thehumanpath

[thehumanpath]

Canning doesn't stop when it gets cold. Learn about Winter Canning this weekend.

http://thehumanpath.org/calendar/sustainable-skills-series-winter-canning/

[thehumanpath]

about time to make natural dye from black walnuts...

[thehumanpath]

Post-Disaster Cooking

Hurricanes, blizzards, power outages and natural disasters take people by surprise all the time. Unprepared to store or prepare food without electricity, food spoils and people overlook options that would help them extend the food they have, prepare it safely and store remaining food for longer. This Saturday, 9 - noon, we have a crash course on sustainable and post-disaster cooking. Learn about ways to make your food go farther (post-disaster or just a miniscule budget ... or a food shortage) .... learn about cooking without electricity .... learn about ways to keep and prepare your food stored safely when you can not rely on power. This is a skill that much of the world is familiar and comfortable with -- come and learn more about how you can do this too. http://thehumanpath.org/calendar/green-cooking-skills-sustainable-post-disaster-techniques/

[thehumanpath]

http://thehumanpath.org/get-started/payment-policies/

[thehumanpath]

The Ebola Virus and Herbs

The Ebola Virus Hi everyone. I have had so many emails asking me about herbal possibilities in dealing with Ebola virus, that I am going to come out of what was meant to be a month-long hiatus (taken due to being so busy) and talk about Ebola. This is obviously uncharted territory. Is it possible to work with plant medicine to help someone beat the 60% or 90% mortality rate that different strains of this virus carry with them? That’s a very high mortality rate and means that at least 1 out of every 2 people contacting this virus will probably die. What can be done using orthodox medicine? Very little. What can be done using plant medicine? Probably a lot more. This is conjecture based to some extent on field research and folk medicine, as well as conjecture based on how we know the Ebola virus works as a pathogen in our bodies, and what herbs we have that absolutely do have a countering effect to some of those pathophysiological processes. In this podcast, I will discuss the virus strains, how infection is passed, signs and symptoms and how we would deal with this as an epidemic in the USA if it happened. I will then talk about the pathophysiology of this virus. What does it actually do in our body? How does it replicate? How does it damage our organs and kill us? Finally and most importantly, I will talk about the most promising plant medicine we can use, in my opinion (and remember, this is all opinion – nobody has any clinical data on any of this), to stabilize and get a person through an Ebola infection alive and hopefully undamaged. http://prepperbroadcasting.com/show-schedule/tuesdays/tues-human-path-800pmct/

[thehumanpath]

Wilderness Survival.

http://thehumanpath.org/calendar/primitive-core-basic-part-1-a-3-day-intensive/

[thehumanpath]

A couple of images from our recent hand-forging blacksmithing class, focusing on hatchets as the post-disaster tool of choice.

[thehumanpath]

By NEAL KARLINSKY, BRANDON BAUR and LAUREN EFFRON The mountain is Mexico’s El Sendero Luminoso, “The Shining Path.” That guy in the red shirt climbing the rock wall, without a rope, safety equipment or even a helmet, is Alex Honnold. During his solo climb in January, the 28-year-old extreme free climber made it 2,500 feet up to the summit of El Sendero Luminoso in little over three hours, his life suspended by just a few toes and fingertips, and incredible concentration. “Generally, when you’re soloing you’re just so focused on what you’re doing or you’re just sort of empty and…

[thehumanpath]

http://www.thehumanpath.com/youth/texas-kids-summer-camps.htm

[thehumanpath]

Growing your own medicine! Pt. 2 In today’s podcast Sam Coffman continues the discussion about what is involved in growing medicinal plants for your own back yard “farmacy.”

[thehumanpath]

Dark is setting in and the shadows at the quarry are lengthening. You stand quietly and watch the ridge, noticing a gathering of shadows that then move together. You move soundlessly through the junipers and jump down over a small embankment without them hearing you or sensing your movement. You slow your breathing and pause, as you can now see their faces and note that they're scanning the area -- but they don't see you. There are 5 of them, and they are flanking and surrounding a person holding onto a pack. The pack is filled with medicine that was stolen from your camp the previous day and its your job to get it back. They have put the pack down for a moment and you can hear them discussing the route they want to take. Low crawling through a stand of willows, the pack is now within your reach....

https://squareup.com/market/the-human-path/off-terrain-movement-and-agility-training-with-marcus-lincoln ================================= Whether you are training for a survival race or marathon, want to improve your physical coordination, become comfortable moving outdoors at night with ease or want to move forward in the Scout program, this 2 - 3 hour class will help you to gain confidence with outdoor movement. Training Date: May 31, 2014 Location: San Antonio Outdoor Classroom (directions will be emailed to registered students) Cost: $15/person, or 2 for $20 when paid in advance. Time: dusk (about 7:30 pm). Class will run approximately 2-3 hours.

[thehumanpath]

Urban preparedness, off-grid solutions to power, water purification, and community rebuilding after natural disaster.

http://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-wilderness-living-and-survival/events/160327892/

[thehumanpath]

The Barter Experiment: One Year Out.

Here we are, a full year after the first barter.  We have hosted 13 barters underneath the cedars at The Human Path, and it has come a long way from the first one where we set up a small collection of tables to give it a try.  Since then, we went from a couple dozen curious traders up to a boisterous crowd of almost 80 people at one point, and have now settled into a nice crowd of about 4 dozen people who venture out each month to participate in the Barter Experiment. 

