Sunday, May 31, 2009

Whats a Better Story?

Whether you are a fan of evolution or not,
here is an interesting thought:

Many of us in the Judeo-Christian West were raised
with this story that we all started out in this
"Garden of Eden" but because of this or that,
we were banned to the wilderness...to the desert.
Paradise Lost.

Pretty sad story...not much hope in that.

Here is an improvement.
If there is a higher intelligence,
wouldn't it have been clever to leave it up to us
to create that ideal paradise?

Like...if we WANT it, we have to EARN it.
WE HAVE TO BE THE CREATORS OF PARADISE.

If we want hell on earth, we can have that.
We can and have created that.
Deserts, fire, pain, drought...just hellish.

Iraq was covered in cedar forests so thick light never reached the ground.
Think about that.

We are preceded by forests, and followed by deserts.
Usually. Can we change that now?



Um...yes.

We have the creative and DIVINE power to create heaven on Earth again.

Where shall you begin?

Saturday, May 30, 2009

RawUtah's Backyard Permaculture Project

Ive been following Jake at Rawutah.com for a while now,
and I have to say I keep getting more and more impressed
by his work. His setup is so well-done and cared for,
and I really think his approach is what is truly applicable to
most people in the US. He is growing ABUNDANT amounts of food
in a relatively small space, and this intensive method is
really the answer to most problems facing the suburbs.



Here is his May update.



Here is his Dome Update. SIIIIIICK!!!

Great stuff my friend!
Everyone else! Doing something similar? Take some pics
and send them this way so we can share the inspiration.

I get excited when I hear about people getting into more living foods,
but I get TOTALLY pumped when I learn about a new friend growing
their own food. Its really the key to our liberation.

When I get back to MN next week, I am building a tomato setup like
Jake did...I was blown away! I cant wait to see it next month!

I LOVE the agribon to block out the brassica-loving insects too.
Excellent idea for any kale-cabbage-kohlrabi-brussel sprout fans.

Again, great to see this happening...let's all take this to new levels!
This is where the innovation really takes place.
The pioneers like Bill Mollison and David Holmgren make the breakthroughs,
but then everyone learning from them tweaks their idea and can only
improve upon them eventually. Unlimited potential.

-Anthony

Tibet - Cry of the Snow Lion


"When I see beings of wicked nature,
oppressed by violent misdeeds and afflictions,
may I hold them dear,
as if I had found a rare and precious treasure."

-His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Dawn and I watched this film through Netflix last night,
and I was both horrified and ashamed that I didnt know
more about what happened and what IS happening in
Tibet right now. YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM.

The Chinese Government is horribly repressive,
but I had no idea it was like this.

You can watch the whole thing via youtube...





















This has been going on for so long now,
and we as westerners should do what we can
to expose the truth and boycott the Chinese Govt.

Why don't most of us know about this still?
I knew it was bad, but mass murder and torture?
Genocide? WTF?

Killing monks and nuns?
If you shop in America, its very likely that most stuff in your
house was made in China. Its so prevalent, and we will
sell our values away for access to cheap products.
We directly support this brutality with the products we buy.

What about Goji Berries? Hmmm?
The Chinese people are NOT the Chinese Govt though,
so there it becomes sticky. We want to support innocent people
providing good products, but the Chinese Govt has got to go.

Remember this as well...
There has never been ONE act of terrorism on the part
of Tibetans because of the pleading of the Dalai Lama.

They took up arms to defend their homeland,
but they never once killed civilians or exploded bombs.
That says allot...especially after you watch this film.

Its tricky though, because the Monks were the ruling class
before China came in. They lived in their monasteries and studied
while the peasants supported them with labor and food.

So is that enlightened? There was always poverty there, when
I dont feel that there had to be. **Cough - PERMACULTURE - Cough**
Almost all the wealth went towards
the monks, instead of being shared throughout society.

It was a great film though, and it opened my eyes even more
about China. Let's do our best to LIVE our ideals.
Most of us reading this are for peace obviously.
We have firm moral principles. Yet we often throw those
away to the ultimate icon...saving and earning money.
Let's inform ourselves and make the best decision.

-Anthony


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Happy 5-0 Deb!!!!

She's a beauty, aint she???

I still can't believe that she is 50...
what a great representative for the raw lifestyle, right?

While Deb is raising two great daughters,
she is destroying cancer and inspiring countless others
to do the same...truly a pure heart and a wonderful friend.

Her great blog can be found HERE.

My life is richer for knowing this lovely lady!

Happy Birthday Deb! We all love you over here!!!
See you really soon!!!

Anthony + Dawn

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Back from the Garden

You reap what you sow...totally geeking out because of the growth.

I walked into the greenhouse with my eyes closed,
and when my mom said it was ok, I opened them up and saw this:

It was such a GREAT feeling to finally see some results!
Look at the size of these leaves!

I never expected that kind of growth though.
This is about 2 months ahead of schedule in Minnesota...WOW.
That pic was taken almost three weeks ago too...so its MUCH
bigger now...its just bananas in there right now.

Its really a funny thing that happens when I'm working
out in the garden...I totally disconnect from most everything else.
Very little email, very little phone. No internet or tv.
Just hard manual labor! Im sure some of you out there know what I mean.

I seriously didnt even touch my computer for 2 whole weeks.
I checked emails through the iphone, but seriously, it was about
5 minutes a day, plus about 15 min each night talking with Dawn.

I would wake up around 6-630, and after wishing my family a good morning,
would head up to the garden. Most of my focus was on building soil.
Plain and simple. Build soil NOW. I skimped on this last summer
because the construction trucks were still taking up space
while building the deck...but now...its on.

Ill keep this all brief as possible.
Building soil...how?
Collecting as much soil-building materials as possible like
dried leaves, grass clippings, newspaper, animal manure,
cardboard, wood chips, and black dirt. Whatever you can get.
Luckily for me, there is quite a bit nearby,
so I didnt have to travel more than 20 min from home. Pretty local.

(always go with copper tools...Ill explain more later)

Adding in whatever organic nutrients your soil might need.
I added some seabird guano and the biodynamic sprays.

I then planted loads of cover crops.
Clover...everywhere. Clover clover clover.
Bees love it, deer love it, plants love it because it gives nitrogen.
It provides a lovely groundcover too, and will choke out weeds.
Great stuff. I did a mix of Alsike, dutch white, and red clover.
There are lots out there, my mix was based on my area and
the height and season. Lots of variables with these things.

On top of clover, I did lots of nitro-fixing legumes like cowpea
and fava bean, plus some other ones that I cant remember.
I bought the "soil builder mix" from peaceful valley and also
the "summer soil builder mix" which has lots of buckwheat in it.
I also did mustard to break up the soil with its massive taproot.

I had to keep watering the area because it was so dry and windy
during the day...if I wanted anything to germinate, I had to provide
some moisture. Covering the seeds with a little soil or dried leaves
works wonders for keeping in the moisture on those windy days.

I finally cleaned up the dome and got the square foot gardens set up too.
I planted wildflowers all around them to attract the bees.

I also planted all the seedlings I started in MARCH and also
prepped the culinary garden with some composted horse manure
and minerals. Check out a before-after pic of the seedlings:


Can't complain!!!!!!

I rejuvenated the fruit trees with some surface scratching
and by giving them some goodies and pulling any grasses that were
leaching nutrients from them...all the mulching last year really kept
this to a minimum though. I can't stress it enough...break the war with weeds
by just blocking them out. Cover your land with cardboard or
10 sheets of newspaper and start from scratch. No point in fighting weeds
forever. Nature wants to fill the space, and as long as sunlight and water
are getting to them, you just cant beat their vigor. Block 'em out.

I planted currants, raspberries, and gooseberries along the deck and greenhouse.
Here is one side...the mulched part on the left will be thick with gooseberries
in about 2 years. Yeeeeeeeees!

Plus I finally put in all the grapes...which I think came to about 35.
Luckily, I had a south-facing slope on the land so I was able to give
the grapes a perfect sunny spot with lots of air circulation and drainage.
Grapes are lovely...much more affordable than fruit trees and just as long-lived.
These grapes are all for eating...not the wine variety. Too cold for MN I feel.

Its funny, because when you do projects like this,
you come up with these huge "TO-DO" lists. Mine is long.
I will have one every day if possible, and it seems short,
but its easy to forget how much time the usual things take like
cleaning up, watering plants (I will buy a drip irrigation system asap),
etc...it adds up. I spent about 13 hours a day working on everything,
and there is still so much to do.

Clearing out more brush area took lots of time too.
Its one thing that many of us nature-lovers have a problem with.
Do you cut down a tall tree so three more can have its sunlight?
We have lots of poplars and ironwoods growing over here, and they
are considered first-generation trees.
This means that after an area is logged, these trees will be some
of the first to regenerate an area. Our spot, although it was completely
logged over 50 years ago, is now totally covered with trees.
Thats a good thought, right? If we let nature re-group, the forest
would completely take over again in less than 20 years.
Our planet could be on the fast track to healing in no time.

