Mycelium Running is filled to the brim with useful tips on things such as using mushrooms to improve soils and boost productivity in forestry and farming (gardening) with decreased use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides; filtering waste-water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste from the land (mycoremediation).

As an example, a method for building a mycofiltration bed to filter waste water is described in exacting detail. Dimensions, depth, layers and recommended materials and mushrooms are listed. This mycofiltration is useful, among other things, for filtering manure enriched farm runoff.

An added benefit of using mycofiltration beds on farms include the production of delicious food mushrooms, which sprout out of these beds. And every 2-3 years, the material in the bed can be dug out and used as a rich fertilizer on the fields of the farm.

Another piece of useful information for farmers and gardeners found in Mycelium Running concerns the no-till farming method as opposed to the conventional method of plowing the fields after harvest. No-till farming helps promote saprophytic fungi (decomposing fungi), which break down organic material at a pace better suited to plant-life than the rapid and heat producing breakdown by anaerobic bacteria, which are the primary decomposers when stubble is plowed under. The mycelium of saprophytic fungi also binds the soil to prevent erosion and loss of valuable nutrients.

For forestry, not only do saprophytic fungi help break down and recycle organic matter. They also help combat many parasitic fungi (blights) that may kill large numbers of trees. Stamets gives useful suggestions on how to seed beneficial saprophytic fungi in blight infested forests as a natural “fungicide,” fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

The symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi can also be seeded in forests to promote healthy trees. Or they can be protected and naturally promoted through wise and informed forest management.

Most plants form symbiotic relationships with mushrooms. The mushroom mycelium more effectively absorbs water and nutrients, exchanged with trees for sugars, making the trees healthier and more drought resistant. Mycorrhizal fungi also provide trees with natural antibiotics against pathogens.

Mushroom mycelium can also be utilized to clean up toxic waste sites through a method known as mycoremediation. The term was invented by the author of Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets, but was in common use before the publication of this book.

Synthetic toxic compounds including petrochemicals, dioxins, neurotoxins, toxic industrial waste and much more can be effectively broken down by fungi into harmless compounds. Bacterial contaminants such E. coli can be killed by anti-bacterial compounds excreted by the fungi. And toxic levels of heavy metals may be absorbed and concentrated by mushrooms, which can then be harvested and safely deposed.

Mycoremediation has also been shown to be the most economical method of cleaning up toxic waste sites, up to 95% cheaper than some common conventional methods.

This plethora of information is merely the first half of this 300-page tome. Part III, which makes up the second half of the book, is an instruction manual on how to cultivate your own mushroom mycelium, which can be used for the above listed purposes, or to grow your own medicinal or culinary mushrooms. And seriously, who doesn’t love gourmet mushrooms? In other words, this is a reference book for every household.

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in’96. He currently specializes in medicinal mushrooms, frequently consulting two reference books: Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets for medicinal, biological and chemical properties of mushrooms, and Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora as the most complete identification guide of American mushrooms.

categories: mushrooms,ecology,environmental,agriculture,farm,farming,garden,landscaping,tree,horse,chicken,biology,herbs,nature

Compost Bin can produce compost which is another type of organic fertilizer which is very much needed by the plants and soil. The by-product produced out of this bin is an excellent plant food. The primary dietary needs of living beings are supplied by the products of the soil. The produce of the soil are basically the plants which come in peculiar shapes and different sizes according to their species.

The quality of these edible products depends on the type of soil where they are grown. Plants that grow may or may not bear fruits yet they still offer edible produce. The yields or crops that they grow can be under the soil such as the root crops, or may be grown above the ground with leaves and flowers which are edible.

This is the reason why it is indeed important to feed the soil with fertilizers to supplement and aid it to be always healthy for the growing plants for sustenance and survival. Compost Bin can manufacture the desired substances and other organic elements which are very much needed by plants to sustain growth. These plants also need to eat the minerals and nutrients of the soil, and in so doing it makes the soil unhealthy in the process.

Compost Bin manufactures the essential organic plant food which is very vital to both soil and plants and these do not contain the toxic substance that soil and plants absorb. It must be considered that the toxic substances being absorbed by the plants which we eat are hazardous to health of humans and other animals. In short, we are also eating the toxic elements that are derived from the plants being transmitted to them from the soil. The compost is the best organic plant food for soil and plants alike. As this is part of the ecological system, humans must take care of the environment especially the food source, which are the plants, for living creatures with mouths or beaks.

Everyone wants to offer something to preserve the environment. The compost bin is one product that could help the environment. It is the perfect substitute for traditional compost pit. With this you would be able to help the soil and the plants through the compost bin which can produce an organic fertilizer. To get more ideas on this click on www.ourcrazydeals.com

So, you are ready to get started composting and would like to build your own compost bin. Involved in the cost will be the tools that you need to complete the project, along with the materials. If you live in a relative small area then you will need to choose a smaller compost bin plan. Some plans are highly inexpensive to build while others are more costly. You should also consider your level of building experience as well.

