Our Natural Life » Green Living http://ournaturallife.com/blog Provocative discussions about leading a holistic, sustainable, and healthy life Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:23:59 +0000 en hourly 1 Searching for accurate information and provocative discussions about living a holistic, sustainable, and healthy life? Join hosts Jon and Cathy Payne for informative interviews with local and national experts, authors, farmers, filmmakers, and chefs. A bimonthly podcast of varied length that focuses heavily on the principles of Weston A. Price Foundation, Slow Food, sustainable agriculture, and buying local food. Reported through the lens of the hosts lives in rural Georgia. Jon and Cathy Payne no Jon and Cathy Payne jppaynesr@gmail.com jppaynesr@gmail.com (Jon and Cathy Payne) © Alchemy New Media LLC - All Rights Reserved Provocative discussions about leading a holistic, sustainable, and healthy life Weston A. Price, sustainability, sustainable food, holistic health, farming, organic, nutrient dense food, slow food, biodiversity, locavore, pastured meat, raw milk Our Natural Life » Green Living http://ournaturallife.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/itunes144x144.jpg http://ournaturallife.com/blog/category/green-living/ TV-G Elberton, GA Monthly Living in the Land of Milk and Honey Podcast ONL075 http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/04/living-in-the-land-of-milk-and-honey-podcast-onl075/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/04/living-in-the-land-of-milk-and-honey-podcast-onl075/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:07:04 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=573 Rashel and Andrew Harris are a young homesteading couple in Texas expecting their first baby in June. Rashel discovered the Weston A. Price Foundation and nutrient-dense food after buying a copy of Nourishing Traditions. After a period of seeking out nutritious food from local farmers throughout Texas, they decided to start producing their own closer [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/04/living-in-the-land-of-milk-and-honey-podcast-onl075/feed/ 4 Homesteading,Lifestyle,Local Food,Price,raw milk,Real Milk,Weston Price Rashel and Andrew Harris are a young homesteading couple in Texas expecting their first baby in June. Rashel discovered the Weston A. Price Foundation and nutrient-dense food after buying a copy of Nourishing Traditions. Rashel and Andrew Harris are a young homesteading couple in Texas expecting their first baby in June. Rashel discovered the Weston A. Price Foundation and nutrient-dense food after buying a copy of Nourishing Traditions. After a period of seeking out nutritious food from local farmers throughout Texas, they decided to start producing their own closer to home on their 66 acres. They are eating great now, becoming self-sufficient, and loving their new lifestyle. Jon and I really enjoyed talking with them and hearing about their journey. It was so exciting to hear from Rashel and Andrew about how Sally Fallon's book literally changed their lives as they began to think about where their food came from and purchase directly from farmers. In their frustration in finding nutrient dense food, they realized that they could take charge of their food by producing it on their land. In a community where free ranging cows are the norm, growing vegetables, meat chickens, and keeping a milk cow is not. They have been inspired by Podcasts and learned to make their own soap and other needs on the farm. One thing I really admire about Rashel and Andrew is the way that they have embraced and applied their new found information and they way they are eager to share with and teach to others. Rashel followed a pre-pregnancy diet rich in vitamins A and D in order to achieve health prior to conception. For example, Sally Fallon states that pastured eggs contain 8x more Vitamin D than a grocery store egg. And vitamin K2 from the green grass Rashel's cow is eating puts K2 into the raw milk. This prevents calcification of arteries and improves brain function, Sally says. Real foods are those that you hunt, pick, fish, dig, or milk. Rashel is doing her share of these activities! Rashel attributes the easy pregnancy she is experiencing to eating real, nutrient dense food and tells her friends she will be hoeing the garden with baby in tow like a real farm woman soon! Nothing is going to slow her down. Rashel and Andrew recently started a website where you can track their journey. Be sure to book mark it so you can check back in the future. I encouraged Rashel to consider serving as a chapter leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation in her part of Texas. She would be a great resource for the community and such an articulate and passionate spokesperson. Jon and I have been very busy this spring. We're planting our first large garden - 1/10th of an acre - with organic vegetables. I'm replanting our raised bed gardens. We now have three breeds of heritage rabbits in a 16X24 foot lattice rabbit barn. They are reproducing nicely and selling quickly. We're excited at the prospect of helping other heritage farms get started with rabbits. We're learning about biodynamic methods and permaculture principles