So yes...in order to expand the "food forest", I had to cut down
some trees. I felt pretty shitty about this, but I honestly assured the tree
that it was for the best, although im assuming the trees werent
comforted by this as my saw was cutting into them :( .
But this opened up the canopy a bunch, and made room for
three pears which will grow huge and a cherry tree.
So is this good or bad?

Another funny thing. I would totally forget to eat.
I was so in the zone that food wasnt an issue.
This is a key indicator that you've found your passion -
when you are so in the FLOW that food doesnt cross your mind.
I wouldnt have breakfast. I would just drink water spiked
with MSM and Truly Natural Vitamin C.

I would drink about a 1.5 gallons a day, and urinate
about three times only...where did all that liquid go?

How about some food though?
For lunch...I mean breakfast, I would come down with some
(VERY freshly picked) wild greens and blend them up with:

Hemp butter. I LIVED off this stuff for two weeks
while putting in serious physical labor.
I consumed about a 1/2 to a full cup a day, and felt amazing.
Totally lean and no issues with fogginess.
It IS a staple food for me.

I then would add in a tbls of coconut oil.
It just adds that great flavor.

Then a tbls of Mango Blossom honey (which I have to buy
more for my dad for Father's day! He LOVES it!) So does Debbie from
Debbie Does Raw...this stuff is THE most epic honey Ive had.

A very decent pinch of sea salt. Ive found that if I use a little more,
it adds a great smooth flavor to the smoothie. Try it with more honey
if it doesnt work out for you at first.

These items, blended with springwater or good well water,
is not only fast and easy, but SO good and nutritious. Its divine.

For dinner? A big massaged salad. Usually spinach and lambsquarters.
Lots of garlic and hemp oil..plus the key snack of all time.

NOTCHOS.

I tried these a few weeks back and was totally BLOWN AWAY.
Ive had kale chips, but usually they are crispy and kind of boring.
These were soft and the flavor was unreal. Even my dad liked them.
I tried to replicate them, but it was impossible.
These are my favorite savory raw snack Ive found to date.
Ive gotta support them..because they are keeping their prices low
and are really making a superior product.

Check them out for sure HERE.

That was about it for food. I didnt even eat a piece of fruit the whole time,
which is completely unheard of for me. I ate a watermelon on my
last day with my mom and it was sooo good though...
took me back to last summer when Dawn and I split a big one every day.

The fruit is coming soon enough though, but for now,
a diet of greens, plant fats (plus some kefir), and bee products seriously
kept me going the whole time I was working.
Im going to talk more about this later...

In addition to the fact that we are growing our own organic produce,
I think permaculture is the best thing you can do for your health.
It was complete bliss to be away from all the electronics, the traffic,
THE NEWS, the masses of people, and the bad energy.
I woke up completely excited for the day's events,
and went to bed happy and tired. It was amazing.
To work on something actually REAL and lasting...it felt so right.

Plus the fact that I was on my feet for 14 hours a day.
That can't be bad for getting into shape.

Body by permaculture...and P90x.
Synergy!!!


Please...if you really care about what you eat and
want to have more power over your food supply,
growing your own in the best option.

And it only gets better. Popping in the seedlings this
year into the established garden was a snap compared
to all the hard work I had to do last spring.
Easier and easier...

Now that Im back on the computer, Ill be posting
much more regularly...you know how I get when I
start working in the garden.

Food forests...NOW.

The Persimmons are coming!!!!!





Thursday, May 7, 2009

Permaculture is a HUGE step towards Liberation.

Its a labor of love, but our "prize" is our food sovereignty.
Not to mention optimal health and connection with nature.

You'll really dig this clip...CLASSIC.



You'll see what I mean after a few minutes.

I just ordered all my nitrogen-fixing plants and cover crops.
It's time to rebuild the soil and set up a stable base from which we'll
establish our cold-climate food forest.
I head back to MN on Saturday and I'm SO anxious to begin.

I cant stop thinking about it!!
This is probably the most beneficial "hobby" for a person to have.




Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Wild Greens-Superfood Smoothie



I came across this one randomly.
Adding in wild greens to a hemp milk
with some amazing bee products seems
to me to be the best after-workout drink I can think of.

I threw in some gojis for fun, but I think the idea
of a hemp milk with bee products and wild greens
could be a staple food. All my hemp butter is in MN,
as are my wild greens, so when I get back, Im going to
make this a more steady part of my diet.

Tis the season...give it a shot.
It tasted amazing and is just loaded with goodies.