If you have an entire workshop full of tools that might not be a consideration, but if you live in an apartment and all you have is a hammer then it will be more of a concern. There are merits to both methods. A quick search online will reveal a variety of different compost bin plans.

Building a compost bin can be a great way to produce something with your own hands and use the completed project as a way to benefit the environment as well as your own garden. There are compost bin plans in a wide array of different sizes, so it is easy to choose a plan that will suit your specific needs. A compost bin plan is a good place to get started.

If you do not have a lot of experience then it may be a good idea to choose a compost bin plan that does not involve a number of complicated steps. You also need to think about whether you prefer an open compost bin plan or an enclosed compost bin. An enclosed compost bin can help to keep odors at bay, but depending on the specific design of the compost bin plan then it may be more difficult to turn the compost with an enclosed bin. If you live in an area that is restricted you may not have any other choice but to choose an enclosed compost bin.

It is also crucial to consider your budget when choosing a compost bin plan. Choosing the right compost bin plan can ensure that all of your objectives are met. First, consider the amount of space that is available to you for composting. If you have a lot of space available to you then the size of the compost bin plan that you choose may not be as crucial. When choosing a compost bin plan there are several factors that should be taken into consideration.

Compost Tumbler is a large tumbling vessel that transforms organic wastes and biodegradable materials into healthy plant foods. The main product of this vessel is compost which is an organic plant food. Organic plant foods are healthy foods having essential nutritional value for all plants.

Compost Tumbler is a portable container that can be stationed in any part of your garden space where biodegradable products are stuffed to decompose. The open pit is vulnerable to pests and disease-causing bacteria. The compost container has a lid that can prevent unwanted pests from harboring in it. It is one of the best replacements to the open compost pit which is dug in some portion of your property.

The plants, the human beings and other lower form of animals are within the symbiotic circle of life which is basically dependent on the green things. Human beings and other forms of animals need to eat everyday and derived nourishment primarily on plants. The green leafy things which are produced by the ground are the main sources of food for beings with mouth.

The plants need to be fed with the nutritional plant foods to grow healthy and fit for human consumption and other animals. Organic fertilizers are best plant foods for they contain no harmful toxins that will be transmitted to the soil. The products of the soil must be sustained in order to produce enough food for the food chain.

Compost Tumbler can provide that healthy plant foods. It offers non-toxic products which are helpful to the environment. The plants must eat organic fertilizers and not chemical fertilizers. These chemicals are very hazardous to the environment as well as to other living beings. Let us help save the environment by producing more plants fed with organic fertilizers. We can altogether save this beautiful planet if we produce more healthy plants foods.

It’s nice to have your own chickens and it’s not surprising that so many people are doing just that , in their own backyard.

Those chickens will keep you supplied with fresh eggs each day, and possibly even enough to sell on to local shops, or at the local market.

Eggs are definitely one of my favorite foods. They are so tasty, and there’s so much you can do with them. Boiled, fried, poached – that’s just off the top of my head. Not to mention all the ways they can be incorporated in baking cakes, quiches etc.

I live in the city and eat eggs regularly. Now the eggs that you get in supermarkets and grocery stores are OK, but have you tasted those down-home, free-range varieties?

I spend a weekend in the country with my mom, every month or six weeks. She always has a few eggs that she buys from a local farmer. Now they are the real McCoy – (wild and) free range.

And those eggs always pass the taste test – they get my vote every time. The taste is far superior to shop eggs – even top those ones marked as “free range”.

I suppose that I have this discerning taste because I was reared on delicious eggs like these. On the farm where I grew up, we kept our own chickens, and I think I got the taste for the “down-home” eggs. It never leaves you!

And it’s not a big deal to get a few chickens and start your own egg-producing business. I feel that there’s nothing quite like having fresh eggs from your own backyard, every day. And with a reasonably-sized back garden you can build your own coop cheaply.

Of course, you can get chickens purely for producing eggs, but having chickens close by, it’s difficult not to get attached to them. They have their own personalities of course.

I’m not joking when I say that I could watch chickens for the longest time. They are just so amusing – whether it’s the way the look at you and at each other, or the noises they make.

Each one has their own particular traits – some are loud and and boisterous, while others are more laid-back, or timid. And when they lay an egg, they let you know, loud and clear!

And the chickens come in many beautiful colors and varieties, such as Golden Campines, Blue Andalusians or the popular Rhode Island Reds.

They can be kept as pets, of course, but they will keep producing eggs. What other pet gives something back? I cant think of any!