Tucson Tortolita Eco Village

Sustainable Resources

These are results of hours of research and planning for our community. A few of the topics covered here are also available as classes here at the eco-village (see the Workshops page). We have already started our food forest with Moringa trees now more than one year old ready to be planted this spring. We are using structured water for all our needs and you can too. Rediscover food following our recommendations. Lear how we are using permaculture in our environment to see how you might. All these topics and more are found on this page... Enjoy ;-)

Grow Your Own Food Forest

Create your own food security, add beauty to your life, and enhance sustainable living practices.

Welcome to Tucson’s first Food Forest Supplier of wholesale and retail plants, supplies, knowledge, and community workshops. We are a co-op of many individuals striving to help others live a more sustainable life by giving them the tools and knowledge to become. We are based at the Tucson Tortolita Eco-Village, but have satellite locations seasonally.

First off, what is a Food Forest... ”Forest gardening is a low-maintenance organic plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers, to replicate a woodland habitat.” Wiki

When you put the idea of “Sustainable Permaculture” into the equation, the definition changes slightly and is more what we are trying to do: “The idea of forest gardens (food forests) was first articulated by Robert A. de J. Hart in his book ‘Forest Gardening’ and subsequently became one of the keystone concepts in permaculture. A permaculture forest garden mimics the architecture and beneficial relationships of a natural forest. Food forests are not ‘natural’, but are designed and managed ecosystems that are very rich in bio diversity and productivity.” Permaculture Institute

So here is what we are attempting to accomplish: “To establish, nurture, grow and evolve an on the ground business that offers others the ability to make their own food forest gardening in a Southwest environment by researching, growing, and making available to all the resources needed to take back some control of their food security, grow their own healthy food, and reduce dependence on unpredictable outside sources.

That will include but not be limited to selling seeds and cuttings, plants, foodstuffs, books and other informational products, consulting services, sustainability products, aguaponics, green retrofitting packages from solar to rain water harvesting, and all the myriad of other services and products that would accompany these goals. From below the soil to your digestive system and all in between.

Structured Water promotes healthy lifestyles

Workshop conducted September 20th 2012: Structured Water - This is a brief overview of the topics covered. You will find links to Samuel's workshop notes and the audio recording at the end of the text. There is also a section describing the several Vortex Action devices available for your consideration.

Workshop Overview

“Water is the most studied material on Earth but it is remarkable to find that the science behind its behavior and function are so poorly understood (or even ignored), not only by people in general, but also by scientists working with it everyday. The small size of its molecule belies the complexity of its actions and its singular capabilities. Liquid water’s unique properties and chameleonic nature seem to fit ideally into the requirements for life as can no other molecule.”-Martin Chaplin, London South Bank Univ.

What is water... First the science:

Water is a substance composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms and also known as aqua, di-hydrogen monoxide or hydrogen hydroxide. The molecule of water has one hydrogen bonded to the oxygen that is in turn bonded with another hydrogen such that at any given moment the bond angle between the two atoms of hydrogen is 1050 and thus resembles the letter "V".

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/water/index_low.jsp?id=properties

http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/waterchem.html

http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/hbond.html

So what is Structured Water...

Structured water is pure water in nature. If you take a gallon or ten gallons of water and pour it in a mountain stream at the top of the mountain and then collect it at the bottom, the water is structured. Structured water is free of memory. It has a balanced pH. The main contingent of structured water is life force energy (chi, prana, ki), and that life force energy comes down to the water molecule itself. The water molecule has the power, the individual mandate to protect life, and that is to protect it from the things that are adverse to life and to generously provide the things that are good for life.

Science and structured water

The scientific community around the world abounds with various research, findings, articles and analysis of water structure, its enhancement, its quality and the immense value of its energetic effects on living things. For those of you requesting more info, more answers about the effects of Structured Water on plants, animals, bacteria, virus, and other microbial life forms as well as analytical observations of water’s energetic effects on molecular structures, chemical reactions, enzymes and mineral substances in “non living” components of the world around us, I can only say yes, the data is immense. It is overwhelming but equally quite incomprehensible.

