Clearing Brush with Goats in the Pacific Northwest

Brush clearing is something you may deal with on a constant basis or rarely, but either way, brush clearing is always difficult and sometimes just a pain in the ass. Blackberry vines, sting-needle, and salmon-berry stocks crowd together and make it almost impossible to walk through.

Instead of using heavy machinery and expensive equipment, use organic methods to preserve the area and leave minimal impact on the environment. My favorite method of clearing real thick brush is to use goats.

Hungry hungry hip..Goats?

Goats can clear thick brush at a very fast rate and only leave behind lit nuggets of fertilizer in the form of poo pebbles. So clearing the land, also puts the nutrients back into the land instead of disturbing it. This is a natural way to clear out think brush and should be taken advantage when possible. That's the other nice part about goats, they can go anywhere!

Agile Experts

Goats are native to mountainous regions and would spend the majority of their lives of cliff sides standing next to hundred foot drops, but their amazing balance, agility and specialized footings keep them surviving. This makes goats especially useful when they area needing to be cleared is inaccessible to machinery or is too steep for workers.

Of coarse you could go the standard route of using clippers, heavy duty weed eaters, or a back hoe. Why waste the time and effort when you can simply build an fence and let nature do the work for you. 

Good vs Bad - Vegetable Showdown

Vegetables are important regardless of your health situation. The minerals and vitamins found in vegetables are vital for proper body composition. What do you consider a healthy source for your vegetables?

There are many varieties of vegetables from potato's to tomato's but not all are made alike. Vitamins, mineral s and protein amounts vary from  plant to plant. This makes variety in your vegetable choices key to a healthy lifestyle. 




These vegetables are starchy and should be avoided

• Potatos
• Yams
• Sweet Potato's

Sorry, potato chips don't count as your vegetables for the day. In general, if you have to cook it in order to make it eatable, it's not very good for you.

Rich in vitamins and minerals

• Artichoke 
• Mushrooms 
• Asparagus 
• Mustard

• Onions 
• Beets 
• Parsley
• Bell Peppers 

• Parsnip 
• Broccoli 
• Peppers (all kinds)
• Brussels Sprouts 

• Pumpkin 
• Cabbage 
• Carrots 
• Radish 

• Cauliflower 
• Rutabaga
• Celery 
• Seaweed 

• Collards 
• Spinach
• Cucumber 
• Squash (all kinds) 

• Eggplant 
• Tomatillos 
• Endive Tomato
• Green Onions 

• Turnip Greens 
• Kale 
• Turnips

• Kohlrabi 
• Watercress 
• Lettuce

By taking advantage of the information available  you can make a healthy meal decision and not sabotage your fitness goals.

Bookmark this page on your computer or smartphone and reference it when your shopping.

For more information on paleo foods to eat and not to eat: 

http://desertcrossfit.typepad.com/Paleo_Food_List.pdf

5 Inexpensive Protein Sources for Lean Muscle

If your goal is to gain muscle mass and strength, you aren't gonna get far without a proper amount of rich protein in your daily diet. In reality, almost everything has protein in it but the best sources are not only have a large percentage of protein but a low percentage of saturated fat and of coarse organic is best for you. 

What about cost?

Food is one of our most expensive bills. We should spend our money wisely on foods that are good for us and make us stronger. These 5 inexpensive protein sources are sure to boost your results.

We can agree that lean, organic meat is the richest source of protein. Nuts, seeds, beans, sprouts, etc all have lots of protein but in most cases this is not the majority of your diet. So I will focus on lean meat in this article.

Chicken, beef, pork, there is so much to choose from but which is best for gaining muscle mass? This comes down to many factors including traces of other vitamins and minerals and of coarse the cost. Sure you can get lean and mean eating lobster and sushi all day every day but that is not only financially not possible for many of us, it will probably get boring over time.

Ignoring exotic dishes and meals, lets focus on 5 different sources.

• Turkey

• Chicken

Turkey and chicken are both abundantly available in the united states and most other countries. Generally white meat is considered to be best for gaining muscle mass or getting lean. Dark meat tends to be saturated in more fat.

