Played Out

I returned to the big brush pile to continue my biochar project, saw some chunks of plate glass exposed in the side of the excavation, and in the process of removing them uncovered another rich vein of, ahem, treasure. So out came the tractor and two days later my trench was a big hole. Dig a little, get down and pull all the junk out, get back up and dig a little more...ad nauseum and nearly infinitum. Now who puts a glass-top range and oven in the burn pile? Truck tires? Whole packages of composite shingles? And an entire house renovation's worth of windows? I confess that my thoughts toward those persons, as I worked in mid-90s degree temperatures, were not wholly charitable.

But eventually I got into good soil all around and knew I was done. Here is the glass and tile that came out.

 And here is all the rest, removed to our general stockpiles area.

Note Alan & Donna's modification to the throttle. The joystick to the right controls the bucket.

And now, after a shower, enjoying a mango-rum concoction that Donna constructed for me, I'm feeling more charitable toward the dumper-burner-buriers that made the mess. A farm has to have a bit of everything, even a landfill. And there is a definite pleasure in operating that grownup Tonka toy. Come for a visit – we'll find a tractor chore for you.

Disposal and Reclamation

I have in mind to produce biochar and synfuels from pyrolysis of wood waste, for soil amendment and to power machinery. As a first step I want to learn to make charcoal, which involves burning wood under reduced oxygen conditions. A large brush pile in the far corner of the northwest field seemed a good spot to begin my experiments but beneath the brush were the leftovers of years of dumping and burning and burying. A common enough practice on farms but one that violates my aesthetic and conservative sensitivities. This is a large topic but today I'll confine myself to practicalities.

So, I got out the big tractor, pushed and hauled the brush to the side and began excavating, uncovering, and removing decades' worth of junk of every description. In the end I had to go about four feet down before the big metal stuff gave out. I wasn't exactly deft with the bucket's hydraulic controls when I began but I'm a lot better at it now! This was a day-and-a-half's work.

I sorted some of the stuff as I went, the plate glass in particular and other household items that might find a place in art projects.

Enameled cast iron basin. Thermos. Door bell. Christmas tree stand. Flatware. On and on.

We have some other stockpiles established near Baby Grave and I'm making a new pile there, a testament to how not to reduce, reuse, recycle.

West garden update.

And the east garden. Check out the tomatoes. Behind them are pickling cucumbers, melon, squash, and sunflower.