Last weekend we spent our Sunday at the Albany Arts and Green Festival.  Blessed with beautiful weather and a large crowd, we sold almost all our local organic honey, as well as many of the products from our Handcrafted Herbalim CSA. 

There was a diverse grouping of  booths at the festival; everything from solar/renewable energy to The Sierra club to The Alameda County Beekeepers Association.  We spent some time promoting our classes, discussing our farm with interesting people, and benefiting from all the giveaways (fruit trees, environmental books, compost and organic vegi starts).  

Fire Cider, Herbal Body Cream, Gardeners Salve,
Eucalyptus Lavender Salt scrub for sale

Both our honey and the model Warre hive we set up drew plenty of attention.  It was a blast talking about bees with other beekeepers and hearing about many of the local apiaries in the area. The best part of the festival was networking with so many interesting, like minded people. Of course taking home peach, apricot, and cherry trees, comfrey, globe artichokes, mugwort, and a few more starts for the garden was pretty great too.  Hurrah for the Green Festival!

 

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And so "Black Monday" begins......?

SIDE NOTE:  I am continuously editing this article as more and more info is coming out.....

Further Updates being ADDED to the BOTTOM of the article

LIVE coverage of Greece being made a Patsy:

 http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/jun/29/greek-crisis-stock-markets-slide-capital-controls-banks-closed-live


Just how much of a Patsy?   Well judging by the outright lies of Juncker being spewed at this very moment in a televised press conference, a HUGE Patsy.

..... Dont forget who started all this mess to begin with!!!

Goldman Sachs

And who is the head of the ECB (EU Central Bank)- Mario Draghi

"Mario Draghi, formerly vice chairman and managing director of Goldman Sachs International. As incoming head of the European Central Bank, Draghi has been responsible for pouring €1 trillion of easy money into a tottering European banking system. You can call that a rescue operation if you like — but what exactly is being rescued? The collapsing banks and irresponsible governments most responsible for the current crisis. The firms and institutions who form Goldman’s crucial European client base, in fact."

http://planetponzi.com/blog/goldman-friends

Goldman Sachs Secret Take Down Of Greece

Greece – The Way Out

BUT WAIT!!!!  Theres MORE!!!
Coincidence?   I Think NOT!!

China-led AIIB development bank holds signing ceremony

China has hosted the signing ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new international financial institution set to rival the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Delegates from 50 countries signed articles that determine each members share and the banks initial capital.

The UK, Germany, Australia and South Korea are among the founding members....

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33307314

...Which might have some people cheering, but.......

Chinese Stocks Crash Most In 19 Years, Re-Open Limit Down (Despite PBOC Hail Mary)

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/28/2015 23:22 -0400

• Apple
 
• Bear Market
 
• China
 
• Market Crash
 
• NASDAQ

inShare21

Carnage...

• *CHINA STOCK PANIC SELLING TO CONTINUE, CENTRAL CHINA ZHANG SAYS

This leave Chinas CSI-300 broad stock index futures up just 7% year-to-date...

• *CHINA CSI 500 STOCK-INDEX FUTURES FALL BY MAXIMUM 10% LIMIT
• *CHINA CSI 500 STOCK-INDEX FUTURES FALL BY LIMIT FOR 2ND DAY

• *HKEX DROPS AS MUCH AS 7.3%, MOST SINCE SEPT. 2011
• *SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX EXTENDS DROP TO 7.5%
• *SHANGHAI COMPOSITE HEADS FOR BIGGEST 3-DAY DROP SINCE 1996

Carnage-er...

• *CHINAS CSI 300 INDEX FALLS 3.4% TO 4,190.3 AT BREAK
• *CHINAS SHANGHAI COMPOSITE FALLS 3.8% TO 4,035.48 AT BREAK
• *CHINAS CSI 500 STOCK INDEX FUTURES EXTEND LOSSES TO 5.7%
• *CHINEXT INDEX PLUNGES 7.8% FOR 3-DAY 20% SLIDE

After The Peoples Daily proclaimed... "investors were moved to tears" thanks to the PBOCs actions...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-06-28/chinese-double-rainbow-rate-cut-fails-reignite-rally-grexit-fears-weigh-global-marke



And if that isnt enough to raise your eyebrows, how about this:

Officials From 65 Countries Met at a Security Summit in Isolated Russia

Cooperation between defense and security agencies, the aftermaths of emergency situations, and drug trafficking prevention were high on the agenda along with fresh water as a strategic resource

http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/terrorism-water-security-issues-discussed-ulan-ude-summit/ri8305


And just to drive home the reality of the shit storm we are watching unfold....

