Merry Christmas All,
A little background first. We have a shallow well pump, 4 cows, a pig, chickens, ducks, etc. We use about 50 gallons a day on average. Like the title infers our pump is not producing from my research it may be a bad foot valve ( we ran the pump way too long trying back flush sediment from the filter). I want to wait till spring to remove the foot valve and I don't to pay a pro to do it. I tried using a pond pump to fill the pressure tank. I was able to get water to come out far bathroom sink but didn't see a rise in the gauge on the pressure tank. It may be because I didn't give it enough time or that it is not powerful enough the handle the situation.
My thought is to try a sump pump but wanted to see if I am on the right track.
After waiting years for an interested party, I decided to sell the land outright.
Damian Jones wrote:Hi Everyone,
I own two lots in Colorado:
144 Olympic Cir, 234
Hartsel, CO 80449, US
MLS # S386096
$3,999
and
2426 Arapahoe Trl, 232 & 234
Hartsel, CO 80449, US
MLS # S386097
$9,999
I purchased it as investment property years ago and now I want to get rid of it.
If someone wants to least the land for 100 bucks a year for up to 20 years contact me. You will be responsible for taxes and fees (about 300-400 bucks a year per property).
I have the property I want and I'm not interested in making money off the land anymore. The land is part of a recreational community. http://wildwoodrec.org/
any questions you can post them here or send me a pm.
Damian Jones wrote: Even if I disconnect the power from the pump the pressure tank will still spew water every where.
Well, sure. But only for a couple minutes.
So turn off the pump.
Open the faucets. Inside, outside, wherever. The pressure tank will push out all the water it has.
Now you're ready. Cut your pipe apart. It will dribble out whatever water is right there in that section of the pipe, but it won't be pumping since the pump is off, and it won't be spraying since the pressure tank is deflated.
Reconnect and repressurize.
It's been a while since my last visit. I'd like to thank everyone for the good advice. It gave me the confidence to tackle the job head on and got it done
elle sagenev wrote:I'm curios as to why you do not fence and graze this 15 acres. Is there a reason?
I get the expense. I'd been feeding my birds for ages. Then I finally just decided to start letting them out. Feed costs dropped dramatically. Try it!
All my animals free range....Believe me when I tell you I'm one of the cheapest guys on the planet, but when the snow it 4ft deep I have to pay money to feed the lot of them The cows are one an intensive grazing schedule where we move the electric fences about once a week. We also provide hay in their stall at night. In the morning we milk the cows and then stake out the calves in the fence off area. Works pretty slick as I don't even have to turn on the electricity any more because the cows stay close to the calves. It only takes an hour to re-fence and the cows are happy for the new lush grass.
The chickens and ducks get a morning feeding and then they fend for the themselves...and it cuts down on the grasshoppers like crazy.
I figure purchasing a tractor, cutter, rake and baler would be horribly expensive (let me know if I'm wrong on this). So I'm looking for alternative. Scything is out of the question as we are middle aged and the though of spending a week of cutting, raking and baling by hand makes me faint.
Opinions welcomed.
Thanks,
Onyx.
Hallo,
Is there a opportunity to rent these machines in your area?
Regards,
F.
I didn't think of that, but it makes sense. I'll check around. Thanks.
Sunny Aldrinos wrote:Try looking for someone who will hay the property for you. 10 acres is usually the point where someone will bother hauling the equipment over so if you have 15 decent acres, it's worth a shot. Every area has their own traditions but 60/40 (60% going to them) is a typical split of the hay. If you don't have any neighbors that you know or trust, try asking around at the local tractor place or looking around social media (lots of our local hay guys advertise on FB, including for cutting services). This can backfire sometimes - it's often easier said than done, and you can get caught up in the equipment problems of others, and their own fields take priority.
Bernard Welm wrote:I would say there are a few things to do/try befor purchasing all the hay making equipment.