to apply to the farm. And we attended a vermiculture class to learn how to incorporate worm beds under our rabbit cages. Such fun! Our English Shepherd Cody and shelties Nicky and Sheila were recently treated to a special bath thanks to Natural Affinity Soap. Our groomers loved the way the soap lathered and it left their fur clean and soft. Even better, we have not seen any fleas or ticks on them in a month! This is a small company that makes quality products artisan style. You can follow them on facebook. The big struggle for me right now is record-keeping and book keeping. It is hard to find time to get into my office and get organized when there is so much to do outside in the fresh air and sunshine. By the time it is dark I am exhausted and ready for bed. We were fortunate to get an intern to move into our new barn apartment to help with the garden and chores so hopefully I'll apply some discipline to these tasks soon and get a handle on things. I was recently reflecting on how much my life has changed in the last 11 months. It is almost a year since I retired from my teaching career and began farming. I have learned so much, Jon and Cathy Payne no 1:15:52 Georgia Organics Conference 2011 and Gearing up for Spring (ONL074 Podcast Show) http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/03/georgia-organics-conference-2011-and-gearing-up-for-spring-onl074-podcast-show/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/03/georgia-organics-conference-2011-and-gearing-up-for-spring-onl074-podcast-show/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:56:37 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=566 In this show, Cathy recaps her weekend at the Georgia Organics conference in Savannah, paid for by Georgia Organics as part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring program. Jon and Cathy discuss heritage breed rabbits, biodynamic farming, their new rabbit barn, clicker training their English Shepherd dog, and building housing for a future intern and apprentice.

[...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2011/03/georgia-organics-conference-2011-and-gearing-up-for-spring-onl074-podcast-show/feed/ 2 English Shepherds,Heritage Rabbits,Homesteading,Local Food In this show, Cathy recaps her weekend at the Georgia Organics conference in Savannah, paid for by Georgia Organics as part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring program. Jon and Cathy discuss heritage breed rabbits, biodynamic farming, In this show, Cathy recaps her weekend at the Georgia Organics conference in Savannah, paid for by Georgia Organics as part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring program. Jon and Cathy discuss heritage breed rabbits, biodynamic farming, their new rabbit barn, clicker training their English Shepherd dog, and building housing for a future intern and apprentice. Last week I attended my fifth Georgia Organics Conference. I did not think I'd be able to budget for a trip to Savannah or have time to leave the farm. So imagine my surprise when I received an email from Georgia Organics saying that my registration was paid for and that I could stay in a host home for free! As a recipient of this year's Georgia Organics Farmer-to-Farmer mentoring program, I get these perks and mentoring from three fantastic farmers. Russ Green of Greendale Farm is helping me with the business of running a farm profitably. His farm is a showcase of sustainability and diversity, with his artisan cheese dairy, and "beyond organic" beef, lamb, pork, and egg production. Michael MacMullan of McMullan Family Farm is helping me with the use of organic fertilizers, cover crops, and growing produce. He is a fifth generation farmer. Finally, Mac Wade, fifth generation farmer working with his mother Tink of Tink's Grassfed Beef, is helping with pasture development and mineralization. I think this team is awesome! Each of the mentors has visited the farm and given me homework to do. And I thought that was behind me when I finished my doctoral program seven years ago! A highlight of the conference for me was a workshop titled, "Biodynamics is the New Organic" with Daron Joffe aka Farmer D of Farmer D Organics. Daron took a somewhat esoteric subject and made it so much more accessible to me. In order to have a sustainable farm there is a cycle of soil - plants - animals - compost. The first priority is to nurture the soil. I already have a small library of books on biodynamics and doubled it by the end of the conference. Time to crack the books! Friday afternoon I visited Hope Grows Farm in Sylvania, Georgia. This two year old, 5 acre farm produces chicken, eggs, pork, produce, and pecans. They have a unique CSA program. People pre-pay the amount they want to support the farm, then shop for the items they want in a mix-and-match program. The farm was started with a budget of only $300 and a lot of hard work. The farmers, Arianne and Elliott, are only 25 years old. Saturday I attended several workshops, the members meeting with a speech by Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, and the Farmer's Feast. In the past, we've enjoyed keynote speakers at the Farmer's Feast including Joel Salatin and Michael Pollan. This year Vandana Shiva was on the