My review:

Shit.
(it was very good. Just ... shit.)

I went to Martha and Sarah's this afternoon for a dog playdate. Duncan is on the left, Jones on the right.

From

A few weeks ago I pulled all of the fish out of my kitchen AP setup, because I had an infestation of slugs. I then poured boiling water over the growbed, which I think killed them all. Alas, it also killed the red worms I had put in the bed, and I'm sure it killed the bacteria, which of course are the engine of AP.

But I had left the fish tank and sump tank untouched, and covered in the usual biofilm, so the bacteria could recolonize quickly. After it had cycled a bit, I put back the pleco and the crayfish, who was having a tough time fighting off the tilapia in the front porch system.

On June 28th, I replanted the bed.

One of the most amazing things about AP (to me) is how dang quickly things sprout! It's 3 days later, and look!

Asian greens, From Aquaponics

These three pics aren't as good, but the same stuff going on:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zZfNB4jlB2YVtWFwTwpd3g?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rDw4y04iuT0mp5qvA2eejg?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MfeDliHQwBRESfaQii8TXg?feat=directlink

I have been enjoying my first harvests from my Backyard Harvest garden. Grayce has been doing a wonderful job ! Here are a few pics of how the garden looked a week ago:

( More pics and stuff )

Here:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/07/01/urban_farming/

Alas, the sound file is a .swf file. I'll see what I can do about getting it in a more compatible format from MPR.

The interivew with MPR on urban farming will be broadcast today, June 30th, during a regional segment of All Things Considered at either 4:50, 5:20 or 5:50 pm this afternoon and on the Web at minnesotapublicradio.org.

I'll put a direct link to the interview when I get it.

I just got back from being interviewed by Minnesota Public Radio (in the person of Dan Olson) about aquaponics and Backyard Harvest - Urban Farming is the topic. This will be a human interest story in their regional section of "Morning Edition," or possibly "All Things Considered."

It'll be a 4-5 minute piece, and Dan is interviewing 3-4 other people about various aspects of urban farming, so it's not like I'm soon to be a star or anything =) but I had a great time. I'm getting surprisingly good at the Aquaponics patter, especially after giving the presentation at at the Resource Fair awhile back. And I remembered to talk slowly and I even controlled my stutter a bit.

After, we went down to the corner pub and had a beer, and talked about all sorts of things. SInce I come from a Minnesota Olson line, we had a lot to talk about, and we covered everything from Peak Oil to "Angels and Demons" (which, oddly, he thinks I would like.)

The story will probably be broadcast next Wed or Thurs (July 1st or 2nd) and I'll link to the podcast when it goes online.

I had a really good time! I was kinda dreading this. Dan Olson is a true gentleman, and was very good at putting me at my ease.

I feel more than a tad guilty that I was the one being interviewed, when there are so many more worthy people who have been in this movement longer. But I pointed Dan to some of the other sources, and I think the aquaponics caught his ear (AFAIK, I'm the only active APer in Minnesota right now, although that won't be true for long).

He was careful to emphasise that I was only one voice in a multiple voice story, and that 4 minutes isn't that long, but as I told him, I listen to MPR all the dang time, I knew what I was getting in to!

And now I have the hiccups, Jones is passed out next to me, and it's time for sleep.

From Dirt Garden

From Aquaponics

They're back...



Also, brains!

This is awesome!


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH0v8AJsM6Y)

About 6 minutes long. It's a fountain, kinda, but don't let that discourage you from clicking the link...

I do intend on posting my wiscon reports, although by the time I do, no one will still be interested. I've been having trouble, though, because I've been finding out what happened at Wiscon when I wasn't watching.

And I'm having a terrible time reconciling that an event that is so important in my life, and has done such good in my life, and has made me grown so much as a human, is actively damaging others.

The last few years something has happened at Wiscon. Some event. The first I knew about the was the cultural appropriation panel and subsequent blog-o-sphere blowup. Then there was the photo incident last year. This year, RaceFail09 predated Wiscon, but definitely tinged how people went into the con, and then more happened.

Two incidents that I've been reading about: shadesong has a write-up of what happened during the "Take Back the SciFi" program here. The moderator invalidated male rape survivors. I can't put it any better.

