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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: Judy Eda <judyeda@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us>, Permaculture ibiblio <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] How to keep molds etc. out of the air? (PC meets MCS)
  • Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 17:23:53 -0400

Hey y'all. Please reply to judyeda@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us if you have some suggestions to solve her dilemma. The only solution I thought of was to insure that the homes of the folks in question receive an extremely well-filtered air supply. For the outdoors, a mask that would filter out mold spores may exist but I haven't heard of one. Aside from air filtration, I'd try detox of heavy metals, multi-gram doses of vit C, and maybe homeopathic doses of the allergens responsible. A quick search brought up a page that offers help for the causes of the condition at http://www.thiscureworks.com/allergies/index.html also another at
http://www.mall-net.com/mcs/porphyria.html
good luck,
Keith

Judy Eda wrote:

I am writing every permaculture teacher / designer whose name and writings I know, seeking answers or at least better insight into a question that has recently stymied our young ecovillage neighborhood:

How can we build soil and grow food (our site has compacted, stressed soils from past longtime farming; rocky clay used to be hayfields)

. . . while at the same time keeping molds and other soil organisms out of the air?

The "clean air" requirement is necessary to protect the health and well-being of three residents who have severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). One of them also has Lupus, which has been badly aggravated by molds coming from piles of straw, airborne soil particles stirred up during digging of beds, gases and molds released when we turn our compost piles, and so forth.

Every soil-building technique we know (composting, mulching -- what else?) seems to have this drawback. I've researched Emilia Hazelip's methods in particular but still worry that molds growing on the mulching materials will contaminate the air too much.

Suggestions? observations? We have yet to discover the opportunity hidden in this apparent logjam.

Many thanks for reading this.

-- Judy Eda

SONG neighborhood, EcoVillage at Ithaca, New York

--
Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 1209
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(828)669-6336

also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
Culture's Edge at Earthaven Ecovillage
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
http://www.earthaven.org
http://www.bioregionalcongress.org





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  • Re: [permaculture] How to keep molds etc. out of the air? (PC meets MCS), Keith Johnson, 07/06/2005

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