Time to Learn Sprouting! Introduction to Sprouting

Our Clover and Radish Sprouts

We have started sprouting at home fairly recently in response to the increasing fallout from Fukushima. This fallout will be a ongoing problem, as "hot" radioactive particles distributed by the rain will remain in your soil, gradually accumulating.  Eating lower on the food chain is one appropriate response to mitigating the effects of the fallout on your food supply, as the dangerous particles will bio-accumulate towards the top of the food chain (animals and dairy).  Growing your own food inside in a controlled environment is a better solution, because you can greatly reduce your exposure levels internally by maintaining a clean environment from which to grow your food.  Sprouts are a good option, because they can be grown quickly indoors.  We recently purchased about 75 pounds of Organic seeds for sprouting.  Organic foods are more important than ever, as it has been shown that plants growing with lots of Organic compost materials take up less radioactive particles including Cesium-137.  Further, indoor growing of organic foods presents the safest possible food production method, in terms of exposure to radioactivity through your food supply.

Radiation readings from http://www.radiationnetwork.com for today 10/21/13

Green Pea Sprouts soaking day 1.  We didn't care for these so much, but they kept an extra long time in the fridge. 

The first step for sprouting seeds is to soak the seeds for 8-12 hours in clean water.  After soaking, the seeds are strained and left in a jar or tray and kept dark over the next 2-3 days.  During these days, the seeds are soaked 2-3 times daily for about a minute, and then the water is strained off again.  There are different types of containers to use. The simplest way to sprout is in jars with a cheese cloth and rubber band lid.  For small seeds you just cover the bottom of the jar, or for big seeds you fill the jar about 1/8th to 1/4th full.  You can also buy specialty sprouting lids that screw onto mason jars.  Moonlight Micro-Farm sells stainless steel lids that work with the 'O' ring of a regular mason jar.  There are also specialized sprouting trays that are stackable.  If you are using a jar, tilt the jar on its side at a 45 degree angle after the rinse.  On the last day of sprouting put the seeds in a sunny window or under growing lights so that the small leaves produce chlorophyll and turn green.  The last step is to rinse the sprouts in cold water.  Then eat or store in the refrigerator in a jar or bag.  We prefer clear glass jars.  The sprouts will keep the best if they are rinsed once a day.  You should eat them within 3-5 days.   

If you have fruit flies in your home, you need to keep them under control and out of your sprouts.  This is can be done easily by keeping a soapy jar of vinegar next to your sprouting area.  

These are Mung bean sprouts which took about 4 days to grow.  Mung beans from India are a good bet in terms of avoiding fallout, considering they are produced in the Southern Hemisphere.  

Our last batch of Mung Bean sprouts

The youtube video below will show you how to sprout garbanzo beans for a raw hummus.  I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it is on my to do list for this week.  

So far our family's favorite type of sprout is green lentils.  Others that one or more of our family members have enjoyed include clover, adzuki bean, mung bean, broccoli, and garbanzo.  If you are new to sprouting and would like to get started sprouting, I recommend you check out this beginner's sprouting kit from Moonlight MicroFarm in South Florida. 

The kind folks at Moonlight Microfarm sell sprouts at their local farmer's market and also sell a nice variety of heirloom vegetable seeds.

Zeolite Detox Soap

My Zeolite Detox Soap has a new look.  I hope you like it.  This unscented soap has a high concentration of Zeolite, Bentonite Clay, and Activated Charcoal.  The charcoal gives the soap the dark color. The soaps have a mild gentle lather and are moderately exfoliating. This can be used as a hand soap, body soap or a facial soap for people with normal to oily or blemished skin types. 

Tips for Reducing Soil-to-Plant Radiation Transfer in the Garden

With continued leakage of radiation from Fukushima and burning of radioactive waste, radiation exposure is an ongoing concern. We know that radiation can travel quickly around the globe via the jet stream. Western United States are particularly vulnerable. Previously I wrote about personal care tips for avoiding radiation. Today I will share with you what I have learned about gardening to avoid radioactive contamination of produce as well as other resources on this topic.

