The Greenman Project

America’s Agricultural History and how to read about it

May

2013

Have you ever read old, early 1900′s, books? They are written with a flare that, I at least think, is inpiring. Recently I found Cornell.edu‘s The Core Historical Literature of Agriculture. These are written in the same style I mentioned and are all about agriculture starting in the 1620′s to 1999. It’s a win win ...

Dave Wilson Nursery informational videos

Apr

2013

If you have never heard of Dave Wilson, then you provably haven’t been to a nursery in your lifetime. They are one of the largest distributors of fruit trees in the United States and have been around since 1938. I just recently stumbled upon their YouTube Channel and it is full of information from maintaining your ...

Picture This: Topanga Caterpillar

Apr

2013

White-marked Tussock Moth Unknown caterpillar found cruising around the yard. There were dozens of these for a while and then all gone. Never got to see what they turn into… [Update] Looks like this might be a Orgyia leucostigma or White-marked Tussock Moth. Though they are supposed to not go farther west than Texas, I ...

Reclaiming the commons and building community in Highland Park

Mar

2013

So, we’ve been staying in Highland Park for the past couple of days. This is very near our old neighborhood of Silverlake. Aside from the subject of gentrification, which I will not touch here, this communities are making good strides on the subject of reclaiming the commons and building community. This all reminds me of ...

Picture This: Macro Spider

Mar

2013

Found this little orange spider on a carpet in my last home. It was very small, but thanks to macro photography I got a good look at it. I am thinking it is a Phidippus Otiosus or Jumping Spider. They are called jumping spiders because they do not trap their prey on webs, instead they ...

Home is where the heart is

Mar

2013

So, we’ve been homeless for about a month and a half now. Not as bad as you might think. We have money saved, jobs, and all our stuff; just not a house to rest in at night. We had decided to move up north, but it just has not worked out. Erin’s work has been ...

The Sociable Weaver builds it’s nest in community

Mar

2013

I’ve been on a community state of mind lately. Might be because we are “homeless” right now and our friends are really stepping up to bat. We are very lucky to be able to maintain our course through these rough waters. The Sociable Weavers (Philetairus socius) build these incredible communal nests one straw at a ...

Earthen Buildings are much more durable than we think

Mar

2013

Ever heard of a Tulou? They are from China, meaning earthen building. The outer walls were made of rammed earth, a technique not conventionally though of as long lasting. That being said, these structures date as far back as 700 years ago. How long do you thing our current buildings will last? Maybe it’s time to reevaluate ...

The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann

Mar

2013

I don’t personally know Scott, however in this post he tells us his story and I can relate. Very much indeed. He curates a very informative podcast and throws some great blog posts in there. Go read and listen to this inspiring Permaculturist and tell me what you think. Related posts: Permaculture resources from Paul ...

Wild Cucumber Season is Here

Mar

2013

You might remember me talking about wild cucumbers before. Well, it’s that time of the year when the Marah Macrocarpus plant begins fruiting. Don’t let this pass you by as these are quite the multi use plants. Related posts: Wild cucumbers, who knew? What do plants, robots, and pizza have in common? Hate Aphids? Here ...