Nature frequently uses the hyperbolic spiral which is externally centripetal and internally moves towards the center, such spirally movements are found in the spiral nebula of galaxies in space, in the natural flow of water, blood and sap. While the centrifugal force used by current technology, occurs in nature in its destructive aspects, on occasions for dissolving energy, pushing the medium from the center outwards towards the periphery in straight lines.

The particles of the medium being first weakened and then dissolved and broken up. "Nature uses this action to disintegrate complexes which have lost their vitality or have died" (p. 77 ibid.) Characteristically the centripetal, hyperbolic spiral movement is symptomatic of falling temperature, contraction and concentration while the centrifugal movement is synonymous with raising temperature, heat extension, expansion and explosion, "in nature there is a continual switch from one movement to the other, but if development is to occur then the movement of growth must be predominant." (p.77 ibid.)

It is possible for the person who has the advantage of this gift of inheritance to summon up from his blood all this reservoir of knowledge." (p.125 ibid.) Source Material: Living Water ~ Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy,Olof Alexandersson

Professor Dr. Masaru Emoto

Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.

Naturally this work threatens the current paradigm of reductionist science but completely ignores any claim of spirituality or indigenous wisdom so that has to be kept in mind We will look at some positive and negative thoughts on his work. Science is like a union who fiercely protects its turf and no problem with that, but it must be kept in perspective. And next we will look at indigenous beliefs on water.

Now some indigenous thoughts:

Malidoma Some, “Of Water and the Spirit” "The West’s progressive turning away from functioning spiritual values; its total disregard for the environment and the protection of natural resources and lack of understanding of the spirituality of water, the violence of inner cities with their problems of poverty, drugs, and crime; spiraling unemployment and economic disarray; and growing intolerance toward people of color and the values of other cultures—all of these trends, if unchecked, will eventually bring about a terrible self-destruction"

Nancy Alcorn- Mayan Healer “In the process of eating, it was advised that we show gratitude to the food we are about to ingest and to respect the merging of pranic energies that was about to take place. Food as well as water can be energetically programmed. Eat organic food and food that is in season with your place on the planet. This allows you to be in harmony with the cycles of the sun and the moon and the earth’s seasonal changes. It is important to stay hydrated because water keeps the crystalline matrix that is developing within our own bodies clear which allows it to hum. There are crystals in the pineal gland and in the brain. Every cell has a crystalline aspect to it. Mankind is beginning to be able to broadcast the crystalline matrix that is forming within the physical body. The DNA of our bodies is awakening. This is happening on a global level. It starts when we can learn to eat higher vibration food and water.”

What can we do with all this Information...

So here we now have the culmination of modern science, spirituality, and ancient wisdom on water. There is now something you can do that will make a big difference in all aspects of your journey and journeying. To change the channel so to speak. It is all about vibration and frequency and this comes from both quantum physics and shamanic teachings. You can now get this frequency changing substance called “Structured Water.”

There are seven inexpensive solutions for those who want to make a major difference in their life. Briefly they are the Portable, Shower, Under Sink, Garden, Large RV, Whole House & Commercial models. Each of these models features the ability to transform ordinary water into healthy structured water in quantities appropriate for the application.

Commercial structured water costs about $30/case of 12 liter bottles. Knowing you should drink about 4 liters of water a day the math is very favorable. Considering drinking water alone, the portable device pays for itself in less than a month. For a family it is a no brainer.

