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Paul Wheaton

Welcome to the Paul Wheaton Blog, a place where you can keep in touch with the inner workings of Missoula’s most passionate proponent of Permaculture. Enjoy his most recent posts below.

See the entire Paul Wheaton archive.

BIO: Paul Wheaton is is the tyrannical ruler of two on-line communities. One is about permaculture and one is about software engineering. There is even one for Missoula. Paul has written several permacutlure articles starting with one on lawn care that he presented at the MUD Project 17 years ago, including articles on raising chickens, cast iron and diatomaceous earth. Paul also regularly uploads permaculture videos and permaculture podcasts. In his spare time, Paul has plans for world domination and is currently shopping for a hollowed out volcano in the Missoula area, with good submarine access.

Electric Versus Compressed Air Vehicles

By PAUL WHEATON - Electric Versus Compressed Air Vehicles...that is the... more

Is Black Locust the Ultimate Permaculture Tree?

By PAUL WHEATON - You can spot where the old homesteads are in Montana ... more

Hand Washing Dishes Versus Dishwasher: Which Saves More Water?

By PAUL WHEATON - The misconception that washing dishes with a dishwash... more

Horticulture of the United States of Pocahontas

By PAUL WHEATON - The foundations of sustainable horticulture seem to include permaculture, bio-dynamism, respectful harvest, and a symbiotic relationship with nature.... more

Humanure and Composting Toilets

By PAUL WHEATON - Recently, I visited Missoula’s wastewater treatment plant to learn about the reuse of treated wastewater as a source of irrigation and fertilization.... more

Compost-Based Bio-Energy Systems

By PAUL WHEATON - When done properly, composting creates a great deal of heat – heat that can be harnessed to heat water and create usable energy.... more

How to Keep Deer from Eating Your Stuff

By PAUL WHEATON - The creative ways people attempt to control deer seem endless, but they aren’t generally effective. There is ONE thing that really gets it done.... more

This Winter, Save Energy with Just a Tiny Bit of Knowledge

By PAUL WHEATON - The real solution to energy sustainability is to get information passed as far as possible. This, friends, is saving the world with a bit of knowledge.... more

Solar Food Dehydrators for the Fall Harvest

By PAUL WHEATON - The fall harvest is upon us. Apples, plums, kale, and tomatoes abound. In the quest for sustainability, solar-powered food dehydrators are on the rise.... more

Replacing Irrigation with Permaculture

By PAUL WHEATON - There are scads of ideas of what permaculture and irrigation are. For me, I see a good permaculture system as one that has eliminated irrigation.... more

The Many Benefits of the Amazing Sunchoke

By PAUL WHEATON - Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes) are one of the best homesteader crops, especially for those wishing to be self-sustaining.... more

Paul Wheaton on Polyculture

By PAUL WHEATON - A polyculture is a mix of plants all trading their unique goodness with other plants. All plant-eating animals are designed to eat plants from a polyculture.... more

Tired of Tilling? Try Seed Balls

By PAUL WHEATON - Ever thought of lobbing seeds into your field? No tilling, just a good arm? Seed balls are used in no-tilling cultivation to get seeds established.... more

Eliminate the Cost of Chicken Feed

By PAUL WHEATON - I used to sell my chickens for nearly the same price I paid for feed. I found ways to not only eliminate feed costs, but provide higher-quality feed! ... more

Can Pigs Build Ponds?

By PAUL WHEATON - Don't even THINK of using a pond liner if you have pigs around. Paul Wheaton shows us a better way to seal a pond using pigs.... more

How NOT to raise chickens

By PAUL WHEATON - This comic artist is exceptionally brilliant at capturing very common and complicated issues that can arise for people who have never raised chickens before. I think the desire to steward chi... more

Greenwashing Light Bulbs

By PAUL WHEATON - The object propelling the greatest greenwashing scheme of all time is the CFL.... more

Keep those branches, twigs, rotten logs, and Christmas trees!

By PAUL WHEATON - Paul Wheaton shows us ways to recycle wood. These tips sure beat making a big pile and burning it!... more

Testing to see if you are an Eco Poser

By PAUL WHEATON - It's cool to be green. Especially in Missoula. Here's how to test to see if you are an Eco Poser.... more

Being Noble

By PAUL WHEATON - Paul talks about people, community, intentional community, being nice, mean and even noble.... more

How I Cut 87% Off My Heating Bills Last February

By PAUL WHEATON. Paul tells us how he cut is electric bill by 87% last winter. Try his simple ideas for yourself.... more

Diatomaceous Earth: Bug Killer You Can Eat!

By PAUL WHEATON. Paul tells us all about Diatomaceous Earth. ... more

Organic Lard is Health Food!

By PAUL WHEATON. Learn about the surprising health benefits of cooking with good old LARD... if you can find it... more

Green Your Kitchen with a Cast Iron Skillet

By PAUL WHEATON. Learn about the benefits of Cast Iron cookware and watch an egg fry and not stick!... more

Mullein Heals the Earth

By PAUL WHEATON. Mullein is a biennial plant with fuzzy leaves. Often called "cowboy toilet paper," mullein will grow in the worst soils on earth -- improving the earth as it grows. More about this amazing pla... more

The Tiny House Movement

By PAUL WHEATON. People are saving money by downsizing their house. How far can you take it? Take a look at these Tiny house. One was built for $15!... more

The EdgeMaster: How to Sharpen a Serrated Knife Blade

By PAUL WHEATON. Watch the EdgeMaster sharpen a serrated knife blade in record time!... more

How to REALLY Save on Your Summer Utility Bills

By PAUL WHEATON. Learn more than 20 great tips to save energy and save on summer utility bills too. Cooking, cooling, lighting tips and more -- all for REAL utility bill savings.... more

20+ Things to Do for Kids Visiting Missoula

By PAUL WHEATON. Paul has family coming to visit. He could go on and on about how great Missoula is, and this post lists some of his top attractions!... more

Mount Sentinel: the Lushest Farmland in All of Montana

By PAUL WHEATON. Could we convert Mt. Sentinel into a lush hillside? Paul has a plan.... more

Clean, Sustainable Wood Burning

By PAUL WHEATON. The Missoula Urban Demonstration Project celebrated earth day last Sunday. I got together with the Missoula Free Cycles folks and we found a way to do a bit more than most folks for earth day.... more

#1 Gyro is My Favorite!

By PAUL WHEATON. #1 Gyro is my new favorite! Their gyros and greek fries are excellent! And they easily have the best spanakopita. This post features a review of Missoula's #1 Gyro.... more

Sepp Holzer is Coming to Missoula!

By PAUL WHEATON. Sepp Holzer has done so many huge things, that his property is crawling with dozens of doctoral students doing their thesis work based on Sepp's work. And he's coming to Missoula!... more

Bike Panniers from Kitty Litter Buckets

By PAUL WHEATON. Watch this cool video and read the story about a couple of guys riding across America and discovering Missoula. ... more

Conservation Farming, Living Mulches and Raising Chickens!

By PAUL WHEATON. Missoula darling, Helen Atthowe, talks at length about conservation farming techniques, living mulches, mammal and insect eco systems and, in general, aligning farming practices with nature ra... more

Free Dinner on Friday Nights in Corvallis!

By PAUL WHEATON. Check out the video! There is no begging for money. No preaching either. Just a dozen teenagers trying to pull their community together using nothing more than a good meal as bait.... more

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