Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

Perhaps the weather news from the Midwest makes this a good time to discuss the role that emergency power capability might play in our future scenarios.  Even the most benign scenarios have power interruptions in our future.  No doubt some of this list's members have already found good solutions that they would like to share with the newly-concerned.    I'll start:

 

1) I think of good insulation as our best "emergency heating".  In our mild climate no supplementary heating is required unless the outdoor temp stays below 50 deg. for days.

 

2) I hope to design and build an off-grid solar system for (only) the refrigerator and portable device recharging.  Since the fridge is the #3 household energy consumer, it should be economically feasible, and it would be there in power outages.

 

3) Wood stoves should probably be considered by nearly everyone, even if it's only for safe cooking and water heating.  Anyone know of a small generator that uses waste heat from wood stoves?

 

4) Solar-charged flashlights (Google "BOGO")?

 

Anyone else?  It's harder to grow food if you're cold, thirsty or hungry.

 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz