5 Acres & A Dream: problem solving

Showing posts with label problem solving. Show all posts

March 3, 2026

Front Room: Unexpected Repair Job

In my last post, I promised to tell you about our unexpected problem. It was discovered while we were hanging the curtain rods. Dan's ladder suddenly lurched and to our dismay, we saw that the floor was separating from the wall where his ladder stood next to the front register. Yikes!

It isn't especially noticeable without the ladder + Dan's weight on it. But
if it hadn't been for the ladder incident, we might not have discovered it.

Dan knew what the problem was. He explained that when the old oil heater / air conditioner unit was installed decades ago, the installer knocked out the foundation and then cut duct-shaped sections in the floor joists to make room for ductwork. So there was no support for the floor there. The ladder location plus Dan's weight exposed the problem.

The logical approach to repair would be to crawl under the house and fix it from underneath. But that presented challenges. One being that the crawl space at the front of the house is quite low. Another is the way the ductwork was installed. It should have been installed with a main trunk down the center of the house and branches to each room. Instead, the installer made a huge loop of ductwork under the house, making it difficult to crawl around under there (especially considering the problem Dan has with his knees).

The other option was to go through the front porch floor. This is where using my homestead blog as a journal is invaluable. We were able to look at the photos from my 2014 Tearing Into the Front Porch blog post and make a plan.

Dan cut out what will become a trap door to access the sagging floor. He was able to screw two lengths of 2x4 to the sill to support the floor. I don't have a photo of what it now looks like under the house, but here it is from the front room after the register was removed.

There is a second register in the room under the side windows, but we don't use the HVAC anyway. When we got estimates for installing the new HVAC, every installer insisted that the ductwork would have to be redone. Technically they were correct, but we didn't have the money for all that so we finally found someone who was willing to just install the unit.

For now, the old register covers the repair job. Maybe someday we can re-do the front room floor plus have new ductwork properly installed, but that's another future project.

by Leigh at https://www.5acresandadream.com

February 22, 2025

Staying Warmer: Tweaking Our Winterization

February presented with beautiful weather. For ten days at the beginning of the month it was wonderfully spring-like, and I was beginning to wonder if winter was over. But we're back to frigid temps, sleet, and snow again. Good thing I wasn't tempted to start on my outdoor garden plans! (Well, I was, but experience prevailed).

Because we've had such long cold spells this year, I got to thinking about more ways to keep the cold out and the warm in. I've put up thermal curtains in several rooms, but our living room and kitchen have remained curtainless.

Not hanging curtains or drapes is a fairly common style nowadays. For some people it's just mini-blinds for privacy. But I've seen a lot of windows with no covering. One neighbor across the street is like that and their next door neighbor only has mini-blinds that she leaves partly open all the time. On the one hand, the extra light is lovely, but on the other, even energy star windows leak energy; just more slowly. My mission this winter is better insulation for our windows.

I started with the bay window in the living room.

Photo was taken right after we finished the living room and before
we put the furniture back in. It's looked like this since summer 2015.

Dan built it when we replaced the old living room windows. We both love it, but this winter I thought it might be a good idea to cover it at night to help keep the living room warmer. To do that, I found these really nice thermal curtains on Amazon.

These have made a difference! So much better than the thermal curtains I got at WalMart. These are thick and the fabric is lovely. Good price with lots of colors to choose from. I can definitely feel it's cooler in the bay window behind them. Highly recommended.

The front door was next. Even though it's insulated and energy-star rated, it's still colder to touch than the walls when it's frigid outside. But then it's steel! (And metal is not an insulator.)

My idea for the front door came from observing background details in movies and programs taking place in early to mid-20th century Britain. I noticed that they used curtains to cover doors.

It covers the entire door including the floor, where draft leaks are notorious.

And it's easy to push it aside to open the door. On sunny winter afternoons, we open the door to take advantage of the late day solar warmth that the storm door lets in.

For now, I'm using one of the summer curtain from the bay window, but I'll replace it with the same brand as the thermals for the bay window. Actually, I'm thinking I will gradually replace all of my current thermal curtains with these. They'll also be useful in summer to help keep the sun's heat out. Even so, the lighter weight curtain is helping for now.

The other room I wanted to address was the kitchen. In the morning, the kitchen is the coldest room in the house, until we get the wood cookstove going. Neither of those windows had more than lacy curtains for the look.

While I love having the natural light, I realized they were why the kitchen is always chillier in the morning than the rest of the house, even after replacing the windows. The curtains I put up were made for different windows, but they definitely help.

When the sun hits that sink window, I open the curtain and let in the light and solar warmth.

I admit that these steps make the house darker, and that I miss the natural light. But then I ask myself, which takes more energy, heating the house or turning on a couple of light bulbs? Every little bit helps.

Anyone else taking steps to make their home warmer this winter? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Staying Warmer: Tweaking Our Winterization

June 2, 2024

Evaluating the Budget

A budget analysis is a good thing from time to time. Things go up, things go down, and that makes it a good idea to make sure income and spending stay on track. This recent analysis is prompted by a notice from our internet provider that our internet bill was going up $30 per month starting in June. This is because Congress has refused to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program. That means this is a prudent time to take a serious look at how we're allocating and spending our money.

When expenses go up, there are either two options: increase income or decrease spending. There could be three, if one considers buying on credit an option. Dan and I don't, so I don't include it on our list of options. Because we are in a so called "fixed income" category, increasing income isn't a sustainable option. This makes our budget limiting in some ways, but actually keeps it pretty simple.

We basically have two spending categories: bills and household spending. We've averaged our monthly bills, and this amount is kept in the bank to pay as they are due. Household spending is on a cash basis. Since we're paid once a month, we make a cash withdrawal once a month.

To keep track of household spending, we have a set of envelopes with the weekly cash in each one and open them when the new budget week starts. Anything left over from the previous week is put in the "extra" envelope. Granted, this system isn't practical for most people, but it works for us.

A budget analysis looks at our two spending categories versus our income. With prices going up, I'm still working within our original household spending amount because there's no way to increase it. But I've had to stop making some formerly regular purchases plus switch to lower cost alternatives for others. When I'm at the store, I now keep a running tally of what I select from my shopping list, because I know I'll have to make some decisions before checkout. Some items must wait until another time.

The bills category is a little more concerning, because there is less "fudge factor." I can't hold off paying one bill this month in favor of another, like I do with grocery items. Everything goes up, so we have to look to lifestyle changes to keep costs down. Things we've already cut out include: stopped using our HVAC for heating and air conditioning, not having more than one old vehicle, not making more than 2 - 3 trips to town per week, no eating out, no going to movies or shows, no television or streaming service, no subscriptions (of any kind), no buying new clothes, no dry cleaning, no cell phone, no travel and vacations, etc.

All of that leaves only one other category we could give up if we had to - internet. It's sincerely something I'd like to keep, but with a $30 a month jump in cost, it's on the chopping block. So far we can manage, but if prices and other costs keep going up, that will have to be the thing to go.

Hopefully, everybody else out there is doing better than us! Yes, it could be the springboard for a lot of complaining, but complaining won't change anything. Especially, if the country's top tier of leadership thinks the economy is doing great and that we commoners are just too stupid to realize it. I don't mean for that to sound disrespectful, but honestly, the disconnect between the top and bottom tiers of society can be rather incredulous at times.

Evaluating the Budget © June 2024

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

March 24, 2023

The Problem is The Solution

Bill Mollison, the Father of Permaculture, is credited with that concept. I confess it's often puzzled me because I was raised with the consumer-discard-and-buy mindset; problems are discarded and solutions are bought. But the longer I homestead, the less the consumer model makes sense, especially considering everything we're now being told about the environment.

Anyway, we have two problems. Here's the problem.

Perennial native grasses

These are clump grasses, so-called because they grow in clumps rather than an even carpet-like ground coverage. They are hardy perennials, tolerant of most weather conditions, and the goats will eat them. Not their best favorite, but definitely deemed edible. The problem with clump grasses is that they are difficult to cut, with either lawnmower or scythe because the clumps make dense bumpy mounds on the ground.

We pretty much leave the clumps alone in our pastures, but in areas where we want to grow grain or hay, they are in the way. We don't plow, so they become a growing problem. The clumps in the photo above were a problem because they were growing between the garden and hugelkultur bed, where a path is supposed to be. But the clumps made it too bumpy for the wheelbarrow.