The safest options for producing non-radioactive foods are growing in a green house, sprouting indoors, growing hydroponically indoors, and covering outdoor growing beds during rain storms to prevent exposure to rain water. However, if you plan to continue growing outside under standard conditions, there are things you can do to help protect your soil.

Use Filtered Water to Irrigate the Garden: You can use Zeolite filtered rain water or filtered tap water to water your garden. Zeolite is a mineral formed over time when volcanic ash combines with salt water. It's unique structure allows it to bind up heavy particles such as radioactive Cesium. It is used extensively in nuclear waste clean up. A filter can be made from PVC components, a scouring pad, and Sweet PDZ, which is trade name for Zeolite powder. Sweet PDZ is inexpensive and available at animal feed stores, because it used in horse stalls for reducing odors.



Feed Your Soil: The most important method for reducing soil to plant uptake of radioactive particles, as demonstrated in studies with radioactive Cesium and Strontium, is providing rich healthy organic matter to the soil. Organic gardeners with good composting habits are already a step ahead when it comes to protecting their plants. Personally, I think that the mineral rich additive such as Azomite, a volcanic ash, may also be beneficial, though I haven't found any research to confirm that. Azomite contains minerals and trace elements that improve overall soil function.

Sandy Soils Need Special Attention: Sandy soils, such as the soil we have here in Central Florida, is a factor which increases soil-to-plant uptake of radioactive particles. For this type of soil reducing the relative sand content by adding clay and organic matter is important.

Special Soil Amendments Clay, Calcium, and Zeolite: All soils that are not already rich in clay will benefit from this soil additive. Clay helps reduce soil-to-plant transfer of radioactive Cesium and Strontiun. After clay, Calcium is also important for reducing soil-to-plant transfer of radioactive Cesium and Strontium. Agriculture Lime is one option for supplementing Calcium. From what I understand it is particularly important to supplement with Calcium prior to harvest of leafy green vegetables. The addition of Clay and Calcium is most effective in soils that are low in organic matter. Adding it to healthy rich organic soils will also have some effect in reducing soil-to-plant radioactive Cesium and Strontium transfer, but not as significant as compared to undernourished soils. Zeolite is a mineral that can also be added to soils to reduce the uptake of Cesium to plants. The Japanese Government ordered farmers to add Zeolite to their rice fields after the Fukushima accident in the hopes of preventing radioactive contamination of rice. About 6 grams of Zeolite powder per 1 square foot of is what I calculated to be required after reading acreage recommendations at Acsending Star Seed. I am not sure what the acreage calculations were based on. I added powdered Zeolite to my soil in the form of Sweet PDZ using Joel Tippens' powdered donut method for applying blood meal, bone meal and cottonseed meal. I simply sprinkled the soil with a light layer of Sweet PDZ powder until it was lightly covered like a powdered donut. This soil amendment does not change the soil pH.

Inoculate your Soil with Mushroom Spores: Darkly pigmented fungus have been shown to feed on gamma radiation. Adding mushroom compost to your soil or adding spores from mature melanin pigmented mushrooms, may be able to divert radioactive particles out of your soils and away from your veggies. The area underneath a mushroom cap holds the spores. You can simply tap the tiny spores into your garden beds by patting the top of a mature brown mushroom.

If you are concerned about radiation, but are unsure if you should take preventative measures, you might want to take advantage of free radiation testing tor your home or car air filters or check out the Radiation Network for real time citizen reported radiation monitoring. I purchased a geiger counter kit last week from one of my husband's regular suppliers and we tested our Central Florida (32117) soil and rain water, Hepa filter and various foods. Thankfully there were no issues with anything we tested, but I am still very much acting with precaution.