-Anthony

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Support


If you enjoy rawmodel.com, and have found some value in it,
all I ask of you are four simple things - Your choice of course.

1. Plant your own Space of Love, your own Sacred Family Garden.
No amount of money you could ever give me would equal
the amount of joy I would feel if the Earth was restored to a Food Forest.
If the light bulb of inspiration has been lit by this website, or by
any other possible way, please act on it. Plant your Space of Love NOW.
IF...and this is huge...you know of any people of influence,
-celebrities, politicians, business leaders, religious leaders-
Show them the pure joy of planting a family garden and get them involved.
Turn THEM on. Get their light-bulb flashing.
If we can get more celebrities building eco-villages and politicians
giving massive tax breaks to organic farmers, Paradise will be
much closer to being restored. We are all siblings on this planet,
and if Paradise can be rebuilt, we can finally live in abundance
and complete inner and outer peace without fear or hate.
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT REBUILDING THE GARDEN OF EDEN.
Enough said.

2. Subscribe to my youtube channel, and try to get your friends to do the same.
This exposes new friends, and spreads the word of conscious eating & green living
and rebuilding the Paradise that we've lost in the past few centuries.

3. If you are going to buy some great products of high integrity,
please see if you can use my affiliate links.
Its the same price if you buy directly from them, only this way, I get a referral
directly from the company. You will never pay a premium. Ever.

I've been asked about advertising on my site many times,
but sometimes I am not 100% behind the company or the products.
I want to focus on only the best out there.

With the affiliate links, I can pick and choose the best of the best,
which gives more control and keeps unfavorable products from being featured
to the readers that I might not wish them to buy.

Affiliate programs are the best way for me. These companies are strong,
and I fully support them. If you can, shop at their sites
by clicking on the links on the right side of the blog.
I use the money to plant more fruit & nut trees and spread
the word about this lifestyle and what it can do for all of us.

4. I've spent countless hours helping readers via email and even the phone,
and their continued success has shown me that my method works.
If you are looking to step it up and cut out the clutter
and regurgitated opinions from people who dont walk the talk,
contact me at Anthony@rawmodel.com and we can set
up some consultations to take you to the next level.
Read more about this HERE.

This will help grease the wheels...allowing me to put
more time into the website, making and editing videos,
and working on the Permaculture projects which I hope will
inspire many others to do the same and liberate
themselves and their loved ones.

Endless thanks to all of you who read and contribute to this site.
Reading your comments and hearing about lives changed for the better
makes it all worthwhile. I know this site will continue well into the future,
and Im excited to see where it leads us. Its been over four years already! Crazy!

I hope many of you out there have really been helped by my work.
I always try to destroy the myth of the pale and frail conscious eater,
and I know that we have only begun with the possibilities.
We are in this together, and the internet is here to help us all.
Now is the time to use technology as a tool to spread info and inspiration.
Paradise inside ourselves and on the Earth will be ours again soon.

Thank you for everything!
I simply couldn't do this without the good energy given by so many.

Anthony

Monday, May 4, 2009

Food Forests and Stretching Out..

Always the multi-tasker.
Really gave my lower body a stretch while
watching this amazing Permaculture film produced by Geoff Lawton.

If you havent heard of him, he is the Director of
The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia.
Totally entertaining and informational video.

The first section is like sitting in on one of his lectures,
as he draws the layout of a food forest. It might
seem a bit dry for those uninterested, but the
remaining is simply amazing for any viewer. How they shape the land,
emulate and work with nature, and completely prove long-term sustainability
to re-create paradise on this planet
is IMO one of the greatest things
humans are capable of doing.

Here is the trailer, which speaks for itself.



Get it from the site or from a friend (JUST GET IT) and
start spreading the 411 on how to re-build
Eden EVERYWHERE on this planet.

I think I will eventually go for the Permaculture Design Certificate,
but for now I just rely movies like this one and a good work ethic.

They have some big plans ahead.



If you know of someone just finishing high school
or university, and they are looking for something more enriching...(?)
share that DVD with them. I wish I would have known about this
when I was getting out of high school...Id be living in a food forest right now.

Here's Jeff talking about Pests in the Garden.




And if you have time...some sad, but true...humor.
Keep spreading permaculture everyone.
I know diet is important, but if you get into permaculture,
the diet stuff will just fall into place even easier.
Food plays a huge role in permaculture, and the
easier we can provide ourselves with the most loved
and mineralized food, the better off all of us will be.

There is swearing in this. Dont judge me! ;)



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