This afternoon, while on an errand to purchase groceries at Fred Meyer’s, I was fortunate to spot this double rainbow decorating the sky. In Fairbanks, rainbows are more commonly seen than in other places where I have lived. I surmise that the lower angle of the Sun in the arctic sky may increase the probability […]
Last weekend, we harvested the last of the Cornish Cross broilers, closing this year’s Meat Season. In each of the four harvests, we selected the birds which were the current largest in the flock. The goal of that strategy was to prevent any overgrowth and to give the smallest birds the best opportunity to grow.
Now that the ice cap has melted, the biomeiler temperatures are steadily increasing. A consequence of this temperature increase is that the air pulled into the coop through the air pipe in the pile is now being warmed, rather than cooled. Although this action is entirely in accordance with the original purpose of the biomeiler,
Biomeiler Air Duct Revision Read More »
Last week, the Goldstream Farmers Market was cancelled due to air quality issues. Smoke from the wildfires in the area was drifting into Fairbanks, resulting in conditions too extreme for conducting business outdoors. In consequence, we were not able to sell any of the chicken meat we have harvested. That problem, mostly an inconvenience, rippled
In Fairbanks, bird vetch (vicia cracca) is truly tenacious, invasive plant that defies all but the most dedicated efforts to its removal. In our lot across the street it has established a sprawling colony on the north side of the field. We don’t use that area for anything the vetch would harm and it generally
The temperatures in the biomeiler pile are measured with thermocouples buried in several locations. Nine of them are found at three heights (1’, 2’, and 3’ above the ground) in the inner core, outer core, and mantle of the pile. The graph in today’s post shows the temperatures measured by thermocouples at 3’ height. These
June Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
The graph shows the temperature in the chicken coop, the temperature of the air in the vent pipe coming from the biomeiler, and the temperature of the outdoor air. The electrical energy usage would be shown for any days when the electric heater was used, but it was not needed this month. During the month
June Experimental Results Read More »