Structured Water Benefits:

• Is the ultimate heath food
• Is fresh & invigorating
• Neutralizes effects of pollutants
• Eliminates existing calcium & argonite deposits
• Dishes & cars are spotless
• Prevents & removes corrosion
• Increases life span of pipes and all water using appliances
• Plants can withstand lower temps
• Crops & plant growth increase 27-40%
• Increase efficiency of septic system
• Less soap used when washing
• Better taste of coffee & juices
• Healthier pets & Cleaner fish tank

These and more are the many benefits of on-demand structured water. Use it for bathing, washing clothes, dishes, car, water plants & the garden and everything else you use water for. All these advantages more than justify the investment in one of the large capacity models. All of these models are available for purchase thru the Eco Village. Need more info... download the structured water brochure here.

Call Dave at 520 262-3306 to discuss your application and place an order. (Note packaging design has been updated)

Model		Cost
Portable		$249* $399**
Shower Dynamic model		$349 $499*
Under Sink Dynamic model		$349 $499*
Garden Dynamic model		$349 $499*
Whole House Dynamic model		$759 $1479*
Commercial		$1149 $2199

* Dynamic models are 2nd generation designs with materials that enhance the properties of the structured water.
** The portable unit is only available in the 2nd generation design.

Workshop Notes: Water.pdf

Workshop audio recording: Drop Box Workshop Recording

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Water Conservation & Harvesting

Another principle we want to instill in our village is proper use of our water resources. One of the keys to health for example is structured water. We have a new section on the benefits and how to obtain it in the Structured Water section above.

We have good info on Rainwater harvesting and conservation that will support our village requirements. If you start at the beginning of the planning process to design permaculture principles like rainwater harvesting you won’t have to retrofit later. And it is just the right thing to do.

More information is available including a FAQ in our page on Water Harvesting. The city of Tucson has prepared a manual for developers, but it includes useful principals of operation you may use. We have made a copy of the PDF available here: 2006 Water Harvesting Manual. A website with many links related to water harvesting: Technicians for Sustainability.

The Eight Principles of Successful Water Harvesting

1. Begin with long and thoughtful observation.
Use all your senses to see where the water flows and how. What is working, what is not? Build on what works. There are many systems that can handle the rain off your dwelling, but you need to plan before you build it.

2. Start at the top (highpoint) of your watershed and work your way down.
Water travels downhill, so collect water at your high points for more immediate infiltration and easy gravity-fed distribution. Start at the top where there is less volume and velocity of water. This includes the roof our your dwelling as well as all the area effected by your home and outbuildings.

3. Start small and simple.
Work at the human scale so you can build and repair everything. Many small strategies are far more effective than one big one when you are trying to infiltrate water into the soil.

4. Slow, spread, and infiltrate the flow of water.
Rather than having water run erosively off the land’s surface, encourage it to stick around, “walk” around, and infiltrate into the soil. Slow it, spread it, sink it.

5. Always plan an overflow route, and manage that overflow as a resource.
Always have an overflow route for the water and water tank(s) in times of extra heavy rains, and where possible, use the overflow as a resource.

6. Maximize living and organic groundcover.
Create a living sponge so the harvested water is used to create more resources, while the soil’s ability to infiltrate and hold water steadily improves.

7. Maximize beneficial relationships and efficiency by “stacking functions.”
Get your water harvesting strategies to do more than hold water. Berms can double as high-and-dry raised paths. Plantings can be placed to cool buildings in summer. Vegetation can be selected to provide food.

8. Continually reassess your system: the “feedback loop.”
Observe how your work affects the site, beginning again with the first principle. Make any needed changes, using the principles to guide you.

Creative conservation demonstration.

Pure drinking water has to rank right up in the top few problems facing the planet today, and especially here in this relatively dry lush desert in the Tucson-Tortolita area. Luckily, there is actually a much greater rainfall in our area than just a few miles away in the City of Tucson, and we intend to take advantage of technologies like permaculture, rain water harvesting, underground cisterns, and so on. We will be working with Internationally acclaimed scientists and researchers as well as local authorities to make this a positive reflection of our community.