In my next related blog post I will be sharing about a common wild flower that acts as an indicator for radioactive contamination and share some images of common herbal weeds with very strange mutations from the Northern United States. I'm very curious what you all think of the pictures and if you have seen anything like it before.

Recommendations for Organic matter, Clay, Lime, and Zeolite additives are based on research published in the following articles:

A review of literature on the effectiveness of chemica amendments in reducing the soil-to-plant transfer of radiostrontium and radiocaesium by J. Lembechts. Science of The Total Environment Vol. 137, Issues 1-3, 2-4 September 1993, pages 81-98

Effect of Different Treatments on 85Sr Plant Uptake in Various Soil Types by E. Koblinger-Bokori and P. Szerbin. Proceedings Congress of IRPA Hiroshima: 2000. CD-ROM.

Influence of zeolite on the availability of radiocaesium in soil to plants. by M.A. Shernber and K.J. Johanson. Science of the Total Environment. 1992. Volume: 113, Issue: 3, Pages; 287-295

Tips for Avoiding Radiation in Daily Life

As a parent of small children, I am especially concerned about radioactive particle contamination in the atmosphere from Fukushima. Unless you have been carefully following various online reports, you may wonder why I am concerned about radiation since I am living in Florida and not Japan. Florida had the highest radioactive Iodine levels in the US one month after the Fukushima reactor accident. California and Washington had very high levels of radiation reported also. These videos show videos from EnviroReporter's youtube stream. The first shows his test results from his California HEPA filters and the 2nd shows Michigan Rain water test results.



Why is radiation from Fukushima effecting the US? In addition radioactive particle release from the initial accident, the Japanese government has ordered the burning of 500,000 tons of radioactive to continue through 2014. The United States is directly down wind of Japan via the Jet Stream which carries air and rain water toward us rapidly.

Hopefully now you have enough information to see where I'm coming from and you can follow up and do a little more research on your own by following the embedded links in this post. I am still learning, but I would like to share what I have found so far regarding personal protection. If you have other ideas, or if I have left something out, please feel welcome to leave comments.

Tips for Avoiding Radiation:

~ Use and umbrella if you have to go out in the rain or just stay out of direct contact with the rain.
~ Leave your shoes outside when you go in the house.
~ Avoid tuna and other Pacific Sea Foods
~ Avoid outdoor grown mushrooms which accumulate radioactivity
~ Invest in a HEPA filter for your home. If you have a vacuum cleaner, make sure that it has a HEPA filter also.
~ Iodine supplementation is suggested for preventing radioactive Iodine uptake. Some people suggest seaweed as a source or Iodine. I think this is probably ok considering the half life of radioactive Iodine is about 8 days, but I am not sure given the current state of the oceans. Other people say to avoid the seaweed due to ocean contamination completely. What do you think?
~ To help prevent uptake of radioactive Strontium to the bones, take a Calium-Magnesium Vitamin supplement. This is even more important than Iodine supplementation, because radioactive Cesium has an exceptionally long half life.
~ From the Combating Radiation forum: "Soak all greens and vegetables or fruit that cannot be peeled in a mixture of 4 ounces of baking soda per gallon for at least 20 minutes. You can also scrub foods with baking soda and a damp sponge (use rubber gloves if your food is dusty from fallout and avoid breathing the dust). Baking soda absorbs uranium and some other radioactive particles very well"
~ On your body, baking soda and Bentonite clay can be used externally to bind many radioactive particles. Food grade bentonite can also be used in small amounts internally. Baking soda can be used in bath salt recipes or as a body scrub with 1 part baking soda, 1 part base oil such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Jojoba, Grapeseed oil, etc.

Activated Charcoal is another substance which is capable of binding radioactive particles. Zeolite, also known as Clinoptilolite is used specifically for cleaning up nuclear waste.

What about radiation concerns for gardening and wild harvesting and processing herbs? I have already started taking steps in my garden to prevent soil to plant transmission of radioactive particles. I will be make a separate post for avoiding radiation in the garden soon.