docket. Unfortunately, a family emergency required her to be in India and there was no time to replace her on 24 hours notice. However, sharing dinner with my friends Tim and Lucy Heil, Jessica Lara, bottles of wine and delicious farm-to-table food was still quite a treat. Broad River Rabbitry is growing its heritage breed rabbits. We're building a rabbit barn to house our Silver Fox, Beveren, and now American rabbits. By the end of the summer we will add a fourth breed, Lilac. As we grow, my friend Krystal Beers and her husband Tom of Two Hunnyz Rabbitry have been a great resource. As owners of two English Shepherds, they've been a support with Cody as well. Jon and Cathy Payne no 52:54 ONL070 Neal Foley, Rennaisance Man http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/11/onl070-neal-foley-rennaisance-man/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/11/onl070-neal-foley-rennaisance-man/#comments Fri, 26 Nov 2010 21:57:09 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=495 Neal Foley is a master of many skills. Although he once dreamed of veterinary school, an apprenticeship at a raw milk dairy inspired him to look at agriculture. He is now an accomplished chef, entrepreneur, media host, blogger, videographer, educator, butcher, food photographer, homesteader, and “accidental agrarian”. He has influenced and inspired me through [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/11/onl070-neal-foley-rennaisance-man/feed/ 2 English Shepherds,Gift Ideas,Homesteading,Lifestyle,Local Food Neal Foley is a master of many skills. Although he once dreamed of veterinary school, an apprenticeship at a raw milk dairy inspired him to look at agriculture. He is now an accomplished chef, entrepreneur, media host, blogger, videographer, educator, Neal Foley is a master of many skills. Although he once dreamed of veterinary school, an apprenticeship at a raw milk dairy inspired him to look at agriculture. He is now an accomplished chef, entrepreneur, media host, blogger, videographer, educator, butcher, food photographer, homesteader, and "accidental agrarian". He has influenced and inspired me through his various social networks and is always ready to give a word of encouragement when needed. We recently had an extensive conversation about his journey, farming, raising Silver Fox Rabbits, and English Shepherds. I first connected with Neal on twitter, where he tweets as Podchef. This led me to his podcast, The Podchef's Gastrocast, available on iTunes. The first episode I listened to was about raising rabbits. I remember coming home to Jon and asking him if we could keep a few in the basement or back yard. The more I learned about Neal, the more impressed and fascinated I became. So I was thrilled when we finally sat down in October and connected for an early morning interview. It was great because we learned more about how his background and what brought him back to the East coast and to Claddagh Farms. Neal embraces the Farm to Table concept as a producer of heritage breeds, processor/butcher, and "nose to tail" gourmet chef. His farm includes Jersey cows, pastured pigs, Silver Fox rabbits, English Shepherd dogs, and Roen ducks. He is also an accomplished gardener. With twenty years of experience, he generously shares his expertise through videos and workshops. For example, this week and in December he is hosting a two day Porkshop that will include slaughtering and processing a pig and making blood sausage, head cheese, pate, bacon, ham, and lard. Next week he hosts Duckfest, a chance to learn how to turn ducks into confit de canard, terrine de foie naturale, and le grande cassoulet. Neal shared with us that the fuel keeping him going is the dire state of our food system and his motivation to teach others to live, farm, and eat more sustainably. Letters from appreciative fans let him know that he is making an impact in people's lives. I steered much of the discussion in this show selfishly to the raising of Silver Fox rabbits. I first learned about this breed from Neal and am excited about the opportunity to help preserve this critically endangered heritage American breed. Rabbit meat, or lapin in French, is very high in protein. With correct cooking it can be very delicious with a rich depth of flavor and texture. With only 1/4 acre of space, a doe can produce about 120 pounds of meat in a year. If her daughters are also bred, the meat produced in a year with the meat produced by a steer in two year's time. The rabbit manure can be used to side dress garden vegetables, assist in vermiculture, make compost tea, or benefit vermiculture. In addition, produce from the garden can feed your rabbits, resulting in a harmonious cycle. Rabbits are easily dressed out at home. Parts not consumed such as entrails, heads and feet make healthy food for canine and feline companions. The pelts can be cured and made into bags and garments. Absolutely nothing is wasted. In the 1940s both my father and Jon's uncle raised rabbits along with victory gardens during World War II. We also discussed English Shepherds. Our clear sable and white ES puppy is now 3 months old and already demonstrating early skills in herding, hunting, and guarding, the three hallmarks of this landrace breed. We hope that Cody's