Holding Water

Like a wrapping elf at Macy's come Christmas, today I wrapped the grow bed first in felt and then in plastic pond liner.  It was my intention to glue it, but I just don't really know how I would have accomplished that due to the size.  Never the less I am very pleased with how it came out, but as always it could look a little better.

When I bought the tote, I asked the man how he washed them out.  He replied that I didn't need to wash them out because someone already did well.  I just looked between him and the scum  built up on the bottom of the tank.  I guess I still don't know what to say.  Canola clear fry was slightly overwhelming, but after a dose of Dr. Bronner's Soap it smelled like peppermint and the fry was less present.  Tomorrow I will do the same several more times.  If I had a pressure washer it would be expedited.

I covered the table in felt and stapled around the corners.  It served as a needed practice before putting in the pond liner.  

I was expecting something flimsy however the 14mil liner is stout and heavy.

It quickly unfolded.

The greenhouse could be a spaceship.

After dinner, I created a 70 gallon sump tank.  Another tank will need to be added maybe two.

Through the magic of television the liner is in and several inches of water are left overnight.

The Secret Is Out

Yesterday, maybe two days ago I said I had a super secret project that I wasn't ready to show off, and it was so secret in fact, that I mentioned it previously.

The aguaponics system I have been designing is actually coming together.  A while back I picked up an IBC (intermediate bulk container) tote to be used as a fish tank.  All the parts will be in house tomorrow except for the felt that lines the grow bed before the pond liner is put down.  The advertisement said the felt increased pond liner strength by 400%, and if my splintery fingers from today were any indication, any extra strength is welcome.

Freddie didn't have to work at the furniture factory so he came over relatively early this morning to see what was happening.  He has known about the design for several weeks, and today we got to work building the grow beds using two 2inx12inx12ft pressure treated boards (>$50), and a sheet and a half of 3/4in plywood.  The bottom we reinforced with 2inx12inx4ft boards and two 2inx6inx4ft boards towards the end where the bell syphon will take the water out of the grow bed to the sump tank.  By using a 6 in board instead of a foot long board, we should be able to fit more plants in the bed by placing the syphon closer to the wall.  As awesome as symmetry is, it will be better this way in the long run.

It is unbelievably heavy.  We were pretty certain that we would need other people to help us move it.

Lift like the Egyptians.

Freddie and I had a time getting it up onto the cinderblocks.  I think it was really only out of excitement that it looked so good that we managed to heft it up and into position.  We had to rob some cinderblocks from the other table nearby until I bring some up from the shed.

After spending an hour in the Lowe's Pluming aisle, I though for sure all the parts were in hand.  I grabbed unions, ball valves, pipe dope, fittings, elbows, Ts and nose, Ts and nose.  I thought I had it all, but after mocking it up this evening I still need 1in to 1in coupler, a 45 degree bend or two, and a new bulk head fitting from Tractor Supply to fix the one I broke, and to find the grow media.

Just a case of the mondays

I usually don't do too awful much on Monday.  Today didn't deviate from the trend.  It isn't planned that way, just the way it works.  After letting the chickens out, I sat around several places on the farm.  I spoke with a man about a wood boiler to heat the greenhouse.  He wanted $11,000 for the equipment that I would install myself.  But in doing research I think I can make the same result without burning anything.  More on that to come as the plan materializes.  Freddie came over about 5, and we walked around some more.  Monster buck tracks at the pond.  Made another sunset round before the animals go to bed. Scrambled eggs on toast again for supper.  It sounds like there are coyotes in the yard (10:44pm).

The fire is roaring.  Big plans for tomorrow.

Update on the last several days

With only a minor setback, a lot of progress has been made over the past several days.  The weather today was beautiful.

Some final dressing done around the greenhouse.  The ground is ready for cover crop, my favorite.

Hydrants and gate valve covered up and dressed.  

Watch the custom tool in action and how it all fits together.

Part 1 | Part 2

Once I fill this trench with river rocks the electric spring will be complete.  A flow form would look incredibly nice, but I am not prepared for that workload currently.  It could easily be installed over the rocks at a later date.

Additionally, a great deal of hurdles have been overcome in a relatively secret project that is not ready to be introduced although it has been previously mentioned.  I am really excited.

