HUG campus Blog

Green grass in January

2012-01-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

I'm finding it all over campus.

The Big Event (Collage of Sustainability)

2011-10-24T12:50:00.006-05:00

It has been a week since we've hosted the largest event on the HUG Campus (so far), and we're still buzzed on the positive energy from it. And with over 60 attendees and presenters coming to campus, we have a lot to still be buzzed about.

The day started with opening comments from Lynn and we wasted no time breaking out into separate workshops immediately after. Highlights of the event were an enlightening talk on the "Complete Streets" project, an interactive keynote from Brad Hokanson, and a panel on building efficient housing.

Here you can see our team making and packaging the over 150 sack lunches.

Bob really got into the keynote presentation. Here, he snapped his fingers as the entire group tried to simulate a coming rainstorm.

Arlene Jones, John Sumption, and Jim Chamberlin led a discussion on the importance of teaching sustainably agricultural practices.

Here you can see Sonja, Sarah, and Quinn transferring all of those lunches from the kitchen to the atrium across campus.

Here you can see attendees participating in a hands-on workshop. The workshop demonstrated the difficulty of planning any future design that meets the "Triple Bottom Line."

With over 60 attendees, the Collage of Sustainability was the largest event hosted on the HUG campus.

Concrete Poured on TWARC

2011-09-16T14:17:00.004-05:00

The TWARC finally has its base. In mid-August, the concrete foundation was poured and leveled by Bjornson Masonry out of Brainerd.

The crew had their work cut out for them. In addition to the regular plumbing fixtures that a normal house has in its foundation, the TWARC offered many more obstacles. In this design, hot water must run through the base to help with heating the house. The hoses were placed throughout the base and end attachments stuck out to allow access.

There were also twelve access points for the HUGnet sensor equipment. With six nodes on each side, the crew was forced to work around the tubes the entire project. There are two rows of sensors in six locations spread evenly throughout the floor. The first row of sensors are just above a layer of black tubing meant to distribute hot air. The second row of sensors are in the concrete.

Here you can see the hot water hoses being covered. In the foreground, you can see the sensor tubing sticking up.

Here you can see the finished product. On each side you can see the sensor tubing sticking out from each tower. In the center, you can see the many blue water tubes and their access points. In the background, you can see the large black hoses that will bring hot air from the greenhouses to underneath the concrete. This will aid in warming the house.

Happy Trails to Mr. VDL

2011-09-02T13:14:00.006-05:00

Today is the last day of MN GreenCorps Volunteer John van der Linden. He began his stint last October and picked up the task of bringing Pine River into the final stages of becoming a GreenSteps City.
There was a large sendoff for this intrepid journeyman. Ice cream was served and speeches were given. He will be missed. Here are several photos of Mr. van der Linden and his stay here at the HUG Campus.

Taking care of the chickens was one of John's duties. While often times the work was repetitive and laborious, John always made sure their eggs were collected, they were warm in the winter and that they always had plenty of food. In this picture, John and Jim Chamberlin are wrangling up some misbehaving chickens.

Here John tries out a kite brought in by Ryan Hunt. It had the power to drag us around, but (un)fortunately, that day had a particularly weak wind.

John attended many official meetings as a representative of MN GreenCorps and Happy Dancing Turtle and even spoke at some of them. His insight into conservation and environmental studies was an asset to the conversation. He cleans up real nice, too.

John was always ready with a smile and quick to humor the oddest requests.

Good luck in Iowa, John. The HUG campus will be less without you.

Great insight

2011-08-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

This is a great TED talk about how bacteria in your body communicate. It gives me a sense of wonder and appreciation for how we relate to the bugs that make up 99% of our body, and our genes.

HUG Information Kiosk Beautified

2011-08-03T15:51:00.006-05:00

Those of you who have visited the HUG campus may have noticed that our welcome kiosk was a little run down. Season after season of use has made it imperative to give it a face lift.

We wanted to make the kiosk as welcoming as possible. So, we took down the information placards and added some beauty to them. Lisa decorated the edges with pink flowers.

We put relevant information of the new buildings on the placards. With the information in place, we cleaned up the glass and put the unit back together again.

Here you can see Ryan and Lisa reinstalling the sign.

Jim and Jake cut the grass around the kiosk and added a nice layer of wood chips to make the sign more welcoming.

Here you can see Jake planting some beautiful perennials around the sign. He transplanted some St. Johns wart, menarda and catmint plants from a berm in the garden.

Jim added timed irrigation lines to the newly planted flowers. Don't they look nice?

TWARC Foundation has Started

2011-08-02T13:20:00.007-05:00

Several weeks earlier, Schrupp Excavating allowed access to the water and electrical lines. After water and time were given to allow for settling, we were prepared to begin construction.

If you look at the south field of the HUG campus, you might see a little pink. The foam insulation for the TWARC foundation has been installed. A layered method was utilized to help maximize heat retention. We went with five layers along the walls, with five layers on the floor.