I've tried transplanting these clumps to the pasture, but the goats zero in on them (Look! Something new to eat!) and the grasses don't survive. Instead, I wondered if we could use them to address another problem - soil erosion.

I know I've mentioned that our property is a series of ridges, sloping downward to the back of the property. These tops of the ridges are where we see the most soil erosion, and we needed a way to keep it from washing down the hill. One idea I got from Sepp Holzer's Permaculture, was to make what he calls humus beds to catch soil, sediment, and natural debris runoff on his mountain. My adaptation has been to make a barrier of sorts at the bottom of the ridge, using old branches and boards discarded from Dan's sawmill. The trees hold them in place, and I fill it in with sticks, branches, weeds, and various cuttings.

The topmost ridge, below the pasture in the goat browse.

We do see some washed soil build-up in these beds, and eventually, it will all decompose and we'll plant something here. Even so, I still see erosion is at the top of the ridge, above the brush. How could we address that?

The path above the ridge is on the left, my bed of branches and sticks are on the right.

I first read about using clump grasses as a barrier to rain and soil runoff in a discussion about swales on Permies. One suggestion was to plant a dense row of vetiver instead of digging a swale. Vetiver is a dense clumping grass that is used successfully in tropical and sub-tropical areas instead of dug swales. Rather than invest in vetifer, why not use the clump grasses we already have?

Filling in the top of the ridge with grass clumps.

So, we've been digging up clumps from places where they're in the way and moving them to the "ditch" where the top of the ridge meets the bed of branches and sticks. Then we mulch them above and below the row.

A row of clump grasses for erosion control.
Functional, and I think it looks good too.

But will it work? I think it will, if it survives transplanting. We chose the spring rainy season for this project, so it should get plenty of water, and we're keeping the goats off of them for now. If it can get established before our summer dry spell hits, it should have a chance, and a problem will become a solution.

The Problem is The Solution © March 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

March 12, 2023

Greenhouse Project: Roof Setback

Continued from Greenhouse: Progress on the Roof

Our greenhouse is pretty much a recycled materials project. That means we're using different types of windows for different parts of the structure. In my last greenhouse blog post, I showed you what Dan used for the upper portion of the greenhouse roof. For the lower portion, his plan is to use the $10 bargain windows he got from a builders surplus warehouse.

Picture from Greenhouse Project: Weather Permitting

Unlike the wood frame windows, these had vinyl frames, which he removed.

First one in place.

The roof rafters are spaced to accommodate these windows.

The wood framed windows were installed leaving a gap at the lower edge, to allow simply slipping the lower window up and under the painted frame. Some adjusting has been necessary.

Dan using his grinder to tweak the slot for the window.

View from below.

Then, an accident. One of the windows broke! We went back to the builders surplus, albeit not very hopefully because Dan bought out all of this size when he first got them. We couldn't find anything similar, but it wasn't a wasted trip because we bought the interior greenhouse door.

So, the hunt is on for a replacement. Replacement glass of the same size and thickness was priced to us at $500 (!!!!!) Custom cut acrylic or plexiglass was similar. Sheets of acrylic or plexiglass aren't cheap either.

As anxious as Dan is to get this project finished, it may take some time and hunting to find what we're looking for. The broken window is timely, however, because we need to work on soil prep for spring planting.

Current status of the greenhouse.

Hopefully, we'll find a replacement soon.

Greenhouse Project: Roof Setback © March 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

May 1, 2022

Blogger Problems: Embedded Comments

A friendly neighborhood public service announcement here.

This isn't a new problem, but it's a recurring one that's back once again. It's this: some of us are having problems commenting on blogs that use embedded comments.

Specifically, with embedded comments, Blogger won't let folks login to leave a comment. The bug is that the sign into Google button doesn't work. It doesn't sign you into your account. It does nothing. And actually, this is ironic, since I'm already signed into my Google account!

The problem varies depending on who is allowed to comment on the blog.

Comments allowed by anyone including anonymous
Comments allowed by those with a Google account

On blogs that have selected option #1, the comment box looks like this.

Click to biggify

Our choices look like this:

The "Google Account" option doesn't work, so if I want you to know it's me, I have to use "Name/URL." If I have the time and enthusiasm, I'm willing to do that. But if I'm in a time crunch or it's late and I'm tired, I'll leave it for later and usually forget about coming back. It is a bit inconvenient, so I'm guessing some folks don't even bother.

On blogs that have selected option #2, the comment box looks like this.

Click to biggify

Clicking on "Sign in with Google" only refreshes the page. It does not allow you to sign in, so it doesn't allow you to comment! There's no workaround for this one.

So, If you're wondering why you aren't getting comments or why some of your regulars seem to have disappeared, it's likely because of choosing embedded comments. If you want to change it, here's how.

On the lefthand side of your dashboard select "Settings."

Click for larger view

Scroll down to "Comments" and click on "Comment location"

Click for a better look-see

Make your selection and save.

If you want to change who can comment, click on that one.

Click to biggify

Make your selection and hit save.

I love the concept of embedded comments because it allows numerous side conversations that are interesting and helpful. But it's routinely had enough problems that it frustrates people. As a courtesy to them, I don't use it. But of course, what you do is up to you!

Next time, back to homestead stuff.

Blogger Problems: Embedded Comments © May 2022

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

October 16, 2021

Tips for Canning with Tattler Reusable Lids

Tattler two-piece reusable canning lids and rings

I've been using Tattler reusable canning lids for about eight years now. Many people like them, but many people don't. The biggest complaint is that they seem to have a higher failure rate than conventional metal canning lids. When I first started using them, this seemed to be true. But the appeal of not having to buy new lids every year was high, so I started to analyze why I was having fails. In this blog post, I'll share what I've learned, and how I've significantly increased my success rate with Tattler lids. It isn't going to be a canning tutorial, just some tips for dealing with a specific problem. To learn how to can, I'm going to refer you to The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website. It's offered as free PDF files at that link.

So:

Who this blog post is for: Folks who are experienced canners, want to use Tattler lids, and are willing to experiment for a better sealing rate.
Who this blog post is not for: Folks who have never canned before, or who tried Tattlers, didn't like them, and prefer metal canning lids.

Okay, here we go. In observing and analyzing the lid failure problem, I have figured out four primary reasons why my Tattler lids don't seal.

1. Something gets caught under the red rubber ring

The first step in successful canning is to use jars with flawless rims and to careful wipe those rims after filling the jars and before putting on the lids. Anything between the rim and red ring is a guaranteed failure. Assuming I've followed the first step, I've observed two reasons for this to happen:

a. During venting, tiny bits get caught under the rubber ring.

This lid failed, with chili powder being the culprit.

During processing, air is vented under the lid, which helps create the vacuum as the sealed jar cools. We've all had jars that lose some of the liquid during canning, no matter what kind of lids we use. Proper headspace along with consistent canning temperature and pressure are supposed to prevent this. But sometimes, jar contents boil out as well. I find this especially true of powdered spices that don't dissolve and fruits with tiny seeds, such as blueberries.

For the spice escape problem, the answer is to either omit spices that don't dissolve, or put them in a spice bag while cooking the canning contents. Remove the spice bag when filling the jars.
For the seed problem, I had a terrible time canning blueberries. If I canned them as jam or pie filling, no problem. It was only as canned berries. So, the solution is either to choose another preservation method or accept the fails for the sake of getting at least some of it canned. I figured, the lids are reusable, so, so what? I used the fails to make blueberry jam. You just have to decide if that is acceptable to you or not.

b. The rubber rings aren't spotlessly clean.

Of course, used rings are washed with hot soapy water after the jar is opened, but does that make them spotlessly clean? Not always.

Here's what I've observed; that when I scald the rings and lids, the heat sometimes lifts food residue from the ring. It's something I don't see beforehand, but after scalding, oils (I think) rise on the surface of the ring.

This ring looked clean when I put it into the pan to
scald. But look what the scalding water revealed.

So, each scalded ring is examined carefully before putting it on the jar. Rings with residue are scrubbed again and re-scalded. Doing this increased my successful sealing rate noticeably.

2. The rubber rings slip a bit off the jar rim

Rubber ring slippage

This was a problem when I thought I didn't need to carefully follow the instructions from the Tattler manufacturers. In other words, I was taking a short cut which resulted in more fails! To prevent this problem:

a. Feel to make sure the ring and lid are centered on the jar rim.

b. Visually check the ring to make sure it sits flatly on the jar rim.

c. Hold the lid and ring in place while screwing on the band.

