What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

If it's losing your big belly then you'll want to see this video on YouTube!

Cheers,
Stephen Shulenski

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

Hi Steve,

Fascinating video! I agree low carbs is the way to go (and that fats ain't as bad for you as they used to think)...

Health for me is #1 now! Without your health, you ain't got anything...

As for my new year's resolution... I'm planning to eat more vegetables! I've been very poor at eating vegetables... But, I think that may be the "missing link" in what I'm doing now. So - more veggies for me (the non-starchy kind), with more variety too...!

Whatever you do... I think health has to be a big part of your priorities, since without health, you don't have energy, and without energy, you can't do much else...!

Thanks Steve!

Best wishes, :)

Dien

Dien - this might help with your resolution
 

Dien:

This might help with your resolution...

I garden every year - not on a huge scale but enough to feed us. I found a youtube video about a fellow named Larry Hall using a new system of gardening (RGGS - Rain Gutter Grow System) ....really not new, but a new twist....I was growing in a similar fashion but what he was doing seemed so much better using his methods.

So in 2013 I ran a small test of his system, and as a result of that test I dismantled most of my system and converted to his in 2014, and in 2015 will be using this RGGS system exclusively for my garden. It really is a great system that is ideal for any climate, in any sized area, and almost fail proof if one follows the system.

People are using this system of growing with great success now all over the world (in OZ also)....even in the desert areas.

People who have never been able to grow anything are now supplying themselves with fresh veggies.

Larry Hall started a group on Facebook that has grown from zero members to now approaching 16,000 members over the last 2 years.

I would encourage anyone interested in eating healthy to take a look at his videos either on youtube or Pinterest...even if you have never grown anything successfully in the past. It is an almost a care free system where you plant it and then harvest it. No weeding, no watering, and hardly any maintenance.

Disclaimer - I have no financial ties or gains from my association with this other than personal satisfaction in helping people to start eating healthy through a simple method of growing their own food - even in small spaces - that can be used in every corner of the world.

Just a few examples - in an area of 7½ square feet I grew just under 80 pounds of carrots....heirloom tomato plants 6 feet tall, and healthy....even sweet corn....pole green beans - roughly 50 pounds of beans in an area of just under 3 square feet and only12 plants.

If you are interested I have a small sampling on a web page showing the system I started in 2014 and some of the plants that were growing on it. It can be seen at http://3buckbetty.com/rggs/garden.html (there are no links leading to or from this web page as it is only there to show to people that I want to see it, and the domain it is hidden on has nothing to do with gardening or the RGGS system).

Cornell

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

My Main Goal in 2015;

To get 100 biznesses......
1) paying me $500 or more a Month!.....
and.....
2) without needing my attention

So that I can turn the biz over to my daughter and youngest son (who've had some bad financial things happen to them)

How will I accomplish this?

1) choosing niches with "high-paying" clients......like;
Senior Living facilities......Dentists.....Dui Lawyers.....Personal Injury Lawyers .....Divorce Attorneys.....Home Remodelers......and Roofers

2) Branding my PLR "Promo" Videos (from Dave Cisneros, Nick Mancuso & Mark Helton)........with Niche Logos & Contact Info (with strong Call to Action)...and Phone Numbers I CONTROL (CallFire or Twilio)

3) Ranking videos for Niche Keywords (emergency roofer, emergency dentist,......etc ) I call them "Keyword Videos".

4) When I see that a few calls have gone to the Niche Biz I chose....I call them and tell them that twas I.....who caused the calls to come in and if they'd like to continue receiving these calls......it will cost them $497 (or more) per month

Now.....each of the calls has a "whisper" effect (Here's another lead from Don Alm).....so my clients KNOW tis I who caused the call.

So..... because I don't "fart-around" with charging per call.....whether a call is an actual Lead or not.....and just charge a flat fee......there's little or no maintenance......so....I can pass these accounts to anyone.

So...wishing ALL Sowpubers a Prosperous 2015

Don Alm

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

Don- that was a fantastic post- thank you. Very specific, and very doable.

Planting the seeds, and reaping the harvest...
 

Hi Cornell,

I agree - growing something in your garden, and eating the result, is a bit like experiencing one of nature's "miracles"...

I'm not currently growing any veggies, but we have some fruit trees... Peaches, miniature plums, apples, pears, and lemons. We also have an exotic fruit called loquats (or Japanese plums), which was planted by a former neighbor (who's since moved) on the border, though most of the branches with fruit seem to come on to our side of the border! (For some reason, the current neighbor seems to leave the "harvest" on their side for the birds to eat, so I don't think they mind.)

