» …Wed – Weekly Ennovation
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Another Pass at Urban OrchardingBy GregPeterson on February 3, 2010 | No Comments
Hey all,
For those of you that know me or have read my blog you know how much I love fruit trees. So much so that I have over 80 fruit trees planted at the Urban Farm and another 60 or so planted in my neighborhood. A big part of how we manage these trees is that we keep them small with a process called Urban Orcharding. We keep them small by pruning them from a very early age and then keep up with the pruning every year.
My goal at the Urban Farm is to get to a place where I am able to harvest fruit all year around. Well I am getting there and it looks like this:
• November through April – Oranges and tangerines – these store really well on the tree.
• April – Loquats – A really nice tropical fruit resembling an apricot.
• May through July – Peaches, apricots, plums and grapes – these don’t store well on the tree well therefor I have planted different varieties that ripen at different times. This is called successive ripening.
• June through August – Apples – These store well on the trees as well.
• August and September – Asian pears and pomegranates.Check out this video on urban orcharding. Also here is a really great article on creating your own urban orchard.
Greg
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To Greywater or NotBy GregPeterson on January 20, 2010 | 11 Comments
I believe that living a green lifestyle is about making many small steps over time in the direction of green. Whether it is reducing what you use, before reusing what you have, then making recycling last or adding greywater to your landscape each part is a learning process. This weeks article is a just one simple look at the notion of using greywater in your landscape.
Every day we are letting a valuable resource flow right down our drains. Greywater is defined as any water that runs down the drain of your sinks, showers and washer, but does not include ‘blackwater’ from your toilet or kitchen sink. Greywater is a beneficial resource that we can use to irrigate our landscapes and cut down on the amount of water we use on a day-to-day basis saving a valuable resource and money on our water bill.
The trick is to figure out how to get the water from our drains to our landscape. One way to redirect your greywater is to replumb your sinks so that they run outside, a harrowing job for even the most skilled homeowner. But there are other alternatives: Hang a hose over a tree limb to create your own simple outdoor shower; keep a 5 gallon bucket in the bathroom and catch the water as your shower warms up; and always consider adding greywater to your remodeling projects.
At the Urban Farm we have integrated the notion of greywater in the remodeling of our outdoor patio, by designing the outdoor vegetable rinse sink and shower to drain into the landscape. Think about ways of using this greywater asset to replace your landscape irrigation water. Normally landscape irrigation water is used directly from the city water supply and is only used once, while your greywater is being used twice.
Here is a simple system that I installed in one of the bathrooms of my home.
My bathroom sink. The water heater is all the way on the other side of the house so I have to put a gallon or two down the drain every time I want to take a hot shower.
So I decided to add a Jandy valve under the sink. The pipe running to the left on this picture goes out to the landscape. The pipe running to the right and then pointing back goes to the sewer. This way if we need to put something that we don’t want out in the landscape down the drain we direct the water to the sewer. Otherwise the water gets directed through the wall and into the landscape.
This is where the pipe from under my sink exits outside. The white thing on the top of the pipe is a back flow preventer.
The water then travels about 20 feet. Remember there needs to be a slope in the pipe so the water flows down. Then we used an infiltrator that was buried near my apple, apricot, mesquite and cherry trees. The picture below shows the infiltrator that we used. There is no bottom in it so the water lands in the dirt and percolates into the ground. This greywater system is oversized for the amount of water that goes into it. I did this on purpose as I eventually plan to add the shower to the greywater system.
When it was all said and done this is what it looked like. The shadow you see at the bottom of the picture is the shade of the apple tree.
Greywater notes:
• There are special soaps you need to use when utilizing greywater. Click here for the full article on biocompatible soaps
• Greywater use is legal in the State of Arizona. Simply follow the thirteen best practices outlined by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in its document, Using Greywater at Home. Check with your state or municipality for the legalities of greywater in your area.
• When it comes to designing and installing your greywater system, the premier book on the subject is Create an Oasis with Greywater by Art Ludwig. This book outlines the many systems that you can build and includes great graphics, charts, and pictures to assist any do-it-yourselfer. Just remember that greywater is always best put directly into the ground where your landscape plants can us it rather than to store greywater in a container, as it can have a tendency to smell rather quickly.
Greywater is simple to utilize once you understand the concepts.
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Our Weekly EnnovationBy GregPeterson on January 6, 2010 | 3 Comments
My daily mission is to inspire people into their own level of greenness.
As I go through life doing this people sometimes share with me that it is too expensive for them to go green, stating that they can’t afford a new hybrid car or solar panels. When in reality there are so many things that we all can do for little or no money to live a green lifestyle and that in some cases can actually saves us money.
Living green is paying attention to the resources that we use in a manner that reduces our future impact. It is a multifaceted process that touches our health, the environment and our pocketbooks. It also involves many choices along the way. Mostly they are choices of awareness.
- Can you use just one straw at a restaurant or in my case no straws at all?
- Can you plan your errands so you can drive out once and do multiple tasks?
- Can purchase a stainless steel water bottle?
Each one of these types of actions in its own way makes an impact. Then when we string all our choices together and add all our friends and family to the mix our reduced environmental impact expands.My only rule for living a green lifestyle is that “There is no suffering allowed!” Living green is not about giving up. It is about making choices that work in your lifestyle. If it doesn’t work don’t do it. When it does that is what inspires us.
Each week YourGuideToGreen.com publishes our Weekly Ennovation to help us all better understand the intricacies of the choices that we can make around living green.