1. Are there any farmers in the area that make hay? If so check what it would cost for them to make bales for you on your own land. Large bales are cheaper than small balles (this year I got small bales at $1 a bale)
2. What would it take to fence some or all of that land? I'm f you fence it you can have cattle in it later into the year decreasing your feed costs. I think it is Greg Judy that does a lot of this type of cattle raising. I would really look at it. I have also listened to a podcast where a person in Alberta was letting his cattle eat grass all winter long (and some large bales) so it should be possible for most people to figure out a way to do it.
Honestly I would look at a combination of these 2 methods to extend your grazing period reducing your cost of feed.
We're relatively new to the area and it will take a couple of generations to get to a status where I would feel comfortable even asking let along borrowing someone's equipment. I'm paying 2.25 a small bale now and 35 for a large round bale.
We contain our cows with electrical fencing and it works great. We do an intensive grazing method which has really kept the flies at bay.
I live is central Wisconsin and due to the amount of snow on the ground in winter hay is our only hope.
Hi all,
Homesteading has been very good to us. We've processed chickens, ducks, goats and pigs. We've hatched chicks and helped birth a couple of heifers. We feel we've learned a lot in the past few years. Currently we have 4 cows (two of them are new heifers) a feeder pig ready to butcher this fall. about 50 chickens for butcher this fall and close to 20 ducks...and a goat.
I was hoping for a male calf to be born but that's life. Anyways I come to you with this:
I will spend close to 1k this year on hay for feed and bedding. For me that is the tipping point to where I need to start making my own hay. It is quite an investment but I have about 15 or so acres that I just grows big all summer long and dies in the winter and it makes me sick not utilizing it for hay.
I figure purchasing a tractor, cutter, rake and baler would be horribly expensive (let me know if I'm wrong on this). So I'm looking for alternative. Scything is out of the question as we are middle aged and the though of spending a week of cutting, raking and baling by hand makes me faint.
HI All,
I've got a problem with plumbing..my outside frost free faucet has a drip. My problem is the yahoo that owned the house before me put the main shut off valve AFTER the faucet. I've got a get a valve in before the faucet with no way to stop the water. Even if I disconnect the power from the pump the pressure tank will still spew water every where.
I planned on putting on one of the "sharkbite" quick connect valve and go form there. But the main line is a 3/4" pressure pipe 310077 and I'm unsure if that will fit.
Hi Everyone,
I own two lots in Colorado:
144 Olympic Cir, 234
Hartsel, CO 80449, US
MLS # S386096
$3,999
and
2426 Arapahoe Trl, 232 & 234
Hartsel, CO 80449, US
MLS # S386097
$9,999
I purchased it as investment property years ago and now I want to get rid of it.
If someone wants to least the land for 100 bucks a year for up to 20 years contact me. You will be responsible for taxes and fees (about 300-400 bucks a year per property).
I have the property I want and I'm not interested in making money off the land anymore. The land is part of a recreational community. http://wildwoodrec.org/
any questions you can post them here or send me a pm.
Hi Everyone,
After reading more than a little on the RMH I've decided to replace the behemoth of a fireplace in my livingroom. Here is the monster http://homesteadingtechies.com/rocket-mass-heater-the-beginning/. How much would something like this weigh, do I have to worry about the weight?
Thanks for the sound advice. The garden is just passed the driveway, no other choice there. Now much room nearer the house. Once we get things going we plan on dong a food forest to the south and west of area 'A' mostly to keep animals out of the barley and gardens...well that's the plan
Nicholas Covey wrote:Damian,
Your design ideas are good. One thing that does speak to me is the size of the yard. It's location is almost too far for a garden. Also start small or a garden that large, especially without a tractor, will become absolutely soul wrenching. Fence it off temporarily and run stock until you are able to grow your plot or plant something perennial. (Food forest maybe?)
I have found that the gardens inside zone 1 really do make a lot of sense, even if it's not the "best" location at your disposal. Aerial maps only show so much of course.
Hi Ben,
Great questions..and a lot information to think about. I will work on a more detailed plan to outline the measures you have described and somethings that have been floating around in my head.
