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Author Topic: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding  (Read 5315 times)

Carolinajim

  • Joined Dec 2008
  • Eastern North Carolina, USA
    • Red Bay Farm
Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« on: January 06, 2009, 12:04:29 pm »
Farmers have been doing these things for years out of necessity.  Just happens to also be good for the environment.

Here are some examples from my place. 

Milk jug cold frame.  Made on top of one of my little 4' X 4' raised bed gardens.  Fill milk jugs or other containers with water.  Either put black food coloring in the water or paint a dark color.  Place the jugs as desired in the greenhouse.  I place a stick through the handles of mine to form a sort of ridge.  Find a conveniently sized piece of sheet plastic and drape over the jugs and garden area. 

The jugs elevate the plastic to allow for plant growth and the water in the jugs stores heat and helps keep the bed above freezing at night.



Here is an old rubbish bin which has been converted into a compost bin.  Nothing extrodinary here.  Again just using what I have versus going to the store to buy.  Drill lots of large holes in the bin to allow for air circulation and to minimize anerobic versus aerobic decomposition.  This compost bin is nice since it is on wheels and can be moved easily as needed.



We didn't all move to the country just for work.  We enjoy recreating too.  Here is an improvised bicycle kayak/canoe trailer.  Very good way to use bits of this and that.  You'll need a couple of wheels, some lumber, some scrap aliminum, a piece of sheet metal or fiberglass for gussets, some u bolts and some nuts and bolts.

two main components.  T-shaped tongue and wheeled platform.  I use small ratcheting straps for the connection.  The hitch is simple a V cut in the end of the wooden tongue.  A hole is drilled across the end of the tongue and a bolt is insterted to attach the trailer to the bicycle seat post.






Best Regards,
Jim
www.redbayfarm.com a website about a small 46 acre family owned tree farm
Become Carbon Neutral - Buy Land and Plant Trees

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2009, 02:23:02 pm »
Hi Jim,

Loving your work !
I've just managed to get my hands on 2 large plastic oil drums (that used to hold whiskey) for the bargain price of £2.50 each, so as soon as the frost goes I'll be out there making a water butt and a tumbling composter (or watching from the sidelines while hubby does it !)
Your cold frame idea is genius - as soon as my raised beds are finished I'll be getting one of them converted.

Karen  :pig:

sandy

  • Guest
Re: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2009, 03:47:01 pm »
love the compost bin!! and the idea for the milk jugs, I will pass that one to my daughter as she is creating some more raised beds now her extension is finished, as you said, farmers have been doing it for years, I can remember my Ex Father in law, he was a farmer and had the old suit jacket and some bailing twine around to hold it fastened, the funnised thing he created, much to my Ex mother in laws distain, was a back scrubber made from an old fence post with a wooden scrubbing bruch  bond to it with more twine, not very attractive but my father in law was very impressed with his handy work!!!! Sandy

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2009, 05:01:48 pm »
Sandy your post reminds me of my dad when he was still farming - he used baler twine for EVERYTHING !!! Including (to my mothers horror) securing all the electrics in place on an old transit van he had ! lol ! Maybe it's just in my house but we now talk about doing things the 'agricultural' way !

sandy

  • Guest
Re: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2009, 06:32:08 pm »
My in laws were completly opposite to each other, my mother in law loved the town life and worked in a local factory and hated helping out on the farm (I suspect she had had enough after a full days work and three boys) she also tried to keep the house a bit nice but my father in law would fill the house with sick animals, bits of tractors, variouse chemicles, animal feeds, hay and loads of pop bottles with teats on all over the place, but another funny memory for me was one Saturday I visited before I married and across the yard was a wahing line full of rather large, white ladies bloomer type pants and, sure enough, my father in law was heard chugging up the road, tractor puffing out black clouds and he turned into the yard and entwined himself and tractor in all the washing, I kept giggleing but my mother in law was very angry!!!! :D

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Reusing and Recycling on the Smallholding
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2009, 10:48:23 am »
Oh my, the stories I could tell !
I'm sure people wouldn't believe them though !

There was the day my brother fell into the midden (he was only 3) and my dad had to dangle the farm hand in by his feet to fish him out.
Driving down the road in the old land rover only to see one of the wheels overtaking us !
Goats in cardy's and cows with scarfs (don't ask)
Ah, the country life ! Don't you just love it ?

Karen  :pig:

 

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