My failure rate decreased significantly when I started following those steps.

3. The metal band doesn't screw on properly.

Not all metal bands fit all jars! Seems like they should, but sometimes they don't. Perhaps that's because of variations between brands and batches in both jars and screw bands. Or, maybe the band has become slightly imperfect. What I've figured out is, that if the band doesn't screw down perfectly on the jar, the seal will fail. The band may fit another jar just fine, but if it doesn't seat properly on a particular jar, I use a different band. I eliminated a few more fails after I started doing this.

4. Allowing the jar to cool too much before completing the seal.

Tattler lids are loosened sightly before being put into the canner. This is to facilitate the air venting process. After processing, the lids must then be tightened to complete the seal. This is easiest with waterbath processing, because the jars are removed immediately when the time is up. With a pressure canner, the pressure must return to normal before opening the canner. Sometimes, I get distracted and don't get to completing the seal until after the jars have cooled a bit. If the contents of the jars have cooled too much, they won't seal properly.

Sometimes a jar passes the seal test, but later, after it's been in the pantry for awhile, I discover the lid is loose. I believe this is from completing the seal after the jars have cooled down too much. They're still hot enough to seal, but the vacuum is too weak to maintain a good seal over time. Again, I've had less fails since I started being more diligent with completing the seals.

Old rings will eventually fail too and must be discarded.

When you have jars that fail, always take a careful look at the rubber rings from those jars. That can help you diagnose the problem. If a rubber ring is questionable, I'll use a different color screw band (I have a few that are white) on that jar to double check it. I keep a supply of replacement rings to replace those that must be discarded.

I still have occasional fails, but they are much more rare than they used to be. When they do happen, I either add the contents back to the next batch to be canned (for broths, applesauce, tomato sauce, etc.), add it to my leftovers jar for soup, or we eat it. Nothing is wasted, and there's peace of mind in not having to rely on the annual canning equipment supply chain.

Tips for Canning with Tattler Reusable Lids

June 5, 2021

"The Problem is the Solution"

"The problem is the solution. Everything, works both ways. It is only how we see things that makes them advantageous or not."

Bill Mollison, Permaculture: A Designer's Manual

I've pondered that statement ever since I read it. In fact, I have several problems that I'm puzzling over right now: wiregrass in the garden and ground ivy in the pasture. But also, I have one for which the solution finally made sense, when I thought of each part in terms of purpose. I'm not saying I've come up with THE solution, but I've come up with a solution that works for me.

Every year we grow a small patch of winter wheat.

This year's wheat crop.

And every year we have vetch growing in it,

The dark pods are vetch seed pods.

and this year, wild lettuce.

Vetch is a nitrogen fixer, which is good, but the problem with it comes at wheat harvest. It tangles up and wraps around the scythe blade, which really hinders the scything rhythm. It's frustrating. The wild lettuce is edible and makes great salads. But it's something else that's in the way, and hence a problem.

This year I decided to go through the wheat and pull the vetch to save for seed. If it was greener, I could save it for hay, but most of it is gone to seed, which I could use in my pasture. Vetch pulls out easily and while it took some time, it wasn't hard work. While I was at it, I cut down the lettuce, because I decided to chop and dry the leaves for the goats this winter.

One wheelbarrow filled with vetch vines, the other with
wild lettuce. I fed some fresh to the goats and dried some.

So by changing my thinking to see the advantages of the things that were problems, I got some pasture seed from the vetch and goat feed from the wild lettuce. Plus, the wheat was easier to scythe. It was pleasant outdoor work, and I really felt like I gained a lot, rather than being frustrated with the obstacles in the wheat.

This is a permaculture principle that I really need to incorporate in my everyday thinking. If I can, it will certainly make everything easier.

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

October 1, 2019

Discouraging Things

I've been working on chapter twelve of my upcoming book, 5 Acres & A Dream The Sequel. Chapter twelve is entitled, "Discouraging Things," and discusses the difficulties we've dealt with, especially since 5 Acres & A Dream The Book was published. In trying to organize my thoughts for this chapter, I'm seeing several categories of discouraging things.

