Raising the Cabin

I love the idea of “pitching in”.

When asked to help with a project, I usually jump in offering whatever I can. More often than not it’s a “2-for” as I volunteer Robin too. In return, I expect a genuine appreciation for the offer and respect for my offering.

We recently participated in a small scale barn-raising at Orchard Hill as farm friends gathered together, raising the structure for a pier & beam, straw bale cabin. Sitting on a concrete foundation, the two story structure (a future home for the farm apprentices) incorporates passive solar radiant sub-floor heating. The majority of the materials, from the hand-hewn beams to the straw bales, were drawn from the farm.

Of course I’m not writing about cabins or construction or even sustainable living. I’m writing about a rare, genuine sense of community; a community of which I am privileged to be a part. Like Scotland’s mythical Findhorn, there’s a spirit at Orchard Hill, quietly nurtured, whose sole purpose seems to be respectful gratitude. Or perhaps that is just what the spirit brings to me, because that’s what I need.

This energy was hard at work as 50 or so folks were joined in a harmonious group effort. Under a moody sky and amid leaf-filled gusts, I watched as leaders led, workers worked, and children played. Upon breaking for lunch, we joined hands in a silent prayer then each took a seat on our straw bale chairs, enjoying the food and company. (I loved my cheesy-crunchy mac and cheese, roasted veggies, coleslaw, green beans with pesto, tomatoe/black olive/feta tart, some of Robin’s salad and fresh bread, followed by tea, pumpkin-carrot cake and chocolate-covered-almond-peanut clusters). Okay, so I writing about community AND food; we must nourish both the soul and the body.

Though we were unable to elevate as much of the structure as we would have liked, the day was a wonderful success for me as my spirit was raised once again. Raised simply by being in an environment of respect and gratitude.

And did I mention mac and cheese?

Paper vs Plastic, Today vs Tomorrow

From Ready Made magazine, Oct / Nov 2007 (thanks Janet!)

Riddle me this ..
When is a shopping bag the same as the contents of a gas pump?
When we decide it’s okay to continue overusing it provided it’s made of something else.

Paper Vs Plastic
There are more and more communities discussing legislation restricting the use of plastic bags in favour of paper, under the premise of paper being the slightly lesser of two evils …



Paper
- costs 4-9 cents to make made from a renewable source, but the process of making creates are and water pollutants
- takes a month to decompose
- uses 40% more energy to produce and 90% more energy to recycle, than plastic
- recycled about 20% of the time

Plastic
- costs 2 cents to produce
- requires less energy to produce though manufacturing process results in polluting effluents
- takes 1,000 years to decompose
- consumes one-tenth the landfill space
- recycled about 1% of the time

So, just as changing the fuel we use is not as good as using less fuel, why not skip the entire debate (including the future one which will be paper vs some other product like cornstarch), and shut down another unnecessary industry (after bottling water). Choose any reusable carrier that suits your lifestyle; fabric or mesh bags, plastic bins, baskets.

And while you’re at it, maybe choose something that hasn’t travelled half way around the globe to get to you.

Whata palava ... in a good way (a.k.a. The 50th - yeesh!)

Following months of discussion, the party to celebrate half a century of wedded bliss was unleashed as my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. Planned as a garden party and suspiciously coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Leave it to Beaver television premier (curious), everything proceeded without a hitch; even the thundering sky cooperated. We had wonderful food (including meatballs which were apparently incredible, I was told – me veggie) and a beautifully decorated white and gold cake, all provided by Mike Flynn of Arthur Voaden and his crew.

My folks garden was in full Autumn colour, surprisingly considering it was Thanksgiving weekend, due largely to their clever planning last Fall, careful planting this spring and a ton of last minute tweaking. As guests arrived there were many long-overdue reunions, some with tears, lots of laughs and fifty years of stories to share. We also had a visit from local MPP Steve Peters (who is also a friend and neighbour) bearing a congratulatory certificate (thanks Steve, that was cool) and some poignant moments while looking at snapshots of friends no longer with us.

