larry kidd

Are you feeding her while milking? Sweetfeed or grain works well.

You could try something like this if nothing else is working.

https://www.chewy.com/weaver-livestock-cow-hobble-black-21/dp/1777710?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22434286072&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22424245605&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0xq70Yu4t1HNNVVZ6vSFTW9&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkPzLBhD4ARIsAGfah8iAHgsjRCfKHmVZ7oVI1K3lSJxtxnPTmsWr_4HOFkLsURuSsyfAPwgaAutMEALw_wcB

To many to pick just one.

Way back in the day, still in my late teens I found a brand new Mac chain saw still in the cardboard box someone had thrown in a Hardee's dumpster. It ran perfectly but the chain was on backwards........


Another time a friend let me know they were trashing the shopping cart covers from defunct grocery stores they were  remodeling I got 4)  of them 8'x35' aluminum frames with opaque white rooves.  

Anne Miller wrote:Has anyone tried heat tape/cable for this?

I use heat tape to keep my LifePO4 cells warm. Not sure it'd cover enough area on panels to work without burning a lot of power.

I use a 20 foot HD extension painters pole with a push broom head.

Battery heat might be worth trying, just remember heat rises in air so put the blanket under or all around not over what needs heat.

I don't think a rocket stove of any type is going to work for firing. The temperature swings to rapidly, would likely cause major cracking and possibly violent deconstruction with shrapnel. AKA steam exploding ceramic  

Leah Holder wrote:Hi fellow Permies!
    I have been growing a wide spectrum of trees on 2 acres in rural South Dakota USA. The property used to have a trailer house on it in the 70s and has a well, but now holds only my little shack and apples, pears, raspberries, plums, blackberries, and most importantly-hazelnuts. I had the well shocked and sealed 3 years ago because of a bacterial issue, afterwards it was no longer present. The other test results didn’t really stay with me-I was new and if the water was safe for my dog to drink that should be good enough. Funny thing is, the trees survived but failed to thrive. I tested again this year and the hardness and alkalinity are both 9.5. and high Calcium. I should have opened my eyes when the hydrangea I bought started to tank the first week.
    Here’s the dilemma. I don’t live here full time, I just visit several times a week. The pump runs off a Honda generator I fire up when it’s time to water. Hauling water in from town isn’t an option. What methods can I use to change my water without a constant flow of electricity? Thanks for your time and advice!

The water delivery method doesn't much matter. If I were you I would first see what PH each type plant / tree needs. Then I would test the soil at the roots and see what the ph you are actually working with is. Then work something like this in the soil until you achieve the target ph range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VD9WT1P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

You can also adjust the PH of the water but that will require a mixer or mixing tank of some type. Something like a miracle gro lawn feeder might be made to work.

Robert Ray wrote:Has anyone combined a solar sand/mass battery with a RMH?  During construction the addition of a heating element in the mass of the RMH would be an easy addition.

 I'm missing something here which strikes me strange since I've been off grid 18 years and interested in other power for near 40 years.

 What purpose does a heating element in a RMH serve? Using the RMH to to heat the sand and using it as a heat battery works and TEG's in the RMH to produce power from the heat might make sense.

Dealing with heavy red clay and pipe clay Daikon radishes, clovers and buckwheat, really any "fixing" cover crop were my best bang for the bucks and least labor intensive improvement of all!

Adding organic mater of all kinds as much as possible was the second best and second least costly with more labor.

Animals require a large amount of input of all types but they can also help HUGELY in many ways. Pigs can root and till also wallow out small ponds. Goats, pigs and homestead cattle can clear brush and brambles. All of them leave behind manures.