~Damian
Ben Bowman wrote:
Your excitement to get things moving in the spring could lead to some costly mistakes. You likely lack the knowledge required to plan and implement something that you will be happy with in the long run. Observation of the property is key to making a good design. Start slowly this year and gain an understanding of the property in all 4 seasons. Meanwhile you can learn more about rotational grazing, resilient design, soil building, animal husbandry, etc. If you have not already bought books, I would suggest dropping $300 before you commit to more expensive items such as: aquaponics systems, larger animals, trees, equipment. Somewhere on these forums there is a great list of suggested reading material. The information contained within the top 5 permaculture books should provide a great base to start from.
Make a plan. Ask better questions and clearly define your goals for the land. The more specific you can be, the better. It is impossible to implement a good plan without a desired outcome in mind. how many people do you want to feed or what % of your diet do you want to produce? how much income (if any) needs to be generated to cover expenses and taxes? how much working capital are you willing to commit in the first year, and do you expect a return? if you do plan on making it profitable in the first year, what items would you need to produce to make that happen? Would your plans work if you or your family had to leave for some reason such as vacation, illness, or emergency? what is your soil like? have you tested it? do you need to amend it before you plant long term perennial crops like trees and shrubs? Would it be better to dredge and stock your ponds or buy aquaponics systems and heat the water through the winter? which of these (or other) options is most profitable in the first year: crops, hay, leasing the pasture, animal husbandry? are your goals realistic?
My suggestion is to start small. raise a few dozen chickens for a year to see if you like caring for animals. they are easy and cheap. buy a few 20# bags of black oil sunflower seeds (non heat treated variety sold as bird seed) and sow a patch for chicken feed. raise smaller plots of grain for feed and invest most of your energy preparing the garden near the house this spring. plant a few trees and shrubs, but hold off on planting a lot of trees until you can prepare the land correctly and understand your local conditions. get your soil tested! compost shredded leaves and work on building a heavily mulched (6-18") soil in the home garden area. Learn about your land. Observe the stream and see how high it floods during heavy rains. As a part time farmer you won't have the time to tackle a serious workload. Enjoy the fact that you currently have outside employment(where you can do research, plot, and scheme on the clock) and save as much money as you can.
Great parcel of land, tremendous potential. Advanced Farm & Homestead Design / is a workshop coming up in May in Iowa (close to you). As an IT mind, I think you'd appreciate a systematic approach to creating the homestead that meets you and your family's true goals.
I would love to go, but the price is way outside of my budget. Why is priced in such a way only the well to do could be a part of it? To me the underlying tone of permaculture is the inclusion of people to learn to farm in a sustainable way. I see the slow transition to a capitali$tic process where everything must be purchased..supply and demand. I would rather spend the money on more seed and livestock.
The land in Iowa is not my land, the climate is not my climate so what works there doesn't mean that it would work here. I would ask questions about my land and climate there as I do hear. I would rather host a free course and the attendees donate what they feel is prudent for the advisers. Everyone would get free meals and exchange I would get tons of help in making my land sustainable. In turn I would travel to another property, set up a tent and be fed for the exchange of my hard labor and my philosophy of the land and/or life. THAT is what brought me to permaculture...the symbiosis.
While I do appreciate the invitation, it is just against what I believe permaculture to be.
My goal is to eventually get the the langstroth...once my woodworking skills improve a bit. For now I'm leaning heavily towards the perone hive as my first concern is to make sure I have address the pollination of the plants. I would like the smaller size pigs this first year to get accustom to raising animals. At the moment I only have to worry about feeding 3 people and pets. I do intend on marketing what ever is left to a couple of shops I've already lined up to see if there is an interest and build from there.
I will continue to post and promote this site to my friends. It is a great resource and the more people participating the better.
Thank you Kevin,
~Damian
Kevin Hedrick wrote: I built my own langstroth hives, and I am going to build a topbar in case any of my swarm traps work this spring as well. I couldn't give you much insight as to how much feedlot to dedicate for the cows and goats, I just dont have the experience there. Chickens/ducks are pretty easy, there is a lot of info on fodder for the winter on this site alone. I keep 5-7 acres of food plot for the pigs, I co-op with my neighbor, he has like 8 elevators and storage silos.. So I only am using maybe half of that and he does most of the work (networking with neighbors can be very beneficial for you and them).. In the summer they range feed mostly. I do give them all the eggs that are cracked (boiled) and will give them a small trough of mash mixed with warm water and yogurt and any table scraps. I finish them with pure grain/bean/alfalfa mixed with egg shell.. They always have access to dirt, which takes care of their Iron needs. Seems pretty complete for them.
