rds

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So far rds has created 121 blog entries.
303, 2015

Until one is committed…

March 3rd, 2015|

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back– Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

— W.H. Murray

1308, 2014

sustainable forestry and carbon stock

August 13th, 2014|

It is commonly accepted that forests are the single most important factor in erosion control and water control, cultivating water resources, curbing global warming by absorbing CO2, preserving biodiversity, and so much more. For these functions to work effectively, proper forest management is crucial. Sustainable forest management is necessary to ensure that timber resources remain available over time.

The functions of forests that serve the public good can be enhanced by appropriate forestry management including weeding, pruning, and thinning. Forests absorb CO2 then retain it as carbon – or “carbon stock.”

Harvested trees that are milled and then provided to the world as a variety of applications, including housing and furniture in which cases the timber will be used for many decades. Even after trees are processed into products, the wood continues to retain CO2 as carbon. Thus, it can be said that using wooden products and building wood-construction homes are activities that “create forests in homes.”

Wood products can still be used effectively even after they have served their purpose. For example, in the case of wood-construction homes, the lumber can be re-used after demolition as wooden materials such as boards. Wood chips resulting from this process of re-use, and wood that has served its purpose as a wooden product, can still be used as wood fuel or as a compost complement (just to name a couple of examples). This is called cascade usage and is a way to use wood completely and totally. In this way, carbon is retained for a very long time – until for example the wood products are used as fuel, or are left to decay at which point the CO2 released is the CO2 that was absorbed during the tree’s growth process, so the CO2 in the atmosphere has not been increased during the life cycle of the tree. In the case when the wood ends up mixed up in a compost pile, the carbon is added directly to the soil which is another viable method of carbon fixing.

The longer the use cycle, the better. Especially given that in sustainable forestry, a major emphasis is put on planting new trees and on forest regeneration. For this reason the production of sustainable wood that is of premium quality is particularly important since it will yield wood-based products that will last longer. For example, traditional timber frame houses can last many centuries with adequate wood.

Just harvesting trees and using the timber means forestry resources will be depleted. In sustainable forestry we always plant and cultivate at least as many new trees as were harvested, (usually many more) to ensure sustainability of forest resources. From a carbon stock perspective, during the time wood products used in homes are retaining carbon, newly planted trees grow, absorb CO2, and retain carbon. By promoting operations that encourage greater use of sustainably and responsibly produced timber resources through the structural application and incorporation of wood. Sustainable forests and the carbon retained in the homes built with sustainable wood thus increase the carbon stock and contribute to counteracting the increasing carbon footprint of modern society.

However, sustainable forestry cannot be viewed from any single point of view (such as carbon stock for example). Natural ecosystems, wildlife habitats, biodiversity, soil fertility, genetic depletion, social impacts – both local and global, all play an active part in the sustainable forester’s mind. For this reason, sustainable forestry ought to be part of a lifestyle incorporated as an element within a greater whole-system living situation such as a farmstead (in our case). And this has little to do with money or business.

1308, 2014

sustainable forestry definition

August 13th, 2014|

Sustainable Forest Management is defined as the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems.

We’ve established standards of ethic, sustainability, and quality absolutely unparalleled in today’s forestry and lumber industry. We’re a small family operation and we do everything ourselves. No middle men, no abused farmer at the end of the line, no depleted soil. We plant trees, manage the farm and live the land. We harvest the most mature and adequate trees and we produce lumber on site with our own top-of-the-line sawmill. We have an intricate and complete knowledge of our wood and its properties such as was common perhaps 200 years ago but is perhaps almost gone today.

We sell premium quality sustainable wood and have an authentic, un-compromised process about our way of life in our cherished forest. We’re constantly working in the jungle we love – planting, working the land, harvesting, etc. Lumber availability depends on many factors including how many mature trees we’ve got of a given species, our overall forest management plan for sustainability, ecology and nature protection, the season, our work load, administrative questions (in Costa Rica, permits are required from the ministry of the environment in order to sell wood and lumber), and unexpected events (for example when we find valuable fallen trees in the forest). You can find our current availability and offers on the sustainable wood page, along with more info on our forestry practices.

sustainable-forestry

1601, 2014

for the more adventurous…

January 16th, 2014|

For the more adventurous, fit, and dedicated folks out there, don’t miss out on this year’s forestry workshop. It will change and broaden your horizons in so many ways.

In March, we’ll be running an intense 4-day forestry workshop. Come join us in sunny Costa Rica for this unique opportunity to acquire invaluable and well rounded experience in the fascinating world of sustainable forestry, logging, milling, forestation, and profitable woodlot management.

