We are planning our first attempts at making biochar on the farm to use to improve the soils and crop yields.
Most of the simple means of production that I have found online either produce a very small quantity per batch or require large pits, with an associated danger of a person or animal falling through the soil layer and being severely burned. Also, the fires typically seem like they have to burn for an extended period.
I have a long row of pines that I need to take down as they are starting to shade the kitchen garden near the house, and would like to make biochar from them in the spring or summer.
I read that some make biochar by taking a 55 gallon steel drum, making air inlet holes in the side up about a 1/3 of the barrel height from the bottom, then installing a grate just above the air holes. As the wood above the grate burns, the smaller pieces drop through the grate into the bottom of the barrel where there is little or no oxygen to complete combustion.
My current thoughts are to enlarge this design vertically. First have a steel barrel that has a clamp on lid sitting on the bottom (without the lid). Then stack a second barrel on top of the first. The second barrel would have no top or bottm. It would have short sections of angle iron welded on the inside at the bottom that project about 6" out the bottom to help it nest on top of the bottom barrel. It would have a ring of air holes close to the bottom and a grate of 1/2" steel rods just above the air holes.The entire top barrel would be filled with wood and ignited from the bottom through the air holes. The smaller charred pieces would drop through filling the bottom barrel. Addition wood could be added at the top until the bottom barrel was filled. Then the top barrel would be removed and the lid installed on the bottom barrel.
For utilizing leaves, plant litter, etc. we are thinking about building a device like the one at the link below:
http://www.arti-india.org/content/view/80/52/
I am also looking into Top Lit Updraft Kilns:
http://thinkingglobalactinglocal.com/biochar-workshop-may-9-2009.html
Farm scale biochar making:
http://thinkingglobalactinglocal.com/making-some-biochar/farm-scale.html
Double barrel biochar retort:
http://www.puffergas.com/historic/rules/rules.html
Mac
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Health Benefits of Duck Fat
Since we raise a flock of Muscovy Ducks every year to put in the freezer, I am going to explore the health benefits of this amazing animal, specifically their fat. We chose Muscovies because of their size, ability to fend for themselves, and the fact that they do not need a pond. With Mac’s interest in a healthy lifestyle, ducks are a no-brainer.
Recently, duck fat has come into the world’s view as a health food. There have been tons of studies involving the Gascony region of France, where the residents eat more saturated fat than any other group of people in the industrialized world. They particularly love the swanky food called foie gras, the liver of a fattened duck or goose. Adults and children alike enjoy a slab of foie gras with bread smothered in liquid duck fat. It is easy to assume that any group of people that consume this much fat would suffer from high rates of cardiovascular disease; however, studies show that just the opposite is occurring.
The World Health Organization recently posted the average number of instances of cardiovascular disease per 100,000 citizens. In the United States it was 315, 145 in France, and only 80 in the Gascony region of France. That’s 75% fewer cases! The miracle man trying to change the world’s mind about fat is Dr. Renaud of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research. He has published research that suggests that duck fat may improve cardiovascular health.
He has found that duck fat is closer in composition to olive oil than to butter or fat. It is 49% mono-unsaturated fat, which is known to raise good cholesterol. Also, it boasts a low 33% saturated fat content, compared to butter’s 62%.
Dr. Renaud plans to continue his research with a new $3 million grant to focus on the consumption of wine, dairy fats, vegetables, fruits, and duck fat in the United States. Time will only tell just how much these ducks are contributing to our lives.
The World Health Organization recently posted the average number of instances of cardiovascular disease per 100,000 citizens. In the United States it was 315, 145 in France, and only 80 in the Gascony region of France. That’s 75% fewer cases! The miracle man trying to change the world’s mind about fat is Dr. Renaud of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research. He has published research that suggests that duck fat may improve cardiovascular health.
He has found that duck fat is closer in composition to olive oil than to butter or fat. It is 49% mono-unsaturated fat, which is known to raise good cholesterol. Also, it boasts a low 33% saturated fat content, compared to butter’s 62%.
Dr. Renaud plans to continue his research with a new $3 million grant to focus on the consumption of wine, dairy fats, vegetables, fruits, and duck fat in the United States. Time will only tell just how much these ducks are contributing to our lives.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Growing Forage for Poultry (Chickens & Ducks)
This year I managed to implement a pretty good schedule for keeping a plot of forage growing all season to feed to the chickens (broilers & hens) and to the ducks (Muscovies for meat).
The plantings include: abruzzi rye, crimson clover, rape, browntop millet, and chicory.
Feeding Greens
We feed greens to the chickens and ducks every evening. We have a 5 gallon bucket hung in the chickens' coop with four 4" holes drilled in the sides at the bottom. We fill this bucket with greens every evening. We feed greens to the ducks in a similar manner, or in feed pans with a little grain on top of the greens.
Rye is planted in the fall. This year I'll plant two plots of rye. The first plot is up already. I'll plant the second plot in a couple weeks. The first plot should provide some greens yet this fall and through the winter, providing greens early next year. The second plot will come up this fall, but not put on much growth until early next year when it will provide greens after the first batch of rye has started to set seed. That's the plan anyway. Last fall I only planted one plot of rye late in November.
When the rye starts to put on growth, we cut buckets of the tender grass to feed to the poultry. We continue feeding this way until after the rye has set seed and the leaves start to fade. We use a pair of lawn shears from Wal-Mart. We've found that if we cut the grass up into shorter lengths, the birds will eat more of it, especially once it has set seed. When we cut plants to feed, we always cut high enough that some leaves are left. This keeps a cover crop in place, and usually allows the crop to come back to set seed.
