What have you done to prep today?

[JohnyMac]

If I could sell stones I would be a rich man  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

My soil is good it's just the damn rocks & stones. I want the extra top soil for a raised bed that is about 30' x 30' I built. We can plant several weeks earlier here with a raised bed. It is at one end of the field we are going to plant.

The farmer from across the way wants to take his dozer and cant the blade to break up the ground Then he wants me to take his PTO driven rototiller hooked up to my tractor to finish things up. Then get the family together for a weekend to walk the field and pick up rocks and stones.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.
 

[crudos]

JM, not sure what size stones your pulling out of the ground, but they could certainly make useful additions to one's property.....

[JohnyMac]

Good thought Crudos. I live in Rhode Island so I am very aware of stone walls. Stone walls freaken every where. 

[thatGuy]

Don't hook a pto tiller to your tractor... not without a slip clutch, you'll break shit I promise.

[JohnyMac]

Bought a clutch at Tractor Supply last summer. The farmer wouldn't let me use his brush hog unless I had one.

Thanks for giving me a heads up though.

[thatGuy]

Hey, whoow... an "override' clutch isn't what I am talking about. It simply prevents the flow of power from the deck to the tractor.

I am talking about a real honest to goodness slip clutch. There may well be one in the tiller but I can't say. The point is that when you hit a stone the whole machine wants to stop for a fraction of a second, in that second all the parts that turn get loaded up and break.

So they use a slip clutch that allows the PTO to keep turning even if the machine is bound. Without one you will break shit.

[thatGuy]

Take the tiller and hook it up to the tractor and then throw a piece of fire wood into it. If it stalls you 8N rather than sending friction disk smoke to God its a bad deal.

[JohnyMac]

Thanks TG...You were right I was getting clutches mixed up  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[crudos]

Tractor Talk with thatGuy!

[thatGuy]

Johny and I own the same tractor and I've broken mine too many times to let him fall into the same traps I have..

Last time it was one of these,



Cost $92.20+ shipping. http://www.ytmag.com/9N700-38_PTO-Shaft-Conversion-Assembly_11811.htm

Might want to call and see if this will do the trick?

http://www.ytmag.com/B9164_PTO-Safety-Clutch-40-HP_25965.htm

[Reaver]

x1 Spam can of Tula 5.56x45

[v0dka]

Got a new job [url=http://yoursmiles.org/p-m

[JohnyMac]

Thx TG!

[thatGuy]

Got a new job

Never underestimate the power of spending money!

Good for you buddy.

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

Got a new job

Congrats man 

[v0dka]

Thnx im learning shtf skills everyday too.

[crudos]

Congrats on the job v0dka.

Preps: Working on my CC application getting all the necessary copies made, etc.

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

Put up a new 4ft steel wire fence around the smaller garden. Transplanted some cabbage; planted tomatoes, broccoli, hot peppers, sweet peppers, basil, jalapenos, and sugar peas. Next week I got to plant the main garden.

[Deathstyle]

*Doing security at an event and one of the guys I talked to 2 or 3 times before started chatting about the military. He mentioned how he joined the Navy and had applied to BUD/S but didnt re-enlist over personal life problems. I mentioned he could still try out for SF through California National Guard. Told me he expects the U.S. to be in a civil war by the time he could finish training. Turned out he has a similar mindset as us and I also learned right now he owns a handgun and 10 acres somewhere between Flagstaff and Prescott AZ. Traded contact info and wrote down some blogs and youtube channels to check out.
Also re-connected with an old friend that has combat experience in Iraq and is a gun owner (bought 2 Colt uppers just before Newtown). Not really a prepper but he'll go down guns ablazing before he hands them over.

So I have at least 2 gunners that I can work on for now.

*Also just got my EMT-B textbook and waiting for April 16th to roll around so I can start my EMT training and be out in the field before summer [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[WhiskeyJack]

Well I'm 6 months into my new job. So at least my personal finance situation is improving. Having said that, I should be picking my FAL with 5 mags up by the end of next month. Need to start laying in the 308. I put up 3 5gal buckets this month with oats, black beans and pintos. Almost done with another of white rice. Picked up another 15 heirloom seed packs. Gonna vacuum seal them and throw em in the ol seed vault. I also added about 30 more fish hooks for the fishing kit. I am, like everyone else having trouble finding ammo. So I'm kinda pessimaling it on that front. And I have discovered that my workplace has a very large number of active preppers working there. And the skill sets are excellent. Ive been meeting combat Mareins, AF security forces, Medics, Engineers and just a huge group of skill sets. I was recently invited to a meeting with some of my new coworkers, so I'm pretty stoked about that. One of the things Ive been feeling pretty exposed  about was a lack of tribe. so I'm hoping I can improve that situation in the near future. Ive been maintaining my preps during the last 2 years of bad work environment. But I'm looking forward to playing some prep catch up. But Ive been in good spirits of late because my overall situation has been improving. Damn I love having a real job.

[JohnyMac]

Great update Whiskeyjack! I am glad that work is working out!  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[WhiskeyJack]

ty bro 

[thatGuy]

I would like to second what JM said, it is great to hear that you are in a better way Whiskey!

Reach out man and network. You never know who, how or why you bump into people that will have an effect on your whole out look.

[Reaver]

I spent 5 dollars on some rope. 10 dollars on a huge ammo can. Biggest ammo can I've ever seen. Its like double the size of a belted 40mm grenade can. Other than that. I spent some time with the family at Websters Flea market.

[JohnyMac]

Ordered 100#'s of hard wheat seed!

This has been a two week project as I kept ending up at dead ends. The farmer across from the cabin and I have been wanting to try our hand at planting hard wheat seed to be mainly used for bread.

First off, finding a local place to buy wheat seed was tough as nobody carried it nor wanted to order any for us. Then I ran across a great guy via the internet who lived about 20 miles from the cabin that sold non GMO seed but didn't nor could he get hard wheat seed. He suggested that I contact someone in the Penn State Agriculture department.

Well that in it's self was tough as nobody would return my phone calls and one email I sent got a Professors feathers all ruffled because I addressed the email Mr. rather than Dr. Gee wiz! Well being persistent payed off (The squeaky wheel gets the grease) as I finally got to speak to a PROFESSOR who explained to me that good quality hard wheat was grown out west not in NE PA. I poked him a little by saying the colonists grew hard wheat and made bread with it so what's the problem. He told me he would get back to me.

Well he emailed me with a lead and suggested I try "Glenn Hard Red Spring Wheat". He also asked that I contact a local Organic Growers and Information Sharing co-op which I did to find who sells it and get pointers on growing and harvesting. 

Well the President of the co-op got back to me and told me she was picking up 500#'s on Sunday and did I want any. I ordered the above mentioned amount. The price was $25- for 50# bag.

I will keep you periodically informed about our 1/2 acre planting experiment.

Now I have to research how to plant it before I talk wheat growing with Mrs President.  [url=http://www.freesmileys.or