I have been researching agar for years and have been involved with producing seaweed in the pacific and production of agar in New zealand, a very small percentage of agar is coming from japan so we don't have to worry or hoarding the product just make sure where is comes from
On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 1:05 PM, Max Vittrup Jensen
<max@permalot.org> wrote:
Just want to add that my personal experience with sheep butchering our 9 month ram and painting wood with the blood was very disappointing when measured in m2: it didn't cover much more than 1,5 m2. You'd need quite the massacre to get enough, which may be the reason why traditionally in Scandinavia it was bulls blood (large animal). -I've always wondered if there's any difference in blood from cows and bulls? Can't find any data on it.
Obviously it should be possible to get it as a waste product from a butchery, but in DK and CZ (likely EU rule) that takes a veterinarian certificate.
In traditional cultures the blood is typically used for cooking (I once slaughtered reindeers with laplaenders, and blood went straight in the cooking pot) so again you're competing with food production.
As far as agar-agar goes: the main production of it is in Japan, and where American's seem to be hording iodine due to the 1200 x normal radioactivity (BBC today) in the waters near the leaking reactor, my wife will be hording Agar-Agar with a production date before March 10th! It's also her favorite for thickening jams and cakes, as it's not made from animal bones like gelatin... (Yes; she suffers from the 'ick' factor!).
All in all; urin, shit or linseed oil is my recommended choices.
Cheers,
--
Ing. Max Vittrup Jensen
"Jen-Sen: Make it Reality"
Consultancy in sustainable engineering, planning and environment
+420 585 15 20 10 - www.jen-sen.cz
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