conformation and temperament will make him eligible to contribute to the continuation of this rare and important American breed. You can find out more about Neal by following him on facebook, or at his blogs including The Gastrocast, Claddagh Farms & The Kitchen Garden Company, and The Accidental Agrarian. If you're looking for a unique holiday gift, consider purchasing the Gastrocast Cookbook. More Holiday Shopping Ideas: Jon and Cathy Payne no 1:21:21 De-Clutter to Prosper! http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/03/de-clutter-to-prosper/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/03/de-clutter-to-prosper/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:44:56 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=315 Did you know that you partner with your living space? When you create the space you want, it allows you to become your best self. And while you're de-cluttering, you can earn income from your unwanted items

[...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/03/de-clutter-to-prosper/feed/ 7 ONL059 Nature’s Harmony Farm Tour http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/02/onl059-natures-harmony-farm-tour/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/02/onl059-natures-harmony-farm-tour/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:09:46 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=294 http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/02/onl059-natures-harmony-farm-tour/feed/ 1 We're very excited about our latest Podcast! Last fall, on our farm tour to Nature's Harmony Farm with Tim and Liz Young, we were inspired to make the transition from suburb to country. Our new place, Broad River Pastures, We're very excited about our latest Podcast! Last fall, on our farm tour to Nature's Harmony Farm with Tim and Liz Young, we were inspired to make the transition from suburb to country. Our new place, Broad River Pastures, is about 7 miles from Nature's Harmony. We think you will be inspired as we were. You can listen to the Podcast on the link below. Jon and Cathy Payne no 1:19:34 ONL057 OMG, We Bought the Farm! http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/01/onl057-omg-we-bought-the-farm/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/01/onl057-omg-we-bought-the-farm/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:16:11 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/01/onl057-omg-we-bought-the-farm/ Once in a blue moon, something amazing happens that changes everything. Jon and I have been going through a lot of changes since our last recorded Podcast in November. As I write this on the eve of the last day of the first decade of the 21st Century, we are only hours away from a [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/01/onl057-omg-we-bought-the-farm/feed/ 6 413 Once in a blue moon, something amazing happens that changes everything. Jon and I have been going through a lot of changes since our last recorded Podcast in November. As I write this on the eve of the last day of the first decade of the 21st Century, Once in a blue moon, something amazing happens that changes everything. Jon and I have been going through a lot of changes since our last recorded Podcast in November. As I write this on the eve of the last day of the first decade of the 21st Century, we are only hours away from a blue moon and lunar eclipse. While New Year's Eve is always a time for celebration, this one is especially dear for Jon and me, even in addition to celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary on January 1. Here is the teaser (with apologies for the cliches): our goose is cooked, we bought the farm, and I'm going out to pasture in June! Keep reading to find out more! You can listen to our Podcast by downloading ONL057 from iTunes, Zune, Tivo, or Stitcher or by clicking on the embedded link below. On October 9, 2009, Jon and I took a weekend to spend some quality time together. We stayed at Fair Havens Plantation, an historic Bed and Breakfast in rural Arnoldsville. This was in order to be close to Elberton on October 10 to attend Tim and Liz Young's Local Food Camp Out at Natures Harmony Farm. Relaxing in the country settings away from our everyday responsibilities prompted one of us to comment, "Wouldn't it be great to live out here and raise some of our own food?" Wind forward 11 1/2 weeks to December 30, 2009. Just a few days after enjoying our Christmas Eve goose we are proud owners of an 11 acre farm and historic farmhouse near the Broad River just a few miles down the road from Natures Harmony Farm. I've decided to retire from teaching at the end of my 33 year career this May, and will spend my time with pastured livestock on our new homestead! Of course, it all happened with lightning speed, changing from a fleeting comment to reality once we applied our skills of expressing gratitude, setting intention, scripting to manifest abundance, and accessing our inner guidance systems. Looking back one year (or even 3 months) we can see how powerful these tools were when we applied them to our lives. These are all topics which we have covered in past podcasts. Even though we never really discussed farming as a career alternative, it seemed like a natural progression due to