tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48569902516684284012024-02-18T21:53:36.970-08:00Dancing Deer FarmLinda L. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868426000807302834noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-6507376705564317012012-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:002012-11-13T13:11:02.166-08:00Harvesting the Children of the Oaks<br />
The children of our mighty oaks are everywhere. The are deep under the trees themselves, of course. They crunch sadly under our tires as we drive around the property. And on my daily walk, I must be careful if I hesitate too long under the trees for fear of being bonked on the head by the nuts as they fall!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zrQ6i4Grw8hRp1BY9F3BmQphMPdwZ3Hul8AhACbknDTEC9PCHd7i-qAloS-0tHTzR9sWfAaie09dd4EzO93LhkGbiB_Vx4YVRYHUQMXjyrrAJc4VnkWe0XXKO4JeSY-136ADa2tGiQs/s1600/acorns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zrQ6i4Grw8hRp1BY9F3BmQphMPdwZ3Hul8AhACbknDTEC9PCHd7i-qAloS-0tHTzR9sWfAaie09dd4EzO93LhkGbiB_Vx4YVRYHUQMXjyrrAJc4VnkWe0XXKO4JeSY-136ADa2tGiQs/s200/acorns.jpg" width="200" /></a>Since, for various reasons, I spend a lot of my time thinking about where food comes from and how we can enhance all of what we have, plotting the future of at least some of this bounty is currently much on my mind.<br />
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First it’s important to note that humans aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the oak’s gift of the acorns. At this time of year, our beloved deer apparently stop their dancing long enough to take about 25 percent of their diet from the acorns found on the property in such numbers.<br />
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It isn’t just the deer, either. Birds, ducks, woodpeckers, mice, squirrels and other rodents enrich their diets and prepare for winter munching on the nutritious nuts.<br />
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And acorns <i>are</i> nutritious! All varieties have protein, carbs and fats in abundance and include vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus and niacin.<br />
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Even though so many creatures gain a lot of nutrition from acorns, there’s enough around for humans to have a share, as well. After all, a mature oak can produce up to 1000 pounds of acorns per year. (No wonder I’m getting hit on the head so often on my walks!)<br />
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Unlike many other nuts, acorns have strong tannins that must be removed before humans can enjoy them. This is done with either cold water flushing or boiling. How it is done depends on the amount of tannins -- and resulting bitterness -- in the nuts you’re dealing with. How and why this is done is discussed in <a href="http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm">some detail here</a>.<br />
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Ironically, one of the uses for the brown water left after the boiling method is to use it as a traditional remedy in the relief of poison oak blisters. Since poison oak often grows near or in the shade of oak trees, having this natural remedy so close at hand seems like another one of nature’s signs that she’s looking out for us!<br />
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For more information on acorns and how and why to eat them, you can find recipes <a href="http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/12/recipes-for-the-mighty-acorn-a-forager-experiments/67228/">here</a> and <a href="http://siouxme.com/acorn.html">here</a>.<br />
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Meanwhile, if you’d like to share in some of our bounty, call Laura at 805-769-8699 to schedule a visit.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-20079313237968364892012-11-02T14:52:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:52:00.177-07:00Walking Softly on the Earth <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptShZeFYUDtUsfPX8cnUOgIrkUlx_8ZppUAMeAar7ZMejN-qHjoAQriWMAUu2Hkgay514SMflyc9BgHLOhjHQkouHgQ4zt47Tk9NGPA6qJHpMxzWdRgiyXUlhRr84aueDM8KO5qeVcEw/s1600/Sandy_Oct_25_2012_0400Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptShZeFYUDtUsfPX8cnUOgIrkUlx_8ZppUAMeAar7ZMejN-qHjoAQriWMAUu2Hkgay514SMflyc9BgHLOhjHQkouHgQ4zt47Tk9NGPA6qJHpMxzWdRgiyXUlhRr84aueDM8KO5qeVcEw/s200/Sandy_Oct_25_2012_0400Z.jpg" width="182" /></a>This has been the sort of week that puts us in mind of why we need to continue to care deeply about the Earth and the environment. With a major <a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/world/Hawaii+Tsunami+first+waves+from+Haida+Gwaii+quake+arrive/7459977/story.html">earthquake and Tsunami on the West Coast</a> and a devastating hurricane <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/sandy-nyc-death-toll-climbs-38-article-1.1195522">wreaking havoc on the East</a>, it was difficult in the last few days not to at least cast a thought to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/simon-toyne/hurricane-sandy-and-the-e_b_2056528.html">worst possible outcomes</a>. But it’s hard for me not to think that, at least on a certain level, that’s a bit of a cop out. I mean, sure: there is such a thing as force of nature. There are elements and matters over which we can have no control. But there is evidence at hand that indicates that Hurricane Sandy may have been, to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/oct/30/hurricane-sandy-supersized-climate-change">quote the <i>Guardian</i> newspaper</a>, “supersized by climate change.” That is, while the hurricane itself was not attributable to climate change, some of the more devastating effects we saw over the last few days probably were. Sea surface temperatures are higher as is the overlying atmospheric temperature and the results were sad to see.<br />
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There is much debate on whether or not our actions could have at least minimized the intensity of the hurricane. On a personal level, though, the message seems very clear: though it’s easy to see our environment as robust, self-contained and untouchable, we need to stay cognizant of the delicate balances at play and, more importantly, the places where we can impact those balances in both negative and positive ways.<br />
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We try to do that every day at <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/">Dancing Deer Farm</a> and the <a href="http://crfamilies.org/">Center for ReUniting Families</a>. Not only on a personal level, but in the widest way we can, in the form of various educational and community outreach programs. Laura Albers, the Education Director at the Center for ReUniting Families is deeply immersed in all aspects of both our programs and the various goings on at Dancing Deer Farm. Laura will be making occasional reports from Dancing Deer and CRF in this space. Her voice is warm and her vision clear and we look forward to her contributions.<br />
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Meanwhile, think forward from this eventful week. If we’re to take away one thing, remember that the Earth is delicate and requires our careful and conscious stewardship. Walk softly as you move ever forward.<br />
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<i>“Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth... This we know, the earth does belong to man: man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected…"</i> -- Chief Seattle, 1851</blockquote>
Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-32685883713724132602012-11-01T13:46:00.000-07:002012-11-01T13:48:46.073-07:00A doe and her buck<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRZZ1yoHmJlHu6J65v-t1UyZvP1YcNMFM2TygjU_trdrIlBBveLqGWkYvHnnkQG9Gkgf6bGsQoQF6tcKbicstK-nIYGXyzaJ67N_X0dW6BNTf0aqugf-FZx_9I1kPe2QZqWqjG5bzCfIa/s1600/pumpkin2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRZZ1yoHmJlHu6J65v-t1UyZvP1YcNMFM2TygjU_trdrIlBBveLqGWkYvHnnkQG9Gkgf6bGsQoQF6tcKbicstK-nIYGXyzaJ67N_X0dW6BNTf0aqugf-FZx_9I1kPe2QZqWqjG5bzCfIa/s320/pumpkin2012.jpg" width="253" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This is a story about our deer.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br /><b>October 27, 2012</b><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I have been witnessing the passing of a doe today, and an extraordinary devotion to her by a buck.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This morning, around 8:30am, my neighbor called to say she was concerned about a noise that had been coming from down the hill, sounding like an animal in pain. Assuming it was a deer that had been hit by a car, I got dressed for tra</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ipsing through the poison oak covered hills.<br /><br />I finally saw them - a doe on the ground, not too far from the street and neighbor winery, and a buck hovering around her. She screamed out every time he nudged her. I stood still up on the hill above them and watched for a half an hour as the buck refused to give up - kept trying to urge her to get up, from every side, from every angle. With each nudge, the doe cried out. In between the nudges, he would circle around her, licking her head and the wounds by her back legs. Once, she mustered enough energy to lift her head up and meet his mouth with her own - just as if in a kiss. He tried to scoop her up with his front legs. He tried to push her to her other side, drag her, anything to get her to move. When not nudging her or licking her, he stood over her - guarding his doe. When people were walking a few hundred yards off, he stood over her in complete alert.<br /><br />Eventually, she stopped moving at all, and while he still kept licking her, he stopped trying to move her. I left them then, thinking that she was finally done.<br /><br />Tonight, at about 6:45 pm, I drove over to the spot to check on things, to see if she needed to be pulled further into the woods for decomposing. To my amazement, the buck was still there! It didn't look like she had moved again, but he still had not left her side. More than 10 hours later, that buck was still by her side.<br /><br />I am truly amazed at the devotion that this buck is showing. Such beautiful and compassionate animals these deer are. If only we could keep them safe from our streets. I'm sending all my love to this doe as she passes, and to this buck for loving her so fully. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">October 28, 11:00am: Visited doe, the buck had finally moved on. Brought sage and cedar and prayers to send the doe off with ceremony, and to pray for comfort for the buck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 29: The winery buried the doe where she died - at the edge of the oak forest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 30: Pumpkin carving in honor of the deer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">November 1: Marker brought to the area of passing.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">In </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">gratitude</span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">,</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Laura Albers</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Director of Education</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">The Center for Reuniting Families</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Dancing Deer Farm</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760383698136978084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-11268325873382474972012-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:002012-02-09T09:05:00.264-08:00From the Heart to the Home: Living Sustainably and with ThoughtMy mind really gets going when I start ingesting some of the ideas over at <i><a href="http://www.ecofriend.com/">Eco Friend</a></i>. This humble little web site isn’t big and flashy, but they tend to collect ideas and images on a wide variety of green topics. Though they aren’t generous with the links, Google makes it easy to look things up for further study.<br /><br />Today the piece that caught my eye was called “<a href="http://www.ecofriend.com/eco-friendly-houses-green-living.html">Eco Friendly Houses for Green Living</a>.” This is always a topic of interest for me because, in many ways, it embodies so much of our focus at the <a href="http://crfamilies.org/">Center for Reuniting Families</a>. After all, the home often symbolizes the very heart of the family. A<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhy6e7bSN_V_v2UvewbueX1JWnOv_DmWteZXDZInc3xtK5NbmDAiETmG5vWfORVlXrxg6wX9PUfJzrRkJLTl8iZRd5ndFn4w6w44uYhCvFsSjI3S2YpLbn-gue5ntBIvaac1bkpr39DA/s1600/hse.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhy6e7bSN_V_v2UvewbueX1JWnOv_DmWteZXDZInc3xtK5NbmDAiETmG5vWfORVlXrxg6wX9PUfJzrRkJLTl8iZRd5ndFn4w6w44uYhCvFsSjI3S2YpLbn-gue5ntBIvaac1bkpr39DA/s400/hse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706260753283079522" border="0" height="141" width="225"></a>nd it seems to me that, if we make an effort to make that familial heart as efficient and earth-friendly as can be, we’ve already taken steps to make the family itself more healthy. That is, ideally, caring manifests into every portion of our lives: If we begin by caring deeply about the planet, we come to care about where and how we live. We care about what we eat and where it came from. With all this caring and thought in our lives, how can we <i>not</i> also care more about each other? It is, in a way, about a culture of thought and caring and a way of living consciously that we try to share here at every opportunity.<br /><br />So the piece on eco friendly houses really gave me a lot to think about. Though not all of these houses are ones I would think of as perfectly eco friendly, I love that an increasing number of people are giving thought and more than lip service to making the structures that protect us more Earth friendly in many ways. And I love that even people like <a href="http://www.invisionzerohome.com/overview/">Dow are now talking about </a>the need to make big changes in the way we live and build. More than talk: they’re making it happen.<br /><br />Of the houses discussed in the article, I was especially impressed with the <a href="http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/plans/torus.htm">Torus Design concept house</a> (shown above left). In some ways this house completely reconsiders the way we as a culture currently think about buildings and homes. And when you read about it, you realize that was the point. From the web site of the designer, Colorado’s Dream Green Homes:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>The Torus Design concept was inspired by the movie Thrive, which outlines ways of creating prosperity and equality in the world. The design brings together three emerging trends: increasing self sufficiency — including renewable energy and food production, families moving back together to save money, and sustainability. These trends are evident in the growth of home gardens, organic food, green building, eco-conciousness, off-grid homes, do-it-yourself attitudes, and cost cutting strategies such as bartering and trading for goods and services.</i></blockquote>With people and companies like this putting such great effort into rethinking this most basic of human needs, it’s difficult <i>not</i> to be optimistic about the future. I love what it says about thinking about sustainable living and the families that will get to create the core of their lives around these bright, new hearths.<br />Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-31402406499540368032012-02-08T09:26:00.000-08:002012-02-08T09:26:00.194-08:00Super Efficient Prius On the WayA Toyota Prius that gets 95 mpg may be in easy view according to <i>Tree</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_khQO2lb90ZOxlsRQtAQUOg8Ewzf-HCTPaxeAqr21WvFwP0SdKZG9ywjMOja18PqXIbY5WCnKGKRZIQGAi3opi1zMwVFSFPZc3zkOhGqN6mYu5fWGQ4cz-Cv91FFhzbsWkHVFWwxwmiU/s1600/0014-2012-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_khQO2lb90ZOxlsRQtAQUOg8Ewzf-HCTPaxeAqr21WvFwP0SdKZG9ywjMOja18PqXIbY5WCnKGKRZIQGAi3opi1zMwVFSFPZc3zkOhGqN6mYu5fWGQ4cz-Cv91FFhzbsWkHVFWwxwmiU/s400/0014-2012-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706262680923860898" border="0" height="145" width="218"></a><i>hugger</i>, who tends to get a bead on such things. From <i>Treehugger</i>:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of Toyota's best-selling Prius hybrid, which is debuting in the U.S. next month and will be commercially available in 14 states this Spring (national rollout in 2013), was first supposed to be rated at around 87 MPG-equivalent. This alone would have been enough to put the plug-in Prius pretty high on the fuel-efficiency list, but after more testing, Toyota has revised its estimate and now says it is confident that the Prius PHEV will get 95 MPGe, which is 2 MPGe more than the Chevrolet Volt, which is rated at 93 MPGe.</i></blockquote>You can <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/cars/toyota-predicts-plug-prius-will-get-95-mpge.html">read more here</a>.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Britain’s Lightning Car Company is getting ready to debut their completely electric supercar. We certainly live in a time of great and exciting change! You can read more about <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-super-fast-all-electric-lightning-gt-supercar-gears-up-to-hit-the-streets/lightning-gt-7/?extend=1">that car here</a>.