I've been collecting pallets 10 or so every week from work to make "permanent" paddocks for the area. They are free and easy to come by. Other than that my plan is almost identical to what you are doing. My biggest concern at the moment is how much land to allot for the animal feed. I would like to use the grow the barely, cut, and thresh it. I hope to bag the seed and use the straw to feed the animals. I would see this to be successful is the if I can feed the animals all winter long and still have enough seed left over for the next planting. Here is the livestock list we have come up with: 1 (or 2) Dexter cows, 2 Kinder goats for milking, 6 ducks, 2 geese, 20 chickens and two small/medium pigs (I have not research which breed of pig would be best yet, but need to get cracking on that soon).
Thanks for the compliment on the land. I had my eye on it for years and finally the owners wanted to get away from the cold ( It's an unpleasant -12 this morning and my fingers are not responding correctly yet) and I jumped on it. The creek flows steady and I hear the trout are plentiful. I plan to post all my success and failures to help guide those who come after me, no sense in making the same mistake twice if you can avoid it.
What kind of hives do you run? Any recommendations on the breed of pig to get? I dont want something so big it will be hard to handle the first year since it is my first year of farming...ever.
Thanks for the insight it really helps to hear from someone that is actually doing the same thing I am planning on doing
~Damian
Kevin Hedrick wrote: Man that's a nice spread.. If I were you I would build a pen for the hogs right in between the lower B's and use portable hog net (electric) so you can rotate them a few times a year, planting the clover after they have rooted and fertilized for you. If you plan to overwinter any livestock it is beneficial to have electricity near the pens/shelter so you can de-ice water troughs and run a heat light or two if need be.. I have a very similar setup, albeit not so tree'd or large.. I run hogs, chickens, turkey and bees. My neighbor has all the cattle a guy can stand to smell, so I don't run any cattle. I have 2 breeding pair of hogs, usually between them and the offspring they will beat down an acre within 2 months. My chickens run ahead of my hogs but they aren't nearly as hard on the land. By that I mean I rotate them to the land that the pigs will move onto next.. They (the chooks) pick through what they like, poop all over the place (this is a good thing) and then the hogs kind of till it all in behind them. I broadcast clover behind the hogs and my bees love that.. If you get a lot of bugs, the chickens really help to keep population down, which is good for your garden.. And free eggs aren't ever a bad thing to go with all that bacon.. If you give me some time I can get an areal view to kind of explain what I mean. I only have 18 acres and its almost a perfect square.. The net works for my chickens as well as the hogs, but its pricey, and you have to train your hogs to the fence. If we didnt have so many predators I would let them free range, but with the amount of land I give them, I dont think I restrict their movements much anyhow. They always have fresh grass and clover to pick through. I like your idea to turn the lawn into garden.. Lawns are a little over rated in my humble opinion.. You're lucky to have that creek. When we bought this place 20+ years ago, we had one as well, now we just have a pond in a deep spot where the creek bed bends.. Some wet years it flows pretty good.. But its been quite a few years since that has happened. We let the neighbor run cattle through the creek and it just wasn't wise on out part. If anything I would, if I were you, limit them to a small section of creek as far downstream as you can.. I know you said only a couple cows so that will make a big difference, we ran 20 head through ours about 1/2 mile for 5 months out of the year, and it really just turned the water to nothing you want to eat out of or dip your toes in. The mono-culture that goes on around here hasn't helped that. The ponds would be best utilized for the cattle/hogs in my opinion. The important part is to rotate wisely. If you leave your cattle or hogs on one section of land to long it can take a long time to heal.. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Matu Collins wrote:What a beautiful place! Congratulations.
