Keith Mastenbrook's Page

Happy First Day of Summer!

It's been an unusual weather season this year, hasn't it?  So much wonderful rain and early season warmth.  Kind of unusual to have so many record breaking heat days in Spring.  Although it looks like we're heading into La Nina and saying adios to El Nino, it's shaping up to be a great gardening season.  Berries are coming in with gusto, and I've been picking them all over the garden.  

I just heard from an old friend some of you may also know, Gil…

Last month Jesse Bloom and David Boehnlein made a presentation to Sustainable NE Seattle in support of their new book: PRACTICAL PERMACULTURE for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth.  It is an awesome book and I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to improve their home, community and the whole earth.  So many good ideas, it forms a solid foundation from which you can begin to expand your understanding of permaculture and how to best apply permaculture…

The Seattle Farm Co-op recently closed its' retail sales location on S. Jackson Street due to the loss of their lease.  The search for a new location has been elusive, as affordable warehouse locations are at a premium in our face growing city.  The membership will be holding a very important meeting soon to decide what to do about this dilemma, and the options on the table seem to be far reaching.  Clearly the support and growth of the membership plays a significant role and this is where…

"Hi, my name is Keith, and I am a beekeeper."  

Does this sound familiar?  Sometimes that's the way it feels, like I have to admit that I am hooked on keeping bees and I need help.

Are there others, keeping bees in Northeast Seattle, that think they could benefit from working together rather than alone, with their bees?  Regular monitoring of the bees and doing what's right to keep them happy goes a long way towards achieving a successful harvest of honey.  And I would like to…

The Sno-Isle Permaculture Network has developed a regular project oriented work party and potluck schedule, a model for what we are doing in SusNE.  It's not just a lot of talk, but a chance to help your friends or host a project yourself.  The next one in March 20th and I'm attending.  If anyone is interested in going along, I'll be driving and would welcome the company.