Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[Sally PB]

Wow, that's gorgeous! (SO much better than Kubota orange, IMO. lol)

They're so shiny when they're new, aren't they? Not that that matters; just... pretty.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Looking forward to getting it dirty. ALSO on the to do list is a bit of landscaping (drainage control) around the duck pond. But driveway, a spot to put it, and some grading of the greenhouse we are attaching to the side of the barn are the top three.

Come spring, I'll till some of the pasture for seeding, and start clearing more underbrush to expand it some.

 

[Sally PB]

Will some call it... Tim?

Sorry, I can't help myself.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are ypu planning any gardening this year?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Are ypu planning any gardening this year?

Going to tear some rows perpendicular to the slope, throw another couple hundred$ in seed, see what grows.

Currently have a little huggelkulture bed going with radishes, chard, cabbages, carrots. Plus some rosemary, and my oregano that won't die - but no plans to massively expand this year.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That said, we ARE making a quick green house (hog panels, clear plastic on the 100' rolls from Lowes) on the side of the barn. My wife wants to try hydroponics, I'm going to rig up a mini Aquaculture thing. 14 sq ft of grow area. Once its warmer. I've already drafted plans a layout for a considerably bigger system about 30 ft length with two totes as fish tanks, two sediment filters, and 6 grow beds (almost 84 sq ft of grow area) - pic below. Working on the plumbing/piping layout still, designing a dual loop system. But that will remain a pipe dream (ha ha, that wasn't deliberate, I swear!) for a while - doing all the research myself, rather than buying plans.

Like most things I build, its in modules to ease assembly/expansion/rework. There will still need to be another reservior to function as a sump I've not laid in. Under the beds is easiest to plumb but hardest to maintain and of course I lose storage space. Sunken at the end is easiest to access, but takes another 4' in length... Always tradeoffs.

 

[Sally PB]

But that will remain a pipe dream (ha ha, that wasn't deliberate, I swear!

 

[Sally PB]

Going to tear some rows perpendicular to the slope, throw another couple hundred$ in seed, see what grows.

Currently have a little huggelkulture bed going with radishes, chard, cabbages, carrots. Plus some rosemary, and my oregano that won't die - but no plans to massively expand this year.

What seeds? Stuff for your polyculture (aka, acres of weeds)?

I recently discovered I LOVE chard! And collards! They are definitely on my list for this year.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What seeds? Stuff for your polyculture (aka, acres of weeds)?

I recently discovered I LOVE chard! And collards! They are definitely on my list for this year.

Yes, my acres of weeds.

We use chard mostly as a wrap, stuff it with seasoned meats, cook it in a tomato sauce. But also good wilted like spinach - either all the way with butter and garlic, or half way with bacon and feta.

and if anyone wants to use my plans as a starting point, fair warn! I'm still considering lifting the grow beds. It would make the plumbing much easier, the harvesting less easy. That, or sinking the fish totes relative to the grow beds. The point is to try and have the beds at a height that is easy to work and harvest. Everything else is to be laid out relative to that. The benefit is that the ground then works to help maintain tank temp when we get cold (water can't go below 65 or you start losing fish). The trade off is that your sediment tanks, which have to be periodically drained and emptied, also end up partially underground - so you can't necesarily just open a valve and count on gravity to flush things out. Sinking the tanks half way is the current leaning.

Still thinking.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That said, we ARE making a quick green house (hog panels, clear plastic on the 100' rolls from Lowes) on the side of the barn. My wife wants to try hydroponics, I'm going to rig up a mini Aquaculture thing. 32 sq ft of grow area. Once its warmer. I've already drafted plans for a considerably bigger system about 30 in length with two totes as fish tanks, two sediment filters, and 6 grow beds (almost 96 sq ft of grow area) - pic bellow. Working on the plumbing layout still, designing a dual loop system. But that will remain a pipe dream (ha ha, that wasn't deliberate, I swear!) for a while - doing all the research myself, rather than buying plans.

Like most things I build, its in modules to ease assembly/expansion/rework. There will still need to be another reservior to function as a sump I've not laid in. Under the beds is easiest to plumb but hardest to maintain and of course I lose storage space. Sunken at the end is easiest to access, but takes another 4' in length... Always tradeoffs.

View attachment 3715121

What kind of fish will you be using for the water?