The Tortolita Mountain Area also, thankfully, has a good history of water in underground aquifers that we may draw on. And with the creative use of modern art and sciences we should be able to be thrifty in our usage of it, so that we should not find any lack of this liquid gold that will increasingly become scarce on our planet. Planning for that fact now, will help a great deal in our future and perhaps our discoveries and adaptations will prove useful for our more water hungry neighbors to the South in Tucson and around the world.

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Rediscovering Food

Revolutionizing the entire planet one meal at a time.

“Eating is an agricultural act,” as Wendell Barry famously said. It is also an ecological act, and a political act, too. Though much has been done to obscure this simple fact, how and what we eat determines to a great extent the use we make of the world- and what is to become of it. To eat with fuller consciousness of all that is at stake might sound like a burden, but in practice few things in life can afford quite as much satisfaction. By comparison, the pleasures of eating industrially, which is to say eating in ignorance, are fleeting. Many people today seem perfectly content eating at the end of an industrial food chain, without a thought in the world…” “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” by Michael Pollan

Chipotle ran a new commercial during the Grammys that portrays the evolution of farming from a family craft to industrial business to one farmer's revulsion and return to past practices. Perhaps there is hope for our society after all ;-) We thought you would appreciate it if you did not see it then. BTW There is a call to action at the end you might consider. https://vimeo.com/42713491

This Nightline story from 2008 features a family that lives exclusively on the food grown on their 1/5th acre plot in Pasadena. You may be skeptical about your own ability realizing that they spent years perfecting the methods and markets that make such independence possible. TTEV can help you shortcut some of that lead time with research and available science. Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/embed/W51JRTjoI1A

We have documented several new methods of sustainable agriculture and aqua culture in TTEV_On_Sustainable_Food. Find out about Max Meyers' Aguaponics& cultivating mushrooms at the MycoRiseUp Foundation. Grow your way to food independence. Also a You Tube Video can be seen here:

The biggest burden we place on our planet today is our choices in food. We could literally revolutionize the entire planet one meal at a time, as well as change everything in our lives for the better on a daily basis by making better choices in what we eat. We will not necessarily oppose commercial and industrial eating habits, so much as simply doing what works for us and the community as a whole. So we will be paying especial attention to this very important aspect of our TTEV community. A central greenhouse, community gardens, a small farm, aqua-culture and similar techniques will be a focus of our group depending on interest and market factors.

“No therapy or drug known to modern medical science can rebuild tissue that has been damaged by disease or trauma. Food alone can accomplish this feat. It is for this reason that nutrition is an indisputable weapon against disease.”   Dr. Bernard Jensen

Without health we simply cannot enjoy life. And here at TTEV we fully intend to enjoy life to its fullest. There is very little dispute that eating high up on the “industrial food chain” by using processed foods and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) is not a smart way to live. This has been shown time and time again in many research studies. We intend to do our best to eat healthy, organic, sustainable products and buy and sell locally.

“To eat or not to eat, that is not the question. Is it nobler to eat and destroy everything in sight, or take the time to eat what is right. We can change the world one meal at a time and a lot easier than pulling a trigger. For revolution is coming and it will not be stopped, but you can eat your way to enlightenment. Or take arms against a sea of troubles. The choice is yours, one meal at a time.”   Anonymous Internet Posting

Planning For the Future of Food Security

Planning for the future of food security is being looked at nationally now. We at Eco Village #1 are directly working on this for our area as well. Here are a few resources helpful in preparation for food security:

State of Southwestern Foodsheds - Gary Nabhan / Sabores Sin Fronteras/Flavors Without Border) - State of SW foodsheds.

A book by Tanya Denckla Cobb "Reclaiming Our Food" How the Grassroots Food Movement Is Changing the Way We Eat" - by - - 20 examples of communities "finding new ways to grow, process, and distribute food for their own communities"

We have stored a local copy of a policy paper from the University of Buffalo , SUNY for your convenience titled: Innovative Local Government Plans and Policies to Build Healthy Food Systems in the United States

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