Where can one purchase a 50# sack of wheat in Loudoun County? Loudoun Milling? Do they sell hand-cranked grain mills, as well?

Posted by rcgilligan (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Erica, you should look up USA Today's interview with the same guy from a few years back. (Almost as many USA Today journalists in western Loudoun as Posties, BTW)

Remember the whole flu vaccine megillah? Would there be enough for the next definitely-probably coming version and how would it be distributed etc?

The USA piece focused on the survivalist aspects of it, and noted that Mr. Stewart had enough medicine et al in his bunker for his family, as well as enough ammo to protect it.

It went on into a fascinating piece on how rural residents needed to be prepared, because after transportation collapsed and the cities starved, the only probable survivors would be those with military training, who would start marauding for sustenance.

Great article! I'll see if I can find the link to the survivalist piece--might make an interesting counterpoint to the green and fluffy "Sustainable" Loudoun news.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Found it!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005...

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Way to go Will- thanks for showing how easy it is to be prepared to take care of your family. You would think the biggest wake-up to others would be the fiscal aspect. Keep the money for yourself or give it to Dominion and big oil.

Judging from some of the previous comments it almost seems like there are some obnoxious suburban residents who would rather slander and make fun of you for being prepared than get off their behinds and take care of their own families. Babs must know your quality of life is out of reach for her family because it would involve too much work for such a big girl.

Keeps drinking the kool aid and eatin' the twinkies lady- see who laughs last

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

aff3--whoever you are--your "obnoxious slander" comments lose a little of their holiness when paired in the same breath with twinkie behinds and too much work to do anything but drink Koolaid.

It shouldn't be too much work to find out more about who is being held up as an example, while their political group trolls for contacts with organic sustainable beer.

If you have a hypothetical individual sitting on a cairn of raisins, toilet paper and bullets with a rifle in one hand and a book in the other, does it really matter if the book is the King James Bible or Earth in the Balance?

Not really, because they are both end-times evangelism, just different religions.

Add in the politics, and it is little more than power marketing.

Green IS the new black, and as one long time Loudouner told me ten or eleven years ago, "there is a reason some people live out in the woods".

That's fine, it's still a free country.

Right?

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Unfortunately some HOA don't allow solar panels.

Posted by mazman128 (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mazman, I believe that changes in July when a new law takes effect. It is similar to the flagpole and satellite dish laws; HOAs will no longer be able to ban them.

It will be reduced to primarily an aesthetics issue in HOA regulation, i.e. placement/concealment etc.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

rcgilligan, you can buy grain directly from local farmers. There are likely several, though the one I know of this year is Tranco Farm.

Grain mills can be purchased at a number of places, but please read the Walton Feed Grain Mill Comparison before you buy;
http://waltonfeed.com/self/grinder.html

Thanks for the comments, AFF3. Barbara Munsey has long been a virulent proponent of unbridled building in Loudoun County, while I've steadily supported a much slower Smart Growth policy, so an attack like this is something we just learn to put up with. My one comment about social unrest in the USA Today article was in response to the question, "How bad could it get if food shipments into infected areas are stopped for months and people begin to riot?" My earlier comment stating "I expect most people will simply stay at home during the worst of the pandemic wave in their area" apparently wasn't exciting enough, and didn't make the article.

Barbara has twisted words on more than one occasion, so this is no surprise; for example, I don't have a "bunker", I have a typically finished basement, nor did I suggest the "only probable survivors would be those with military training", nor do I (or would I) sit on my food pantry "with a rifle in one hand and a book in the other". Ms. Munsey has quite the vivid imagination and repeatedly assumes others will naively accept her political extremist spin on reality. She seems to forget that the level of education in this county is among the highest in the nation. All I can say about her scenario building smoke screen is, "Don't inhale".

Back to the subject at hand, I'll be happy to answer anyone's questions about how they can reduce their energy consumption. We are getting ready to install solar hot water, so we are finishing up the last of our incremental steps towards drastically reduced energy use.

Posted by willstewart (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mr. Stewart, I'm in the planning stages of Solar power right now, and I will also be setting up a passicve water heating panel, too. Love to chat with you sometime.
I'm often down at Devaux's barbeque place.

Posted by honchonumberone (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mr. Stewart, I find it interesting that any additional information is an "attack", but then again some folks who post here regard disagreement as an attack.

Are you my hypothetical individual? That would seem to be you reading in.

As for your quotes to USA Today, here is one of the largest in context:
"For several weeks, Stewart has been assembling a
supply of water and food, enough to last three to six
months.

He is buying equipment, such as rain barrels to
capture fresh water and Mylar bags to store bushels of
barley and soybeans. His home is solar-powered, and he
has a well. He keeps a few sheep that could provide
food if necessary, and he is prepared to provide a
safe refuge for his immediate family, his siblings and
their families.

He says he has a "varmint gun" at the farm and plans
to buy one or two more weapons because, like Woodson,
he believes that if employees are too sick to go to
work, grocery shelves will empty quickly, and there
could be panic.

