Compost systems attract fruit flies — any composter has experienced these little blighters (see yesterday’s post about a fruit-fly trap) — but vermicompost systems mimic the soil and attract a wide variety of creepy crawlies. This is a quick rundown of these insects, many of which are beneficial and help break down the organic matter … More Vermicompost 101 — Pests
Recently we helped plant out ten plots for our potato plant study. We are comparing the growth, labor, and yield of five different potato-growing ideas: trench and hill, straw mulch, newspaper-and-straw mulch, containers, and towers. In order to help others reproduce our study or grow potatoes using these techniques, we are providing detailed instructions on … More Care for Potato Plots — Lab Note 2.02
These last three weeks have been busy here as we’ve been planting out ten research plots for our potato plant study. We are comparing the growth, labor, and yield of five different potato-growing ideas: trench and hill, straw mulch, newspaper-and-straw mulch, containers, and towers. In order to help others reproduce our study or grow potatoes … More Potato Plant Out — Lab Note 2.01
We recently built a few chairs to increase the seating area for workshops and meetings here at the institute and it was an easy choice to use the bench design of Aldo Leopold, a pioneering ecologist and local folk hero here in Wisconsin. These triangular benches are seen all over the area, from back yards … More Leopold Bench or Chair Plans
Monday I summarized the preliminary data gathered from the solar panel prototypes (see Part 1 here). In this note, I will look at each panel and discuss its strengths, weaknesses, and performance. Manifold Collector In the manifold collector, water enters the bottom and is distributed into risers connected to a sheet of metal. This collector … More Panel Analyses, Part 2 — Lab Note 1.05
Last week I set up the four test panels in the commons across from the institute and let them run for the day. I posted the raw data of the results of that test, and today I am following up with some preliminary analyses. The first graph shows the raw temperature and flow data for … More Panel Analyses, Part 1 — Lab Note 1.04
Yesterday I set up the four test arrays on the Cooksville Commons across the street from the institute. They were in full sun all day except for about an hour in the afternoon when we had 10–30 percent cloud cover. I am providing the data below. This is raw data that will be of interest … More Panel Test Results — Lab Note 1.03
I’ve been busy gathering materials and building four test panels to see which design is the best one for our solar water panels. The Test Panels Each test panel is 2 × 4 ft. The equal size will allow us to compare per-foot heat generation directly. The panels are made of 2-×-6-in nominal lumber. The … More Solar Test Arrays — Lab Note 1.02
“Lab Notes” are a new series of posts chronicling the daily progress our research projects. Research Project No. 1 is the testing and installation of a solar heating system for domestic water and space heating. These notes may be useful for anyone interested in building such a system at home. Others might prefer the more … More Solar Water Pumps — Lab Note 1.01
Here is a simple construction project to build a stand to hold beehives. It is another in the Low Tech Design series. You can find the library of Low Tech Designs under the “Publications” tab. … More Low Tech Design — Beehive Stand