where we've focused our energies the last two years. Jon is fortunate to work from home most of the time, so we'll both be working on the homestead. Yesterday after our closing we took our first truckload of items to the new house (Jon traded in his hybrid SUV for a Ford F150). The first item off the truck and put into our new home was my copy of Julia Child's The Way to Cook. After unloading the truck, I looked out the living room window to the south pasture and was amazed to find a covey of Bobwhite Quail grazing on our lawn! I've heard the call of the male Bobwhites before, but have never seen one because they are so reclusive. Here were at least 30! We also have deer, turtles, owls, and wild turkeys on the property. We'll be sprucing up our lovely home in Johns Creek soon to sell to a new family in a few months. I will start my retirement June 1 in our Elberton home. Once we hit the ground running this summer, we'll be blogging about our progress, what we learn, and sharing videos with you. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and Podcast so you don't miss a thing! If we're successful with growing our own pastured rabbits, chickens, eggs, goats, and sheep, we'll open a farm store to supply friends and community. If you want to see more photos of Broad River Pastures, go to our facebook page at Our Natural Life Podcast and look at our album, "Introducing Broad River Pastures." Jon and Cathy Payne no 24:08 ONL052 Preserving the Harvest Tips from Karen K. Brees http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/09/onl052-preserving-the-harvest-tips-from-karen-k-brees/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/09/onl052-preserving-the-harvest-tips-from-karen-k-brees/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:39:25 +0000 Cathy R. Payne, EdD http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=79 Karen K. Brees , Ph. D., author of The Complete Idiot’s Gude to Preserving Food is the subject of Cathy’s interview today. Her book is a great beginner’s reference on canning, freezing, pickling, and more. The Podcast interview can be played on the device below or downloaded from iTunes, Zune, or Stitcher.

Karen, a master [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/09/onl052-preserving-the-harvest-tips-from-karen-k-brees/feed/ 0 Karen K. Brees , Ph. D., author of The Complete Idiot's Gude to Preserving Food is the subject of Cathy's interview today. Her book is a great beginner's reference on canning, freezing, pickling, and more. The Podcast interview can be played on the dev... Karen K. Brees , Ph. D., author of The Complete Idiot's Gude to Preserving Food is the subject of Cathy's interview today. Her book is a great beginner's reference on canning, freezing, pickling, and more. The Podcast interview can be played on the device below or downloaded from iTunes, Zune, or Stitcher. Karen, a master food preserver, lives on a ranch in Idaho where she raises South African Boer goats (for meat) and vegetables. In spite of a small growing season, she manages to produce a large bounty of produce for her family. By preserving her harvest, she and her husband enjoy local, sustainable food year round. Food preservation techniques used to be handed down from mother to daughter, but many of these traditions have been lost over the last 40 years as modern, processed, convenient foods filled the supermarket shelves. With the recent interest in eating local foods, eating seasonally, and home gardening, there is an increased need to learn these skills once taught at home. Karen's book is a good beginner text that gives newbies the basics in a wide variety of skills including food safety, freezing, canning, pickling and fermenting, relishes, jams and jellies, drying, salting, smoking and root cellaring. Learning to preserve your sustainable, seasonal food can save you money, as well! I've used a couple of recipes from the book and they were easy to do from her clear directions. I put up 7 pints of Wilma's Bread and Butter Pickles using my own homegrown cucumbers. Karen describes these as "the best you will ever find," and I have to agree. They include 3 ingredients I haven't used in bread and butter pickles before. I've also put up a beef brisket from Natures Harmony Farm using her corned beef recipe. I've made this once before from a Julia Child recipe. I need to wait another three weeks to see how it stacks up, since the corning process takes 4 weeks. If I'm ever successful in growing more cabbage than our cabbage worms can eat, I'd like to try her sauerkraut recipe. One reason I've been hesitant to attempt this is insecurity about what might go wrong at each step. Karen includes a thorough troubleshooting section to address these concerns, detailing what to expect when things are going right and how to know when it has gone wrong. In the interview, Karen discusses some helpful tools and hints that are helpful to know. The supplies and gadgets she discusses can be found at our Amazon Store. Chapter 6 is devoted to the freezing of meat, poultry, seafood and game. This includes tips for wrapping, identifying cuts of meat, definitions, and more. We'd love to hear about your favorite techniques for preserving the harvest and your experiences with them. Leave comments below. Write in any questions you have for Karen. New Products Please check out our new products page to check out CDs from some of our popular interviews on sustainable food. We hope you will consider purchasing these for your self or as gifts to support our work for the sustainable food movement. Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund We recently issued a Call to Action to demand clean, sustainable real food sources in your products. Current laws and regulations to not reflect the growing respect for sustainable family farms, according to the Weston A. Price Foundation's Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Check out their website to see all the hard work they are doing to help your local farmers. They need your support! Consider making a donation today. You'll be glad you did. Real Food Wednesday This blog is participating in Real Food Wednesday. Jon and Cathy Payne no 48:39 ONL043 Installing Rainbarrels to Harvest Rainwater http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl043-installing-rainbarrels-to-harvest-rainwater/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl043-installing-rainbarrels-to-harvest-rainwater/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 17:03:30 +0000 Jon http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=256

Rainwater harvesting has several benefits to the home gardener and to the environment. First, it conserves a valuable resource by avoiding the use of potable water for your landscape or garden. Second, it reduces storm water runoff pollution. Additionally, it helps consumers save money by reducing water bills. It may also be [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl043-installing-rainbarrels-to-harvest-rainwater/feed/ 0 Rainwater harvesting has several benefits to the home gardener and to the environment. First, it conserves a valuable resource by avoiding the use of potable water for your landscape or garden. Second, it reduces storm water runoff pollution. Rainwater harvesting has several benefits to the home gardener and to the environment. First, it conserves a valuable resource by avoiding the use of potable water for your landscape or garden. Second, it reduces storm water runoff pollution. Additionally, it helps consumers save money by reducing water bills. It may also be healthier for your plants. In podcast #43, Jon shares some tips he learned while setting up a rain barrel project in our back yard to supply water to our Square Foot Garden . Jon and Cathy discuss several websites related to rainwater harvesting. They also share some tips on how to get information from Our Natural Life from various social networking sites. While researching rainwater for collection for this show, we were surprised to find that collecting rainwater is illegal in Colorado and in Bolivia . This is because when you divert rainwater from collection by municipalities, you are "stealing" their rights to resell it to you as drinking water. When installing a rain barrel, you need to decide if you want an open system with rainwater entering an open, usually screened, lid, or a closed system that is sealed from outside contaminants. The closed system prevents breeding of mosquitoes. Jon bought our barrels from Gutter Water LLC , a company in Georgia that recycles barrels from the food industry. The 55 gallon barrels were only $20 apiece, and by grouping delivery with several friends we shared the $40 shipping cost. He painted the barrels a light tan to match our house and mounted them on cement blocks. He bought a diverter system to help us with our closed system from Rain Reserve . He was very happy with their quality and service. They also have a "Locate a Barrel" link on their site to help you find local sources. With all the rain we've had this week, we've already filled our barrels! Click here to view a slide show Jon made of how he built our system. You can also click here to view a video showing how Fine Gardening editor Danielle Sherry built a rain barrel similar to ours for under $50. Rain barrels can be very simple and functional, like ours, decorative and beautifu l, or quite extensive and costly. When you harvest the rain to water your plants, you become more aware of the need to conserve water at home. If you are planning on building a home, you may want to consider the inclusion of a graywater recycling system. Technical Updates: A Primer We love to stay in touch with our listeners and readers. We're making it easier for you to keep in touch with us at your preferred medium(s). Many of these are automatic if you subscribe. Subscribing is free! On the right side of our website you will see buttons to help you subscribe to the Our Natural Life podcast by iTunes, Zune, or Podcast Ready. You can click on the orange RSS icon to get it by RSS feed. You can fill in the "subscribe" information to get an email each time we post a new show or blog. Finally, you can click the facebook icon to "fan" us at Our Natural Life Podcast. Scroll down a bit further to our "What we're doing" section to view our twitter tweets. You can follow us on twitter as ONL2. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge and experiences and connecting with like-minded groups and individuals around the planet. We have invested many hours and dollars into our website and producing quality podcasts over the last 11 months. We greatly appreciate anything you can do to keep us going. If you shop by Amazon.com, please enter the store through our Go Shopping page icon to allow us an opportunity to earn credit from your purchases. We have several high quality affiliates that can also earn us a percentage from sales. You can also leave us a "tip" at our PayPal account. Thank you in advance for your support! Please contact us by leaving comments on the website, sending an email, leaving a voicemail, writing on our facebook fan page, or sending a direct tweet to ONL2. Personal Updates Jon and Cathy Payne no 39:41 ONL042 – Healthy Baby and Healthy Home http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl042-healthy-baby-and-healthy-home/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl042-healthy-baby-and-healthy-home/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 01:50:40 +0000 Jon http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl042-healthy-baby-and-healthy-home/

In podcast #42 we interview Heather Tubbs, owner of Truly Healthy Baby . In her business, she consults with families regarding healthy eating and how to keep a healthy, non-toxic home. Heather teaches classes in the Atlanta area and is selling pre-orders of her new book, Raising Baby O , that will be released [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/05/onl042-healthy-baby-and-healthy-home/feed/ 0 In podcast #42 we interview Heather Tubbs, owner of Truly Healthy Baby . In her business, she consults with families regarding healthy eating and how to keep a healthy, non-toxic home. Heather teaches classes in the Atlanta area and is selling pre-orde... In podcast #42 we interview Heather Tubbs, owner of Truly Healthy Baby . In her business, she consults with families regarding healthy eating and how to keep a healthy, non-toxic home. Heather teaches classes in the Atlanta area and is selling pre-orde... Jon and Cathy Payne no 31:58 ONL036 – Planning a Green Wedding http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/03/onl036-planning-a-green-wedding/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/03/onl036-planning-a-green-wedding/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:32:12 +0000 Jon http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2010/01/onl036-planning-a-green-wedding/ A discussion about the various facets of wedding planning, and how to incorporate more green or natural elements into each phase. Topics included dress designs, wedding rings, wedding invitations, decor, location, menu, and gifts. We include lots of website links to help you get started.

Links: The Green Life: 10 Steps to a Green Wedding [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/03/onl036-planning-a-green-wedding/feed/ 0 A discussion about the various facets of wedding planning, and how to incorporate more green or natural elements into each phase. Topics included dress designs, wedding rings, wedding invitations, decor, location, menu, and gifts. A discussion about the various facets of wedding planning, and how to incorporate more green or natural elements into each phase. Topics included dress designs, wedding rings, wedding invitations, decor, location, menu, and gifts. We include lots of website links to help you get started. Links: The Green Life: 10 Steps to a Green Wedding Biocompostables | Worldcentric Green wedding guide | Yahoo! Green Wooden Rings from Touch Wood Rings Our Natural Life podcast on Facebook //Jon Jon and Cathy Payne no 39:07 ONL028 – Healthy Lifestyle Tips http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/01/onl028-healthy-lifestyle-tips/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/01/onl028-healthy-lifestyle-tips/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:11:04 +0000 Jon http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=216 Healthy Lifestyle tips from Campbell Family Medicine. In today’s show we interview Dr. Ellie Campbell, board-certified family practice physician, and Natalie Patierno, lifestyle coach, both from Campbell Family Medicine. They discuss therapeutic lifestyle changes to promote maximum health and avoid using drugs, including natural ways to control diabetes and blood pressure. Links include more articles [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2009/01/onl028-healthy-lifestyle-tips/feed/ 0 Healthy Lifestyle tips from Campbell Family Medicine. In today’s show we interview Dr. Ellie Campbell, board-certified family practice physician, and Natalie Patierno, lifestyle coach, both from Campbell Family Medicine. Healthy Lifestyle tips from Campbell Family Medicine. In today’s show we interview Dr. Ellie Campbell, board-certified family practice physician, and Natalie Patierno, lifestyle coach, both from Campbell Family Medicine. They discuss therapeutic lifestyle changes to promote maximum health and avoid using drugs, including natural ways to control diabetes and blood pressure. Links include more articles on therapeutic lifestyle changes, green living, and sustainable farming. Show Links: Campbell Family Medicine Lower Your Blood Pressure With Vitamin C Quick Study: Lobbying’s Long Arm CREE |U.S. Pentagon to Install