I looked up the RGGS - Rain Gutter Grow System, and I found this introductory video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg

Looks like a great system for growing vegetables!

I had a look at your photos, Cornell, and you sure have a great "crop" there! (I also like your alternative use of a kiddie pool!)

Thanks, Cornell!

Planting the seed, and reaping the harvest... it's also not too different from "growing" a business... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Dien - this might help with your resolution
 

Thanks Cornell, That's a great system.
Have you ever considered Aquaponics?

Cheers,
Stephen Shulenski

Re: Planting the seeds, and reaping the harvest...
 

I just planted some Moringa Oliefera Seeds last week. It's called the Miracle Tree! It could make you some money to... It's one of the 39 superfoods in my new all natural health and wellness product.

One of my customers works in a nursery and she just bought a small farm. She mentioned she would like to grow all of the superfoods in the product so I gave her some seeds as well.

A year ago I purchase a small book "Superfoods Index by Seana Smith" and have worked them all into my diet!

Here's the publishers description of the book....

"Superfoods are the best foods we can eat as they are supercharged with antioxidants, vitamins and all the essential nutrients we need for a life of good health and vitality. Seana Smith tells us in this information-packed book how eating superfoods makes you healthier, happier and even wealthier! Here is the who, what, where and why of the top 50 Superfoods: including nuts, berries, avocado, barley, chia, lean meat, broccoli and thankfully chocolate. With tips on buying, storing and cooking, this supercharged book contains all you need to make your life zing with health and vitality.

I had to look in 19 health food stores before I found one that carried Moringa so I think she can do well selling fresh and dry Moringa from the seeds I gave her.

All she would need to do is give some free samples to health food stores who are not stocking it yet and show them this "Discovery Channel Documentary".

Cheers,
Steve Shulenski

Almost like "set it and forget it"...
 

Hi Don,

Sounds like a great system...

Almost a kind of "set it and forget it" approach, where you can let it do the monetary version of "rotisserie cooking" while you can do other things...

(Including setting up more systems!)

Thanks for sharing!

Best wishes,

Dien

(with a tip of the hat to Ron Popeil...)

Re: Planting the seeds, and reaping the harvest...
 

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the link to the video... Very informative! I'd never heard of Moringa Oliefera before, but after seeing the video (and also doing some Googling), it does sound like it's good stuff!

I'm all for "super foods" as "super fuels" for the body... I don't want too much "crap" clogging up my engine... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Dien - this might help with your resolution
 

Hi Stephen:

There are several members of the RGGS group that have incorporated it into the system, with several more planning on doing it in 2015. Personally I haven't but am aware of it. I am currently working on plans for erecting a 30' diameter geodesic dome for greenhouse growing, and part of the passive system for heating and cooling includes a pond within it which will also be aquaponics related...so will serve dual purpose of temperature control as well as the aquaponics for a portion of the plants within the dome.

Thanks for asking and looking at the system...personally I find there is nothing more pleasurable than being able to pick and eat fresh.

Cornell

Re: Planting the seeds, and reaping the harvest...
 

Hi Dien:

Thanks for looking, and now I am jealous...wish I had the fruit trees you are blessed with. I grew up with fruit trees all over my parents property and sure do miss them. Unfortunately the soil here is solid, rock hard clay and the fruit trees do not fare well in it at all.

I was kind of amazed at the results obtained in the kiddie pools...these are one of the areas I will be expanding next year.

You are absolutely correct about the seeds...falls right in with the dual meaning behind the logo for SOWpub :)

Cornell

Re: Dien - this might help with your resolution
 

Hi Cornell,

If you take your dome, pond, RGGS system and add some solar panels to keep the lights on and the pumps going you can be fully self-sustaining.
It’s the best way to go if you want to make sure you are consuming only fresh GMO free organic food.

Cheers,
Steve Shulenski

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

I had the pleasure of meeting Ron Popeil when I was living in the Aspen area.

His money-making "system" was to create a product, make a prototype, make a Video Commercial, get a Store Chain like Walgreen's to pay to be on the Tag (where to buy) and commit to paying for X units and X #of commercials THEN......he would produce the units.