While everyone was distracted and screaming about confederate flags and gay marriages..... the US federal government quietly fast tracked the TPP- giving Obama ABSOLUTE power, and California State government Fast tracked and PASSED the "manditory vaccine" Bill.

d

33m ago11:50

Juncker press conference on Greece

Heads-up. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, is discussing the Greek crisis now in Brussels

40m ago11:20

Pensioners in Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, also queuing at their banks this morning in the hope of getting funds - but no luck:

1h ago11:06

Looks like Greek cash machines are up and running under the new regime of capital controls:

???s now working in #Greece, withdraw limit is 60€ [this does not apply to foreign bills] pic @MakisSinodinos

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Around The Farm May

Broccoli harvested from the garden in our sons handmade basket

Many beds still bursting with different varieties of kale

Snap peas make perfect garden nibbles

Food Forest beginnings: Artichokes, kale, chard, sunflowers, banana, and a young hawthorn tree

Cylindra beets

Dehydrated beet chips

Strawberry beet fruit leather- try it its amazing!

Lots of fresh cheese

Ginger!

Turkeys poults are growing up

Young hands jarring up honey- a sweet chore!

Drying the garlic harvest before braiding

So much to fit into these long, hot days.  Spring is feeling more like summer as we put extra mulch on the beds and get all the tomatoes, corn, squash, peppers and eggplant into the ground.  Ive been feeling way behind as there are a ton of vegis to harvest and process with very little time and only a few hands keeping up all the work.  Our trio of goats are fat and due to kid in less than a month.  The stalls need to be cleaned out and bedded with thick fresh straw in anticipation of the babies we so adore.  The chickens are steadily laying away and the turkeys are growing large before our eyes.  I think those seven funny poults may have imprinted on me because they follow me everywhere squawking, "Mammma!" in turkey language.  I have become quite attached to them which is going to be problematic come Thanksgiving.  We harvested a good portion of garlic yesterday.  Im excited to experiment with braiding both the soft and hard neck varieties later this week.  We harvested it still a bit green so the stems will be flexible instead of brittle.  Weve been eating mostly out of the garden these days and cant wait for the fruit in the orchard to ripen: citrus and apricots first, then plums, apples, pears, grapes, persimmons and more...We are really praying and planning for a big harvest this year so we can put up the summer goodness for winter.  Much depends on the drought/water supply and how much our grey water can keep the soil moist.  For now, were feeling optimistic and always filled with gratitude!

God never sends us more than we can handle. -Mother Theresa

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The Untangled Gathering The Origins All Day Conference

The world we live in is tangled in a sticky web, binding our past with lies and shackling our present in an elaborately convoluted deception.  

Once the strands of this web are seen, we begin the arduous task of untangling the fabrications that binds us, untwisting the knots that were meant to hold us under control. Each fibre of deception that is removed reveals the next layer of what isnt, and never was. 

The Untangled Gathering:  The Origins   June 27, 2015  

12noon BDT (London)  till 12 midnight BDT, LIVE Stream Broadcast on CCN- The Conscious Consumer Network

The Untangled Gathering is a conference where we bring together people from all over this planet, to share their story of unravelling the matrix.  We will look down the avenues of hidden history, tear the bindings off of science, revealing political corruption, financial despotism, and illegal laws.  We come together to dig down through the layers of lies that have been woven into our very existence.

History is written by the victor, yet who is the victor that has been writing our history?

Our history has been hidden under layers of lies and deception, from the earliest ages of our past.  Without uncovering the beginning, we can not begin to truly comprehend our present. So we return to the beginning and unravel that which has been knotted, and buried in the sands of time.

Our very first Untangled Gathering will dig into the distant past of our ancestors,  pulling together the pieces of the grand puzzle of our beginnings. The Untangled Gathering is an online conference that will be broadcast  LIVE stream on CCN- The Conscious Consumer Network.  We have invited researchers from all over the world, to discuss the ancient cultures of Earth and to share their knowledge of our past.

We Invite you to join us for this major event, as we travel back to the beginning and unwind that which was bound, gathering together the pieces of our past.

The First Untangled Gathering LIVE broadcast will be launched tonight, Friday June 26, 2015 at 11pm BDT/ 6pm EDT- with a special 1 hour show discussing The Origins Conference that begins a noon (London time) Saturday June 27th, 2015.

