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                  IN THE HEADLINES: 
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 This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains. Children's Upbringing and Education: Meaning of Food in Our Lives Health, Natural Methods of Health Improvement |  |  | 
 Ecological Farming, Permaculture Green Construction, Eco-friendly Technologies 
 
 
 
 
 
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                IN THE HEADLINES: Exclusive interview with Vladimir MegreFrom the 2008 Ringing Cedars Conference in Turkey
 Mr. Megre talks about pressing subjects and Kin's Domains issues. (Interview by Regina Jensen) 
                  Regina Jensen: Hello again, my dear Vladimir Nikolayevich, really, Vladimir Megre - as you are better known to so many millions of your readers. I very much appreciate that you are, once more, extending your time to us in this interview. There are so many question we all have, where should I even start? But you know, since this movement revolves around Eco-villages, and I believe there are around three hundred eco-villages in Russia alone, which are either in existence already or are being planned, maybe you would speak to us about that first. There are groups gathering and land being purchased or leased all over the world and I myself know of villages being created and planned in the United States and Germany. THAT is such an amazing phenomenon in itself and very happy news.
 But I do know as well, as a psychotherapist and having worked with groups for almost twenty-five years, even the most well-meaning people underestimate what it takes to create what we might call a "conscious community", namely a village that comes and stays together by choice, not by accident. Many of us have forgotten what it really takes to live in a sharing community. Can you talk about some pitfalls and problems you might see ahead for people who come together, idealistic and full of joy and hope, to co-create not only their own Space of Love, but the common living spaces we call Eco-villages made up of many Kin's Domains? Vladimir Megre: What problems do I see?  I think that there will be very many problems, but they are all surmountable.  Problems can arise for any person who is going somewhere, who is striving for something, but this person will not notice them, he will not notice because he will be constantly thinking about his wonderful future, about his dream.  These people who are now building their Kin's Domains in Russia have a great many problems. The first concrete problem is this.  The concept of a "Kin's Domain" does not exist in Russian legislation.  There are only general laws, or laws which approximate this idea.  So these people who have begun this new way of life continue to appeal to the authorities: "Do this! Do prepare a legislative framework for this." I think that legislation will be created, because of how Dmitry Medvedev, now the President of Russia, recently responded to a question during an Internet conference. He was not yet the President but still Prime Minister. The question was about whether or not he supported the creation of Kin's Domains. Let me see if I can relate to you what he said. He felt that the idea of Kin's Domains, as it had been presented, was a positive one. And Medvedev related it to their idea of what he called "low-rise" or one-storied Russia. He said that they had actually specifically taken up that very issue - quite a few months before. He also said that it was obvious that in such an expansive country as ours, with such huge territories, it makes no sense to only concentrate in small areas or little parcels of land, even in very large cities. He said that it made much more sense, both for the general health of the population and the country, to spread over the larger territory of Russia. (Ed. note: complete response available in EARTH newsletter; see full links below.) But nevertheless, for the time being there is no legislative basis. We understand that bureaucracies do not function very quickly, and that there are a great many other problems.  But they are working on it.  I do think that the Russian government will come through with this. Now, some of  these people I was mentioning, they just  could not wait until these laws were passed and went out to  live on the land. They did this in various ways, some of them simply bought  land from people who owned it but did not want  to work with it. Some of them bought land from farmers. They joined together, spontaneously, and just  began to work, began to build their village.  Some even committed minor violations; they bought land that is listed in  the Government Register as agricultural purpose land. They bought their hectare  for an agricultural purpose plot and set aside approximately five ares (Ed: 500 squ. metres) for construction. I don't think this is too bad, though it is a  small violation. But at the same time,  Dmitry Medvedev, when he was not yet the president but still the deputy prime  minister, said that it was time to bring abandoned  agriculturally zoned land back into better use, to give it to people so  they can organize collective farms. That is, for instance,  the problem that exists for the village in the  Vladimir Oblast, not far from where I live.  Approximately three hundred families got agricultural purpose land here.  They are working it, but in addition, they have built homes on it. I don't think there is anything wrong with  this, although there is a minor conflict with the local  government. It would of course be much better if there were no conflicts. But the fact that a person built his house on  his little parcel means that he is not getting ready to resell it, rather, that  he is planning to look after it, to enhance it, plant a garden, bring up his  children there. I  do think everything will turn out all right. Difficulties still exist, and each person interprets them in his or her own  way. A Space of Love - just what is a Space of  Love? What does  it mean to live as a community?  You see, we have become accustomed to live on  different stories of a building and not even  know anything about our neighbor.  In a community, sometimes people argue with each other, sometimes even curse at each other, but when they argue and curse, this  indicates that they are not indifferent to each other. Neighbors, of course, should not quarrel and  swear with each other, especially not on the  territory of their Kin's Domains. I  studied history, and found a very interesting fact: ancient Russians did not  allow themselves to quarrel with a neighbor on their Space of Love, on their  domain. If they wanted to have a quarrel  and swear, they went out to an oak grove and did it there. They quarreled, then returned, and everything  was all right. So, there are difficulties ahead, but they are  surmountable. They are most minute in comparison to what awaits these people  in the future. And their future will be  just wonderful! 
                  Regina Jensen: That does sound very hopeful indeed. Vladimir Nikolayevich. Were there any other insights you  might share about all this? How does one find a "common language" with  the authorities? How can we make the  transition to a constructive dialog with the administrative bodies so as to obtain land for people to create their Kin's  Domains? Vladimir Megre: I probably cannot give an answer to that  question because if anyone knew the answer to a question like that, then there  would already be cooperation with the government, and the ideal situation would already  exist. It turns out that the most complicated thing is  to present an idea in such a way that it would be understandable to  everyone. For some reason Anastasia  manages to do this. Ten years ago, she  said a few words, and they were understood by millions of people and the people began to act. Someone in the government may understand these words, and  the deputies also understand and support  these ideas; someone else does not understand for one reason or another. Everyone must seek and find their own answer to this question, how to express themselves, to truly communicate. It is in  general much more serious, this challenge. How can we learn to understand each other,  whatever position we may hold. Let us seek and find an answer. 
                  Regina Jensen: That is such a profound and yet simple answer! Yes, if we can only find a way to say things  in a way that the governmental representatives  can actually understand us and our needs, so that we will succeed. Vladimir, I would now like to address another issue about one's  Kin's Domain for which you gave a wonderful explanation in an address to  an audience in Zurich, Switzerland, namely about the deeper  spiritual meaning and gifts that people receive by developing their family land  - their Kin's Domain. (Ed: see full links for  this speech below.) There you shared your thoughts about how it is important to actually bring one's spirituality  directly into matter or it is not embodied. You  talked about the fact that, when creating a Kin's Domain, people, by coming into contact with nature, actually work with the materialized thoughts of God.  In a whole new way, you defined your concept of a true "spiritual person." Can you  please share your thoughts with us about this unusual,  important concept of a human being actually connecting with the cosmos  by way of his land? Vladimir Megre: That question is so deep that it requires a long  time to answer; it requires more than just one  book - the connection with the cosmos and its  interrelationship with the Earth. This  is all very serious. I shall attempt to  answer the smallest part of this question.  To join us - but who is "us"?  After all, it's not simply us living on Earth, not only. As you know, a person who obtains land, not as  an object on which he will grow potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and then sell them, but as his Kin's Domain. This person  is already enveloping this hectare of land, this acreage, with his thought, he is endowing it with additional meaning.  He says: "I am creating My Kin's Domain." He is thereby joining whom? He is joining in this spot his entire Kin,  which is an ongoing  lineage, all the way to God. After all, the phrase "I am creating My Kin's  Domain" also means that he once had a Kin's  space, but it was lost over time, and with it the ancestral connection was  partially lost. And now this person, after twenty thousand years, perhaps  thirty thousand, perhaps a million years, looked at the land and said: "This is  my Kin's Domain, here I shall gather my entire Kin." There, in the heavens, his relatives, his  great-grandfathers, great-grandmothers, who, just like he himself, lived on  their Kin's Domains, perhaps after a million years for the first time felt that  someone remembered them. Their energy, their forces will surely gather  and become concentrated in this place.  This person will reunite his Kin, and therefore will also be united with  God and all his creation, through the creation of his Kin's Domain. And as far as everything  else goes, it will also come to pass, but it is necessary to say a great many  things about that. It is  very important that on this little patch of land the person will gather all the  energy of his ancestors, he will create an earthly paradise, he will have a  neighbor who will do exactly the same, to his right and his left will be a  neighbor, and he will have another neighbor a  kilometer away, and there will be many such parcels of  land. So Earth will be turned into a  paradise. And this is all very  simple. We do not have to have long  discussions about spirituality, about lofty subjects. Take your spirituality  and bring it into matter, then it will be clear  to everyone how a person is really spiritual.
 
                  Regina Jensen: Yes, I find that very  thought so wonderful. Out there, in nature, on our Kin's Domain, all we need to  do is remember that we are touching God's thoughts when we are touching a tree,  or even a rock. That awareness would be the most elementary form of prayer. Now, Vladimir  Nikolayevich, I would like to touch on a common but difficult issue. As a  psychotherapist, I consider it the root of most suffering, namely what we might  call "dualistic thinking". I mean this idea that we are not all part of the same ONE field of consciousness, but separate,  isolated little people. This looks to be one of our  deepest and most ancient wounds - resulting in divisive thinking. It  also weakens our spirit and the spirit of community. I know that even the  Ringing Cedars movement has not been immune to such divisive thinking, namely  how some people, by way of such dark thoughts, have tried to destroy the  positive aspirations of others, especially all the bright aspirations described  in the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" books. Vladimir Megre: Opposition to the Ringing Cedars movement: if  you have in mind the concept of the kind of opposition which is generally  characteristic, let's say, of opposing political forces, or one perspective of reality versus another, by its  nature is insignificant. In general, it  is impossible to stop the Ringing Cedars movement, just as it is impossible to  stop the sun from rising, as it is impossible to stop the moon from  rising. But it's possible to fight the  movement, to slander it, to speak badly of it, cast suspicion on it. And perhaps there are some forces that somehow,  for some reason, are acting in this way. The question about opposition also has another  aspect, a more global one. We live in a technocratic world, so at some definite  moment in time people decided that all of that which  was natural around them, that there was something wrong with it, and we should and could make it better. And we started to build houses, machines, even to fly into space. But we immediately ran up against a problem:  sure, we flew into space, sure, we built houses, invented machines, but we have  nothing natural to eat any  more, we don't have any more access to simple,  live foods. Here the problem lies somewhere else, in the  technocratic direction of development. That certainly is  one path of development, but there is another: the natural one. We should have studied nature and, before destroying it, tried to  understand why it was created and how it could serve man. Why was an animal created, for example, or a bear? We are familiar with  cats and dogs, but there are many other animals and  the overwhelming majority of people have no idea of  their the purpose. That is to say that  there are two scientific paths of development.  We are following one scientific path only,  but are not moving along the second at all. I propose that there should be a unifying of these opposites. These paths are opposed to a certain extent,  but we should not oppose them, but unite them in some way. That is the task of our time. 
                  Regina Jensen: Yes, so very true! Anastasia seems to experience the Earth, or  better the Cosmos, as one giant library - which she accesses easily. But what  happens for you, Vladimir - you carry  around so much information in your mind?                   Vladimir Megre: I cannot answer that question with any degree of  accuracy, because I really don't know. I really have not observed myself that  closely, but as far as Anastasia is concerned... Anastasia's grandfather once said  that Anastasia communicated with you not with  words, but with feelings. And, using feelings, immeasurably more information  can be communicated to us in the same amount of time than  with words. Well, let's suppose that I  say to you: "Hello, Regina." What kind of information can I  communicate? But I can say it warmly:  "Hello, Regina!" that is, I communicated  feelings as well, and this is more than a simple "Hello, Regina."  In this feeling there is a much greater volume of information, and when  she spoke words, she also communicated feelings. Then, spontaneously, you achieve a certain  state, let's say, a pleasant state, and you recall how lovely she is, how  beautiful she is, what her hair is like, how she walks. Or, on the other hand, once you get into a  bad mood - it's not important why - but right  away you want to write a book on "How all people are  stubborn." I want to say that the communication of  information using feelings gives a much greater volume, if compared with a  computer, without feelings you have bytes, and with feelings you have  terabytes. 
                  
                  Regina Jensen: That is such a good  thing to remember. Transferring information in a whole different way. And that brings me to my next question. Many people still have a poor grasp of how the  finest and most powerful of human arts, the power of divine co-creation through  Image Making, has fallen into such hellish depths. As you have explained before, Vladimir Nikolaevich, we now play with the  dead toys of this fallen science and call these dead images "our life": cars,  large houses, jewelry - and we pay for them with our very souls. The world's  hungry people as well as the most privileged feel dead inside as long as they  believe these caricatures of life are real.  Could you talk some more about the world of living  images versus the world of dead images? Vladimir Megre: I shall first try to clarify your question to  see whether I understood it correctly - namely how at  the present, we live in a world of dead images and dead objects? 
                  Regina Jensen: Yes. Vladimir Megre: I agree with you. I would also add that this is a world of the  constantly dying. It is terrible.  In and of himself, a Man is immortal, and he is immortal when he is  surrounded by immortal things and when his thoughts are immortal. At least that is how I understand  Anastasia. And when you go out in the  morning and see a flower blooming - it is always new each time - you see your  horse give birth to foal, a new worker for you,  a new helper, and all "This" is being born again and again, this entire process  is eternal. Or even if you are living in your own castle,  where the floor must be constantly washed, the faucets must be constantly  repaired. Let's say that workers are  doing all this in your castle, all the same you see that "This" is perishable,  "This" is dying, your thought will die together with "This," and the person  will cease to be eternal. And you say, "How was this science able to sink  to this level?" But where else could it  sink, the poor thing? True, I don't believe that it "sunk" here. Maybe it simply  arrived at this spot to summon its friends, its acquaintances, its future  children to come to another world, to feel, to look at another world. And  that's what will happen. And you and I  shall live in another world. 
                  Regina Jensen: Yes  we will, along with millions of other people! Vladimir Nikolayevich, the only  vision I know of which considers the world as a whole, a global vision, is that  which you and Anastasia have shared with the world. Do you know any other  leaders of the world who offer what you offer, a healing vision for the entire  planet? Vladimir Megre: I don't have this information, if I did have  this information, it would have long ago been proclaimed in all countries  through all forms of mass media. But it is true -  a global crisis exists, and there are no ideas for a way out of this  crisis. This is the saddest statement that can be made. Perhaps that is the way it must be. Meanwhile, decisions about how to get out of the crisis are being  made by the very people who led everyone into  the crisis in the first place. Isn't it likely that  if they truly had some new ideas, they would  not have led humanity into this terrible dilemma in  the first place? But I believe that the "Kin's Domain" idea -  this is the most familiar term we have used,  "Kin's Domain"- and everything connected with it can lead us out of the crisis  with ease. Undoubtedly,  the most important thing is, as practical experience has already shown, that what this very idea  easily staves off is hopelessness and depression,  which is the most frightening thing that has occurred in this crisis. 
                  Regina Jensen: Vladimir Nikolayevich, you  have talked about how this very Science of Imagery can be used in positive and  negative ways; how by using this science, a very few individuals have  manipulated entire countries and even humanity as a whole for millennia. Can  you give those people who doubt this destructive use of imagery some modern-day examples of how humanity is being enslaved and  manipulated out of their birthright - their divine powers of  co-creation? Vladimir Megre: Yes, the world is governed by images, that is  already indisputable. At one time in Russia, the image of a happy man was  depicted as one who goes into a factory, then  comes out again and goes home, all the while admiring the smoke coming from the  smoke-stacks. Pictures were painted, films were made on such subject matters - an image of "the happy  man" was created. So everyone began  to pick up and leave the rural areas to go to  the city. Now we are reaping the fruits  of all this: There are no people in our rural areas  any more - whether money is invested there or  not -there is no one there, there is no one to  whom to give the money. This is  the result of the effect of an image, an idea created  for people. This image was  created by many, many people for many years.  Anastasia has now created another image, all at once and alone. Without any assistance from "official  sources", so to speak. I believe this image to be so much more beautiful, more  acceptable for today, and it will lead us out of the crisis: the crime rate  will fall, birth rates will normalize and we  will have another type of beautiful woman. Let me use that example,  about women: Here is one of those images - this  type of image that had been created in Russia, namely that the happiest and most beautiful woman is  a model. Hundreds of thousands of young  Russian girls dream of being models and strolling  down the catwalk, flaunting themselves, while not realizing that only one or  two make it to the top, if that, and those are most likely not happy anyway. But the image has been created, and everyone  aspires to it. But it seems to me that  it is necessary to create the image of a woman-as-mother, a beloved woman, a  woman who lives on a beautiful Kin's Domain.  That is something attainable for anyone.  And it is so much more than a model on a catwalk. 
                  Regina Jensen: Vladimir  Nikolayevich, I personally hope that Anastasia does not make herself available  to the curious public any more than she already has. Carl Gustav Jung, a  celebrated author, analyst and psychologist said a long time ago that "people  can die from mass-projection," such as people of great fame who are exposed to  the masses of images which others project upon them day and night. While  Anastasia, more than anyone on this planet, can protect herself from such  onslaughts very well, don't you agree we need not burden her any more than we  already have with unnecessary demands? Vladimir Megre: I don't think she is afraid of these onslaughts,  after all, she herself said, "Evil of the world, leave your works, rush to me,  try, I am alone before you, conquer for the sake of conquering, everyone fall  on me, there will be battles without battles," and so on, and so forth. She is not afraid of this. As far as "making herself available" goes, I  think that it is impossible for her to make herself available to the public  more than she already has. Judge for  yourself, a person emerges onto the public stage and says, "Look, it's  me." He stands before the people,  everyone looks at him. "So you've  emerged, you're standing here, and now what?"  People see some person in front of them, they don't know his thoughts,  what his personality is like, what he has on his mind, what he has planned,  they see only the body before them! What  does this give them? Nothing, of course. Here in Europe, Canada,  America, Russia, the countries of the CIS, the Baltic  states, and Israel,  so many different people all around the world have begun to understand each  other without knowing each other's language only by saying the word  "Anastasia." She is not making herself  available, she has not become a "goddess" - she has become a friend, simply a  friend. So, how much  more can she really make herself  available? Come out  of the kitchen peeling potatoes? Or emerge in such  a way that everything around her is illuminated by her radiant  thought? I believe that she has made  herself available. And what's more, I believe that she will make herself  available to each man, but in the image of the woman he loves. And that will really be a masterful entrance! In general, this question has been asked more  than once. And I always think that it  sounds a bit strange. Judge for  yourself, Regina. You and I walk up to John and ask, "John,  when will your wife make herself available to us?" He would say, "What are you talking about?" So, Anastasia has made herself available in  spirit, but in body, for the time being, let her body remain where it is most  comfortable. 
                  Regina Jensen: Dear Vladimir  Nikolayevich! Talking about making yourself available in spirit, I cannot  express to you how much we all appreciate the energy you give to all of us,  even answering questions that might feel repetitive to you. You are always so  kind and patient. I hope, once more, that we have not overstayed our welcome.  We do have many more questions for you but must let you go for now. Thank you  so much, in the name of your readers all  over the world! (c) 2008 Regina B. Jensen(c) 2008 Vladimir Megre
 (c) 2008 RingingCedarsofRussia.org
 
