[Anton Shannon]

Just a quick update on Crossroads Cultivators information. They have moved and have a new phone:

Crossroads Cultivators
1697 Furnace Rd.
Brogue, PA 17309

(717)-927-1697

Hope it helps anyone trying to get in touch with them. I’m going to take a look at their ground drive granular fertilizer side dresser for ours.

[Anton Shannon]

Daniel,

Just spent all day getting our irrigation set up for the year in our market garden. I’ll try and get some pictures up in the coming days. We have really well drained gravelly loam. Our irrigation system is like anything, there’s tradeoff’s, but overall I’m fairly pleased with how it is working for us. We use a gas powered irrigation pump with a disc filter and 2″ layflat to pull water from a reliably flowing stream about 500′ below our market garden. The layflat runs up the center of our farm and off of that we run ‘laterals’ of 1 1/2″ blue stripe header line (toro is the brand I think). Coming up from the blue stripe every 30′ or so is a “wobbler” sprinkler with purple nozzels atop a metal stake sticking about ~3′ out of the ground. Water is brought to the wobblers through easy to attach/remove plastic press fittings. The color nozzels and the spacing of them along the lateral determine the amount of water you can put on in the amount of time you want and the width the lateral will water. We have one lateral for each field, and move that from section to section in the field. What is nice is that then there is very little irrigation anywhere else on the farm to get in the way of cultivating mechanically with the horses.

Moving the lateral is the most annoying part. I keep telling myself I’m going to build a roller, maybe this will inspire me to just make it a priority.

We got most of our system components from Nolt’s Produce Supplies in Leyola, PA, or Rainflo in East Earl, PA. The wobbler system is the kind Rainflo sells, not the kind Nolt’s sells.

Like I said I’ll try and get some pictures up.

Hope that helps,
My neighbor always calls it irritation instead of irrigation,

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Donn,

Thanks for the feedback. I bought some equipment from Macknair whose not too far from me, and very well may go through him for a rebuild. Does anyone have phone numbers for Peachy’s Mower Shop in Bellville, PA or Leon Brubaker in Port Trevorton, PA?

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Donn,

Thanks, I’ll definitely try and post more on the forum with questions, anecdotes and pictures from our season.

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

JMorrow,

Thanks for looking that up, it’s interesting to hear. It seemed that “trailer gear” was being advertised as an advantage down this way. They are mentioned by name in the auction listings, and one mower I called about had a a “trailer gear put into” a regular gear mower. Jay do you know if that is even possible? For instance putting the “high gear” gearing ration into a regular gear mower? Paul is only a few counties away, so that would make sense that I am seeing them down here as he says “In our locality.” Given that the high gear is also sought after because it has higher gearing, I’m confused why a slower geared model would also be sought after because of its lower gearing. Could it be that some farmers are using more horses than the typical two, and going faster, and therefore want one that is geared slower? Or would it have anything to do with using a longer or shorter cutter bar than typical on these machines? Its all hard for me to wrap my head around. I think I’m left with the advice of just looking for the mower in the best condition, in the ways Jay mentioned above. Thanks again.

-Anton

[Anton Shannon]

George,

I suppose that gearing would make sense, and not be something I’d want. Thanks for the heads up.

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Jay,

Thanks for the detailed response. Gives me a lot of good specifics to consider when looking for one.
Anyone else have a “trailer gear” or know what the advantages or disadvantages might be of that type?

Daniel,

That thread is helpful thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Thanks,
Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Bob & Erika,

Thanks for the support. We’re looking forward to another year. We started up our propagation greenhouse this week (We’re down in PA). So although it seems far off now, it won’t be too long before horses and humans alike will be back to work in the vegetable fields. I’ll try and post some pictures from our first year when I get a chance.

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Jeff, I sent you an e-mail. I hope we can be in touch.

Riverbound, Thanks for all the great advice. It’s hard sometimes in this stage of not having that first team to zoom out enough to see see the “big picture” you talked about. Part of the whole reason I want to work with animals is that they are living breathing changing unique. Not the kind of thing that you can figure out down to a science and be sure you have found the “perfect” team to buy. Thanks again for your inuput.

[Anton Shannon]

Donn, Thanks for your two cents, its worth much more than that. We’ll definitely let you know what we decide to get. Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Thank you Carl.

-Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Thanks for lead, we’ll give them a call, and go from there.

Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Ryan,

Thanks for the tips. Glad to hear you we’re able to find the right horses for you. Gives us hope that our right team is out there. We’re planning on checking out a few auctions this winter, but we’re nervous about getting a team, at least our first, at an auction. We’ll find a good team one way or another.

Anton & Lisa

[Anton Shannon]

I’m 26 and hoping to get a team in the next few years. Still a real beginner, but took a great workshop with Jay and Janet Bailey up at Fair Winds. Great teamsters and great horses to learn from. I come from a non-farming family (at least in a few generations) and run a 75 member vegetable CSA. Looking for mentors in the Lehigh Valley of PA, so if anyone has any leads please send them my way. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about working horses while still managing current farm and family responsibilities (but I suppose that’s what we’re all doing here.) Take care.

-Anton

[Anton Shannon]

Doug,

Thanks so much for your reply. A carpool up north would be great, we’ll have to pick-up Brett from Skoloff Valley Farm on the way. He and I attended that draft horse workshop, but only realized we both came from PA when we got there! Please be in touch if you are ever traveling to any events I might be interested in.It’s good to know you and others in your area are using draft animals. I’m hoping to go to a workshop Steve Burkholder runs in April in Leesport, PA. My farming partner lives out in the Kutztown area. I know with a little luck I’ll be able to find some folks that way to learn from. As for my farm, I’m rented land now and would be adding draft animals once I have a more permanent land situation and the necessary infrastructure for them. Take care and I hope you enjoy your winter.

Sincerely,
Anton Shannon
Good Work Farm
http://www.goodworkfarm.com
610-390-5777
Antonomous@gmail.com

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