Please Visit the TUG Events Page HERE for more information about The Untangled Gathering Origins Conference.

The LIVE broadcast will start at 12noon, London time- 7am EDT

WATCH the TUG Origins Conference on CCN:  http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ccn-live/

Speaking at the TUG Origins Conference will be:

Thahoketoteh of Kanienkehaka Nation (Mohawk)- From Turtle Island (Canada)- Telling the story of the First Nations Creation legends

Mel Ve, Will be taking us through the vast world of the mythology of Creation 

12-2pm- Colin Hayter, Live from Australia with Lisa M Harrison, to discuss the Gosford Glyphs, and his amazing discovery of their history.

2-3pm- Dr. Credo Mutwa - Live from South Africa - interview with Mel Ve, Discussing African Origins 

4-6pm  - Dr. Sam Semir Osmanagich  - Live from the US - Sam will be speaking about the Bosnian Pyramids and his ground breaking research into their ancient history

7-9pm- Francis Xavier Aloisio - Live from Malta - Taking us on a journey though the vast prehistory of the Island of Malta, and her Megalithic temples.

9-11pm- Johan Oldenkamp- Live from Holland

  

JOIN us Tomorrow for an incredible day of journeying back in time, to the very Origins of Our Selves.

The Untangled Gathering:  The Origins

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Decision Day

Decision Day...
Trying to work out today what plants are worth saving, pulling or just harvesting early... Due to the soil in some beds being so degraded we will be rehabilitating them by removing some soil then replacing it with the composted horse manure/worm casting blend from Wormtec... We are expecting delivery  in the next few weeks along with a Brix meter to monitor plant health...
 
Bed #1... The Purple cabbages will all be coming out this week to be turned into Coleslaw, rice paper wraps or stir fry... We did loose 3 during the week due to each of them being attacked by dozens of "silk" producing grubs... Such is... This bed will be totally stripped except for the Leeks, Shallots, Sage & a Kent Pumpkin at the far end... The bed will then be turned trough with fertiliser, cracker dust & compost blend then left until we organise some plants for it...

Bed #2...  Above are some shots of the "Rainbow" Chard we harvested the seed from this afternoon... The seed in the bucket will be sown into a fenced off section of the Chooks yard as fodder & the seed in the paper bag is for sharing & our ownn use...
    The Monster Pumpkin had one last big prune of the long leaders today to see if the smaller new ones will produce some female flowers that will hold onto the fertilised fruits... The Celery is getting the benefit of the doubt at the moment as is the Banana Chilli in this bed... We have/will be feeding them with Worm wee/Seasol along with some 5 in 1 fertiliser blended with Cracker dust & worm castings dug in to the soil in the gaps between plants... This bed will be reconditioned after the Celery has been harvested & a decision made on the Pumpkins...
    The 2 Square beds at the end of Bed #2 will have some Compost blend dug through it but am unsure of what will be going in there as of yet...Have been thinking about adding the Cape Gooseberries but shall just wait & see...
Bed #3...  The beans are still producing a few here & there but have lost their dark green colouring so I fear it is time to dig them through the bed...The Beetroot shall be removed & turned into a salad during the week... This bed will then have some soil removed & have some of the purchased compost blend as well as other fertilises added... The Eggplants at the end of the bed shall be left as they are producing more than we need in the soil as it is now...  
Bed #4... One of the the Eggplants from this bed has been removed due to the others that are producing elsewhere... The Cape Gooseberries are starting to pick up but are still being munched on buy the bugs so they got a Neeming this afternoon...... The soil around the plants in this bed will have some fertiliser & compost added... Asian greens & other quick leafy crops will be planted in here where space permits...
Bed #5...  This bed had Dragon carrots including one that was going to seed... Unfortunately it got pulled accidentally  as we were harvesting the other carrots & preparing the soil... We added 2/3 of a bag of 5 in 1, 1L of Cracker dust & 2cups of blood n bone then dug it through the bed... 8 Bush Beans & a Thai Basil were planted on top of about 1½ cup of Worm castings... They are sharing the bed with 2 or 3 different types of feral chillies, a Purple Basil, & some Sweet potatos that have decided to re-establish themselves in the bed...


 Bed #6...  This bed we are still quite happy with... The carrots are forming nicely but wont be ready for a few more weeks & the Spring Onion thinnings are being used on a weekly basis... This bed is getting a regular feeding with Worm wee/Seasol ... 
 Bed #7... The Cucumber bed is going to be striped of plants & some of the soil removed so some compost, chook straw & 5 in 1 fertiliser can be added over the following weeks... I think it will be turned into the Snow pea bed with some Broccoli planted at the front...