• Shrimp

• Tuna

Most seafood is good for you regardless. Amino acids, vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 make seafood too good to pass up. Shrimp is a great source of protein, one that I use often. There is a lot you can do with shrimp and it is very filling. Salmon is nice not only because of protein but also the abundant source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

• Buffalo

Buffalo is the most underutilized protein source that most people don't know about. Buffalo is so low in fat content that fat is usually added in order to make ground buffalo mold able for making burgers. This is similarly done with turkey burger which are frozen so that they hold shape. Fat basically holds burger meatballs together.

With the inexpensive protein sources you should be able to get a handle on your fitness goals. Protein is important for any diet regardless if you are wanting to gain muscle mass or not. Protein requires a lot of energy for your body to break down resulting in more caloric consumption that you would probably think.

Home Made Fence Building Decisions

I can't decide how I want to finish constructing this home made fence. At first, I was certain that I would be building a temporary fence that i would tear down at the end of summer. Looking at the diameter of the posts I used, I may be able to get much more out of it than I was originally expecting. I just can't make a decision.

Maybe my problem can be your solution, or maybe you have a solution for me? I'll go over my current options and if you have an idea, please comment below. 


Option 1

A temporary fence build out of the current posts and re-purposed decking to create a horizontal wood fence. The lumber I would be using, lets just say it's not high quality.

The benefits would obviously be expense. The posts were free, lumber from the property. And the salvaged lumber I got for free on craigslist. So I would only have to potentially spend money on nails or screws. pretty simple and cheap.



Option 2

One suggestion a family member had was to use greenhouse plastic as a "fence" because it holds in warmth. Here in the Pafic Northwest that is vitally important as our summers average around 70 - 75 degree with rare heatwaves into the 90's. So it stays pretty cool here, even in summer. 


The downside is that plastic sheets are obviously not very durable and more difficult to attach. My approach would probably be to put horizontal beams from post to post on the head and foot with spaced rips in between. The posts are currently spaced about 8 feet apart from each other, so rib posts spaced at 12 inch intervals should work well.

This is where I find this option could become somewhat expensive.

20 posts X 2 beams per post = 40 (2x4x96 inch) @ about $2.50 per

Total = $120 for 2x4 beams alone

This doesn't even include the rib posts which would roughly double this figure!

Total Cost = $240

Lucky for me I already have greenhouse plastic material? Considering the price would probably increase to about $350 at least. Now that's getting a little out of hand, but then again, over the coarse of maybe 3-5 years this option would probably pay off.



Option 3

Go for the standard wire fence that slightly expensive to purchase but easy to install and very reliable at keeping pests out. This option would costs somewhere in the range of $50 - $170 depending on quality and height. I could go for a low fence since i'm only try to keep the pooches from digging up my hard work.


These are my current options that I've been think over again and again. What do you think would work best? Do you have a similar problem? 


Leave a response below with your questions or suggestions

Fighting Nature the Easy Way

Sometimes nature can be a pain. When nature makes life difficult, make it difficult back. I'm not talking about chemicals. When growing an organic garden, chemicals should never be used.

I would love to tell you that the seeds are planted. But that's not the case quite yet. The rain has moved in and put a damper on things. Until it stops raining, I can't really get anything done. So let's go over some of the dynamics of this organic garden and why grass is a pain in the ass.

The Garden

I'm not planning a large garden. The garden is oddly shaped so almost impossible to say how large it is but I would estimate about 1000 square feet. With this space I hope to find what will grow best. So this year is essentially a test season.

I decided to go with larger rows to enable more space in between for tilling purposes. Also, with a thicker base on the row, i'm going to try and stagger seeds in a zig-zag pattern over the top of the row to increase overall yield.

Building a Fence

We have the posts for the fence in the ground already. Spent a good couple hours packing dirt into the post hole to make sure it has a tight fit. Instead of using wire fencing, I have decided to use only logs from the property as my material, just making it up as I go.

This is something i am still figuring out, hopefully i'll have a post on this soon.

Battle with Nature

Grass in the region grows thick and vigorous. Breaking up the ground becomes almost impossible without putting in some hard work hours. I believe I've solved this problem using the method you see in the picture below.

By taking some very large cardboard boxes and laying them out of the ground, you cut off the light supply and choke the plants of oxygen and ventilation. The plants slowly become weaker and weaker before they eventually would die and simply break down into the soil. 

Using this method requires very little labor and is especially effective at weakening root systems. I left these cardboard boxes out for about 4 weeks before taking it off and tilling the ground. The difference was unbelievable.

