One of my favorite things to do is tap into the waste stream and find new and reuses for many items that are left to be picked up and taken to the landfill (pollution is an unused resource). One of the most popular items that people are finding uses for these days is old pallets. Compost bins, pallet Gardens, etc. If you plan to use the pallets around food or people, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Not all, but some pallets are used for the shipment of toxic substances and others are chemically treated. Even brand new pallets can be treated, making them inappropriate for use around people or food. There is often really no sure fire way of determining what the pallet was used to ship. So here are a few pointers to help keep you safe when using pallet wood for your next project.
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This first entry is long over due, but better late than never. We moved into the Homestead in May, and I have been in full PATO (Protracted and Thoughtful Observation) mode. Having just recently made the move from the San Francisco Bay Area to Knoxville, I have been trying to learn the local ecology as well as weather patterns. This wet stuff that falls from the sky is so different than back in CA where we have been in a serious drought pattern for the past few years. Watching the rain fall during the summer is something completely new. Strategies implemented due to drought conditions have to be reconfigured to strategies with abundant rainfall. Many of the elements are the same, rainwater harvesting in tanks and directly into the soil remain the same, however calculations as well as strategies to move it across the landscape are very different. More to come on water...
The Design process has begun, and I hope to share my journey down this meandering path towards a more resilient future with those who are interested. I hope to give a weekly update and share my thoughts on how the week unfolded with regards to the Homestead Design as well as any community projects I am working on. Until next time... Peace and Bountiful Harvests Mark |
Mark TedsenMark is a Knoxville, TN based Permaculturist. This is a collection of thoughts, trials & tribulations, successes & failures and everything related to the design and installation of the 1 Acre family homestead as well as ongoing community projects. Archives
October 2015
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