By Jane Valencia Are you curious about learning how to use herbs in your yard or around the Island for medicine? A great way to start is to learn with your kids. And here on Vashon, chances are they know some herbal remedies already. Start there! Do they have a favorite remedy for a nettle…
by Nellie Bly To continue from last month, reducing one’s carbon footprint may best be achieved by: Keeping the car you have. Using real, pure gas. Taking care of your car, and other things you already own. Buying American. Not because of jingoism, but because buying local, or at least on your own continent, is…
By Andy Valencia If you’re an Islander and have been listening to our public discussions and media, you might have this nightmare image in mind of yourself, holding your chest, on the phone, begging for help which isn’t coming. The truth is, you can set aside this anxiety, because it isn’t going to happen. And…
By Nellie Bly In re Marc Elzenbeck’s “Our Electric Vehicle Future,” a persistently unasked question is, “How does the life cycle impact of a new electric vehicle compare to keeping and maintaining an existing internal combustion vehicle?” Humans have aspired to unsustainable lifestyles, once reserved for kings and nobles, through a series of unsustainable means:…
By Blaz FremontSick of the global hybrid war waged against humanity by shiny, smiling suit-puppets spouting identically scripted, caring, altruistic psyop blather designed to weaponize your own altruism and empathy against you? Tired of being a terrified experimental pincushion for occult Dark Lords hell-bent on trans-humanizing you into a supine Smart City-dwelling slave-soul enveloped in a genetically…
Did you know that compost is not only good for your plants, but also a powerful tool to fight climate change? Turning our yard and food waste into compost, instead of sending it to the landfill, reduces greenhouse gasses in several ways. Food scraps that are put in the garbage get sent to the landfill….
If we go back in time, we will find stories of working collectively on projects, tending to the land, harvesting and storing food. Not long ago, before moving to Vashon in 2010, I lived for 11 years in a community where 12 of us collectively owned and maintained the property. We came together one Saturday…
As we know, money challenges for an individual or a family are a great cause of stress, and are a contributor to divorce or separation. If money is a challenge for you, there are 4 steps you can take to become more self-sufficient and feel less stress with finances. Step 1: Keep a $1,000 emergency…
Photos accompanying this article are by Julian Dahl. Used with permission. It’s the beginning of February, and winter storms have passed, blowing a tarp into one of our pastures. I jump the fence to retrieve it. As I walk across the field, with small green sprouts of fresh grass coming up, I notice a color…
Self-Sufficiency is a broad topic that is sometimes misunderstood. Being self-sufficient means being able to provide for one’s needs, current and future, and for emergencies without needing to be reliant upon others for support. In some circles, the topic of self-sufficiency may elicit visions of selfishness and self-centeredness. Self-sufficiency may be perceived this way because…