cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/20107320

Source: Bon Bagay: Permaculture, Abundance and Autonomy (scroll to bottom)

The Berkley Method is the quick way to compost - the claim being 14 days, but most find 18 days to be the right pick.

A great way to make use of manure as well, some have the right ratio ready to go.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27518637

I'm not sure if it's a tad dry, or if that's just how challah works, this is only my second attempt. Still tasty though!

I used the America's Test Kitchen recipe which calls for an internal temperature of 195F after 35-40 minutes, but I got to about 210F at 30 minutes.

Cabinet details cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27518175

Plywood for the main box (3/4" sides, 1/4" back, rabbet and dado joints). Cut the door 1" too narrow so I added a handle from cedar scrap. Shelves and sheet pan brackets are reclaimed bed slats, planed. Window hole is routed with plexiglass insert, my first time doing any significant router work.

The brackets for the baking sheet have a cutout to accommodate two bowls. My goal was either two bowls or two baking sheets.

An obvious improvement would be to install an under-counter outlet so the cord is less prominent.

Heating is from a 45W incandescent bulb (which was the hardest part to find). It's in the top of an old desk lamp. Adding an 8x8" pan of hot water kept the humidity high so I didn't have to cover the rising bread. Temperature/humidity logging is from an SHT30 (plus two DS18B20s) running Tasmota and reportig to HomeAssistant, viewed in Grafana. I expected to have to cycle the light, but just keeping it always on seems to give me the right temperature range.

I ended up coming across videos from Kris Harbour, who makes wildly cool things - such as this working wind turbine - which are incredibly useful for off-grid living. A worthwhile addition here, and a very worthy channel to archive.

Originally from fix.com, in a blog post titled Sifting Through Soil

The important parts:

Most state extension services will perform a detailed soil analysis for a small fee, but you have to wait for the results. Many people take a soil sample in spring, but you can home-test the soil at any time during the year. There are soil test kits for sale at most home improvement stores, but a no-cost, at-home soil test is simple, can be done in any spot in your garden, and takes just a glass jar. Once you complete the test, you can use the results to figure out what to add to your soil to improve it.

Step-by-Step Soil Test

• Clean a pint or quart mason jar and lid
• Fill the jar about halfway with soil. I like to do several different tests, isolating spots in the garden—a jar from each flower bed, for example. That’s because the soil may differ from spot to spot
• Fill up the rest of the jar with water, leaving a bit of headspace in order to shake up the contents
• Tighten the lid and give the jar a good shake for two to three minutes
• Put the jar down and let it rest for four to five hours. As the jar is resting, you might notice the soil doing something interesting: It’s separating into distinct layers: sand at the bottom, silt in the middle, and clay at the top.

Analyze Your Soil

After completing the soil test, you need to determine the percentages in your mason jar. Measure each of the three layers and calculate approximately how much space each takes up in the jar. That’s the approximate makeup of your soil, and indicates what soil type you have