Why I Grow It and Why You Might Consider It Too There is a strange irony around hemp. It is one of the most useful plants on the planet. It builds soil. It produces fiber. It produces seed. It produces medicinal compounds. And yet culturally it carries baggage. I used to avoid even talking about it publicly because of that taboo. But here is the reality. I have grown feminized CBD hemp on my own property. I have processed it myself. And I have personally experienced real benefit from using simple salves made from the flowers when my joints are aching after long days of work. When you swing tools, lift lumber, move soil, build heaters, stack stone, and run a homestead, your body keeps score. I am not interested in dependency on pharmaceutical systems for every minor ache. I am interested in competence. So I learned how to grow one of the most versatile medicinal plants available to us. This is not about hype. It is about sovereignty. First: The Legal Framework------------------------------------ In the United States, hemp is federally defined as cannabis containing less than 0.3 percent THC. That distinction is critical. Hemp is legal to grow in most states, but regulations vary. Some states require registration or testing. Others are more relaxed. Do not assume. Verify your local laws before planting. If you are outside the U.S., research your national and regional regulations carefully. This is about lawful, responsible cultivation. Why I Grow Feminized Seeds------------------------- Hemp is a dioecious plant. That means there are male and female plants. For CBD production, the female plants are what matter. They produce the resin rich flowers. If male plants pollinate females, the plant shifts energy into producing seeds instead of cannabinoids. That lowers CBD yield significantly. That is why I use feminized seeds. Feminized seeds are bred to produce nearly all female plants. That means: • Higher and more consistent cannabinoid yield • No need to constantly scout and remove males

Most mortgage and affordability calculators are designed for fixed-rate bank loans. They break the moment you try to model anything creative. I built this calculator specifically for creative financing of land and homesteads. It is designed to be bookmarked and reused anytime you are evaluating a deal. This calculator supports: • Step-rate payment structures • Subject-to existing mortgages • Seller financing with custom terms • Transitional and blended payment scenarios • Full amortization schedules so you can see exactly what happens over time This is not just about figuring out how to buy more. Creative financing is powerful, and if you are not careful, it is easy to over-leverage yourself. That is exactly why this calculator exists. Instead of asking “What will the bank approve?” it forces the real question: What can you actually afford without putting yourself in a fragile position? You can reverse-engineer deals from income. You can stress-test payments before making offers. You can clearly see when a deal works and when it does not. This tool is part of the system I lay out in my book, but I am sharing it so you can run real numbers on real properties and avoid mistakes that look smart on paper and fail in practice. Bookmark it. Keep it saved. Use it every time you structure or analyze a creative deal. Calculator link :https://calculator.permaresilience.com/

In the "For What It's Worth" category and in the spirit of contributing some meager experience to gardeners, I'm posting a pic of an idea I came up with a few years ago when I was still actively planting a home garden. I always struggled with planting things in rows, whether spit-balling the rows or using string. I always ended up feeling like I was planting blind. I have raised beds (approx 4' x 28'), so these trellises fitted the beds well. Throw your seeds, seedlings or larger plants in the spaces as you see fit, or as matches the planting/spacing plan is designed. You can get these trellis in places like Home Depot, Menard's, Lowe's or preferably, your local home-town merchant (instead of giving away your money to corporate shills).

My husband i are traveling through Japan - and in the process of preparing i was looking at old photos - and thought i would share one of a traditional technique still used today - that i found so beautiful A way they use their natural resources

So, my greenhouse is nearly up and ready to fill. I plan to use it for some of my medicinal herbs, tomatoes, leaf of life, peppers and chillis. My question is, do you hand pollinate or leave iyt open on hot days to allow the good bugs and pollinators in? I know it's not really permaculture to block off plants but our seasons are too mucked up and last year, we had green tomatoes trying to ripen till winter