The worst smell ever

After a neighborhood effort to fix an electrical line that got run over by the bulldozer and cleaning the chicken coop, Freddie asked me how the incubating chickens were progressing.  I told him that I was worried because I don't have mastery of the incubator controls.  Every time I check, the temperature has not been exactly where it needs to be, 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit.  It is a little high or a little low, never spot on and seeming uncorrelated to the knob moving.  Freddie suggested cracking one open to see if there is something developing.  I don't know if the one I picked up had a crack in it before I put it in or what, but it looked like it had popped.  There was a crack that divided the shell into thirds and a yokey hardened froth had seeped through .  It didn't break open immediately, however when it did I wished that I had done it outside.  Freddie laughed as I puked in the basement sink.  Then he got a whiff and wasn't laughing anymore.

Still in the trenches

The temperature is not terribly cold, however, when the wind blows, it is chilly.  The mornings are particularly brutal.  I find my motivation getting out of bed increases substantially as soon as I put socks on.

The ball valve installed the other day worked well.  So well in fact that it did not create enough back pressure for the frost free hydrants to run.  When the lever was raised, the faint sound of the ocean gurgled in pipe, but not a drop came out.

The solution was relatively clear.  Replace the ball valve with a gate valve and hope for the best.  I should have gotten a picture before putting it in the ground to make the difference clear.  A gate valve uses a screw to open a gate like the hose to your house.  A ball valve is literally a ball with a hole drilled through and a lever attached.  When the lever rotates the ball, the whole allows the liquid to flow freely.  Ball valves last longer than gate valves but don't give the flexibility to adjust flow.

The gate valve I picked up with Freddie is beefy and built for steam applications.  I imagine it will last a long time.  Our second stop was the metal supply store.  I finally picked up some angle iron they owed me as well as a bar intended as an extension to turn the gate 4+ feet in the ground.  After drilling a whole with the lathe and trying to tap it smoothly, Freddie found that the back of the socket would fit the valve and matches up pretty nicely with the side of the pipe.  Tomorrow the socket will be welded to the bar with a small metal T for torque creating a 5ft extension.  I don't want to speak too soon, but it looks like it won't need too much adjusting.  Freddie turned on a near hydrant, and I adjusted the valve until the water flowed nicely, the trend continued at the other hydrants on the property.  The volume isn't as much as before, however it is still a substantial flow where as yesterday there was nothing.

Butch comes back tomorrow, and by the end of the day we should be able to cross a huge item off the list.  It looks so good already.

Six feet under

Well not quite.

It was very windy today.  I finished putting the pipe and hydrants in the ground, and after a run all over town I located enough boxes.  These six inch extensions fit on top of a water meter box.  Jodi and Freddie both walked past me on separate occasions while I was in the trenches.  They both startled me.

I pulled out a pound's worth of dirt from my pockets.

Looking down on the ball valve.

Animal activity.

Ash supervising the pond filling slowly.

A tomato plant has managed to reroot itself after the mow.

Radishes planted about September 1st are starting nicely.  They cover the field next to the greenhouse as well as most places and amend the soil structure for next spring's plantings.  The food forest happening now, very cool.

Aguaponics

Aguaponics is the fusion of aquaculture, the raising of fish, and hydroponics, the science of growing plants in water.  System sizes can vary from desktop to commercial systems that can span acres.

Today I picked up two IBC totes.  These food grade containers will be perfect for housing the fish in my system, and one alone should provide enough nutrients to a 4x12 section of plants.

These IBC totes can cost as much as $250 dollars new, however craigslist seems to have them pop up frequently from $50-$100.  It is important to know what was in the tote before you got it.  The two I purchased today contained canola oil.  The man says they clean them throughly, but one more wash isn't going to hurt.  Some IBC totes contained wood glue or other hazardous materials.  Fish are extremely sensitive to chemicals and surfactants.  I have credibly herd several times that fish antibiotics are more refined than antibiotics prescribed to humans and are safe for human consumption.  Do your own research.  When people see biodegradable soap, they think, "great, I am going to take a bath in this stream."  In actuality the surfactants from the soap will gather on the fish doing the opposite of what the soap was intended to.  When taking a bath in the back country it is important to take your water 150ft from the water source.  The contact with the ground allows for the degradation.  So it is important the tank is clean.

The next step will be creating the space for the plants to grow.  More on that to come.

This afternoon after brainstorming pond plumbing options I called Lowes to see about some stackable water meter boxes.  The lady on the phone said she had them.  All the people at the store said they did not.

all quiet

I woke up this morning and it was cold.  It is definitely time to add more blankets to the bed.  I started up the fireplace, fixed a bowl of Cracklin Oat Bran.  I later made eggs.  If the neighbor's daughter didn't come over about 3:30, I probably wouldn't have done anything all day.

I was heading to walk around the field, so she came with me.  Later her mom would come and yell at her for not being where she said she was.

Butch returned with the hydraulic line for his equipment and he continued the work he was doing.