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-72206787461580202262012-02-07T09:26:00.000-08:002012-02-07T09:26:00.320-08:00A Month -- a Lifetime -- in ViewI love <i>National Geographic</i>’s <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/">Daily News</a> for a quick snapshot of the health and heart of our planet. At a time when we can be given so much news that is both conflicting and disheartening, <i>National Geographic</i>’s concerned but mostly non-political take can be refreshing. And one thing I really enjo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SRQRKuZAL3xoofx0luFb3yyS4kbrqkeFAOL7Nkp98_ho9im1oPKJ9MJ9rmyAic-fIxXxFpyST8Al1LlG6nu0Bc2_ExDI3wb1Oc8Cqb9h_lVzTmOEX8oeFzQEFum-pi4kt8kxYDYbvU8/s1600/natgeo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SRQRKuZAL3xoofx0luFb3yyS4kbrqkeFAOL7Nkp98_ho9im1oPKJ9MJ9rmyAic-fIxXxFpyST8Al1LlG6nu0Bc2_ExDI3wb1Oc8Cqb9h_lVzTmOEX8oeFzQEFum-pi4kt8kxYDYbvU8/s400/natgeo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706264500283855922" border="0" height="168" width="259"></a>y: it often gives me a smile along with a dose of new information. Not many news agencies can say that!<br /><br />Their “Best of” photo collections are a great way to get a fast view of the planet <i>and</i> a few of those smiles. <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/01/pictures/120131-best-pictures-favorite-we-love-concordia-penguin-flood-fire/">Here the “Best of January”</a> begins with a trio of penguins admiring a plush toy in their image. It’s a gorgeous shot and a great thought: “The composition of this image reinforces what to me is its main point,” says Monica Corcoran, senior <i>National Geographic</i> photo editor, “communication. The ‘talking heads’ are not sure what to make of this oddly familiar intruder.”<br /><br />Thanks, <i>National Geographic</i>, for once again reminding us that there is so much still to smile at in the world -- so much to lift our hearts and souls and refresh for all the work we still need to do to ensure these many wonders continue.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-5580051520575377892011-10-26T22:30:00.000-07:002011-10-26T23:11:29.811-07:00The Cure For Living in Darkness: Let There Be Light!It is sometimes too easy to feel that all the news is bad news and that our path to a greener more sustainable future is unbelievably convoluted and too filled with obstacles to properly progress.<br /><br />A<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nMGpAyCi43YbW7oDw1F82jo5cfbAbcLToEda8M77roonDsb5860ZhoU6UsBr81Boczn7FWK_wQCNyfStL1aFTjabUsacSkEfktT6yeDXvdHzVWJnjLAr5iAUgjWrnc4Cs-q2Ln8hJck/s1600/4-6-09suntube01-300x284.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nMGpAyCi43YbW7oDw1F82jo5cfbAbcLToEda8M77roonDsb5860ZhoU6UsBr81Boczn7FWK_wQCNyfStL1aFTjabUsacSkEfktT6yeDXvdHzVWJnjLAr5iAUgjWrnc4Cs-q2Ln8hJck/s400/4-6-09suntube01-300x284.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668034250416551522" border="0" height="186" width="197"></a>nd then you hit a story like this one: a simple answer to a complicated question, one that has deeper meaning than that easy solution would imply.<br /><br />In San Pedro, a small town near Manilla in the Phillippines, the residents struggle with poverty and all that goes with it. Because the homes they’ve been able to build lack proper windows, they also struggle against darkness, even during the day. Adapting an MIT development, the Isang Litrong Liwanag (which means liter of light) Project helps residents create bright indoor light out of easily accessible products. Here’s an incredibly <a href="http://www.fm-world.co.uk/news/fm-industry-news/solar-light-bottles-brighten-up-filipino-homes/">lucid explanation from FM World</a>:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>They are made from an ordinary plastic bottle, filled with water and a capful or two of bleach.<br /><br />A malleable metal sheet, about a foot square, has a whole cut in the centre where the plastic water bottle is tightly fitted. A little grouting goes around the contact area of the bottle and sheeting to keep out rain.<br /><br />The unit is then inserted into a hole cut into the metal roofs of the breeze-block houses and the metal sheet is moulded to the roof shape for a good fit, aided by a little more grouting.<br /><br />The bottle hangs about two-thirds into the room below. Sunlight filters through the externally exposed part of the bottle and is diffused through the water, making for a bright light in the room.</i></blockquote>According to the <a href="http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/">Isang Litrong Liwanag website</a>, as of 2009, “3 million households still remain powerless outside Metro Manila. And even in the metro, families still continue to live in darkness,” so this deceptively simple initiative is having an incredible impact on the quality of life for an increasing number of people. From the website:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>Isang Litrong Liwanag, is a sustainable lighting project which aims to bring the eco-friendly solar bottle bulb to low-income communities nationwide. Designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Solar Bottle Bulb is a device based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.</i></blockquote>The video embedded below shows this simple but powerful technology in action. It’s difficult not to be moved when you think about the difference this will make in people’s lives. It also gets me thinking, as these things sometimes do, about the simple answers we can find in our own lives to make things better and about how we tend to complicate things for ourselves: making things hard when -- sometimes -- they can be easy.<br /><br />For me it’s also about moving forward in a conscious way: watching where we place our feet and thinking about how we can live more lightly on the land and with the people we love.<br /><br />In any case, it’s all good news, and I’m always in favor of that!<br /><br />If you’re looking for more information on <a href="http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/">Isang Litrong Liwanag, it’s here</a>.<br /><div align="center"><br /></div><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o-Fpsw_yYPg?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="308" width="410"></iframe>Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-90787712608463952242011-04-12T15:00:00.000-07:002011-04-12T22:52:18.041-07:00Eating Local, Eating Raw: Easy Steps to a Conscious DietI’ve been interested in raw and organic foods for a very long time. Though I’m not currently a vegetarian, it wouldn’t be much of a leap to call me a <a href="http://januarymagazine.blogspot.com/2011/04/cookbooks-everyday-flexitarian-by.html">flexitarian</a>: I’m mindful about what I eat for both moral<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.davidmiddletoncreative.com/photoimages/Tomatoes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.davidmiddletoncreative.com/photoimages/Tomatoes.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="189" width="264" /></a> and health reasons.<br /><br />Long story short: my interest in real food is part of my personal history. In some ways, it’s been one of the touchstones of my adult life. So when we were planning our <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/programs.html">retreat program</a> here at Dancing Deer and someone suggested we do a <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/rawfood/rawfoodretreat.html">raw foods component</a>, I threw my support in right away. I understand the personal power that new knowledge can bring and, in many ways, that’s what our retreat program is all about.<br /><br />Even if you’re not interested in making the complete lifestyle change to total raw food diet, we’re teaching some skills that many people will find life-changing. It’s about not only coming to terms with the fact that you can eat in a more healthful and earth-friendly way, but that sourcing and preparing the foods you require needn’t be as daunting as it might at first appear.<br /><br />And even if health were not an issue, the level of consciousness required to making and eating even a partially raw diet can change your outlook entirely. Take, for instance, this <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/food_prices/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier"><i>New York Times</i> piece</a> from a few days ago.<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>For the second time in three years, food prices began to soar in late 2010. Some food experts thought the increases could have been a factor in the unrest that swept the Arab world in early 2011.