You have so much opportunity. Do you have help? Do you have another job or are you setting up shop as a farm business as your income? Do you have a lot of debt? How do you feel about livestock?
Fruit and nut tees and timber management would be on my mind if I were you and I would think about fences before I thought about a tractor but I am not a tractor expert. I might build up a beef cattle herd. Maybe pigs. I'm not up for dairy cows right now but some people love them.
How are your winters?
So many questions. I don't have all the answers but I have lots of questions!
I've thought more about the project after finding out more about Fukuoka's natural way of farming. I will do the section A with rotating barley/clover and rice..Idk about the rice but I figure it is worth a shot. I will start off with the barley clover to condition the land and hopefully use the barely for fodder come the winter. Section B are paddocks for the live stock...having the pigs free roam is dependent on what I can get for fencing. To front two ponds are already there, but may have to be dug out and refreshed with water from the creek. I plan to get survey that as soon as the snow melts and maybe use my snowblower to help it along but IDK if that is feasible...ton a snow out there...up passed my knees. I will have a smaller permacultured garden in section C...it is currently a lawn but I would like to experiment with the hugelkultur and use some fallen brush and trees from this years winter snowfall.
What's wrong with this plan, what's dumb. I'm looking for a good critique.
Matu Collins wrote:What a beautiful place! Congratulations.
You have so much opportunity. Do you have help? Do you have another job or are you setting up shop as a farm business as your income? Do you have a lot of debt? How do you feel about livestock?
Fruit and nut tees and timber management would be on my mind if I were you and I would think about fences before I thought about a tractor but I am not a tractor expert. I might build up a beef cattle herd. Maybe pigs. I'm not up for dairy cows right now but some people love them.
How are your winters?
So many questions. I don't have all the answers but I have lots of questions!
Questions are the important part... I guess I came on here looking for better questions than I already have. I will try to answer the ones you have posted. It is my wife, daughter (age 7) and I. I have posted for a woofer, but I am not hanging my hat on that.
I do have another job, thankfully not too far away and the boss is ok with me ducking out when I have too...as long as the servers are running well of course.
IDK if it will be a business per say...I would like to sell the surplus, so yes I would like to have it setup so I could get to the harvest in not to difficult a manner. I've pretty much ruled out tractors...I've never been into fixing engines and I would have to get something 2nd...maybe 3rd hand for it to be practical.
The previous owners had cattle and most of the electrical fencing is still there, but I dont want to push around those huge animals. I'm going to go with a Dexter cows and just 1 or two depending mostly on what I find here. I will have bacon...er pigs. they can eat anyting (bacon) and they dont smell bad if they are taken care of properly (bacon) and I can raise them from spring to harvest (bacon!!) as soon as the winter leaves I'm building a fridge smokehouse....and maybe make some bacon.
Thanks for the direction Ian...this information will be a great help.
Ian Taylor wrote:Go on youtube, and watch some of Geoff Lawton and Ben Falks longer videos, when I first started I had a similar idea to you but I realized there were many more design factors that I wasn't taking into account. Sustainable drainage and water retention for example to minimize flooding and give you the ability to irrigate at the same time. Also that its possible with some careful engineering to create forests of food producing trees which can produce food for you and your family to eat or sell with minimal yearly input.
I read up quite a bit on permaculture and came to realize it can offer quite a lot more than conventional farming can for someone in a situation like yours or mine.
She's a beauty. Do you plan on doing the butchering yourself?
Jeremey Weeks wrote:Damian, Charlotte is pushing 200 lbs now.
Here's a pic, though it's a little old...
That was taken at the end of November.
Charlotte just went through her first heat. She was a little later than we expected (or we missed her first). Next month, she'll be 8 months old. We're planning on AIing her (artificial insemination) as well as our Hereford gilt, Lucy.
We already have plans for a couple of the piglets-to-be. My better half is talking to Lauren and Brandon Sheard of Farmstead Meatsmith. We've asked them to come out this fall to check the quality of the pork.
