Month: February 2021

Categories
Building a New Homestead

Building a New Homestead – Episode 2 – Proposed Driveway Tour – 3300ft long…yikes!

https://youtu.be/FCnyvbLzaIs

In this episode, I drive the proposed driveway route (most of it). It will be over 3300ft long and starts at an elevation around 770 ft above sea level and rises to over 1010 ft. We have requirements of staying under 13% grade to get our driveway approved. The surveyors just marked off the lot lines and performed a topographic study. We should get the results in the next few weeks. If all goes well, we will be able to get up to the hilltop build site.

The long distance from utilities has incentivized us to go completely off grid. Just running the electric line to the house would cost close to a full solar power setup. We are currently working with an architect to design a smallish 4 bedroom passive house (1700 sq ft). I will be sharing more of that process as we get further along. Thanks for watching!

driftlessinwi

Categories
Building a New Homestead

Building a New Homestead – Episode 1 – Clearing Site for Off Grid Homestead Using Tree Shear and Gehl RT105

https://youtu.be/rm8N9hXcXdU

After moving to the country 10 years ago and establishing our current homestead, we are planning to build an off grid home and establish a new homestead on a property about 3 miles from our current location. This is the first episode in what will be many videos on how it all happens. We are estimating 1-2 years before we actually move in.

In this episode I am clearing out buckthorn to open up the build site so we can at least conceptualize how things will be.

Lot’s of work to do in establishing the new homestead, including:

-Getting surveys done

-Town and county approvals

-Building a driveway, a really long one! 3300ft

-Making an off grid home -Building a garage

-Building a solar power array and off grid energy setup

-Fences for cows, goats, horses, and alpacas?

-Planting an orchard, vineyard, and wildflower garden

-Setting up a bee hive

-Transplanting my entire workshop and sawmill

-And likely…much much more!

I will try to be as transparent as possible with the steps involved and the costs associated with everything in case you decide to do this someday 🙂

Thanks for watching! driftlessinwi

Categories
At the Mill Forestry Gehl RT210 Machine Reviews Wallenstein

Best Logging Skidsteer Attachment – Wallenstein LXG 430RP

This log grapple for my skid steer is my favorite attachment. It is made by Wallenstein and has a rotating grapple, an extendible boom, a 9000lb Warn hydraulic winch, and can open to 72″ wide while also closing down to 3″. It works great for loading and unloading trailers, winching logs out of the woods, skidding logs, stacking logs, grabbing brush, and it even does a great job placing large stones and rocks for landscaping.

In this video I do a walkaround and show how all the functions work. I also show how it works unloading a trailer full of logs and also how I use it to hold fliches that I cut up into firewood. This video has no talking, but it does have some sound. Enjoy and thanks for watching!

driftlessinwi

Categories
At the Mill Buckthorn Wood Kiln

Simple DIY Dehumidifier Wood Kiln – Part 2 – Does it work in below 0 weather? Finished Buckthorn

Part 2 of my wood kiln tour and my adventures in woodworking with common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). The weather didn’t cooperate with this video, it has been below zero every day for almost two weeks now. The upside was that I got to stress test the DIY dehumidifier wood kiln I made, and I learned a lot about its capabilities.

I also finished drying the buckthorn I milled and ran it through my jointer…WOW! This stuff is very gorgeous, and it has many characteristics in its grain and structure that I have never seen before. I compared it to quartersawn Cherry and flat sawn Black Walnut. Take a look! I think I will make a separate video on the highlights of the buckthorn milling and finishing process.

Related Videos: Part 1 of DIY Wood Kiln Tour and Buckthorn Drying – https://youtu.be/lP5vhE7SXF4

Harvesting and Milling the Buckthorn – https://youtu.be/anzKsypOS-U

Thanks for watching!

driftlessinwi

Categories
Hydroponics

How to Propagate Strawberries in a Basement Hydroponic System

Can you grow strawberries in a hydroponic system at home?

Yes! They are growing like weeds! I guess this is a good thing…seriously though, I found a neat way to propagate strawberries easily in a hydroponic system. I have a NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system in my basement where I grow vegetables and now strawberries. This setup seems to work great so far. I plan to post a follow-up video once these get further along. I may even use this method to grow starters for planting outside in the Spring.

My kids are going to be so excited to pick all these strawberries, which will be good because I am probably going to need a lot of help!

If you build a basement hydroponic system, all the money you save on building a greenhouse can be used to buy a nice set of lights for your system…I use these: Lights for Basement Hydroponic System – driftlessinwi

Full List of Things You Need to Build a Hanging Basement Hydroponic System:

  • 4 ten foot long PVC pipes that are 4″ in diameter
  • 1 four foot long PVC pipe, 4″ in diameter (for cutting stub pieces between the elbows)
  • 4 to 5 five 2×4’s
  • Some 3″ long wood screws
  • I made a simple to use list on Amazon where the rest of the items can be found and purchased easily: Items Needed for Basement Hydroponics System
  • Larger items like the garbage can and even the rubber PVC elbows, are probably cheaper to buy at a big box store if you are going there anyway so be sure to check pricing first

driftlessinwi

Categories
Hydroponics

Basement Hydroponic System

Hanging Basement Hydroponic System

After trying several different ways of growing with a hydroponic system, I found a simple, fairly inexpensive, way of growing in your basement. No need for a greenhouse and you don’t even need to build a stand or structure for the system to rest on, it hangs from the joists in your basement.

This hanging hydroponic system is easy to disassemble and move if needed, and because it is off of the floor, it is easy to clean under and you don’t need to worry about basement flooding issues or risk wood rotting that is touching the floor.

All the money you save on building a greenhouse can be used to buy a nice set of lights for your system…I use these (Amazon link): Lights for Basement Hydroponic System – driftlessinwi

Full List of Things You Need:

  • 4 ten foot long PVC pipes that are 4″ in diameter
  • 1 four foot long PVC pipe, 4″ in diameter (for cutting stub pieces between the elbows)
  • 4 to 5 five 2×4’s
  • Some 3″ long wood screws
  • I made a simple to use list on Amazon where the rest of the items can be found and purchased easily: Items Needed for Basement Hydroponics System
  • Larger items like the garbage can and even the rubber PVC elbows, are probably cheaper to buy at a big box store if you are going there anyway so be sure to check pricing first

I don’t consider myself a greenthumb and thankfully this system is pretty idiot proof, so don’t be too intimidated by trying to build it.

One of the best things about this system is that it is weather proof, even on the coldest days in Wisconsin. Few things are better than fresh salads from the basement in the winter!

driftlessinwi