"I believe there's going to be different classes of
marauding people," he says. "There will be gangs just
looting, five or eight people in a gang. Depending on
how long this lasts, there could be marauders who are
former military. So there will be four male adults in
this house who know how to use firearms."

Peter Sandman, a risk analyst and consultant to
international businesses and governments, including
the HHS, says that in any situation of perceived
threat, there are those, such as Stewart, who go to
extremes."

There is more to the picture than your (admirable) conservation efforts, and the flurry of "news" coverage would seem to fit the bill for PR/marketing.

Are your savings calculated with inclusion of any tax breaks for your hybrid, or any land use? I would think that would be pertinent to anyone hoping to emulate what they could of your endeavors without moving and developing in a rural area as you did.

As for LCCSS, the most recent iteration is as political as the one operating when I moved in back in 1997. I don't advocate anyone "inhaling" my opinions. Neither do I advocate anyone inhaling something else simply because it appeared in a nice fuzzy green advertisement.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 6:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

honchonumberone,

Come to a Sustainable Loudoun meeting and get to know more people who have the same focus.
http://www.lccss.org (completely politically independent, btw)

Posted by willstewart (anonymous) on June 18, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"completely politically independent, btw"

But you're sure to see only Obama stickers on the Priuses. Tell me I'm wrong.

Posted by foobar2 (anonymous) on June 19, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Will,

Again, thanks for putting yourself out there. As this thread demonstrates, once you come forward with ideas for problems that we collectively face be prepared for a surprisingly venomous response from the naysayers. You would think that everyone who has an electric meter would love the idea of watching it spin backwards, but apparently not. Fine- let them buy your extra power from Dominion. They must like higher utility bills.

Unfortunately I am all to familiar with Babs. Anyone who follows local LC politics has watched her rage against all things historic, all things cultural, or anything to do with the rural economy in the west. I have listened to her rail against organic food, alternative farms, regular farms, public transportation and reasonable planning for the future of our communities. She almost seems to indicate that her lifestyle does not require air or water, since she devotes so much time to ridiculing any person or movement that tries to plan for the future.

I have watched her speak at BOS meetings, watched her compulsively (or obsessively) post long winded word twisting replies on just about every blog in the county (until of course reason is injected into the thread). Thankfully there are sites where she has been so spanked by reality that she does not post (by name anyway) anymore.

I shouldn't have played into her hands by referring to her err, "healthy" appearance, but after having to put up with her temporary stint on the planning commission (Thank god it was short lived! If you ever want any evidence that Steve Snow was out to poke a finger in the eye of Western Loudoun residents look no further) I lost my best intentions. I apologize.

I actually have seen your name before in local media- I believe relating to a similar topic as Erika's post. Sure enough Barbara was there quickly to reference the USA Today article she has so proudly cut and pasted today.( The funny thing is I've even read her rail against the "liberal media", until of course she wants to quote them).

Being no fan of the generic USA2D I can only imagine how the journalist cherry picked the interview to come up with the "bunker dwelling gun touting survivalist" aspect they used. While your quotes are sensational when used out of context, you can't help but wonder what would happen in the burbs if food or energy becomes suddenly short.

During the last power outage a client sat in a gas line at the Dulles Airport station- power had been out for less than an hour and people were already losing their tempers and fighting over their spots in line- kinda scary actually.

Again, thanks for putting yourself out there and sharing what ideas you and your family have come to live with.

Cheers,

AFF

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on June 19, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Of course it is political.

The LCCSS website linked in the blog article not only advertises the "green beer" group (interesting article in L2day about the supervisors not wanting to stifle business by being too specific in economic development outreach, so they will just stick with paying cluster coordinators for nothing but tourism and the "rural economy"...like maybe "green" beer? Ya gotta love it!), but also allows signup for things like a discussion and info list.

http://deciph.com/pipermail/lccss_deciph...

Here is a sample from the google archives of discussion, featuring an officer of the Catoctin County movement, a special interest lobbyist who is now a supervisor, a relative of a state legislator who ran a subsidiary group for the former lobbyist, and someone listed on VPAP as a "self-employed direct mail marketer/PR" who is now a county advisory appointee, and it all urges political action.

Network, promote your green products, be as politically active as you like.

Just please do admit it.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 19, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

aff3, since you are anonymous, I don't know if we've ever spoken or not.

So I don't know if you're putting words in my mouth that you think I've said, or just attributing things to me out of thin air, while accusing me of doing the same.

It is immaterial. Attack me as you like, because as you noted I am a big girl.

If your newly temperate tone is indicative of the fact that I am again a private citizen, fine.

Rage as you like, because all the anonymous and condescending attacks tell me is that I must have struck a nerve.

Have a nice day.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 19, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Not knowing any of the parties involved, still I wonder what affiliations Ms. Munsey has... what memberships etc. Long posts made on "company" time make me think she is getting paid for it. I have seen similar manipulation in Annapolis, Maryland -- at Ward One and City Council meetings where one citizen stands up and demands that the police department be enlarged and then another across the room does the same. Could they possibly be plants using the Delphi technique to bring about a pre-planned outcome?