Apart from the usual photo displays of 50 years of married life and an unusual recognition of the role duct tape has played (don’t ask), we did have one special treat for everyone to take home; wonderfully romantic raspberry truffle chocolates, heart-shaped, dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa, handmade by our super-hero friends at SOMA. I can’t say enough about SOMA Chocolates; you can imagine how delicious their chocolates and gelato are, but what might surprise you is how big the hearts are of proprietors David and Cynthia. Huge thanks and hugs to them both, and to Keiko and all who helped with our special, labour-intensive request.

So, my folks have been married 50 years; an occasion Robin and I, at 14 years, will never see. I guess they’d better start planning for our 25^th anniversary party – it’s going to be SPECTAULAR!

Biofuels ... further rants

Just when I thought I was beginning to cut through all the malarkey, I’ve learned something else.

Apparently Biodiesel, which is carbon neutral as it contributes no net carbon greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere (William Kemp - The Renewable Energy Handbook) does not need to be made from feed crops, such as corn or soy. It can also be made from recycled vegetable oils!
Think about what that means … we could be making fuel from an ingredient which is considered a waste product, something every fast-food and 5 star restaurant currently pays to have removed and disposed of.

So, do we grow an ingredient from seed (water, apply chemicals, harvest, process, repeat …), a crop which could feed people, or do we re-use a product which currently exists in large quantities, which folks would finance to have utilized? Hmmm ...

To make matters more confusing, there is a product called Cellulose Ethanol. You’ll love this. It is made from corn stover (stalks and husks), wood-processing by-products or even fast-growing switch grass. And, unlike grain-based ethanol production, the manufacturing process does not consume fossil fuels for distillation, further reducing greenhouse gas emissions (W.H. Kemp).

So, I guess now the only thing that’s really confusing is … how come we’re making all the wrong choices?

To use a better fuel, or to just decide to use less

Biofuels are confusing. They’re being marketed world-wide as being less environmentally harmful than petroleum products, suggesting that by using a less polluting fuel we can justify a reliance on cars and trucks.

from UTNE Reader, August 2007-10-20 -

How large-scale soy production is threatening the environment.

In Paraguay, “soy production has increased exponentially due to worldwide demand for animal feed and the rise of an insatiable biodiesel industry. Biodesel made from soy oil is touted as good for the environment, even more efficient that ethanol. If current trends continue, by 2020 global demands will require 370 million acres of cultivated land worldwide” (Ontario, which has an area larger than France and Spain combined, is 265.5 million acres)

“An acre of forested land absorbs almost twice as much CO2 as land used to grow biofuel crops, thereby cancelling out any climate advantage advertised by biofuel production” To further add to the “cons” column, factor in the amount of water and agrochemicals required.

“Soy cultivation dumps more than 24 million litres of agrochemicals in Paraguay every year. They include Paraquat, which has no antidote if ingested; Metamidofos, which has reduced sperm count in exposed males; and Endosulfan, which caused birth defects in the infants of repeatedly exposed mothers.”

“The soy workers also wash their machines in the river after spraying (pesticides) – combined with the agricultural run-off, this means that there are no fish left in our rivers, and the water is completely contaminated.”

Locally we recently applauded the ribbon-cutting of a new biofuel plant set to begin production in Aylmer, processing corn for fuel. According to Biofuels Canada, the Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative (IGPC) are “committed to creating value and economic growth in Southwestern Ontario and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the production of renewable fuels”

Right - so we’ll cultivate huge crops of corn or soy, requiring substantial quantities of agrochemicals for pest control and accelerated growth, and most likely vast amounts of water to ensure the growing season remains on sched. We’ll then harvest the crop using fuel-run machinery and process the corn in a fuel-guzzling plant which is operated by workers who will all drive to and from work, and then ship the fuel about in big tankers … and this is our “green choice”?

Let’s face the truth and stop lying about our motivation. The biofuels we’re going to be using are never going to be better for the world; we’ll be lucky if they’ll be just as bad for the world as our current fuels are. What they will be is available, which is more than we can say for our current fuel supply which will likely be exhausted in the next two decades.