<br /><br />In 2008, food riots broke out in developing countries around the world, as the prices of staples, particularly rice, jumped sharply. Good harvests and a drop in demand due to the worldwide recession eased those shortages in 2009.<br /><br />Prices began rising steadily again in the summer of 2010. </i></blockquote><br />These are frightening facts. Articles like that can make you feel despair. Perhaps they even <i>should</i>. But they can also make you reconsider the way you’re eating right now. It seems to me that there has never been a louder call to a local diet that consists of whole foods: and all of that is entirely in keeping with a raw food lifestyle.<br /><br />We are so lucky in this region: everything we really need for a healthy diet is grown pretty much within a 100 mile radius. That is to say that, if it isn’t grown locally, you probably don’t really need it. Think about that the next time you reach imported strawberries in your local market. Think about all the fuel it took to get them to you and, in some cases, the political repercussions on local economies that send all of their food away.<br /><br />Eating locally is not a radical thought. It’s a sensible one and, in some ways, it’s the very easiest.<br /><br />You can get more information on the Dancing Deer <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/rawfood/rawfoodretreat.html">raw food retreat here</a>.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-3707851158902483222011-02-20T10:10:00.000-08:002013-05-08T01:03:38.808-07:00Perfecting the Sustainable Swim<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc977eev8M8v6SDK5YPIpHp7sbihrIAqklwk9KbHieVA2c7k0ILbn6J1-2Bqb95denVZhE_Lt4XX-tV06-PyN_y94eFKsv8bTvj6aJwSnR22XSoAq6oenyFtkz1dwgbYqBhZfIOYjbKzc/s1600/hydrofloor-1-537x418.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="143" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574193445046769282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc977eev8M8v6SDK5YPIpHp7sbihrIAqklwk9KbHieVA2c7k0ILbn6J1-2Bqb95denVZhE_Lt4XX-tV06-PyN_y94eFKsv8bTvj6aJwSnR22XSoAq6oenyFtkz1dwgbYqBhZfIOYjbKzc/s320/hydrofloor-1-537x418.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="184" /></a>You don’t live in my neck of the woods without giving at least the occasional thought to building the perfect pool. When I saw this <a href="http://inhabitat.com/hydrofloor-disappearing-pool-saves-energy-and-space/">disappearing hydrofloor</a> swimming pool in <i>Inhabit</i>, I knew that I was A. Unlikely to build it and B. Equally as unlikely to stop myself from wanting to. Here’s the skinny from <i>Inhabitat</i>:<br />
<i></i><br />
<blockquote>
<i>The design is basically a custom ceramic floor that is set on a metal grid. As the grid lowers water seeps in from slots on the sides. The pool can be set at various levels for wading, laps or even diving. Setting it at a shallow level is great for kids. When a party erupts, the pool disappears to make room for a dance floor.</i></blockquote>
So imagine: now you see it; now you don’t. And when you don’t, the water is protected and insulated out of sight, but ready to be used again at the touch of a button.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hydrofloors.be/index.php">Hydrofloors</a>, the British company responsible for the disappearing swimming pool, appear to specialize in pools so high tech, James Bond would feel right at home. And like so many bits of really cutting edge technology, when you look at this product line, you can’t help but think you’re looking at the future… and that -- just maybe -- the future is now.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-1146031192870544092011-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:00:06.446-08:00Nourishment in All Its FormsThese days, we spend a lot of time musing on the idea of nourishment. To me, part of living consciously is personally addressing as many aspects of our lives as we can and thinking about the things we need -- and the things we need to do -- in order to live richly and in best service to ourselves and others.<br /><br />And so what is nourishment? It is the food we eat, sure. But, along with our bodies, we can nourish our hearts with relationships and friendships. We can nourish our spirit with meditation or relaxation or art: depending on our own preferences and how we’re geared. We can nourish our minds with thoughtful reflection or introspection or literature.<br /><br />I know that, with this post, I’m once again skating very close to philosophical ideas and what will be one person’s answer will likely not be another’s. Still, the questions are largely the same: how do we nourish and nurture the very best parts of ourselves? How do we preserve the things that the pressures of our careers and lives can demand?<br /><br />These are complicated questions. Not easily answered. And at the same time, they are among the most basic things we can ask ourselves:<br /><blockquote>What do <i>I</i> need to be the very best me I can be?<br /><br />How do I step back from my life in order to look at it more clearly, in either a conscious or passive way?</blockquote>In a lifetime of searching, I’ve found that, for me, some of the best answers to those questions can be discovered in retreat. This is why, over the past couple of years, I’ve been helping to shape what are now our farm-stay style <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/programs.html">retreat programs</a> here at Dancing Deer Farm.<br /><br />We’ve crafted retreats in several disciplines and areas of interest, but they all share a common foundation: to give those attending the physical and emotional space they need to nourish themselves in a way that is meaningful to them.<br /><br />If you’d like to look over the programs we currently have available, you’ll find that information on <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/programs.html">our website here</a>.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-82619944092578009812011-01-05T19:04:00.000-08:002011-01-05T22:15:02.470-08:00A New Year: Time For New IdeasEven if you never make a resolution for the New Year, it’s impossible not to spend at least a little time thinking about the possibilities of a brand new year, unscarred by the mistakes and missteps of the past. After all, in a very real way, a new year is a time for new ideas.<br /><br />I think that is why I was so charged when I came across this amazing use for old plastic bottles. You know the ones: filled with fizzy drinks and about as much of a challenge to the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.inhabitat.com/fizzy-bottle-roof-made-from-7000-plastic-bottles/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1FtZd5uZHsmnO-HeVaq68n5UCHw_g-w33FLl07ufvNvhp-monHHJruWPxpM5kN5QJsNrjkq7RosNNNOTZeBcuQ9g5SmCStw8hCS0SsGtZhhxsp3FPTN6kzk0JACwfgen382jHHD91Zo/s320/fizzy-bottle-roof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558876263456889794" border="0" height="147" width="220" /></a>environment as almost anything. England’s <a href="http://deencityfarm.businesscatalyst.com/">Deen City Farm</a> -- a community project in south west London -- had all of their volunteers collect plastic pop bottles for a year. At the end of that year, they had 7000 bottles, which they then flattened into colorful, see-through shingles, a process that volunteers of all ages could take part in. From <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/"><i>Inhabitat: Green Design Will Save the World</i></a>:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>What do you get when you put 7000 plastic bottles, 60 old sign posts, 350 metres of plastic water piping, 5 sheets of old building site boarding, 2 old scaffold planks and the sweat of over 180 volunteers together? This awesome Fizzy Bottle Hut! At first glance, the recycled structure might look like it has a colorful, shingled roof but upon closer inspection, you can see that it's actually made up of thousands of flattened soda and water bottles.<br /></i></blockquote>There are so many things to love about this idea. The thought of many volunteers making a conscious, year-long effort to collect that which we usually avoid. The concept of making something useful out of something discarded. In some ways, though, the thing that I like best of all is illustrated in the photos at left, and it’s a simple thing. I love the way the light shines through that roof. It seems symbolic to me, somehow. All of these hands coming together to create something that will both protect them and bathe them in this beautiful diffused light. That is, together the volunteers at Deen City Farm have created something that is practical, lovely and completely recycled by their own hands. They’ve created something entirely new.