Scott Vernon

I've built several rocket mass heaters, and this is not what I am looking for for this application. thank you

Is the forum aware of a cook stove that could take the place of a wood burning insert in an old brick fireplace or the process at which to turn a wood insert back into a useable fireplace?

I'm in SW VA here - hour south of roanoke, hour north of greensboro. Land is relatively inexpensive and there seems to be a lot of influx from folks up north, I'm one of them kinda. The backdrop of the blue ridge doesn't hurt either. There are a lot of people that want the area to improve after being hit hard after furniture and fabric mills left the area. The Artisan Trail Network connects artists throughout Virginia and there are a lot!!! of people doing interconnected things in the area.

Holla if I can help in any way.

I dug the initial trench for the hugleculture with a mini excavator 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide roughly. It took approximately 9 months off and on with one to two guys cutting the wood pulled from the wooded areas of the farm and some delivered from a neighbor's place to fill the 240ft long trench. The final heavy lifting was done with a caterpillar 953 that my other neighbor operates for a living. I laid out the lines using an a frame level.

I wanted to share some of the work that is moving toward completion on the garden area of the homestead. Still a ways to go, but I am proud of the progress.

Alright I get it. I found this timer available today. http://www.mrdrip.com/710075P--Battery-Operated-Propagation-Timer-with-34-Valve_p_490.html The problem is using the proper keyword for searching. I guess it is a called a propitiation timer. It is more expensive, but should work precisely. I will post the results once it is installed.

I guess I don't have any talent because I have been thinking about this all day.

Is this a mixing valve? What is the small tube off the end? Does it open the two screw connections and go out the smaller end? I have never seen one of these before so I'm not sure how it all fits together.

If I plugged the side, I could use both valves like one valve and attach them to a plug in timer. If that is what you were suggesting, that is very smart and incredibly cheap. I checked 3/4in solenoids and they were like $100 bucks. How would I connect the solenoid to a plug in?

Is this what you were suggesting R?

I have a greenhouse that is hot hot hot! In trying to bring the temperature down during the height of heat during the day, I have installed a 40% reflective shade cloth, more than ample circulation fans, and an evaporative cooling system. The misting kit is extremely effective in bringing down the temperature. I have tried four different timers in search of the right one. Ideally the timer would allow for selective spraying at the peak times of the day. The items sold from lowes are at best a 4 hour cycle time between waterings. The orbit ones are 6hr minimum time between cycles.

Does anybody know of a hose timer that allows for complete programability?

Last spring I plowed up a field that had been sitting fallow for who knows how long. The neighbors suggest that it was over 30 years ago that a previous owner grew tobacco extensively in the clay soils of this area. I planted diakon radishes, clover, chickory, alfalfa, vetch, and a wildflower mix resulting in radishes the size of my forearm. I plowed that under and planted a crop of winter wheat and Austrian winter peas. Currently this mix is knee height and green green green.

Here is what I am thinking about doing in the near future.
1. Running the lawn mower over this field at the highest setting.
2. Plant a mixture of:
-Canopy - Pawnee Pecan (100ft mh), EH Wilson Mimosa Tree (40ft mh), English Walnut (40ft mh), Southern Giant Pecan (100ft mh), Colby Pecan (100ft mh)
-Low Tree Layer - Hall's Hardy Almond (20ft mature height), Hardired Nectarine (10ft), Tanenasni Oriental Persimmon (20ft mh), Several types of pear dwarf trees, dwarf plumb, golden apricot, Carolina Belle Peach (10ft mh), dwarf peach, elderberry, hazlenut - i already have apple trees in another area
-Shrub layer - Red Raspberry, Primocane red Raspberry, blackberry, o'neal blueberry, jubilee blueberry, gooseberry, goji berry hazlenut
-Herbasceous - comfrey, borage, thyme, oregano, summer svory, feverfew, yarrow, sage, beets, turnips,
-Rhizosphere - potatoes, sweet potatoes, do onions go here? any other suggestions?
-Soil Surfice - Earliglo Strawberry, clover, chickory, vetch, squash,
-Climbers - Concord Grape, Muscadine Grape, Cowart Muscadine Grape, Scarlet Grape, Glenora seedless grape, lakemont seedless grape, reliance seedless grape, climbing rose around gates, beans

and have a few spaces for three sisters

any direction would be much appreciated

Hey Gary,

I am planning gatherings, workshops, and other activities now. I will add you to the list. If you are in the area and just want to pop by call me at 757 656 0110. As I live here to, this is not the norm - but I would love to show yall around.

Sincerely,

Scott Vernon