Very interesting news article I came across - A new high tech jacket developed by engineers at the University of Texas can pull drinking water from thin air. With the advance in fabric technology, the jacket can collect up to one-and-a-half pints of drinkable water a day, say scientists. They suggest the ground-breaking technology could benefit anyone who spends a lot of time in areas without easy access to drinking water, like hikers, campers, runners, agricultural workers, and soldiers. “Water harvesting from air is usually imagined as a stationary device such as a box, a panel. We wanted to rethink the form,” said research co-leader Professor Guihua Yu. By focusing on the fibers rather than building another bulky device, the researchers overcame a common problem in the field. He explained that the textile incorporated into the jacket collects moisture and funnels it to detachable harvesting units, which are then “placed in a foldable collector and heated to produce the water”. The jacket produced between 400 and 900 milliliters (0.7 to 1.5 pints) of drinkable water per day, depending on humidity levels, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. Compared with conventional water-harvesting materials, the textile showed a three- to 10-fold improvement at scale. “The important advance here is that the team did not simply make another material that absorbs water,” said study co-author Professor Keith Johnston. “They designed a pathway for water to move quickly, from vapor in the air to liquid on the fiber surface, and then into the interior of the textile. The researchers are now eyeing applications beyond clothing – including backpacks, tents, emergency shelters and other outdoor gear, allowing items people carry every day to help collect water. They also plan to look at applying the technology to remote field operations, disaster response, and water access in arid or infrastructure-limited regions.

Yesterday I finished the first two rows of the food forest. I’m officially in maintenance mode until late fall, which is a great feeling. It’s not perfect, and not everything rooted, but the system is established and, most importantly, there are roots in the ground. There are still a few small projects left—building borders, weed eating, and continuing to move mulch to create a thick layer that suppresses weeds and feeds the soil. If I end up with a surplus of wood chips, I’ll start laying out future beds now to give them a head start for fall and spring planting. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to start with a manageable plan. It’s far easier to successfully establish a few beds than to spread yourself across ten. Another lesson: grass pressure is no joke. The sooner you address it, the less maintenance you’ll have down the road. Progress in a food forest isn’t measured by perfection. It’s measured by roots in the ground, soil being built, and systems becoming more established each year. 🌱

That word gets used a lot, and it can mean different things depending on where someone is standing. For me, regenerative starts with one question, "Is this system gaining life over time?" Is the soil becoming more alive? Is water soaking in better? Are roots going deeper? Are worms, fungi, insects, and birds showing up? Is the garden becoming less dependent on constant rescue? In a backyard, regenerative does not have to mean a perfect system. It may start with one covered bed, one compost pile, one perennial plant, one pollinator patch, or one family learning to observe before reacting. When you hear the word “regenerative,” what comes to mind first?

Last week we talked about what an herb is doing in the body. Now we need to add one more layer. Some herbs are gentle supports. They are not always used because something is wrong right now. They are used because they help the body stay nourished, steady, and resilient over time. Nettle is a good example. It is mineral-rich and often used when the body feels run down or depleted. Oatstraw is another steady herb. It supports the nervous system in a slow, nourishing way. Rosehips can bring gentle daily support through food-like nourishment. These herbs are more like compost in the garden. We do not add compost and expect the whole garden to change overnight. We use it because it helps build the ground. This week, pick one gentle herb and ask: Would this herb be useful as steady support, or am I expecting it to act like a quick fix? A strong home apothecary starts with simple herbs we can understand and use with care.

We've always had lots of animals, including horses, goats, chickens, rabbits, etc.. so we always have an abundance of fertilizer/compost at various stages of drying out. Do you raise/make your own? Or do you buy it?