Here you can see the amount of hose we would be using to heat the double occupation house.

Once the insulation was installed, we laid plastic hosing along the base. The hosing is meant to take the heat from the greenhouse (not installed, yet) and bring it to the foundation where it will keep the house warm. You can see where the hoses are sticking out. This is where the greenhouse is planned.

A Lesson on Tar Sands

2011-07-20T16:20:00.004-05:00

This article was written by MN GreenCorps resident, John van der Linden.

Question: Where does the oil for most of Minnesota's gasoline come from?

If you answered Saudi Arabia or Iraq, you'll be surprised at the correct answer -- just as I was when I heard it recently, in conversations with Roger Garton and Sean Muller of the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) in Pine River.

Answer: It comes from Canada. Specifically, from large mines in the boreal forests of Alberta.
That is only one of many surprising realities Sean, Roger, and several other members of the RREAL team heard about in April, during a forum at Bemidji State University. The university's sustainability office hosted the forum, "Our Energy Future," which included a presentation about Canadian oil production and a panel discussion about America's energy options for the next 50 years. (Organizers invited RREAL founder Jason Edens to share his passion for renewable energy on the panel.)

Recently Sean, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer serving at RREAL, and Roger, a former VISTA newly hired at RREAL, filled me in on one of the hot topics at the forum: a type of oil-producing substrate known as bitumen sands.

A Hidden Resource

Sean and Roger learned about bitumen sands from Marc Huot of the Pembina Institute, who presented at the forum. Bitumen sands -- also dubbed "tar sands" or "oil sands" -- are a thick mixture of sand, clay, and bitumen (a tarry substance) deposited underground in certain regions of Canada, Venezuela, and other countries.

One of the largest and shallowest deposits lies in northeastern Alberta, buried beneath a vast patchwork of boreal forest and muskeg as big as the entire state of Florida, or 2/3 of Minnesota (see map at left). Mining companies extract the sands and then crush, wash, heat, centrifuge, and otherwise process them until they yield crude oil. Refineries further process the crude into gasoline, which ends up in many Minnesotans' gas tanks.

About 10% of that Florida-sized Alberta wilderness harbors bitumen sands that are actually worth extracting at current oil prices. On these relatively few prime acres, mining companies extract bitumen sands using several techniques, some of which are still experimental. In one technique, workers use giant shovels to strip away what the industry refers to as "overburden" -- forest, bog, and soil, along with an underlying layer of sand and clay up to 75 meters thick (that's three-fourths the length of a football field!) -- in order to access the bitumen sands beneath. Another technique involves injecting steam into the ground to heat the bitumen until it flows like warm molasses into underground pipes, through which it is then pumped to the surface.

Pros and Cons of Bitumen Sands Mining

The burgeoning bitumen sands industry is already an economic powerhouse in Alberta, by one estimate employing around 50% of Albertans directly or indirectly. That Canada would invest so heavily in the industry is understandable, considering that its forests and bogs may overlie enough bitumen to propel Canadian oil reserves to the world's no. 2 spot, behind only Saudi Arabia. Thorough bitumen sands extraction could clearly do wonders for North American energy independence, at least in the short term. In fact, the Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount, MN -- one of the USA's top processors of oil from Canadian bitumen sands -- supplies most of the jet fuel for the Minneapolis / St. Paul International Airport.

What about the costs of extracting bitumen sands? Coaxing a barrel of crude oil from this thick, tarry subterranean source requires much more energy than producing a barrel from conventional oil wells. Sean and Roger also explained that washing the sands generates a toxic mixture of solvents, water, and particulate matter that's stored in settling ponds, often near rivers. Another byproduct of the mining and purifying process is a large amount of waste sulfur, which accumulates on-site in spectacular bright yellow piles easily visible from a passing aircraft.

Critics of bitumen sands extraction also warn of lax remediation standards -- mining companies need only restore land to an "equivalent economic value," not to the original forest or muskeg -- and serious negative impacts on downriver Inuit communities and caribou herds. Additionally, they point out that many jobs in the bitumen sands industry exist to expand the industry (e.g. road construction, pipeline installation) and so will only last as long as the industry is growing.

An Appeal for Conservation

To be clear, my goal in writing this article is not to convince you that bitumen sands extraction is good or bad. As an Energy Conservation Minnesota GreenCorps member, one of my primary functions is to encourage people to conserve energy -- at home, at work, in the car -- regardless of where that energy comes from. Of course, using energy wisely is especially important if your energy source -- coal, natural gas, crude oil from bitumen sands -- is nonrenewable.

As I listened to Sean and Roger relating Marc Huot's presentation, I was reminded of this fact: that so much of the energy we use to heat our homes and power our electrical devices derives from dwindling resources we cannot replenish. The bitumen sands are a sizable but nonetheless limited resource, and extracting the oil requires a large investment of labor, time, resources, and capital. If we Minnesotans wish to maintain a supply of that resource for decades to come, and to ensure Canada's investment in bitumen sands mining doesn't bottom out in the face of overexploitation, then it makes sense to limit our use of gasoline to what's needed. It also makes sense to remember what Jason Edens says about our energy future -- that there are many renewable energy technologies out there, such as RREAL's solar-powered furnace, that can contribute to a diverse "golden buckshot" (rather than a single "silver bullet") of 21st century energy solutions.