Protein content: About 26% (15 to 48% per links below).
15-26%: http://hayandforage.com/silage/other-silage/plant-winter-rye-for-spring-forage-0720/
29-48%: http://outagamie.uwex.edu/files/2010/08/Fall-Grain-Rye-factsheet-3.pdf
Crimson Clover
Crimson clover is also planted in the fall and overwinters, blooming in the spring. I've got one plot that is far enough along that the ducks are foraging on it. The second planting has just come up, but won't provide any forage or cut greens until next spring.
The clover is cut similar to the rye. Crimson clover is very determined to set seed, and will usually do so even after being cut for greens as long as it is not cut too short. If allowed to set seed and mature and drop seed, it is pretty good at volunteering again the following year.
Protein content: 20% or higher; 12-14% even at full bloom stage http://msucares.com/crops/forages/legumes/cool/crimsonclover.html
Rape
Rape is a brassica that is typically planted for forage. It can be planted in late summer, fall, and in late Feb. - mid March. I read about planting rape for poultry in The Dollar Hen by Milo Hastings / Robert Plamondon.
We are still feeding a batch of rape that was planted mid August and will soon start to feed a larger plot that was planted a little later. A third plot will hopefully overwinter, and provide forage and greens early next year.
We cut the rape leaving some leaf structure so
that the plants can come back and keep a cover crop on the plot until tilled under and replanted. Because of it's high protein content, we try to feed rape during as much of the year as possible.
Protein content: 19-20% http://home.limagrain.co.uk/files/28-forage-rape-2009.pdf
Browntop Millet
Millet is a warm season grain. Browntop millet is a shorter millet that sets a lot of seed. Duck hunters often plant it.
We plant succession plots all summer and cut it similar to the rye. The ducks are very good at eating the grain off the stalks even after the stalks have fallen over, or been walked down by the ducks.
Protein content: 11-16% http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hay/r1016w.htm
Chicory
I just planted the first plot of chicory this fall. Chicory is a perennial. So far, the ducks seem to like it. I may overseed parts of the pasture with it.
Protein content: 30% (maybe higher?) http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/whitetail/seeds/chicory-plus.html
I'll update this and add pictures as I get time.
Mac
The plantings include: abruzzi rye, crimson clover, rape, browntop millet, and chicory.
Feeding Greens
We feed greens to the chickens and ducks every evening. We have a 5 gallon bucket hung in the chickens' coop with four 4" holes drilled in the sides at the bottom. We fill this bucket with greens every evening. We feed greens to the ducks in a similar manner, or in feed pans with a little grain on top of the greens.Abruzzi Rye
When the rye starts to put on growth, we cut buckets of the tender grass to feed to the poultry. We continue feeding this way until after the rye has set seed and the leaves start to fade. We use a pair of lawn shears from Wal-Mart. We've found that if we cut the grass up into shorter lengths, the birds will eat more of it, especially once it has set seed. When we cut plants to feed, we always cut high enough that some leaves are left. This keeps a cover crop in place, and usually allows the crop to come back to set seed.
Protein content: About 26% (15 to 48% per links below).
15-26%: http://hayandforage.com/silage/other-silage/plant-winter-rye-for-spring-forage-0720/
29-48%: http://outagamie.uwex.edu/files/2010/08/Fall-Grain-Rye-factsheet-3.pdf
Crimson Clover
Crimson clover is also planted in the fall and overwinters, blooming in the spring. I've got one plot that is far enough along that the ducks are foraging on it. The second planting has just come up, but won't provide any forage or cut greens until next spring.
The clover is cut similar to the rye. Crimson clover is very determined to set seed, and will usually do so even after being cut for greens as long as it is not cut too short. If allowed to set seed and mature and drop seed, it is pretty good at volunteering again the following year.
Protein content: 20% or higher; 12-14% even at full bloom stage http://msucares.com/crops/forages/legumes/cool/crimsonclover.html
Rape
Rape is a brassica that is typically planted for forage. It can be planted in late summer, fall, and in late Feb. - mid March. I read about planting rape for poultry in The Dollar Hen by Milo Hastings / Robert Plamondon.
We are still feeding a batch of rape that was planted mid August and will soon start to feed a larger plot that was planted a little later. A third plot will hopefully overwinter, and provide forage and greens early next year.
We cut the rape leaving some leaf structure so
that the plants can come back and keep a cover crop on the plot until tilled under and replanted. Because of it's high protein content, we try to feed rape during as much of the year as possible.Protein content: 19-20% http://home.limagrain.co.uk/files/28-forage-rape-2009.pdf
Browntop Millet
Millet is a warm season grain. Browntop millet is a shorter millet that sets a lot of seed. Duck hunters often plant it.
We plant succession plots all summer and cut it similar to the rye. The ducks are very good at eating the grain off the stalks even after the stalks have fallen over, or been walked down by the ducks.
Protein content: 11-16% http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hay/r1016w.htm
Chicory
I just planted the first plot of chicory this fall. Chicory is a perennial. So far, the ducks seem to like it. I may overseed parts of the pasture with it.
Protein content: 30% (maybe higher?) http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/whitetail/seeds/chicory-plus.html
I'll update this and add pictures as I get time.
Mac
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