Around the farm

[swamp creek farms]

Started alot of new projects around the farm. Built an 8X8 greenhouse around the first IBC system. Got a little cold this winter and found my algae eater frozen at the bottom of the tank, so the greenhouse warmed up the water and the fish went back to eating and swimming through the mid days. I planted mustard, collards, turnips, and potatoes in the middle of the freeze. They all came out good, I put the potatoes in the wicking bed yesterday, and ate the mustard and collards. Also on the IBC system, i am using it for germinating seeds for my dirt plants (tomatoes and corn)

System # 2 consists of an IBC tank barried in the dirt prolly 1/2 way, my back would not let me finish the hole. I have a table 4'X8' 16' long, 3' tall with half barrels on them. Total of 8 half barrels on each table. I will have three or four of these tables set up on this system. Which will give me total of 24 - 32 half barrel GB.

These tables are going to be mini greenhouse / shade cloth houses. The bottom of the tables-underneath- is going to be wired in for chickens to keep the bugs down. The sides of the tables will be plywood to the top of the barrels, then a fine screen wrapped around the sides about 2 ' tall, then the A frame tops will be made with greenhouse plastic. Should keep the humidity at the top, let the sides breath and also shade the plants a little, and keep the bugs out and away from the plants. What bugs do try to get in, hopefully the chickens will eat them up.

The return coming out of the barrels are going to a 4" sewer pvc set up as an NFT system, so I have plants growing all the way back to the FT as well. I planted tomato plants around the top of the fish tank to shade it, now it is wrapped with black plastic.

There are about 18 speckled catfish, 2 channel cats, 12 bluegill bream, and a few warmouth.

No deaths as of now, its been cycling for a few weeks now. I did wake up the other day to a crashed table, that had rocks and new growth in them. And the pump was clogged with pea gravel rock. I was not happy to wake up to that. Now all my plants, if they make it, are all scattered about in different places. I did have them all labeled and neat. 6 types of lettuce, swiss chard, 3 types of peppers, basil, spinach.

Another project I am attempting is growing marbled crays. I have them in an aquarium inside my band room. I've had these a little over a month now, waiting on them to hatch their eggs. I want to raise these up to eat, or feed to my fish.

Here is a link of the systems, system #2 does not look like this any more, this was the first day I cycled it. And of course this quick built table collapsed. Now I know not to get too excited and take my time making the tables.

[youtube:q1vl9gfd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4ct22rvBo[/youtube:q1vl9gfd]

[youtube:q1vl9gfd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ4wId3Dmow[/youtube:q1vl9gfd]

the pics are too big to post in here.

[JCO]

So Hey, you have a band??? If so, you need to be raising Fiddler Crabs then..! It ain't country unless you have a Fiddle in the Band..!

[stucco]

I thought that was only in Texas.

[stucco]

Dewd that sucks about the table collapse.

[swamp creek farms]

i suggest to any one building tables for growbeds, make them super heavy duty ! i dont know how much water weighs, ive got an idea of how many #s of rocks i have. At least 1 ton of rocks + the water which is different due to cycling. but thats a heavy load.

It sucks working twice.

[JCO]

1) One US Gallon of clean, clear fresh water weights 8.35 lb

2) One cubic foot of liquid equals 7.48 gallons

So, a grow bed constructed of plywood; 4' wide X 8' long X18" high with a water level set at 1' contains 32 cubic feet and the weight of the water is 267.2 pounds now add to that the weight of the media, the weight of the "GUCK & MUCK" that will sooner or later ACCUMULATE in the media despite the efforts of the almighty worm "as it turns" and your carpentry better be at the top of its game or it will all come tumbling down.

That's why I prefer to use the raft system to grow all plants beside the tuber ones such as carrots, beets etc. Tomatoes actually do extraordinarily in a raft system, you just have to tie them up to keep the weight off the raft.

[swamp creek farms]

so i am guessing, with 2 barrels 55 gal = 110 gal = 918.50 #s of water.

round that down to 900 #s
and the rocks are prolly the same, say 900 #s
maybe around 1800 #s per table.
not counting the sides and tops im going to build onto it as well.

looking around 1 ton per table. constantly changing

[urbanfarmer]

1) One US Gallon of clean, clear fresh water weights 8.35 lb

2) One cubic foot of liquid equals 7.48 gallons

1) One US Gallon of clean, clear fresh water weighs...


2) One cubic foot of liquid equals 7.48051948 gallons (rounded to the 100,000,000th place)

MWAHAHAHAHAHA


Pea gravel weighs ROUGHLY around 105 pounds per cubic foot of dry, loose gravel with 1/4" to 2" stones...

[swamp creek farms]

too much for this simple stupid kind of mind.
keeping it easy folks.

[urbanfarmer]

I was just messing with you guys