This weeks article I Have a Secret is by Stephanie Starks about her struggles with parking her car in the garage. I know that I resemble this remark and decided a few months ago to clean out my proverbial garage by getting rid of 80% of my old stuff. Although I got a great start on it I am thinking that the 80% mark is a yearlong process.
Oh and one of the big things that I learned along the way is that if I don’t buy things in the first place I don’t have to get rid of them later. Yet another step toward living green.
So on Wednesdays look for our Ennovation and ideas about simply living green.
Greg
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Book 1 – My Ordinary Extraordinary YardBy farmergreg on November 11, 2009 | No Comments
Hey all,
Here is the first book of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing – Purchase Link. Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release. See below for more info.
• My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard, By Greg Peterson
You can create your own urban farm. Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting you flowerbeds with edibles. The payoffs can include home grown food and a deeper connection to the earth. In this unique mini-book, Greg Peterson shares how his yard went from grass and hedges to his very own Urban Farm, full of vegetables and fruit trees with plenty to share. His motto ‘food grows abundantly – lets grow it and give it away.’ This insightful book about how Greg’s Urban Farm came to be will inspire you to create your own urban farm.
The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series
Greg Peterson and Rachel Bess Present at:
Changing Hands Book Store
6428 S McClintock Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85283
7pm
Monday November 16th, 2009Greg Peterson and Urban Farm Press presents a new and unique series of mini books designed for the busy, fast-paced life we live. The series, called The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Series, feature palm-size, single topic, and well-researched mini books that are concise and to the point with each book exploring a different aspect of living a green (sustainable) lifestyle. Topics are addressed in a guilt-free, action-oriented and upbeat manner. Designed as a quick study, the books bridge the gap between facts and action and are written in an inspirational manner for anyone with an interest in green lifestyle changes and sustainably oriented processes.
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The Hyperbolic Coral Reef Project & Greg’s Speaking Gig’sBy farmergreg on April 10, 2009 | 1 Comment
Hi all,
I’ve been busy writing (look for a little book soon, woohoo) and working on several projects that will come to fruition the first half of the year, plus I have several speaking engagements that you might be interested in attending.
• First and foremost I have recently completed my first FREE educational email series called 15 Essentials for Living a Green Lifestyle. In it I explore 15 easy things we can all do to live green and save money. Please check out http://www.UrbanFarm.Info
• With Earth Day right around the corner have you been looking for those last minute “argh I could live a greener life products?” My team has been researching and we have found a whole plethora of money saving, healthy, reduce your footprint products. Check out http://www.YourGuideToGreen.com
• Next I have been consulting on a really cool art project called The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project. The opening for this event is tomorrow, April 11th, the creator of the project will be giving a lecture on Monday evening April 13th and I’ll be giving a lecture in conjunction with this project on April 25th. See below for all the information on the event.
This project is very interesting and Margaret the creator offers a very interesting connection from mathematics to the coral reefs. I saw her speak a few months ago and was very inspired.
Hope you are busy planting your gardens and have a great weekend.
Greg Peterson
The Urban Farm
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/YourGuide2GreenPS. If you go to my blog there is a free desert gardening calendar that you can download. http://www.UrbanFarm.org
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What is the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef ?
Created by the Institute for Figuring (IFF), this monumental crochet installation remarkably resembles a living coral reef. The project not only celebrates the craft of crochet and feminine handicraft, but also serves to raise awareness of the potential connection between global warming, our everyday choices and the gradual disappearance of these beautiful underwater gardens. The simple crochet technique used to create this coral reef creates hyperbolic curves and mimics the growth of many marine life forms.
— Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Opening Reception
Saturday, April 11th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
The Gallery @ the Scottsdale Civic Center Library
*Installation will be on view until July 11, 2009• All are invited this exciting first glance at this fun and unique exhibition. Guests are encouraged to create and wear hyperbolic fashions, and prizes will be awarded for the most creative wearables. Refreshments served.
— Lecture by Creator Margaret Wertheim
Monday, April 13th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Auditorium at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library• Margaret Wertheim, co-creator of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project, is a science writer by profession and the author of several books on the cultural history of physics. Wertheim and her twin sister Christine are co-founders and directors of the Institute For Figuring. Both sisters have had a lifetime interest in feminine handicrafts, exploring everything from knitting and crocheting to dress-making and embroidery. Wertheim is an Op-Ed contributor to the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, New York Times, New Scientist, the Guardian and many other publications. She is also a contributing editor to Cabinet, the arts and science quarterly.
— Lecture by Greg Peterson: Living Green…Just What Does It Mean?
Saturday, April 25 2009 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Library Auditorium
*Reservation Recommended• Greg Peterson will present his lecture, “Living Green…Just What Does it Mean?” Join Peterson, of “Your Guide to Green” for a dynamic discussion about how easy it really is to go green. He points out how inundated we are with so many shades of green these days. So what “should and shouldn’t” we do? Peterson is a regionally acclaimed green living and sustainability innovator with a mission to “inspire people to embrace their own greenness.” A resident of Phoenix for the past 40 years, he received his Masters degree in Environmental Planning in December 2006, and his Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at ASU in 2004.
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Tweet-A-WattBy dbarnhart on March 12, 2009 | No Comments
Tweet-A-Watt is a modified Kill-A-Watt that has been modified to use Twitter to publish its power consumption figures.This DIY project can be found here:
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