______
References
Sean Muller and Roger Garton, pers. comm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_oil_sands
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.07/oil.html?pg=3&topic=oil&topic_set=
http://www-static.shell.com/static/can-en/downloads/aboutshell/aosp/unique_resource/shell_oil_sands_factbook.pdf
http://www.fhr.com/refining/minnesota.aspx
Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (www.rreal.org)

Too Hot to Handle

2011-06-30T11:17:00.004-05:00

The SPARC greenhouse has been in use for several weeks and it seems that it is working far too well. The attached greenhouse was designed to collect heat during the day and then transfer the heat to the rest of the home when needed. However, this created a very uncomfortable greenhouse with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees.

With this design we are able to heat the house at a very low cost. We installed a 24V 4amp fan that would be able to circulate the heat through the house. When comparing costs of heating a 1300 sq ft house, a very reasonable cost of $1.50/month might be considered a bargain.

However, the system is working too well. We had to cut in a chimney to vent the excess heat. Now, we didn't want to hobble the system from working in the winter when heat is at a premium here in central MN. We added a removable sliding insulation board to ensure that heat would not be lost when needed.

TWARC Construction is Underway

2011-06-24T09:51:00.005-05:00

Construction on the TWin Agricultural Resilient Community has begun. Schrupp Excavating of Pine River stopped by with a hydra hoe and dug down to gain access to the water lines.

With access to the lines, we are now able to begin proper construction of the foundations and electrical connections.

This is just a small step, but it gets the ball rolling towards completion of a demonstration site that would show a proper way to both create affordable housing AND low energy home usage.

The TWARC is a double-home built in the passiv haus method, where heat is collected through south-facing windows and stored and distributed through a water piping system in the floor. This method holds energy even in the middle of the winter and is suitable anywhere the sun shines.

For more information on passiv haus construction, please go here.

HUG & HDT Play it Safe

2011-06-22T13:11:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, the HUG campus was allowed to participate in CPR and 1st Aid training at Old Main. We learned the proper ways to administer CPR to adults and to children.

We also were able to learn different methods of first aid. We learned how to dress wounds, treat burns, and even how to splint a broken arm.

Lucky for those that come to campus in the future, we were taking the class seriously.

SPARC is ready for tenants!

2011-06-22T10:34:00.007-05:00

The main bedroom

Dining Room

Full Kitchen

Bathroom

Large Windows

Entryway

The SPARC has finally been decorated and is ready for its first tenants. The 1,300 sq ft. home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large attached greenhouse. For more information on the specs and features of this unique home check out our site. SPARC Features.

SPARC Almost Ready

2011-05-12T13:57:00.000-05:00

With the SPARC being used this fishing opener weekend, the last finishing touches have been put into place. The refrigerator, stove, and over-the-range microwave were installed last week.

Mike and Dug are dropping off the refrigerator.

Dug is preparing the stove for installation.

The kitchen just needs some cookies baking to be complete.

The bathroom has been giving the finishing touches.

Curtains, bedding, bathroom supplies, and dishes have been brought in this week. Furniture picked from Thrifty Living of downtown Pine River completes the initial staging.

SPARC Nears Completion

2011-04-27T10:12:00.010-05:00

With the May 1st as the deadline for the SPARC to reach completion, a flurry of activity has surrounded the new house for the last several weeks.

The greenhouse has been added. Windows have been added to the south, west, and east walls to allow for maximum sunlight and a good aesthetic look. A wood floor was installed to give the greenhouse a patio/deck look.

Siding was added to the north, east, and west walls to add protection and to give the house a sharp look.

Water has been hooked up and (despite only a few leaks that were dealt with handily) works perfectly.

Carpet has been installed on the stairs and second level and gives it a nice warm feel.

Finally, a last blower door test was ensure of the passive nature of the house. Doug is using a thermal camera in the pic to scan for any leaks that may still be present.

Final touches and a cleaning are all that remains before the SPARC will be open for use.

The first fresh greens from our hoophouse.

2011-04-19T18:43:00.000-05:00

Yum! We are starting the salad season early thanks to our hoophouse gardeners.

Polyester can do what?

2011-04-15T15:29:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, Hug hosted regional builder Dan Anderson for a campus tour and meet & greet. Mr. Anderson was asked to visit the campus because of his work on a multi-layered window that would allow higher energy and heat retention. The basic design is to place several layers of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film that would automatically raise or lower inside the window pane. This would effectively allow sunshine in while retaining heat during cloud cover or at night.
With the HUG shop working on a “pocket window” that will have an automated system similar to the design Anderson is working on, a possible future collaboration is in the works.