Cree LR24 Recessed LED Luminaires Cree LED Lighting : Residential LED Lighting Dan Barber’s surprising foie gras parable | Video on TED.com //Jon Jon and Cathy Payne no 37:14 ONL004 – Putting up the Harvest http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2008/07/onl004-putting-up-the-harvest/ http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2008/07/onl004-putting-up-the-harvest/#comments Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:20:30 +0000 Jon http://ournaturallife.com/blog/?p=118 Putting up the Harvest – Whether you are growing more food at home than you can eat, bringing it home from your CSA, or purchasing in bulk from your local farmer’s market, you’ll need to preserve it if you want to enjoy during the fall and winter months. Today we’re discussing four methods of [...]]]> http://ournaturallife.com/blog/2008/07/onl004-putting-up-the-harvest/feed/ 0 Putting up the Harvest - Whether you are growing more food at home than you can eat, bringing it home from your CSA, or purchasing in bulk from your local farmer's market, you'll need to preserve it if you want to enjoy during the fall and winter months. Putting up the Harvest - Whether you are growing more food at home than you can eat, bringing it home from your CSA, or purchasing in bulk from your local farmer's market, you'll need to preserve it if you want to enjoy during the fall and winter months. Today we're discussing four methods of food preservation: freezing, canning, dehydrating, and fermenting. Freezing is a quick and simple method appropriate for fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, cheeses, breads, and prepared food. There are several articles on freezing methods at the University of Georgia Extension Service website. We enjoy using a nifty kitchen appliance called Foodsaver. You can find it and other food preservation supplies at our Amazon e-store. Please check these out and consider shopping here for your food preservation needs. The Foodsaver is a vacuum-packaging system that saves time, preserves food quality, and makes putting up your food very easy. We keep ours out on the kitchen counter for frequent use. Canning may be more unfamiliar to some of our listeners but is not mysterious or difficult to do. You will need a bit of equipment to get started (see food preservation supplies). Canning is a great way to put up tomatoes and tomato products because instead of losing nutrients and flavor, it actually improves flavor and increases the lycopene available. For more on the benefits of lycopene in your diet, visit this website. In order to best utilize this powerful antioxidant, be sure to eat some healthy fat such as extra virgin organic olive oil with your tomato sauces. A great description of canning and a tomato sauce recipe can be found in Barbara Kingsolver's new personal narrative, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Cathy just finished reading this book and it is a great read, inspirational, and full of great information about sustainable food and eating locally. The UGA website has pdf files on canning, as well. Canning of low-acid vegetable such as green beans requires a pressure canner. We prefer these foods frozen to retain texture and flavor. Dehydration of food can be accomplished by the sun in less humid climates, in a warm oven, or in a dehydrator dedicated to that purpose. Dehydrating is effective for making your own sun dried tomatoes (another recipe in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle), sweet or chili peppers to add to soups or stews, herbs, figs, liver treats for your pets, or crispy nuts (recipe pp. 513-516 in Nourishing Traditions. We use a 4-tray Excalibur dehydrator for our dehydrating. It has a fan to keep the drying even and does not heat up the kitchen like a warm oven. It's easy to use and clean and can be used to make yogurt. A good reference for dehydrating is Mary Bells Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. The UGA website sited above has pdf articles as well. Fermentation has been used for thousands of years by traditional cultures to preserve food long before the advent of freezing or canning. Fermentation has 5 benefits: preservation of food, removal of toxins present in some foods, improving nutritional value, making food more digestible, and promoting the growth of healthy flora in the human intestine. Ancient Greeks referred to these chemical changes as alchemy. Fermented foods are an acquired taste and largely absent in the Standard American Diet. Fermented foods and beverages include saurkraut, miso, tempeh, Korean kimchi, Japanese umeboshi, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour doughs, kombucha, wine, beer, vinegars, and traditional chutney, ketchup, and pickles. The definitive book on this subject is Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz. Other traditional methods can be found here and in Nourishing Traditions. Sandor's website at www.wildfermentation.com will give you more information and resources. Cathy recommends Sally Fallon's fermented ketchup recipe on page 104 in Nourishing Traditions for taking care of a surplus of paste or Juliet tomatoes. More resources for fermenting are available from the Grain and Salt Society. Jon and Cathy Payne no 26:21