 Bed #8... (formally the Tomato bed)  This bed is being left as is for the time being... Some Burpless Cucumber seedlings were planted along the trellis last weekend... They were planted into soil that had a good amount of 5 in1 dug through it.. A large handful of fresh Worm castings was placed at the base of the plants to help them settle in... This bed also contains some feral Ginger, 6 Capsicums, Sage, feral Sweet basils & a few Orange Chillies... All but the Cucumbers & feral Ginger may get pulled yet so we can dig through a good amount of the Compost blend then plant out...


Bed #9...   (The small Pumpkin bed behind Lemon Tree) This garden has soil like Concrete !!! I only mixed 5 in 1 with the "premium" soil blend we bought when this bed was first filled... It does have a feral Eggplant growing but I am willing to sacrifice that & re do the soil in the bed so we can plant some Lemon Grass... I am also thinking about a Zucchinis in here as well but not certain about that yet...

The Spice barrels appear to be going alright even though the soil is rather compacted... New "sets" are popping up... I have been breaking  up the surface soil every few weeks & adding  liquid fertilisers...

The original Strawberry barrel that Koo planted has been mined out by ants... It needs to be dug up, plants relocated & the barrel recycled... I am considering resurrecting some old hydroponic grow tubes then  planting out the berries around the back stairs so they can be watered & tended daily... The new Strawberry barrel is doing ok...  The Pink  Strawberry is throwing heaps of runners so we will be sharing some with other family members once they have their gardens up & running...

The 2 Cape Gooseberry barrels were not doing well at all until Worm wee/Seasol was added on a regular basis... They are filled with the "dodgy" Nursery mix so they may end up planted in the 2 Square beds at the end of Bed #2 yet...


Horse Manure Compost...

This morning I made up a Compost blend using some pony poo, blood n bone & Cracker dust... 2 drums were made up... 1 has roughly 40L of pony poo, 2 cups each of blood n bone & Cracker dust with the other drum having 4 cups of blood n bone & cracker dust... The ingredients were mixed well in the drums with some water then rolled around the back yard... They have been left in an up right position in an area of the yard that gets sun until 2pm... They shall get a mix with the garden fork & a roll around the yard every few days to help aerate the blend...
 Compost tea...
 I shall be looking into making some Compost tea but will get into that in another post once I have worked out how to rig up a system as Im am going a "little bit fancy" with its construction... The aim is to brew a tea that will be teaming with bacterial life so it can be added to the garden to help unlock nutrients in the soil for the plants... I am wanting to do a bit more research before I start & am hoping to incorporate it with Moos science unit...

Crocuses...

 

  Here are the Crocuses from the Front yard... They have all bloomed now & shall probably die back by tomorrow night but we shall enjoy them while they are here...
The Pumpkin growing from the lawn clippings in the front yard is a mystery yet we are hopeful they will do better than the plants out the back...

Have a great one all...

: )»

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Earth day Hangout with JT Bear at the Bronx Writing Academy

This afternoon was quite a day at the Bronx Writing academy!
After watching and discussing what earth day is/means, we had a hangout session with JT Bear. JT Bear is a gentle man from the west cost of Canada, who has youtube channel where he talks about his aquaponic set-up without hiding the problems he runs into.
We had a great time ! the students where a bit shy at the beginning, but they started to show what they had built, from top to bottom, explaining how the water flows from the bucket to the towers, as well as the difference between how on system is fed using store bought fertilizer and the other using compost tea. They showed in detail the different plants growing in the system : lettuce, spinach,"cabage" (actually Swiss chard), basil, cilantro, parsley, basil, and strawberries.

They then asked a few question to JT Bear about what he grows and why. They also asked if he was a cowboy ! JT Bear was a great sport and entertained the conversation with the students, going back and forth between subjects about our project, but also digression of video games and other.
The best question -I think - (from the questions "on point") was :
"Do you know what day it is today ? EARTH DAY !"
The students shared some of the thoughts about what we are doing to help preserve the environment. As one of the student say, by planting plants we help producing oxygen, and take carbon dioxide from the air. We also recycled salvaged wood and soysauce buckets, as well as made a worm composting bucket.

We finally ended the conversation and the excitement was palpable!

THANK YOU Mr. BEAR !

Finally couple of photos of the compost tea system on the left, and the "conventional" system on the right.


Thank you again!

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