I made french toast for dinner.

After talking to a family this afternoon about purchasing a milk cow and calf, I decided against having one at the current time.  Thinking about having a cow led me to a string of youtube videos describing the best way to design systems for animal movement.  It has further refined my the rotational grassing in the now single goat pasture.

On tomorrow's agenda is to refresh the chicken coop, make a neighborhood dump run, finish plumbing the water line, and really start to look at how I am going to build a cabin for a longer term intern who starts the middle of next month.  I am certain that tin roof will be my best bet.  I do not want to use T111 for the walls.  So I'm still thinking about that.  I might have Josh run the chainsaw mill on some huge downed hardwood next time he comes over looking for something to do.  I bet that would be really beautiful.

I looked at the location for either a cobb house or fire pit.  I am still conflicted although I started digging out the foundation and thinking about where the drainage pipe will go.

The homesteader  program is taking applications for the upcoming seasons.  Contact us at Sustainablehomesteadinstitute@gmail.com to find out more about our three month on the land internship.

How to light a wood stove

Firewood only costs me the fuel and partial cost of the chainsaw, and it saves huge amounts of money for electricity.  Last month the power bill for the entire farm was less that $90.  Much of that I attribute to firewood heat.

No relation to the furnace from the first Home Alone movie.

A wood stove insert is probably the least efficient way to heat your home with wood other than pouring gas on your furniture and watching the whole place go up in flames.  Inserts simply don't provide enough thermal mass to make the most of the wood that you cut, split, and chunk into the stove.  Rumfort fireplaces and rocket stoves traditionally store heat in clay or brick stacked around the heat source.  More to come on Rocket Stoves in the future.

As we find different ways to make the most of thermal heat, retrofit may not be available for some families.  For maximum efficiency a standard wood insert should have five inches of ash to maximize thermal mass - so don't worry about cleaning it out all the time.

Lighting a wood stove is another reason why people steer clear of wood heat.  It doesn't have to be a challenge.  Once a roll is established.  It is a self supporting system.

Wood choice for insert burning differs from the Friday night bonfire stash.  Hardwoods are ideal as they produce long lasting heat.  Pine tends to burn extremely quickly and is warned against for tendency to burn out the seals in a wood stove.  Drying wood for a year under a tarp will minimize creosote buildup and keep your chimney running optimally.

During the day, I bring two to three loads of wood from the dried pile to the porch.

As I bring wood into the house there are little splinters that are easily removed from the logs.  By paying attention to what breaks off easily, I can stockpile enough kindling for the fire tomorrow.

The government pays for my heat.  Virginia agricultural census provided the USDA.  Subsidized tinder.

One paper wraps another crumpled piece.

5-7 pieces concentrically balled around the previous

Caption needed?

The pieces pulled off logs from yesterday's fire.

Two big logs, the balled pieces, and kindling

Empty

Just three logs worth of splinters ready for tomorrow.

See how fast it lights up

Don't forget to open your damper.

I spent some time planting a lettuce mix and broccoli in the greenhouse.  I wish somebody wrote a book about greenhouse planting timing.  I know they have them for gardening, and I have several.  I have yet to find one that is an integrated outdoor/indoor calendar.

Laying Pipe

This morning closer to lunch time, I was pulling 1in water pipe from the edge of the field and untangling some sections that were kinked.  I don't know how long he was standing there, but it looked like some time.  One arm thrown over the Toyota truck bed the other smoking a cigarette, Freddie chuckled when I noticed him.  I began to shake my head.  He chuckled louder.  He surprised me.

Freddie helped me untangle the last few kinks.  I grabbed the front of the pipe and started walking to where Butch has resumed excavating from last weekend.  I felt like a Swedish strong man in the rope competition pulling the 400 feet of pipe up the hill.  Eventually everything settled nicely in the hole.  I told Freddie that we should get some paintball guns and reenact the first world war.  He recommended his wife and step daughter charge us in the trench from the open grass.

I had a few frost free water hydrants that I wanted to splice into the line.

My grandfather's dull dovetail saw has become my new plastic saw after its exceptional performance the other day installing the greenhouse fan.  It is by far the best method of cutting I have found for in ground water pipe.  The saws-all shook the pipe everywhere or maybe it just shook me everywhere, bolt cutters were terrible, and the hacksaw lacked any kind of gusto.  The blue ribbon goes to the dovetail saw. 

Once the pipe is cut.  Use a torch to heat up the black pipe.  Once it is hot it will easily slide onto the brass fitting.  Follow up with hose clamps to ensure leak free longevity.  

Watch Freddie do it

One T finished

The other end of the T'ed in pipe is a step down elbow and the start of a frost free hydrant.