Hi Everyone,
In December we purchased this 40-acre farm. My plan in the beginning involved getting a tractor and ploughing the hell out it plant a bunch for crops and sell what we do not need at a consignment shop I'm partnered with in town. Then a friend of mine sent me a link to this: Permaculture Design. Now I don't really know what I want to do. I know I would like to plant trees first, but where? The area by the creek is wetlands, so I don't THINK I can do anyting on there besides letting the livestock graze there. The creek has fish in it. I plan to make the barn the aquaponics growhouse/greenhouse. After that I've got no Idea.
Michael Cox wrote:Depending on what you want them for you might simply be better off hand pollinating instead. 5 minutes with a brush can polinate a lot of flowers and you don't need to force bees to live outside their normal habit/climate conditions. realistically you probably only have a few days of polination needs out of season anyway, depending on your crops/greenhouse size/planting plans
I guess my main thing is to have some of their life force around me during the winter. Winters are so long here and the silence is deafening sometimes. Anyway these are just thoughts that I wanted to hear peoples' thoughts on. I think I'll give it a go and see how things turn out. Thanks for your input.
Steven Feil wrote:Mason Bees will not work for this application. They only have about a 6 week life span and only produce one generation each year. I am not certain that ANY bee species, including the greenhouse workhorse bumblebee, will work. They all need a period of inactivity and rest.
Good info Steven,
Soo I could theoretically stagger the placement of the mason bee dormitories every six weeks. during the winter? I saw a documentary somewhere....a woman kept the bees in the freezer, cleaned out the larvae, re-homed them and put them back out in the spring to do their thing.
David Livingston wrote:I would not call you crazy because Paul has rules about that sort of thing |-) am curious how you will get the bees to stay where you want them to be ? If they do stay what are you going to feed them on ? They will need lots of food if its too warm to hibernate
David
Thanks for not calling me crazy...I like to reserve that right for myself. Good point about how to feed them...I understand with honey bees they put some sugar water out so I would try that. I don't know how many flowers an average bee needs for survival....or anything about bees for that matter.
I'm looking to start a fairly large aquaponic greenhouse. It gets pretty cold up in in Wisconsin and I want to do the greenhouse year round. I am hoping I can relocate mason bees in the greenhouse to help with pollination throughout the year. The greenhouse will be warmed all winter long. I was wondering has anyone attempted this or is the a common practice or am I really as crazy as everyone thinks.
Landon Sunrich wrote:That video deserves an apple. I had no idea such a thing was so easily achievable. Thanks for sharing it Johnny
That video DOES deserve an apple. However, as to it being "easily achievable" - well, that's a whole other ball of wax. Perhaps if you are familiar with working with 3D modeling software it's easy. I really admire what's available in SketchUp - but it frustrates the heck out of me at the same time. And I fully admit that I may be a bit dim when it comes to getting the hang of 3D modeling software...
I'm familiar with graphics programs. I plan to make a model of my new farm. Once I get the hang of it...gimme a week or two. I will do one for you if you wish. I don't know what you would use the output for but I just thought I'd offer. It helps me to do a task if I give it a deadline. btw it is no charge thing. I would nice to give back something to these forums that's helped me so much.
Yes Daniel, I thought an addition to the barn also and I may go that way. To me it seems putting the AP directly about the stock tanks and RMH's would be more efficient. I will explore both options. Right now I'm really just trying to collect enough data to make a good informed decision.
Thanks for the well wishes..It is a new adventure for me.
Daniel Clifford wrote:Hi Damian,
My thought would be it might be easier to just build a greenhouse extension on the south facing side and install a door into the barn at the back of the greenhouse, rather than take out the whole wall.
Good luck with your project whatever road you choose.
Jeremey Weeks wrote:I put up a video of Charlotte, our piglet. She's getting her first taste of mammoth clover. I can't wait to get her in the paddocks. We're a few weeks from being ready for that.
Dale Hodgins wrote:The roof and gable end walls represent about 3/4 of the work in building a structure like this. It would be like starting over. Quite often, old barns are held together quite a bit by the sheeting. If this building were being framed, half of the work would be in creating the gambrel roof. I would reinforce the existing framework and remove sheeting where glazing is desired.