Our Little Ladies Rebellion

2011-04-05T14:29:00.004-05:00

For the past several weeks, our little ladies have begun to explore around their coop. This wasn't too much of a problem since snow was covering the ground, they would roost back inside their coop at night, and they wouldn't do too much damage to the neighboring plants.

However, now that garlic and rhubarb have been planted in the area, having our little ladies scratch up any insulation or seedlings was not allowed. Hay was used as an insulation to

prevent frost from creeping down to the seedlings.

Here we can see the damage the hungry ladies were causing.

Therefore we did our best to round up the rebels, gave them a little clipping, and set them back into the coop (which was a small ordeal with the raspberry bushes prickly, red and bare!)

Who knew that catching chickens was a two person activity?

Go Green This St. Patricks Day

2011-03-10T15:02:00.011-06:00

This St. Patrick's Day, the "wearing of the green" takes on more significance than ever. The Earth's climate is changing. Resources are under pressure — petroleum, in particular — but also basics like clean water. Enormous disparities in food, medical care and housing exist between East and West; between the Northern Hemisphere, and the South.
Admittedly, St. Patrick's Day isn't the most elevated of occasions. It's a tip of the hat to Ireland and its national patron — and an opportunity for everyone, Irish or not, to have a bit of fun. That's the spirit in which we present this list of ways to "green" your St. Patrick's Day.

So settle in for a bit of Earth-friendly blarney, and let's green our St. Patrick's Day festivities.

1) Buy organic beer.

What's St. Patrick's Day without a mug or two of beer? Beer is one of humankind's most ancient inventions, probablydiscovered when soaked grains fermented in the presence of airborne yeast spores. The process has certainly become more sophisticated over the centuries, giving rise to any number of beer tastes and styles. But it's all basically the same stuff: water plus grain plus yeast equals a fun night at the local pub with your mates.

Good luck separating an Irishman from his Guinness. Its rich, chocolatey body is ubiquitous in all corners of Irish society (and much of the United Kingdom, for that matter). Quite a few pints will be hoisted thisweek in honor of St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland.

Consumer interest in organic foods has certainly caught the eye of most beer manufacturers, which are now producing a broad assortment of brews produced with ingredients that meet organic production standards. Even giants like Anheuser-Busch have gotten into the act.

But one company bucking the trend is Guinness. Given its domination of the Irish market, if you're looking for an organic St. Patrick's libation, you'll have to look elsewhere.

An obvious choice for fans of traditional stouts would be Whole Foods' Old Plowshare Stout. It's brewed by California's North Coast Brewing Company, a pioneer in organic beers. There's also Peak Organic Beers in a variety of styles ranging from pale to amber ales. The good news is that your local healthfood store or well-supplied beer seller is likely to have an organic brew to meet your tastes. Just be sure someone is functioning as the Designated Leprechaun before getting behind the wheel.

2) Wear the green (organics) proudly.
It's a great time to be an eco-friendly consumer. Not only are organic foods finally filtering their way down to your local big-box grocery, it's easier than ever before to find quality organic clothing.

Growing cotton takes a tremendous toll on the earth in terms of water use and the sheer tonnage of pesticides used to keep conventional fields healthy. But that's not the only way to farm cotton, one of humankind's best-loved and versatile fibers. Sustainable cotton production addresses these concerns, seeking reasonable yields which are better for the land and the people who work it.

Wear the green all year long. Most major clothing companies — even Levi's — now carry an organic line or two. Looking for something organic with an Irish touch? Try this shamrock beauty from OfflineTshirts.com. It'll bring good luck to you and the Earth.

3) Go veggie with your Irish cooking.
There's little debate over the impact of livestock farming on the environment. The average cattle ranch can produce as much sewage runoff as a small city. It takes about 16 pounds of grain or soy feed to produce a single pound of beef, and irrigation associated with livestock production accounts for around half of all the consumed water in the United States. The story is similar for the farming of chickens, pigs and other animals that find their way into the human food chain.

So cutting back on meat consumption is an earth-friendly choice. And there's no reason to let traditionally meat-heavy Irish cooking get your way.

Try your hand at producing a veggie version of an old classic, Beef and Guinness Stew. You'll find an easy recipe at About.com which substitutes seitan — a wheat gluten food — for the dish's conventional ingredients. TheFoody.com has a delicious (and meat-free) version of Irish Vegetable Stew and there are all manner of veggie "bangers" available at your local health or whole foods store just waiting to be fried.
Wash it all down with one of those organic beers. Irish eyes are smiling.

4) Plant something green.
Seems obvious, doesn't it? If you're green at heart, put some green in your garden. Or you can pay to have something planted where it will do the most good.
If you're concerned about your carbon footprint — the amount of carbon dioxide generated annually as the result of your person consumption — become a modern Johnny Appleseed and put down some trees. As little as $90 is enough to plant 900 trees, more than enough to cover your annual generation of carbon dioxide.
For a St. Patrick's Day twist, scatter some organic clover seed in your garden. It's attractive, bee-friendly, and helps hold moisture into the soil.