<br /><br /><i>The Inhabit</i> <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/fizzy-bottle-roof-made-from-7000-plastic-bottles/">piece is here</a>, along with a lot of terrific pictures of the project both under construction and completed. The story is an inspiration in so many ways but, most of all in the lessons we can take away from creating something new and very special out of something old and discarded. A good lesson, I think, for 2011.<br /><br />Happy New Year!Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-1857636378897687912010-12-22T15:00:00.000-08:002010-12-22T15:00:02.363-08:00Holiday Walks and DreamsOne of my favorite walks at Dancing Deer Farm is the one that takes me all around the property. Never leaving the well worn track, you go up hills and into wooded dales. You can go over high plateaus -- wh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-X3bddH2g5lSM97zwTdyOjdDKn0a_0AHCYlfVs5RjELMC_FsNDfwbncNfAa6tk9E-V4vly34eIDAtmhYAkMV2IiKjbinBrN6yrjSeYXj5kA2PuRX01zlLB8soYnFrpBstgZ0eKTDUBY/s1600/Mike+%2526+Bob+B+on+Trail+DD.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-X3bddH2g5lSM97zwTdyOjdDKn0a_0AHCYlfVs5RjELMC_FsNDfwbncNfAa6tk9E-V4vly34eIDAtmhYAkMV2IiKjbinBrN6yrjSeYXj5kA2PuRX01zlLB8soYnFrpBstgZ0eKTDUBY/s320/Mike+%2526+Bob+B+on+Trail+DD.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553400460202198418" border="0" height="183" width="129" /></a>ere you always feel like you can see forever -- and through ancient oak forest. The sweet, brooding silence of those trees always humbles me: fate has made me one of their caretakers.<br /><br />On a day when I’m alone with my dogs, just walking and thinking, it’s a walk of a good three quarters of an hour. Perhaps a bit more. That’s my morning exercise, plus it gives me an overview of what’s going on all over Dancing Deer.<br /><br />Other days, when I’m walking with guests or friends or with my daughter or other members of my family, the walk can stretch into a much longer event, chatting and examining or maybe stopping for a bit and perching on a hillside or under a tree, enjoying a canopy of sky and the feeling of complete freedom I’ve never felt so exquisitely any other way or any other place.<br /><br />This morning, as I did my usual circuit, dogs bounding ahead or falling behind, as is their wont, it occurred to me, as it sometimes does, that I am luckier than most. I’d just gotten back after being out of town on a family vacation, so I perhaps appreciated Dancing Deer even more keenly than usual. I’m lucky to have all of this natural beauty and wildlife at my doorstep. Lucky to be able to share this wonderful property with others and to learn, through that process, about their dreams and visions. And, by extension, I’m lucky to have all of you in my life.<br /><br />May the joys of the season touch you and your family. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and dreams with us through 2010 and may your journey into the new decade be a sweet one.<br /><br />Happy Holidays!Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-2791214790142568532010-12-01T09:05:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:05:00.118-08:00A (Not So Hasty) RetreatI read recently that the Dalai Lama has said that “The ultimate factor determining whether we have a healthy mind and a healthy body lies within.”<br /><br />Though there are several ways to take this, here’s what I get: our health and well-being are in our own hands, at least to a certain degree. In a world where so much is out of our control, this is one thing we <i>can</i> have some <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/dancingdeerphotos/Bees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/dancingdeerphotos/Bees.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="146" width="238" /></a>control over. We can get out and do the things for ourselves we’ve been wanting to. We can feed our spirits, our hearts and our souls. Feed them and nourish them by making choices that our both good for us and that make us happy.<br /><br />To a large degree, that’s what the recent and ongoing creation of the <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/programs.html">programs at Dancing Deer</a> have been about. I mean, here we are with this fantastic property that has so much to offer and we’re connected with a large number of deeply and diversely talented people. It did not seem like a leap to us to take the next step and think about what programs we could create that would make use of our wonderful resources to enrich our own lives and the lives of others.<br /><br />For a while now, we’ve been contemplating just how to to do this, because all the elements were already there. It was just, then, a matter of arranging them in the sequence that would benefit the largest number of people.<br /><br />And so here we are.<br /><br />Though there are still some programs in the planning stage, the ones that are already being offered are terrific and fill several very specific needs. Here is a brief description of each of our current programs. Follow the links to get more information on all or any of them:<br /><br /><a href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/yogaretreat.html">Yoga Retreat</a><br />Dancing Deer’s yoga retreats focus on sustainable and natural branches of wellness and attunement with the body. We offer weekend and week-long yoga retreats that include sessions with our resident yogis as well as time for self-exploration and retreat.<br /><br /><a href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/hotspringsretreat.html">Hot Springs Retreat</a><br />Many people believe that natural hot springs have therapeutic effects that can relieve or restore health. At the Hearts Journey Hot Springs retreat, visits to nearby Franklin Hot Springs will a core part of your week with us, but not all of it: the emphasis is on healing and rejuvenation with ample time for self-directed reflection and learning<br /><br /><a href="http://dancingdeer.org/personalretreat.html">Personal Retreat</a><br />Combining elements of private retreat and farm stay in a completely natural and self-directed environment, your personal retreat gives you the opportunity for relaxation and reflection that we seldom allow ourselves in this fast-paced world.<br /><br /><a href="http://dancingdeer.org/rawfood/rawfoodretreat.html">Raw Food Retreat</a><br />Offering participants the opportunity to learn more about incorporating raw foods into their diet for detoxification and health while learning how to gain the maximum life force from your food, all in our beautiful farm stay environment.<br /><br />For an overview, visit our <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/programs.html">Programs page</a>. Interest has been high and spots are filling up incredibly quickly. If you’d like more information on any of the retreats, e-mail me here or call 805-769-6664.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-79877270421121730672010-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:002010-11-30T09:56:20.590-08:00Greening the World: From the Grassroots UpOne of the things that truly delights me is to see how deeply the grassroots of the green movement has taken hold. Amazing things are happening in all segments of what I think of as the gre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURIytDG4PjMAZPcQB0FL_sb3zr_7bB2v9TmUXrMuDofBt9j5q6s4UMobebKQGNjGxgwgumuBPZ2ze_cannuTTXZowBVCouNbwCOwR-TSbialQAoLjUjnGqJJ18j3pp_odmWvesJ6zd0Q/s1600/greenroof.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURIytDG4PjMAZPcQB0FL_sb3zr_7bB2v9TmUXrMuDofBt9j5q6s4UMobebKQGNjGxgwgumuBPZ2ze_cannuTTXZowBVCouNbwCOwR-TSbialQAoLjUjnGqJJ18j3pp_odmWvesJ6zd0Q/s320/greenroof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545145428114676594" border="0" height="174" width="230" /></a>ening of our world. That is, a more conscious approach to living by an ever broader number of people from so many walks and so many countries.<br /><br />Here’s an example: an international <a href="http://citiesalive.org/">Green Roof conference </a>kicked off in Vancouver, Canada today. Over a thousand delegates are expected from as far away as New Zealand, Denmark and South America. The eighth annual <a href="http://citiesalive.org/">CitiesAlive</a> green roof and wall conference runs until December 3rd. Unofficially, though, it’s been an important focus for 20 Vancouver grade six and seven children for the last week. The class has been building their own green roofs at a local college campus, getting a real grassroots feel for what this all means in real world terms. From <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Urban+planners+architects+attend+green+roof+conference/3891317/story.html#ixzz16itj7HdR"><i>The Vancouver Sun</i></a>:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>The kids used real green roof building materials and a few varieties of drought-resistant hardy sedum plants to create their mini-roofs inside quarter-litre milk cartoons.