                  * Dr. Regina Jensen  holds licenses as a psychotherapist, physical therapist, certifications as  Master Executive Coach, and Somatic therapies with professional training and  experience for over 35 years. She is a writer and independent researcher with a  commitment "to finding intelligent, expedient and joyful solutions for the  predicaments we have co-created for each other on our Mother Planet."  fullyalivewellnesscenter.com 1. Ed. Note: You can read  Mr. Medvedev's response in full:In Russian:  http://www.rost.ru/themes/2007/03/052148_8215.shtml
 In English: THE EARTH  newspaper, http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/newsletter/02_03_07.htm#12)
 2. Ed. Note: you can read  Mr. Megre's speech in Zurich  at the following address:In Russian: The Anastasia  Foundation for Culture and Creative Support of the City of Vladimir:  http://www.anastasia.ru/forums/topic_2586.html
 In English: THE EARTH  newspaper: http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/theearth/vladimir_megre_conference_zurich_2008_may.html#world112)
 http://www.earthlife.info/ Translation Copyright http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/ 
 
 
                  
                    Deputy Head of the Department of Federal Corrections Services for Pskov Oblast - Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr Boroday: "There is no romance in prison" In recent years, topics related to places of imprisonment are constantly on the pages of many forms of mass media or television screens.  The problem of crime and punishment has entered the annals of classic vital issues.  Does this aspect of life really deserve such rapt attention?  We decided to speak of this with Aleksandr Boroday, Deputy Head of the Department of Federal Corrections Services for Pskov Oblast and a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy at Leningrad State University. Educate by example "Aleksandr Vladimirovich, in your view, does this topic really deserve all the sensation that has been created around it?" "Well, if one takes into account that places of imprisonment hold on the order of one million persons, that is, one out of every fifteen citizens of our country, then undoubtedly it does." "Do you believe that this situation may be influenced in some way?" "Do you know what phrase is uttered by convicts when the correctional labour colony is visited by a public prosecutor or someone else from the administration of the Department of Federal Corrections Services?  'Hey chief, I'm innocent!'  Here it is irrelevant what crime the convict committed: petty theft or double murder.  The majority of convicts blame their crimes on anyone else but themselves.  For that reason, our task is to help the convict become aware of the act he has carried out.  Without awareness and remorse there can be no rehabilitation." "And do you often succeed in eliciting remorse?" "Alas, not as often as we would wish!  The number of crimes and criminals is not decreasing.  And the problem does not involve the state of affairs in the labour colonies and prisons, the problem is outside them.  A society that openly advocates a criminal way of life through films and songs cannot expect a reduction in crime." "Do you propose to prohibit crime-related films and songs?" "I propose the creation of works of art that would glorify another way of life.  It generally makes no sense to fight against a negative phenomenon.  The fight only reinforces the phenomenon against which it is directed.  A fight against diseases only increases the number of patients, but propaganda for a healthy way of life essentially reduces them.  Extending this to the level of the family: a father who likes to down a few does not have the moral right to forbid his child to drink, and the child will not listen to him anyway.  It makes no sense to tell people how to live, they have to be shown an example." "But our country has a fairly large number of successful people, who, however, are far from being without sin...." "Then explain to me why a large number of children of successful parents are sitting in our prisons?  Why is it precisely these children who become drug addicts or commit suicide?  This is the natural finale of the fact that their parents have forgotten the meaning of man's existence on earth." "But after all the meaning of life is different for each person...." "That is humanity's greatest delusion.  The meaning of life is identical for all people - to experience the strongest positive sensations possible: happiness, true love, the joy of unity with God and all existence.  What is different are the means of achieving this.  Often the means chosen by a person do not allow him to experience the sensations to which he intuitively strives.  The sensations become transient and fleeting, because they depart from the principles that are given to man by God." "And just what are these principles?" "'Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.'  'Everything you want to receive - give away.'" "But all that has been well-known for a long time.  And nevertheless...." "Once on television there was a programme about how a children's home burnt down in a city.  The city administration asked the residents to shelter the children during the repairs.  When the children's home had been built and it was suggested that the children come back, the people did not return a single child.  The example was so infectious that the same thing began to be done it other regions.  Children's homes are starting to close in the country...for lack of need.  This is wonderful, after all it's no secret that the majority of the wards of children's homes are regular clients of labour colonies, they seem to be taking their revenge for their 'happy childhood.'  Adoptive parents - these are the people that deserve a deep bow.  They have saved thousands of children.  And all their love will return to them, because there exists yet another great law: 'Everything that you send into the world will be received back by you.'" "But what should be done with those who have already committed a crime?  Can they be rehabilitated?" "In the existing system - no.  A new approach to confining convicts is described in the books of Vladimir Megré.  If I may speak of it briefly, it looks like this.  Let us take, for example, 100 persons, convicts, well, for 10 years.  We settle them on a 100 hectare parcel of land, assigning to each a hectare, on which there is a house.  We enclose the entire parcel, as customary, with barbed wire and guards.  And for the entire period of his sentence the person lives on his own land: he plants a forest, orchard, garden, raises animals, communicates with his relatives.  All this purifies his soul, opens it.  To the extent that, at the end of his sentence, we must...simply remove the barbed wire.  There will be one more populated area, and 100 fewer criminals." "An interesting system.  What is your view of marriages that occur in prison?" "By law, a convict can both register a marriage and get married.  But over my 17 years of service I personally have not seen any happy marriages of this type.  On the other hand, I have seen a great number of tragedies.  For that reason, my advise to women who have decided to take such a step is this: wait until the convict is released.  And if he turns out to be the same person that he appeared to be, then I wish you harmony and love." For a new civilization "Aleksandr Vladimirovich, it is not very clear to me what a person with a university education is doing - sorry to put it this way - in not a very cheerful system." "It's probably simple curiosity.  I heard a lot about this world in my childhood and youth.  Many of the kids from my courtyard gang ended up in a correctional labour camp.  I simply wanted to find out whether this romance they talked about so enthusiastically really exists." "And does it?" "There is no romance in prison.  There can be no romance in suffering.  There is pain, fear, longing for freedom, there is the most negative of everything that you are capable of imagining, but there is no joy at all." "I suspect that such harsh work days are offset by a certain unusual enthusiasm...." "I worked for more than twelve years as a psychologist, and it gives me immense pleasure to help people.  I experience joy when those who come to me succeed in achieving in life what they dreamed of most of all. "I also like to write fairy tales.  They are called 'Fairy tales of a new civilization for children and adults.'  When my daughter was born and the question arose, how to help her resolve the problems of childhood, I attempted to make up fairy tales to tell her, taking the subjects from real life.  Once there was this humorous incident.  Dasha was 5 years old, and in the kindergarten the children were told that they were going to be given vaccinations the next day.  My daughter became frightened and began to cry.  To calm her down, I made up a fairy tale about how, in a kindergarten, there was a girl named Dasha.  When all the children started to receive the vaccinations, they were afraid and cried, but Dasha laughed and calmed them all down.  And she even asked to be vaccinated in her other arm.  A week later, the psychologist from the kindergarten asked to see my wife and me.  And she strongly recommended that we take our child...to a psychiatrist.  She told us that, when the children were receiving their injections, they were all crying.  But Dasha was laughing, she calmed everyone down, and even asked that she be given an injection in her other arm....  That is, the fairy tale did what a qualified kindergarten specialist could not. "Over time I began to write down the stories I had been telling my daughter.  I ended up with an entire collection, which I plan to publish at the beginning of this November.  I hope that these fairy tales will help other children as they helped my child." "We wish you success with your new book.  Please, wish our readers something in a fairy-tale vein." "I would like to wish them conscious awareness.  The universe fulfills everything that a person wished for himself, even if at first glance it doesn't look that way.  Those who understand this simple rule can change their lives and obtain everything they desire." Alina Darskaya Argumenty i Fakty Severo-Zapad [Arguments and facts north-west] - Pskov No. 39 (1455), 24 September 2008http://pskov.aif.ru/
 Translation Copyright http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/ 
 
 Release of RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA
 in Turkish!
 We are happy to announce the release of RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA, Book 2 of the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" Series in Turkish Language! Right now be the first to order the Turkish translation of Book 2 - RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA and recieve a 20% Discount! Click here to go to   our online store Publisher: Kuraldisi Yayincilik Ltd. Sti. Official Distributor in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: RingingCedarsofRussia.org http://www.rinigngcedarsofrussia.org/  
 
 
                  Ecovillages Rassvet and Dzherelni Yary. And they moved...to an open field They believe that everything in the city is impregnated with the power of money, it is even difficult for them to breathe in the city, so they are choosing a life closer to nature.  "Ecovillagers" - in Ukraine this is now an entire movement.  There are villages in our oblast as well. You can leave the city, obtain a piece of land in an open area, build a house with your own hands according to long-forgotten technologies, breathe the fresh air, drink pure water that doesn't cost a cent, feed on lovingly grown vegetables and fruits.  That is exactly what the ecovillagers are doing. Using the technique of organic farming (working the land without chemicals), alternative sources of energy, having given up smoking, alcohol, and even eating meat, they are forcing others to think how to make life more wholesome.  The ecovillagers do not renounce society, quite the contrary, with their actions they are introducing new ideas into it. Rassvet in Donetsk Oblast Rassvet and Dzherelni Yary are the names of ecovillages located 15 km from Debaltsevo in Novogrigorevka District, in the village of Nizhnee Lozovoe.  The "landowners" came here to live from Debaltsevo, Torez, Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and even Kiev. Someone buys a house with a plot of land, someone else registers from one to two hectares of open field, on which a so-called "domain" will subsequently appear.  Some families have already settled in the new area, several are just erecting houses with their own hands.  But all of them have enthusiasm and plans for the future.  "I have no intention of trying to persuade anyone.  If a person likes my way of life, let him do the same," is the way the majority of the ecovillagers think. Meet the residents of the ecovillage: Igor  and Anya Lisevich: from Kiev, on an open field Igor and Anya Lisevich, 31 and 35 years old, are former residents of Kiev.  It has already been more than a year since they left the active life of the capital (Anya is a former public relations manager) and moved...to an open field. In one season, Igor erected, with his own hands, the most genuine adobe house, ten by ten metres in size, in which he now lives with his beloved wife.  Thanks to the natural material and design, the house is very warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and, in spite of some things that remain to be completed, is extremely cozy. The couple did not even bring in a fixed supply of electricity, they are using a special generator.  The electrical appliances in the house include a washing machine.  They choose the simplest, most comfortable, crease-resistant clothing.  The iron they use is old, the kind that can be heated up on a standard stove.  The house has a refrigerator - a special aperture in the adobe wall. Igor and Anya are vegetarians, they say that they were poisoned by eating crab legs in the city, and yet again realized that they should not consume food from a supermarket. How does the family earn its living?  They use a notebook computer and wireless internet, Anya does have her own electronic magazine that she runs and develops.  Anya collects herbs, and Andrey's assistance, as a jack of all trades, is in demand among the village dwellers.  Work, say the couple, is an untouched country, and there is much, much more in the family's plans. Valentina: She wants her grandchildren to be healthy Sixty-eight-year old Valentina Zhaparova has been a resident of Nizhnee Lozovoe for several years now.  She led an active life in the city, she has a three-room apartment there, but in the village she acquired a house, which she renovated with her husband (it wasn't easy, the house was completely decrepit when they got it), and started an orchard and vegetable garden.  On an October morning the cabbage is still green, the flowers of the calendula present a motley-coloured palette, small tomatoes are still red.  "Which hand?  Here, try it!" jokes Valentina's bright-eyed grandson, holding out a pod of chili pepper. Not far from Valentina Fedorovna live her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.  They share the opinion that it is more wholesome to live further from the city.  There are always guests in Valentina Fedorovna's family.  And it's no wonder: both the house and land beckon with their warmth and coziness.  "I moved from the city because of my family.  I wanted my grandchildren to grow up strong and healthy."  The little ones play musical instruments, are crazy about chess, and easily discuss "adult subjects." Andrey, a teacher from Kramatorsk Andrey, a 36-year-old teacher from Kramatorsk, has been the owner of a parcel of land slightly larger than a hectare for several years now.  At the present Andrey's parcel is a field with saplings that have suffered from summer fires and the tracks of an unknown automobile.  Andrey lives and works in Kramatorsk, he is married, has a child, and, in answer to the question, why does he still need this land in an open field, states: "The project of my domain is a long-term project.  For my children and grandchildren, who will breathe fresh air, drink pure water, and use wholesome products in their food, products grown by mother earth." Andrey already knows how to cope with problems that may arise, whether it is the unpredictability of nature or the lack of protection, after all, with experience comes knowledge.  The main thing - Andrey is sure of this - is that his domain is "the Homeland for which I can give up my life." As often as possible, Andrey comes out from the city to his land, bringing his tent and mess-tin.  Not only to spend some time in nature (and nature in the ecovillage is excellent: an abundance of streams and diverse vegetation), but also to plan his own domain.  "I already know where my pond is going to be, and the house, and the garden," says Andrey confidently. Vera Ivanovna, an engineer from Torez Rassvet has people who, it seems, have no need of our civilized way of life, as they say.  In response to the question, "How old are you?" Vera Ivanovna cheerfully answers: "I'm 29, and my daughter is 24."  It is difficult to argue with the energetic Vera Ivanovna, she does indeed look young, and dreams of having more children, a boy and a girl.  Vera Ivanovna is an engineer, she lived and worked in Torez, led a typical city life, was even involved in business.  Now she lives in a little house without even electricity. Her parcel of about a hectare has not been worked for a long time, there are tall weeds everywhere.  In the words of her neighbors, Vera Ivanovna's land is thus "resting."  The landowner herself says that she is drawn to a life among nature, and is thereby making her own contribution to the renewal of the ecology. She does not use coal or electricity, if she reads, it is by candlelight, she is satisfied with simple and modest clothing, she eats grass, as she herself puts it. In the words of Vera Ivanovna, there is wonder here everywhere, in each blade of grass and little animal, one only has to see it.  "I live, and rejoice in life and my inner beliefs," she says.  "I need money within reasonable limits."  Vera Ivanovna is involved in the preservation and procuring of herbs and mushrooms, so she always has money if she needs it.Sasha and Sveta Petrov from Israel
 It is uncommon to meet a family that has five beautiful daughters, as does Sasha and Sveta Petrov's.  By education, Sasha and Sveta are physicians, they lived and worked in Israel, but it has already been several years since they settled in Nizhnee Lozovoe.  They bought a house, made renovations, set up an orchard and vegetable garden.  Sasha works in Debaltsevo as a physician, Sveta does the housekeeping.  By the way, they gave birth to three of their daughters by themselves at home, without any outside assistance. The children go to school in Debaltsevo, they attend various groups, for example, a music studio.  They have a favourable view of the civilized way of life: "What's so bad about a hot bath?"  The Petrovs' house has everything necessary for the comfort of such a large family - a computer, a piano, and a warm stove - in spite of the fact that the house is small. What is a typical day at the Petrovs?  "We get up, do exercises to Cindy Crawford, do some karaoke until everyone has had enough of singing, a hike to find mushrooms...," answers Sveta.  The Petrovs' small animals include the dog Lesya.  They exchanged the goats for manure: "There was a lot of hubbub with them, it's easier to buy milk from the neighbors," Sasha shares his experience.   The Petrovs keep bees, so the family is guaranteed a supply of tasty honey, as are those who drop in to visit them.... This is who they are - these landowners, or ecovillagers.  These people are not simply escaping further from the dirty cities to villages, they dream of building their small piece of a Homeland, creating a comfortable space around themselves.  A space where it also would be good for their children and grandchildren to live. Nadezhda and Dima from Donetsk: "We had enough of the city" Here is another family.  Nadezhda and Dima, both 37, have two children, live in Makeevka, work in Donetsk.  They bought a house in Nizhnee Lozovoe, and also registered land for a future domain.  As often as possible they come from the city and make their dream a reality.  Dima says emotionally: "We had enough of the city to the extent that I couldn't stand it....  We want to have a farm at our leisure, and if we have to do something, to do it for ourselves, and not to work to pay taxes and realize at the end of our lives that life has passed us by in vain." In Dmitriy's words, each person needs his living space, and, in distinction from the city, where the windows of an apartment open onto a view of the same type of windows, and it is difficult to breathe when you go outside, in Nizhnee Lozovoe one feels genuine life. In spite of the stories about wolves that frighten the local inhabitants, Nadezhda and Dima are more comfortable in the village than in the city, where it is terrifying to cross the street because of the profusion of cars.  After their account of the advantages and shortcomings of life in the ecovillage (and a shortcoming can be considered the fact that the ecovillagers themselves are not always unanimous in their opinions), Dima energetically dashed up the ladder to repair the roof of the house, while Nadezhda continued her work in the garden. Vostochnyy proekt [Eastern project] regional weeklyhttp://www.vp.donetsk.ua/
 Translation Copyright http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/  
 
 Welcome to SPACE of LOVE Magazine!
 Many of us agree that our planet and world are in profound transition - facing a turning point in human history. Some say that we as a people have had this same chance many times before in our near and far history. Each time, so history shows, humanity sank back once more, en mass, into the same spiritual sleep. But once more, we are also closer than ever to be able to turn this planet into the paradise it was meant to be.   At this time on Earth, more people than ever are committed to awaken and to stay awake even as a large percentage of the world's beautiful people are being hypnotized and mass-manipulated out of their divine powers by only a few dark minds. We seem to have forgotten our most inviolable power, to love each other and co-create this beautiful Earth as a Space of Love, the metaphorical and literal paradise-like garden it was meant to be.  We were inspired to create this magazine by the incredible wisdom and vision of a young, beautiful recluse living in the wild of the Siberian Taiga, Anastasia, and a courageous author, Vladimir Megre. He has recorded her amazing, encouraging story and wisdom for us in a series of ten books, and eleven million best-selling copies, translated into over twenty of the world's languages.  We create and write through this meeting place, this Space of Love, for those of us who are ready to help transform and see this planet as the luscious paradise it was meant to be. Anastasia envisions and holds for us a foreseeable future where every man, woman, child and animal can eat and live in peace and harmony.   Our mandate is to share writings and ideas which help us transfer this inspiring vision into joyful lives all over the world. * * * * *  SOL magazine is published through the efforts of a few devoted people. As a publication unsupported by commercial interest, we will not offer advertising from corporate-controlled media. Therefore we hope and rely upon your help in promoting SOL Magazine. Word of mouth is our main means of promoting and our readers are our best advertisers. So if you find this Space of Love Magazine insightful, Informative and interesting, please tell a friend. Better still, purchase a copy and give it to a friend or loved one, who just may discover a completely new world - the world of consciously living in their own Space of Love. 
 Now Space of Love Magazine is available to purchase in USA, Canada, and Europe, in our store at www.RingingCedarsofRussia.org! Good Source for promotion of the ideas of the Ringing Cedars Movement. Click here to go to our online store SPECIAL HOLIDAY PROMOTION! 
                  Space of Love Magazine staff has been blessed! X-mas Elves and Santa himself suggested the most generous X-mas Gifting idea in the Magazine-business yet (Northpole News, Dec.' 08)  Truly the Gift that keeps on Giving! Give yourself or loved-ones the gift of an Annual or Two-Year Magazine subscription to the new magazine which is committed to co-creating and ushering in our new Global Reality: "We now do have the power and guidance from Nature - and research does agree - to bring our Earth back to where each individual, family and creature may eat and live as if in Paradise. Best of all, it all starts now, today - even on your own window-sill, one seed at a time," says Santa. But first: call, e-mail, web-contact us, fast as the wind! Let us do all the work, and you get all the pleasure: 
 CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS! http://www.spaceoflovemagazine.com/ |  |  |  
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               Poetry, art, music, photography and anything else that flows from the heart. 
 Life's Face My inner garden is ready for your seed,Let us create her in His image and likeness.
 Your kiss puts into motion Love's deed,
 My beloved feel within my soul's caress.
 The stars surround the magic taking place,
 The dark of night an artist's blank canvas.
 Oneness occurs, a shape, a form, and then Life's face,
 The lovers embracing within heaven's bliss.
 She sees him and is of him and he of her,
 Dawn greets the sprout, God cries.
 Purity reigns, the act just a blur,
 Awakened by a rainbow painted across the skies.
 By ~Carina~ at RingingCedarsForums.com 
 * * * Love and co-creation.The way life should go.
 My search has shown me,
 for my dreams to grow,
 that a space of love,
 to be the place to go.
 Start with some land, O,air and water too.
 A seed with co-operation,
 the sun, with loves reflection,
 spring summer and autumn too,
 to start a life a-new.
 A future paradise to grow,so let all nations know,
 that souls in co-creation,
 can bring peace and co-operation,
 worlds radiant in joy-es contemplation,
 yes, Man all complete in perfection.
 By Simon at RingingCedarsForums.com 
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               Please visit the forum at Source of Life Association and share your opinions on the books of Vladimir Megre. Discuss Anastasia's ideas about harmonic life, and how you use them for yourself. Share your impressions. You can now discuss your ideas on the following topics: 
                
                 Opinions  -  Anastasia's ideas in books by V. N. Megre. Share your thoughts.
                 Let's get to know each other  -  A section in which you can create your personal profile for people to see as well as your personal page if you have something to share.
                 
