Search results | Farm Hack

Short season walk in cooler for tree seedling storage.

Under development: I'm building an ice house. I buy tree seedlings for resale and my own use. Stored in shade, seedlings can be kept for about 3 weeks. I hope to extend this to 10 weeks using a cold room. Version 1 is an insulated 10x10 shed (R12 fiberglass in walls and ceiling) In this shed, I'm putting 10 200 liter barrels of water (2/3 full) to freeze. Barrels are on blocks so the bottom will freeze faster. Water surface is covered with 3" of Styrofoam peanuts to slow down the top freezing I'm hoping this will prevent or reduce bulging, and that expansion will take place in the center of the top, much like an ice cube in the fridge. The tops of barrels are covered in 2" styrofoam plank. Boxes of seedlings are top of the styrofoam. A thermostat will run a fan to maintain the temperature at the seedlings between 0 and 2 C (32 to 35 F)

Portable Stock Trough

Convenient water tank trailer that holds 200Lt of water and 9Lt trough. Features: •Can hold up to 200Lt of stock drinking water •Industrial galvanised fittings to ensure strength and durability •No Flat Tyres, (so always ready to go when you are) •Can be towed into place by car, ATV, or Ride-on mower can provide drawings on how to make one if you wish other photos and video at link below http://www.commercialengineering.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=93

Water flow warning light

This small gadget uses the water flowing in a pipe or hose to generate electricity to light a small LED to warn that water is being used. We have had a few incidents of forgetting the tap on while it soaks the capillary matting and flooding the garden propagator. The light meant that one can see from a distance that water is flowing. Of course one can change the LED to a small flashing beacon, siren etc. The water generator generates 12v at 3.5w which powers the light. It is a small challenge to change the current to a suitable one for the LED. I managed to convert it using a small 3v voltage regulator and connecting it to a bicycle light. I would have liked it to flash but didn't manage it. I like this gadget because there is no need for sensors or sophisticated switches, it is the use of water which makes the warning light go on. I was also very happy to find these in-line electrical hydro generators. This is my first Farm Hack tool, so feel free to contact me if I am missing any information.

Aerial mapping rigs

These lightweight rigs hold small cameras (e.g., Canon PowerShots) for lofting by kites or balloons. Vertical photos can be taken at intervals as the rig is moved around a property and high resolution orthophotos can be made by stitching together multiple photos. Normal and/or near infrared photos can be taken, and plant health indices such as NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) can be derived from the photos. Recent, high resolution aerial images can help in documenting land status, tracking changes, and making planning or management decisions. The rigs are designed to be 3D printed, and the 3D models are open source and available for free download on Thingiverse.

Electronic Flame Weeder System

This tool is used to allow remote control of a tractor mounted flame weeder. The arduino measures the temperature at the burner, and when no flame is detected sends an ignition spark to the burner. Both the arduino and the solenoid valve are operated by an on/off switch from a 12 volt power supply. The operator turns the burners on at the beginning of the row, and then off at the end of the row. If the wind blows out the flame, the arduino notices this temperature change, and sends a spark to the burner and reignites the propane.

Row/Bed Marker

The tool shown here is a row/bed marker that is rolled out before direct seeding or transplanting. There are two versions documented - a hand-pushed model and a rear tractor-mounted model. It's purpose is to quickly make a grid that marks row spacing (three rows in this version) as well as your desired in-row spacing (hand-pushed model marks every 4 inches, tractor-mounted model marks every 12 inches). The purpose of this tools to allow one to quickly seed and transplant on a grid for easy cultivation and harvesting. This system also facilitates in keeping track of yields / plants per bed.

Finger Weeder

Finger weeders are a cultivation tool which use ground driven, rubber, star shaped discs to disturb the soil very close to the cultivated crop. Their main advantage is their ability to reach in row weeds. They do not damage the cultivated crop because of the soft rubber which they are made of. They are best for transplanted or well-established crops because they can damage smaller crops.

Pedal Power Hydraulic Log Splitter

Uses pedal power and a hydraulic power unit to split fire wood.

Chicken Coop Sensor

This is a wireless, solar powered chicken coop sensor that measures ambient temperature and relative humidity inside of a chicken coop. It is made out of the internals of the soil/garden sensor that I posted here.

Poultry Water Heater

A simple, low-cost solution to keep your poultry waterer from freezing. I needed a heater to prevent my chickens' water from freezing and looked at what was available commerically. What I found was just too expensive, around $80.00, so I decided to attempt to make my own. My first attempt was to build a wooden box and place a drop light fixture inside. While functionally this worked, I was concerned about the potential fire hazard of the wooden box so I decided to take another stab using metal. The benefit of using the heat tape is that it comes with an integral thermostat factory set to power on at about 40 degrees and off again at about 45 degrees. By turning the pan upside down I now have a heater that looks remarkably like those expensive commerically available heaters. I set my water container on top and I can tell you it works like a charm! My total cost? $30.00 for new parts and of course there is some value to the miscellaneous stuff I had laying around too, so maybe $35.00 which I consider quite a bargain.