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Emily

Plants Used As Both Dentifrices (Teeth-Cleaners) and Food:

• Marsh Mallow, althea officinalis
• Beech, fagus sylvativa
• Wild Strawberry, fragaria vesca
• Alpine Strawberry, fragaria vesca 'Semperflorens'
• Scarlet Strawberry, fragaria virginiana
• Walnut, juglans regia
• Apple, malus domestica
• Dwarf Mallow, malva neglecta
• Dwarf Mallow, malva pusilla
• Aniseed, pimpinella anisum
• Sage, salvia officinalis
• Winged Prickly Ash, zanthoxylum alatum

Reference

http://www.pfaf.org (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Malus+domestica)

Apple

Scientific binomial name

Malus domestica, family Rosaceae

Synonyms

Pyrus malus (L.), Malus sylvestris domestica ((Borkh.)Mansf.)

Common names

Apple, Common Apple

Origin and distribution

A hybrid of garden origin, mainly involving M. sylvestris and M. pumila. Not known in a truly wild situation. Enjoys these habitats: Woodland Garden; Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; North Wall By; East Wall By; South Wall By; West Wall By. Is grown in these countries (and others): Austria; Belgium; Britain; Canada; Chile; China; Dominican Republic; France; Germany; Haiti; India; Iraq; Kurdistan; Mexico; Netherlands; Spain; Russia; Turkey; U.S.

Multiple uses

• Edible.
  • Edible Parts: Fruit.
  • Edible Uses: Oil; Pectin.
  • Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use. Apples are one of the most common and widely grown fruits of the temperate zone. There are a great many named varieties with differing flavours ranging from sour to sweet and textures from dry and mealy to crisp and juicy. There is also a wide range in the seasons of ripening with the first fruits being ready in late July whilst other cultivars are not picked until late autumn and will store for 12 months or sometimes more. See individual records for more details. The fruit of some cultivars is rich in pectin and can be used in helping other fruits to set when making jam etc. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation. An edible oil can be obtained from the seed. It would only really be viable to use these seeds as an oil source if the fruit was being used for some purpose such as making cider and then the seeds could be extracted from the remaining pulp.
• Medicinal Uses
  • Antibacterial; Astringent; Laxative; Odontalgic; Stomachic.
  • The fruit is astringent and laxative. The bark, and especially the root bark, is anthelmintic, refrigerant and soporific. An infusion is used in the treatment of intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers. The leaves contain up to 2.4% of an antibacterial substance called 'phloretin'. This inhibits the growth of a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in as low a concentration as 30 ppm. A ripe raw apple is one of the easiest foods for the stomach to deal with, the whole process of digestion taking about 85 minutes. The apple juice will reduce the acidity of the stomach, it becomes changed into alkaline carbonates and thus corrects sour fermentation. The apple is also an excellent dentifrice, the mechanical action of eating a fruit serving to clean both the teeth and the gums.
• Other Uses
  • Lighting; Oil; Teeth; Wood.
  • The fruit is a source of pectin. Pectin is used as a thickener in jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories. The apple is also an excellent dentifrice, the mechanical action of eating a fruit serving to clean both the teeth and the gums. The oil from the seed has been used as an illuminant. Wood - hard, compact, fine-grained. Used for turnery, tool handles, canes etc. It makes an excellent fuel.

Propagation methods

Seed - this species is a hybrid and will not breed true from seed, though some interesting new fruiting cultivars can be produced.. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It usually germinates in late winter. Stored seed requires stratification for 3 months at 1°c and should be sown in a cold frame as soon as it is received. It might not germinate for 12 months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If given a rich compost they usually grow away quickly and can be large enough to plant out in late summer, though consider giving them some protection from the cold in their first winter. Otherwise, keep them in pots in a cold frame and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of mature wood, November in a frame.

Varieties and subspecies of importance

There are many, many noteworthy and delicious cultivars of the common apple. Here is a sampling:

Sources of plant material

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Ecological functions/niche/symbiosis

A permaculture staple in temperate and other climates, the common apple tree feeds as well as shelters.

