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    Grower Bot

    Grower Bot

    Growerbot creates open-source soil sensors and automated watering systems that make it easy for anyone to grow more with less work. Solar-powered, wirelessly-connected, and tightly coupled with software,

    Waterer for rotational grazing

    Waterer for rotational grazing

    Easy to move, low cost watering system that reduces issues associated with fixed watering locations.

    Sweat Box Germination Chamber

    Sweat Box Germination Chamber

    A "sweat box" style germination chamber built using readily available parts and a broken chest freezer. Early season germination can be inconsistent without a closely controlled environment for starting seeds. Commercial greenhouses use similar systems but the cost can be prohibitive for the small vegetable grower.

    Poultry Water Heater

    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.

    Pedal Power Hydraulic Log Splitter

    Pedal Power Hydraulic Log Splitter

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

    Finger Weeder

    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.

    Row/Bed Marker

    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.

    Electronic Flame Weeder System

    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.

    Resource List of Useful Apps for Farmers

    Resource List of Useful Apps for Farmers

    Having noticed a proliferation of farm/ foodie apps and services in the online space, a couple of us farmers got together to review the goods, and sort out the junk from the SUPER. Here's an interpreted survey of the scene. As farmers and activists who are deeply committed to both sustainability and innovation, we are happy to find some useful tools on the shelf, and ultimately urge developers to get grounded in the needs of the farmers and eaters, before making another fancy whirly gig.

    Multi-purpose cultivation implement

    Multi-purpose cultivation implement

    A multi-purpose implement for use with a single draft animal or smaller team. Known as "Anny's All-in-One" by the original creator www.siriholmberg.weebly.com