quantitative analysis for market sizing, segmentation, market share analysis of turbine vendors, and growth forecasts for the U.S. and Canada through 2015.

The cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that the turbine market will resume its growth in 2011, following three years of stagnation. According to the report, cumulative wind turbine deployments will exceed 40,000 units during the period from 2010 to 2015.

In addition, Pike Research forecasts that 45% of all turbine installations in North America will be replacements

"The global economic crisis that began in late 2008 has thrown the industry into confusion, along with most global industries," says Clint Wheelock, managing director of Pike Research. "Still, we see cause for optimism in the longer term as capital markets recover and the regulatory environment improves for wind energy."

The report also examines how many turbines will be required to meet wind generation capacity goals, key industry growth drivers, challenges inhibiting the growth of wind power, and the economics of turbine manufacturing, installation, operations and maintenance.

Cuba gets Farming

Even Cuba of all places gets why Urban Agriculture Farmers etc are critical. Can Racine WI , looks like a big NO!

From Cuba Weekly News

...Although he has stepped out of his brother's shadow since taking office, Raúl Castro told the Cuban National Assembly in August: "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue perfecting socialism, not destroy it. We are ready to talk about everything, but not to negotiate our political and social system." Those who hope that Cuba will crumble after "the death of Fidel and all of us," Castro said, "are doomed to failure." Brian Latell, a Cuba expert at the University of Miami and author of "After Fidel," said: "This farm reform is one of Raúl's highest priorities. He talks about it constantly. But the steps have been more reluctant, slower, more tentative than many Cubans would probably like."

The 78-year-old former brigadier general has signaled that the paternalistic Cuban system may include a little more tough love and a bit more free enterprise. The government is in the process of eliminating subsidized beer for weddings, holidays for exemplary workers, hotel rooms for newlyweds and free chocolate cakes for Mother's Day. In one of the most watched pilot programs, Cuba is beginning to shutter state-run cafeterias and instead give workers 15 pesos, or about 65 cents, to buy lunch from state-run cafes or private food stalls. The average monthly salary in Cuba is about $20.

Out in the countryside, Castro's farm reform has set the villages buzzing. Chewing on an unlit cigar, Fuentes took a visitor on a tour of his new domain. Last year, he worked nine acres of land, mostly for self-consumption, "plus a little left over to sell." This year he applied for and was quickly granted another 20 acres. The plot is his to farm for 10 years, and the only requirement is that he plant crops. Fuentes pointed to his new fields of sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, cassava and beans. He's also growing flowers to sell. Chickens were running around, and trees bore monster avocados. The future looks better. "This is big change," he said. "Everyone wants in." His adult daughter Marta works for the local farm cooperative, where Fuentes and other private farmers sell their crops. The state still sets the price -- but the more the farmers produce, the more they sell. They also try to grow better-quality produce, which fetches a higher price. They are paid in cash, which Fuentes appreciates, and they are not told what to plant. "Right now, there are shortages of everything," Fuentes said, "so there is no risk of overproduction."

Marta Fuentes said the local cooperative now has 44 farms as members, up from 31 a year ago. "And not only are there more farmers, the farms themselves, like ours, are bigger," she said. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables available in local markets, she said, and a recent report from the Associated Press said that some commodities appear more abundant in Havana these days. So depressed is the Cuban economy that the government is pushing farmers to use oxen to plow the fields. "Let's forget about tractors and fuels for this program, even if we had them," Castro said. The Fuentes family uses a couple of oxen. "Not having any machinery might seem backward, but in some ways the oxen are better," Fuentes said. He can borrow a tractor from the cooperative if he needs one. But the fuel costs are prohibitive.

One of the challenges facing private farmers is the lack of credit and investment. They can work their new farms, but they often don't have enough fertilizer, seed or fuel. There's not enough electricity to run water pumps, Fuentes said, and no one has pesticides. "This a big problem," said Alvarez, the University of Florida professor. "The government gives the farmers some land, which is good, but they don't give them any inputs. So they tell them, 'Take your old machete and go and fight the sun and weather and save us.' " "It's not much extra money, but believe me, every little bit helps us," said Marta Bobadilla, a retired shop clerk who was given the use of 1.5 acres behind her house on the outskirts of Havana, which she has transformed into an urban garden filled with bananas, okra, sweet potatoes and leafy vegetables to feed her rabbits. Asked if the cute little white bunnies might be sold as pets, Bobadilla thought that funny. This is Cuba. "These are to eat," she said.

West Racine Farmer's Market Spot

A short spot I did for the West Racine Farmer's Market to help fight the effort to end that and build a Gas Station.
Why oh why does this city feel that tax base is more critical then anything else all the time?
We have study after study that shows why good food has everyone.