If it were a demolition, removal of the roof would be about half of the total work. I took the sheeting off of the walls of a similar barn and pulled it down with a truck with the roof intact. It was a shaky structure that I didn't trust. You've seen the YouTube videos. It's more dramatic when you're there to feel the wind and the ground tremors. Pulling a barn over with a truck is a truly satisfying feat. Get er Done.
Just found out the barn is on a North / South lie, guess I lucked out there. So now I think removing a portion of the siding and replacing the area with a greenhouse skin and perhaps a clayslip sawdust then using some sort of foam insulation, then covering it all with plywood would be a good bet. The foam insulation will be a bit costly but much cheaper then doing a whole greenhouse structure on the 2nd floor.
Another thought I had... normally a hydraulic ram works on the same water it is pumping. I wonder if it could be adapted to having return water from the second floor pump a small percentage of "new" water upstairs. It would not be all of it and a pump would still be required, but it could be some of it.
Thanks for the good info Len. I've decided going with a solar pump filling a reservoir upstairs would be the way to go. The pump would go as long as there is sun and the reservoir would have an overflow drainage back in to the fish tank for help with aeration. I'm aware the of the increased weight of water may be a factor so I may several 50 gallon barrels spread along the foundation wall would care of that and the added mass would be a plus for the project. I was hoping to post a drawing to help visualize the situation but it is fairly straight forward now I think.
I would like to find a pair of Pyrenees for my new farm. I would prefer pups but Im not against older ones. If anyone knows a good breeder that is not trying to make a mint please let me know. I do not need papers.
We have a 40 pre-farming situation in Wisconsin. My wife, Sandra, and I just purchased the farm during Christmas 2013. We've got plans and are looking for help to make them become a reality.
We are interested in hosting small to mid size families. We do you as yet have a separate domicile so if you have a camper already it would be a plus. I can be emailed directly at damian@onyxtacular.com
I see your point. Once winter lets up I will have to do some practical experiments. For myself, getting water up the 2nd is the objective and can be done with a electric pump or by hand
Len Ovens wrote: A hydraulic ram works from water going down hill. So that waste water will have to be pumped back up so you can use it. So you start with water warmed on the main floor, drop it down below the floor... say 10 feet, so you can get 10% of that water to the second floor. now you have 90% of the water 10 feet down and need a powered pump just to get it as high as the main floor tanks. It helps to draw a picture of the levels and where which water ends up.
I'm not worried about wasting water as I'll collect the waste to be apart of the return system. I plan to pump to a dispensing stock tank then water the plants from there.
Len Ovens wrote:
Damian Jones wrote:
Pumping water up is not be a insurmountable problem. I'm researching a way to pump water up with out electricity...It is called a
ram pump
A hydraulic ram wastes something like 90% to get 10% to go up. Probably, not what you want in your case. What would more likely work... but may be dangerous... is the putt-putt boat principle. Heres one. The other problem is that it may heat the water too much. But you have the heater. You would be purposely creating steam which should not be a problem as it would be an open system. You would have two one way valves and a heated container. While it operates on steam, the water need not be close to boiling. the water being moved could be at some distance from heated end.
Did I just invent something? Hmm, just in case, lets call the above copyright CC by SA 2.5 Len Ovens 2014.
Note: the putt putt boat has been around many years and yet the idea has never been used to drive a people sized boat. There are probably some size/pressure considerations that keep it from being upsized.
If I were to combine first a sawdust layer to fill in the huge seams and then use spray insulation...I've been looking online for that, any know a good source?
I would like to take advantage of the barn's foundation. Masonry and rock walls for about 5 feet then another 4-5 of cinder block. Thick wood beams...this is a hay barn and the floor of the 2nd shows it. I can jump and down in there and it doesn't give a bit. I'm thinking I waterproof the floor and install drains and vents. The green house portion would be 2 ft less the the perimeter of the building and an area 3 ft as a deck. It will be a weird look I grant you that, but in my experience weird is not bad, just not normal. I don't mind being not-normal.