                
                 
                
                 Health  -  Share your experiences.
                 
                 Let's build a strong community together. Support each other with positive thoughts and create a real plan for making our dreams come true. Visit the Forum.  Forum Talk Posted by surrender in a topic Doing More to go "GREEN". Join the discussion of this topic here: 
                 Hi Rainbows, Valvas and All, I was at work one day on the harvest trail where the pay is per kilo you pick. We were not making much money and the boss said 'Ho ho, you'll be right when you find your rhythm'. My rhythm he was talking about did come, after many more hours of sore muscles and working through repetitive strain injuries. building up to a non stop fierce pace in competition with fellow workers. 'Ah, this is my rhythm he was talking about!' And I decided that 'giving ones rhythm' is another way of saying 'giving ones pound of flesh'! Here is the rhythm of the scythe: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=dVv597m848s I am looking forward to the day when I can find my rhythm in conjoint creation of beauty and perfection! I had a scythe once and tried to use it, but it must have not been set right or something as I couldn't get it going? But this is something I would like to master too. I do have my dads sickle and used to use it for cutting road side grasses for my horse. What about geese? I have heard that they are great for keeping the grass down at lawn height in ones orchard. These are what I am thinking about getting later on. I love that his bees communicated to him like that. It may be that he is becoming in tune with his space of love. I look forward to these type of communications too. I designed a 5 (phive) winged house, Each family has their own dwelling here with their own bathroom and this house sits central to every one's one hectare kin's domains. There is a 40 meter walk from each dwelling to their kin's domain. On the way, just out from each wing are each families composting toilets, which sit in the middle of gardens. This house for 5 families is under 1 roof, so also solves some local council challenges for getting us onto the land. These are the things I do in my incubation period....Well I think a lot!....about our transition. Chris http://www.ringingcedarsforum.com/ 
 Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this forum are personal opinions of individuals creating the posts. We are not liable for any information posted on the forum.  |  |  |  
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               This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains. Are You Considering Homeschooling? Written By Pam Sorooshian Homeschooling isn't new; most of this country's founding fathers were, in effect, homeschooled. But in recent years interest has been growing, and many people, who never thought they would even consider it, are finding themselves more and more intrigued by the idea.What is it that is attracting so many families to homeschooling?
 As a homeschooling parent who has talked to hundreds of other homeschoolers, I know that there is no simple answer to that question. There are many, many reasons why we homeschooling families make the decision to keep our children out of conventional schools, either public or private, and take direct responsibility for our own children's education. Many people choose homeschooling for:  
                 - values-based or religious reasons - academic and learning reasons
 - social issues
 - health issues
 - safety concerns
 - flexibility of family schedules or lifestyles
 The overriding reason, however, is that homeschooling offers freedom along with that responsibility -- freedom to make our own decisions regarding how we wish our children to live and learn.  Whatever initially leads parents to make this choice, homeschooling nearly always evolves into something far more than an alternative educational choice -- it becomes a lifestyle choice of personal responsibility and freedom and incredible joy within a close family life. Values-Based Reasons Homeschooling allows children to be consistently guided in a family's values. Religious and family special days can be planned and celebrated together, and our children learn from seeing and participating in their parents' daily lives.  For some families, religion is a critical reason to choose homeschooling, and many use a specifically religious curriculum. This was not our family's primary reason, but the chance to discuss values in the context of what the children are learning is a wonderful bonus.  Volunteer service activities can easily be incorporated into a homeschooling family's regular schedule; community service of all kinds is of tremendous importance in a child's overall development, as well as being a significant learning experience. Educational Reasons Most homeschoolers probably begin homeschooling because of the educational benefits that they anticipate. There are many, but the most important is that each child's education can be tailored to fit that particular child.  No one-size-fits-all curriculum or methods need be used.  Children with varying learning abilities can move at a pace appropriate to their developmental levels and interests.  In the classroom, it is especially difficult to accommodate children who are learning more slowly or more quickly than average, and all children are slower and/or quicker than average in different subjects. There are children who learn more quickly than their classes can allow; at home, they can move through material at their own fast pace, allowing time for learning material not offered at school, or time for more in-depth study of subjects of interest.  If a child needs more time to fully comprehend something, they can take it.  They won't be pushed on, ready or not, to keep up with the class; they can even drop a subject and come back to it when they are ready. Learning at appropriate levels can be more satisfying and challenging to the specific child, less like busywork. And, learning can be more efficient because the children use methods most suitable for their own learning styles. One of our primary reasons for homeschooling was to give our children the gift of long, uninterrupted blocks of time to write, read, think or work on a activity.  Creativity and serious in-depth study are discouraged in a classroom where there is a lot of noise, a schedule designed for keeping every child busy, and continuous distractions and interruptions. We also wanted our children to have more time for pursuing special interests, such as art and music. A major goal of many homeschoolers is that their children feel more responsible for their own education. Rather than being passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers (actually administrators or government committees), we wanted them to have input into designing their own education and eventually take over full responsibility. We also wanted our children to realize that learning can take place in a large variety of ways and that they can seek out assistance when needed from many alternative sources, not just rely on a classroom teacher to provide all the methods, materials, and answers. We hoped that our children would not be as tempted to take the easy way out by doing just enough to satisfy their teacher, that they would be the judge of the quality of their own work and would work and learn for internal self-satisfaction, more than for external reward.  We felt that the heavy reliance on reward and punishment systems by schools would undermine this goal. And we hoped that our children would be more willing to take risks and be creative, since they do not have to worry about being embarrassed in front of peers or being criticized by their teacher. Most important, we wanted our children's love of learning to be supported, and their enthusiasm and excitement about education to be maintained.  We felt these goals would be undermined in conventional school. Social Issues The question most often asked of homeschoolers is, "But what about socialization?"  The resounding response from homeschoolers is that our children are not isolated, but are busy, active participants in community life.  They participate in scouts and sports, theater and music, and they have many friends with whom to maintain very active social lives.  They have more time and more flexible schedules than children in school.  My own children, for example, are members of a Shakespeare theater company, which often involves late-night rehearsals which would be impossible for them to attend if they had to get up in the morning for school. In school, children associate almost entirely with other children who are nearly the same age. They have few adults with whom to interact, and those interactions are limited, since there are many other children who must also be accommodated.  Socialization at school often consists of large numbers of children with very little supervision, much less adult help in learning how to get along with other people.  At lunch and recess, for example, playgrounds often have hundreds of children being supervised by one or two playground aides. Homeschooled children interact with other people of all ages, younger and older.  They learn to get along with diverse people, to solve conflicts, to work and cooperate by being out in the community in "real life."  They do this with the nurturing guidance and support of their parents and other adults. Many homeschoolers belong to homeschooling support groups.  These are as varied as homeschoolers themselves, but they all offer opportunities for children to work, learn, and play together.  Anyone dropping in on a homeschooling group day at the park, for example, would find children of all ages interacting, maybe playing a game of soccer, building a model, practicing a play or song, drawing pictures, playing musical instruments, writing poems, listening to a story, planning a trip, or just climbing a tree.  Bigger kids would be helping littler kids. Adults would be conversing with children. Homeschoolers have many responses to the question of socialization and we recognize it is of primary concern to others. Ironically, one of the reasons many of us have chosen to educate our own is precisely this very issue of socialization!  Children spending time with individuals of all ages more closely resembles real life than does a same-age school setting. Health Issues Some children begin homeschooling because health problems force them to miss school for an extended period of time. School districts usually provide home-study teachers, who spend a few hours a week helping the child "keep up."  These arrangements are not what most of us mean by homeschooling, where the parent takes primary responsibility for the child's education. But they do sometimes lead to permanent homeschooling, as a parent realizes its benefits. Other health issues may be important to homeschooling parents. For example, our children spend a lot more time outdoors (even reading, writing, or studying) which is more healthy physically and mentally than spending most of their weekdays indoors in a crowded and often overheated classroom.  These days, many children come to school sick, and illnesses passed from child to child in the classroom are very common, as are head lice.  We certainly can't avoid all illnesses by homeschooling, but many parents who have taken their children out of school say that the frequency of things like colds and ear infections decreases tremendously.  Most homeschooling families are able to enjoy less hectic, more relaxed, lifestyles -- often because they stop trying to supplement school during after-school and weekend hours, and because there is no time-consuming homework.  Reducing the stress level of family members may also contribute to better overall health. Safety Concerns Many people first become interested in homeschooling because they are concerned for their children's physical safety at school.  Sometimes this is a because of fear generated by events such as school shootings, and sometimes because their own child is being bullied or mistreated and the parents are unsatisfied with official school responses. Family Schedules or Lifestyles Some families choose to homeschool because it fits better with their particular circumstances.  For example, their work might involve constant travel or frequent moves.  Others have children involved in the entertainment industry or other activities that interfere with standard school schedules. Like so many others, we homeschool because we caught a vision of what learning and living without schooling could be like, decided to take the risk, and found out for ourselves that we loved it.  Having begun this journey, we've never looked back.  The benefits are apparent to us as we look upon our children, and we experience great joy seeing the love of learning and life so vibrant and alive in them. By Pam Sorooshian http://www.nhen.org/ Image Source - http://www.indigokidsindia.com/ 
 Watch Video: HOME Where They Belong 
 Words of Advice from Experienced Homeschoolers  Compiled by Pam Sorooshian for the National Home Education Network Congratulations on deciding to continue to build your family the way you already are. My only piece of advice is to remember that each child is unique, a piece of star-stuffed gathered, and they come pre-programmed! So the greatest challenge is simply to love them for who they are -- free yourself of preconceptions, and learn to listen as well as you can, for they are gifted teachers. And I'll bet you already knew that!   David Albert, Washington 
 I'm fond of telling folks that the what and how will come if they do one simple thing: Observe the children as they play and learn, get a "feel" for the best way to go about this to "fit" the individual child. The children themselves give us remarkable clues, if we as parents have but the wisdom and patience to interpret them.  Linda Dobson, New York 
 Part of being an "experienced homeschool" is privilege of offering advice to new homeschoolers. I have sometimes wondered if what I am offering is what the person needs to hear. I have realized that the very basic, yet most important thing I want to share with new homeschoolers is that their children are whole and complete. 
 Dr. Wayne Dyer addresses this issue in one of my favorite books, "What Do You Really Want For Your Children? -How to Raise Happy Kids." In one of the chapters, Dr. Dyer tells a story of a mother who was always thinking about what her daughter would grow up to be. Her child died at 4 years old. She said she realized too late that her child was total and complete just the way she was, she was never going to be anymore than what she was at that moment. It is a sad story, but one that has made me think deeply about how I trust and treat my children. 
 If you can look at your children and know that they are complete whole beings, right now, it doesn't matter at what time they learn something, or if they ever do. Today, they are whole and complete. They are giving as much as they can and learning as much as they can. Today they are alive, loving and learning. Trust them. Inspire them. Admire them. Krista Lica. Florida 
 Learning at home means not only having time to enjoy learning but to enjoy life and enjoy being a family. It means having time to just sit quietly by a campfire till midnight and not say anything until the mood and the words are right. It means having time to find out how to be the best person you can be. Homeschooling is giving the ultimate gift to your family and yourself: the gift of time. Kathy Wentz, Colorado 
 Don't be a slave to your curriculum (if you use one.) Just because a math lesson has thirty problems in it does not mean your child has to do thirty problems! If the child understands a concept, will more practice make him/her understand better or will it just waste time? In dealing with state requirements to have a plan, you can gain more flexibility by providing a skills list, i.e., "by the end of the year, the child will be able to give a synopsis of the state's history at an age-appropriate level." That frees you up to accomplish the feat any way you and your child like. Another, related, hint is to jot down everything your child does THIS year and tell the state that is what your child WILL study NEXT year. That way, it's already done and you don't have to worry about how or when to do it. Most homeschoolers are functioning well above "grade" level anyway, so lagging reports a year behind shouldn't be any problem. The state gets what it wants, and you can let your children study according to passion instead of plan.  Chris, Iowa 
 Children need the opportunity to experience the world personally, using hands, bodies, and all the senses, as well as the mind. These experiences could include water, sand, mud, plants, animals, cooking, repair, all aspects of family life, social relation -ships, privacy, books, art, construction, crafts, dance, model building, sports, drama, math, communication, machinery (including anything from crowbars to computers), music, science, spiritual belief systems, literature, history, travel, and more. Paper and pencil representations of reality (i.e. packaged curriculums or dependence on workbooks) are occasionally a valuable tool. Used excessively, such materials are a flavorless substitute for the real thing. Ann Lahrson Fisher, Oregon 
 Buy an electric pencil sharpener!  Dionne Ray 
 Relax and trust your children and yourself. Lillian Haas, New Jersey 
 1. Start with the child, not the resource2. Ask for your child's input, regardless of their age. I have always been surprised at how well my kids know what they need and how they want to go about getting it.
 3. Don't buy anything expensive the first year.
 4. Kids don't have to finish everything they start - sometimes they come back to it (even years later) and sometimes they don't.
 5. The child is in charge of the learning -- always, regardless of what resource, method, or philosophy you employ or hold.
 6. Homeschooling is a long-term adventure. There are few things that have to be accomplished by a particular age.
 7. School schedules and school resources were developed for ease of teaching not for ease of learning. Big difference.
 Christine Webb, Oregon
 
 Beginning to homeschool is a lot like going on a new diet. You have a lot of plans, you are very sure of yourself, you spend a lot of money on materials, and you just KNOW that other people NEED to know how important and correct what you are doing is. And, just like with the diet, your friends will react according to their own feelings about your diet: positive if they had success with it, and perhaps a bit resentfully if they did not. 
 There will be those that will even take a slight pleasure in your mis-steps. Success, in that first heady year, may depend on whether you surround yourself with successful 'dieters' or not. No need to avoid your old friends, though, just try not to gloat!Laurae Lyster-Mensh, Virginia
 
 One piece of advice I always give, and the thing that often gets TOTALLY left out of "what you need to get started" is that new homeschoolers should spend some time thinking about what education, and "being educated" means to them. Where is it that they're trying to go? What do they want to accomplish? What's important to them about the process? What's important to their children? What kind of life do they want to have together? It's so easy to confuse learning with schooling - many people have never even thought about the difference - and it's awfully hard to avoid the trap of bringing school home (even when they know it isn't working!) when you haven't considered other journeys. Laura, Texas 
 Homeschooling is an individual thing, every family is different, every homeschool is different. Don't think that your homeschool needs to look like your friend's, even if her kids are wonderful and you want your kids to be just like hers! You have unique children, specially gifted by God. Each of your children is unique too, so don't expect the same approach to work for each of your children. One child may do wonderfully with Saxon math, and the other one hate it. That's okay! Work with their strengths. 
 Remember too that you will make mistakes, you will have bad days, and you will not cover everything. Learn from your mistakes, forget the bad days, and take comfort in the fact that if your kids know how to learn then they can learn anything they want to. We sometimes get caught up with the fear that we will somehow fail our children if we "miss something". You will! Don't worry! If you have a budding artist, go heavily into history of art, artists, and art, and ensure a familiarity with basic science. If you have a budding scientist, then bend your studies in that direction. 
 Don't be afraid to abandon something in mid-stream if it was a mistake. Better try something new than to slog through bad material. Remember too, you own the books, they don't own you. If your child is getting 100% on his math, there is no reason to do 30 problems a day every day. Pick and choose the ones he needs work on and occasionally review the familiar ones. Likewise, if you feel that you are wasting your time with "busywork" in the curriculum you probably are! Drop the nonsense and keep the meat. Most families try several different approaches before they find one that works for them and their family. 
 Above all, trust yourself and your instincts. You know your kids better than anyone else! You are not homeschooling for your in-laws or neighbors, but for your kids. Dia Garland, Nebraska 
 The first thing I would tell a new homeschooler is to relax and try not to panic. I recall that in the first few months following my daughter's removal from private school for homeschool that I regularly felt in a state of panic that she wasn't making the adjustment. By that I mean that she was not internalizing that her school friends couldn't come places midweek with us, that she couldn't go to the school to "play" with her friends, that she was not jumping right in and doing what she heretofore had not done in school: sit and do worksheets and busy work. Although I thought that I was not recreating school at home in my initial panic I actually did. I sat down with my daughter and we read and did some worksheets and other "school". I was greeted with the same reaction I got when she brought school work home-crying and general frustration and lack of completion. So, what was the point I asked myself? 
 In January, following her first four months of home school my daughter plateaued. She became more tractable, more interested in learning in general, and more responsive to me and our situation. One full year after her coming into homeschooling we are involved in "child led learning" and she reads a great deal. I still worry occasionally that her fundamental learning is not being met, particularly in math, but she is learning a great deal and I am constantly amazed at her perception and recall of detail. So, through great effort, I have relaxed. I think that had I internally felt that this would be the path our road would take I would have relaxed much sooner. 
 So that is my advice to a new homeschooler-relax.Tracey T., CA
 
 As someone who's still looking into the different ways people homeschool their children, I'd recommend trying to talk to (this is hard to say) people who use different methods of homeschooling. For example, they should talk to someone who uses a curriculum package, someone who believes in a classical education, unschoolers, etc. This way they can see some very different ways of homeschooling and figure out what they want to do. Marie, California 
 When I was nearing the start of "official" homeschooling, I was nervous, because I feared criticism from my family. I wrote down *everything* we did, thinking that would "prove" that what I was doing was educational and beneficial. Now I realize no amount of "proof" is going to convince critical people that homeschooling is the best education for my child. The skeptical and curious will ask genuine questions, and listen with an open mind. Some might even read a book or magazine article as a way to understand more fully. But the critics are not likely to change their minds. The best we can do with such people is to stick to our convictions -- to homeschool according to our beliefs and knowledge of our children -- and to do what we must to protect ourselves and our children from the harshest critics. It's not always easy, and we might have to learn new ways, but it's what we must do for ourselves and our children. Shay Seaborne, Virginia 
 If there is one advice or word of wisdom to new homeschoolers when they enter a new home school group is to be patient. In general people are always taking you in as a person and slowly they will then find common interest. Then slowly friendship will happen. Friendships and acquaintances are coming and going, it is also always good to say to ourselves that no one has the same value system and the more different we all are and think the better.Emanuelle, California (originally from France)
 
