Support Your North Country Artists Organizations

Better Farm recently joined up with North Country Artists Network, an organization dedicated to promoting the arts in Upstate New York:

Artists Networks of Upstate New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization established to promote the recognition of artists and crafters in Upstate New York. [sic] It is our intent to provide to a wide Internet audience detailed contact information about Upstate New York artists and artisans. Likewise, we list art studios and retail shops and galleries that include in their offerings the work of area artists. We also list festivals, shows and events, as well as arts councils and other arts-related organizations. Museums and other art exhibit venues are also identified, as are links to tourism sites, and sites or interest to artists and crafters. Network membership is a de facto result of listing with us. Our network membership is informal, inclusive, and free. There are no strings attached--no meetings, no dues, no obligations other than keeping listings accurate and updated. We believe that by enhancing recognition of artists, retail art locations, exhibit and fair venues, and arts-related organizations in Upstate New York, we can also help promote tourism, stimulate local economies, and energize regional identities.

Our listing was put on the site today. We are all aflutter with the support systems in place in such a faraway land as this. But there's more! When Homer Mitchell of the Artists Networks of Upstate New York wrote to us announcing our appearance on his site, he included this tidbit:

"I am attaching a flyer for artists. I hope you will let artists associated with Better Farm list with us. Thank you for your support."

Sounds good to us! Those of you flirting with the idea of joining us up here for any length of time are hereby encouraged to promote yourself on the artists' networking page of the same site.

Viva Better!

Winter Project: Make your own wind chimes

Those lovely sounding

wind chimes

hanging on front and back porches the world over got their start in India during the second-century B.C. as vessels used to ward off evil spirits and pesky birds (the latter a tradition continued today with tin pie plates and plastic owl decoys). These "wind bells" later found their way to China's temples, palaces, and homes. Their expansion through Asia brought with them a promise of good luck. And let's not forget their purpose in the States...

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

Below are instructions for creating your own wind chimes (and, by extension, supplying countless angels with lovely wings). But before we begin, here are a few considerations:

• Tonality          More important even than how your chimes look is how they sound. Extra-long aluminum wind chimes produce some of the lowest, metallic tones you can find (one of my personal favorites).  Take a moment to consider whether you prefer the sounds of seashells clicking, hollow pieces of bamboo fluttering in the breeze, glass tinkling, or metal tapping on metal, a la rain on a tin roof.

• Size/Weight   Consider how much noise you want your wind chime to make, how far apart each chime will be spaced, and build accordingly. Six hundred shells hanging from a thin branch will probably make big noise but tangle easily and potentially fall fast.

• Location         A wind chime placed in your yard will need to be weather-proofed; making certain mediums less desireable than others.     

• AppearanceBamboo wind chimes have a totally different look from, say, a wind chime made from old car or house keys. Consider your audience, decor, and above variables when picking out what kind of chime to create. 

Now that we've done some brainstorming, here are a few simple ways to turn your home into a cacophany of sound (roommates and family members, enjoy your final moments of silence!)

MAKE YOUR OWN WIND CHIMES

Material List

You can make your wind chimes from just about anything, including:

•  seashells

• broken glass, sea glass

• bamboo

• silverware

• wood

• stones

• keys

• old, broken jewelry

Depending on the weight of the items you choose, select corresponding twine, rope, or floss. In general I recommend a high-quality fishing line to hang everything.

Create Your Platform

Everything dangling on a wind chime should be adhered to a common platform or ring at the top (see image at right). This could be an old 45, a plastic plate, a wheel of an old toy, whatever you like. If you're making a flat wind chime (see images at top), then you can really get creative and use anything you like (even bust out those welding, pottery, or carpentry skills!).

Hang Your Pieces

Depending on what materials you've decided to use, you'll either have to drill holes in the top of each piece or do some

wire-wrapping

. Then, attach each piece to the platform. In most wind chimes, the center dangling piece also has a weight at the bottom, called a "windcatcher." If you're hanging sea shells, the windcatcher would be at the bottom center and would be the biggest shell. This will be what really gets the music going.

Secure Your Work and Put the Chimes on Display

It's not a bad idea to secure any knots you've made with a drop of glue (I'm majorly into

Gorilla Glue

, but use your own judgment). Now it's time to find a secure place to hang your wind chimes (be sure the spot you choose gets a nice breeze!). If you're living in a place like Redwood that's currently being snowed on, try hanging your windchime over a heating vent or in a doorway.

