Mandelon
Coffee makes me poop.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2007
- Messages
- 13,963
- Reaction score
- 18,524
You use some sort of a key tool to turn the valves? Or do you have crazy long arms? LOL
You use some sort of a key tool to turn the valves? Or do you have crazy long arms? LOL
It's a seed press, available online from several suppliers. It was neat to learn but olive oil is much healthier. Part of being self sufficient is knowing how to do this stuff. If things in the world went sideways, yes we'd do it if necessary.@wash11 okay I was browsing through your thread here and saw a picture and post about pressing sunflowers for oil.
Is it worth it?
And what contraption do you use to do this?
My wife is interested.
It's a seed press, available online from several suppliers. It was neat to learn but olive oil is much healthier. Part of being self sufficient is knowing how to do this stuff. If things in the world went sideways, yes we'd do it if necessary.
Man, there's always that one guy. Here's a copy and paste from 2015 when I did my best to clear this up. Sorry if we're not Pa Ingalls enough for you.Says
lives off the grid
Posts pics on forum
lol
Sums it up pretty well! After the covid exercise we filled the holes in our program and could comfortably not leave our fence for a bit over 4 months in worst case situations.So you are pretty much in a co-op at this point with your various neighbors?
You provide beef/chicken/fresh produce and they provide butter/rabbit/etc?
Must feel pretty damn nice to be far removed from dependency on society! Well, other than electronics and those tech items that make this all work.
At the end of it all even if everything quits, you still can run your genni and run everything right?
I had to take a few minutes and look this thing up. Holy shit, that's badass!! Thank you for the offer! I'd make up a new project just to be able to see this thing in action!Awesome as always Joel!!
Cutting and threading is cost effective.
If I’m ever out your way, I’ll be sure to bring my megapress. You’ll shit yourself on how quick and easy gal pipe connections can be done. Literally cut to length set fitting on pipe pull trigger and done. Bond is stronger then welding the pipe. 1/2in up to 4in. Not even remotely cost effective for the average person. But if your ever in need reach out, I’m in Havasu every couple weeks until October ish then I switch to glamis.
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Says
lives off the grid
Posts pics on forum
lol
Sums it up pretty well! After the covid exercise we filled the holes in our program and could comfortably not leave our fence for a bit over 4 months in worst case situations.
Our solar system is far more reliable than grid tied power though. Number of times power has been down for people on the grid in our area since we fired up our system=9 (that we know of). Number of times we've been down=0. But yes, if any part of our system goes down the entire house can be run off the generator while we address the issue. These high end inverters and charge controllers are built to withstand remote mounting with no climate control and high humidity situations. The fact that we went so far as to mount indoors, completely protected and climate controlled adds quite a bit of life to something that's already designed for 20+ years operation.
Awesome catchup post Joel.... boy did you ever take your body back in time eh, looking great.... no wonder Sweet Amy can't help but jump on your ass..... ain't it cool how dogs and cats can thrive togther like that! Sounding like the infrastructure and foundation of all your labors are about caught up and completed.... take a week off and jump on pond project... we're holding ya to it and will look forward to seeing Amy taking naked dips next spring. Great stuff my man.Most of our large projects are complete, with the rest on hold while materials pricing and high inflation figure out where to land. So now what?
We’ve been enjoying the life we built more than ever. The financial bleeding has stopped; the 16 hour days grinding out massive infrastructure upgrades are all but over as well. A decade ago, we set out for a simpler life. This is the finish line, folks.
With feed prices doubling and, in some cases, tripling, we butchered everything at the beginning of July and filled the freezers. Instead of fighting the heat, humidity, and severe thunderstorms of the high desert monsoon season, we opted to do nothing. That is not an option we’ve had before. Of course, there is daily work to keep the machine rolling. Cows to manage, gardens to tend to, deliveries to line up, and weeds to pull, but we enjoy that and are wrapped up by 9 am most days.
Since we’re people who enjoy projects, we set out on a health and fitness journey to fill our time. The farm business serves several people in that industry. Gym owners, CrossFit competitors, nutritionists, personal trainers, doctors, chiropractors and a truckload of fitness junkies have enthusiastically helped us understand our eating and played a big part in our workout program. We are too far from a gym for that to be realistic. Coupled with the fact that we like leaving this place less and less- we had to develop a routine that uses minimal equipment. We have an adjustable weight bench and adjustable dumbells (90lbs each), and an assortment of kettlebells. The rest is body weight resistance and functional movements, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, bar dips- the list of things you can do without machines is too long to list.
The real hack is diet. Carb loading for workouts, 300 grams of clean protein daily to bulk, the right amount of animal fats (energy that replaces the carbs), cutting gluten, low carb, getting picky on veggies- it’s been a great learning adventure.