I tried the same thing when a plastic Co asked me if I could help them promote their product. It was a plastic bar with a paddle on each end and a rubber ball hanging from a rubber string in the middle of the bar.

The idea was to get the ball swinging so you could bounce it back and forth between the paddles.

Well.....I made an agreement where I'd get 5cents from each one sold. I put together a commercial for them and had Walgreen's interested when the owner of the Plastic Co phoned me one morning and told me Walgreen's had cancelled.

It turned out that we called the product "Teeny-Bopper" and......Walgreens discovered that "Teeny-Bopper" had become a "bad name" in England. So, we gave it up.

However, that was 35 yrs go. Maybe the thing would go, now. But, I'm not getting back into THAT biz ever again.

Don Alm

Re: Dien - this might help with your resolution
 

Hi Steve:

Yes, yes, yes, and yes....I am really pumped on this endeavor with the dome. My whole intention will be to arrive (through experimentation) at as close to zero cost for lighting and heating as possible.....have ideas on 2 standby heat sources to augment the passive that will cost next to nothing to operate if and when needed. Also will be experimenting with 2 wind generators along with solar panels for auxillary lighting if needed.

The dome is so much more efficient than the standard greenhouse, and I have located a covering that is UV resistant with a guaranteed 10 year life, diffuses the light so there is no shading anywhere in the dome, and also only has a 45% heat loss during the night hours...which will make the passive so much more effective. Heat loss in a standard greenhouse with glass, plastic, or polycarbonate covering is so very, very, poor.

Also with the 30' diameter dome comes a clear center height of 15'. I have designed a version of the RGGS for this that when combined with this clear 15' height will allow moveable raised platforms 7' in the air that will house my ever bearing strawberry plants...and due to the nature of the dome covering, the plants below in the RGGS will still get full sunlight.

Also with the dome I can easily add an adjoining 15' diameter dome for colder weather plants...so basically can have the best of both warm and cooler season veggies in their own individual climatized growing areas year round. With the exception of dairy, poultry (eggs), and meat I should be self reliant for food....no matter what comes along. Also have access to large, free, natural supply of water with a filtration system ready to go for it, and as I only grow heirloom plants (seed saving) will always have the plants.

Cornell

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

That's great!

I hope you are recording / documenting it each step of the way.

Would make a nice info product or free bait on a list building capture page.

Then when your plants go to seed you can package and sell 'Cornell's Heirloom Seeds'.

Use your info product to market your seeds or sell the info products and you'll throw in an assortment of seeds as a free bonus... or use them as a OTO. 50% off the regular price.

Some chickens and goats would be a nice addition but you'll be surprised how many fish a good aquaponics system will produce each year. You can survive on salads, vegetables, berries and fish!

You are going to have a lot of fun with it!

Sow some good seeds come planting season, and enjoy your harvest for many years to come!

Cheers,
Steve

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

Back in Dec 1990 we moved into our new home in Oregon (from Colorado) and there was a guy on Home and Garden Channel promoting his "Square Foot Gardening".

So.....I bought the book and watched the program religiously. Dug up a 10 by 20 section of back yard.....down 3ft and added amendments to enrich the soil and planted my first Square Ft Garden.

It was WONDERFUL. The author even showed how to grow tomatoes on a 4x8 sheet of chicken wire stretched over a frame. I planted 4 plants at the base, making 4 columns and as the plants grew I'd snip off the flowers as they came out until the plants were at the top of the 8ft frame and WHALA, from those 4 plants we had MANY POUNDS of tomatoes all summer.

Plus.....cucumbers and eggplants like we've never seen before.....including the largest pumpkin we've ever grown. We named it "Big-Boy".

2 yrs ago our church bought 2 acres of land next to our church. A few of us planted a garden on 1 1/2 acre and raised 12,000 lbs of veggies and in 2014 brought 22,000 POUNDS of veggies to 3 local charities. We're looking forward to 2015 to see how much we can grow.

I haven't checked but I'll bet "Square Foot Gardening" is available somewhere.

Don Alm.....looking forward to Spring Planting

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

Hi Steve:

Yes...have domain secured for it :)

Thanks.

Cornell

Re: What's Your New Years Resolution for 2015?
 

Don, you bet there's all kinds of books on Amazon related to Mel Batholomew's "Square Foot Gardening," and lots of videos on youtube, too.

Are you using the fundamentals of SFG at your church's garden?

By the way, that doesn't sound like a garden, sounds like a small farm! Nice harvest numbers!