More at these sites:
hps_sterling's write-up: http://hps-sterling.livejournal.com/484384.html
(warning, potentially triggery)

asim's write-up here: http://asim.livejournal.com/395694.html
(also potentially triggery)

Then, the Fen of Color safespace was invaded, and the FOC made to feel like zoo animals. So not cool:
thewayoftheid's post here, and karnythia's post here are the two that I've found to be a good explaination, and then
badger2305 has a follow-up here.

There is no way to balance the good that has come from Wiscon against the damage done at Wiscon, but I do sincerely hope that we can learn from our mistakes, and continue to participate.

(ETA: The comments at the posts linked in above are very important, and worth reading.)

Just two icons:
( Read more... )

I've returned home, had a great time, and have not yet gotten any con crud of any sort, nor have I heard of con-crud. Anyone else?

Mind is still reeling, as always after Wiscon...
I have a few con reports to post, as soon as I clean them up.

If you want a LJ sticker at Wiscon, go post here.

Spring has sprung, and that means I've fired up my front porch aquaponics setup! I've been fiddling with it for a week or so now, but I finally got all the equipment I needed (specifically, a checkvalve) and got the loop siphons working reliably. Now it's cycling, and after a few days (and after the nights warm up just a tad more) I'll start adding fish from my inside tanks.

From Aquaponics

(clicking on the "from Aquaponics" link just above will take you to the Aquaponics album on Picasaweb, where there are more pics)

Some of the tilapia are getting pretty big! The largest are 8-10 inches long now, I think. In the album is a pic of one that committed suicide (jumped out of the tank) with a ruler for scale.

From Aquaponics

My backyard harvest farmer planted yesterday! Carrots, radishes, beets, leeks, (green?) onions, cauliflower and cabbage, I think.

From Dirt Garden

From Dirt Garden

Backyard harvest now has a blog over at Wordpress, and I'll be posting more details there. But when I do, I'll put a link here so anyone (?) following this project can keep up. My first post over there hasn't been approved yet, but in a few days, this link should work.

In other news, life continues...

Someone here at work commented that the H1N1 flu could be read as "Heini" (you know, ones for eyes, threes for ees etc. 1337 speak).

What with the debate on what to call it ("swine" is apparently offensive to some), I vote we call it the Heini Flu. Beer all around!

I have the coolest congressman in the country. Go Rep. Ellison!

Rep. Ellison arrested during Darfur protest

I actually know very little about #AmazonFail, and all of that from my friends list. However, this is teh awesome:

Jackson Pearce: Twilight made me gay
(via wordswoman)

(Edited to add): Do not have liquids in spilling distance while watching this. By the time the dictionary came up, I was in pain laughing.

Here's a brilliant idea:

Using Veggie Trader is free and easy. It works like classified advertising. You post a listing describing the excess produce you have and what you'd like in return, and then you wait for a response...

Or, if you're looking for local produce, you simply enter your zip code and see what your neighbors have available. You can also post specific produce you’re looking for in our Wanted section and see which of your neighbors answers your request.

I've signed up, and it looks like I'm the first with active listings from the Twin Cities. This site is brand new, I think it's only been up a week or so. It's run out of California, and while they're working on Canada, right now it's only the USA.

(Veggie Trader via Homegrown Evolution)

naomikritzer suggests:

I realized a few weeks ago that if, when reading the newspaper (or your blog roll or whatever), you mentally replace all mentions of the economy with the word "zombies," it makes for much more entertaining reading.

Also, swap in "the zombie apocalypse" for "the economic crisis."

Alas, when you say things to friends like, "It's a really lousy time to be looking for a job, what with the zombies," they look at you like you're insane.

I even have an existing LJ tag for this entry!

(you know, before I wrote a story about zombies, they just didn't really interest me. Do you suppose writing about them [and therefore doing lots of research] is the equivalent of a bite?)

Just a reminder, I'll be presenting "Aquaponics 101" this Saturday at the community garden Spring Resource Fair. At the Unity Church in St. Paul. (map)

The fair starts at 9:30, and I present at 1:00pm.

1:00 Workshops
• Breaching Barriers to Just Food
• Preserving Food Safely – Suzanne Driessen
• Organic Soil Building – Organic Bob
• Aquaponics 101 – Karen Swanberg


$3 person at door, free parking
Lunch available for purchase from Black Cat Cafe.

Woohoo!