<br /><br />Next, they tested their constructions to see if they retained water. Most worked well.</i></blockquote>As important as that, however, is the fact that those kids will retain what they learned all their lives. Not just the pieces of technology they’ve no doubt picked up, but also the idea that we are all part of something larger than ourselves and that our attention is needed in very intimate ways in order to make a difference. And that alone <i>will</i> make a difference.<br /><br />The conference sounds amazing, too. I wish I were closer and able to attend. It seems like it’s going to be part think tank, part trade show, part brainstorming session. Again, <i>The Sun</i>:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>There will a wide range of experts, include urban planners, architects, environmentalists and landscape designers, who want to share information and learn more about green roof and green wall technology.<br /><br />Green roofs are seen as a way to cut energy costs, recycle rain water and reduce the heat-island effect buildings have on their immediate surroundings, considered a significant contributing factor to global warming.</i></blockquote><i>The Vancouver Sun</i> <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Urban+planners+architects+attend+green+roof+conference/3891317/story.html#ixzz16itj7HdR">piece is here</a>. The conference web site is here.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-27400434735674154272010-11-04T10:00:00.000-07:002010-11-04T13:21:27.472-07:00Yoga Retreat at Dancing DeerI’m excited about an upcoming series of <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/yogaretreat.html">yoga retreats</a> that will be held at <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/">Dancing Deer Farm</a> over the coming months. This will be an incredible opportunity for those who are interested in learning more <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/yogaretreat.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/yoga/womandoingyoga.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="161" width="120" /></a>about yoga as well as those who already have incorporated aspects of yoga into their lifestyles to learn more while experiencing the beauty and bounty at and near Dancing Deer Farm. Participants will enjoy the opportunity to connect with nature and themselves, interacting with the animals and wildlife here, walking our beautiful trails and enjoying our oak forest and our wonderful setting. (So close to everything... yet it often seems a million miles away!)<br /><br />Interest in the retreats has been high and available space is filling up quickly.<br /><br />You can learn more about the retreats -- including accommodation information, pricing and who to contact -- on the <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/dd/yogaretreat.html">Dancing Deer web site</a>.<br /><br />Also, stay tuned for more updates. We have a whole slate of restorative retreats on the boards. All of them connected to healthful and conscious living.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-14164910811304347412010-11-03T14:00:00.000-07:002010-11-03T14:00:00.485-07:00All This Excitement! Time For A Snooze?If you’ve been paying any attention at all lately, there’s been a lot of excitement going on: culminating with you getting out and voting yesterday.<br /><br />Now I’m not going to comment either way on the outcomes here. Anyone who knows me at all knows that politics is just not how I roll. But all of this talk along with the resounding cries for action have gotten me thinking about one thing: no matter how you feel about the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/03/03greenwire-califs-little-noticed-prop-26-squeaks-through-59912.html">results of the vote</a>, the energy we created in discussing and debating our desires is not for naught. That’s the thing about living consciously: when we begin something -- a project, a cycle, even a thought -- we start something in motion. If that’s been done in a conscious way, it’s seldom a bad thing.<br /><br />There is so much wrong in the world just now. And there are so, so many good things happening and so much that is right. If you are feeling disappointed today, don’t lose heart. The energy you expended is good energy. And nothing that brings motion is wasted.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-48423376934013803982010-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:002010-09-24T12:06:46.448-07:00Dancing Deer on the WebWant to learn more about Dancing Deer Farm? Come visit our <a href="http://dancingdeer.org/">brand new website</a> for a close-up glimpse.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-80353539160333529662010-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:002010-01-13T16:02:31.642-08:00Biomimicry & the Organic FarmThis is going to be a year unlike others. A year, in many ways, when it finally begins to come together.<br /><br />We’re at a wonderful nexus of ideas and deeds and developments. After what feels like generations of stagnation -- and worse -- it feels as though we’ve finally come to a place a eco renaissance. Ideas like these, reported <a href="http://firststeporganic.newsvine.com/_news/2009/12/24/3674844-biomimicry-and-organic-farming">here on Newsvine</a>, can make your brain sweat; can make the hair on your arms stand up in excitement. Imagine:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>Biomimicry is the utilization of designs, systems, materials, or processes originating in nature and applying these to human use. The application of such is often more sustainable and more efficient than similar human attempts.</i></blockquote>There’s much to be excited about here. Much to be cautious about, as well. As a species, we’ve done a tremendous job sometimes of rushing into things without taking a good look around. Still, some of this is tremendously exciting. Imagine, using organically farmed materials to replace some things necessary for modern life that are currently made out of some truly nasty materials.<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>Imagine being able to use spider web in place of Kevlar, or in place of the cables of a suspension bridge. Or using a sealant based off of the lotus plant on your shower walls, and never having to clean your shower again. These are only a few of the exciting innovations biomimicry makes possible. </i></blockquote>If you’d like to read more about biomimicry, there’s interesting information <a href="http://www.biomimicry.net/">here</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomimicry">here</a> and <a href="http://brainz.org/15-coolest-cases-biomimicry/">here</a>. Meanwhile, 2010 is going to be an exciting year. I can feel that already, from where I’m standing. I’m looking forward to embracing it with you.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-23856831997052394052009-12-14T12:30:00.000-08:002009-12-14T17:17:08.781-08:00Silent (Green!) RunningFor a number of years I’ve been saying that, as far as new, green automobile technologies have come, there’s still so much farther we can go. I drive a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius">Prius</a>, after all, so talking to me is preaching to the choir. I love that car. And as much as it’s im<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GbqyxMw_ol3PigL31HmBS8dDO0okq0dOMBG9c7t0mSZJMprdSx0wgrSErWqtl5k6MR2FdQjgFJSP_Zz-ZvyweZN035Dgs3-IfPxxTKmYTf5UvslGLtseiZmH8nExW4RG2nkzrO9jbeI/s1600-h/tesla.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GbqyxMw_ol3PigL31HmBS8dDO0okq0dOMBG9c7t0mSZJMprdSx0wgrSErWqtl5k6MR2FdQjgFJSP_Zz-ZvyweZN035Dgs3-IfPxxTKmYTf5UvslGLtseiZmH8nExW4RG2nkzrO9jbeI/s320/tesla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415186141852325634" border="0" height="189" width="142" /></a>possible not to love the way it can coast along in silence or hum like a kitten when going all out, I know that, just a round the corner? There’s a car that will be so silent and so green, it will knock my socks off. Seriously, let’s call it what it is: I’m ready to be impressed.<br /><br />It’s possible that being super impressed will begin later this week when Tesla takes their roadster on a cross-country trip intended to show us all just what an electric car can do when everything is lined up correctly. (Just for starters, for example, when no conventional manufacturer of Detroit steel is involved. We all know <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F">how that ended</a>.)