5) Do some good for Ireland.
If you're thankful for your Irish heritage or just want to sew a little good karma in the Emerald Isle, find an Irish charity and lend them a hand. Most of the major international groups have an Irish presence. Habitat for Humanity is one example. You can also find a list of regional organizations at IndexIreland.com.

Let worms do the dirty work!

2011-03-07T11:33:00.008-06:00

One way to make home gardening easier is to make your own compost. Normally, a good compost will take 3-12 months before it is able to be collected and implemented in your planting. If you want a quicker way, though, simply add worms. This method is called Vermicomposting.

Worms can survive only in a small range of temperature (40-80 degrees), so an indoor environment is preferable. With little odor, this will allow city dwellers, apartment owners, and even dorm roomers to be able to create their own compost bin.

Now, HUG has a hand built 12ft by 2 1/2 ft wooden box with a metal bottom on campus here, but you don't need to go that route. A simple opaque rubbermaid tote works perfectly for your worms. We use red wigglers because they love the close environment a compost bin provides. Plus, red wigglers will eat half their weight in food every day! So, if you have two pounds of worms, you can feed them one pound of food every day!

But, you can't just feed them anything. We give them a healthy diet of:
1) fruit and veggies (rinds and peelings)
2) small pieces of meat
3) egg shells (crushed)
4) coffee grounds and tea bags

What we try to keep out of our bins are:

1) egg cartons

2) white floured items (white breads, cookies, etc.)

3) salty items (sauerkraut, pickles, etc.)

While our worms LOVE this stuff, these compostable items are not exactly what they eat. They eat the bacteria these items create when they decompose. And when the worms are done with it, they leave a fertilizer that is twice as effective than chemical fertilizers.

Here are several more websites that show you different ways to begin vermicomposting. Pick and choose your favorite method.

Red Worm Composting

City Farmer

Cornell Composting

The planting season is almost on us. Make your garden grow healthier.

Eggcellent

2011-03-03T15:33:00.001-06:00

Look at the size of the eggs our chickens lay.

With an ordinary store-bought egg at its side for comparison, it's easy to see why the chickens are such a hit here.

Good Local Eatin'

2011-02-23T09:30:00.006-06:00

One of HUG's core missions is to "Shorten the Loop." Which, among other things, boils down to "keep your food local."

While this is an admirable goal, the most basic reason to keep your food local is simply taste! The freshest and most tasty food you will eat will be the food that is grown closest to your own home. Therefore, we decided to put our money where our mouths were, so to speak.

We raised 20 chickens over the winter. With proper care and handling they have thrived, even in the cold winter. During the winter, the egg production diminished. However, once more sunlight became present, we started to experience up to a dozen eggs a day.

They make the best quiche!

While these hens are aged beyond the 6-8 weeks looked at for the best tasting meat, they can still be used for soups and broths.

Moreover, not only do chickens produce food for us, but their manure makes the best fertilizer. We're planning on using their manure to fertilize our gardens this spring, which in turn will help us make the freshest and most tasty vegetables. Why? Because they come from our own backyard!

What else do you think you can do to keep your food local?

Quilt

2010-12-21T10:43:00.003-06:00

In years past HUG employees have contributed to other non-profit organizations on behalf of Paul & Lynn during the holiday season. This year we took a slightly different approach.

Employees, past and present, were asked to donate their company logo'd apparel. Representing the Hunt's businesses (old and new), the donated items were converted into a very large, very cozy, memory quilt.

Harvest time

2010-10-27T21:16:00.001-05:00

This is the first time that I have had to brush snow off of my
raspberries before eating them.

Hoop house going up for 10/10/10

2010-10-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

Just a few months ago this was parking lot

2010-10-08T11:50:00.001-05:00

Jim rearranging the bee yard

2010-10-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

How does your garden grow?

2010-08-04T13:22:00.003-05:00

Paul can reach eight feet high, but he can't reach the sunflowers in the campus garden. Nearly everything is growing thick and rich this year.

Saturday brunch; Really local, Really fresh

2010-05-22T20:05:00.005-05:00

It started with Dave asking if I wanted some of the shrooms growing out of his cardboard box Mushroom garden.

Dave cut a bunch of mushrooms for me.

Then we went out and collected fresh green onions.

Then I went to the hoop house for spinach.

All those fresh ingredients called for and omelet. So we went over to Ryan's house for some really fresh eggs.

I chopped and Ryan cooked.

It was really good!

Update on the chicken fortress

2010-05-15T23:23:00.008-05:00

Now the roof is on.

It is a great place to hang the garden tools too.

Today the new baby chicks learning how to use their new home.

Makin' Mushrooms

2010-05-15T23:21:00.003-05:00

Dave and friends are packing soggy straw into cardboard boxes. With each handful of wet straw, they sprinkle a handful of mushroom spores. When full, the boxes get stuffed into a closet for a month.

Then the boxes come out into the light and the fungus starts to grow fruiting bodies (edible and tasty).

