Tag Archives: farming

Tuesday Afternoon Ramblings

Here’s an update on the farm.  I’m researching and learning about aeroponics and will begin construction on my first prototype of an aeroponic unit this weekend.  It’s gonna be a lot of work, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of learning, but it will also be an amazing opportunity to move forward on the farm.  Pre-constructed units cost thousands of dollars, and we simply don’t have that kind of money starting out.  Therefore, I get to relive the Erector Set days of my childhood and build my own concoction.

I’m not sure I can put into words how excited I am about rolling up my sleeves and building something.  Once upon a time, I thought I was going to be a design engineer, and I spent many years in drafting and industrial arts to learn the basics.  Then, I realized that my math skills were not strong enough to be an engineer, and I gravitated to writing as an outlet for my creative drive.  When I started clearing the land last spring, I reconnected with that part of myself, and now I’m chomping at the bit, so to speak, to get on this project.  I’ll probably even stop at Home Depot on the way home to window shop.

On a more specific note, we’re setting ourselves a tangible goal of nineteen months for having the farm fully operational.  It will take a tremendous amount of work to get there, but I’m so desperate for a change in my career that I’m willing to put in the time to make it happen.  Nineteen months means three more full semesters and one more summer session of teaching.  Then, hopefully, I can retire from education and focus on the farm and my books.  When that day arrives, I will be one of the happiest people on the planet, in addition to already being the luckiest.

One day next week, I’ll post an update on how the prototype is coming.  That’s all for now.

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Wednesday Morning Ramblings

Here’s an update on my venture into running:  When I first started, I could barely complete 1/6 of a mile.  Now, my routine has become walk a mile, run 1/3, walk a mile, run 1/3, walk a mile, run 1/3, for a total of four miles.  Currently, I complete this routine in about an hour and five minutes, which averages to walking a mile in 19 minutes and running each 1/3 in less than 3:45.  I know these times are still really slow, but I feel my endurance coming back and some strength returning to my legs, so I hope to get the walking down to fifteen and the running to around 3:00.  Ultimately, my goal is to build up to three consecutive miles running in thirty minutes.  It will take me a little while to get there, but I will do it.

So far, I’ve lost a couple of inches around the waist, but my weight hasn’t come down any, so I’m hoping that I’m just building back some muscles.  My blood pressure is still too high, so I really need to get this weight off me.  I’m making some adjustments in my diet and will continue running as often as I can.  Overall, I feel pretty healthy, but the blood pressure is still worrying me.

Also, the farm is still progressing forward, albeit slowly.  This semester has been so brutal that I barely have time to get there and do anything, but I hope to stay on schedule and get the first test crop started in January.  I’m very excited about the possibilities there.  We shall see.

Tuesday Morning Ramblings

Here’s an update on the farm:  We’ve stopped focusing on clearing land for the time being to work on cleaning out and renovating the building.  Since the farm will specialize in hydroponic production for the vegetables, the building will be the hub of operations.  We’ve made great progress so far and should have electricity back on in the next few weeks.

The goal right now is to get the first hydro unit purchased and installed by the end of this year and do a couple of test crops before spring.  More than likely we’ll start with tomatoes and cucumbers, but we’ll see what is in strongest demand before committing to anything.  Once we see how well the production is, we’ll look into expanding the number of units throughout the spring.

Also, we’re working on the solar panel installation.  If all goes well, we may have that side up and running before too long.  I’m very excited about the possibilities with that.  The start-up costs are tremendous, but long-term, the units pay for themselves within a three to five years.  Also, for the long-term sustainability of an organic farm, renewable energy is a must.

So that’s a more detailed update of what’s going on.

www.thirdaxe.com