One division is things over which we have no control, such as weather, and things over which we think we have control, such as planning and execution. Another problem category for Dan and me has been outcomes that don't meet our own expectations. Lack of knowledge, skills, resources, and of course money are all things that are common sources of discouragement. I know these are things every homesteader can relate to, and I'll be telling a few stories of my own in that chapter.

As a compulsive encourager, I think this is an important topic. Why? Because discouragement can lead to frustration, and frustration can lead to burn-out. Somehow Dan and I have managed to avoid that, but it's caused others to give up. But here's the thing - I think the lifestyle changes homesteaders make have a significant positive impact on the world: environmentally, socially, and spiritually. That's why it's extremely important not to give up. So If I were to ask you

What discouraging things have you faced
in your journey toward self-reliance?

How would you answer? I'll be interested in your comments.

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

September 11, 2019

Solar Pantry Part 4: The Plan

At last we've come up with a plan! But before I jump into that, I'd like to summarize this blog series so far (for those just tuning in):

Solar Pantry Part 1: Feasibility

In which I count the cost of putting my pantry fridge and freezer on their own solar power system,
and learn that it's beyond our budget at the present time.

Solar Pantry Part 2: Analysis

In which I analyze how and why I use my fridges and freezer,
and learn that

many of the items I store in these appliances don't actually need refrigeration or freezing.
my pantry is simply too warm in summer for good food storage conditions.

Solar Pantry Part 3: Alternatives

In which I explore off-grid methods of keeping food without a fridge or freezer,
and get a couple of good ideas suitable for us.

What I realized from these exercises is that my original goal was too narrow. We need to address not just freezing and refrigeration, also we need to improve our food storage conditions in general. In the light of that, Dan and I have come up with a three-phase plan:

Phase 1

Move the freezer from the pantry to our enclosed back porch.
Put the freezer only on solar power.
Replace the old pantry refrigerator with a small chest freezer converted to a refrigerator. It will go on the back porch too.

Phase 2

Update the pantry to make it more energy efficient:

better insulation in walls
replace old windows with energy efficient ones

Work on ideas to cool the room in summer. Moving the fridge and freezer will certainly help with that. Other ideas:

ventilation, cool cupboard?
shade the window that gets afternoon sun
ice block "air conditioner?" (Ideas at Off Grid World.)

Phase 3

Make a root cellar.

Cost analysis for Phase 1 - I couldn't put both my old energy-guzzling fridge plus freezer on solar, but can I manage the freezer only? Based on the readings from my Kill-A-Watt meter, the freezer uses 1600 watts per day. If I've done my calculations correctly, here's what I've come up with. Remember, I only have $1500 for this project, but already have the solar panels.

2, 345-watt solar panels		✔
6, 235 AH 6-volt deep cycle batteries		$880
150-volt, 60-amp MPPT charge controller		$431
1000-watt pure sine wave inverter		$150
TOTAL		$1461

Admittedly, there are still a number of other things like panel racks, wiring, connectors, fuses, battery box, etc., but it looks like we have the funds for the major components. Following are a few notes related to the above.

Solar panels. 345 watts, 57 volts each x 2 panels = 690 total watts for the solar panel array.

Wiring. Fortunately, we only have about 25 feet between the panels and battery bank. That will save both in amount and size of wire needed.

Batteries. Why 6-volt? Why not 12-volt? For a couple of reasons. Firstly, because so far I haven't been able to source 12-volt deep cycle batteries locally, and shipping for batteries is very high. Marine and RV batteries sold around here are dual purpose, listing cranking amps and low amp-hours (usually 35 to 55). They aren't cheaper and I'd need more to get more amp-hours. Plus cranking batteries won't take as many recharges as true deep cycle batteries.

The second reason is because 6-volt batteries are more heavy-duty. 6 and 12's are about the same time size. Why aren't the 6-volt smaller? Because they use heavier plates, which means more discharge cycles.

So, wiring two 250 AH 6-volt batteries in series will double the voltage to 12. Wiring the two pairs in parallel will double the amp-hours to 500. That's not quite two day's worth of energy storage, but that's more than I've got on the grid! Plus those four batteries are within my budget, although I'm still trying to shop around.