No matter where you live in the world, if you have chosen to live close to nature and off of the land, you will need to master the many crafts of sustainable forestry. Any community, farm, homestead, or organization which aims for independence, sustainability, and resilience outside of the money cycle needs to include forestry as a crucially essential part of their operation.

If you strive for harmony and sustainability, you’ll get innumerable benefits from doing your own forestry while at the same time fostering integrity and positive impacts.

So don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Head over to the forestry workshop page for all the info and to register online.

401, 2014

a man can master

January 4th, 2014|

A conscious man can master in a few months skills a “normal” person may need 10 years to just learn. If you’re able to do one thing consciously, you can do anything. But we can’t understand what it means to do something consciously since we live through everything mechanically.

401, 2014

turkey egg

January 4th, 2014|

turkey egg

3112, 2013

lapas

December 31st, 2013|

Lapas

Lapas are daily visitors in our region. They’re particularly fond of the seeds of the Teak trees which are very prolific in this season. We have a teak forest of about 40 acres that’s a big attraction for these amazing birds. The teak plantation was planted about 20 years ago when some of our land was used for forestry.

Lapas

3012, 2013

daily sight on the farm – Ari and Lela with their wheelbarrows

December 30th, 2013|

alternative schooling

A daily sight at the farm – Ari and Lela with their wheelbarrows.

2312, 2013

a commitment to real food

December 23rd, 2013|

One of the things that make RDS so drastically different than any other place is our uncompromised attitude towards the food we eat and serve. It costs a lot to provide real food to a group of hungry mouths! Yet we’re not willing to compromise on this incredibly basic and important aspect of life which is why you’ll never find commercial vegetable oil at RDS, or any processed packaged food. We use raw butter and locally pressed coconut oil as our cooking oils. There’s always some kind of chicken or beef broth simmering on one of our wood fired stoves. Fresh fish, real chicken and real eggs from our truly unique flock, raw cow and goat milk as well as kefir, cheese, and yogurt, raw honey, etc. These are some examples of the food that make up our delicious meals. Great efforts and constant work is required to maintain this commitment, so far from what is usually available everywhere under the names of “food”, “organic food”, “natural food”, “local food”, and many other combinations, somehow always ending with the word “food” but rarely having anything to do with what the human body needs.

Our understanding as to what food actually ought to be in terms of nutrition and impact is the result of many years of uninterrupted and multi-sided research, work, and experience.

tropical squash soup with raw sour cream

Tropical squash soup with raw sour cream

We have never bought any commercial feed for any of our animals and we have never offered industrial food to anyone coming to RDS. This is something we are absolutely committed to. We believe this attitude is so essential it ought to be understood by anyone more or less thinking without any wiseacring or excuses. Yet I have never found a place, despite years of traveling on most continents during my intentional searches, where this very basic integrity was carried through.

wood fire cooking

Cooking with wood is an irreplaceable pleasure. RDS intern Caitlyn is cooking a chayote crisp on our cast iron pot.

In the same way, at RDS you won’t find the typical cramped bunk-bed setup covered with foam mattresses. Simply because we are not interested in purchasing foam while teaching about natural building, homesteading, integrative farming, and all around real living. We put in the extra effort so that our mattresses are made up of either natural latex or simply cotton (futon mattresses).

When we first decided to run internship programs to further some of our educational and outreach aims we had to determine an economically feasible way to accept interns who are interested in acquiring the uniquely well rounded real-life skills we offer here at RDS, and who are seeking a different experience of communal living and personal growth in this very special place. Being a non-profit organization with no aims of monetary profits whatsoever we devised the lowest possible price that would cover some of the basic program’s expenses. Except for the satisfaction we get from our work and its impact we don’t make any profit from the program. We never considered compromising on the principles of food and nutrition that are so important to us in order to offer lower rates and/or make profits.

Part of our mission is to provide skills – and participants in our programs leave transformed by their experience, having acquired a whole new realm of possibilities, real-life skills, and a renewed sense of self-understanding, purpose, and freedom. We require a 3-month commitment and accept only up to 10 interns per program. Our communal meals follow nutrition principles of traditional foods. Principles that have been established by life itself over millenniums of evolution but aren’t easily available in today’s world. Certainly not cheap to get or produce.

1112, 2013

what a day looks like for interns

December 11th, 2013|

Life at Raices del Sol is full of unpredictability and plans get switched around but here’s what a typical day may look like as an intern →