<br /><br />Tesla’s 2700-plus mile road trip will begin on December 17th in Palm Springs and end in Detroit on January 8th. From the <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/roadtrip/">Tesla Web site</a>:<br /><blockquote><i>We’re driving Roadster #750 from Los Angeles to Detroit for this year’s North American International Auto Show to prove that the Roadster is tough, durable and range anxiety is for the weak.<br /><br />Our electric sports car goes from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds and can travel 244 miles on a single charge. The Roadster is ready to take on any and all weather conditions – it looks just as good with mud on the tires as it does on the showroom floor.</i></blockquote>Realistically, I won’t be able to get to Palm Springs or any of the other cities <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/roadtrip/">on the calendar</a> to see for myself. I’ll be listening, though. I have a hunch this pass of the running of the silent green car will make some headlines. I’m looking forward to it!Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-63547716224408218862009-10-03T00:05:00.000-07:002009-10-03T00:05:00.629-07:00Fast Forward to FarmingOne of the things I’ve been finding incredibly encouraging over the last few years is the strength of a growing movement for... well, for better.<br /><br />A decade ago -- and certainly two -- it was sometimes difficult not to despair. Not to think about hell and hand baskets and wonder where it was all going to end up.<br /><br />Think of it: global warming, melting icecaps, shrinking glaciers, landfills, factory farming... there seemed to be an endle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75WxMi1hK3xNlZyEjYccY37ce_oJeAiSS-xyKpkRS1zT3P_aOjNflfbZuHKr4yl0pNjLOkdgR0mpAmF5hga0sLcSVj0bgA0alF8aM_hs23fdqFYbpPyhcy2sJekqH5JlvOkQyEoksyFw/s1600-h/turkey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75WxMi1hK3xNlZyEjYccY37ce_oJeAiSS-xyKpkRS1zT3P_aOjNflfbZuHKr4yl0pNjLOkdgR0mpAmF5hga0sLcSVj0bgA0alF8aM_hs23fdqFYbpPyhcy2sJekqH5JlvOkQyEoksyFw/s320/turkey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388215885040515570" border="0" height="155" width="225"></a>ss list of things to be concerned about. And for those of us who <i>were</i> concerned, it was sometimes easy to feel like a Pariah; to feel really alone. So many things wrong in the world. And so few people who seemed to care.<br /><br />Fast forward to 2009. Inroads are being made in almost all areas. Sure: we have a long, long way to go and we can’t back down from our caring and concern and hard work, but it’s truly amazing, sometimes, to relax a teensy bit. To sit back and see how far we’ve come; how much we’ve accomplished in a relatively short time of wide awareness. I guess I mean, it seems possible -- finally -- to self-congratulate a little bit. We are moving, after all this time, in the right direction.<br /><br />There are many examples of this but, for today, let me share just one. Farm Forward was incorporated in 2007, though core members of the organization have been active with the work they do much longer. It’s a non-profit advocacy group “at the forefront of pragmatic efforts to transform the way our nation eats and farms.”<br /><br />In real world terms, Farm Forward works in the field on behalf of farm animals and sustainable farm practices. It works to help educate people about what goes on in contemporary farmer’s fields and barns and it works to help both farmers and laypeople think about the way things could be done and how they really should not be. From the Farm Forward Web site:<br /><i></i><blockquote><i>From years of innovative efforts to improve conditions on farms and in slaughterhouses worldwide, we have built a unique network of strong relationships with animal welfare experts, food retailers, nonprofit animal advocacy organizations, religious leaders, scholars, small farmers, and writers concerned about farmed animal welfare. This unprecedented network and our tight focus on rolling back factory farming allows us to enhance the effectiveness of existing organizations and implement comprehensive new strategies that are unavailable to other groups.<br /></i></blockquote>I’m encouraged by what Farm Forward is accomplishing in part because, as they point out, the descent into factory farming happened very quickly:<br /><blockquote><i>Largely out of public view, factory farming began on America's poultry farms in the 1920s and quickly spread to every sector of the meat, dairy, and egg industries. Factory fishing, including fish farming, quickly followed. The use of new technologies could have been a positive development, but instead it has ushered in an era of factory farming and fishing that has brought with it systematic abuse of animals, pollution of the environment, and destruction of rural life. Today, more than 99 percent of our nation’s meat, dairy, and eggs are produced on factory farms, and nearly all seafood comes to us from factory fishing.</i></blockquote><i></i>As I said, it all happened very quickly. Does it not stand to reason, then, that with our own passion and new knowledge forcing us to activity, we can help roll things like factory farming back even more quickly than they took hold and took root?<br /><br />Farm Forward is just one example, but it’s a good one. If you’d like to know more about the terrific work the organization is doing, their <a href="http://www.farmforward.com/">Web site is here</a>.<br /><br />Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-82935506159571904682009-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:002009-05-10T07:26:08.261-07:00Edible SLO: Time For A ChangeThey say you can never go back. I think, in some ways, that’s true. For instance, once you realize that a lot of little changes add up to gentle revolution. Or, on the other side, once you see how a pile of small things can add up to big damage to the enviro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ediblecommunities.com/sanluisobispo/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbDl9T_eEEr03iRGS5wiTw54WgpqNe9szEXVw3DzQH_qZzoxdhjGKcHJTwwRaf82UbI_i94J36nRCClEzCgcWyANP_oVyflVgjkPBLYkVO7OrXr3kQo169QawwK-BkpDXMcT1vm99Ris/s320/slomockCover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334096243177111794" border="0" height="235" width="181"></a>nment. And, maybe most importantly, how powerful one confident voice can be when combined with others to make a chorus for real change.<br /><br />I should offer you specifics. Look, for instance, at one little container of strawberries grown in Mexico and offered for sale at your local market. How did those strawberries come to be there? What path did they take to show up in your neighborhood? They were grown far away: do you know what pesticides are allowed or disallowed in the region in which they were grown? (Or is their growing region even something the vendor has shared?) They’re out of season: <i>how</i> were they grown? When were they harvested? How were they stored and handled so that they were able to come so far looking so perfect? How much fuel was used to get this tiny basket of berries into your hands? And when, finally, you bite into one, how much flavor is left to enjoy?<br /><br />There are a lot of reasons to eat locally grown and raised foods. And, joyously, in this region of real bounty, there’s just no reason not to. That’s why I’m especially glad that my friend, <a href="http://www.hopedance.org/cms/"><i>HopeDance</i></a> publisher Bob Banner, will be publishing <a href="http://www.ediblecommunities.com/sanluisobispo/"><i>Edible San Luis Obispo</i></a> beginning summer 2009. As Bob tells us:<br /><i><blockquote>By eating locally, we help to sustain the small family farms which produce healthy foods with fullness of taste and provide for a safer food supply. The publication will follow our seasonal schedule: four times each year, you’ll be enticed with stories about farmers, chefs, and the local food industry. Gorgeous color photography featuring food and landscape will put life on pages full of culinary interest and events.</blockquote></i>I’m very much looking forward to the insights and wisdom Bob has been sharing for so many years in <i>HopeDance</i>, now applied to a very specific area of interest. In many ways, <i>Edible San Luis Obispo</i> seems like a natural progression of Bob’s work. We wish him luck in this new part of his journey and anticipate with delight the things he will share with us on the pages of his new publication.