So far the only place I've been able to find 6-volt lead acid batteries is at Batteries+Bulbs, and I'm having a hard time finding other sources. I miss the days of phone books, when all local options were listed topically in the yellow pages. Search engines favor SEO (search engine optimization), paid ads, and political favoritism, which doesn't help one wanting to explore all the options. [UPDATE: I also found them at Interstate Batteries for the same price. Batteries+ is closer, however, and offers a 10% discount for ordering online.]

Charge controller.
690 watt solar panel array (57.3 volts)
÷ 12 volt battery bank
= 57.5 amp minimum charge controller (rounded up to 60)
I'm looking at the Outback FLEXmax 60.

Inverter. This converts the DC (direct current) electricity produced by the system for my AC (alternating current) appliances. Thanks to my Kill-A-Watt meter, I know that the freezer uses about 185 watts when it starts up, then quickly drops to 100 to 102 watts and gradually decreases to 87 watts. The freezer light uses 24 watts. Recommendations for sizing inverters vary depending on the solar expert, so I finally decided on a 1000-watt inverter with a 2000-watt surge capacity.

Chest fridge. I first read about converting a chest freezer to a chest fridge in Prepper's Total Grid Failure Handbook. Several readers mentioned using them and how-tos can be found online. Two are at New Life on a Homestead and A Self-Sufficient Life. For now, the chest fridge would be plugged into the grid, until I get a better idea of exactly how much electricity it uses. As a freezer, the model I'm looking at is 5 cubic feet and has an energy rating of 219 kWh per year or roughly 0.6 per day. That translates to 600 watts per day, but surely as a fridge it should consume less(?). An experiment I plan to try is using it as an ice box. If I can freeze enough ice bottles in the freezer, it's possible that I can keep the chest fridge cold enough. We'll see.

5 cubic feet is not very big for a fridge. It will replace the fridge in the pantry, but I'll still have the fridge in the kitchen. I figure this situation will force me to change my habits and routine, plus implement more alternatives to refrigeration. The most perishable items I refrigerate are milk and meat. After that I would say leftovers and salad greens, but really, everything else could be stored elsewhere if I had cooler storage conditions. That's where a cooler pantry and root cellar will come in.

So that's the plan. The first order of business is to clear out the back porch and get ready to move the freezer. It's about due for a defrost anyway. After that we'll just take it one step at a time.

Next → Solar Pantry Project Part 5: Back Porch Preparations

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

April 23, 2019

Saving the Wheat

I didn't know whether to call this blog post "Saving the Wheat" or "More Adventures in Haylofting." Why? Because of what happened to our beautiful stand of winter wheat.

One of our two small stands of winter wheat.

A mix of winter wheat, crimson clover, and vetch.

It was doing wonderfully until we got a series of heavy rains which flattened it. Last year some of our wheat lodged and while the kernels still dried, they also mildewed. With more thunderstorms on the way we decided to cut it. The kernels were still immature; in the milk stage with soft berries that squeeze out milk-like moisture. Because of that we decided to use it for hay.

Vetch is hard to cut with the scythe, so Dan used the sickle mower instead. We let it dry for two days and then with rain due again we raked it up. It amounted to two trailer loads, which were stored in the carport until the next round of rain was over. Then we had to figure out how to get it into the hayloft. We've somewhat "perfected" (I use that term loosely!) getting large round bales up there, but loose hay is another matter. This is what Dan came up with.

Extension ladder, plywood, and rope.

The tarp is one Dan used as a flat-bed driver.
It's much heavier than retail consumer tarps
and has d-rings as well as grommets.

Tarp tied to the plywood & sides bungeed together.

It was fairly easy to pull up then.

Because it wasn't fully cured, the concern was mold and the possibility of combustion from high heat decomposition within the piles of hay. In Salad Bar Beef, Joel Salatin mentions salting hay, so that's what I did.

I sprinkled a handful over each layer.

Spread out in the hayloft to finish drying.

So far this is working very well. I'm still turning it twice a day and am amazed at how quickly it's drying out. While it's a disappointment to lose the wheat for our consumption, this is really my favorite way to feed grain to goats. It's truly whole (plant) wheat. If SHTF and I can't buy wheat for flour this winter, we'll eat cornbread!

Meowy's favorite use for hay.

Weather is just one of those things we can't control! But a loss somewhere can be a gain somewhere else. All in all - no complaints.