References

• http://www.pfaf.org (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Malus+domestica)
• http://www.ibiblio.org (http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Malus+domestica)

Guild:

Apple, malus domestica: delicious, beautiful, dentifrice Bowltube Iris, Iris macrosiphon: early-flowering pollinator, beautiful Wild Daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus: grass-suppressor, early-flowering pollinator, beautiful Daffodil Garlic, Allium neapolitanum; Chive, llium schoenoprasum : grass-suppressor, delicious Onion, Allium cepa; Dill, Anethum graveolens: insectary, delicious Comfrey, Symphytum uplandicum: fast-growing mulch, useful herb Hyacinth bean, Lablab purpureus: nitrogen-fixing, edible, uses little horizontal and much vertical space

<<<<<<< The fruit is a source of pectin. Pectin is used as a thickener in jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories. The apple is also an excellent dentifrice, the mechanical action of eating a fruit serving to clean both the teeth and the gums. The oil from the seed has been used as an illuminant. Wood - hard, compact, fine-grained. Used for turnery, tool handles, canes etc. It makes an excellent fuel. Propagation methods: Seed - this species is a hybrid and will not breed true from seed, though some interesting new fruiting cultivars can be produced.. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It usually germinates in late winter. Stored seed requires stratification for 3 months at 1°c and should be sown in a cold frame as soon as it is received. It might not germinate for 12 months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If given a rich compost they usually grow away quickly and can be large enough to plant out in late summer, though consider giving them some protection from the cold in their first winter. Otherwise, keep them in pots in a cold frame and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of mature wood, November in a frame.

Varieties and subspecies of importance: There are many, many noteworthy and delicious cultivars of the common apple. Here is a sampling:

'Cornish Aromatic'

    A dual purpose apple, the flesh is aromatic crisp, tender and dry with a delicious nut-like flavour[1, 38, 40]. In season October to March. A compact twiggy tree[38, 39]. Suitable for areas with high rainfall[38, 40, 41]. Resists scab and canker[38]. It is not a heavy cropper, but is reliable[39, 40, 41]. Full flower day 18. The fruit should be harvested as late in the season as possible.

'Crawley Beauty'

    A medium to large dual purpose apple with a firm, not very juicy flesh[183]. It becomes soft and sweet in the spring[39]. Tart with a fairly good flavour for dessert, it improves with cooking[183]. Available from November to April. A vigorous but upright compact tree, it succeeds in all soils and in all areas[38], growing well in the north[41]. Resists most diseases[38, 39, 183] and is free from scab[40, 41] Cropping is heavy and consistent[1, 38]. It flowers very late, later than almost any other apple cultivar[183]. Full flower day 32. Self-compatible. Harvest the fruit in mid November.

'Easter Orange'

    A dessert apple, the flesh is firm, crisp, sweet and aromatic. In season December to March. A very vigorous large tree[38, 40], with a neat habit[39]. It crops well[38]. Resists scab[38, 40]. Full flower day 15. The fruit should be harvested as late in the season as possible.

'Fortune'

    A medium size dessert apple, the flesh is firm but tender, rather coarse-texture, sweet with a rich flavour[38, 40, 41, 183]. There is a slight flavour of banana[1]. Of good quality, it is in season in September and October. A small compact tree, it comes into bearing when young and crops heavily but is inclined to be biennial[38, 40, 183]. The flowers resist frost damage[41]. Resists scab[40, 41]. Full flower day 12. Harvest the fruit in September.

'Gala'

    A medium size dessert apple, the flesh is firm, crisp, very sweet and juicy. A very good quality dessert apple[38, 183]. In season from October to March. A moderately vigorous upright and spreading tree[38, 40], it comes into bearing when very young and crops heavily and regularly[183]. Resists diseases[40], subject to canker according to another report[41]. Full flower day 16. Harvest the fruit at the end of October.

Ida Red'

    A medium to large dual-purpose apple, the flesh is crisp, fine-grained, juicy, mild and aromatic. Of excellent dessert and cooking quality, it keeps exceptionally well, with the flavour improving whilst in storage[183]. Of poor flavour[38]. In season December to April. A vigorous upright tree, it is very productive but is somewhat susceptible to fireblight[183]. It forms fruit spurs readily[38]. Full flower day 10. Harvest the fruit in mid October or later (when it will become bright red).