 You and your imagination are your own best resource. Hug your kids. Make it fun for all of you. Keep your sense of humor. Be willing to learn along with your kids. Don't worry about "doing it the right way." Everyone is different so be flexible. Do it the right way for yourself and your kids. Have faith in yourself and your kids. Jean Reed, Maine 
 http://www.nhen.org/ Image Source - http://aycu25.webshots.com/ 
 Reasons To Homeschool 
                 1. Spend more time together as a family. 2. Spend more time with children when they are rested and fresh rather than tired and cranky from school.
 3. Avoid having to struggle to get children to do the tedious busywork that is so often sent home as homework.
 4. Allow children time to learn subjects not usually taught in their school.
 5. Allow children to have time for more in-depth study than what is allowed in school.
 6. Allow children to learn at their own pace, not too slow or too fast.
 7. Allow children to work at a level that is appropriate to their own developmental stage. Skills and concepts can be introduced at the right time for that child.
 8. Provide long, uninterrupted blocks of time for writing, reading, playing, thinking, or working so that the child is able to engage in sophisticated, complex activities and thought processes.
 9. Encourage concentration and focus - which are discouraged in crowded classrooms with too many distractions.
 10. Encourage the child to develop the ability to pace her/himself - this is prevented in a classroom where the schedule is designed to keep every child busy all the time.
 11. Spend a lot of time out-of-doors. This is more healthy than spending most weekdays indoors in a crowded, and often overheated, classroom.
 12. Spending more time out-of-doors results in feeling more in touch with the changing of the seasons and with the small and often overlooked miracles of nature.
 13. Children learn to help more with household chores, developing a sense of personal responsibility.
 14. Children learn life skills, such as cooking, in a natural way, by spending time with adults who are engaged in those activities.
 15. More time spent on household responsibilities strengthens family bonds because people become more committed to things they have invested in (in this case, by working for the family).
 16. Time is available for more nonacademic pursuits such as art or music. This leads to a richer, happier life.
 17. Children will not feel like passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers. They will learn to design their own education and take responsibility for it.
 18. Children will realize that learning can take place in a large variety of ways.
 19. Children will learn to seek out assistance from many alternative sources, rather than relying on a classroom teacher to provide all the answers.
 20. A more relaxed, less hectic lifestyle is possible when families do not feel the necessity to supplement school during after-school and week-end hours.
 21. Busywork can be avoided.
 22. Learning can be more efficient since methods can be used that suit a child's particular learning style.
 23. Children will avoid being forced to work in "cooperative learning groups" which include children who have very uncooperative attitudes.
 24. Children can learn to work for internal satisfaction rather than for external rewards.
 25. Children will not be motivated to "take the easy way out" by doing just enough work to satisfy their teacher. They will learn to be their own judge of the quality of their own work.
 26. Children will be more willing to take risks and be creative since they do not have to worry about being embarrassed in front of peers.
 27. Children will be more confident since they are not subject to constant fear of criticism from teachers.
 28. Peer pressure will be reduced. There will be less pressure to grow up as quickly in terms of clothing styles, music, language, interest in the opposite sex.
 29. Social interactions will be by choice and based on common interests.
 30. Friends can be more varied, not just with the child's chronological age peer group who happen to go to the same school.
 31. Field trips can be taken on a much more frequent basis.
 32. Field trips can be much more enjoyable and more productive when not done with a large school group which usually involves moving too quickly and dealing with too many distractions.
 33. Field trips can be directly tied into the child's own curriculum.
 34. Volunteer service activities can be included in the family's regular schedule. Community service can be of tremendous importance in a child's development and can be a great learning experience.
 35. Scheduling can be flexible, allowing travel during less expensive and less crowded off-peak times. This can allow for more travel than otherwise, which is a wonderful learning experience.
 36. Children will be less likely to compare their own knowledge or intelligence with other children and will be less likely to become either conceited or feel inferior.
 37. Religious and special family days can be planned and celebrated.
 38. More time will be spent with people (friends and family) who really love and care about the children. Children will bond more with siblings and parents since they will spend more time together playing, working, and helping each other.
 39. Feedback on children's work will be immediate and appropriate. They won't have to wait for a teacher to grade and return their work later to find out if they understood it.
 40. Feedback can be much more useful than just marking answers incorrect or giving grades.
 41. Testing is optional. Time doesn't have to be spent on testing or preparing for testing unless the parent and/or child desires it.
 42. Observation and discussion are ongoing at home and additional assessment methods are often redundant. Testing, if used, is best used to indicate areas for further work.
 43. Grading is usually unnecessary and learning is seen as motivating in and of itself. Understanding and knowledge are the rewards for studying, rather than grades (or stickers, or teacher's approval, etc.).
 44. Children can be consistently guided in a family's values and can learn them by seeing and participating in parents' daily lives.
 45. Children will learn to devote their energy and time to activities that THEY think are worthwhile.
 46. Children will be able to learn about their ethnicities in a manner that will not demean. Children will be able to understand multiculturalism in its true sense and not from the pseudo-multicultural materials presented in schools which tend to depict others from a dominant culture perspective.
 47. Children will not learn to "fit into society," but will, instead, value morality and love more than status and money.
 48. Children do not have to wait until they are grown to begin to seriously explore their passions; they can start living now.
 49. Children's education can be more complete than what schools offer.
 50. Children who are "different" in any way can avoid being subjected to the constant and merciless teasing, taunting, and bullying which so often occurs in school.
 51. Children with special needs will be encouraged to reach their full potential and not be limited by the use of "cookie cutter" educational methods used in schools.
 52. Low standards or expectations of school personnel will not influence or limit children's ability to learn and excel.
 53. Children will be safer from gangs, drugs, and guns.
 54. Parents will decide what is important for the children to learn, rather than a government bureaucracy.
 55. Family will not be forced to work within school's traditional hours if it does not fit well with their job schedules and sleep needs.
 http://www.nhen.org/ 
                 The Meat-Disease Connection 
                 Posted by Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 Dr. Fuhrman's position on the consumption of animal products is pretty clear, meat and diary dairy products leads to disease like heart disease and cancer. Even "healthy" choices like fish and chicken put you at risk. Take a look at this section from Eat to Live: 
                 There is a relationship between animal protein and heart disease. For example, plasma apolioprotein B is positively associated with animal-protein intake and inversely associated (lowered) with vegetable-protein intake (e.g., legumes and greens). Apolioprotein B levels correlate strongly with coronary heart disease.1 Unknown to many is that animal proteins have a significant effect on raising cholesterol levels as well, while plant protein lowers it. Scientific studies provide evidence that many animal protein's effect on blood cholesterol may be significant. This is one of the reasons those switching to a low fat-diet do no experience the cholesterol lowering they expect unless they also remove the low-fat animal products as well. Surprising to most people is that yes, even low-fat dairy and skinless white-meat chicken raise cholesterol. I see this regularly in my practice. Many individuals do not see the dramatic drop in cholesterol levels unless they go all the way by cutting all animal proteins from their diet. According to Dr. Fuhrman white meats are no savior either: 
                 Red met is not the only problem. The consumption of chicken and fish is also linked to colon cancer. A large recent study examined the eating habits of 32,000 adults for six years and then watched the incidence of cancer for these subjects over the next six years. Those who avoided red meat but at white meat regularly had a more than 300 percent increase in colon cancer incidence. The same study showed that eating beans, peas, or lentils, at least twice a week was associated with a 50 percent lower risk than never eating these foods. Chicken has about the same amount of cholesterol as beef, and the production of those potent cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are even more concentrated in grilled chicken than in beef. Another recent study from New Zealand that investigated heterocyclic amines in meat, fish, and chicken found the greatest contributor of HCAs to cancer risk was chicken. Likewise, studies indicated that chicken is almost as dangerous as red meat for the heart. Regarding cholesterol, there is no advantage to eating lean white instead of lean red meat. The correlation between disease and consumption of animal products seems very clear. Even newer research warns of heighten stomach cancer risk associated with eating processed meats, like sausage, smoked ham, and bacon. Reuters reports: 
                 A review of 15 studies showed the risk of developing stomach cancer rose by 15 to 38 percent if consumption of processed meats increased by 30 grams (1 ounce) per day, the Karolinska Institute said in a statement. These foods possess cancer-causing additives outside of meat's normal cancer-causing agents: 
                 The institute said processed meats were often salted or smoked, or had nitrates added to them, in order to extend their shelf-life which could be connected to the increased risk of stomach cancer, the fourth most common type of cancer. If this information spooked you, you might want to consider Dr. Fuhrman's advice, "The best bet for overall health is significantly limit or eliminated all types of meat - red and white." http://www.diseaseproof.com/ Image Sources: http://www.nactrading.com/ 
 Watch Video:  Parallels 
 
                 Global Warming, Environment, Hunger, Vegetarian Diet By Gretchen Primack Global warming, we say, shaking our heads, and bite into a hamburger. World hunger, we sigh, grabbing another slice of pizza. What's wrong with this picture?  The fact is that there's nothing so pervasively damaging to our environment - and to world hunger - than eating animal products. And until we connect the dots and change our habits, the problems will continue and worsen on many levels. It's up to all of us to start making a difference right from our own refrigerators.  The U.N.'s recent report on livestock and the environment could hardly be more sobering: 'The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global,' it declares. From pollution to water and land degradation, the predator is clear.  Take global warming. We're used to blaming automobiles and factories for the greenhouse gases that are leading to alarming climate change, and well we should. But the fact is, as the U.N. report notes, almost a fifth of those deadly emissions come from livestock - which, as Kathy Freston points out in a recent article, Vegetarian Is The New Prius, is more emissions 'than all the world's transportation combined'! Related Environmental Issues The amount of land used to grow crops to feed livestock is 10 times we need to grow crops for human consumption. As a result, land is in great demand, leading to the decimation of enormous swaths of rainforest and other wilderness. In fact, 70% of former Amazon rainforest is now used for pastureland. This is not only heartbreaking for the endangerment and extinction of countless species, it also means that the world's necessary oxygen filter is being destroyed, further jeopardizing our air quality. And the burning of these forests means the expulsion of all the toxins and carbon dioxide they'd filtered, a terrible blow to our atmosphere.  At the same time, the runoff from factory farms has meant the degradation of water sources. Considering that scientists are alarmed at our water use and what it portends for future generations, the fact that factory farms account for the bulk of the water used in this country and then degrade remaining sources is certainly food for thought - no pun intended.  The energy used to keep us in cutlets is appalling. If you consider the feeding, housing, transporting, and slaughtering of animals, and then the packing and transporting of the flesh and products themselves, you're looking at a tremendous expense and degradation of natural resources. Hence Freston's note that 'Producing a calorie of meat protein means burning more than ten times as much fossil fuels - and spewing more than ten times as much heat-trapping carbon dioxide - as does a calorie of plant protein.' Solving World Hunger Right Now  Issues of 'low food security' abound all over the world, including the U.S. But we have the power to make sure that every person on the planet is fed right now, as long as we trade in our hot dogs for veggie dogs. We need to bring our fields back to plant sources meant for humans, not livestock. These days, it's absurdly easy.  From fake chicken nuggets, hamburgers, cold cuts, sausages, even bratwurst, to Earth Balance buttery spread, to delicious soy, rice, oat, and almond milks, eating an animal-free diet is a pleasure. Cookbooks, websites, and organizations abound. Your local mainstream supermarkets have healthy food sections that will make your next 'meatball' sub more delicious than your last - without the health, environmental, and moral implications involved. And health food stores and websites can give you even more variety and ideas on how to eat a tasty, satisfying diet that is kind to you and your planet.  Next time you pat yourself on the back for buying energy-efficient light bulbs or recycled paper products, don't stop there. Make that next pot of chili vegetarian, and order the pasta marinara or primavera at your favorite Italian restaurant. You'll do more for the environment than you would driving a Prius to the restaurant. 
                 About The Author: Gretchen Primack has been vegetarian since age 13. Her house is full of energy-efficient light bulbs, recycled paper products, and delicious vegetarian food! She teaches at Bard College (on campus and through the Bard Prison Initiative) and SUNY-Ulster, and serves on the board of Catskill Animal Sanctuary. http://www.cnn.com/ Image Sources: http://newsbusters.org/;  
 What is Aromatherapy? by Jenny Regeling Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant, have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly and safely. The Essential Oil Profiles area details over 90 essential oils. Absolutes, CO2s and Hydrosols are also commonly utilized in aromatherapy. Although essential oils, CO2 extracts and absolutes are distilled in different manners, the term essential oil is sometimes used in writing as a blanket term to include CO2s and absolutes.  In addition to essential oils, aromatherapy encourages the use of other complementary natural ingredients including cold pressed vegetable oils, jojoba (a liquid wax), hydrosols, herbs, milk powders, sea salts, sugars (an exfoliant), clays and muds. Products that include synthetic ingredients are frowned upon in holistic aromatherapy. It is important to note that perfume oils also known as fragrance oils (and usually listed as "fragrance" on an ingredient label) are not the same as essential oils. Fragrance oils and perfume oils contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.  Buyer Beware: The United States does not regulate the use of the word aromatherapy" on product packaging, labeling or in product advertising, so any product can be marketed as a product suitable for aromatherapy. There are quite a few products on the market that contain unnatural ingredients including fragrance oils and claim to be aromatherapeutic. It's important to look at the ingredient label when seeking true aromatherapy products. Also, use caution with marketing claims that state a product is "Made With Essential Oils" or "Made With Natural Ingredients." Claims like these do not state that the product is only made with the ingredient(s) specified. Such products may contain heavy proportions of synthetic fragrance oils and only contain a minute quantity of essential oil to simply be able to profess the "Made With Essential Oils" claim. Don't let false marketing hype scare you away from the benefits of holistic aromatherapy. By exploring AromaWeb and other aromatherapy resources, you can learn how to safely use just a few essential oils and start gaining the benefits of aromatherapy. If you realize you hold an even deeper interest, you can learn to make your own products and control the exact ingredients included in your own personal aromatherapy products. The Benefit of an Aroma ~ Inhaling Essential Oils Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs offer both psychological and physical benefits. Not only does the aroma of the natural essential oil stimulate the brain to trigger a reaction, but when inhaled into the lungs, the natural constituents (naturally occurring chemicals) can supply therapeutic benefit. Diffusing eucalyptus essential oil to help ease congestion is a prominent example. If not done correctly and safely, however, the use of essential oils can have severe consequences. The Benefit of Physical Application Essential oils that are applied to the skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The constituents of essential oils can aid in health, beauty and hygiene conditions. Since essential oils are so powerful and concentrated, they should never be applied to the skin in their undiluted form. To apply essential oils to the skin, essential oils are typically diluted into a carrier such as a cold pressed vegetable oil, also known as a carrier oil. Common carrier oils include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grapeseed oil. A more detailed definition of Carrier Oils is found on the What are Carrier Oils page. A detailed list of carrier oils and their properties can be found on the Carrier Oils Used in Aromatherapy properties page. Other Benefits In addition to therapeutic benefit at the emotional and physical level, essential oils are helpful in other applications. Essential oils can be used in household and laundry cleaners. Some oils act as a natural insect repellent and pesticide. You may recall using citronella candles during the summer to keep mosquitoes away. Citronella essential oil is the ingredient in the candles that is responsible for repelling the mosquitos. Visit the Essential Oil Uses page for additional information on ways that you can use essential oils. Essential Oil Blends Essential oils can be blended together to create appealing and complex aromas. Essential oils can also be blended for a specific therapeutic application. Essential oils that are carefully blended with a specific therapeutic purpose in mind may be referred to as an essential oil syngery. A synergistic essential oil blend is considered to be greater in total action than each oil working independently. AromaWeb's Recipes area offers a variety of recipes and synergies. About Aromatherapy Products Not all ready-made aromatherapy products labeled with the word "aromatherapy" are pure and natural. Products that contain artificial ingredients do not provide true aromatherapy benefits. At worst, they provide no benefit or be harmful. At best, they provide only a fraction of the benefit that natural products supply. Buyers seeking true aromatherapy products must look at the ingredient label to ensure that the product does not contain fragrance oils or unpure (chemical) components. A general rule-of-thumb is to be wary of products that do not list their ingredients and those that do not boast of having pure essential oils (look for products that contain pure essential oils on their ingredient list and avoid those that have words like fragrance). A note, however, is that some sellers of good-quality aromatherapy blends do not list their ingredients because they are worried that others may copy their creation. By asking the seller more about the blend, and listening to how they respond, you should have a better idea about the quality of the blend being sold. Good suppliers should be happy to provide you with a list of the ingredients. They understand that some individuals must avoid particular oils due to health problems. http://www.articlesbase.com/Image source - http://a.abcnews.com/
 
 Simple Change Could Reduce Obesity in U.S. by 20 Percent by Dr. Mercola According to a new study, a ban on fast food advertisements in the United States   could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent. In   addition, the study reports that eliminating the tax deductibility of television   advertising would also result in a reduction of childhood obesity. The study's authors found that a ban on fast food television advertisements   during children's programming would reduce the number of overweight children   ages 3-11 by 18 percent, and would lower the number of overweight adolescents   ages 12-18 by 14 percent. Should the U.S. pursue this path, they would be following Sweden, Norway and   Finland, which are thus far the only countries to have banned commercial   sponsorship of children's programs. Research indicates that there is an 80 percent chance an overweight   adolescent will be an obese adult. Over 300,000 deaths can be attributed to   obesity and weight in the United States every year. Sources: Science Daily November 19, 2008The   Journal of Law & Economics November, 2008
 
 Dr. Mercola's Comments: Did you know that each week, the typical American child takes in some 38   hours (yes, a full work week) of commercial media, with its endless ads and   deceptions? Corporate advertisers are continuously wedging themselves in between you and   your children. They enlist the best psychologists and market researchers money   can buy to lure your kids to products and values you may not approve of and even   abhor.  On their own, most parents are ill equipped to contend with the nation's   largest corporations and their weapons of mass childhood seduction.  And for kids, their role as "consumer superstars" has led to an epidemic of   marketing-related diseases. American kids are fatter than ever, and rates of   obesity and type 2 diabetes are soaring. 
                 
                   Could Banning Junk Food Ads During Kids' TV Programs   Make a Difference? Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 25 years. About 30   percent of U.S. children are now overweight, and, childhood diabetes has   increased 10-fold in the last 20 years.  There are many established reasons for this sharp decline in the health of   our youth, but little research has been done to determine just how big a role   television advertising plays.  This study, the largest of its kind, measured the number of hours of fast   food messages were viewed by children on a weekly basis, and was able to   directly tie childhood obesity to fast food advertising on American television.  They concluded that banning fast food TV ads during children's programming   would reduce the number of overweight children ages: 
                 
                   3-11 by 18 percent 12-18 by 14 percent I believe this relatively minor change in advertising habits actually could make a noticeable dent in the current obesity epidemic plaguing our children. But curtailing childhood obesity rates would require more than simply banning   junk food ads during children's programming. Perhaps even more important than   limiting ads would be to limit TV viewing altogether. 
                 
                   How Many Hours Does Your Child Spend Watching TV, and   What Does it REALLY Do to Their Health? An astonishing 90 percent of American children under age 2, and as much as 40   percent of babies under 3 months old, watch TV regularly. And, while much of the debate focuses on advertising   messages and violent or sexually explicit programming, and their impact on   young minds, TV may be harmful no matter what your kids are watching. More than half of American children have a television in their bedroom; one   study put the number at 70 percent. Meanwhile, a growing body of research shows   strong links between a TV in the bedroom and numerous health and educational   problems, including: 
                 
                   Lower scores on school testsSleep problems Increased risk of smoking, andObesity Of course, if your child has a TV in their bedroom, they are far more likely   to watch more TV, and be exposed to more advertising. One study,   published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, found   that having a TV in the bedroom increased viewing time by nearly nine hours a   week! All of this time spent watching TV and/or playing video games, equates to a   direct reduction of the time spent outdoors, pursuing more active forms of   leisure, which naturally has a detrimental effect on your child's weight and   overall health. When researchers put monitoring devices on the televisions to reduce the   children's viewing time by half (by not allowing the TV to turn on once the   quota was reached), they found that: 
                 -Relative body mass index dropped-Children snacked less, consuming more than 100   calories less per day
 So yes, fast food advertising is most certainly a culprit in this battle, but   it's not the only one. 
                 