Ushering in the New Year

 

 

 

Unplugged

When you get your electric bill each month, you're being charged for the number of

kilowatt-hours (kWh)

you consume. One kWh (one kilowatt consumed over the course of one hour) on average in the U.S. costs roughly 10 cents, and is equal to about two pounds of greenhouse gases. A 1,000-watt appliance uses one kWh every 60 minutes. Here are some wattages of common appliances:

• Aquarium = 50–1210

• Clock radio = 10

• Coffee maker = 900–1200

• Clothes washer = 350–500

• Clothes dryer = 1800–5000

• Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)

• Dehumidifier = 785

• Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100

• Fans: Ceiling = 65–175; Window = 55–250; Furnace = 750; Whole house = 240–750

• Hair dryer = 1200–1875

• Heater (portable) = 750–1500

• Clothes iron = 1000–1800

• Microwave oven = 750–1100

• Personal computer: CPU awake/asleep = 120/30 or less; Monitor awake/asleep = 150/30 or less; Laptop = 50

• Radio (stereo) = 70–400

• Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725

• Televisions (color): 19" = 65–110; 27" = 113; 36" = 133; 53"-61" Projection = 170; Flat screen = 120

• Toaster = 800–1400

• Toaster oven = 1225

• VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25

• Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440

• Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500

• Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100

• Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380

To determine specifics for the appliances in your home, you may want to invest in a

Kill a Watt

. Simply plug your device into the Kill a Watt and you can see right there how much energy is being used.

But besides opting to use appliances requiring fewer kWh, actually unplugging items you're not using can save you (and the Earth) a bundle.

That's right—even while off, some appliances continue drawing energy from electric outlets. As much as 15 percent of your annual electric bills come from dormant items left plugged into sockets. Check out this data:

• iPod docking station = 6.7 watts when playing music, 6.3 when the ipod was removed.

• Older 32" TV = 80 watts on, 1.2 off

• 19" Plasma TV = 41 on, 1.6 off

• 32" LCD TV = 15 on, 0.1 off

• DVD/VCR = 20.3 on, 19.8 off

• wii = 17.5 on, 1.8 off

• Desktop computer = 84.7 on, 16.3 off

And this: Only 5 percent of the power drawn by a

cell phone charger

is used to charge the phone. The other 95 percent is wasted when it is left plugged into the wall. Most appliances, in fact, do draw some standby current. An easy way to determine which dormant items pull and which don't is to wander through your home looking for LED lights. Things like lamps, portable fans, and many old-school radios don't draw energy while off. But alarm clocks, most cell chargers, microwaves, electric toothbrushes, and stereos do. And anything that hums or gets the slightest bit warm even while off is drawing power.

Every watt of standby power will amount to a kWh in 1,000 hours, costing you around 10 cents. Forty watts of standby power averages a kWh per day—costing you roughly $3 a month. That adds up fast—especially nowadays, when it seems everyone has at least one computer, a stereo, iPod dock, flatscreen, DVD player, and electric shaver and toothbrush.

Here's the cost of keeping your appliances plugged in for one year:

• (TV smaller than 40 inches) Plasma TV, $48.25

• TV accessories, Digital video recorder/TIVO $39.71

• Digital cable, $26.15. Computers, Desktop, $27.90

• Computer accessories, CRT computer monitor, $8.97

• Modem, $5.47 [from Real Simple Magazine the April 2008 ]

The International Energy Agency has a "

one-watt initiative

", encouraging countries to adopt a maximum of 1 watt of standby power on all devices. Items in the U.S. marked "

Energy Star

" are designed to use less than 3/4 watt when not on.

You can lower your energy consumption by plugging most of your electronics into a power strip and turning the strip off when not in use. Doing so will save you the energy equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb left on 24/7. Or better yet, maintain an "unplugged" policy with items like televisions, printers, phone chargers, and microwaves. After a few days of practice, we swear it'll become second nature.

DIY Holiday Gift Idea: Custom prints with linoleum blocks

Graphic Tees and funky prints on fabric are all the rage; but you may not realize how easy it is to customize your own gear for some ultra-chic gift-giving.