<br /><br />Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-31018595543964658122009-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:002009-05-05T07:00:00.547-07:00Building A Green DreamThere are some very real challenges to creating a truly sustainable lifestyle. One of the big ones is our home. Your dwelling represents thousands of design decisions. Many of those have a very real impact on the environment. This isn’t something we could give much thought to even a few years ago. That is, you might have thought “there must be a better way!” but few green alternatives were available. When they <i>were</i> available, there were prohibitively expensive.<br /><br />And now? While we still have a long way to go, things in this regard are much better. Many designers and problem solvers are applying themselves to coming up with green alternatives for home building and refitting.<br /><br />If these are questions that concern you and you happen to be in the Los Angeles area this coming weekend, you might want to look in at Alt:Build 09. Admission is free on Friday May 8th and Saturday May 9th at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. And I love that, <a href="http://altbuildexpo.com/index.html">on their Web site</a>, they say they’re going to have free valet bicycle parking available. That’s really walking the walk. More to the point, over 150 exhibitors will be on hand showing off the very latest in green alternatives for your home. Everything from straw bale home design, green alternatives to drywall, installations of living roofs, different types of solar systems, non-toxic paints and furniture, water conservation systems, environmental plumbing, sustainable landscaping... you get the idea: everything.<br /><br />If these dates don’t work for you (and I’m already afraid they don’t work for me) keep October 2nd and 3rd in mind. Same location, same general thrust, but this time with a focus on the road for the 4th annual AltCar Expo and Conference.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Alt:Build 09 <a href="http://altbuildexpo.com/index.html">Web site is here</a>.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-89580828160976204342009-04-22T12:00:00.000-07:002009-05-05T02:48:37.808-07:00Earth Day is for EveryoneOne of the things that’s become very apparent to me on this, the 40th anniversary of the celebration of <a href="http://www.earthday.net/">Earth Day</a>, is just how much towards the mainstream these ideas have moved. When I think about how long I’ve b<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7stt6p9jZB5CN7j-2xIQsECHFxo1YkhH1Vrj5atpFEAwnSefFJwf4N2fZx4NvBLL7LcGgleJkO0znznk05gbzMJ_tDYdmSJfdLilQAewCU2RvITsgVJ5WwLQnbrErQMIhKNfcS3RApg/s1600-h/earthday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7stt6p9jZB5CN7j-2xIQsECHFxo1YkhH1Vrj5atpFEAwnSefFJwf4N2fZx4NvBLL7LcGgleJkO0znznk05gbzMJ_tDYdmSJfdLilQAewCU2RvITsgVJ5WwLQnbrErQMIhKNfcS3RApg/s320/earthday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327566097650260994" border="0" height="172" width="171"></a>een concerned about the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer">ozone layer</a>” (remember the ‘70s?), wholesome and organic foods, the fates of endangered species, reducing and reusing and recycling... well, it’s been a long time. Long enough, I almost don’t want to admit to all those years!<br /><br />When I consider, I really began making some of the choices that now guide my life -- then considered avant garde or worse -- in the 1960s and certainly into the 1970s. Like many others, I was part of shift or groundswell for change that would, in many ways, end up permeating every aspect of my life by the time I got to... well, here and now. As I set out on this journey, some of the choices I made raised the eyebrows of those closest to me. Simple things.<br /><br />I remember, for instance, the faces of my family when I first talked about eating in a way that was more healthy and considered the way things were raised and grown. It was shocking to talk that way about food then. And maybe, from the viewpoint of my elders, somewhat disrespectful. These were not choices you made then: you ate what your culture handed you and never mind where or how it was grown or killed.<br /><br />And now? Now there is power even in decisions about that very simple thing: how we eat. Or, more importantly, the consideration and decisions we make before we prepare the foods we consume. And even beyond that: how we deal with the necessary waste associated with consumption. If a lot of people make responsible choices in that regard, we change the world. Simple things. A step at a time. Together.<br /><br />We change the world.<br /><br />Happy 40th Earth Day!<br /><br />Rejoice because while there’s still a long way to go, we’ve come so very, very far.<br /><br />Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-18515573313188914972009-03-24T19:30:00.000-07:002009-03-24T23:42:21.211-07:00On the Road with A Long Way to GoI’m proud to live in a place that makes an effort. There’s a duality to that, though. Because it’s not enough, is it? But it’s better than nothing. It’s a start. From a recent piece on Public Radio International called “<a href="http://www.pri.org/science/environment/california-low-carbon-diet.html">California’s Low-Carbon Diet</a>”:<br /><blockquote><i>Reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t just a good idea -- in California, it’s the law. The state is the first in the nation to go on a low carb diet. Three years ago it passed legislation restricting the release of climate change gases across its economy.</i></blockquote><i></i>Do you see what I’m saying? On the one hand, it’s great that we’re on that road; we’ve made a start. So many places in the world haven’t even come to terms with the fact that there’s a problem. On the other… well, sometimes I just think about all the wind and sun and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power">waves</a> out there -- all those lovely clean alternatives -- and I shake my head. Well, sometimes I shake my head and get on my soapbox. I’ll get off it now.<br /><br />There’s just such a long way yet to go.<br /><br />The link leads to a <a href="http://www.pri.org/science/environment/california-low-carbon-diet.html">transcript of the original broadcast</a>. You can listen to it there, as well. It’s an installment of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Curwood’s excellent <i>Living on the Earth</i> program. The show has been running continuously since 1991.<br /><br /><br />Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856990251668428401.post-11366246258451846422009-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:002009-03-07T14:37:52.986-08:00May You Live in Interesting TimesWe live in exciting times. I feel very lucky that life has placed me in a position to be able to see this.<br /><br />One of the things not everyone knows about me is that my undergraduate degree is in engineering. Yes, yes, it’s true: beneath the smooth façade of the Masters in business and the doctorate -- which makes me very philosophical, indeed -- beats the heart of an engineer. And though you can take the boy away from his slide rule, you can’t always…<br /><br />Here’s the thing: all these years later, I’m finding this geekish background to be a useful thing. It prepared me to not only accept change, but in some cases to run toward it and to embrace the most useful of it. I’ll tell you what I mean.<br /><br />I have a sense, sometimes, of the world spinning very quickly right now. For various reasons -- multiple reasons, really -- technology has never moved quite so quickly. Some of this is good news. One of the things I’m most excited about are the new technologies that touch the way we make our individual footprints. There are political, financial and ethical reasons for big, green change and a lot of it is right around the corner. One of the things I’ve come to think of when I hear the word “stimulus” is how we’re rapidly moving toward a time when green, sustainable change is a big part of what is being stimulated. Exciting times, indeed.<br /><br />We’re starting to see signs of this already. In this regard, everything is changing. From very small and seemingly simple things -- the way we clean our homes. The way we shop for food. The way we bring said food home from the market -- to the things that touch our lives most profoundly -- the way we build our homes. The way we grow our food. The way we fuel our cars and truck our goods across the country and the world. So many thing that we took for granted even a decade or two ago are now being rethought, reimagined. It makes me happy -- and even proud -- to be a part of this change. To do my part in all the ways I can.Dr. Peter Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17415705008272683221noreply@blogger.com