Growing an organic can sure be fun but it is also a lot of work. As you can see nature is a real pain and you will always be fighting it. So fight nature with intelligent action and your project will become much easier. Hopefully the rain will let up and I can get back to work. 

Until then, enjoy these articles:

How healthy is an Avocado?
Hamburger & Sandwich Reinvented

Lettuce Wraps, The Paleo Buritto

One of the most difficult aspects of eating Paleo was not being able to eat grains. For me, this meant not being able to eat burritos, tacos and all that delicious Mexican food. In fact, before going Paleo, my diet would mostly consist of burrito's. I know this sounds pretty boring or every meal but it was the best way I could find to consume lots of veggies and still enjoy my meal.

Plan of Action

I knew i couldn't give up my favorite meal, so what was I to do? I did some research and found lettuce wraps!

This just looks delicious!   >   >    

There are many ways to make lettuce wraps. The ingredients are endless, and the best part? 

It's 100% Paleo!

Need some recipe ideas?

• www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps
• www.eatingwell.com/recipes/five_spice_turkey_lettuce_wraps
• http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-lettuce-wraps

Work up an appetite with some at home body weight workouts

Growing a Small Organic Vegetable Garden : Part 1

Growing a small organic garden is a great way to spend your free time and has great payoffs, you get to grow your own food! This year i have decided grow a vegetable garden. I picked a spot, marked out some posts and got to work. It's been no easy task thus far, and I haven't even put any seeds in the ground yet! I've decided to document my progress in assuming that i will screw up eventually and someone else can learn from my mistakes. I'll be making lots of mistakes, I assure you.

What to do first...

First off, I live in the Paficic Northwest in a little area called Skagit Valley. About 45 mins north of Seattle with views of the San Juan Islands, Olympic Mountains, and Mount Baker, the Skagit valley is famous for its annual Tulip Festival and rich culture. The temperate climate and mild temperatures makes it a perfect place to grow some vegetables. We grow organic vegetables here. It's no wonder farms in Skagit Valley were recently recognized as protected farmland.


I know a garden will grow here, it's just a matter of me not screwing it up. I attempted to do some research as to what specific strains grow well in the area but i became impatient and decided to experiment and find out for myself. So i bought them all.

Getting down and dirty

I'm currently using a craftsman tiller, as you can see in the picture to the right. It's a very powerful tiller but the ground in the area is fairly rocky with some small logs so I have been going through sheer pins like crazy. It's very good soil though so it's worth the time and effort. I eventually gave up using the tiller until i could get all the roots/weeds and rock out of the dirt with shovels. Had the girlfriend out there working too, she wasn't very happy with me.

Some other tools we were using:

• Shovel
• Rake
• Pick Ax (removing rocks and stump)
• Hoe

After getting all the rocks, weeds, and a small stump out, I was able to then till up the ground a little bit more in able to create some mounded rows of dirt. Interesting things happen when your "playing" in dirt, dogs decide they want to help. After watching our three poodles digging up our hard work, I decided it was time to invest in a fence.

The nice thing about living in the country is there is material all around you. With 10 Acres of forested land, fence posts were not scarce. In all, we used a total of three, 6 inch diameter Alder trees to create the posts for the fence. 16 posts, each at about 6 feet in length. Was a lot of work, but well worth the effort. Alder is a much harder wood and is can dull a chainsaw blade quickly. Since the logs being used were small in diameter, I decided to use an ax to cut down the tree's instead of the chain saw.  OK, i'll admit it, I just like using an ax and pretending i'm a viking. You can't say you wouldn't do the same.

After digging the holes for the posts, I couldn't decide if i should fill around the posts with cement or gravel. I figured cement would help the posts last longer, but since i did not de-bark the posts i figured they were going to decay fairly quickly anyways and decided to go with gravel to pack the posts in. Less work overall so I was happy with the decision.

At this point, I have all posts in the ground with a few of the fence posts still needing to be packed in. After this is done, I will go get some fencing material and use an air compressed staple gun to attach the fence material to the posts. I'll also leave an opening for a gate. But this will be in the next segment.

I will continue working on my small organic vegetable garden. Hopefully i can post some more updates soon.

To be continued...

Where Does My Protein Come From?

The most common place to find concentrated sources of protein is in meat. Beef, pork, shrimp, chicken and
the list goes on. But what kind of protein is the best protein for you? We all know that processed chicken and beef is not the best for you and is best to stay away from. This we know.