                   Obesity is Only One of the 15 Side Effects of Watching   TV Numerous other studies have also found links between health   and mental problems and TVs. One researcher, Dr. Sigman, has identified no less   than 15 negative effects he believes can be blamed on watching television: 
                 1. Obesity2. Trouble healing
 3. Heart trouble
 4. Decreased   metabolism
 5. Eyesight damage
 6. Alzheimer's disease
 7. Decreased   attention span
 8. Hormone disturbances
 9. Cancer
 10. Early   puberty
 11. Autism
 12. Sleep difficulties
 13. Increased appetite
 14.   Limited brain growth
 15. Diabetes
                  Watching TV also has a major   impact on your brain chemistry. In fact, the longer you watch, the easier   your brain slips into a receptive, passive mode, meaning that messages are   streamed into your brain without any participation from you. This is an advertiser's dream, and likely one of the reasons why advertising   directed at children and teens works so well. How Can You Take Back Control Of Your Child's   Health? I think it's important to remember that, in the end, you as a parent are not   entirely powerless. Your children will, and do, follow your example. This is why   it's so important to foster a healthy lifestyle that includes the entire family,   and to take the time to discuss your knowledge with your children. When a toddler recognizes the golden arches of McDonald's before they can   speak in full sentences, you can't blame it all on advertising, even though that   plays a role... I have four powerful recommendations for you and your child to follow that   can have a dramatic impact   on your mind and body: 
                 
                   
                     Increase   exercise!
 
Eliminate   soda. Children can easily dramatically cut down on the amount of sugar they   consume by cutting out soft drinks and juice, and ONLY drinking water. Remember, each daily   soda increases your obesity risk by 60 percent!
 
Limit or eliminate TV time.   TV is one of the most pernicious influences on a child and I couldn't recommend   stopping it more strongly. Not only will cutting out TV time increase their   activity level, and promote more intellectual pursuits, but it will also   dramatically reduce their exposure to commercials   promoting worthless foods.
 
Teach your child healthy shopping habits during your weekly food shopping.   Remember, the unhealthiest foods in your local supermarket are located in the   isles, so shopping for most of your groceries around the perimeter can be a   great way to ease   into healthier shopping habits, until you're ready to pursue   a mostly organic lifestyle and purchasing most of your   foods from local, organic farmers. http://articles.mercola.com/ 
 Watch Video: How Television Affects Your Brain Chemistry
 
                 
                 
                   
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                         Edible Forest Gardens: an Invitation to Adventure Excerpted from the forthcoming book Edible Forest Gardens:  A Delicious and Practical EcologyCopyright © 2002, David Jacke with Eric Toensmeier
 Picture yourself in a forest where almost everything around you is  food. Mature and maturing fruit and nut trees form an open canopy, and if you  look carefully you can see fruits swelling on many branches  -  pears, apples,  persimmons, pecans, chestnuts. The shrubs that fill the gaps in the canopy bear  raspberries, blueberries, currants, hazelnuts and other lesser known fruits,  flowers and nuts at different times of the year. A diverse assemblage of native  wildflowers, wild edibles, herbs, and perennial vegetables thickly covers the  ground. You use many of these plants for food or medicine, while others attract  beneficial insects, birds and butterflies, act as soil builders or simply help  keep out weeds. Here and there vines climb on trees, shrubs or arbors with  fruit hanging through the foliage  -  hardy kiwis, grapes, and passionflower  fruits. In sunnier glades large stands of Jerusalem  artichokes grow together with groundnut vines. These plants support one another  as they store energy in their roots for later harvest and winter storage, their  bright yellow and deep violet flowers enjoying the radiant warmth from the sky.                            What Is an Edible   Forest Garden?  An edible forest garden is a perennial polyculture of  multi-purpose plants  -  many species growing together (a polyculture), most  plants re-growing every year without needing to be re-planted (perennials),  each plant contributing to the success of the whole by fulfilling many  functions. In other words, an edible ecosystem: a consciously designed  community of mutually beneficial plants and animals intended for human food  production. Edible forest gardens can provide more than just a wide variety of  foodstuffs; the seven F's apply here: food, fuel, fiber, fodder (food for  animals), fertilizer and "farmaceuticals", as well as fun. A  beautiful, lush environment is either a conscious focus of the garden design,  or a side-benefit one enjoys.  The forest garden mimics forest ecosystems, those naturally  occurring perennial polycultures originally found throughout the humid climates  of the world. In much of North America, your  garden would soon begin to revert to forest if you were to stop tilling and  weeding it. Annual and perennial weeds would first colonize the bare soil. In a  few years, shrubs would follow the weeds as the dominant plants. Finally, the  pioneer trees would move in, and a forest would be born. It can take many  decades for this process, called succession, to result in a mature forest. We humans work hard to hold back succession  -  mowing,  weeding, plowing, spraying. If the successional process were the wind, we would  be constantly motoring against it. Why not put up a sail and glide along with  the land's natural tendency to become forest? Edible forest gardening is about  expanding the horizons of our food gardening across the full range of the  successional sequence, from field to forest, and everything in between.  
                         
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                                     | A      Sampling of Edible       Forest Garden      Plants |  
                                     | Perennial HerbsOnions
 
 
 Wild Cabbage
 Sea Kale
 Turkish Rocket
 Nettles
 Wood Nettle
 Sweet Cicely
 
 Mountain Sorrel
 Sorrel
 Good King Henry
 
 Vines
 Hardy Kiwis
 
 Passionflower
 
 Trees
 Walnuts
 Hickories
 Chestnuts
 Mulberries
 Persimmons
 Nut Pines
 
 
 Pawpaw
 
 Shrubs
 American Plum
 Chickasaw Plum
 Saskatoon
 Hazelnuts
 Currants
 
 Easy to Grow Fungi
 Shiitake
 Kuritake
 Shaggy Mane
 Reishi
 King Stropharia
 | Allium cernuum
 A. tricoccum
 A. cepa, etc.
 Brassica oleracea
 Crambe maritima
 Bunias orientalis
 Urtica dioica
 Laportea candensis
 Myrrhis odorata
 
 Oxyria digyna
 Rumex scutatus
 Chenopodium
 bonushenricus
 
 Actinidia argua,
 Maypop, A. kolomikta
 Passiflora incarnata
 
 
 Juglans species
 Carya species
 Castanea spp. & hybrids
 Morus alba, M. rubra
 Persimmons
 Diospyros virginiana, D. kaki,
 Pinus edulis, P. cembra,
 P. pumila. P. flexilis,
 Asimina triloba
 
 
 Prunus americana
 Prunus angustifolia
 Amelanchier alnifolia
 Corylus species
 Ribes species
 
 
 Lentinula edodes
 Hypholoma sublateritum
 Coprinus comatus
 Ganoderma species
 Stropharia rugoso-annulata
 | Delicious greens, bulbs, pest control,
 some quite shade tolerant.
 
 Perennial kale, tree collards, per.broccoli
 Blanched shoots, delicious flower buds.
 Custardy leaves, shade tolerant.
 Spring greens, nutrient accumulator.
 Native, spring greens, shade, also stings!
 Sweet, anisey foliage, flowers, seeds, shade
 tolerant, attracts beneficial insects.
 Good flavor, native, sun or shade. Buckler-leaved
 Tasty, good clumping groundcover.
 Spinach flavor leaves, asparagus-like shoots,
 shade tolerant.
 
 High vitamin C fruit, woody.
 
 Great flowers, tasty fruit, herbaceous.
 
 
 Nuts, timber.
 Nuts, timber.
 Nuts, timber.
 Fruit, coppice.
 Fruit.
 Nuts, windbreaks.
 
 
 Highly nutritious fruit, part-shade.
 
 
 Fruit, thicket-forming.
 Fruit, thicket-forming.
 Fruit, comm. varieties available.
 Nuts, thicket-forming, some trees.
 Fruit, can fruit in part-shade.
 
 
 Oak log dwelling, tasty, medicinal.
 Logs, sawdust, stumps, tasty, native.
 Hardwood chips (mulch), tasty, native.
 Stumps, logs, native, tasty, medicinal.
 Hardwood chips, straw, soil, compost,
 mulch, tasty, native.
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                           |  |  |  Besides the direct human uses, it is critical to design the forest  garden for self-renewing self-fertilizing self-maintenance. Most plants used in  forest gardens are self-renewing perennials or self-sowing annuals.  Continuously mulched and otherwise undisturbed soil allows a healthy and  diverse soil community to develop. Including plants that can fix nitrogen,  accumulate subsurface soil minerals, act as a source of mulch, or a combination  of these functions also improves soil fertility. Some species provide food or  habitat for insectivorous birds, or predatory and parasitic insects that devour  pests, reducing and at least potentially eliminating the need for pest and  disease management work. Selecting and locating plants based on their  suitability for the site's soil conditions and microclimate, the amount of  labor they require, their ecological roles and their ultimate size helps reduce  the amount of maintenance they need and increase their yield. By mimicking the  way nature does her work, we can reduce the work we do to get our sustenance to  mulching, some pruning, occasional weeding, and minimal pest and disease  management depending on the crops you grow. Oh, and then there's the  harvesting! Essentially, edible forest gardening is the art and science of  putting plants together in woodland-like patterns that forge mutually  beneficial relationships, creating a food production system that is more than  the sum of its parts. The idea is that by growing fruits, nuts, vegetables,  herbs, mushrooms and other useful plants and animals in a way that mimics  natural forest ecosystems you can create a beautiful, diverse, high yield  system that is largely self-maintained. Gardening LIKE the Forest vs. Gardening IN the Forest There are many ways to garden IN the forest. These include the  restoration of natural woodlands, ecological forestry, agroforestry, and the  creation of primarily aesthetic woodland gardens. These and other forms of  gardening IN the forest are not what we are talking about. Edible forest  gardening is not necessarily gardening IN the forest. It is gardening LIKE the  forest. Gardening LIKE the forest involves forming a deep understanding of  the dynamics, patterns and principles that govern the structure and function of  healthy, naturally occurring forest ecosystems. We then adapt this knowledge to  mimic the structures and functions that meet our needs and help the garden  ecosystem to meet its own. We use the forest as a design metaphor, a model of  structure and function, while we adapt the design to focus on meeting human  needs in a small space. We then participate in the evolution of an ecosystem in  our back yards that can teach us about ecology and ourselves as we eat our way  through it. While you can transform an existing piece of woodland into an  edible forest garden and have it work well, we don't necessarily recommend it.  In many ways it's better to start from scratch in an area currently free of  trees. That way you can improve soil conditions before planting, and then  create a canopy of highly productive plants where all the sun is, with  additional bonus yields from the lower, shadier layers. When you use existing  woods, the opportunities for high total system yields decrease unless you kill  trees first or happen to be lucky enough to have persimmons, walnuts, hickories  or other crop trees in the canopy already. The most well-known aspect of mimicry in forest gardening is the  creation of multiple layers of vegetation in the garden similar to the layers  of vegetation in healthy forests. However, vegetation layers are only one of  the five physical architectural elements we must work with to create a forest  garden. We must also understand the functions, and mimic the structures, of the  soil horizons and the density, patterning and diversity of forest vegetation.  For example, ecological research has shown that natural ecosystems exhibiting  what we call "lumpy texture" tend to have larger and more diverse  bird populations and higher levels of predatory insects in the canopy. When we  create orchards with the trees evenly spaced, all the same size, age and  species, with no shrubs, and a monotonous understory, we create smooth split  pea soup texture. This reduces predator diversity and abundance, increases our  work load, and pushes us towards chemical controls of one kind or another. In addition to physical architecture, ecosystems exhibit  "social structure" and structures of change through time (AKA  successional patterns). These also offer opportunities for reduced maintenance  and increased yields if we pay attention and design well. Social structure  includes the design and husbanding of the food webs both above and below  ground, as well as associations of plants and animals called guilds that  partition resources and create webs of cooperation and interdependence. The  increasingly sophisticated science of soil food webs is demonstrating exciting  results such as the near elimination of the need for fertilizer in some  systems, and radical reductions in diseases and pests simply by supplying the  resources and conditions necessary for all the elements of a healthy soil food  web to thrive. Resource partitioning guilds in particular are essential to the  design of high yield polycultures. When we understand the root patterns of  different plant species, for example, we can mix and match associates that will  use different parts of the soil profile. This allows us to pack individual  plants closer together without increasing competition between them, while  actually increasing the volume of soil resources the system as a whole uses.  Such an arrangement has the highest chance of creating a polyculture that  yields more per unit area than the same number of crop plants grown in  monoculture. What all of this means is that when we forest garden we design and  garden not only with plants, but with insects, birds, microorganisms and all  the other life forms with whom we share our home. We work and garden not as  master and servants, but as co-participants in the play of life. The greater  our understanding of our partners in this endeavor, the greater our ability to  work consciously with them to create harmonious garden patterns. Basically, it  comes down to this: don't plant trees, plant ecologies! The Garden of Eden: It Sounds Great, But Is It Practical? Eric and I like to think of edible forest gardening as recreating  the Garden of Eden, and from the description at the beginning of this article,  it sounds as if it is. Is such an abundant, low maintenance food garden really  possible? A Few Lessons From a Little History Though ancient in many ways, the notion of edible forest gardening  is relatively new to modern western culture and especially to the modern North  American continent. The people of tropical Africa, Asia, and Latin   America have a long tradition of using a multi-storied agriculture  integrating trees, shrubs, livestock, and herbaceous crops. They grow fodder  trees in pastures that provide windbreaks, livestock forage and shade. Some of  these trees also improve the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air and putting  it into the soil. Alley cropping systems combine rows of nitrogen-fixing and  food trees with strips of annual crops like corn and potatoes. The  multi-storied "food forest" systems used in many parts of the tropics  mimic the rainforest, growing such crops as coconut, oil palms, bananas,  coffee, pineapples and ginger. Village and home-scale tropical forest gardens  have existed in Java since at least the 10th century, and comprise 15% to 50%  of village cultivated lands.Forest gardens work in tropical climates, and have for a  long time.There is also strong evidence that similar systems were in place  in cooler climates hundreds of years ago. For example, some species of  temperate forest trees are able to sprout from the stump and regrow vigorously  after being cut down. These stump sprouts, called coppice ("cop -  iss"), are used as fuel, fiber, fodder or mulch, depending on the species.  The coppice forestry systems of medieval Britain  and other parts of Europe were the core of  integrated systems of land use and building construction wherein logs, poles,  saplings and brush were all used as structural materials. Coppice plots also  provided critical habitat for wild game mammals and birds, as well as abundant  semi-wild foods and medicinal plants that formed an essential part of the  Medieval diet.
 Several continuously coppiced "stools", or stumps, in Britain have  been proven to be 500 to 800 years old, demonstrating that coppicing can  dramatically prolong a tree's life span. These  very stable, sustainable agroforestry systems existed for hundreds of years  before declining and being almost totally lost during the industrial  revolution. In addition, the more we learn about the culture and agriculture of  the Indians of eastern North America, the more  we understand the sophistication of their forest management strategies.  Clearly, the record shows that forest garden-like systems have been viable and  practical in temperate climates. Isn't it possible for us to do far better now  if we put our hearts and minds to it?A small but growing number of people in the cold climates of the  world have been developing these ideas for the current era. J. Russell Smith's  seminal 1950 work Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture first sparked interest in  the potential of agroforestry in temperate as well as tropical and sub-tropical  climates throughout the world. However, tropical countries and large scale tree  crop systems received most of the resulting research attention.
 
 Edible forest gardens have been slower to spread in North America. Few people have heard of the idea, so the  examples are fewer and farther between  -  but they exist. Forest gardeners have  planted in the maritime climate of coastal Washington  state, at 7,000 feet  in the cold, dry Colorado Rockies, in the hot, humid city of Greensboro,  North Carolina, and in chilly southern New Hampshire, all with  at least some success. Forest gardens are viable in small urban yards and large  parks, on suburban lots, or in a corner of a rural farm. We have seen examples  ranging from a 2 acre  rural research garden to a jungle of food plants on a quarter acre lot, to a  heavily planted 30 X 50 foot  embankment behind an urban housing project. Smaller versions are definitely  possible: though it might stretch the word "forest" rather far, the  same principles and ideas still apply. Despite the name "forest  garden" it is best if your site has good sun, but, of course, if your land  is shady and wooded you can use the ideas, information and plants of forest  gardening.  http://www.nofa.org/ 
 Masanobu Fukuoka Masanobu Fukuoka is a farmer/philosopher who lives on the Island of Shikoku, in southern Japan. His   farming technique requires no machines, no chemicals and very little weeding. He   does not plow the soil or use prepared compost and yet the condition of the soil   in his orchards and fields improve each year. His method creates no pollution   and does not require fossil fuels. His method requires less labor than any   other, yet the yields in his orchard and fields compare favorably with the most   productive Japanese farms which use all the technical know-how of modern   science. 
 How is this possible? I admit, when I first went to his farm in   1973 I was skeptical - but there was the proof. Beautiful grain crops in the   fields, healthy orchard trees growing with a ground cover of vegetables, weeds   and white clover. Over the two-year period I lived and worked there his   techniques and philosophy gradually became clear to me.
 
 Mollison and Fukuoka took entirely different routes to get   to essentially the same place. Permaculture is a   design system which aims to maximize the functional connection of its elements.   It integrates raising crops and animals with careful water management. Homes and   other structures are designed for maximum energy efficiency. Everything is made   to work together and evolve over time to blend harmoniously into a complete and   sustainable agricultural system.
 
 The key word here is design. Permaculture is a consciously designed system. The designer   carefully uses his/her knowledge, skill and sensitivity to make a plan, then implement it. Fukuoka created natural farming from a   completely different perspective.
 
 The idea for natural farming came to   Fukuoka when he   was about twenty-five years old. One morning, as he sat at sunrise on a bluff   overlooking Yokohama Bay, a flash of inspiration occurred. He   saw that nature was perfect just as it is. Problems arise when people try to   improve upon nature and use nature strictly for human benefit. He tried to   explain this understanding to others, but when they could not understand, he   made a decision to return to his family farm. He decided to create a concrete   example of his understanding by applying it to agriculture.
 
 But where to begin? Fukuoka had no model to go by. "How about   trying this? How about trying that? That is the usual way of developing   agricultural technique. My way was different. How about not doing this? And, how   about not doing that, this was the path I followed. Now my rice growing is   simply sowing seed and spreading straw, but it has taken me more than thirty   years to reach this simplicity."
 
 The basic idea for his rice growing came   to him one day when he happened to pass an old field which had been left unused   and unplowed for many years. There he saw healthy rice seedlings sprouting   through a tangle of grasses and weeds. From that time on he stopped sowing rice   seed in the spring and, instead, put the seed out in the fall when it would   naturally have fallen to the ground. Instead of plowing to get rid of weeds he   learned to control them with a ground cover of white clover and a mulch of   barley straw. Once he has tilted the balance slightly in favor of his crops   Fukuoka   interferes as little as possible with the plant and animal communities in his   fields.
 This is not to say that Fukuoka did not experiment. For example, he   tried more than twenty different ground covers before noticing that white clover   was the only one which held back weeds effectively. It also fixes nitrogen so it   improves the soil. He tried spreading the straw neatly over the fields but found   the rice seeds could not make their way through. In one corner of the field,   however, where the straw had scattered every which way, the seedlings emerged.   The next year he scattered the straw across the entire field. There were years   when his experiments resulted in almost a total crop loss, but in small areas   things worked out well. He closely observed what was different in that part of   the field and next year the results were better. The point is, he had no preconceived idea of what would work the best. He   tried many things and took the direction nature revealed. As far as possible,   Fukuoka was   trying to take the human intellect out of the decision making   process.
 His vegetable growing also reflects this idea. He grows   vegetables in the spaces between the citrus trees in the orchard. Instead of   deciding which vegetables would do well in which locations he mixes all the   seeds together and scatters them everywhere. He lets the vegetables find their   own location, often in areas he would have least have expected. The vegetables   reseed themselves and move around the orchard from year to year. Vegetables   grown this way are stronger and gradually revert to the form of their semi-wild   ancestors.
 