After a month in the closet, the fungus ate through this box and is already starting to fruit.

Playing chicken

2010-04-29T19:00:00.002-05:00

These little peepers are in their little playpen now. They still have to do a little growing up before they can play outside. Dave (the chick magnet) is keeping them in his house until they are ready for the fortress (see posting below).

Chicken fortress

2010-04-22T23:17:00.002-05:00

This is the start of the summer home for Dave's new chickens.
Last year he lost his birds to a fox. This year the accommodations are being built more like fort knox.

Robot Team Compettition Wrap up

2010-04-05T09:45:00.004-05:00

Our team did very well for a first shot at this whole robot team. In the course of three exhausting days we had our ups and downs. On Thursday we missed our practices while trying to get our lifting arm working. Despite valiant efforts, we had scrap the arm idea. So Thursday ended up kinda down. Then on Friday we finally got out on the field and after dealing with slipping sprockets we did well. We played great defense with our bot and we flipped a few other robots. We ended up in 4th place by Friday evening and then got the Rookie Inspiration Award. Friday night we were floating on air! So we were scouting hard on Saturday just in case we had to pick teams for the finals. Then our last two matches ended up not going so well. On the last one we lost radio signal for some reason. We ended up in 17th p lace. (Still not bad for a first shot.) While we were still hoping to get into the final 24 teams for the final we ended up getting passed by. The finals were still fun to watch, though, and on another level we are very relieved to not have to worry about going to Atlanta this year.

Time to get a jump on next year!

Early spring

2010-04-03T17:32:00.001-05:00

By the end of march frogs are already singing. Flowers popping up and
buds turning green. I hope it doesn't backfire on us.

The Conservation Pyramid

2010-01-20T09:34:00.002-06:00

MN Power's Conservation Pyramid is one of many tools I'm referencing as look at decreasing our carbon footprint. The residential pyramid focuses on energy conservation and starts with the basics of understanding energy efficiency and inexpensive improvements. The pyramid illustrates additional conservation measures that gradually increase in complexity and consumer investment.

At this point I'm focusing on the bottom two tiers of the pyramid. We had a home energy audit performed in October 2009. The audit results were somewhat surprising, areas I anticipated would be huge inefficiencies (i.e. our windows) weren't all that bad. Other areas that I hadn't even considered being an issue were showing up as problematic.

Here's a brief list of what needs to be done:

Caulking around windows and ceiling/floor trim
Replacing the bathroom fans with more efficient models and making sure they are vented correctly to the outside of the house
Venting the range hood outside
Adding insulation in the attic to achieve R-50 and sealing up the attic hatch
Insulate rim joists

I missed the boat on Project ReEnergize, a program that rolled out in fall 2009 which offered rebates for specific efficiency improvements performed by certified contractors. As a result we will likely be doing most of this work ourselves. Typically this translates into Scott doing the work, but since it is my idea I have a hunch he'll have plenty of grunt work for me to do.

On the up side there may be tax credits available for some of our projects.

So far we have purchased replacement fans for the bathrooms and ventilation tubing and I am going to attempt to coordinate caulking under the trim with the replacement of the kitchen floor. Now the big challenge will be finding the time to get this done.

Carbon Makeover

2010-01-04T11:11:00.002-06:00

Our home was constructed in 1980 or thereabouts and has undergone some remodeling over the years, however the list of projects that I can create for my better half is endless. One of the main things I'd like to address with our home is weatherization (and of course there's the never ending list of cosmetic changes I'd like to do...eventually, but that's another story). On a similar note, a recurring theme that I have heard voiced has to do with weatherization and renewable energy options for those that don't qualify for assistance yet can't afford to pay for everything out of pocket. These were just a couple of factors that got me thinking about a "carbon makeover."

Although weatherization is a huge part of the project it is only one of several components. My goal is to look at several aspects of our home, living, and transportation habits; record what we are already doing; and make improvements that will lessen our carbon footprint. While doing all of this I also want to identify available resources that can assist me in accomplishing these goals.

The areas I'd like to address for our home and family:

Home Weatherization & Efficiency
Transportation
Food
Waste
Daily Living & Household Chores

Stay tuned for future updates on where we're at with our makeover.

Minnesota Winter Test

2010-01-03T21:22:00.007-06:00

by Paul...

ARC08, Our new home just faced another first.
Mid day on January first we turned off the lights, turned off the heat, and headed for the cities.
The temperature January second reached 32 below zero.
January third woke up to 31 below.

After more than two days of bitter cold weather with no heat, the house temperature was still 66 degrees.

I like my ARC!

ps... I have to remind myself that it will get better. This is an unfinished ARC that has no solar panels and no air exchanger, so we still have some windows open.

Boxed in

2009-11-21T19:06:00.003-06:00

The NARC is all walled in. That means a fragile period is over. It is now much stronger and less likely to be blown over by an evil gust of wind.

Also the driveway is nicely shaped.

Narc progress

2009-11-21T18:56:00.001-06:00

The Newbold ARC is getting the floor trusses installed.