'Irish Peach'

    A small to medium eating apple, the flesh is soft, slightly aromatic, fairly juicy with a rich vinous flavour[38, 40, 183]. In season July to August. A moderately vigorous, spreading tree[183]. Trees are slow to come into bearing[40] and then crop irregularly[38]. Crops well, an easy apple according to other reports[1, 37, 41]. Succeeds in the north of Britain[41]. A tip bearer[38, 41]. Full flower day 8. Harvest the fruit as required for immediate use.

'Sunset'

    A dessert apple, the flesh is firm, crisp, sweet, slightly acid and aromatic[38, 41]. A moderately vigorous compact tree[1, 38, 40], it crops regularly and heavily[1, 38] even when young[39]. Prune the laterals to 3 or 4 buds[38]. Prefers a heavy loam[39]. Resists scab[38, 40]. Full flower day 12. This cultivar is self-compatible. Harvest the fruit in October.

Sources of plant material: The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Ecological functions/niche/symbiosis: A permaculture staple in temperate and other climates, the common apple tree feeds as well as shelters.

http://www.pfaf.org (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Malus+domestica) http://www.ibiblio.org (http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Malus+domestica)

Apple, malus domestica: delicious, beautiful, dentifrice Bowltube Iris, Iris macrosiphon: early-flowering pollinator, beautiful Wild Daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus: grass-suppressor, early-flowering pollinator, beautiful Daffodil Garlic, Allium neapolitanum; Chive, llium schoenoprasum : grass-suppressor, delicious Onion, Allium cepa; Dill, Anethum graveolens: insectary, delicious Comfrey, Symphytum uplandicum: fast-growing mulch, useful herb Hyacinth bean, Lablab purpureus: nitrogen-fixing, edible, uses little horizontal and much vertical space

======= >>>>>>>

• wild Δ

Wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca: ground cover, delicious

Most of these plants would prefer a temperate climate and deep soil.

• http://www.pfaf.org (http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Malus+domestica)
• http://healingtreefarm.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/how-to-build-a-fruit-centered-guild-pt2/
• http://www.hopshop.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=141
• http://www.eagle-ecosource.org/alternative%20gardens%20text.html

---

I read this article:

5000 Years of Traditional Agroforestry

"Ed Hammer visits a traditional agroforestry plot in the Mexican cloud forests and sees how millennia of knowledge and practice have created an intricate and beautiful edible landscape."

Article first published in 'Permaculture Magazine' No. 52. You can find it here

This article detailed the agroecological traditions and practices of a farmer (steward of the earth, really) in Chiapas, Mexico. (Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico, with a large and grossly marginalized population of indigenous Mayans.) Ricardo's farming model has evolved in the region over the past five thousand years. Forest-harvesting evolved into replication of forest ecology in the man-made garden.

Working three hectares inherited from his father, Ricardo's parcela, or garden, supports over forty cultivars. The farmer's intuitive and traditional practices draw striking parallels with permaculture design principles. As the author arrives at the garden, he notes, "While at first glance it appears that the forest is rapidly reclaiming this fertile glade it soon becomes obvious that every plant I can see has been consciously established here, in a remarkable display of agroecology." His system makes intelligent, maximized use of light and space. Sun-hungry plants in the middle of the clearing while shade-lovers lurk about the edges, and climbing plants seek out the canopy while root crops snake across the forest floor. Edible herbs command the space not occupied by annual crops.

"From where I stand I can see survivors of the original forest community happily co-existing with these introduced varieties, which gradually increase in number until agriculture and ecosystem become inseparable." The cultivars, planted by family before Ricardo's time or in his youth, have received minimal care over time and so have become part of the forest ecosystem. Ricardo trims their leaves occasionally, but primarily just harvests their fruits. Ricardo's yields benefit from this forest-mimicing gardening style. He says, "When you grow a plantain by itself there is so much space that is wasted, under the leaves, on the ground and under the soil, this is where the forest grows its fruits."