We replaced research of homesteading, growing food, animal husbandry, solar, etc., with geeking out on diet and exercise and replaced a lot of the manual labor with intentional workouts. Pretty cool to be able to do this side by side with Amy. I’m 48, and Amy’s 53. With age comes wrinkles, stretch marks, and all things gravity-related. Considering how heavy I was when we started, I’m not at all surprised or disappointed with the amount of flabby skin I have. We’re growing old but not going down without a fight. We sleep great, wake up with energy, have an over-the-top sex life, and generally just feel good all the time. By the way, I have not been able to find any downside to having abs at almost 50 years old.
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I find myself spending more and more time with my boy, Gus. Like, six to ten hours per day as he enjoys being with me regardless of what I’m doing. Add to the mix three kittens that we picked up for getting ahead of our mouse and rodent problem. The dogs and cats became fast friends and have made for great pictures and lots of entertainment.
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This life has always been the goal. I’ve enjoyed the work to get here but don’t get off on it by any means. I’ve also enjoyed writing about this adventure and sharing it with RDP. I have re-read it several times over the years, and it’s given me the energy to keep pushing through. Your enthusiasm and support have kept me disciplined enough to stay somewhat up to date with chronicling the journey, knowing that I would need the material for the rough draft of a book that I will start working on this winter. I’ll be checking in with progress from time to time, and I swear I’m going to finish that pond if it kills me.
To sum it up, this adventure has given us everything we were hoping for and so much more. We’ve learned so much, met so many great people, and achieved better health, mentally and physically, along with an insane connection with the gal that was crazy enough to want to do this with me. Mission accomplished.
Most of our large projects are complete, with the rest on hold while materials pricing and high inflation figure out where to land. So now what?
We’ve been enjoying the life we built more than ever. The financial bleeding has stopped; the 16 hour days grinding out massive infrastructure upgrades are all but over as well. A decade ago, we set out for a simpler life. This is the finish line, folks.
With feed prices doubling and, in some cases, tripling, we butchered everything at the beginning of July and filled the freezers. Instead of fighting the heat, humidity, and severe thunderstorms of the high desert monsoon season, we opted to do nothing. That is not an option we’ve had before. Of course, there is daily work to keep the machine rolling. Cows to manage, gardens to tend to, deliveries to line up, and weeds to pull, but we enjoy that and are wrapped up by 9 am most days.
Since we’re people who enjoy projects, we set out on a health and fitness journey to fill our time. The farm business serves several people in that industry. Gym owners, CrossFit competitors, nutritionists, personal trainers, doctors, chiropractors and a truckload of fitness junkies have enthusiastically helped us understand our eating and played a big part in our workout program. We are too far from a gym for that to be realistic. Coupled with the fact that we like leaving this place less and less- we had to develop a routine that uses minimal equipment. We have an adjustable weight bench and adjustable dumbells (90lbs each), and an assortment of kettlebells. The rest is body weight resistance and functional movements, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, bar dips- the list of things you can do without machines is too long to list.
The real hack is diet. Carb loading for workouts, 300 grams of clean protein daily to bulk, the right amount of animal fats (energy that replaces the carbs), cutting gluten, low carb, getting picky on veggies- it’s been a great learning adventure.
We replaced research of homesteading, growing food, animal husbandry, solar, etc., with geeking out on diet and exercise and replaced a lot of the manual labor with intentional workouts. Pretty cool to be able to do this side by side with Amy. I’m 48, and Amy’s 53. With age comes wrinkles, stretch marks, and all things gravity-related. Considering how heavy I was when we started, I’m not at all surprised or disappointed with the amount of flabby skin I have. We’re growing old but not going down without a fight. We sleep great, wake up with energy, have an over-the-top sex life, and generally just feel good all the time. By the way, I have not been able to find any downside to having abs at almost 50 years old.
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I find myself spending more and more time with my boy, Gus. Like, six to ten hours per day as he enjoys being with me regardless of what I’m doing. Add to the mix three kittens that we picked up for getting ahead of our mouse and rodent problem. The dogs and cats became fast friends and have made for great pictures and lots of entertainment.
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View attachment 1033300
This life has always been the goal. I’ve enjoyed the work to get here but don’t get off on it by any means. I’ve also enjoyed writing about this adventure and sharing it with RDP. I have re-read it several times over the years, and it’s given me the energy to keep pushing through. Your enthusiasm and support have kept me disciplined enough to stay somewhat up to date with chronicling the journey, knowing that I would need the material for the rough draft of a book that I will start working on this winter. I’ll be checking in with progress from time to time, and I swear I’m going to finish that pond if it kills me.
To sum it up, this adventure has given us everything we were hoping for and so much more. We’ve learned so much, met so many great people, and achieved better health, mentally and physically, along with an insane connection with the gal that was crazy enough to want to do this with me. Mission accomplished.
Have you got a picture of a fused/welded joint, not sure fused/welded is correct terminology.Awesome as always Joel!!
Cutting and threading is cost effective.