Step 2 of our Inspection; Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report

We have now received our Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report from AmeriSpec and our home is in pretty good shape. On the EnerGuide rating (which lists 0-49 being least efficient, 57 being average and 80-100 being most efficient), we sit at 66, with a goal of reaching 76. Our motivation is ultimately to be as energy efficient as possible (for a variety of reasons) and realistically we need to qualify for as many government grants as we can, to afford the work required.

Our $ incentives, if we follow all recommendations and pass the follow-up inspection;
1) Reduce heat loss -
Drafts; by air sealing (caulking windows and doors, sealing attic hatch, insulating exterior wall electrical outlets, etc.) our goal would be to improve overall efficiency and increase our Energuide rating from 66 to 76 ($150 Prov./$150 Fed.). If we reach 20% better we qualify for an additional $300.
Insulation; basement, full wall and header, to R-24 insulation factor ($600 Prov./$600 Fed.)
Insulation; crawl space below dining room; full wall to R-24 insulation factor, with poly ground barrier ($800 Prov./$800 Fed.). All insulation, which will likely be spray-foam, would cost about $4,500.00 and will require wall studs and dry wall covering as foam cannot be left exposed.
2) Replace windows; we could qualify for $60 per replaced window, if we installed Energy Star windows, but I think we'll try sealing first and evaluate.
3) Low flush toilet; this is a "must do" because we currently have a 3-flusher, if you get my meaning. Install a low or dual flush toilet rated 6L with a performance of 350g or more, which will likely cost around $1,200 to purchase and have installed ($50 Prov./$50 Fed.).
4) Hot water tank; replace current low/mid efficiency gas water tank with high efficiency gas, tankless water heater, costing around $1,200 and which would also solve our chimney problem (it either needs to be re-pointed or be taken down and, unlike our current tank, this type of water heater does not require a chimney) ($200 Prov./$200 Fed.).

Stage 1 of our Energy Retrofit Master Plan is all about making the current structure as environmentally strong as possible. Once the building is solid and efficient, we will commence with Stage 2, which will be a bit more exciting; an alternative heat source (such as a pellet or corn fueled fireplace), solar panels, rechargeable battery bank, wind turbine, grey water recovering...

Our short memories

I live in a small town and cycle through a high school parking lot on my way to work each day. I gotta say, of all places, shouldn’t the parking lot be empty? I mean, what are these kids being taught? I can count on one hand the number of bicycles I see, but can barely navigate my way through the monster trucks and around the idling busses.
Almost every time I read about biofuels (biodiesel or ethanol), there is a reference to the “big oil crisis of the 1970’s” when the per-barrel price of oil doubled and there was "chaos at the pumps!". We were all going to be more fuel-conscious and buy small cars. Hmmm …
My friend at work says she’ll quit smoking when her doctor says "you've got to or else". I guess that’s when people figure they’ll stop driving – once they have no other choice; once it’s all gone. Given maybe a decade or two left of oil, it seems to me that we should be using it to make things that will benefit future generations, like solar panels or medical equipment, rather than burning it up, driving the current generation to school.

Orchard Hill Farm Pot Luck

Our first year as CSA members has come to a sad, and savoury, end as Orchard Hill hosted the annual end-of-season pot luck dinner. Mother Nature, whom we had celebrated each week as we collected our food from the farm, rewarded us all with a clear, sunny sky and warm breezes. As they buzzed around my Gredig Orchard's cider, I reminded myself that wasps are an important component in the life cycle of food production and that I’d suffered no stings and very few mosquito bites this summer (our first summer of mowing, rain barrels, evenings on the deck and lolling about on lawn furniture). There was a wide variety of edibles to choose from, most of which were prepared using ingredients picked from the very land on which we were gathering, as well as fresh, cool minty tea (thanks to Martha!). For our contribution to the meal, I had quickly stirred myself into a corner. Having spent much time talking about, and preparing, what ended up being a remarkably gummy and tasteless mushroom risotto, I was rescued at the 11^th hour by Robin making his yummy salad (thanks to Soo for “tele-cook” support, just the same). After giving silent thanks, we perched on hay bales, sat on the ground or on our lawn chairs, and enjoyed everyone’s cooking while basking in the warm, Indian summer sun. As sweet as the day was, it did signify the end of the season for us CSA members, and we wandered down to take one last gander at the hens and verdant fields. Fortunately, the farm is not shot of us yet; we’ll soon be back to help raise the structure for a cabin being built on-site for apprentices.