The author notes that "through adapting the laws of the forest, Ricardo has created an alternative eco-system where resources are capitalized but also conserved, through biodiversity, nutrient cycling and symbiosis." Deep-rooted plants are paired with shallow-rooted ones that can hold the soil together, protecting against sun and rain. Ricardo does have five staple crops grown as monocultures that he rotates in such a way as to leave each plot fallow every three to four years. This rotation prevents leaching and maintains soil fertility.

Ricardo's approach, like that of many traditional farmers, is simple yet holistically effective. "Although he is unaware of the scientific arguments supporting agroecology or permaculture, instinct has taught Ricardo everything he needs to know to achieve the maximum sustainable yield from his natural capital. Through simulating, rather than exploiting, their natural resources in this way, subsistence farmers throughout the tropics are demonstrating the considerable potential of agroecology systems."

"At a time when agricultural sustainability is rapidly emerging as one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced, it is essential that the local knowledge and skills of these traditional agricultures are recognised and appreciated. Although Ricardo’s garden illustrates a small, but significant, aspect of full permaculture design, ultimately he has demonstrated that the development of agroecology systems, specific to individual environments, will be essential in achieving the goal of global food security."

---

Bioneers 2007 was:

• unexpectedly pleasant and amazing.
• a cataclysmic display of what can happen at the intersection of sustainability, spirituality and social and environmental justice. I loved it all, except maybe the sleep deprivation that hit me like a tank around 3:30PM every afternoon, and met a few really interesting people. It sort of re-inspired me about sustainability in general. *see explanation below
• like a weekend spiritual retreat for most everyone who does not live in a spiritual community and a lot of us who do
• really awe-inspiring in its breadth of scope and depth of meaning
• regenerative

Bioneers 2007 was not:

• an interminable litany of new cob-building technologies and the like, as I thought it would be
• about sustainability and nothing else
• restful
• long enough, or would not have been long enough if I had not been sleeping on the floor

I went to the 2007 Tallgrass Bioneers conference in Grinnell, Iowa, which was the satellite station for the broadcast of the main San Francisco conference to the central midwest, expecting the high point to be jamming with hippies in a church basement. That was fun, really fun, but the best part by far was listening to the speakers. The main, or plenary, speakers, beamed in from San Francisco, were all good if not incredible. A couple of the regional speakers at the afternoon workshops had profound messages, as well. The whole weekend had us feeling as if we were world revolutionaries, playing house, learning the most crucial knowledge, being guided by elders, forging our own way, and so much more.

• Lately I have been perplexed by the fact that I love to play in dirt, slap things together and generally engage in manual labor, yet have no desire to learn about the finer aspects of these functions. For instance, about a week ago, we were building a straw-bale wall for the outdoor greenhouse that will be just outside our classroom. After a bit of figuring out who would dig holes and who would operate wheelbarrows, I was assigned to chop up straw with a weed-whacker. This was great. I was very excited about doing this thing, especially excited because my only instructions were "Here, use this to chop up this" and a few technical pointers on how to operate the thing, how long the straw should be, etc. There were no explanations of what thickness of wall is ideal in a temperate climate such as this one, which variety of straw performs best or how to stabilize the wall. I would love to learn those things on a farm, just not in a classroom, where I would learn and implement them perhaps once and then be done until I had graduated and begun actually working.

So, Bioneers made it clear that I just need to maintain the greater vision, that I will, ultimately, need these technical skills if I am going to help communities or individuals set up sustainable systems within their environments. Though I won't really understand them until I am working in the field, it is good to get a sampling now - it's a veritable smorgasboard of technologies, idealogies and possibilities that we are exposed to as Sustainable Living students here at M.U.M. At some point in my life, the following shall happen: I am living immersed within my new culture of amazing musicians and people, perhaps in Peru, or Morocco, or Zimbabwe, or Cuba, or Louisiana, or Nigeria, or Bali, or Buenos Aires, or Hungary, or Appalachia - or anywhere - making music with them, dancing with them, teaching them how to implement sustainable systems in order to remain or become self-sufficient in this "modern" world, raising each others' babies, learning different ways to be a person, and writing about it all the while. Ideally, I will be there with another person, and I can be the cultural intermediary who learns the language of the people, explains things, and facilitates communication, while the other person actually creates the straw-bale houses and rainwater catchment systems. Yet, it is true that I might be the only one there - the only one who can provide instructions on how to create a toilet that uses water from the sink one washes one's hands in or on designing forest gardens so that they may never be hungry again. So here I am, trying to be patient with myself and focus on the things I will be able to do with the skills I'm now learning about.