ARCs and SPARCs and NARCs

2009-11-11T22:50:00.001-06:00

HUG's long term project is to create Agricultural Resilient Communities. We have picked up the habit of calling the individual houses we build "ARCs".
The house that we started on campus in 2008 is called ARC08.

We intended to name ARCs by the year they were started, but now we are starting several per year. Then we noticed that almost any letters you put in front of ARC forms a word.
So...
ARC 09 is on campus and is Small and Practical, so we call it the SPARC.
Newbolds are building their NARC just off campus.
Dug's new cabin tends to be called the DARC.

Heating pipes in the foundation for the SPARC

2009-11-11T22:49:00.002-06:00

The concrete was poured last Friday. The SPARC is now ready for walls.

Walls going up on the NARC

2009-11-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

ARC08 Landscape drainage

2009-11-11T22:37:00.002-06:00

Shawn is digging in the drainage tile that will take water away from the roof without dumping ice on the walking paths.

New kitchen in ARC 08

2009-10-28T11:35:00.002-05:00

The ARC without kitchen cabinets. Waiting for the new ones shortly.
ARC 08 was built with just a temporary kitchen at first. We had to get a feel for the place before we could design the real thing. This week it is coming together. Stay tuned for the outcome.

HUG Welcomes MN GreenCorp member Genna Strauss

2009-10-14T10:34:00.002-05:00

Through the driving rain, bitter wind, and blistery snow emerges our heroine, Genna Strauss.

Perhaps not so dramatic an entrance but none-the-less I have finally arrived! If you don’t know who I am or what I am doing here, wait no further as I explain. I recently became a member of the environmentally focused Americorps program called Minnesota GreenCorps. The GreenCorps program was created by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as an opportunity to reach out to communities wanting support in achieving various green initiatives and to help aspiring environmental professionals gain valuable experience.

I come to the Pine River Area to serve as a Local Foods Specialist. I attained this position due to both interest and experience in local foods and planning execution. I am excited to utilize my current skills and learn new ones as my year here progresses.

I am originally from Red Wing and the small town of Bellechester both in southeastern Minnesota. I attended the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, MN where I graduated as Natural Science major.

I am here to help the Healthy Green Communities Partnership and the community as whole carry out two specific food goals, creating a community garden and establishing a food co-op. I'll also be helping to strengthen the Pine River Market Square (the local growers' and crafters' market). I look forward to meeting and working with you on these exciting projects. Until then, feel free to contact me at gennas@pinerivergreensteps.org with any questions or comments.

Market Square meeting

2009-10-10T20:17:00.003-05:00

Quinn is presiding at the Market Square meeting held in old main.

If you are ever going to crash a party because of its good food, this is the one to choose; a pot luck in a group of local organic food producers.

Preparing for freeze up

2009-10-10T20:15:00.002-05:00

Dave is checking the end of an irrigation pipe that is getting all the water blown out of it... just in time for snow on the weekend.

Keyhole Cornucopia

2009-10-10T20:14:00.002-05:00

Dave has already made some fantastic salads almost exclusively from the keyhole garden near the kitchen. I really like how these things work. Check out a video about keyhole gardens.

Leave those lights on!

2009-10-05T20:54:00.004-05:00

It's weird! We have to (temporarily I hope) reverse a good habit our mothers tried to train into us. In our new house on campus (ARC08), people are being good and turning off lights behind them, and I am running around turning them back on. I am asking them to leave the lights on. It is our only source of heat.

So far, there is still no furnace, no solar panels, no other way to heat the house. This past week has been cold, cloudy, rainy and has averaged about 40 degrees F. Even though we have pretty efficient fluorescent lights, we found out we can keep the whole house at 70 degrees just by leaving the lights on about 12 hours per day.
I think I am going to love having a super insulated house.
Sign up to get yours today!

New solar panels

2009-09-30T18:07:00.001-05:00

Wayne is working hard on the puttery business of installing our new experimental solar hot water panels on ARC08

Kitchen garden evolving

2009-09-10T21:38:00.003-05:00

Jim is spreading black dirt and mulch all over. The compost in it is still a little fresh. (phew!) But it looks nice.

New concrete aproach for the art sidewalk

2009-09-10T21:37:00.002-05:00

This is nice and inviting. It leads to the new boardwalk, which makes a pleasant entry past the cob artwork while keeping people out of rain and ice and snow.

Making solar panels

2009-09-10T12:06:00.003-05:00

We are finally to the point of building the solar panels for the ARC. The trick is to make them so they look like they belong on the building. In our case, that means making panels. Of slightly different widths so they come out roughly even around and between windows.

Wayne has done several detailed drawings, but it's always a bit different when you really try it out. So we built this wall mockup to prove out the idea.

Here we see a shot of the "Table Saw of Death" that has 3 blades and can process the 6 foot by 19 foot sheets of the twin wall into more manageable pieces. In this case, we needed several different sizes and widths, so this saw is just for the rough cuts.