Although Freddie and I laid out most of the pipe,  Butch blew a hydraulic line on his back hoe.  After raiding the shop I was confident that I would have the parts that he needed.  I had several combinations that might have worked, but nothing exactly like for what was called.  Butch made a run to the nearest hydraulic store a half hour away.  Some time later he returned empty handed.  They did not have the right fittings we needed.  I think the plan is to have it up and running Monday as everything is closed Sundays.

Freddie and I walked around the property just before dinner time looking for the prime place to put a deer stand.  We saw least three spots that would be perfect, and several other spots that wouldn't even need a stand.  There were some monster deer tracks in the loose dirt by the pond.  I wonder if it was the huge elk wanna be I saw the other day running with the smaller buck.

Peas A Poppin

This morning I checked on the field after the rain the previous night.  The ground was moist, but the first thing that caught my eye was a pea that had popped out of a hole propelled by the taproot growing downward leaving a little pock mark.  I saw several others.  Many peas seemed like they did nothing.  I picked one up and the spot that was touching the ground had turned white and felt mushy like something was underneath.  When Josh and I walked into the field we scared out a bunch of crows.  They were no doubt feasting on the seeds broadcast the day before.

We talked about making a scarecrow cemented into a five gallon bucket for portability.

I had seen this story about a man's Halloween decorations that got people looking, and it was the first image that popped to mind as we discussed scarecrows.

It looks like the chickens have stopped laying as the weather has gotten colder.  I am investigating lighting options.  A relatively local farmer who has roughly 4000 birds slaughters them before winter time because the cost of heating the extremely large coop isn't worth the eggs produced.  I stopped by the local big box store for some groceries; eggs and milk particularly.  I picked up some drinking glasses.  After looking at sets of all sorts of different designs, I saw stacked individually "Aristocrat Cooler 88 cents."  Sold.  Pulling them from the rack, I see something underneath.  "God's Simple Plan of Salvation," read the glossy folded full color pamphlet.  I don't know if the glasses look like a drinker would like them or why specifically that place was chosen, but it was definitely a good find.

By the time I got home the sun was just setting at the front of the house.  I ran inside, grabbed the camera, and went to the back field.  I really wanted a picture of the pea I had seen earlier popping up like a mushroom.  It was very dark.  The pictures taken tomorrow will improve significantly.  

These are not the peas we are looking for.

A more visible green spec starts to emerge from the seed.

The chickens in the incubator are coming along.  They are 5 days now.  The temperature seems to be perfect, and I keep adding water to the pan at the bottom as it evaporates.  It kinda smells.  I would like to move it out to the building sometime soon.

A very slightly proud flashlight

I was very thankful that it rained off and on all day.  The wheat and peas got some moisture, and I got to kinda hang out.  I picked up feed for the goats and an extra rabbit water bottle for a planned expansion.  I came back home and looked at the field, checked out the chickens, saw the rabbits, and walked around for a while between sprinkles.  After cleaning up the shop a little bit and dispatching a bunch of nested stinkbugs, I set my sights on making something.

Every day I carry a certain set of items, one of which is a flashlight.  It is extremely small, bright, and AA powered.  Since the day the light came in the mail, I have been against the feel of the tail cap.  From the factory a lip protects the button from easy activation.  Turning it on felt a bit difficult.

I chucked it up in the lathe using the setup from the bike part the other day I removed several eights of an inch.  I should have disassembled the light and taken the battery out, but it did alright.  I was nervous, but the final result is pleasing.  I was limited by the mounting of the pocket clip, but now the button sits slightly protruding from the cap.  It is significantly easier to turn off and on.  It took 10 minutes tops, but now it is custom.

Can you hear it?

 With the game plan for today clear in my mind,  I started getting the seed ready for planting.  Legumes like to be inoculated, and the process enhances the nitrogen fixing of the pea.  Some seeds come inoculated already.  It isn't hard to do.  Pour your peas into a bin.  Wet them with less than a cup of water per 50 pounds of seed, mix in the inoculant package, let it dry, and spread.  Josh popped up sometime this morning saying he was board.  So we made quick work of the mixing and quickly covered 350 pounds of seed with inoculant.

Follow the directions

Austrian Winter Peas

Inoculant added to the mix with a little bit of water.

Big red ready to sling some seed.

I still think my tractor is sexy.

Pushing down the sliver lever to open the seed door.

 Notice the chain harrow kicking up dust and breaking up the grooves left by the tractor.

How it looked at the end of today.  Waiting on tomorrow's rain.  I can hear the wheat and peas growing.