Organic Lard is Health Food!

Another guest post from the ever-generous Paul Wheaton and Team Permies...

By PAUL WHEATON

I remember …. because of the cookies ….

In the 80′s a Missoula bakery generated cookies that I had a hard time resisting. The secret ingredient? Lard. I still struggle with the idea... It was lard that made the cookies delicious?

In the cold case of Albertson’s, I remember buying lard and using it for all sorts of things. And then we were told that lard was bad, but Crisco was good! (Did you know that originally, Crisco was designed for candle wax? Just as they come out with their superior candle goo, people turn keen on the electric light bulb.) Then the lard disappeared. Now we are told that Crisco is bad.

A recent article in Acres USA shares how good lard is — some of the best food you can eat. Especially

Guest Post: Paul Wheaton, Permie Supreme

This one article will give you enough great permaculture ideas to keep your brain racing for at least a week... FeatherJack

BIO: Paul Wheaton is is the tyrannical ruler of two on-line communities. One is about permaculture and one is about software engineering. There is even one for Missoula. Paul has written several permacutlure articles starting with one on lawn care that he presented at the MUD Project 17 years ago, including articles on raising chickens, cast iron and diatomaceous earth. Paul also regularly uploads permaculture videos and permaculture podcasts. In his spare time, Paul has plans for world domination and is currently shopping for a hollowed out volcano in the Missoula area, with good submarine access.



Keep those branches, twigs, rotten logs and Christmas trees!

That stuff is gardener's gold! Organic matter!

Winter is the season for pruning trees. Sometimes taking out dangerous trees. I am mystified when people haul the wood away and in the sping they spend money for mulch. And equally mystified by people that rent an obnoxious, loud, smelly chipper.

here is a quick list of a dozen things that can be done with that wood, keeping it on your property and not having to fool with a chipper.

1. Make your own mulch: A huge branch can be reduced to flat mulch in about two minutes with a pruner. I usually clip at the bends in the tigs and branches. A huge pile of branches and twigs will become about 30 times smaller in 15 minutes.



2. Cover it in soil to make hugelkultur. This is best with the logs (green logs work too) and thick branches. This makes for a richer soil that needs less watering. Some people have built tall raised garden beds with this technique and they have a normal garden that doesn't need water all summer. This is an excellent use for a