Wayne is stacking the rough cut pieces before he trims them to size for assembly.

Meanwhile, Marlin is making the mounting rails that will frame the panels.

Tune in next time to see them going on the wall of the ARC.

Spiral Garden Update

2009-09-01T21:26:00.004-05:00

The spiral garden is looking good

As is the keyhole garden...plants compose the perimeter of the garden and compost goes into the center.

Teamwork!

2009-09-01T21:16:00.011-05:00

It was such a nice day it didn't take much encouragement to get extra help outside...even moving rocks

With Ellen you just never know... :o)

Jim, Barb, Quinn, Kathy & Ellen cheer for a job well done

Nice work!

Teachers learning

2009-08-17T19:51:00.003-05:00

Jim is teaching them all about bees.
This group of teachers from the Brainerd school district came here to Happy Dancing Turtle. They spent most of the day getting an intense tour, and brainstorming on ways to help kids learn about ecological living and how to remove activation barriers to actually do it.
It was fun to give tours to these folks because they asked lots of very good questions.

Starting a spiral kitchen garden

2009-08-15T23:42:00.001-05:00

Barb and Dave working on a new spiral kitchen garden

WHEW!

2009-08-15T10:53:00.002-05:00

Bob and Ryan and Kathy are all smiles because we just uploaded our research grant proposal to the department of energy. It was a marathon effort involving some of our best teamwork ever.
Wish us luck.

New entry path to Old Main

2009-08-13T15:22:00.003-05:00

Dave & Barb working hard on the board walk on the north side of Old Main - this will make travel across the rocks easier and winter entry into the building safer...and it looks really nice!

2009-08-13T15:11:00.006-05:00

State Representative, Brita Sailer lead the Eco Campers on a tour of the Cass County Transfer Station, they paused for a moment between two rows of baled cardboard that will eventually be recycled.

Campers paused for an even shorter moment for this picture next to the giant trash piles. It was quite the sensory experience.

2009-08-13T15:03:00.004-05:00

This morning the Eco Campers went on a garden scavenger hunt. Each camper received a clue and a picture which they had to find in the garden. Many hands were needed to harvest the potatoes - when they were done collecting vegetables they made stone soup, garlic-mashed potatoes and baked french fries. YUM!

Starting the keyhole garden

2009-08-12T14:15:00.001-05:00

Located just west of the Old Main kitchen.

2009-08-11T12:04:00.002-05:00

The boardwalk and grilling area on the west end of Old Main are taking shape and looking good!

King of the Compost Mountain?

2009-08-11T11:50:00.003-05:00

Jim got out the elephant thermometer to check on the composting cow poo. At 106 degrees there's a lot of steam waiting to get out. With the TLC it is receiving - getting turned once a week and watered regularly - this compost should be ready in about 2 months.

Super Sweet Strawberries!

2009-08-11T11:46:00.004-05:00

The strawberry plants that Dave and the crew planted this spring produced the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted!

Deadline

2009-08-10T23:46:00.001-05:00

Everywhere you look this week, engineers and office people are scrambling hard to get tons of research, writing and editing done. It is a monterous task to get our research grant application ready to submit by Friday.

Busy ECO Camper

2009-08-10T23:37:00.001-05:00

Ewan, a student at Happy Dancing Turtle's ECO Camp is busy decorating his reusable shopping bag.

Garden Garlic

2009-08-10T23:32:00.001-05:00

In the foreground of the garden is this year's great garlic patch. Next year we need to plant 10 times as many onions to go with it.

Great food everywhere

2009-08-10T22:53:00.011-05:00

This is a great time of year to have productive gardens.
Dave is making pesto from garden basil and garlic.

Ellen is cutting vegetables for the marvelous stir fry that they presented to anyone lucky enough to be around for lunch.

I am getting more excited about the third part of our mantra regarding what houses should do...
1) Heat and cool themselves
2) Recycle all water and nutrients
3) Feed the occupants

"Resilient Living" a sign of the times

2009-08-05T20:04:00.006-05:00

Learning to live resiliently may be a handy skill in the coming age of climate change, mass extinction and rapidly changing technologies. Our new signs announce to visitors that we are here to learn and practice resilient living.

This is the main sign near the road.

Complementary smaller signs like this show who is where on campus.

New spiral herb garden

2009-08-05T19:50:00.005-05:00

Now that we have a new kitchen, some of Barb's dreams are turning real. For a long time she has been working toward the idea of a kitchen garden and picnic area just west of Old Main. The spiral garden and little bridge are two elements of her dream.

Everyone enjoys todays soup in our new classroom/kitchen.

2009-08-03T23:41:00.006-05:00

I also like how the cob stairway adds a sense of old world art to the lunch room in Old Main. The scene kind of feels like the classical painting of the last supper, (except for the laptop in the foreground).

Fresh garden soup

2009-08-03T23:37:00.004-05:00

A pound of hamburger and about 15 pounds of veggies straight out of the garden. Hardy and organic.