 I mentioned that Fukuoka's farm is a fine model of permaculture design. In Zone 1, nearest his home in the   village, he and his family maintain a vegetable garden in the traditional   Japanese style. Kitchen scraps are dug into the rows, crops are rotated, and   chickens run freely. This garden is really an extension of the home living   area.
 
 Zone 2 is his grain fields. He grows a crop of rice and one of   barley every year. Because he returns the straw to the fields and has the ground cover of white clover the soil actually each year. The   natural balance of insects and healthy soil keep insect and disease infestations   to a minimum. Until Bill Mollison read The One-Straw Revolution, he said he had   no idea of how to include grain growing in his permaculture designs. All the agricultural models involved   plowing the soil - a practice he does not agree with. Now he includes Fukuoka's no-tillage   technique in his teaching.
 
 Zone 3 is the orchard. The main tree crop is   Mandarin oranges, but he also grows many other fruit trees and native shrubs.   The upper story is tall trees, many of which fix nitrogen and so improve the   soil deep down. The middle story is the citrus and other fruit trees. The ground   is covered with a riotous mixture of weeds, vegetables, herbs and white clover.   Chickens run freely. This multi-tiered orchard area came about through a natural   evolution rather than conscious design. It still contains many of the basic   permacultural design features. It has many different   plant species, maximizes surface area, contains solar sunlight traps and   maintains a natural balance of insect populations.
 
 Fukuoka invites visitors   from Zone 4 anytime. Wild animals and birds come and go freely. The surrounding   forest is the source of mushrooms, wild herbs and vegetables. It is also an   inspiration. "To get an idea of the perfection and abundance of nature,"   Fukuoka says,   "take a walk into the forest sometime. There, the animals, tall trees and shrubs   are living together in harmony. All of this came about without benefit of human   ingenuity or intervention."
 
 
 What is remarkable is that Fukuoka's natural farming   and permaculture should resemble each other so closely   despite their nearly opposite approaches. Permaculture   relies on the human intellect to devise a strategy to live abundantly and   sustainably within nature. Fukuoka sees the human intellect as the   culprit, serving only to separate people from nature. One   mountain top, many paths. Natural farming and permaculture share a profound debt   to each other. The many examples of permaculture   throughout the world show that a natural farming system is truly universal. It   can be applied to arid climates as well as humid, temperate Japan. Also, the   worldwide permaculture movement is an inspiration to   Fukuoka. For   many years he worked virtually alone. For most of his life Japan was not   receptive to his message. He had to self-publish his books because no publisher   would take a chance on someone so far from the mainstream. When his experiments   resulted in failure, the other villagers ridiculed him. In the mid-1980's he   came to a Permaculture Convergence in Olympia, Washington and met Bill Mollison. There were nearly one thousand people there. He   was overwhelmed and heartened by the number and sincerity of the like-thinking   people he met. He thanked Mollison for creating this   network of bright, energetic people working to help save the planet. "Now," he   said, "for the first time in my life I have hope for the future."
 In   turn, permaculture has adopted many things from   Fukuoka. Besides   the many agricultural techniques, such as continuous no-tillage grain growing   and growing vegetables like wild plants, permaculture   has also learned an important new approach for devising practical strategies.   Most importantly, the philosophy of natural farming has given permaculture a truly spiritual basis lacking in its earlier   teachings.
 
 Fukuoka believes that natural farming proceeds   from the spiritual health of the individual. He considers the healing of the   land and the purification of the human spirit to be one process, and he proposes   a way of life and a way of farming in which this process can take place.   "Natural farming is not just for growing crops," he says, "it is for the   cultivation and perfection of human beings."
 http://www.permaculture.com/ Text and images copyright 2003, Larry Korn. |  
 Watch Video: Bullock Brothers Homestead - A 25-Year Permaculture Project Poured Earth Poured earth is similar to ordinary concrete, in that it is mixed and formed like concrete and uses Portland cement as a binder. The main difference is that instead of the sand/gravel used as an aggregate in concrete, poured earth uses ordinary soil (although this soil needs to meet certain specifications) and generally uses less Portland cement. Poured earth could be considered a "moderate strength concrete." Little to no maintenance is required of poured earth walls, since they have a high resistance to the deteriorating effects of water and sun.  Ideal soil is basically low in clay (something ranging between silt to 3/8 inch aggregate). Poured earth materials need to meet certifiable engineering standards; appropriate testing needs to be done to assure a quality product. Testing should be done to determine shrinkage and compressive strength in order to make sure that the mix has very little, to no, shrinkage and has a compressive strength of 800-1200 psi. On-site soil can be ammended with off-site materials so that they meet appropriate strength and durability standards. When natural or synthetic flyash and lime is added to the poured earth mixture, the amount of Portland cement required can be reduced by up to 50%. Magnesium oxide can also be used to help further reduce the use of Portland cement.  Since poured earth is similar to concrete, local suppliers can provide the product which can then be pumped using traditional concrete pump trucks. Standard concrete forms can be used in preparation for the pour.  It is possible to incorporate rigid insulation within a poured earth wall, so that there is a thermal break between the exterior and the interior, thus allowing the interior portion of the wall to serve as appropriate thermal mass for the building. Generally, poured earth walls increase the overall cost of construction by 10% - 20%, mainly because of the custom nature of the process. When more homes are built, then the economy of scale should make this method competitive with traditional building.  Michael Frerking's website (Living Systems Sustainable Architecture) has much more information about Poured Earth. http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/ 
 Poured Earth Questions and Answers 
                 