One year later.  Sitting under the junipers after this past Sunday's barter, several of us discussed how things have changed over the last year.  Towards the beginning, the barter started with people who made a mad dash of trades at the start time, with a flurry of jams and homemade goods changing hands.  One of our traders noted that now, the barter has mellowed, and people are more established and less frantic to get what they are looking for. Why?  Because there is a trust thats been developed over time.  We know that Emily will have ginger brew in her cooler and all we have to do is give her a wink or a nod and she'll put one aside for us.  We know Samantha is the person to go to if we want fresh shelled pecans. And if she runs out, we know we can look her up in between barters and that she might ALSO have some tasty farm-grown meats as well.  Folks know if you need eggs, you should look no further than Gerald, or Amy, or any number of regulars that bring farm goods they grew, raised and collected themselves. And if you are looking for someone who really does know pretty much everyone, and has a story to go with it, well, we've got Rick, affectionately now known as 'the tool guy' with his strange gadgets and an assortment of tools from the Alamo days. (just kidding, rick) 

In short, we have a strong community that has grown where people who were strangers before are now friends.  It isn't about 'the haul' or how much each person can go home with after the barter the way it started out, but it does still carry an excitement of what unexpected thing might show up, a hidden homestead treasure you'd been searching for so long you'd forgotten, but that Carol might just have found in her garage.

Our barterers noted that the barter has slowed and has more room for social interaction and that the brief 'social' afterwards is a nice chance for people to get to know each other better. 

Where do we go from here?  The Barter Experiment is part of our urban preparedness program, as a project to encourage locals to interact, to build community and to cultivate self-sustaining skills.  Food swaps are popping up all over the country, with trendy venues and exciting homemade things to try.  In the end, it still comes back to the basic concept of people TRADING with each other for something they created or something to do with being self sufficient, that makes it a project we intend to continue hosting indefinitely as long as there is interest. 

This past weekend, our blacksmithing instructor did a demo for our barter to show off-grid (no electricity used!) forging of a knife blade from a salvaged coil from a car.  Margo's kids got a chance to try their hand (with their mother's permission) at a real forge!  It is this type of sustainable skill that we love and want to share with everyone.  We would love to have a demo each month of a skill, whether it is baking, or firing a pizza from the new cob oven or wood-working, etc.  The more skills we as a collective learn about, the more independent we can be. 

So, whats next?  The people that make up The Barter Experiment are re-creating local history by forming an active community that is savvy about the worth of their goods,  strong with their now seasoned trading skills and welcoming of newbies and old friends alike. 

If you haven't been out to a barter yet, put May 17th on your calendar and start making something to share at the picnic table afterwards, bring some recipe cards to share or start thinking about what you can trade to someone else who is looking.... 

See you all there. Thanks for making this a great project to undertake.

https://www.facebook.com/thehumanpathbarterexperiment

[thehumanpath]

The Urban Homestead. May 5 - 9th, San Antonio TX. This is a 5-day intensive course that covers the basics of how to get started on being more self-reliant. Learn about raising your own chickens or rabbits, techniques for growing your own gardens and creating healthier soil, and how to create a food pharmacy of preserved goods, medicinal herbs and repurposed tools, whether you live in the country or in an urban environment. Topics covered in the Urban Homestead (Hunter Gatherer) course: soil amendment and composting basics gardening: raised beds vs. wicking beds off-grid food safety basic tools of homesteading and food preservation animal husbandry: working with chickens, ducks, rabbits and quail alternative off-grid refrigeration basics rainwater harvesting vermicomposting long term food storage (LTFS): food dehydration water purification and storage on a homestead animal husbandry: dispatching small livestock bartering as a community tool LTFS: pressure canning, water bath canning LTFS: dry storage methods wild edibles: identification and usage guerrilla gardening the herbal food pharmacy LTFS: a 3, 6, 9 month plan Field Scenario - Putting it All Together: Individual and Community More information: http://www.thehumanpath.com/urban/

[thehumanpath]

Off-Grid Permaculture using salvaged and repurposed finds to create sustainable solutions.

http://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-wilderness-living-and-survival/events/174968152/

[thehumanpath]

April 10, 6 pm 8910 Callaghan RD, San Antonio, TX

Learn how to plan, create and grow your own medicinal forest garden this spring! Sam Coffman will step through the basics of creating a forest garden full of medicine in the Central Texas area.

He will discuss topics such as:

•...

[thehumanpath]

Off Grid Permaculture Class this weekend in San Antonio

Want to start using rainwater collection to water your gardens?

Interested in re-purposing building materials and recycled goods into a working eco-building or perhaps an outdoor washing machine?

Want to create your own sustainble source of water, power, food and shelter?

Do you see chickens and ducks in your future plans or solar panels to create renewable energy?

If these are things that interest you and you want learn more about how to do them in your own setting -- anything from a small urban spot to a place in the country --- this class will give you hands-on, in-class and outdoor Permaculture driven activities, outdoor projects, thought-provoking small group discussions and classroom Planet-Builder training.

You will leave this course understanding the basics of permaculture and how you can put it into practice wherever you live. You will understand how composting affects soil health and how to amend it ... you will learn about water run-off and ideas for re-using grey water several times after its original use ... you will learn about plant guild identification and how to recognize patterns in your own area and you will go home with resources, diy tutorials for permaculture projects, and ideas for how to start using permaculture basics immediately in your own life.

============================================

Class Cost: $150 for 2 days and includes home-cooked lunches with the tuition. Register online > https://squareup.com/market/the-human-path/off-grid-backyard-permaculture

Dates: March 29 - 30th, 9 - 5 pm.

Class Location: San Antonio Outdoor Classroom. *directions will be emailed to registered students.

Couples Discount: $25 off. 2 for $275. 4 couples spots remain. Online Discount > https://squareup.com/market/the-human-path/off-grid-backyard-permaculture