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New temporary seedling area made of used materials

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Comment by David Waite on July 26, 2011 at 12:31pm: I think you are on the right track with that concept. I dont know how long you can move the water thru the seed before flow becomes an issue. Kobus no worries on the drinks. I am a cheap drunk.

Comment by Kobus Jooste on July 26, 2011 at 8:08am: David - get me there and I'll buy you all the drinks you want! Hope you are more like the Japanese than the Russians though....................

I'll be chatting to a guy with a hydroponic tunnels and chickens on a smallholding soon. He will hopefully let me help him get something sustainable going. I'm thinking some AP chicken food based on this method, some veggies and herbs..........

Comment by Gina Cavaliero on July 26, 2011 at 7:22am: Hmmm, I am thinking some shut off valves to choke down my supply to one channel of the roof pan might do it and then I could do the whole length of the pan with seed. Something we were considering was lining the fence line of one of the pastures with very shallow troughs, 4 inches at best, with a chest board to keep the horses out of it, but where they could easily reach over and graze. However, growing it in the trays and rolling it up to toss it out may just be the way to go. That would be more along the lines of the Crop King system. I however, am always thinking of ways to make it easier, so I wouldn't have to do much more than open a gate and let the horses access it. Of course these 'hay/fodder troughs' would have their own independent fish tank supply, as I wouldn't trust it to grow food for humans if my mammals had access to the troughs. Just thinking out loud here too.

Comment by David Waite on July 26, 2011 at 6:33am: Gina I am putting the seed directly onto the tray. I am using 1/8 tube to feed the tray and the water has to be a slow trickle. I am just thinking out loud on your system but you might take a nylon and fill with large gravel and circle your test area. Might get Kobus to lend us his hehe.This might divert some water around and let in a smaller amount on the tray area that holds your seed. Gina you are way ahead of me as I am still building my trays. I have one propped up and running but not much further along. Would really love to meet you as well but I coach football and I am a landscaper by trade and my business is crazy in this economy. Sometimes self employed is not so great. hehe.

Comment by Gina Cavaliero on July 26, 2011 at 6:19am: David you crack me up! I guess you can expect several drinks then from Kobus! Lol. Absolutely will share anything I discover, so no worries there. I have some Bahia seed I am going to try it with today just to see what it does. So you are placing it directly in the tray or bed and not in a propogation tray? I am concerned that even with some kind of 'sock', that the amount of my water flow will displace the trowelled in seeds. I guess I will find out and will report my findings! Are you planning on coming to the conference in Orlando in Sept? Would be great to meet!

Comment by David Waite on July 26, 2011 at 6:13am: Kobus if you want a hug you are going to have to buy me a drink first. hehe. Alot of them if your a guy. LOL. I am in the test phase and dont have alot of experience on timing , flow , and slope of tray. I will share and hope you two do the same. It is a concept that will work just have to dial in the particulars. It works well in hydro. Take care people.

Comment by Gina Cavaliero on July 25, 2011 at 12:56pm: LOL David! Oh you don't know how long we have been thinking about this! Part of my motivation is because I am a horse owner and I have always been concerned that with inadequate pasture available, that if there was a time when I could not procure hay, my horses would be in trouble. Not to mention the cost of quality hay here is ridiculous because most of it ships from the North and little grows here in Florida. My second motivation is to create a system that would be feasilbe enough for feed lots to generate enough fodder feed to finish off cattle for the last 7-10 prior to slaughter. If you have seen films like Food, Inc or other documentaries, the presence of e.coli is I think, 80% more likely if cattle is fed corn and grains the last 7-10 days preceeding slaughter. However even just one weeks worth of fodder can clear out the majority of the harmful pathogen and reduce that pecentage to less than 12%!

Comment by Kobus Jooste on July 25, 2011 at 7:28am: O this is just too convenient. I was just called by someone with a smallholding and a greenhouse wanting to know if I can help with livestock feeding. I'm sure that if I remember from the last conversation that he was heavily into chickens. This is something I have never thought of. I can hug you two!!!!

Comment by David Waite on July 25, 2011 at 7:10am: Gina you have seen the same system then. Would start with barley and experiment with others later. SHHHHHHHHH dont tell anyone we will make a fortune selling these to the yuppies. hehe.

Comment by Gina Cavaliero on July 25, 2011 at 7:04am: Brilliant David! I have looked at systems like the crop king and fodder king that use Hydroponic like you said but have been WA ting to figure out his to do it aquaponically. Thanks so much! Now I will be off to find seed today and try it!