                 Michael Frerking began Living Systems Sustainable Architecture (LSSA) 33 years ago after experiencing the devastation caused by clear cutting in the Pacific northwest. Dedicated from the beginning to the practice of energy and resource efficiency and earth construction, Michael became one of the first architects in the southwest to promote sustainable architecture featuring the beauty of high mass earthen walls for passive solar and earth friendly products for a healthy and resource efficient home. Although beginning with adobe and rammed earth, Michael began to chart a new course in 1995 when he pioneered a unique technology - poured earth - which allowed him simultaneously to reduce the time and cost of labor while raising both strength and insulation values for earthen buildings. Today, Michael's goals are four-fold: first, to design "zero-load," high mass buildings that actually produce excess energy and water as well as reduce CO2 production; second, to make available to the middle market elegantly designed sustainable earthen homes; third, to create buildings made to last for generations but at the end of their life can be regenerated or recycled; and, fourth, to make use of local and regional renewable resources. 
 Ingredients of Poured Earth Q: Can I use on-site material for my poured earth walls? A: Yes, if on-site materials are basically low in clay (something ranging between silt to 3/8 inch aggregate). Many times we amend a site soil with off-site materials so that they meet appropriate strength and durability standards. Q: Can I mix Portland cement with any site material and expect a strong and durable wall? A: Probably not. Poured earth materials need to meet certifiable engineering standards. Appropriate testing needs to be done to assure a quality product Depend on testing, not luck, for a quality mix. Q: Why use Portland Cement rather than gypsum? A: Portland cement is water stable and gypsum is not. Therefore, while gypsum's strength will remain relatively stable in very dry environments, it's strength drops off significantly in climate where there is rain. In contrast, Portland cement becomes stronger in wet climates and is not affected by dryness. Q: Are there other alternatives to Portland cement and gypsum? A: Cement can be created with mixtures of flyash and lime. Also, magnesium oxide is a promising, although presently expensive, alternative. Q: Is this an earth-friendly product if it uses Portland cement? A: Portland cement does contribute 6-8% toward global warming (embodied energy use). However, when natural or synthetic flyash is added to the poured earth mixture, the amount of portland cement required can be reduced up to 50%. Magnesium oxide can also be used to help further reduce the use of Portland cement. Q: My intention is to make roads from calcined gypsum, earth, road aggregates and granulated slag from iron-making  and ferro chrome production. These materials are available in plenty. Please help us to know if roads can be made from such raw materials which can withstand the running of bullock carts and light vehicles. We can understand it is difficult for people in advanced countries to know about roads in villages of India.  A: I do not work with calcined gypsum but portland cement, flyash and lime as the primary binder. Calcined gypsum is moisture sensitive as it's strength drops off substantially as moisture content increases. Q: I made an experiment for myself, the results of which I want to share with you. I made a piece of dirt mixed with gypsum in 1:5.5 ratio, which is told on cast earth website. It creates a good strong enough substance, which is good enough probably for building of one story building or making partitions inside of the building. But when exposed to water, it gets eroded very fast. So it doesn't seem to me practical to use it in construction, unless in some areas, where there are no rains at all, but this is utopia. You probably heard about perma-zyme, which is used for soil stabilization and in road construction. Some people use it for making bricks and blocks. It makes them waterproof and according to some reports even bulletproof. Regardless the price of this product, what do you think about all this? How safe is this technology from the ecologic point of view? Are those houses healthy for people living in them? Is it going to work if poured into forms like concrete without compacting it? A: (Kelly) I have heard about similar products over the years, and have often wondered how well they would work for stabilizing earthen buildings, but have never experimented with anything. The perma-zyme that you reference does appear to be quite safe to use, according to their website: http://www.globalzyme.com/perma-zyme.htm. They say you can even store drinking water in ponds that are waterproofed with it.You might give it a try. Forming and Pouring  Q: Who can supply poured earth? A: Since poured earth is a "next door neighbor" to concrete, local suppliers can provide the product which can then be pumped using traditional concrete pump trucks. Q: I am very interested in the concept of natural building and especially in poured earth. Do you have a list of builders in the area of New England that have experience in this technique? (I live in CT) A: If you have a project and a competent general contractor interested in building poured earth homes in you area, I could consult on your project and it would provide on the job training for your contractor. A primary thing is to have available professional concrete forming sub-contractors that do architectural grade concrete walls and like the idea of doing and providing poured earth services. Q: Please advise on the sort of concrete pump that has been used to construct poured earth.  Any tips on mechanizing the process? A: Any concrete pump works, small to large scale. This is a highly mechanized process. Try to work with a local concrete redi-mix plant and pump people so you do not have to purchase equipment.
 Cost of Poured Earth Q: Do Poured Earth walls cost the same as wood frame? A: Generally, poured earth walls increase the overall cost of construction by only 10% - 20%. However, it is important to keep in mind that frame walls have very low mass and, therefore, little ability to store heat or cooling. On the other hand, when you incorporate poured earth walls into your building project, you are also "purchasing" a large part of your heating and cooling system; one that will never break down, require maintenance, nor need to be replaced! Q: Why does Poured Earth cost more initially? A: Today, poured earth has been used in smaller projects like unique custom homes. Economy can only be achieved by building 20-50 homes at a time. Costs will then decrease by 10-20%.  Q: What about financing a Poured Earth home?  A: No problem. Poured earth in common terms is simply a "moderate strength concrete." Mortgage brokers and banks (as well as code officials) understand this terminology. It is important, however, to have your home certified by a structural engineer. Q: What does it cost to certify a material? A: The cost is generally about $1000-$2000. Testing must be done to determine shrinkage and compressive strength in order to make sure that the mix has very little, to no, shrinkage and has a compressive strength of 800-1200 psi. Accelerated weather testing is possible at an additional cost. Allow 2-3 months for testing. Miscellaneous Q: Is poured earth a patented or proprietary product?  A: No...the more that earth is used as a building product the better it will be for our environment! It is the goal of LSSA to make poured earth available to all who want to use it. However, it is important to do it right so as not to compromise your project. The best thing, presently, is to hire LSSA to develop the poured earth mix and to help coordinate the mixing, delivery and placing by local trades in your area. We also work on site to assure quality control for the forming and placement of the thermal break and the pouring of the walls. All of this takes place in a "training format" so that the material can be used again in your local area with little or no back up from us. Q: What type of maintenance is necessary? A: The answer is little to no maintenance as poured earth walls have a high resistance to the deteriorating effects of water and sun. So, enjoy some extra leisure time! Q: How do I hang pictures and cabinets on a poured earth wall? A: Pre-drill the wall and then use a concrete type screw which leaves a small, patchable hole. However, the color and texture variation usually visually masks any holes so little to no repair work is required. Q: Building a small dam (2' high X 40'long) in remote and difficult to reach location.1. Home method of testing local soil (ranges from sand to marsh muck) to determine which is best to use?
 2. Any binder material (straw/grass/wood/fiber-glass) recommended?
 3. Ideas on how to best work a small, wet area?
 EX: Block water flow / dig out muck / pour soil cement for base / build up from that? (not sure if soil cement will set in wet ground).
 A (Kelly): I would recommend that you consider using earthbags for this project. I once built a very effective dam about 6' high and 20' across using bags filled with the local soil (composition not important). It was about a yard wide at the bottom and then tapered up to about 1.5' at the top. Looking from above, it had a curved shape, with the convex side of the curve facing the water. It had strands of barbed wire running between the courses, and then was covered with 6 mil plastic sheeting to waterproof it...then lined with dry-stacked stones to protect the plastic.  C: Thanks - am using roofing tin backed by T-poles and earth for most of the dam (60' run measured today). Connections at the sand rock and dirt end is the major problem. I think some form of soil cement may be tie-end solution. Will let you know how it works out and send details. Need a good Roman engineer to let me know how they did it 2000 years ago! Q: I am an architectural 3D rendering designer and have a project which depicts a poured earth wall which has 5 layers of color. I am looking for a good hi-res photo which I can use as a reference. Do you have anything available that you could send me? A: Here is one: http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/ 
 GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS What is
                 Earth Energy? The sun has always provided 
                 heat for the earth. Its energy
                 warms the earth directly, but 
                 also indirectly. Its heat evaporates
                 water from the lakes and streams, 
                 which eventually falls back to
                 earth and filters into the ground.
                 A few metres of surface soil
                 insulate the earth and ground
                 water below. The warm earth
                 and ground water below the
                 surface provide a free,
                 renewable source of energy
                 for as long as the sun continues
                 to shine. The earth under an
                 average suburban residential
                 lot can easily provide enough
                 free energy to heat and cool the
                 home built on it. The free energy has only to
                 be moved from the ground
                 into your home. This is done
                 by drawing ground water
                 directly from a well and using
                 a heat pump to extract heat
                 from it. As well, a circuit of
                 underground piping called a
                 loop can be buried in the soil
                 outside the home through
                 which fluid - water or antifreeze -
                 is pumped. The fluid, called the
                 heat transfer fluid, absorbs the
                 heat in the ground water or soil
                 and transfers it to the heat pump.
                 The heat absorbed by the fluid
                 from the solar-heated ground is
                 extracted from it by the heat
                 pump, and the now-chilled fluid
                 is circulated through a heat
                 exchanger over and over again to
                 extract more heat from the earth. If your home is located near
                 a suitable pond or lake, you can
                 use an Earth Energy System (EES)
                 to draw on this excellent source
                 of free energy.Burying a loop in the ground
                 around your home is like
                 owning your own oil well, but
                 instead of pumping oil from an
                 underground pool and burning
                 it to create heat (and greenhouse
                 gases), you tap into clean energy
                 that will be there for as long as
                 there is a sun.
 A well-designed ground loop
                 will not hurt the earth or plants
                 growing above it. There is no
                 visible part to show that it is
                 buried in your yard. If your
                 system uses ground water, it has
                 no effect on the water other
                 than changing its temperature
                 by a few degrees. Finally, a welldesigned
                 ground water system
                 will not waste the water, but put
                 it back into the ground by meansof a return well.
 How Earth Energy Systems Work The heat energy taken from the
                 ground by your EES is considered
                 low-grade heat. In other words, it
                 is not warm enough to heat
                 your home without being
                 concentrated or upgraded
                 somehow. However, there is
                 plenty of it - the average
                 temperature of the ground just
                 a few metres below the surface
                 is similar to (or even higher than)
                 the average annual outdoor air
                 temperature. For example, in
                 Toronto, the average annual air temperature is about 8.9C, but
                 the average ground temperature
                 is 10.1C. It is important to note
                 that this ground temperature is
                 10.1C on the hottest day of
                 summer as well as on the coldest
                 day of winter. That is why some
                 of the first humans lived in caves
                 - the caves would protect them
                 from the temperature extremes
                 of winter and summer. That is
                 also why an EES works so
                 efficiently - it uses a constant,
                 relatively warm source (ground or
                 water) from which to draw energy. Basic Components of an EES The figure on page 1 illustrates
                 a typical EES. It is made up
                 of three main parts: a loop, the
                 heat pump and the distribution
                 system. The following section
                 describes some of the various
                 loop designs, heat pumps and
                 distribution systems commonly
                 used in a Canadian EES.  The loop is built from plastic
                 pipe which is buried in the
                 ground outside your home
                 either in a horizontal trench
                 (horizontal loop) or through holes
                 drilled in the earth (vertical loop).
                 The loop may also be laid on the
                 bottom of a nearby lake or pond
                 (lake loop or pond loop). Your EES
                 circulates liquid (the heat transfer
                 fluid) through the loop and to
                 the heat pump located inside the
                 home. The heat pump chills the
                 liquid and distributes the heat
                 collected from it throughout
                 the home. The chilled liquid is
                 pumped back into the loop and,
                 because it is colder than the
                 ground, is able to draw more
                 heat from the surrounding soil.
                 These loops are often referred
                 to collectively as a closed loop,
                 as the same liquid circulates
                 through the closed system over
                 and over again. Another way is to pump ground
                 water or well water directly
                 through the heat pump. An EES
                 that uses ground water is often
                 referred to as an open-loop system.
                 The heat pump cools the well
                 water, which is usually returned
                 to the ground in a return well. To
                 run an open-loop EES, you need
                 two reliable wells with water that
                 contains few dissolved minerals
                 that can cause scale build-up or
                 rust over the long term, as it is
                 pumped through the heat pump's
                 heat exchanger.
                 In both cases, a pump circulates
                 liquid through the loop and the
                 heat pump. The heat pump chills
                 (or collects the heat stored in) the
                 liquid when it is being used as a
                 source of heat, and circulates it
                 back through the loop to pick up
                 more heat. A system for a large
                 home will require a larger heat
                 pump and ground loop, with a
                 circulation pump to match. After the EES has taken the heat
                 energy from the ground loop and
                 upgraded it to a temperature
                 usable in your home, it delivers
                 the heat evenly to all parts of the
                 building through a distribution
                 system. It can use either air or
                 water to move the heat from the
                 heat pump into the home. Forced
                 air is the most common distribution
                 system in most parts of
                 Canada, although a hot-water or
                 hydronic system can also be used. Forced-Air Systems A heat pump in a forced-air EES
                 uses a heat exchanger to take the
                 heat energy from the refrigerant
                 to heat the air that is blown over
                 it. The air is directed through
                 ducts to the different rooms in
                 the home, as with any forced-air
                 fossil fuel or electric furnace. The
                 advantages of a forced-air EES are
                 as follows: - it can distribute fresh, outside
                 air throughout the home;- it can air-condition the home
                 (by taking the heat from the air
                 in your home and transferring
                 it to the ground loop) as well as
                 heat it; and
 - it can filter the air in your
                 home as it circulates through
                 the system.
 An EES is designed to raise the heat of the air flowing through
                 the heat pump by between 10
                 and 15C; fossil fuel or electric
                 furnaces are designed to raise it
                 by 20 to 30C. That difference
                 means an EES must move more
                 air through the home to
                 distribute the same amount of
                 heat as a conventional furnace.
                 So to design an efficient, quiet
                 forced-air EES, the contractor
                 designing the ductwork must
                 take into account the larger
                 amount of air to be moved.
                 The ductwork should also have
                 acoustic insulation installed inside
                 the plenum and the first few
                 metres of duct, as well as a flexible
                 connection between the heat
                 pump and the main duct
                 to ensure quiet operation. Hydronic (Hot-Water) Heating Systems As we said earlier, a heat pump
                 can heat either air or water. The
                 latter type distributes the heat by
                 means of a hydronic (or hot-water)
                 heating system. If you choose it
                 for your home, keep in mind
                 that currently available heat
                 pumps can heat water to no
                 more than about 50C. This limits your choices for
                 equipment to distribute the
                 heat to your home. Hot-water
                 baseboard radiators are designed
                 to operate with water heated to
                 at least 65 to 70C; they are less
                 effective when the water is not
                 as warm. As a result, you will
                 need larger radiators - or more
                 of them - to distribute the
                 same amount of heat. Or you
                 can reduce the heat loss from
                 your home by installing more
                 insulation, so you need less heat. You can also install radiant floor,
                 or in-floor, heating systems. These
                 are becoming more common
                 because they can increase
                 comfort and improve system
                 efficiency. Again, you must make
                 sure that your radiant floor heating
                 system is designed to operate
                 within the temperature
                 capabilities of your EES. The temperature difference
                 between the ground loop and
                 the hot water distribution system
                 depends on the efficiency of the
                 EES; the greater the difference,
                 the less efficient the system.
                 Typically, an EES will extract
                 heat from the earth at about 0C. If a radiant floor heating
                 system requires a temperature
                 of 50C to heat your home, the
                 heat pump will produce about
                 2.5 units of heat for every unit
                 of electricity used to operate
                 the system. If the system can be
                 designed to operate with water
                 at 40C, it will produce 3.1
                 units of heat for every unit of
                 electricity used to operate it. In
                 other words, it will be about 25
                 percent more efficient. Think about it this way - if
                 you have hot spring water tos
                 heat your home, you do not 
                 need a heat pump. The hot spring
                 is a totally free, 100 percentefficient
                 source of energy. But
                 if the temperature of the water from the well needs to be raised
                 5C to be high enough to heat
                 your home, you need some additional energy. If it has to be
                 raised 20C, you need even more
                 energy. The greater the
                 temperature difference, the
                 greater the additional
                 energy need. If you are thinking of installing
                 a radiant floor heating system in
                 your home, you should tell the
                 person designing it that you are
                 planning to use an EES. Make
                 sure you take the following
                 factors into account:- placing your floor pipe 20 cm
                 (rather than 30 cm) apart
                 reduces the water temperature
                 required to heat your home
                 by 4 to 5C and increases
                 the efficiency of your EES
                 by about 10 percent;
 - laying your floor heating pipe
                 in concrete or Gypcrete rather
                 than using aluminum reflectiv
                 plates with the pipe reduces the
                 required temperature by 12 to
                 15C, increasing the efficiency
                 of your EES by 25 to 30 percent;
 - suspending pipe in the joist
                 space under a floor means
                 that you will need temperatures
                 higher than what your EES can
                 produce, unless the heat loss in
                 the space is very low;
 - placing insulation under a
                 slab-on-grade floor or under a
                 basement floor reduces heat
                 loss to the ground below; and
 - installing a control system that lowers the water temperature
                 pumped through the floor as
                 the outdoor temperature rises
                 increases the efficiency of the
                 EES. This type of control is
                 commonly called an outdoor
                 reset control.
 Earth EnergySystem Variations
 Overview EESs, by definition, use the earth
                 as their energy source. As noted
                 earlier, there are basically two
                 ways to move energy from the
                 ground and into your home -
                 an open loop or well-water system,
                 or a closed loop. In a closed-loop system, a loop is buried in the earth around the
                 home, or laid in a nearby lake
                 or pond. Virtually all loops built
                 today use high-density polyethylene
                 (HDPE) pipe. This type of pipe
                 was designed to be buried in the
                 ground; it is also used for small
                 natural gas pipelines or water
                 lines. Joints are made by fusing
                 or melting the pipe and fittings
                 together, which makes a nearly
                 leak-proof connection.
                 Mechanical joints are not used
                 in the ground. A loop made out of
                 HDPE can last 50 years or more. A mixture of antifreeze and
                 water is circulated continuously
                 through the loop and heat pump,
                 transferring heat from or to the
                 soil respectively, as heating or
                 air conditioning is needed. In a
                 closed-loop system, the fluid never
                 comes in contact with the soil.
                 It is sealed inside the loop and
                 heat pump. In an open-loop system, ground
                 water is drawn up from a well
                 and through the heat pump, then
                 typically pumped back into a
                 return well. New water is always
                 being pumped through the
                 system when it is in operation.
                 It is called an open-loop system
                 because the ground water is open
                 to the environment. Closed Loops Closed loops can have many
                 configurations. There are three
                 basic types: vertical, horizontal
                 and lake (or pond). The loop type
                 and configuration most suitable
                 for your home depend on the
                 size of your property, your future
                 plans for it, its soil, and even
                 your contractor's excavation
                 equipment. Most often, the loop
                 configuration is selected on the
                 basis of cost. If the loop is
                 designed and installed properly,
                 by taking into account the
                 heating and cooling requirements
                 of the home, one type of loop will
                 operate with the same efficiency
                 as another, and provide years of
                 free, renewable energy. Canadian Standards Association 
                 International (CSA) and the
                 industry have developed
                 standards for EES installation.
                 In addition, most heat pump
                 manufacturers have developed
                 guidelines or proprietary software
                 for their products to ensure that
                 EESs using them are designed
                 and installed correctly. Most
                 provide training for contractors
                 that install their equipment as
                 well as technical support for
                 their dealers. As a homeowner
                 considering the installation of
                 an EES, ask your contractor for
                 proof of training, experience
                 and competence of its staff in
                 loop design and installation. Horizontal Loops As the name implies, these loops
                 are buried horizontally, usually
                 at a depth of about 2 to 2.5 m,
                 although it can vary from 1.5 to
                 3 m or more. Usually trenches are
                 excavated with a backhoe; a chain
                 trencher can be used in some soil
                 types. Fill can sometimes be used
                 to cover a loop in a low-lying area
                 of the property. The trench can
                 be from 1 to 3 m wide. Four or
                 even six pipes can be laid at the
                 bottom of a wide trench, while
                 some loop designs allow two
                 layers of pipe to be stacked in
                 a trench at different levels.
                 Loop configurations may
                 even use a "slinky" or coiled
                 configuration that concentrates
                 additional pipe in a trench. Many
                 different configurations have
                 been tested and approved. Make
                 sure you ask your contractor for
                 references. Contractors can often
                 show you photographs of loops
                 they have installed.  The area you need to install a
                 horizontal loop depends on the
                 heating and cooling loads of
                 your home, the depth at which
                 the loop is to be buried, the soil
                 and how much moisture it
                 contains, the climate, the
                 efficiency of the heat pump
                 and the configuration of the
                 loop. The average 150-m2 home
                 needs an area of between 300 and
                 700 m2. Your contractor will use
                 computer software or loop design
                 guidelines provided by the heat
                 pump manufacturer to determine
                 the size and configuration of
                 your earth loop. Vertical Loops Vertical loops are made out of
                 HDPE pipe, which is inserted into
                 holes drilled in the soil. Typically,
                 these boreholes are 15-100 m deep,
                 and 10-12 cm around. Two
                 lengths of pipe are fused into a
                 "U-bend" (two 90° elbows) and
                 inserted into the borehole. The
                 size of pipe used for the loop
                 varies, depending on the cost
                 of drilling and the depth of the
                 borehole; 32 mm pipe is common
                 in some areas, 19 or 25 mm pipe
                 in others. After the pipe has been
                 placed in the borehole, it is filled
                 with clay grout. Some contractors
                 add sand, finely crushed stone or
                 cement to the grout. This is to
                 ensure good contact with the soil
                 and prevent surface water from
                 contaminating the ground water.
                 CSA standards specify that the
                 borehole around the pipe is to be
                 filled by means of a tremie line,
                 or a pipe inserted to the bottom
                 of the borehole and retracted as it
                 is filled with grout. This process is
                 designed to eliminate air pockets
                 around the pipe and ensure good
                 contact with the soil. The main advantage of a vertical
                 loop is that it can be installed in
                 a much smaller area than a
                 horizontal loop. Four boreholes
                 drilled in an area of 9 m2 - which
                 fits easily into an average city
                 backyard - can provide all the
                 renewable energy you need to
                 heat an average 150-m2 home. The cost of installing a vertical
                 loop can vary greatly, with soil
                 conditions the single most
                 important factor. Drilling into
                 granite requires much heavier,
                 more costly equipment, and is
                 much more time-consuming than
                 drilling into soft clay. It is even
                 more time-consuming when the
                 soil contains a mix of materials,
                 such as layers of boulders, gravel
                 and sand. The installation of a
                 vertical loop in this type of soil
                 is three to four times more costly
                 than that of a horizontal one. In
                 areas like southern Manitoba
                 and Saskatchewan, however,
                 where glacial Lake Agassiz has
                 left 15-50 m of soft clay deposits,
                 a vertical loop can be installed for
                 about the same cost as a
                 horizontal one. The depth of borehole needed
                 for a vertical loop depends on
                 the same factors that determine
                 the land area required for a
                 horizontal one. The land area
                 needed for the vertical loop,
                 however, depends on the depth
                 to which the boreholes can be
                 drilled cost-effectively. For
                 example, if an EES requires
                 180 m of borehole in total, and
                 is to be installed where bedrock
                 is found at 20 m, it would usually
                 be cheaper to drill nine boreholes
                 to a depth of 20 m than three
                 to a depth of 60 m. Nine
                 boreholes would require an area
                 of about 150 m2, and three, an
                 area of about 60 m2. Lake or Pond Loops These types of loops can be
                 installed very cost-effectively
                 for a home located near a lake
                 or pond. Many homes in northern Ontario, for example,
                 are within metres of a lake that
                 soaks up the sun's energy all
                 summer. The water temperature at
                 the bottom of an ice-covered lake
                 is about 4 to 5C even during the
                 coldest blizzard. And in the
                 summer, the lake water can easily
                 absorb the heat you are trying to
                 expel to cool your home. All you
                 need is a year-round minimum
                 depth of 2-2.5 m of water in
                 which the loop can be protected
                 from wave action and ice pile-ups. Unless you own the lake,
                 however, you need permission
                 from the provincial government,
                 and in some cases from the
                 Government of Canada, to
                 install a lake loop. Some jurisdictions
                 do not allow them.
                 Destruction of fish spawning
                 grounds, shoreline erosion,
                 obstruction of traffic on navigable waters and potential damage to
                 the environment concern several
                 government departments. In
                 some jurisdictions, enough lake
                 loops have been installed that
                 permission is simply a matter
                 of filling out forms. Some EES
                 contractors who specialize in
                 lake loop installation handle all
                 the permission paperwork for
                 their clients. In the Prairies, farm ponds are
                 often excavated to provide water
                 for irrigation or livestock. A 750-
                 1000-m2 pond with a constant
                 depth of 2.5 m can do double
                 duty as a clean source of energy.
                 The oceans can also supply vast
                 amounts of energy, but care must
                 be taken to protect an ocean loop
                 from tide and wave damage.
                 Many homes on the West Coast
                 already benefit from free,
                 renewable ocean energy. Open Loops Open loops, or ground water EESs,
                 take heat from well water that
                 is pumped directly through the
                 heat exchanger in a heat pump.
                 The required flow of well water
                 is determined by the capacity
                 of your heat pump. In the coldest
                 part of the winter, heating a
                 typical 150-m2 new home takes
                 20 000-30 000 L of water per
                 day, or a flow rate of 0.4-0.5 L
                 per second (a typical backyard
                 pool contains about 60 000-70 000 L). A larger home will
                 need proportionally more water.
                 You need a reliable well to supply
                 this volume of water. Typically,
                 you will also need a second or
                 return well to dispose of the water
                 by pumping it back into the
                 ground. Most provinces regulate
                 the use of wells, and can advise
                 you on the use of well water for
                 EES applications. For example,
                 you must take care to avoid
                 affecting your neighbors' wells
                 when pumping continuously.
                 Regulations on the use of well
                 water as a heat source for an
                 EES vary with each province.
                 You should contact the
                 department with jurisdiction
                 over ground water resources for
                 the regulations in your province.
 To ensure that the well is capable
                 of supplying the water on a
                 sustainable basis, and that the
                 return well has the capacity to
                 accept the water after it has
                 circulated through the heat pump,
                 you need to carry out a pump test
                 on your wells. In some locations,
                 the capacity of the aquifer is well
                 known, and you can find out the
                 capacity of your new well within
                 a few hours. In other areas, it will
                 be necessary to perform a test by
                 measuring the drop in water
                 levels at specified intervals while
                 the well is pumped at a known
                 rate for as long as 24 hours.  As well water circulates through
                 the heat pump, corrosive water can
                 damage the heat exchanger over time; additionally, water with a
                 high mineral content can cause
                 scale buildup. Most manufacturers
                 can supply heat pumps made out
                 of resistant materials like cupronickel
                 or stainless steel that are
                 more suitable for use in open-loop
                 systems. Manufacturers will
                 specify the quality of water that
                 is acceptable for their equipment.
                 Again, you may need to have
                 your water tested to ensure it
                 falls within the guidelines. The
                 department that regulates the
                 water resources in your province
                 may be able to advise you on
                 where the water can be tested. Mechanical equipment lasts
                 longer if it does not have to start
                 and stop repeatedly. Well pumps
                 are no exception. The contractor
                 installing the well pump and
                 pressure system must be told that
                 it will be used to supply water for
                 an EES. For efficient operation,
                 the pump design and horsepower
                 must be chosen to supply the
                 correct amount of water. Bigger
                 is not better. The water requirements
                 for the system, the height
                 the water is lifted from the well
                 and the piping from the well to
                 the house and to the return well
                 must be taken into account. To
                 prevent the well pump from
                 short-cycling, you may need
                 to install a larger pressure tank.
                 These details can affect the
                 overall efficiency of your EES
                 by as much as 25-30 percent. The temperature of ground water
                 is very constant, ranging between
                 5 and 12C across Canada. The
                 temperature of the fluid pumped
                 through a closed loop used in a
                 home normally drops to slightly
                 below freezing during the winter.
                 When well water is used as the
                 energy source during the winter,
                 the heat pump produces more
                 heat and will be more efficient.
                 However, since the water must
                 actually be lifted from the ground,
                 sometimes as much as 15-30 m,
                 you will need a more powerful
                 pump than the one required for
                 a closed-loop system. In addition,
                 the same pump often supplies
                 water for both the heat pump
                 and general household use. The
                 cost of operating the larger well
                 pump often offsets the efficiency
                 of running the EES with well water. Ask EES contractors in your
                 area about their experience with
                 open-loop systems when deciding
                 on the best option for your home. Benefits of Earth Energy Systems Good for the Environment More than two thirds of the
                 energy delivered to your home by
                 an EES is renewable solar energy
                 stored in the ground. This is great
                 for your wallet because it is free
                 energy. It is also good for the
                 environment because there are
                 virtually no toxic emissions. Each
                 kilowatt (kW) of electricity used
                 to operate an EES draws more
                 than 3 kW of free, renewable
                 energy from the ground. A large part of the cost of
                 energy supplied to your home
                 is the expense of getting it there.
                 Electric transmission lines, gas
                 lines and oil pipelines are costly
                 to build and require extensive
                 rights-of-way. Oil is shipped in
                 tankers halfway around the
                 world so you can heat your
                 home. Trucks delivering fuel
                 to your home need fuel and
                 maintenance. Shipping energy
                 to your home entails real costs.
                 They include not only direct
                 expenses, like building pipelines
                 and maintaining transmission
                 lines, but also indirect costs,
                 like dealing with emergencies.
                 The infrastructure needed to
                 transport energy is large and
                 expensive - for you and the
                 environment. With an EES, most
                 of the energy you need is moved
                 less than a few hundred metres
                 into your home. The cost of
                 transporting earth energy
                 into your home is the cost
                 of running a circulating pump.
                 When a conventional airconditioning
                 system is installed in
                 a home, refrigerant lines run from
                 the outdoor condensing unit to
                 the coil in the furnace. EESs, on
                 the other hand, are assembled
                 and tested under controlled
                 conditions, so that a refrigerant
                 leak is much less likely. Also,
                 any leak from an EES would
                 be much smaller, as it usually
                 contains just one half the
                 refrigerant charge of a conventional
                 air-conditioning unit. And now,
                 the first units using non-CFC
                 refrigerants are being produced,                 reducing potential damage to
                 the atmosphere even more. Year-Round Comfort People living in homes with
                 an EES often say, "This home
                 is the most comfortable we've
                 ever lived in." There are several
                 reasons for this. The air
                 temperature produced by an
                 EES is typically about 35C.
                 The air produced by a fossil fuel
                 furnace or electric furnace is
                 often heated to 50-60C - much
                 warmer than room temperature.
                 This can create hot spots in a
                 room. Moving around the room,
                 you can often feel temperature
                 differences of 3-4C. You may have lived in a home
                 where you were often about to
                 adjust the thermostat just before
                 the furnace came on, and a few
                 minutes later had to take off your
                 sweater. This is caused by
                 oversizing the conventional heating
                 system. Even on the coldest day,
                 an oversized furnace may only run
                 for 15 minutes an hour, because it
                 can produce all the heat you need by running only 25 percent of the
                 time. The thermostat is satisfied
                 quickly when the furnace is on,
                 and may even overshoot the
                 desired temperature by a degree
                 or two, and then the temperature
                 drops several degrees before
                 coming on again. This happens
                 because the cost of installing a
                 larger furnace is almost
                 insignificant, so the "bigger is
                 better" attitude often prevails. If
                 the heat loss of a home is reduced
                 (by upgrading the insulation or
                 windows), the overheating
                 problem is made worse. The cost of installing a larger EES,
                 however, makes it prohibitive to
                 oversize a system. As a result, it
                 runs almost continuously,
                 maintaining very even
                 temperatures throughout
                 the home. Several manufacturers
                 build two-speed units with
                 multi-speed fans. These match
                 the heating and cooling loads
                 of your home virtually year
                 round. In spring and fall, when
                 you do not need the full capacity
                 of the system, the compressor
                 and fan will operate at low
                 speed, providing only as much
                 heating and air conditioning as
                 you need. As the days get colder
                 in winter, or during very hot
                 summer days, the system will
                 operate at high speed. Most EESs are installed with
                 thermostats that switch from
                 heating to air conditioning
                 automatically. You will find
                 that, on days in the spring
                 and fall when you need heat
                 in the morning and cooling
                 in the afternoon, you are
                 more comfortable. Operating Cost As noted earlier, more than two
                 thirds of the energy supplied by
                 an EES is renewable energy taken
                 from the ground. The other third
                 comes from the electricity used
                 to power the system. You only
                 pay for the electricity you use
                 to operate your system. The
                 other two thirds is free. How does the cost of heating
                 your home with an EES compare
                 to the cost of heating it with
                 other fuel options? That depends
                 on the cost of the fuel and on
                 how efficiently your furnace uses
                 it. As a fossil fuel furnace sends
                 the products of combustion (CO,
                 CO2, SO2, NOx, etc.) up the
                 chimney, some heat leaves the
                 house as well. Older furnaces
                 with pilot lights burn some gas
                 continuously, even when your
                 home does not need heating.
                 If you are using an old gas or
                 oil furnace, you can be venting
                 as much as 35 to 40 percent of
                 the fuel you have purchased up
                 the chimney. If the furnace is
                 greatly oversized, it may waste
                 even more energy, because by
                 the time it reaches operating
                 efficiency, it has already satisfied
                 the thermostat and shuts off. Electric furnaces and electric
                 baseboard heaters do not require
                 a chimney. All the energy they
                 generate stays in your home -
                 even if the electric motor
                 distributing air through your
                 home is not very efficient. An
                 electric furnace or baseboard
                 system can therefore be
                 considered 100-percent efficient. An EES does not create any
                 combustion products. As with the electric furnace, all the electric
                 energy used to run the compressor,
                 the pump and the fan stays in
                 the house. But since the system
                 also draws additional free energy
                 from the ground, it can actually
                 produce more energy than you
                 put into it. Because of this, an EES
                 can be considered to operate at
                 more than 100 percent efficiency. DOWNLOAD THE FULL PDF HERE Residential Earth Energy SystemsResources Canada
 Image sources: http://ingellrefrigeration.liveonatt.com/;  http://www.greeninmedusa.com/; http://www.canadiangeothermal.com/; http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ 
 Watch Video: Geothermal Heating & Cooling 
 These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on   to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these   articles.For Educational purposes only.
 This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
 For more great articles go to http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/infoE.php#article |  |  |  
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                      Cedar-The Bread Tree As early as the 16th century, a cedar grove, a desyatina in size, grew in the lands of the Tolgsky monastery near Yaroslavl. Around fifty of the trees which grew there are still alive and bear nuts today, despite the fact that they are more than 400 years old. At present, cedar forests in Europe cover an aggregate area of several thousand hectares.  There are many reasons to love and look after cedars. A cedar forest has a special microclimate, which ensures that it is always rich in berries, mushrooms, useful herbs and wildlife. Cedar nuts are a wonderful natural product. They contain a lot of fat, proteins, carbohydrates, micro elements and vitamins. They can also be used to make cedar oil, which could compete with olive oil.  The people of Siberia praise the cedar as the bread tree. They look after cedar forests near their settlements and turn them into forest orchards. They say that in ancient times, a desyatina of cedar forest was equal in value to a cow.  The large-scale industrial use of the taiga, which began this century, was an extremely unfortunate development for the cedar. This is, primarily, because the cedar is extremely good for logging. Cedar trunks produce a large volume of timber and are easy to process. Nothing comes close to them in the taiga. Some cedars can produce up to ten cubic meters of timber. And no ordinary timber at that! It's soft, pleasantly colored, easy to work and convenient for any purpose. You can make anything out of a cedar trunk: a house frame, a door and doorframe, furniture or house wares. You can put any clothes in a cedar chest or wardrobe without worry. Moths won't get to them because the aromatic, tarry smell will repel them. Cedar planks are the most sought-after raw material for pencil factories. Cedar wood has excellent resonance qualities and is used to make grand pianos, harps and guitars.  They say that during the last century Siberian merchants were offered what appeared to be a very profitable deal by Germans for the supply of Cedar Nut Oil. The only stipulation was that it was packaged into cedar barrels. It turned out that there was a catch. The Cedar Nut Oil containers were sold on to a musical instrument manufactory and the foreign traders made twice as much for them as they paid for the Cedar Nut Oil.  In addition, good cedars grow along rivers, which makes them very easy to log. You cut down a tree and send it downstream - it will get to the destination by itself. Needless to say, this didn't end well for the cedar, the rivers, or the birds and animals it protected.  Foresters have long since understood that you cannot treat cedar forests with the loggers' usual attitude. The earth and everything it produces is important in a cedar forest. The overall products of a living cedar forest are far more valuable that its wonderful and extremely valuable wood, produced by cutting down the whole forest. IMPORTANT: Experts believe that allowing Cedar nut oil to come into contact with metal is not recommended (therefore it should not be stored or consumed using metallic objects). The Ekaterinburg Journeyman Foundation, a producer of cedar products, explains this as follows: "Contact between the oil and metal initiates the transformation of unsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones, which significantly reduces the oil's antioxidational properties. The natural information is also neutralized."  OIL ADMINISTRATION: There are many options for administering the oil when treating various diseases. The most effective and common method of consuming Cedar oil for preventive purposes is 1 tea spoon 30-60 minutes before a meal 2-3 times a day for 40-60 days. Consume very slowly, as if diluting the oil with saliva.  Cedar oil has been used for treatment purposes at: -The Siberian State Medical University -The Tomsk Scientific Research Institute of Balneology and Physiotherapy -The Central Scientific Research Laboratory -The TSC RAMS Scientific Research Oncology Institute -The Rehabilitation Center for those affected by the Chernobyl disaster  Treatment involving cedar oil was administered to people suffering from gastritis, erosive and ulcer diseases of the stomach and duodenum, people who were operated on as a result of stomach cancer, people suffering from astenization, psychosis, and increased excitability of the sympathetic nervous system (increased fatigue, inability to work or sleep, common nervous breakdowns, and regular headaches).  Treatment was effective in all cases to varying degrees.  R. Bobrov, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences 
 Did you know? HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT CEDAR
 Needles were used as a remedy many thousand years BC. Sumerian clay tablets, found during archaeological excavations of the ancient kingdom of Sumer, confirm that needle extracts and decoctions were used in compresses and stupes as early as 5,000 BC.  In ancient Babylon, aromatic oils were added to construction materials used to build temples. The well-known antimicrobial properties of cedar oil ensured that temples were disinfected http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/Used by permission
 Copyright CedarInfo.info
 