Here are some ideas I noted from plenary speakers, beamed in from the San Francisco conference:

The general happiness of the American people began to decline in the 1950s, when family and work life became separate because of the suburban explosion. * We must allow ourselves to love what we love. - from Judy Wicks' talk on local economies

We must think like the cathedral builder, who knows his work cannot be completed in one lifetime. - from the introduction to John Abrams' discussion; he actually eschewed his scheduled speech and talked about employee-owned businesses instead

Through connecting those who most need work with the work that most needs doing, we have the ability to retrofit a nation. - from Van Jones' talk, which was the favorite of many, on the relationship between socioeconomic inequality and the green movement

"The meals I prepare are delicious. Yes, they're poisonous, but there are other chefs working on non-lethal cooking." Chemistry is no different; we must abolish the inherently toxic practices of traditional chemistry and look to green chemistry for answers on how to evolve technologically. * (matter + energy) + (human spirit + ingenuity) = change - from Paul Anastas' talk on green chemistry

Our self-image is deeply influenced by our surroundings. We all have the right to demand beautiful surroundings. * USA: 5% of the world's population, 25% of the world's incarcerated. * Environmental justice is the civil rights of the twenty-first century. * Consider crime prevention through ecological design, i.e. pruning trees so that streetlights shine through to make crime more difficult. * "If we can cap carbon emissions, we damn well better learn to cap poverty emissions." - from Majora Carter's talk, one of my favorites, on greening the ghetto and creating the opportunity for "green-collar jobs" (also mentioned in Van Jones' talk) through her organization, Sustainable South Bronx

The only point of having power is to give it away and to inspire other people to have it. - from Eve Ensler's talk on V-Day, violence against women and the revolutionary force of the performance of the Vagina Monologues around the world (I usually don't enjoy feminist speakers but Eve's message was so powerful and human and true that the amazing piece, "Leaving My Father's House," that she read at the end of her speech brought tears to my eyes)

"I am not mentally ill; I was brutalized by the world" - a veteran * PTSD: Post-Traumatic Soul Distress, Post-Terror Social Disorder. * The don't ask, don't tell contemporary social policy on veterans talking about their war experiences is wrong and must stop. * PTSD used to be called "Soldiers' Heart." - from Edward Tick's talk on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, war survivors and the need for post-war healing and its process

The way I can tell that I'm on the right track is that I smell my fear and head right for it. * Keep heading for what's broken, offering my heart. * Be willing to stand in the pain. * Now is the time to look to and examine new models of leadership -ones with softness in front and strength behind, as in martial arts. * We are here to transform life - into something more sacred, celebrated, equal, just and beautiful. - from Charlotte Brody's talk on the beauty, devastation and fragility of life and how it is something to celebrate and love unconditionally

There are three main points about what we are doing and need to be doing to the ocean: Too much in, too much out and protect the edge. - from Wallace J. Nichols' talk on the ocean and sea turtles

There is a New Orleans Diaspora. * If the people are not well educated, then having a choice means something different. - from Carol Bebelle's talk on New Orleans

The feminine focuses more on belonging, not belongings. * ..."thinking I could love a flower once I could say its Latin name. * "If we are not in awe, we aren't paying attention." - from, I think, possibly, Winona LaDuke's talk..?

"Now they [multinational corporations] must figure the cost of human rights into their bottom line. So, slowly but surely, the system is changing. * There are new abuses that come with globalization. * Corporations have power and a lot of other things, but they don't have what we have - truth and each other to protect, together, this house we live in. - from the talk by Ka Hsow Wa and Katharine Redford on their landmark victory, the first ruling convicting a multinational corporation of human rights violations outside of the U.S.

---will add a bit more tomorrow morning---