Linoleum block printing is a very economical, fun way to personalize your gifts, holiday cards, and even your own stuff. It's also a cool way to get those creative juices flowing. And it's easy! I remember carving linoleum blocks in grade school (admittedly, back then they'd heat the blocks up for us so they were easier to carve). Here are some very simple instructions for making your own linoleum blocks:

Supplies
Linoleum block (available at most craft stores. Buy a big piece instead of pre-cut to save $$)
Carving utensils (I really like Speedball's set)
Pencil and pen
Tracing or tissue paper



Instructions
Draw your design on the tracing paper (see Better Farm's logo in red, above). This design will be transferred face-down onto the block, which means we have to get the design backwards. To do this, flip the paper over and lay it on top of your linoleum.



With a pen, go over the outline of your design hard enough to leave indents on your linoleum. As you can see in the photo below, all my pressing cut the backwards "B" out of the Better Farm logo. Once you've created your backwards design on the block, it's time to start carving. Select a blade appropriate for the job: In my case, I used the widest blade because I was carving most of the block away. Remember, you'll be cutting away the negative space so the only raised part of the linoleum left is what will be appearing on your print.



Once you've done this, you're ready to bring on the paint. Slather some onto your linoleum (a roller works best, but feel free to improvisee), stamp the print onto your fabric or wall, and you're good to go (be sure to let everything dry thoroughly before touching!).

North Country Adventures

Redwood feels to many people like the middle of nowhere. In some respects this is true; but don't be deceived into thinking low population numbers match up with a low volume of excitement.

Whether it's a daytrip to Lake Ontario, dinner in Kingston, bar-hopping to Wegatchie and beyond, four-wheeler rides throughout the county, boat rides out to untouched wilderness, or exploratory missions to places we've never even heard of, the folks at Better Farm are nothing if not the embodiment of what it means to be true explorers.

Below are some shots of a few adventures from the last several months:



Bonfire party at Lowell's:


Skateboarding in LA (go Clayton!):



Halloween Eve blowout in Oneonta:


Sledding in the Tug Hill region:




A tour of some of the most notorious joints around (the Wegatchie at left, Redwood Tavern at right):


...but, there's no place like home.

Green Your Snowmobile

Living in the wintry tundra of Redwood, snowmobiles are more than recreational vehicles. In a nasty blizzard or extremely icy conditions, they're the best—and sometimes, the only—way to get around.

But these extremely fun means of transport also wreak havoc on the playground we call Mother Earth: The EPA found one snowmobile can, in one hour, emit as much pollution into the air as almost 100 cars!

Which is why it's so refreshing to see some of America's greatest minds busy at work coming up with ways to green these litte buggers.

The Society of Automotive Engineers'

SAE International Clean Snowmobile Challenge

(CSC) is an engineering design competition for college and university student members asking engineering students to improve upon an existing snowmobile to reduce emissions and noise. Their modified snowmobiles will compete in a variety of events including emissions, noise, fuel economy/endurance, acceleration, handling, static display, cold start and design.

The

UW-Madison Clean Snowmobile Team

in 2009 won awards in the IC and Electric categories with their design for a zero-emissions, electric snowmobile.

Just goes to show you what's possible when you think green.

Better Farm Syncs Up With Hostel World

HostelWorld.com has taken Better Farm under its proverbial, online wing. Check us out!


[Posted at www.hostelworld.com]

Coming Soon: Movie Night at Better Farm

Featuring healthy snacks, good company and movies that expand your mind!

Better Holiday Shopping

The holidays are just around the corner. If you're anything like us, you're sick of shopping in box stores for run-of-the-mill, utterly forgettable items. This year, why not shop for American-made apparel that looks fabulous and goes to a good cause? Every dollar Better Farm earns from these sales goes directly into workshops next summer and improvements on the grounds.

Click on the items below to be redirected to our merchandise pages.



[Zazzle and CafePress]

Swine Flu Party!

Because no one should ever be shut out, even swine flu victims.

Symptoms of this nasty little virus run the gamut of unpleasantness; including everything from extreme fatigue to loss of appetite to achy muscles and fever. Check, check, check, and check, as two of our nearest and dearest fell victim to H1N1.

The shot is mostly being administered to pregnant ladies and small children, which meant our fallen soldiers had to ride this illness out old-skool; with lots of steam to breathe, homemade chicken noodle soup, gallons of tea, echinacea, juice, and TLC.