                        
                            
 
                              FOOTNOTES Cedar Nut Oil - widely known as Pine Nut Oil in North America.  
 
 
                        
                          Linguini with Pesto Sauce Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutesCook Time: 15 minutes
 Ingredients:
 4 ounces (120 gr) small basil leaves
 1 garlic clove, chopped
 1 ounce (30 gr) pine nuts
 1/4 cup (60 cc) extra-virgin olive oil from Liguria
 2 Tablespoons parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
 Salt
 1 pound (450 gr) small tender green beans
 1 pound (450 gr) new potatoes, peeled and cut into large dices
 1 pound (450 gr) linguine pasta
 4 ounces (115 gr) parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated for topping
 Preparation:
 Wash basil leaves and dry them with a towel. If the basil leaves are large, remove the center stems with a sharp knife. Place the garlic, basil, pine nuts, and one third of the extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender. Run the blade, and stop occasionally to push the paste down. Add some more extra-virgin olive oil. Process the pesto until it is reduced to a fine paste and all the oil has been added. Stir in the grated parmigiano cheese (see note below for make-ahead instructions) and salt.
 Transfer to a nonmetallic bowl or jar. Cover with a drizzle of olive oil and reserve.  In a stockpot, boil the beans and potatoes in salted water, until tender. Remove the vegetables from the pot; and in the same water, cook the linguini pasta, following manufacturer's instructions, testing for readiness from time to time.  Just before the pasta is al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked) return the vegetables to the pot, and finish cooking. Drain the pasta and vegetables, transfer to a bowl, top with the pesto sauce and the grated parmigiano cheese. Toss, and serve immediately.  Notes: If you want to store pesto for a longer time, do not add the cheese; it will ferment and become rancid in a short time, dramatically changing the flavor of the pesto.  Store the pesto in a glass jar tightly sealed. Make sure the sauce is fully covered with olive oil to prevent darkening of the pesto. Use only nonmetallic containers and tools. Store the jar in the refrigerator for several weeks. Stir freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and salt into the sauce just before serving. Pesto can be used in many preparations, including lasagne, soups, and gnocchi.  Yield: 4 servings  Recipe Source: The Timeless Art of Italian Cuisine by Anna Maria Volpi (Publisher Palatino, Inc) 
 Watermelon, arugula, and pine nut salad                             Ingredients:
 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or to taste
 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil3 cups cubed (1/2 to 3/4 inch) seeded watermelon, drained (from a 2 1/2-lb piece, rind discarded)
 6 cups baby arugula (6 oz)
 1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz)
 1/3 cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata (1 1/2 oz)
 Coarsely ground black pepper to tasteFleur de sel to taste (optional)
 Preparation:
 Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.  Add watermelon, arugula, and pine nuts and toss to coat, then sprinkle with cheese, pepper, and fleur de sel (if using). 
 
                        For Educational purposes onlyThis information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
 This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
 These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on   to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these   articles.
 For more great articles go to http://www.cedarinfo.info/ |  |  |  
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                The Strength of Siberian Health: Winter Holiday Gift Sets!  20% off! 
                  
                    Parents, aunts, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, husband, wife and friends, all the people who play an important part in your life need to know how much you appreciate them.  Make this Holiday Season a memorable one with one of our exclusive holiday gift sets which brings the strength of Siberian health to your family and friends.  Ringing Cedars of Russia Company is offering a fatastic selection of Siberian Cedar products with a discount of up to 20%! Please don't be late! Holiday Gift Set #1 -  20% off! 
                    
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                        Holiday Gift Set #1 - Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, Siberian Cedar Pendant, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Wood 25ml, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Needle 25ml, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Cone 25ml. Please go to our store for more information. The oil from cedar nuts is being extracted for a long time in the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Our ancestors ate cedar nut oil and used it for medical purposes since the ancient times. In XIX century cedar nut oil could be bought on any Siberian market. It has been home-made with the use of only the simplest machinery. It has a soft taste, gold-and-amber color, and a wonderful smell of nuts. In old Russian folk medicine consider that Siberian cedar nut oil eliminates a chronic weakness syndrome, increases overall strength of an organism, physical and brain activities. Siberian cedar nut oil taken regularly improves immune system. Any vegetative oil can be substituted by Siberian cedar nut oil, but nothing can fully substitute cedar nut oil. It can also be used as a facial night cream for returning a natural beauty of the skin. Click here to go to our online store For more great articles go here |  
 Holiday Gift Set #2 -  20% off! 
                  
                    
                      | 
                          
                        Holiday Gift Set #2 - 3 bottles of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, Siberian Cedar Pendant, Package of Siberian Cedar Spoons. Please go to our store for more information. The oil from cedar nuts is being extracted for a long time in the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Our ancestors ate cedar nut oil and used it for medical purposes since the ancient times. In XIX century cedar nut oil could be bought on any Siberian market. It has been home-made with the use of only the simplest machinery. It has a soft taste, gold-and-amber color, and a wonderful smell of nuts. In old Russian folk medicine consider that Siberian cedar nut oil eliminates a chronic weakness syndrome, increases overall strength of an organism, physical and brain activities. Siberian cedar nut oil taken regularly improves immune system. Any vegetative oil can be substituted by Siberian cedar nut oil, but nothing can fully substitute cedar nut oil. It can also be used as a facial night cream for returning a natural beauty of the skin. Click here to go to our online store For more great articles go here |  
 Holiday Gift Set #3 -  20% off! 
                  
                    
                      | 
                          
                        Holiday Gift Set #1 - Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, Siberian Cedar Pendant, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Wood 50ml, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Needle 50ml, Essential Oil of Siberian Cedar Cone 50ml, Siberian Cedar Resin Chewing Gum, Siberian Cedar Larch Chewing Gum. Please go to our store for more information. The oil from cedar nuts is being extracted for a long time in the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Our ancestors ate cedar nut oil and used it for medical purposes since the ancient times. In XIX century cedar nut oil could be bought on any Siberian market. It has been home-made with the use of only the simplest machinery. It has a soft taste, gold-and-amber color, and a wonderful smell of nuts. In old Russian folk medicine consider that Siberian cedar nut oil eliminates a chronic weakness syndrome, increases overall strength of an organism, physical and brain activities. Siberian cedar nut oil taken regularly improves immune system. Any vegetative oil can be substituted by Siberian cedar nut oil, but nothing can fully substitute cedar nut oil. It can also be used as a facial night cream for returning a natural beauty of the skin. Click here to go to our online store For more great articles go here |  
 NEW ARRIAVALS: Space of Love Magazine! 
                  
                    
                      | Space of Love Magazine is now available to purchase in USA, Canada, and Europe. SOL magazine is published through the efforts of a few devoted people. As a publication unsupported by commercial interest, we will not offer advertising from corporate-controlled media. Therefore we hope and rely upon your help in promoting SOL Magazine. Word of mouth is our main means of promoting and our readers are our best advertisers. So if you find this Space of Love Magazine insightful, Informative and interesting, please tell a friend. Better still, purchase a copy and give it to a friend or loved one, who just may discover a completely new world - the world of consciously living in their own Space of Love. Click here to go to our online store SUBSCRIPTION WINTER PROMOTION! CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS! |  Space of Love Magazine staff has been blessed! X-mas Elves and Santa himself suggested the most generous X-mas Gifting idea in the Magazine-business yet (Northpole News, Dec.' 08)  Truly the Gift that keeps on Giving! Give yourself or loved-ones the gift of an Annual or Two-Year Magazine subscription to the new magazine which is committed to co-creating and ushering in our new Global Reality: "We now do have the power and guidance from Nature - and research does agree - to bring our Earth back to where each individual, family and creature may eat and live as if in Paradise. Best of all, it all starts now, today - even on your own window-sill, one seed at a time," says Santa. But first: call, e-mail, web-contact us, fast as the wind! Let us do all the work, and you get all the pleasure: 
 CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS! 
 Rodnoe Ecovillage Films 
                  
                    
                      | Two films about Rodnoe Ecovillage in Russia where the residents gave 1 hectare to the writer Vladimir Megre. Films are in DVD format. Recently in Russia there has been an increase in the number of people who, preferring life in nature to the hustle and bustle of the city, have moved to Eco-villages...and are creating Kin's domains. They have given up the use of fertilizers, heavy agricultural machines, and grow all their food themselves. Eco-village Rodnoe has approximately 100 plots of land, each of which measures no less than a hectare. Families organize their plots in their own way, and say that their domain has the personality of its owner. Who are they? People who leave their successful and relatively quiet life in modern cities and go to rural areas to set upon a hectare of land - their Kin's domains? What drive them? Are they happy about the change? How they deal with the land and growing plants? How does one build an adobe house? Watch the Day of all-Earth celebration. You will find the answers to all these and many more questions in these two films about Eco-village Rodnoe. Click here to go to our online store A Trip to the "Rodnoe" Kin's Settlement. We offer for your attention a series of photos from the Kin's Settlement. See the full gallery of the trip. (c) Copyright http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/ Used by Permition |   
 Evanston Health Market  Evanston IL 609 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60201 Tel: 847-733-7582 
 Injoy Now Organics / Herbal Energetics  Northfield NH 32 BAY HILL RD, NORTHFIELD, NH 03276-4617 Tel: 603-286-4696 
 For a full list of our distributors please click here. 
                  
 
                  
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                    |  | BOOK REVIEWS: Dear Vladimir Megre,Recently we have been blessed to have found 6 of your  books.Please send our love to Anastasia...we have lived for 9 years here,on a 2  hectare Small Holding,we have 3 milking cows,free range chickens,and geese.
 OASIS Environmental CentreMuch love Rachel Jackson.
 * * * I am now on Book 7  and see how these puzzle pieces fit with my research and service --------------------------------ROGER GADSDON
 WINNIPEG, CANADA
 * * * Hello, I am just beginning to read  Anastasia, and I'm finding it truly fascinating!  --------------------------------Rebecca Voros
 British Columbia
 Canada
 FEEDBACK ON PRODUCTS: These cedar nuts have the creamiest taste  and texture of any pignolia on the market. They're a dream come true in any  recipe that uses pine nuts. They're simply the BEST ever!  AllanUSA
 * * * I have been using Cedar Nut Oil for 6  months. I also gave away to my loved ones who are suffered MS, Myocard  Enfarctus and old age. They said this is a miracle.   Beril SonmezTurkey
 
 * * * Thank  you so much for the wonderful product.Regards
 shirley  cassin   WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT OUR COMPANY: Would like to become a distributor for  these books and products. I see nothing more important than to circluate  Anastasia's splendid image to all people of the Earth asap. The faster the  image spreads, the faster we will have a splendid paradise to live in!  Tor Fjelldal * * * Hello, I am impressed  with how quick my order got here! Thanks for the prompt delivery.I look forward to  telling all my friends about your companyas well as purchasing more  products in the future from you.
 Thanks, Valorie Vogel |  |  
                    |  |  |  |  
 RingingCedarsofRussia.org is the officialliterary agent of Vladimir Megre.
 
 
 This is the official message to publishers and editors.  Dear Publisher: 
 We are inviting you to participate in the interesting project of publishing the books of the writer Vladimir Nikolaevich Megre.
 
 Vladimir Megre's books embody the human striving for harmony with oneself, the nature that surrounds us, and society. His books have been translated into more than 20 of the world's languages, more than 11 million copies have been printed, the books are international bestsellers.
 
 All Vladimir Megre's works were originally written in Russian.
 
 If you are interested in translating the books into one of the available languages and publishing it in the appropriate country, we are prepared to consider your proposal and give you an answer within a period of three days.
 
 Our requirements:
 
 
                  
                    
                      
                        | 1) | The translator from Russian to the selected language must be highly qualified, with wide experience in prose and poetry styles. |  
                        | 2) | The fundamental meaning of the works or any part of that meaning may not be changed or abbreviated in the translation. |  
                        | 3) | Professional design work. |  
                        | 4) | The presence of a distribution network or a professional business plan. |   Some of the existing translations of the Ringing Cedars book series can be found on the Ringing Cedars Information page
  Sincerely yours, 
 Rights Department
 RingingCedarsofRussia.org
 Official representative of Vladimir Megre
 
 Looking for a Hindi Translator (India). Dear Friends! The company "Ringing Cedars LTD." is searching for a translator from Russian to Hindi for the creation of a Hindi translation of the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" series. The translator must be highly qualified, with wide experience in prose and poetry styles. If you would like to participate in this project please send us your profile to contact@secure.ringingcedarsofrussia.org. If you have contacts of such a translator referals are highly appreciated.  With all Respect,
 Rights Department
 RingingCedarsofRussia.org
 Official representative of Vladimir Megre
 
 Looking for a Translator to Mandarin (China). Dear Friends! The company "Ringing Cedars LTD." is searching for a translator from Russian to Mandarin for the creation of a Chinese translation of the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" series. The translator must be highly qualified, with wide experience in prose and poetry styles. If you would like to participate in this project please send us your profile to contact@secure.ringingcedarsofrussia.org. If you have contacts of such a translator referals are highly appreciated.  With all Respect,
 Rights Department
 RingingCedarsofRussia.org
 Official representative of Vladimir Megre
 
 
              
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                              Message submitted from: Radha Theresa,  Address: 128 Main St, Montville, QLD, 4560, Australia Phone number: 61 7 5478 5889Email: capricorndancer@live.com.au
 Title: Kins Village forming in Australia User classifieds ad:
 A dedicated and soul-connected group is now coming together. Land has called us and we have answered with our intent to conjointly create a Ringing Cedars Village in Australia. If you would like to know more or feel inspired to join us, please visit our 'kins ecovillage' Facebook site http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29741621717 or email Radha or Chris at christocolegmail.com
 
 Shambhala-Shasta SUCCESS!!!The Anastasia Eco-settlement project has found its home in North America on Sacred Motherland!
 
 Many great thanks to all of you who contributed to this success and to many who have supported this dream and vision with your love from near & far.
 Shambhala-Shasta community has taken back 466 acres of prestine motherland.Free and clear. No debt. No Encumbrances. No liens. Free and clear!!!
 To freedom, independance and sovereignty!!! The community will steadily grow out from here as we are bordered on the east and north by national forests.  More to come soon after our visit to our motherland in the next few days. We have several settlers who have begun the intake process and purchased their domains. If you are ready and feel the beat in your heart, come and join!!! http://shambhala-shasta.org/become/ 
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