Tina,
Good luck in getting out to your land. Right now we are on solar and
hoping, as soon as we get a shop built, to build a wind generator. We
havent had any need for power since the solar got online but at this
point we are only in a small cabin while we are building the house.
Having the extra boost of the wind will be handy when the whole house is
done. We have all the regular do-dads, Frige, TV, PC, Satellite
internet, stereo, etc.. Washer and such will come when we get in the house.
For water we catch rain water off the roof (metal) store it (2500
gallons) in cisterns. For drinking water we built a solar distiller. Put
water from the cisterns in it. For the garden, once the house is done we
will recycle greywater from the house and use underground irrigation in
areas we can. We are also going to build another cistern for the
greenhouse for watering (catching rain).
We have only been here for a year and a half now and we lost almost all
of last winter and spring as it was very wet and we werent able to work
much. Hopefully this winter will be better for working.


Mark

Tina Gibson wrote:
Not much chance of drying anything in the car here anymore - it's possible
we'll get our first frost this weekend. HIghs are in the low 20s (C).
You're off the grid!! Something we are working towards. Got a house in the
city and mainly undeveloped property in the country. Get a little more done
out ther every yr - but can't actually move till the kids are out of
highschool - no way they'll move out there!! Only have a sauna building out
there that we try and stay in on weekends when things aren't too hectic in
town. So only pseudo - country folks for the moment. Hopefully next yr a
house will start to appear....
What do you depend on? wind, solar, water-power?? What is your water source
and how do you irrigate your garden? Be interested in hearing more. Sorry if
you've already posted - I've been absent from these news groups for about 4
yrs now...recently severenced off and have some free time on my hands..

"Mark & Shauna" wrote in message ...

Tina,
We have been using the bags too. We never tried the slits but the last
bit of basil we tried some of it got moldy. Perhaps the slits are the
answer or we had them too packed or in an area with not enough

circulation.

My wife just did 4 trays of herbs (quite a bit) in the truck the other
day, its so fast it makes it easy.

Thanks for the tip on the slits...

Mark

Tina Gibson wrote:

What a great idea!
I use paper bags. Pick off all the leaves, fill the bag 1/4 full flatten

to

distribute evenly in bag and put them in a dry place standing up - this

way

you can store more like books. You can cut small slits in sides of bags

for

air circulation. I do this with all my herbs now and it takes a while
depending on the humidity and temp and I like it better than drying and
hanging I used to do. Less messy to pick off the fresh leaves than

dried.

I think next yr I'll try the car idea.


"Mark & Shauna" wrote in message

...

Pluck the leaves from the plant and put them (lots) in trays you get

from the nursurey to hold your six packs, do this on day when its sunny

and you are not going anywhere. Place the trays in your car with the
windows rolled up in the sun. In a few hours you have completely dry
basil. We do this as we live off grid and dehydrators and freezers are
power hogs (though we have freezer). We use a lot of dried basil in the
winters and this way, although its not fresh, your basil doesnt cost you
anything.

The basil smell in the car doesnt hang around long in the event it
bothers you.

Mark

Allan Matthews wrote:


When I planted my new raised garden July 15, I bought a left over
withered basil plant and stuck it in. Now it is 2 feet in diameter, 2
feet tall and dense with leaves. How is the best way to dry
this?Thanks