The epidemic swept Better Farm two weeks ago, lasted about six days, and left as quickly as it came. The Better Theory teaches us to address our fears and misfortunes head-on, and to take those demons and make them sing. So, that's just what we did. Cue Better Farm's first (and hopefully last) swine flu party, which had to double as Clayton's goodbye party since he sadly had to hit the road the following morning for Baltimore.







Photos by Clayton Carlson

Better Farm Welcomes Three Very Special Guests

This weekend Better Farm enjoyed the company of Cheryl, Annie, and Sarah of New York City and Philadelphia. They brought with them home goods to donate, and willing arms and legs to help us out with a few ongoing projects. We are very blessed to have such wonderful people track us down and lend their hands. That sort of humanity invigorates this space and validates our efforts at Better Farm.

But first things first. Here are Sarah and Cheryl just after arriving Thursday evening, already getting in the spirit of our family dinners:


On Friday the ladies got right to work. Last Tuesday Fred gave one pass along a couple hundred feet of ground with his rototiller to loosen up the hard, recently hayed ground for planting. Here's Sarah carrying a bale of hay from the barn:


We had a bunch of raspberry trimmings to plant, so the girls set about nailing stakes into the ground equidistant apart for the stalks. From there, it was just a matter of a little digging and getting the raspberry plants good and comfortable. The strip of land these plants will frequent get lots of excellent sunshine (raspberries need at least six hours of daylight daily) and is conveniently located close to the house to make for easy picking and noshing.


The girls also threw their weight behind helping to clear out the attic attached to the loft. Cheryl, Annie, and Sarah hauled everything from electric train sets to typewriters out of the space, which we're planning to reinsulate and convert into another loft accessible by a ladder from the upstairs hallway. The empty cardboard boxes were great kindling for a good old fashioned campfire we made Saturday night. Between that, a nature hike Friday, raucous visit to the Redwood Tavern, steady chilling on lawn chairs outside, pancake breakfasts and Mexican feasts, we count this visit as perfect. Thank you ladies for all your hard work and kind donations to Better Farm!






Please contact us if you'd like to pay a visit to Better Farm.

Roofing Goes Green with Solar Shingles

While browsing

Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009

, I noticed lucky number 13: The Solar Shingle. With Better Farm's continued efforts to lower our energy consumption, this seems like a cheaper and easier (can be installed by a regular roofer) solution. While not yet available to buy, a little web research sounds promising...

The New York Times

October 7, 2009, 11:46 am

Dow Unveils Solar Shingles

By TODD WOODY

Dow Chemical has unveiled a residential roof shingle in the form of a solar panel designed to be integrated into asphalt-tiled roofs.

Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow’s Solar Solutions unit, said the Powerhouse thin-film shingle slashes installation costs because it can be installed by a roofer who is already building or retrofitting a roof.

“As a roofer is nailing asphalt shingle on roof, wherever the array needs to be installed he just switches to solar shingle,” said Ms. Palmieri, who said the solar singles are similarly attached to the roof with nails.

“You don’t have to have a solar installation crew do the work or have an electrician on site,” she added. “The solar shingle can be handled like any other shingle – it can be palletized, dropped from a roof, walked on.”

An electrician is still needed to connect the completed array to an inverter and to a home’s electrical system, but unlike conventional solar panels that must be wired together, the solar shingles plug into each other to form the array.

Read the rest of the article here.

Fast Company

Covert Solar Power? Dow's Solar Shingles for Rooftops are Burglar-Proof

BY Ariel SchwartzTue Oct 6, 2009 at 2:09 PM

...There's another hidden benefit to Dow's shingles--they are less likely to be visible to thieves than traditional panels. California has seen a slew of rooftop panel burglaries in the past few years. Thieves make off with the solar panels and sell them on the black market. But shingles nestled into a roof can't just be removed by snipping off a few wires.

Read the rest of article here.

Gizmodo

Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles Could Finally Have You Hugging Trees

by Sean Fallon

Oct 7 2009

...As you can see, the panels look like standard asphalt shingles—and they can be installed without any specialized knowledge. In fact, they only take about 10 hours to install on average compared to the 22-30 hours for traditional panels. Since a basic roofer could handle the job in a short amount of time, installation costs should be more manageable. Plus, Dow claims that their Powerhouse will be 30% to 40% cheaper than other solar shingle designs.

Read the rest of the article here.

Solar shingles photo from ecogeek.org