If I’m ever out your way, I’ll be sure to bring my megapress. You’ll shit yourself on how quick and easy gal pipe connections can be done. Literally cut to length set fitting on pipe pull trigger and done. Bond is stronger then welding the pipe. 1/2in up to 4in. Not even remotely cost effective for the average person. But if your ever in need reach out, I’m in Havasu every couple weeks until October ish then I switch to glamis.
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Google Milwaukee mega press toolHave you got a picture of a fused/welded joint, not sure fused/welded is correct terminology.
Thanks, I was on Ridgids website but could not really see how it works. I’ll go to Milwaukee.Google Milwaukee mega press tool
Actually I have seen these upon closer review but thought they were for PEX, I see it’s an O-ring seal. Fitting selection is slim I bet.Google Milwaukee mega press tool
Those are bad ass....be interesting to see what they are rated at in terms of pressures you could put against those fittings.Awesome as always Joel!!
Cutting and threading is cost effective.
If I’m ever out your way, I’ll be sure to bring my megapress. You’ll shit yourself on how quick and easy gal pipe connections can be done. Literally cut to length set fitting on pipe pull trigger and done. Bond is stronger then welding the pipe. 1/2in up to 4in. Not even remotely cost effective for the average person. But if your ever in need reach out, I’m in Havasu every couple weeks until October ish then I switch to glamis.
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Those are bad ass....be interesting to see what they are rated at in terms of pressures you could put against those fittings.
2160' ft indoors. We are 5100 to 5300' elevation at different parts of the property. We could have set it up to be way more space efficient and productive. But, we learned a few years ago that we don't want to be in the veggie biz. Beef and poultry pay the bills so the veggies get to remain a fun hobby.sq footage???? what's your elevation??
Thank you! Merry Christmas to your family as well!Thank you for the update Wash!
You and Amy look amazing! Your family continues to amaze with new projects and fantastic results!
Merry Christmas and well wishes for the new year!
that is friggin impressive
This stuff has a 4 year warranty but growers in our USDA Zone 7 are seeing 6 when installed correctly.what should be the useful life of the plastic cover on the green house? seasons??
The heat helps a bit but we paid the extra money up front to have more posts and purlins to handle a snow load of 2.5'. We've not seen more than 18" the entire time we've been here.Does the retained heat in the high tunnel help keep the snow load on the roof manageable, or is the plastic and framing designed with snow load in mind?
Damn you two are impressive! What a great idea putting a nice hangout deck there.... nothing better than the oxygen generated by plants.... and I see you've kept all that weight off Joel. Eat more beef dude, lol.Fall seemed to drag on forever this year. Our first freeze was five weeks behind schedule which meant the garden was hanging on well past the expiration date I was hoping for. You see, it is actually possible for a guy to get tired of fresh veggies and the work that goes along with them.
I wasn't even done celebrating the first cold night before Amy let me know she REALLY wanted a winter garden in the high tunnel this year. FML.
I had been formulating what I wanted the final layout of the high tunnel to look like, months in advance. Garden beds, spacing, irrigation system, wash system- the works had already been planned out. I just figured I had till Spring 2022 to get it done. The girl doesn't ask for much, so off we went.
First was a full cleanup of everything we'd done before plus weeds. Followed by screening sand for a base that would be covered by 5oz weed barrier. Things grow so fast in this controlled environment, it's almost impossible to stay on top of the weeds without a barrier.
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Next we rolled out the weed barrier, using a new cordless nail gun with fender washers to hold the material down.
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We filled them with our compost but added some bagged material as a top dressing since the compost isn't freshly cooked and active.
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We found a used, commercial corner sink on Craigslist for a wash station. All the heavy duty drains worked perfectly so just need plumbing and a couple new faucets. Of course our friends Mike and Jenn were up to help out again.
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Since it's just fresh, cold water and veggie dirt we ran a simple 3" drain out to an existing drainage ditch with hardware cloth attached to the end to keep rodents from nesting in it.
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Amy really wanted this to be a winter retreat from the weather and the small house. To make it more comfortable we left a spot in the middle for a 13x12' paver patio. The pavers also do a great job of gathering heat during the day and slowly releasing it at night. Potted plants have done very well so far.
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We found an old iron patio set to sand and repaint, topped with a new umbrella. It might seem silly but it gets INTENSE inside this thing mid day. Temps might be mild/warm but the suns magnification through that plastic can almost be unbearable after a while.
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Sunset views when the West curtain is down are pretty epic.
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Here's the weather reality. 40 degrees and windy outside, 88 inside the high tunnel. Keep in mind, this is not an insulated green house so by early morning we'll see ambient temps. This means planting seasonal appropriate things and covering delicate stuff to help with freezing.
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Fast forward to this week.
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Here's what it looks like inside with a couple inches of snow covering it.
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This is the winter layout. Summer will see growth down the middle row. I'm already sick of fresh garden salads every day but I love seeing the smile on her face. This has been a long time coming. To be able to grow this much food during the cold and windy winter months is another big step forward toward the original goal of being as self sufficient as possible.
last ???? who is the mfg.? looks like good quality