Posted by publickprofile (anonymous) on June 25, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

publickprofile, you're running the oldest trick in the Loudoun book, already opened by starburst, skyharbor, whoever.

I am on my time. Nobody pays me.

As for my "affiliations", you know what? We all have something called freedom of association and assembly.

That still doesn't mean I'm paid. Nor does it mean I'm part of some conspiracy to leverage blogsites.

The taxes I pay get no write off for having a five acre yard that provides "open space" to the world at large, neither do I get free advertising and staff support (plus a tax write off) for having 5 sheep, nor do I get multi-thousand dollar brochures printed to boost my hobby/business at taxpayer expense under the guise of "rural economic development" or tourism.

Obviously this means I hate the earth, all it produces, and those in tune with it. Right?

Not necessarily dear, but it DOES make a palatable pigeonhole.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 25, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

....methinks thou doth protest too much....

Posted by hlittle (anonymous) on June 25, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Methinks I'm not going to lose any sleep over what youthinks.

Feel free to claim I'm paid to have an opinion. (Is someone PAYING you to post that anonymously? lol)

Care to post a link to back up your opinion?

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I didn't know Barbara Munsey was a sheep farmer.

Will,

I actually have a relevant question which might drag this thread back out of the gutter-

How difficult was it to deal with Dominion when it came time to hook up your solar panels to your meter? I have heard that they cn be very obstructionist about following the law and buying the extra power you generate.

Apparently the folks at Franklin Farm are having a hell of a time hooking up a massive solar project right here in Loudoun-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzipu0I2o...

http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do...

Did you have similar issues?

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on June 29, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

aff, I'm not a sheep farmer. They don't let you keep livestock in the burbs, much to the dismay of my neighbor, who would love to keep some chickens.

As for the gutter, well, those twinkie behind statements were hardly higher discourse.

The links you post are anti-Dominion advocacy pieces, and are the same video hosted on different sites. Franklin Park has such an interesting history--its original intent was to provide a central recreation facility for the western county, which was pretty much squelched when some well-connected neighbors (who apparently contributed heavily to the 99 BoS campaigns) succeeded in getting the 99 BoS to ban most lighting at the park.

It fascinates me that the lower density area is on a big utility, while my suburban home is served by the old rural electric cooperative's modern incarnation of Novec--I get my shareholder's magazine every month, with lots of stories about my rural neighbors who benefit from electrification!

Back to sheep:
http://www.loudounfarms.org/default.asp?...

This is the webpage of the section of the Department of Economic development that promotes sheep under REDC (REDC and tourism are the only clusters of ED that the county funds a coordinator for--they recently voted NOT to fund outreach ccordination in any other industry because "being too specific" might squelch business!), and the link to the Loudoun Valley Sheep Producers Association on that page is instructive.

The LVSPA has 67 members, of whom 42 (62%) live in Loudoun.

22% (15) live in other Virginia counties, 7% (5) live in Maryland, and 1.5% (1) each live in West Virginia and Suffolk, Hampshire, UK.

Of the 62% who live in Loudoun, 14% (6) have 20 or fewer sheep, 9.5% (4) have 15 or fewer sheep, 19% (8) have 10 or fewer sheep, and 21% (9) have 5 or fewer sheep.

I had no idea the Loudoun Valley was so large, and I would love to see the tax benefits accrued by those with 2 or 3 sheep, as well as the cost of the tax-funded support services (including that cluster coordinator) that promote the sheep industry here.

I hope Franklin Park gets progress with their issue, and might receive more if it was not being promoted as a way to bash the powerline.

Isn't the real goal to get off the grid?

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 29, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Barbara,

Too bad about your sheep. Maybe your neighbor will have better luck with the chickens. Hopefully you could hash out a work share arrangement. Fresh eggs for your family in exchange for slaughter/ plucking duty. Me thinks you would like some aspects of animal husbandry- it might be worth a few Letters to the Editor or a visit to the BOS.

I was actually hoping to hear from Will but I will answer your last question about "getting off" the grid- No

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on June 30, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I wouldn't worry about sheep, and the dog is enough animal care for me. Thanks for your concern.

Given that one of the central tenets of "sustainability" dogma is that we (humans) "have exceeded the carrying capacity of the biosphere", I realize that one of the goals of the religion is to have a greatly reduced population. As I have my concerns about which ones of us are to be deleted I am in no hurry to regress to the medieval barter economy of eggs-for-wool that will be "sustained" when we return to a previous century.

With regards to getting off the grid, I would think that would be a very attractive aspect of true self-sustainability.

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on June 30, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Last I heard, wheat was double this price. Walton Feed's website indicates it's more than triple. Damn this economy - even DIY is getting too expensive!

Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 1, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Read some interesting stuff on wheat not long ago--to the effect that massive conversion to corn for biofuel (more farm subsidy for the "greater good") has contributed pretty heavily to the scarcity of wheat even before the current flooding in the midwest.

Interesting point: will we be subsidizing the same individuals twice if disaster relief is given to midwestern corn already subsidized for biofuel?

Posted by BarbaraMunsey (anonymous) on July 1, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)