Stay tuned - the farm has not closed it gates yet!

Live simply

Our friend Lin (with the beautiful garden) emailed us a quote she’d recently read.

“Live Simply so that others can Simply Live”

It is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, and it’s an uncomplicated sentiment summing-up how so many people feel. It also defines the direction in which some of us are aiming our lives, attempting to break free from the trajectory of our culture of consumption. As Lin had with us, we shared these words with our neighbour Laura and the next morning, Laura gave us a tea towel she had made for us with the quote, green letters stitched on white cotton. In a full-circle moment, I remembered that one of my heroes, Henry James Thoreau, was feeling much the same way when, in 1854, he moved to Walden Pond to simplify his life. He wrote about stripping away his life’s unnecessary pretenses and adornments, living close to the earth and embracing nature’s beauty. He wanted to live by what he needed, not by what he wanted, though they were often one in the same. I've since learned that Gandhi also regarded Thoreau as an inspiration and often referred to his work while engaging in his own mission of enlightenment and reform. From Thoreau to Ghandi, from Lin to us, from us to Laura and back again – the same timeless message traveling around the world.
We don’t need to know what our carbon footprint is, or buy a product to offset it, we just need to stop taking more than our share.

Time to migrate ... time to nest

As I sit here watching the small birds eating at our feeders and the Blue Jays competing with the squirrels as they feed on the ground, I’m reminded that my Dad said we should stop feeding the hummingbirds by early October in order to encourage them to begin their journey south. I’ll wait for the feeder to be emptied of its syrup, and then take it down by the end of this week, the first of October. The warm breeze brings with it fragrance from the lavender we picked last week at Orchard Hill, as it sits perched on the window sill in the vase Lin gave us.
I feel nostalgic, these early days of Fall, remembering high school at back-to-school time; my bad haircuts and overly-matched new clothes, fresh duo-tangs and binders filled with lined paper, my old combination lock going to a new location. And I’m glad those days are past.
I think it was in high school that I had my first Sunday night “dreads” – that panic of the next day that would scare me awake in the early hours of Monday morning, off and on for hundreds of Mondays over the next few decades. I guess I know I’m in a good place when I can sleep through the night, from Sunday bedtime to Monday morning.

Our deck - our sunshine

Our house is a perfect fit for our lives. Much of what it offers us in its 800ish sq. ft. we didn’t even think to ask for, as is the case with our deck.
Now, when we moved here 4 months ago we weren’t quite so focused on energy conservation, but how brilliant is it that our deck was designed with a removable roof (courtesy of Laura’s brother Dan)? In the intense sun of the late Spring, Summer and early Fall, our dining room is shaded by our large sunburst locust tree and the latticed roof of our deck. As the days begin to cool, the leaves will fall and we’ll remove the lattice to storage, and welcome the full, warming sun of winter.
Of course, even a perfect deck needs to be fine-tuned and we’ve decided, come next spring, we’ll discard the now-scrappy lattice (I smell a sweet-pea, honeysuckle and clematis wall on the side of our garage!) and replace it with some kind of landscapers fabric which will allow rain and breeze to pass, but will collect much of the debris we too often find dropped into our coffee cups and wine glasses.
The deck had apparently never been painted – the arsenic of the pressure-treating had warded off nasty mould and rot, and now that the treating had unfortunately leached off (and likely into our water table) it was time for us to protect the wood or watch it decompose and replace. The stain we choose is a semi-transparent oil stain called Wood Shield, which is a Home Hardware brand, made in Canada and formulated for our climate. We had it tinted to something called Lily Pad. The label reads “a linseed oil / alkyd blend” and is lead and mercury free, though of course it contains petroleum distillates. It’s a small window of time that allows for a deck-job; you need to power wash and allow to thoroughly dry, then paint (which is almost a full day) and allow to dry. Fortunately, our neighbour Laura has all the tools of a hardware store which we knew we could borrow her power-washer when the “window” opened, which it did this past week. Our deck is now beautifully Lilp-Padded and ready for winter.