Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Kiva – Loans that Change Lives
Anyone heard of Kiva Microfinance? If you haven’t, I urge you to take a look. Kiva allow individuals like you or me to loan small amounts to entrepreneurs in developing countries, which really make an enormous difference to their lives. Loans are made in multiples of $25. Let’s be honest, most of us can afford more »
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New arrival in the Goat Shed
Yesterday evening when I went to milk, I was thrilled to find that Horny the goat had finally produced a little one. I rushed off to fetch the boys, and in those few moments that I was gone she had a second one. This photo was taken within minutes of the births, so no apologies more »
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The Ducklings have Arrived!
There’s six of them, and they’re adorable! Julio from the village got them for us, and they’re the same breed as the delicious bird we had at Christmas. I’ve yet to work out what that actually is. Everyone had told me that ducks make a mess, but I hadn’t appreciated before now actually how much more »
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SLU update – It’s all over
It’s over. The focus of my life for the past six weeks, the Sustainable Land Use course, has finished. I’m not sure whether I should be whooping with delight or weeping that it’s all over. Certainly I’m happy to have my Permaculture Design Certificate in my hand and a head full of ideas. But I’m also more »
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How Do You Make a Cat Food Pouch Bag?
Ladies around our way often make bags out of discarded coffee wrappers. Here’s a tutorial showing how to make the same sort of bag using plastic cat food pouches. Whilst it’s obviously best to avoid using things like this in the first place, this is a spectacular and really useful way to reuse something that more »
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Casalinho’s Permaculture Design Course Announced!
Jeroen and I are really excited to confirm the dates of the first official Permaculture Design Course to be held at Casalinho e Escabelado. It will be held from the 10th to the 19th of June 2011 and be taught in English by Lesley Martin. We’ve had some interest already, particularly from volunteers in what more »
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Introducing Harvest Moon
Caroline Stubbs is an illustrator, writer and gardener living and working in South Dartmoor, South West England. She’s also the wonderful cook on the course I’m on. When we all rush up stairs for our tea and coffee fix in between sessions, Cari is often there in the kitchen serenely drawing. These are a couple of pieces more »
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Seedy Sunday
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SLU update – Woodmanship
This week our module on the Sustainable Land Use course is Woodland, and joining Patrick in teaching is Mike Gardner. The teaching is a complete contrast from the last fortnight and Mike has introduced a totally new dynamic. His comments about killing squirrels and shooting deer (both a major pest in a managed woodland setting) more »
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SLU update – Biodynamics? I’m not convinced!
Yesterday Patrick’s SLU Course all piled into cars and headed off to Grange Village, a Camphill Community on the edge of the Forest of Dean. Grange Village is a community of around 80 people, around half of whom have special needs. But our interest was the biodynamic garden, which provides the majority of the community’s more »
Got any book recommendations?