For most of use, our diets consists of chicken, beef and pork, but there is so much more. Lets take a look at some sources of protein not normally looked at.

• turkey
• shrimp
• buffalo
• salmon
• tuna
• crab
• deer
• clams
• and much more...

When organically produced, these sources can provide a dense, clean building block for your body when making repair from a recent workout or just for sustaining a healthy lifestyle.


In general, meat should be purchased at a local food co-op or organically through other sources. Large chains grocery stores generally get their meat from 2nd grade producers, as opposed to organically.



Don't forget other sources of protein found in nuts & seeds. Egg whites are also a great source of protein. Check out the video to the right for detailed instructions on how to make paleo free protein bars.

You may like Top Ten protein Sources

Hamburger and Sandwich Reinvented

Subway, Quiznos, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, etc... It's where Americans go for their burgers. But
what is actually on these burgers that is so "bad" for us. Hamburgers generally consists of hamburger buns, burger patties, condiments and some vegetables, a hamburger cant be that bad, can it?

A hamburger can be if built properly. Less bun, higher density protein in the meat (turkey or chicken burger), rationing condiments  and most importantly adding lots of vegetables. I love my veggies. They are the heart and soul of every meal I eat. Are you eating enough veggies?

First lets look at what you should stay away from. Most condiments are generally processed "food" with lots of added ingredients  However some similar products can be found at your local food co-op that use much safe ingredient.

• ketchup
• mayo
• mustard
• relish
• any processes sauce

In general these are products you want to stay away from for their high sodium and fat content and for the amount of processing most of these items go through. Keep in mind, products sold organically are safe the this article is referring to the use of these sauces in 'fast food settings where organic products are scarce.

I recently went to subway and got myself a sandwich. I like my veggies, you know this, so i asked for extra veggies. The photo to the left is what i got. I want more vegetables than this!

Is this enough veggies for you? It isn't for me. So what is the proper vegetable proportioning compared to protein and bread? Now of coarse bread is not paleo but most of us can't stay away from it 100%.

What veggies are you eating on you burger, sandwich, or wrap? The list probably looks like this.

• lettuce
• tomato

But what about these healthy veggies full of rich nutrients in a large variety.

• red onion
• avocado
• cucumber
• red, yellow or green pepper
• olives
• spinach
• red leaf lettuce
• cabbage
• sprouts
• mushrooms
• and more...

Add variety to your diet and add energy to your life. Make it a habit to add at least 4 of these veggies, this increase in vitamins and minerals could be enough to jump start that weight loss or maybe get in top shape for that upcoming marathon. There really isn't a bad side to eating more veggies, so why aren't you?

How Healthy is an Avocado?

Avocado's are not only delicious, they are healthy for you too. An avocado is filled with vitamins and oils. According to nutritiondata.self.com, avocado's consist of 19% carbohydrates, 4% protein and 77% fat. That's a lot of fat, but good news, its mostly good fat! Only 13% of an avocados fat is saturated fat, the rest being monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Avocados also contain Fatty Acids such as Omegas-3 and Omega-6.
According to

So what makes an avocado good for you? you guessed it, its the fat! The good fat and fatty acids found in an avocado are substantially beneficial to brain function, joint movement, along with other bodily functions.

How can I make avocados part of my diet?

There are many ways to implement avocados into your diet. From salad's to burgers, avocados can be sliced, diced, or mushed. So what are you going to add some avocado to?

How about some recipes?

Cilantro Turkey Burger 
topped with Avocado slices

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup cilantro
1/4 cup red onions
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

cooking instructions



Orange, Avocado and Cashew Salad

Ingredients
2 large oranges
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup cashews
3 handfuls spinach
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
2 grilled chicken breasts


Instructions

1. Prepare both oranges by cutting off the rind and outer membrane. Slice out the wedges of the fruit between the segment. Save the juices from the orange.
2. Divide the greens up between two plates and top with oranges, avocados and cashews.
3. Add a little bit of olive oil and any juice left over from oranges to the salad.
4. Season with sea salt and pepper.
5. Add sliced up grilled chicken breast to top of salad
6. Enjoy this paleo recipe

What about a guacamole recipe?

Eating avocado is good for you and there are endless way to add it to your meals. For the best avocados, visit your local food co-op or farmers market.

Put avocado on a hamburger or sandwich