Pumping water up is not be a insurmountable problem. I'm researching a way to pump water up with out electricity...It is called a
ram pump
Dave Colglazier wrote:
Cindy Mathieu wrote:
This is the grand slam plan where money is not an object.
If this is the case, I would recommend a new, purpose-built structure. Maybe, you could still keep the fish tanks in the barn, but put the grow beds out (in another structure) on the south side rather than upstairs.
By putting your growbeds upstairs, you are necessarily making the situation less sustainable because the pumps will have to work hard to get the water up there...you will have to have bigger pumps requiring more electricity.
Look into F-clean products for the walls of your greenhouse.
Murray Hallam has created a plan for an aquaponics system which has enough growbeds for a family of 4. It is called Indy23.
There was an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press this past summer about a warehouse in Maplewood that is using a completely closed water system to raise fish and feed plants indoors. I found it fascinating that the system was paying for itself even with the costs associated with lighting, heating and cooling. Tanks on the ground floor is a very good idea and since heat rises, a greenhouse upstairs might work in the winter but I don't believe you'd get enough sun to grow much without supplemental light. A roof system made from clear fiberglass panels could be considered but it's not very energy efficient either summer or winter. Dave
Somewhere in my post I must have miss-communicated my intentions.... The water tanks will be on the ground floor. I would still tie in the joists and studs to keep structure solid. I purchased the property at a fairly reasonable cost so I'm will to invest some money into sustainability. I do not consider this a DIY project by any means.
This is the grand slam plan where money is not an object. My primary goal is the heat the structure effectively and modify the barn to bring in more light to cut down on cost of lighting for the aquaponics.
Dave Colglazier wrote:I don't own a barn but have always wanted one. I do own a 1889 balloon framed 3 storey Victorian that might qualify somewhat though. Here's what I did and what I would suggest -
Don't remove the roof or sidewall on the second level. I don't think the structure would standup anymore in high wind conditions and you still have to put water shedding somewhere.
From what I read previously, I was of the impression that the water tanks for the fish farming would go on the second level. Unless you're sharing that space within the greenhouse, I'm confused by the large tanks on the bottom level. If they are just water tempering holding tanks, that makes some sense.
On my own home I used fiberglass on the perimeter walls to fill between the studs. I then added a poly vapor barrier and 3/4" foam for an additional thermal break and then placed 5/8" rock over that for fire code and an additional thermal mass...now only the heads of the attachment screws get cold - the inside stays at a pretty even temp like the inside of a cooler.
I added insulation between my second level ceiling joists to R19 with a vapor barrier there too! No foam there but it would make sense if you were trying to keep each level at its own humidity level. I continued into the 3rd storey rafters where I built them out to get to an R40 and added vapor barrier and the foam again with the rock over that. I did place a spacer against the roof decking a vented the ridge with an intake at the eaves. Be sure to plan on keeping the critters out, insects, bats, and squirrels.
If you're planning on adding tanks within the greenhouse 2nd level, I'd suggest concrete block support columns filled with sand, aggregate, etc. for more thermal mass with a water piping system internal so you could use it to temper the water system for both summer and winter...copper not being needed since you want a slow exchange anyway.
The concrete floor on the first level can provide more tempering if you put in a raised floor and piping underneath. In the winter, it can be heated even though it will sink heat into the ground, it will provide more thermal mass. In the summer that ground temp can provide some cooling though.
I think it's obvious that you want some sort of heat exchanger for the water piping system from the stove(s) and I would try to use an open water reservoir with piping within and a auto refill system like on a toilet tank and control loop so it adds heat normally but can be shut off when not needed.
William Bronson wrote: Second floor aquaphonics might benefit from windows or skylights for solar gain and light.
Banking earth around the barn could help insulate.
Donkey's proboard has a great design by Peter Berg for stacked barrels that create a "bell" that the rocket exhausts directly into. Matt Walker has a stacked barrel bell design with mass stacked inside.
Here is my first concept of the project. From what I can tell my community has is not strict about building codes
I would like to removed the roof and the siding of the 2nd floor.
I would heat one tank as hot as possible and use cooler water to set the right temperature before returning it to the stock tank.